Today we shall journey into one of the darkest regions of social media. The highly excitable and overly caffeinated world of Facebook’s Politics Zone. There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man or woperson. It’s a dimension as vast as Chris Christie’s waistline, as timeless as infinity and as full of insane theories as Fox News. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between reason and irrationality. It lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his paranoia. You have just crossed over into the Facebook Politics Zone.

The Politics Zone is where people go to spout their wildest theories, end their oldest friendships and use more exclamation points and BOLD FACE CAPITAL LETTERS than the law allows. Nothing is calm in the Politics Zone. Everything is urgent and game changing. Like newspeak in Orwell’s 1984,the Facebook Politics Zone has its own language. Let us take a walk down Facebook lane and see what’s lurking behind the latest picture of Hillary or The Donald. There is a random political phrase generator that the Facebook Illuminati use to hype their most shrieking political posts.

Like Rudy Begonia, do these Political Zone phrases strike a familiar note? “Nobody saw this coming!” Trump “unleashed a BRUTALhistory lesson.” Watch the attached video because “this changes everything!” (Humble columnist’s note: the video never changes anything, but it does elevate the self image of the poster of said video.) My candidate “drops a TRUTH BOMB and boy does it smart!” A variation on the truth bomb is to drop “an EPIC truth bomb,” which is several megatons more convincing than a conventional truth bomb. My candidate ‘tells the BLUNT truth” about your candidate. The version of truth being pushed by my candidate is “BLOWING UPthe Internet!” The brilliance of my candidate’s statement has caused the opposing candidate “to STAGE A HISSY FIT!” Frankly, there is little more entertaining than watching a political opponent staging a hissy fit. After the invention of Depakote, who even knew that anyone still staged hissy fits ? Personally, I would walk a mile to see someone stage a hissy fit. As the old saying goes, “If the hissy fits, wear it.”

A Poltics Zoner who disagrees with a politician posts something that “SHUTS him down.” 

The Donald issues a statement that causes “Hillary to be ON THE ROPES.” “Hillary is FUMING!” In response, Hillary who “might not have seen it coming!,” “issues “a HUGEstatement” that “BLOWS AWAY” The Donald. In response, The Donald “slaps Hillary with a BIG surprise!” The Donald releases a “GROUNDBREAKING massive secret that could BE THE END” for Hillary. Hillary’s “response reveals everything!” Trump counters with the charge that “This woman IS NOT FITto be President!” The Democratic Party releases a “prediction that TORCHESand DESTROYSTrump’s chance to be elected.”

Upon seeing a Political Zone posting, many Facebookers are so overwhelmed with anger/joy/ amazement/ stupification/sadness that they confess, “I LOSTit!” after seeing whatever it was. On Facebook, political emotions are not worn on one’s sleeve, but on one’s typing fingers. My candidate, who has “had ENOUGH” of your candidate’s stupid twaddle, just issued a statement “that DISMANTLES” everything your candidate ever said, thought or did. The last thing your opponent said “SHOCKEDthe nation!” But just wait until my candidate provides your candidate “with a NASTYsurprise!”

On Facebook, there is no middle ground. There is no room for the possibility that political opponents could be well intentioned, human or even have a logical point or two. People who think differently from you are the anti-Christ. 

Politics Zone posters adhere to Johnny Mercer’s advice, “Don’t mess with Mr. In-Between.” 

A particularly unflattering picture of your opponent is captioned “I CAN’T STOP LAUGHING!” Obama “should be EVICTEDfrom the White House!” And so it goes.

If you have managed to read all the way through today’s contribution to world literature, this column has a value added bonus in the form of a valuable stock market tip. Sell all your stocks, bonds, gold and baseball cards, and invest in exclamation points!!! and BOLD FACE CAPITAL LETTERS. It is only a matter of time before the Illuminati of Facebook use up all the known supply of exclamation points and BOLD FACE CAPITAL LETTERS. Buy printing presses that only produce digital exclamation points and BOLD FACE CAPITAL LETTERS.Once the current supply is used up, the price of these two commodities will sky rocket. If you don’t take my advice, YOU ARE A POOPY HEAD!

At the end of March, my family lost someone both near and dear and thoroughly unique. She left us at 90, and she was — as we say in the South — “herself” until the very end. It was a comfort to me and to others, I suspect, that she went out declaring that she had had a wonderful life and was ready for what comes next. 

Not everyone is blessed to feel that way.

Some of us live with deep regrets, and I have heard it said that at the end of life most of us regret not what we did, even if we committed reprehensive acts and delivered great hurts, but what we did not do. We regret the opportunities we did not take, the doors that opened to us that we could not make ourselves walk through for whatever reason was – often fear of the unknown. When I am honest with myself, I have to admit to several of those.

That is surely the reason that “The Top 37 Things You Will Regret When You Are Old” on the website Social-Consciousness.com caught my eye. I will pass along the ones that resonated most with me.

“Not traveling when you had the chance.” My life circumstances since the mid-2000s have allowed me to roam the world, at least parts of it, and that travel has broadened me in so many ways and changed my views about other people and other cultures. I am so fortunate to have had these opportunities and so rewarded that I did not allow experiences foreign to me to scare me away.

“Staying in a bad relationship.” Many people do this out of habit, fear of change, lack of resources, whatever. But life is short and unpredictable, and most of us will be happier and more productive if we are not burdened in this way. This category goes hand in hand with another — “Not quitting a terrible job.”

“Failing to make physical fitness a priority.” I know. I know. Getting moving is not easy, but the alternative is worse. One of my neighbors, a professional man in his 70s, has been a lifelong runner. He is much slower now than he once was, but he is still out there most mornings about dawn. He is an example that moving, however slowly, is preferable to becoming such a couch potato, you eventually cannot move.

“Letting yourself be defined by gender roles.” I used to think we Baby Boomers would cure America of this curse, but now I see that we have not. Roles have changed somewhat, but women continue to bear the brunt of childrearing and housekeeping, even though we are in the workplace just as men are. This one goes hand in hand with another as well — “Letting yourself be defined by cultural expectations.”

“Not playing with your kids enough.” I cannot count the number of Boomers who have said this very thing to me, and I plead guilty as well. The Precious Jewels remain the most important treasures of my life, but I did spend too much time in my office in doing “grown up” activities. What else can I say?

“Not standing up for yourself.” We think of bullying of children and young people, but adults let ourselves be bullied as well by friends and co-workers. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” and she was right.

“Never taking a big risk.” Our mothers would say, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Even if we fail at what we risk, we gave it a shot and there is satisfaction in that.

“Missing the chance to ask your grandparents questions before they die.” I regret this almost daily. If you have grandparents, grab your cell phone, punch record, and ask away.

“Neglecting your teeth.” Anyone with dentures can address this one for you.

“Not trying harder in school.” Most of us are guilty of this at least at some level, and most of us pay for it. In this awful election cycle, many voters are disaffected and many of those are people whose educations have not prepared them to achieve what they want in today’s workplace.

Notice that most of these are, in fact, roads not taken for whatever reasons.

And, finally, the one that resonated the most with me.

“Not being grateful sooner.“ My family member was grateful for her family, her friends and her long life and said so. She saw her life as a gift, and we who miss her are at peace that she did.

Social-consciousness.com addresses gratitude this way.

“It can be hard to see in the beginning, but eventually it becomes clear that every moment on this earth — from the mundane to the amazing — is a gift that we’re all so incredibly lucky to share.”

Amen.

Thank goodness for honest and conscientious Spring Lake residents like Rita Perry. Perry was the first citizen to finally come forward to expose possible fraud and misuse of Spring Lake’s revenues through the misuse of town-issued credit cards by Spring Lake’s Board of Aldermen and department managers. 

Perry gained access to the town’s expense records via a public records request, and the process began of verifying what many of us close to Spring Lake have already suspected: mismanagement and possible corruption have become a way of life for their small town government. Personally, I am very proud of Rita Perry. 

My relationship with Spring Lake dates back decades. By working with the town and the local Chamber of Commerce, I have seen it at its best and, unfortunately, I have watched it deteriorate to its present state. My involvement was through our community newspaper, Up & Coming Weekly, working with the Chamber of Commerce to promote the community, support local businesses, enhance economic development and create a positive image for the town. We communicated its historical perspective and assisted Spring Lake in developing a brand they could market, promote and be proud. 

Under the direction of then-Chamber of Commerce Director Jamie McLaughlin, Spring Lake was emerging alive, proud and enthusiastic. Attitudes were changing, businesses were stepping up to get involved, the Chamber was growing its membership and, working with Jamie at the Chamber’s helm, together we created the town’s own newspaper, the Spring Lake Beacon. For more than two years this publication flourished showcasing Spring Lake’s history, supporting local businesses, informing the residents of community news and upcoming events, local personalities and basically promoting Spring Lake’s personality and brand. Unfortunately, that lasted only for about two years. Then for reasons unknown, the town stopped supporting the project and the Chamber of Commerce. 

Once that happened, local businesses withdrew their support, McLaughlin resigned and took another position with the City of Fayetteville and both the Chamber and the entire town took on a “poor me” persona, always expounding on never having any money or resources to support what we all know are basic quality-of-life amenities. “What’s in it for me?” seemed to be the underlying attitude permeating throughout the Town of Spring Lake’s leadership and management as well as that of the Chamber of Commerce.

This situation was very baffling and extremely disappointing. However, like many others, we (our newspaper) work with businesses and organizations that want to work with us. In any situation, we know: “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck” it is probably “a duck”. 

In the June State Auditor report on Spring Lake’s finances, they found “the duck”. The report stated that town employees, the Board of Aldermen and possibly Spring Lake Mayor Chris Rey spent more than $500,000 on questionable purchases in violation of its own policy. The report questioned other expenditures as well as sloppy, careless and faulty record keeping between 2010 and 2015. Hmmmm, so what’s the big deal? I’ll tell you what the big deal is. 

Shame on Mayor Rey and the rest of the town’s leadership for allowing it to go on. It’s common knowledge that for decades residents and friends of the Town of Spring Lake have come forward, stepped up and generously donated their time, talent and money to assist in improving local business, economic development and the overall quality of life of Spring Lake’s 13,000+ residents only to have leadership rebuff the progressive ideas, ventures and partnerships that were offered up under the guise of “Spring Lake can’t afford it,” or “We just don’t have the money,” when, what they really meant was, “What’s in it for me?” If that answer was “nothing,” then that’s exactly what the residents of the Town of Spring Lake got. Nothing. 

Again, shame on them, for selfishly mismanaging the revenues that rightfully belonged to the citizens. Resignations need to be forthcoming and charges need to be filed for robbing this innocent community and depriving its citizens of their quality of life. I certainly hope the state investigation into this atrocity goes deep. Egregious misconduct of this nature does not proliferate or endure without accomplices. Willing enablers, cooperating people, businesses and organizations aiding and abetting the situation, i.e., the relationship between Spring Lake’s management/leadership and the Chamber of Commerce and the town’s Economic Development Department.

To Rey’s credit he has gone on record and accepted the responsibility, admitting that the problem or “culture” as he called it, started before he was elected. So noted, however, he had four years to fix it and did nothing. After all, 60+ employees running amuck misusing the town’s credit cards is kind of hard to ignore. Rey’s defense that he was not aware is not going to be much of a defense. And, the resignation of former town Manager Ken Metcalf and the firing of Interim Finance Director Tina West is not going to be accepted as “problem solved.” 

Here’s what we know for sure: The state will get to the bottom of this. Rita Perry is an awesome “Shero” for her perseverance in standing up for what is right and just for all Spring Lake residents and, finally, Spring Lake is very fortunate to have the talented and hard working Tad Davis as their Town Manager. His vision and abilities can only prove to be a huge asset for the Town of Spring Lake. All he needs are the resources and support of the community. Hey, just think what he could have done for Spring Lake with more than  $500,000 of the misallocated funds. Just saying! 

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly. 

What do politics, Chinese acrobats, Prince and Annie, the musical, have in common? The Givens Performing Arts Center’s 2016-2017 season. And, that’s just the first four shows. With 10 performances slated between the Sept. 29 opening and the final show on May 3, GPAC Director of Marketing Chad Locklear is looking forward to another stellar year. Peppered with variety, the season includes comedy, acrobats, concerts, musicals and dance. 

“GPAC has a great staff, team and board that’s truly committed to bringing some of the highest quality performances to our area. It’s a tradition that has continued for more than 40 years,” he said.

Part improv, part sketch comedy, Unelectable You, presented by Slate magazine and The Second City, includes the audience in a show that “mocks every vote, every candidate and the whole political process …” Red, blue or independent, Unelectable You gives people of every political stripe something to laugh about. It’s at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 29.

Shanghai Nightsrolls into GPAC on Oct. 18. The show by The Shanghai Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China weaves dramatic tales using movement, music and color to bring the excitement and elegance that is Shanghai to the Sandhils. The show features more than 100 of China’s top acrobats.

He captivated a generation with his musical prowess and majestic stage presence. On Oct. 21, UNC Pembroke celebrates homecoming with Prince tribute artist Matt Fink, a three-time Grammy Award winner and original member of Prince and the Revolution. The concert is open to the public.

November 17, Annie, the musical takes the stage. It is directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin and choreographed by Liza Gennaro and features book and score by Tony Award®-winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin. With favorites like “It’s the Hard-Knock Life,” “Easy Street,” “I Don’t Need Anything But You,” and the ever-popular “Tomorrow,” this production promises to have the audience singing along.

An addition to the lineup, is a display of UNCP’s finest at the 8th Annual Holiday Extravaganza on Dec.2. Students, faculty and staff come together to perform holiday classics and new favorites. Join in singing Christmas carols as UNCP’s choirs and ensembles bring the Christmas spirit to Givens. Don’t miss the preconcert “Tuba Christmas” performance at 7:30 p.m. “This year we’ve added the UNCP Department of Music’s Annual Holiday Extravaganza to our series,” said Locklear. “It’s such a wonderful family-friendly event that showcases the talents of students and faculty of our music department from choirs to jazz ensembles. We wanted to give it more exposure. It’s also for a good cause. Proceeds will go to scholarships for students majoring in music.”

The N. C. Youth Tap Ensemble features 40 dancers ranging in age from 8 to 18. They bring passion and attitude to the stage with high-energy numbers that include some not-so-traditional musical pieces — all while honoring the tradition of tap. The performance is on Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. 

Broadway and the American dream come together on Jan 26 when 42nd Streettakes the stage. Based on a novel by Bradford Ropes and Busby Berkeley’s 1933 movie, the musical takes the audience on an adventure with Peggy Sawyer as she strikes out on her own to chase her dream of finding success as a New York actress.

The percussion, the dance, the rhythm — there is nothing like it. STOMP’s eight members use pretty much anything but percussion instrument, finding “beautiful noises in the strangest places,” according to USA Today. Using matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters and hubcaps, STOMP fills the stage with rhythm. This well-loved favorite comes with updated and restructured routines that are sure to captivate. It is at GPAC on March 21.

The Russian National Ballet Theatre presents Swan Lake on March 27. Swan Lake originally premiered in 1877 and is now the national ballet of Russia. Follow the full-length ballet as it tells the story of princess Odette and her struggle to break free of the sorcerer’s curse that turned her into a swan.

The same composer that brought us Wicked now offers PIPPIN, a musical packed with acrobatics, magical feats and song. It claims four 2013 Tony Awards® including Best Musical Revival. PIPPIN closes out the GPAC season on May 3.

“A subscription to all the shows is less than two tickets to a Broadway show in New York,” said Locklear. “We also give exclusive perks to our season subscribers: an invitation to our annual Champagne Gala at the opening show, an opportunity to choose the best seats before single tickets go on sale to the general public, and discounted ticket rates.” 

While first class entertainment is GPAC’s specialty, there is more. 

“We’re the center of cultural arts in our community and the university. Besides our Broadway and More Series, there are many diverse cultural arts events throughout the year,” said Locklear. “The Department of Theatre produces several plays a year, the Department of Music has several concerts and an annual musical, and we feature student and local artist’s artwork on GPAC’s lobby walls. Many of these events are free and open to the public.” 

For more information about the 2016/2017 season at www.uncp.edu/gpac.

For the past few years Sweet Tea Shakespeare has worked to bring classic plays to life. Many of the group’s performances happen in the beautiful outdoors, capitalizing on sweet Southern evenings. Their minimalistic style embraces the natural beauties of Fayetteville and Shakespeare traditional style. “Shakespeare’s plays are meant to be performed on a blank stage. In his writing he uses something called spoken décor. In the writing he describes where the set is. It comes out in the writing,” Greg Fiebig the director of Measure for Measure explained. The play is set to take place July 21 and 24 at Museum of the Cape Fear’s Poe House.

Measure for Measure is the first Shakespearean work that Sweet Tea Shakespeare has produced this year. It is a unique work because it is neither a tragedy nor a comedy. Dark and serious themes are offset by comedic moments and characters. 

“It is an interesting piece … the Duke of Vienna leaves his second in command in charge and comes back to the town as a friar to check and see how things are really going,” Fiebig said, comparing the piece to an episode of the television show Undercover Boss.  

This play takes place outdoors on the grounds of the 1897 Poe House. 

“There is an out building behind the Poe House that has a trellis covered in ivy. That is going to be our backdrop with a pallet stage in front,” Fiebig said. “We are going to encourage audience members to sit up close to the stage on all four sides. With the thrust-style stage, the audience can get very close to the stage where all the action is happening. Everyone should have a great view because they will all be within 10 yards of the actors and the action.”

Shakespeare’s works have the ability to stay relevant centuries after they were written. This is especially true in Measure for Measure. This relevancy allows both the cast and the audience to engage with the play in a significant way.  

“It is interesting — especially with what is happening today. If you look at the national news and the media, there are things like shootings without due process and then there are the elections. Shakespeare’s work continues to be relevant to today. You look at the play and it is like someone ripped the headlines from today’s news,” Fiebig said. 

This rendition of Measure for Measureincludes audience participation. 

“There is an unresolved marriage proposal and it is just glossed over. So we are going to stop after the proposal and ask the audience how they would like it to end,” Fiebig explained. “It is much funnier if she rejects the proposal rather than accepts it because if she rejects it, then the rejected person has to respond and it is hilarious.” 

The text itself will remain regardless of the situation, but the answer will alter how the performers ‘play’ the scene.  Audience members are encouraged to see the performance multiple times and change how they vote in order to see both endings. 

General admission is $12. Performance dates are July 21 -24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Poe House. Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s house band The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers performs before every show. Find out more about the troupe and this season at www.sweetteashakespeare.com. 

In partnership with Fayetteville’s PWC, Sustainable Sandhills is set to tackle another sticky topic at the second showing of the Sustainable Saturdays Film Series season on July 23: Honey - more specifically, the bees that make it. The documentary is titled More than Honey,but the topic is not necessarily sweet. 

“This is a bee movie, and everyone loves bee movies,” said Denise Bruce of Sustainable Sandhills. “This is a topic that is at the forefront of the public conscience. It is near and dear to our hearts.” 

And for good reason.

Imagine the world with no apples, blueberries, cherries or almonds. These are just a few of the crops that bees pollinate. According to the American Beekeeping Federation, honeybees add $14 billion to the value of U.S. crop production. The organization further cites, “Bees pollinate about one-sixth of the world’s flowering plant species and some 400 of its agricultural plants. Poorly pollinated plants produce fewer, often misshapen, fruits and lower yields of seed with inevitable consequences upon quality, availability and price of food. One of the few farm activities that can actually increase yields, rather than simply protect existing yields from losses, is to manage bees to encourage good pollination.” 

The National Resources Defense Council notes, “One out of every three mouthfuls of food in the American diet is, in some way, a product of honeybee pollination — from fruit to nuts to coffee beans.”

Attendees can learn firsthand about the role of bees locally. Scheduled speakers will talk at the event. Bruce noted, “I have contacted the Cumberland County and Hoke County beekeepers. They are really familiar with this issue. The fact that we are losing our pollinators — not just bees, although they are most commercially viable — is a big deal. We are committing every season to showing a film about the state of our pollinators.”

The award-winning documentary More than Honey examines bees, their lives, habits and current predicament as they face colony collapse disorder and other challenges. 

 This film is the second in a series of six films that are part of the Sustainable Saturdays Film Series, which takes place on the fourth Saturday each month at the Cameo Art House Theatre in Downtown Fayetteville. The other four movies are River Run: Down the Cape Fear River, Farmland, Soylent Green, The Burden and Community: Planet Neighborhood.The movies start at 11 a.m.

Sustainable Sandhills also owns the screening rights to a number of other films that cover topics like the dangers of plastic, carbon footprints, oil, farming-related issues, water-related issues and much more. The movies are available to check out for in-home and other private screenings.

While bees play an important role getting food on the table, Sustainable Sandhills has some programs that also focus on smart resource management — including food. The organization sponsors events like PopUp dinner parties that bring together local chefs and food producers as well as community members. With menus sourced from within 80-120 miles of Fayetteville, the goal of PopUp dinners is to recognize the importance of having a sustainable community. July 25 marks the next PopUp dinner. The theme is Caribbean Vacation. Find out more about this community event at the PopUp Dinner: Slow Food FAY Facebook page.

Community-supported agriculture is another way Sustainable Sandhills strives to connect people in the community with local farmers. In conjunction with Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative (SF2T), farmers from Moore, Cumberland, and Harnett Counties come together to support the CSA movement. According to sustainablesandhills.org, “SF2T has grown and expanded with its green mission, which now offers a diverse range of juicy berries, ripe fruits, fresh vegetables, heritage grains, goat cheese, fresh bread, granola, cinnamon buns, Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas trees.”

By participating in CSAs, people help financially support local farmers. They also save energy and resources because the food doesn’t have to travel far to get to the consumer. That means less fuel to transport the food and fresher food for the consumer because it didn’t have to go far to get from the farm to their table. 

For more information bout Sustainable Sandhills and its many programs, visit, http://www.sustainablesandhills.org.

Every month the Downtown Alliance and Arts Council celebrate the best that downtown has to offer. The shops, restaurants and other businesses in downtown Fayetteville come together to create a fun and free evening full of activities. All of the businesses stay open late and much of the family-friendly entertainment is free. The streets are often filled with performances and art of all manner. 

This month, the Arts Council opens its latest exhibit, Pictorial Space, presented by Ellington-White. The exhibit hangs inside the Arts Council, but the fun continues outdoors with Scottish music in front of the building from 7-9 p.m.

For 4th Friday, 2-U-Keys, a band comprised of Maliheh and Rhonda is set to entertain guests with two hours of lighthearted fun. The music is created by two voices and two ukuleles that create a beach inspired mood. The program is sponsored by Systel and there will be refreshments. Guests are encouraged to tap and sing along. The 2-U-Keys will perform at the Headquarters Library in the Pate Room from 7 until 9 p.m. The library is located at 301 Maiden Lane, and the event is free of charge. For more information visit www.cumberland.lib.nc.us/ccplsite.

Fascinate-U is a museum in downtown Fayetteville dedicated to children. Exhibits are interactive, and unlike the traditional museums, touching is encouraged. Fascinate-U intends to help prepare kids to navigate the larger world by first practicing on a smaller scale. For 4th Friday, admission is free and the museum stays open late from 7 until 9 p.m. The theme these month is Under the Sea Art. Kids are invited to create and take home an under-the-sea craft. For more information, visit the following site at www.fascinate-u.com/visit/. 

After exploring the shops and restaurants in downtown, Fayetteville After 5offers a relaxing end to the evening. On July 22, On the Border with Kasey Tyndall and Kaylin Roberson perform in Festival Park. The band is an Eagles tribute band from Charlotte. The gates will open at 5 p.m. The opening acts begin around 7 or 7:30 p.m. The concert lasts until 10:30 or 11 p.m. No outside food or beverages are permitted but concessions are available for purchase. Audience members are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets. The free concerts are presented by the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival and R.A. Jeffreys. For more information visit the following site at www.faydogwoodfestival.com/p/Events/211. 

These are only a few of the amazing opportunities that 4th Fridayhas to offer. In addition to street performers and musicians, many businesses offer free refreshments and demonstrations. Additionally, for those who love history ,the Fayetteville Transportation Museum and Market House both offer exhibits that detail the Fayetteville area’s long and colorful history. There are new exhibits on display in both locations monthly as well as permanent exhibits. 

Cape Fear Studios on Maxwell Street opens a new exhibit on 4th Friday— En Plein Air: Of Light and Color. It features the works of PaintNC, a group of emerging and professional artists who meet regularly to paint “en plein air” (outside on location) within North Carolina. The opening reception is at Cape Fear Studios on July 22 from 6 - 9 p.m.

Fayetteville is an evolving city. From day to day downtown has growing opportunities and evens. 4th Friday’s are a reflection of that growth. Every month there are new performers and artists on the streets expressing their creativity. There are also new businesses hosting demonstrations and restaurants creating innovative menus. Fayetteville is dynamic and growing and 4th Friday captures that growth and excitement in a single evening. 

One ticket will buy a week’s worth of entertainment when the Gilbert Theater presents the Next Stage Play Festival July 20-24. One $16 ticket buys entry into all plays and all days of the festival.

Gilbert Artistic Director Robyne Parrish expects the five-day festival to draw a response similar to last year’s event. 

“The community loved seeing new work,” she said. “They really got into the festival and made it a week-long event. It was a true celebration oflocal talent!” 

Again this year, the festival will celebrate local talent.

“The festival is a chance for local artists to shine in every way,” Parrish said. “Local actors, directors, writers and crew members are showcased. Many of our young people are involved in the summer shows as well as our REP members. This is a true collaborative effort by our local arts community.”

Parrish added that four of the six plays in the festival are locally written. 

“We highlight local talent all year, of course, and it is important that those with a passion for art and for the theatre have an outlet to act out their dreams.” 

One ticket buys a pass to the entire festival. 

“We don’t want our audience to miss any of these fine shows,” Parrish said. “We make it as easy and fun as possible to attend all of them — many of our audience came twice and three times last year to the shows. It was great fun. Part of our mission at the Gilbert is to present new work and to make it accessible and affordable to the public.” 

This year’s selection of plays range from 10 to 40 minutes in length, and three plays are presented at each performance, Parrish explained. Performances begin at 7 p.m. on July 20 and 22. On July 21, 23 and 24, performances are at 2 and 7 p.m. daily.

A 1964 Thunderbird, written by Ted Wojtasik, is about Agnes, a nurse and caretaker for an elderly patient. Agnes herself is not in good health, and she reaches an emotional breaking point on the day she has to sell her car for extra money.

The Cage, written by James Dean, is the story of a young girl, living with her parents in a small town. One summer she meets a strange young boy who appears to be living in a cage in her back yard. Who the boy is and where he came from is a mystery, and she keeps the existence of the boy a secret as well, but it’s hard to keep a secret in a small town. Part love story, part mystery, part adventure, The Cageis a fable that will captivate all ages.

In Bloody Mary, writer Derek Smith gives us a playwright who kills the woman of his dreams over and over again as he tries to satisfy her with the perfect kill for his next work.

In To Be A God,Jennifer Schaupp writes a short play that looks at the tradition of worshipping young females as living goddesses, common in Nepal, from the perspective of an American woman grappling with her own life pursuits.

In The One That Got Away, writer Lisa Brennan presents the audience with a tale of he said-she said-they said. 

For more information on the Next Stage Film Festival or to purchase a ticket, visit gilberttheater.com or call the box office at 910.678.7186.

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.