This is it: Your personal invitation to Up & Coming Weekly’s  biggest community celebration: our 18th Annual Best of Fayetteville Awards Party. 

Join the staff and management of Up & Coming Weekly, along with special guests Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson, Cumberland County Commissioner Chairman Kenneth Edge and Jimmy Keefe, Fayetteville Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman George Breece, John Meroski, president of the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Mac Edwards and Don Chase of Beasley Broadcasting, as we meet and greet those people who and businesses and organizations that have gone the extra mile to establish themselves as Fayetteville and Cumberland County’s Best of the Best. 

For 18 years we have been recognizing and honoring hundreds who have contributed to Fayetteville’s honor, integrity and quality of life. 

This is not only our biggest event of the year, but as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary as Fayetteville’s community newspaper the Best of Fayetteville is our most cherished contribution to the community. For this we are very proud and extremely grateful. 

So, let’s party!!!! 

Fun, Food, prizes and surprises. It’s all happening on Tuesday Sept. 15 from 5:30 - 8 p.m. at the newly renovated Kagney’s Night Club near downtown on Bragg Boulevard. 

This is your personal invitation. Put it on your calendar and bring your friends!

Join us for the Best Party In Town!

And, thank you for allowing Up & Coming Weekly to serve the best community in North Carolina as your community newspaper!

Move over turkey and make room for poultry. For 30 years, Hoke County has held the Annual North Carolina Turkey Festival, drawing thousands of people to partake in the festivities. This year, they have stirred things up, but don’t worry, it’s the same fun event but with a new name this year. The 1st Annual North Carolina Poultry Festival begins on Friday, Sept. 11 and runs through Saturday, Sept 19. 

   “The Poultry Festival is one of the largest events that goes on in Hoke County,”said Melissa Pittman, executive director of the festival. “For a county of our size that is a wonderful thing because 50,000 people will participate.” 

   The event, themed “Hatchin up Some Fun,” kicks off with the Turkey Bowl on Friday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. in Raz Autry Stadium at Hoke County High School. The events for Saturday, Sept. 12, include a 5K Pajama Run, a tennis tournament, a cornhole tournament with a cash prize of $500, a car show, a dog show, a $7 per-plate sale with leg quarters and barbecue and The Rivermist Band of Fayetteville, who will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. for a concert at Armory Ball Park. For Sunday, Sept. 13, a tennis tournament is slated at Hoke County High School. The cost is $20 for one event and $30 for two events.  

The opening ceremony is on Monday, Sept. 14, at 6 p.m. at the L. E. McLaughlin Senior Room, where sponsors are recognized and refreshments are provided. A card tournament will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. at the Raeford Civic Center and the cost is $7. Each table will win a grand prize and other prizes will be awarded throughout the night. Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 10 a.m., residents over the age of 55 are invited to attend “Senior Day” at 10 a.m. at the Raeford Civic Center. Health screenings are scheduled and a speaker will discuss women’s care for diabetics and the elderly. A Subway bagged lunch is planned followed by bingo. The cost is $5. 

On Thursday, Sept. 17, the Poultry Festival parade will start at 5:30 p.m. on Main Street. Friday, Sept. 18, a “Fitness at the Festival” is planned at the FirstHealth Fitness Center. Demonstrations of equipment and walk-throughs of everything that the center has to offer the residents of Hoke County are available.

A three-on-three adult basketball tournament is set for Saturday, Sept. 19, at 9:45 a.m. at Hoke County High School. The fee is $45 per team. A three-on-three youth basketball tournamentis scheduled at 10 a.m. at McLaughlin Park. The registration deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 9. First and second place winners will receive trophies and T-shirts. Entertainment begins at 10 a.m. Food, crafts and informational and commercial vendors are on site from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. There will be a children’s corner where children can make crafts and ride ponies at 9 a.m. A cooking contest with any kind of poultry product takes place on Sept. 19 at 9 a.m. Cash prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners.  

   “We want everyone to come out and enjoy the fun,” said Pittman. Ticket cost for the rain or shine concert is $10. The cost of the 5K pajama run is $20 early registration and $25 the day of the event. For more information call 904-2424. 

The culture of the South is rich with history and influences from around the globe. This culture is often expressed through music, but in a rapidly expanding and merging world, there is a danger that this precious expression of unique histories may be lost. 

The Music Maker Relief Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1994 to “preserve the musical traditions of the South by directly supporting the musicians who make it.” Their main fights are against poverty and time. So rather than just offering money, they offer artists opportunities and document their performances. They create the space to revitalize the people so that the music can come freely.

The foundation has numerous programs to help struggling artists in every way imaginable. The most vulnerable, and in some ways most valuable, are often elderly musicians. They carry fading traditions. Through the Musician Sustenance program the MMRF provides grants to help with medical bills, food, housing and emergencies. 

The Musical Development Program focuses on increasing artist’s earned income by providing opportunities for growth like shows and recordings. This not only helps the artists, but also often revitalizes interest in the community when artists perform at prestigious theatres. 

The work the MMRF does affects the community on a very personal level and on a larger scale. It brings culture and tradition to the forefront of people minds for exploration, appreciation, self-reflection and preservation. Artists under 55 or Next Generation artists are also assisted in developing professional careers to keep the traditions alive. 

This year the Givens Performing Arts Center  is partnering with MMRF to present the We Are the Music Makers photography exhibit from September through October. This exhibit has traveled around the nation after debuting in 2014 at the New York Public Library and at the Lincoln Center. Photos of musicians and Southern musical culture are joined by stories of Southern musicians and the culture they live and perform. The exhibit opens on Sept. 19, and is accompanied by a live performance from the Music Makers Blues Revue including artists John Dee Holeman, Pure Fe, Ulali Project, Deer Clan Singers and Lakota John and Kin. 

Pura Fe, who performs solo as well as with the Ulali Project, is a Tuscarora singer and slide guitarist. When asked what inspires her unique mix of contemporary and native music she says, “Everything! I was raised around music and singers, many generations on my mother’s side. It is like my first language. It includes everything going on in the world and traditions — musical traditions from around the world. Blues or native music. Everything, I grew up around, my mother was an opera singer. My grandmother sang the blues and I grew up around native music.”

For her, music is a way to connect with others, a bridge into other lives and histories. 

“Music is the spirit of a culture. It speaks to you. It is a language. Every culture speaks and records their history through their music,” she explains. And that is why it is so desperately important to preserve it. 

The exhibit is on display from Sept. 19 through Oct. 16 in the GPAC lobby open to the public from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The Blues Revue Concert is Sept. 19 at 8 p.m.  The GPAC is located at 1 University Dr. Tickets for the concert are $10 and are available by phone at 910-521-6361, by mail or in person at the GPAC Box Office. For more information visit www.musicmaker.org
 or  www.uncp.edu/giving/advancement/givens-performing-arts-center.

Life wasn’t always so convenient and easy going. What would you do without electricity? Plumbing? The Internet? For most it’s a scary thought; for those who grew up during the Middle Ages it was normal. And though things were different, life was still good and fun and worth celebrating. At the Fort Bragg Renaissance Faire, the public has a chance to get a peek at what life was like back then. The fair brings history to reality through reenactment, food, music and more. Don’t miss it  Sept. 12–13 at Smith Lake.  

This is the 5th Annual Renaissance Faire, and it looks to be a great time. Take the challenge, leave your digital devices at home and come enjoy a day much like a typical day in the 1500s. 

“The faire offers the opportunity to learn about history in a fun, family-friendly setting. A time to forget one’s worries and step into another time where things are more as they should be — filled with laughter, song and magic,” said Chris Pugh.

Renaissance Faires include a number of different activities that encourage performers, as well as participants, to interact with one another. Performers are dressed as if it is the 16th century and fair goers are encouraged to dress the same. 

Activities during the faire include: paragon jousting and swordsmanship classes, handcrafted clothing, candles and jewelry, hand-forged medieval cloak pins, ladles, cutlery sets, chainmail and fire pokers.

“Last year we added a great bouncy dragon, which was a delight for the children. This year there will also be a castle,” said Pugh.  

To reenact this age, the Medieval Fantasies Company travels across the state. 

“Handing out gifts to the children and meeting everyone coming to the faire, the knighting ceremony and the masquerade ball, are all great fun,” said Pugh.

Chris, Mia and the extended Pugh family conduct a number of medieval and renaissance-themed services and have done so since 2003. 

“We are indeed a family business. Our older daughters participate with us when they can. Our eldest is the fairy face painter! Our youngest still is at home and is very active in the company. It is a matter of heritage, I am Welsh and my lady is Swedish,” he said.

“I began my involvement in all things medieval at an early age and we began this company more than 12 years ago. We feel there is so much from this time period that is needed today. The concepts of chivalry and the importance of learning can be rediscovered in the Renaissance,” said Pugh.

The dark ages were an era of war and disease before the rebirth period. The Renaissance period brought forth more freedom to create art, practice religion, pursue science and indulge in music.

This year’s fair will be held at the Smith Lake Recreation Area on Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a masquerade ball from 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. followed by the pub sing. Sept. 13. The fair runs from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and includes “Are You Smarter Than a Royal” from 4- 4:30 p.m. followed by the pub sing. Admission is $10 per carload.

We are all guilty at times. 

We encounter a person who is clearly compromised in some way. He is strapped to a chair because of a physical disability. She is mentally incapacitated and cannot communicate with others, or perhaps she talks incessantly, communicating only with herself. We see these people but we do not really see them. We do not think of them as people like us.

We see them as “others.”

Oliver Sacks thought no such thing.

Sacks, a British neurologist who lived, taught, practiced medicine, contemplated the human condition and wrote about it all from New York City for 50 years, died late last month at 82. Remarkable is not an adequate word to describe Sacks’ take on life and on humanity, however damaged we might regard certain individuals. Sacks respected the people he treated, whomever they were and whatever conditions they suffered, as complex human beings with strengths and weaknesses — just like you and me.

Said Sacks, “I love to discover potential in people who aren’t thought to have any.”

As a physician and scientist working in some of the most prestigious and elite universities in our country, Sacks became well known to the general public through his writing. Awakenings was a 1990 movie starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro based upon Sacks’ book about patients in catatonic states from sleeping sickness — some for decades — whom he treated with an unconventional drug. His treatment revived them, restoring his patients to individuals desperate to resume the sort of normal lives you and I share. In the movie as in life, though, the patients slipped back to wherever they had been no matter how much medicine they were given.

Sacks was a physician all of us would want if we found ourselves with a neurological condition, but his gift, mission, calling — however we choose to describe it — was not only to treat people with little-known neurological and mental conditions, but to understand and respect them as human beings. 

Then he shared what he had learned about his unusual patients with everyone else.

Sacks’ writings include: The Mind’s Eye, a recounting of how people with brain injuries compensate, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, the story of a man whose brain lost the ability to understand what he was seeing and Seeing Voices, an account of how deaf people perceive language. Sacks also studied, treated and helped us understand people with migraines, Asperger’s Syndrome, colorblindness, Tourette’s Syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, amnesia, hallucinations, and, in a book about his own muscle surgery, A Leg to Stand On, the chemical and neurological mysteries of our bodies and minds.    

A skilled pianist, Sacks believed music fundamental to human beings, hard wired into our brains and cited as evidence music’s ability to reach even the most demented among us. Said Sacks, “I think we are an essentially, profoundly musical species… for all I know, language piggybacked on music.” 

He noted that chimpanzees do not dance.

Oliver Sacks was not without his critics. 

Some found him heavy on anecdotal evidence, light on actual science, large on ego and commercial. Tom Shakespeare, a disability rights activist, referred to Sacks as “the man who mistook his patients for a literary career.” Strict scientific researchers found him all over the place.

Maybe so.

Many of us live with common conditions of our era — heart troubles, lung difficulties, diabetes among them, conditions well understood and well managed with conventional treatments. Sacks worked in a murky world inhabited by small numbers of patients, human beings who suffered nevertheless. He treated and wrote about people coping with and adapting to neurological conditions involving perception, memory and individuality that, blessedly, few of us will ever encounter.

His legacy is that he helped us understand and have empathy for people who suffer conditions we will never know.

Oliver Sacks, who at 81 still swam a mile a day, died of a rare variety of melanoma. As a physician, he understood exactly what was happening to him and shared his thoughts in the New York Times earlier this year.

“I cannot pretend I am without fear. But my predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have been given much and have given in return. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.”

 Sacks explored what he called “many strange, neuropsychological lands — the furthest arctics and tropics of neurological disorder.” 

None of us want to visit these lands, but we are fortunate and grateful that he did and that he told us about them. What Sacks learned might not help many of us, but for those it does, his efforts and what he shared about consciousness and the human condition is profound.

Tony Kotsopoulos hasn’t always lived in Fayetteville. In the late 1980s, he lived in New York. The Greek Festival there was a lot of fun. The food, the dancing, the camaraderie, the music — it all resonated with him. The way it showcased the beauty and unity of the Greek community and so openly shared the culture and customs of his people just felt right. It reminded him of another tight-knit community, one that didn’t have a Greek Festival but probably should. 

“When I came to Fayetteville in 1988, I asked my father-in-law, the late Pete Parrous, why there was no Greek Festival here,” said Kotsopoulos. “He said ‘I don’t know; no one ever brought it up.’ So we brought it up and started talking about it. We got together with the Greek community and the community leaders and decided to jump. There were so many people involved in getting it started. Everyone worked hard to make the festival happen.” 

In the fall of 1991, the congregation of Sts. Helen and Constantine whole-heartedly invited the entire greater Fayetteville area to come and break bread with them and enjoy the hospitality of the Greek community. And they have done it every year since then. 

This year, the Greek Festival takes place on Sept. 11-13 as part of a fun-filled weekend that includes both the Greek Festival and the Lafayette Birthday Celebration. It’s an opportunity to learn about two significant parts of the Fayetteville community.

The Greek Festival starts at 11 a.m. on Friday Sept 11. 

“This is a really special day for us because not only do we open the festival, we also have festival field trips for schools,” said Greek Festival co-chair Vince Higgins. “They come out and we give them a tour of our church, they get a history lesson, a geography lesson and learn about our church and iconography. They get lunch and see dancing and dance some, too.” 

On Saturday, Sept. 12, the gates open at 11 a.m., with the opening ceremony at 12:30. 

“We will have 82nd Airborne Division Chorus at the opening ceremony and they will perform the ‘National Anthem’,” said Higgins. “We will have Dr. Gail Morfesis sing the Greek national anthem and we will have a few words from Mayor Nat Robertson and then the dance troupe will perform.”

This year’s festivities include all the favorites and a few new things, too. 

“We always try to involve the military because the military is a big part of Fayetteville. There are many people who support and appreciate the armed forces but there are some that are not familiar with what they do. They just know they (the service members) are there,” said Higgins. “So in addition the having the 82nd Airborne Division Chorus, there will be military attractions including Artillery and a Humvee static display. This is our first year doing this — hopefully it is something we can grow later.”

Get a taste of the islands at the many food vendors at the festival. Enjoy classic dishes like gyros, spanakopita, souvlaki and more. Save room for Greek pastries.  Foodies and aspiring chefs won’t want to miss the cooking classes and wine tastings. Pick up a few items at the Greek grocery, too. 

Take a guided tour of the church and learn about the beliefs, customs and iconography of the Greek Orthodox faith. 

Enjoy Greek music by the Baltimore band Zephyros. Specializing in Greek and American music, Zephyros has entertained audiences for more than 19 years with their lively music. And what is music without dance? The Sts. Helen and Constantine dance troupes will perform throughout the event as well, showcasing traditional Greek dances.

Take home a memento from one of the many vendors at the festival and enjoy the many activities offered by Fayetteville’s finest. 

“We’ve got so much going on. We have kids activities including community outreach by the Fayetteville Police Department, the Cumberland County Sheriff, the State Patrol and Fayetteville Fire Department, which includes static displays,  K-9 demos and robot demos  for bomb disposal,” said Higgins. “The Cumberland County Library will be there registering kids for library cards. The blood donor vehicle will be there, too.”

Valley Auto World BMW and Volkswagen will be in attendance with several BMW and Volkswagen models. Guests can get a sneak peek at the all-new all electric BMW i3 as well as 2015 North America Car of the Year, the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Enter for a chance to win a trip to Greece. Raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20. Each ticket offers the chance to win either $2,000 or two round trip airfares to Athens, Greece. Purchase of a raffle ticket also includes a chance to win one of the many hourly drawings.

Though the festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, don’t look for things to slow down anytime soon. “We are not changing things but adding on. Provided we have good weather, we expect anywhere between 15,000 to 25,000 people throughout the weekend,” said Higgins. “I am proud to be a part of this community. This festival isn’t just for us but for everyone and it is great to see how everyone looks forward to it and how they come and enjoy themselves.”

Kotsopoulos agrees. 

“My favorite thing is working the festival and tasting the food and meeting the people. It’s good seeing the people come and enjoy themselves and have good time. They bring their families and it is a festive time — a great time — for everyone. We all need a festive time once in a while.”

The Greek Festival takes place at the Hellenic Center and Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church at 614 Oakridge Ave. Entrance is free. For more information, visit www.stsch.nc.goarch.org/or by calling 484-2010. The festival runs from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. on Sept. 11-12 and from noon – 6 p.m. on Sept. 13. 

In 1959, the Strategic Army Command Parachute Team was formed by 19 Airborne soldiers from various military units. Brigadier General Joseph Stilwell Jr. gathered the Soldiers with the intent of competing in what was then the new and Soviet dominated sport of skydiving. That year, the all U.S. Army team began representing the United States on the international competition circuit, as well as performing their first demonstration in Danville, Virginia. In 1961, the unit become the United States Army Parachute Team, and by 1962, the team earned the nickname the “Golden Knights” on the competition field of battle. Golden, signifying the gold medals the team had won; Knights, proving that they were world champions and alluding to the fact that the team had “conquered the skies.” 

On Saturday, Sept. 12, local residents have the opportunity to conquer the skies alongside the Golden Knights at the 4th Annual Free Fall to Fight Cancer event, which has a two-fold purpose: to raise funds for the Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation and to keep the memory of Zach Grullon alive.

The event, organized by Zach’s parents, local realtors Kevin and Shawn Grullon, is not a memorial, but rather a celebration of Zach’s life.

Zach was an adventurous, strong willed and lovable young man. He graduated from Jack Britt High School in 2010 and was looking forward to a military career. In March 2010, Zach was diagnosed with FHC. He had been dealing with severe stomach pain and nausea for a couple of months, but  it was dismissed because of his intense workouts. After numerous tests and scans a grapefruit size tumor was found on his liver.

A liver resection in April 2010, was unsuccessful because the cancer had spread to many of his lymph nodes and it was inoperable. He then started a rigorous routine of chemotherapy for 8 hours a day every 2-3 weeks. Zach would still continue to work out, live life, play sports and even sky-dived with the world famous Army Golden Knights. After battling for two years, Zach passed away on Jan. 28, 2012.

On the Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation website, Zach is quoted, “I may have got cancer because God needs me to be a Warrior for Heaven. I don’t take any pity, I am proud of everything I have been through.”

It is that spirit that his parents have taken to fight the disease that took their son. The annual fundraiser is their way of working to make sure that other parents do not have to face the battle their family did; however, they wanted it to be something that would reflect their son’s spirit and skydiving fits the bill. 

During the event, which is at Skydive Paraclete XL on Doc Brown Road, attendees will have the opportunity to skydive attached to a Golden Knight. You can get a full video and pictures of your jump to share. All Knights participating in the event are off duty or retired and are volunteering their time to this worthy cause. 

Tandem jumps with video are $350 and tandem jumps without video are $225. While waiting on your jump, or simply watching the action, you can participate in number of fun activities, including live music and a deejay, water slides and jump houses for kids, food, a silent auction and raffles for great prizes. 

The event kicks-off at 9 a.m. To reserve a spot on the plane, sign up prior to Sept. 12 by contacting Kevin or Shawn at grullonteam@gmail.com or by phone at 910-257-3027. 

Some are more diligent, effective and far-reaching than others, but most mothers teach their children basic manners and help their little ones — and sometimes their big ones — understand that manners are the glue that holds society together. Without them, we could all do and say exactly what we want, no matter how we affect those around us. If we grew up in the South, manners likely involved the words “sir” and “ma’am,” and they certainly involved sensitivity to the comfort and feelings of others. 

Manners are executed by following certain rules, some of which may seem unnecessary and antiquated to some folks. For example, I learned and taught the Precious Jewels that unless he is injured or handicapped, a polite man stands when a woman enters the room. My father developed an instant dislike for an early high school boyfriend, because his mother had not taught him this rule and he subsequently failed to stand for my mother.

But I digress.

We all received guidance when we learned to speak and write, but who knew that we would require rules about polite use of our new technologies? What is more, we have texting police — in my case a Precious Jewel who pointed out my many texting offenses, which I had no idea I was committing. 

Lest I become an habitual offender, I promptly researched texting etiquette on that font of all knowledge, the Internet, and, indeed, there are rules about how to text politely. Boy! Did I ever get screensful of texting “do’s” and “don’ts,” the equivalents, I suppose, of always bringing a hostess gift and not drinking out of the finger bowl.

In case you are as blank as I was on texting etiquette, here are a few of the basics.

1. Group texting is fraught with danger. You might say something you do not want everyone on the text to know, maybe because you did not realize a certain someone was indeed there. And if you find yourself in a chat with only one of the people on the group text, the rest of the people are also seeing the conversation and their phones are beeping up a storm for no reason. (Full disclosure. Group texting and “blowing up people’s phones” has been my main offense, but I am working on it.)

2. No texting overnight. You may be wide awake, but not everyone is, and no one wants their phone dinging in the middle of the night. Nor do most of us want to wake to a screen full of texts from people with insomnia.

3. Sexting is a thoroughly bad idea whether you are a teenager or an octogenarian. Truth be told, no one really wants to see what you are made of, and you do not want public exposure (forgive me!) when your supposedly private text goes viral. Just contain yourself until you see your sweetie in person.

4. Like talking loudly or taking a phone call in a movie theater, texting is not appropriate everywhere. Do not do it where you would not engage in those other activities — say, at dinner with your boss or meeting your boyfriend’s parents for the first time.

5. Always, always proofread what you are about to text. If your phone has autocorrect, it could change what you intended to say into something you might be horrified to say. Even simple four letter words can and do morph into words charged with all manner of expletives. I know several people who have been mortified on this score.

6. Private and confidential matters are best left untexted. You never know what the person on the receiving end is doing when your text arrives or who else might see it. This is particularly true if you ignore rule # 3, and share your body parts. Someone’s grandmother might glance at the phone when it lights up with your text and keel over.

7. Since people cannot see you to read facial and body cues, be polite when texting. Use words like “please” and “thank you” which may keep you from sounding rude or short when you really meant to be concise.

8. Speaking of short, keep it that way. If it takes more than 30 seconds or so to type your text, it is probably too long and will be difficult to read on a tiny phone screen. Put your message in an email and then text to say you have sent that email.

9. Unless you are texting with someone with whom you do so regularly, sign off as you do on the telephone. This lets your texting companion know the conversation has ended so he is not left staring at the phone waiting for your next pearl of wisdom.

We all goof on manners from time to time, and I am sure I will make more texting faux pas before I master texting etiquette, but I am trying. In the meantime, I wonder what is coming next in the “who knew” department.

Etiquette for spying on one’s neighbors with drones?

Recently, I sent a letter to the Fayetteville City Council concerning my opinion (and that of many others) about the  possibility that the city would consider eliminating the Market House from its logo.  Along with the letter I sent them several photos showcasing the Historic Market House as a symbol of our city.  I’m not sure they realize how many iconic images of the Market House are in our city or the significance of this nationally recognized historic structure. 

Erasing history is never easy. Actually, it is impossible. First of all, the Civil War was not [all] about slavery. Taxation without representation comes to mind as a reason for the Civil War. Those who find the Market House offensive should read more about Fayetteville’s history and not just pick and choose those things that fit their bias and misguided debate. Matter of fact, eliminating history for others also means eliminating your own history.  

The Market House (or State House) is vital and significant to Fayetteville’s heritage and, in my opinion,  should remain a symbol of our city because of all the significant and historic  events that took place there.  The Market House for true history buffs is a hallmark for Fayetteville and our own historic treasure.  Sure, it has been acknowledged that slaves were sometimes sold or traded there, but, it is also true that it was never a “slave market,” per se. The history books tell us that slaves were sold or traded in numerous other places in and around the city including the courthouse. This being the case, it seems senseless to try to eradicate one specific building.  Why not the entire city? What’s next and where does it stop? 

Are we to ask the Veterans Administration to remove the Market House likeness from the top of the Veterans Hospital on Ramsey Street? Or disavow our two recognitions as an All-America City just because the Market House is adorning the logo?  It’s borderline silliness. 

Many are not aware that the Market House, built in 1832, was built by  black tradesmen. Do we want to diminish their legacy? And, why would we want to diminish our legacy? Can we not take great pride in the fact that it was here in Fayetteville, in the Market House that North Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution, chartered the University of North Carolina and actually ceded western territory to create the state of Tennessee?

My goodness!  It is the only national landmark in Cumberland County and there are only 40 such designations  in the entire state. 

Political correctness is destroying this city as well as America and by trying to eradicate our history, we are needlessly and senselessly disrespecting all Fayetteville citizens, especially the black residents in our community. Think about this: In the Market House hangs a plaque honoring Charles W. Chesnutt (1858-1932).  An Afro-American writer, educator and scholar, Chesnutt was born the son of free blacks who had emigrated to Fayetteville. He worked part-time in the family grocery store while getting his formal education. In 1880, he became principal of the Fayetteville State Normal School for Negroes; now, Fayetteville State University. In 1928, the NAACP honored him with the Spingarn Medal for his pioneering work on behalf of the Afro-American struggle. Today, Charles W. Chesnutt is recognized and remembered as an important contributor to the de-romanticizing trend in post-Civil War southern literature and the singular voice among turn-of-the-century realists. A plaque in the Market House honors and commemorates this man. Shall his work and contributions to the black community be taboo, disrespected and written off as “collateral damage?” I think not.  

His quote “We shall come up slowly and painfully perhaps, but, we shall win our way,” serves as a reminder that progress is constantly being made and hard work, perseverance and courage  are the keys to accomplishment.  Even the words engraved on the plaque serve as compelling and motivating directives. “They [slaves] endured the past so the future could be won for freedom and justice.”  

Why would we want to disrespect and disavow such a shrine to humanity? We really need to think this situation out carefully and unemotionally. In the meantime, we need to get on with doing important municipal  business, solving and preventing crime and improving our city’s quality of life and quit dilly dallying with history that we certainly cannot change. Let’s continue the dialogue and certainly acknowledge our historic past, but, the Fayetteville Market House Logo should remain in place to anchor, record and legitimize our city’s historic past while making sure everyone is invited to participate in Fayetteville’s future. 

Let’s move on with things addressing the greater good of the community and avoid those who only want divisiveness. Concerned residents should contact the Fayetteville City

Council with their views on retaining the logo of the Market House. I appreciate Publisher Bill Bowman for yielding his space for this editorial opinion. 

While people don’t like to talk about the agony of watching someone they love, suffer, it happens — a lot. 

Alzheimer’s is an especially brutal illness because it steals the very essence of who you are. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia. It affects memory, thinking and even behavior. It can be hard to spot at first and the symptoms usually develop slowly. In fact, the brain starts changing years before any symptoms appear. 

Once someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, there are three stages: mild, moderate and severe. Many people consider it a disease that only affects the elderly;  while many senior citizens do develop Alzheimer’s, it is not a normal part of aging. Once someone is diagnosed, they live, on average, four to eight years. 

Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. and is the only one of the top 10 causes that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed. Close to two-thirds of American’s with Alzheimer’s are women. 

Doctors and researchers are working towards a cure, though. Because of its progressive nature, time is of the essence. Sept. 12 offers an opportunity to make a difference. The 2015 Walk to End Alzheimer’s opening ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the home of the SwampDogs,  J.P. Riddle Stadium, known affectionately to many as The Swamp.

The funds raised at this event will go to support the Alzheimer’s Association. Founded in 1980, the Alzheimer’s Association’s mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through promotion of brain health.  

McKee Homes, a long-time Alzheimer Association advocate, has planned an event that is sure to be a good time as well as one that will make a difference in countless lives. Julie Russo, co-chair for the event, is looking for a great turn out. 

“We’ve got a lot going on during registration, which starts at 9 a.m.,” she said.  “We have Pine Forest High School Band coming to perform. Fayetteville Champions for the Children will be there, too. They dress up in superhero costumes and paint people’s faces. Victoria Huggins, the second runner-up for Miss North Carolina, will be there, too. She is also going to sing the “National Anthem”.”

Russo noted that there will be plenty of children’s games and other activities as well. 

“There is just a short window of time to enjoy this though, because the opening ceremony starts at 10 a.m..”

The ceremony features the four faces of people affected by Alzheimer’s: someone who has Alzheimer’s and is currently living with it; someone who cares for someone with Alzheimer’s; someone who has lost a loved one to Alzheimer’s; and someone who has no experience with the disease, but is an advocate for the cause. They each write a narrative that is read by the emcee. 

“We want it to be uplifting and to let people know that it is okay to talk about it. It’s okay to be uncomfortable but we need to talk about it,” said Russo. “People are living with Alzheimer’s and managing it, and it is okay for people to see what that looks like.”

Unlike other walks, this one is less than a mile and that is by design. The event organizers wanted to make sure that everyone would be able to participate and finish the walk. 

“The event is more about coming together and not as much about the walking,” said Russo. “The ceremony happens, then everyone gets a flower that represents one of the four speakers.” 

“We have a promise garden and the attendees plant the flowers before the walk starts.  So at the end of the walk, they come around and see the flowers in the promise garden.”

The walk concludes with recognition of the number of walkers that attended and an accounting of the money that was raised. “Then we end with the “Wobble Baby.” It is a line dance,” said Russo.

Walkers can turn in their money on Friday, Sept. 11 from 4-6 p.m. during Bank Night at
The Swamp.

Anyone who raises more than $100 will receive a T-shirt. Register online at alz.org or on the day of the event. 

A few weeks ago, Up & Coming Weekly caught up  and spent a little time with Hakim Isler in the mountains of North Carolina. You may or may not have heard of him, but Isler is on Discovery Channel’s Emmy-nominated Naked and Afraid and Naked and Afraid XL survival series. Isler, an Army veteran, owns Elevo Dynamics Martial Arts Studio and Gym at 110 Person Street in downtown Fayetteville.. 

Isler mastered his survival on Season 3 by surviving 21 days in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains of India. This season, he joined 12 other survivors in the jungles of Colombia, South America. 

Of course, the question that is on the tip of everyone’s tongue is “Why Naked and Afraid?” Isler’s reasoning behind is participation is sound, and it is wound up in his life story.  

At 21, Isler moved to Ohio to attend ninja training under the American Bujinkan Ninjutsu Master Stephen K. Hayes, winner of the Century Martial Arts Lifetime Achievement Award. With a second degree blackbelt in his ruck, Isler joined the Army. There, he attended the Army’s Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape  School. From there, he continued his wilderness survival skills and discovered that inter-survival was just as important as physical survival.  

Moving back to Fayetteville, Isler opened his “DOGYM”, a 24-hour family gym and martial arts facility.

One day, a friend of his asked him why he never saw any African-Americans on survival shows. That grabbed Isler’s entrance, so he took a look at the shows and decided on  Naked and Afraid. He applied and became the first African-American on any survival show. Honored, Isler saw this as an opportunity to inspire other African-Americans to get involved in survival, which he believes has happened since he appeared on the show. 

In Season One, Isler went 21 days with his female teammate Phaedra Brothers. There, his inter-personal strength was challenged by working better as a team than as an individual. Each contestant is allowed to bring one item to help them survive. Isler showed his ingenuity with his “Tengu Ono,” which he designed specifically for wilderness survival. Today, Isler has a patent on the tool and it is produced and sold by RMJ Tactical.

This season, the Columbian jungle proved more challenging. Physically, Isler began to experience intense muscle spasms and cramps. The medical personnel on the show told him that he was dehydrated. Isler said that he was well hydrated, and instead believed that he was over-hydrated.  

At first, Isler and his teammates thought he would be okay, but as time passed, he began weighing what life would be like after the show. 

As symptoms of cramps manifested, he thought about his business, family and his students. On day seven, he and his teammates agreed that he should quit the show. After returning to Fayetteville, his physician and others told him that he made the right choice.  

When Up & Coming caught up with Isler, he was in the mountains conducting “Mountain Quest.” There, Isler and another martial arts expert, Stephen K. Hayes, tested black-belt candidates. Surprisingly, many of those candidates where young ninjas. 

Isler gets joy from teaching kids and teenagers. Nijitsu teaches them self-discipline, respect and self-control. Isler said that the word “ninja” means “one who perseveres and endures.” He is also proud that he teaches them to “think inside the box, outside the box and to ask what it was like before the box and who made the box.” 

Isler continued, “Ninja self-protection is above all about flexibility and adaptability. You have to know how to change the game and become what is needed to succeed.” 

He said on Naked and Afraid the choice of leaving the show was his way of changing the game because his priority was not television entertainment but higher priorities of life here and his overall health. 

Fayetteville actually has two veteran survivalists on Naked and Afraid XL. Although the episode of Isler leaving the show has already aired, he and Fayetteville resident E.J. Snyder (who is still on the show) will appear on the “Dirty Dozen Return” episode on Sunday, Sept. 6. Snyder is a contractor who works on Fort Bragg and lives in Hope Mills.

School’s back in session and cooler weather is right around the corner. That can only mean one thing … it’s fair time! The Cumberland County Fair runs from Sept. 11-20 this year. That’s 10 days of just about every kind of fun imaginable. From music to motors ports to animals and more, the Cumberland County Fair “seeks to provide an opportunity to showcase and preserve the history and legacy of the agricultural communities in Cumberland County; to celebrate the diversity of local arts and crafts; to promote a safe setting for fun, healthy family entertainment …  and to encourage an environment of friendly competition for all ages.”  

For the Fayetteville community, that translates in to concerts, rides, games, petting zoos, dancing, roller derby, food, animal shows, arts and crafts and fun-filled activities for the entire family. 

All week long, patrons can look forward to an interactive petting farm, Kountry K-9 Show, Motomaniacs Stunt Show, the works of chainsaw artists Rick Cox and Monster Truck Rides. Helicopter rides are also on tap each day as is the baby chic display, toddler driving school, family and consumer science education. Visit the Farmer for a Day exhibit hosted by the Cumberland County 4-H Clubs. There are also pony and camel rides, a Eurobungy trampoline, home, craft and agricultural exhibits and a Goodness Grows in North Carolina contest hosted by the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension Service.

Sept. 11 is not only opening night, it is Military and Emergency Services Appreciation Night. That means free admission for all military and first responders in uniform or with a valid ID. The gates open at 5 p.m. Patrons can enjoy WKML 95.7 Live at the Fair and check out the petting farm, racing pigs, a K-9 show, motomaniac, ballroom dancing, hip-hop artist Jay Bless to name a few of the activities. From 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. it’s Midnight Madness, which means free admission with the purchase of an unlimited ride wrist band.

Sept. 12 is Paraglide and Fort Bragg Life night at the fair and features local musician Erik Smallwood on the Entertainment Stage at 1 p.m. The Jill Charles Band takes the stage at 3 p.m. followed by Upscale “N” Casual at 7 p.m. Valhalla closes out the evening’s live performances at 9 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 13 is faith and family day. There are church services on the fairgrounds at 10:15 a.m. Anyone bringing a current church bulletin will receive a $2 discount at the gate. One bulletin per person is required. This offer is valid from 1-3 p.m. The entertainment stage features  Destiny Now, Jordan River Quartet, Avery Hurt, Kim Canady and Accepted. Other events include racing pigs, Country K-9 Show and the petting farm. WKML 95.7 is live at the fair all day. The gates open at 1 p.m.

Sept. 14  is Pay One Price (POP) night. For just $10 gain entry to the fair and an unlimited ride wrist band. The gates open at 5 p.m. WAZZ will be on site doing a live radio remote. Don’t miss the Junior Laying Hen Show at 7 p.m.  Entertainment on stage includes Crossroads and Reckless Abandon.  Motomaniacs have several shows scheduled each day as well. Gates open at
 5 p.m.

Students, Tuesday, Sept. 15, is Fun, Fun, Fun student night at the fair. Students get in free until 8 p.m. with a student discount coupon. Visit the Kidsville News! Stage for all kinds of exciting entertainment throughout the evening. There are racing pigs, the petting farm, Kountry K-9 show, the Junior Market Lamb Show, Motormaniacs and more. The entertainment stage will feature Three Below Zero and Seal the Deal. Gates open at 5 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 16 is also Fun, Fun, Fun student night. Unique events include Little “Ewe” Jumpstart Livestock Clinic, Swine, Feeder, Calf and Steer Show and the Fayetteville Area Youth Livestock Auction Sale, sponsored by the Cumberland County Farm Bureau. Original Reflections will play on the Entertainment Stage at 6:30 p.m. Reflections II takes the stage at 8:30 p.m. The gates open at 5 p.m.

Senior citizens looking to enjoy the fair at their own pace are invited to the Snior Citizens Day on Thursday, Sept. 17. The gates open at 1 p.m. and patrons 50 years and older get in free until 5 p.m. Special events include Shimmy Mob Dance Troupe, Jackie and the Red Hat Society, magician Marie Blackman, comedian Luis Cadena, Hope Mills Rhythm Stompers, Country Sunshine Line Dancers, Roland’s Dance Studio and the 82nd Aiborne Chorus. Starting at 4 p.m. anyone with a wristband coupon from Carly C’s gets $5 off an unlimited ride wristband and $2 off admission with a 4-H or FFA club membership card or T-shirt. Don’t miss the Junior Meat Goat Show at 7 p.m., racing pigs throughout the evening  and Ring Wars Carolina Wrestling. Performers on the Entertainment stage are Erik Smallwood and Rivermist.

A Fair Fight Against Breast Cancer is the theme for Friday, Sept. 18. Cape Fear Valley Breast Care Center will offer $1 off all admissions between 5 and 8 p.m. Gates open at 4 p.m. Highlights for the evening include Beach Music Night with Jim Quick and Coastline on the Entertainment Stage, Fair Queen Pageant rehearsals, the Junior Beef Heifer Show sponsored by the Cumberland County Farm Bureau. Don’t miss Midnight Madness from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m. Purchase an unlimited ride wristband and get free admission.

Gates open at 1 p.m. for a full day of fun on Saturday, Sept. 19. The Entertainment Stage and Kidsville News! Stage both have a completely full slate with performers like Tony Gibson, Acoustic on the Rocks, The Elite Believers Mime Ministry, VZ Modeling Academy, Drew Smith Band and Back Track Band. The Chainsaw Art Auction is a must see at 5 p.m. The Cumberland County Invitational Step Show  is also at 5 p.m. The Fair Queens Pageants are scheduled for 7 p.m. 

The fair’s last day in town is Sunday, Sept. 20. The day kicks off with church services on the Fairgrounds at 10:15 a.m. The gates open at 1 p.m. for Carload Day at the Fair. There is a $20 admission per car for up to six people. The Horrell Family will grace the entertainment stage along with Glad Trio, Tony Gibsion, The Gores and Travelin’ Light Band. It’s your last chance to enjoy the fair food, play games on the midway, try out the rides, see the racing pigs, Motomaniacs, Kountry K-9s, visit the Kidsville News! stage, the petting zoo and other exhibits.

Find out more at www.facebook.com/CCFairNC.

Are you ready for some college football? Fayetteville State University is ready. The team is gearing up for a highly anticipated football season. If you haven’t been following their progress, now would be a good time to start. 

 “We are expecting to have a big season this year because the past two years we have been a game away from making it to the conference championship game,” said Lawrence Kershaw, head football coach at Fayetteville State University. “We finished in second place in the CIAA Division at 5-5 overall and 5-2 in the CIAA.” 

Kershaw added that the CIAA is broken up into two divisions and the team placed second in its division two years in a row.  

Coach Kershaw believes that he has a team that will take them to the championship this year and there are key players who will make it happen.  

“Our best offensive lineman is Quincey Dickens, two wide receivers, Christopher Hubert and  Tavon Gatlin and running back Andre Montgomery,” said Kershaw.

“The two defensive linemen who are real good are Thomas Perry and Rendell Mas,”  continued Kershaw, adding that he is also excited about linebacker, Timothy Thorb, and secondary defensive back, Kwamere Bailey.      

The team competes in the CIAA, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, which is a Division II conference mostly consisting of historically African-American colleges and universities. 

“Our expectation is to win the conference championship,” said Kershaw. “That will always be our number one goal.”  

Coach Kershaw is from from Brooklyn, New York, and this is his 20th season coaching college football. 

He played football in high school and in college at Stony Brook University in New York. He then transferred and graduated from Virginia State University. Kershaw had dreams of going pro but realized as he got older that he did not have the ability. 

“My original goal was to be a guidance counselor and a head football coach at a high school,” said Kershaw. “I have a master’s in guidance and I started coaching college football while I was pursuing my degree.” 

While football is a focus, academic excellence is a priority to Kershaw and his football players. 

“The guys we get are guys who come to school to get an education,” said Kershaw. “They have the athletic ability to help them obtain a degree and we do give scholarships.”  

Kershaw added if you are good enough you will make it. One of his former players, Marcus Reed, who played on last year’s football team, is currently playing with the Kansas City Chiefs.   

The first game of the season is Sept. 5 against Chowan University. The 2015 CIAA football championship will take place on Nov. 14.  

“We always want Fayetteville State University’s football team to be in the conversation,” said Kershaw. “I am anticipating a very successful season.”      

Unlike the British, we Americans have no royal family to follow, so we compensate in two ways. We follow theirs — Will and Kate and their precious little ones — or we create our own, usually entertainment stars and politicians. 

Like virtually everyone else in America, I am transfixed by Donald Trump — the entire package. I can hardly get enough, because there is just so much to absorb, politics notwithstanding.

The hair. The lightning fast and laser sharp insults. The undeniable billionaire status, of which he reminds us frequently.  Free helicopter rides. The beautiful women. The political incorrectness and proud maverick behavior.

And, the various families!

Trump’s birth family, a German father and a British mother with five children, made a fortune building affordable housing in the boroughs around Manhattan, though daddy Trump was known to be — shall we say — frugal. The Donald joined his father’s business at the tender age of 22, heading into real estate in flashy Manhattan with TRUMP emblazoned on most of his buildings and zooming on to billionaire-dom. I have never heard anyone refer to the younger Trump as frugal.

Along the way, he married a Czechoslovakian skier named Ivana, and they had three children. Ivana, who gifted her husband with the enduring moniker “The Donald,” lost out to a beauty queen from Georgia named Marla Maples, with whom Trump had a daughter, aptly named Tiffany. Marla ultimately bit the Trump dust as well, and the current Mrs. Trump is Melania, a former model from Slovenia. They have a son named — what else? Barron Trump. A quick Google turns up thousands of glamorous photos of Mrs. Trump including at least one modeling a fur-lined metal bikini. Ouch!

Eleanor Roosevelt Roosevelt and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy must be spinning in their graves.

Another politician in the spotlight in North Carolina is state Representative Jason Saine. I have not found any bikini-clad photos of him, but there are plenty of photos of him wearing some $19,000 worth of tailor-made clothing he paid for with campaign dollars during the first half of this year. North Carolina law prohibits using campaign funds contributed by supporters for personal expenses, but Saine maintains that he absolutely had to commission his new wardrobe because his real-life job does not require suits and ties while his legislative job does.

Wonder if the guy has ever heard of Joseph A. Bank or Men’s Warehouse?

Then at the other end of the politician spectrum comes former President Jimmy Carter, who announced to the world last week that the cancer for which he recently had surgery has spread to his brain. Poised and articulate at 90, he explained his condition and his treatment and expressed his enduring faith in God. Relaxed and smiling, he praised his wife of 69 years and urged other cancer patients to hope for the best but to accept what comes. Carter is the epitome of grace and mature manhood.

I bet he has never said anything ugly about Rosie O’Donnell.

And, finally, an update on last week’s column regarding the fate of Virginia Dare, the first child born to English parents in the New World, and the rest of the settlers in the Lost Colony. It seems that I am hardly the only person interested in this 428-year-old mystery. A Raleigh News and Observer column of past news stories compiled by Teresa Leonard recently re-ran a 1938 story suggesting that Virginia Dare is buried in Robeson County!

It quotes well-known Robesonians of the day recounting local legends about a gravesite near the historic Philadelphus Presbyterian Church, which is not to be disturbed under any circumstances. The tale is part of a larger speculation that the Lost Colonists migrated south from their original Roanoke Island settlement and eventually intermarried with the people we know today as Lumbee Indians, some of whom have blue eyes. 

Also weighing in on Virginia Dare was my friend Pam Stultz, longtime senior assistant to the Cumberland County Register of Deeds.

It seems the long-running outdoor drama about the early settlers, The Lost Colony in Manteo, traditionally uses a live baby instead of a doll in performances on Virginia Dare’s birthday, Aug. 18. The little bundle of joy in the arms of an actress in this photo from last week is actually Pam’s infant granddaughter, Carolyn Leigh.

I hope I live long enough to learn what really happened to Virginia and that tiny band of early colonists.

Who would have guessed that in over a decade America —  the land of the free — is still struggling with the issue of immigration? Illegal immigration. 

This is sad. Yet, it is the perfect example of how insensitive, corrupt, inefficient, dysfunctional and out of touch our national government has become. Needless to say, the heart of the problem originates from ignoring and refusing to enforce the laws of the land; a term our current leadership has rendered ineffectual and meaningless. 

To complicate the situation even further, legitimate solutions are not forthcoming. Sad, sad, sad. The political landscape is now further exacerbated with the debate over “anchor babies,” a term coined probably by conservatives to explain how badly America screwed up in interpreting the 14th Amendment to our Constitution and to accentuate how that provision is being misused and abused by foreigners. The 14th Amendment was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments. 

The amendment addresses citizenship rights and equal protection by the laws, and was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves following the American Civil War. Even as it was proposed, the amendment created controversy and has continued to do so. 

Many believe that the wording of Article I, Section 8 of the Constituion gives Congress the power to “establish  a uniform Rule of Naturalization, which would trump the 14th Amendment.” The answer to that question, of course, lies in the interpretation and determination of the Supreme Court; who knows what they would do in light of other recent decisions they have made with ties to the 14th Amendment? 

But back to the current state of events. Left-wing liberals have lost no time exploiting this circumstance to advance their positions by deploying the politically correct police to demonize the simplistic phrase as demeaning. Really? To whom? Those that are abusing it at American taxpayers’ expense? 

Everyone agrees that illegal immigrants are a major problem, and a costly one at that. Finding a solution is another matter. Amnesty is not an option — at least until the border is secure. Deportation is not really feasible. It is costly and slightly on the barbaric side.

Without a doubt, we know how to find solutions to tough problems - at least when we want to. Any illegal immigrant in America should want to be an American citizen. If not, they must leave. 

Anchor babies? A diversion of rhetoric. Sure, Donald Trump may be leading the clown parade now, but clearly his “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!” message is resonating throughout America. Sure, many people say he is not qualified to be president. No argument there. But, they are also saying that after seven years of the Obama administration, so how bad could he really be?

We will see. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly,your community newspaper.

Honeybees are one of the most important insects for the environment. They pollinate 30 percent of flowering crops and 90 percent of wild plants - plants such as apples, broccoli, strawberries, nuts, asparagus, blueberries and cucumbers need bees in order to grow. It is easy to see why bees are so important for the human diet, as well as other mammals, and even plant life. Imagine a summer without your favorite fruit or Thanksgiving without pumpkins. Festivals like the blueberry and strawberry festival would be non-existent without bees. Join the Cumberland County Beekeepers Association on Aug. 29 to learn more about this tiny but important creature.

With such a vital role to play in the food chain, it’s important to keep bees and their hives healthy. Unfortunately, in recent years, hives across the nation have faced Colony Collapse Disorder at an alarming rate. There are several theories about Colony Collapse Disorder and what might cause it, but there is still no solution. 

The Cumberland County Bee Keepers association will show participants how to manage bees, take care of the hives and collect honey. Managing bees without getting stung is an art form. Beekeepers use smokers to trick the bees into thinking their hive is on fire. This calms the bees down so beekeepers can change out the different compartments to retrieve the honey. 

While many people are afraid of bees, they are usually harmless. However, there are a few things that people can do to lessen their chances of encountering bees. Wearing black attracts bees because their natural born enemies are bears. Bees will gravitate towards people wearing darker colors. Bees are drawn to the carbon dioxide, which comes from our nose and mouth. This is why beekeepers wear nets over their faces to keep the bees from stinging. 

Depending on which plants bees pollinate, the taste of their honey can vary. Sometimes the differences are subtle, but wildflower honey is not the same as orange blossom honey. There are up to 300 types of honey in the United States. Bees work all summer long to fill their hive with honey for the winter so they might survive the cold weather. 

Honey can be used in a variety of ways. For example, honey is useful as a cough medicine, to treat wounds, as scalp aid, an energy booster and to
reduce allergies. 

Come and join the Cumberland County Beekeepers Association on Aug. 29 at Carvers Creek State Park from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Exercise caution if allergic to bees they will be in an enclosed net. 

Fayetteville’s namesake, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roche Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, came to America the summer of 1777 at the tender age of 19. He was intrigued by the colonies and their struggle for independence. So he came to America where he served on George Washington’s staff and worked to help win freedom from Britain. The colonists of never forgot Lafayette. Many towns were named after the Frenchman, but Fayetteville, N.C., is the first one to honor him as a namesake when it officially claimed the moniker in 1783 and is the only town named after him, which Lafayette visited. 

Locally, the Lafayette Society honors the memory of the Marquis de Lafayette and promotes awareness of his significant contributions to mankind and freedom through events, programs and educational activities at the Lafayette Birthday Celebration, which falls on Sept. 11-12, this year. The fact that this event falls on the same weekend as the Greekfest is by design. 

“It’s two great events, one great weekend,” said Lafayette Society spokesperson Dr. Hank Parfitt. “Both are excellent  events for  a fun-filled Fayetteville weekend, and there is no reason to miss one to attend the other.”

The festivities start with Arias and Artifacts on Friday, Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Davis Library on the Methodist University Campus. The library houses letters that were written by Lafayette along with many early 19th century Lafayette memorabilia. From the library, head over to Hensdale Chapel where Dr. Gail Morfesis and Friends will perform a short concert.

Saturday, Sept. 12, kicks off the day’s events with the Lafayette Birthday Farmers Market, which runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The farmers market is located at the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum and includes more than fresh produce. Visitors will find arts and crafts and other items for sale as well. Check out the Cape Fear Botanical Garden’s demonstration about local herbs and how they were used in the 1700s and 1800s.

Don’t miss the Lafayette Trail Tour at 9 a.m. The tour traces Lafayette’s footsteps during his 1825 visit to the city. New stops have been added this year and include the Phoenix Masonic  Lodge and Cool Spring Tavern. 

“The Lafayette Trail Tour is probably the best way to learn about Lafayette and what was going on in America and Fayetteville at the time he visited. You get so much history on this tour and Bruce Daws, who leads the tour, is probably the most knowledgable man in town when it comes to local history,” Parfitt said. “You will be fascinated with all the information he has to share. The Cool Springs Tavern’s docent’s  family has owned it for 200 years. The Masonic lodge is a new stop this year, too — you don’t get to go inside a Masonic lodge often. That is a real opportunity. Like many founding fathers, Lafayette was a Mason along with George Washignton and was welcomed and honored here. Tickets are $30 per person. Reservations are required. The tour includes coffee and croissants and a light lunch. Call 678-8899 for tickets and information.

The All-American Fencing Academy is set to host the Lafayette/Rulnick Open Fencing Tournament from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The tournament includes foil and sabre events and is held at the All-American Fencing Academy on Donaldson Street.

Downtown shops and restaurants are celebrating the special day
with a Lafayette Birthday Sidewalk Sale. The sale runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will feature great bargains and interesting finds.

The Museum of the Cape Fear’s Festival of Yesteryear runs from 10 a.m to 5 p.m.  Get an up close and personal look at what life was like in Fayetteillve when Lafayette was alive. The theme focuses on the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods. Come and see re-enactors as they show what life was like in the 1700s. Learn about music, toys and games, militia drills and even colonial dentistry. The living history groups include Camp Flintlock, the North Carolina Highland Regiment, and Captain Dry’s Militia Company. Visitors can check out Apprentice Alley, a hands-on experience for children to learn about many of the trades of the time. Apprentice Alley includes crafts and activities that bring history to life for children. The event is free and open to the public. Find out more about the Museum of the Cape Fear and the Festival of Yesteryear at http://museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov/Events.aspx.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., don’t miss the Lafayette District Scouting Expo at Cross Creek Park. The scouting district that covers most all of Cumberland County, and was recently named the Lafayette District. Parfitt noted that the Boy Scout rules tie in perfectly with who Lafayette was and what he represented. “The Scout’s Law lists 10 characteristics of what a scout should be. Lafayette exemplified those characteristics,” said Parfitt.

Demonstrations of scouting skills, camp games and more are planned. Scouts will show off their skills and offer hot dogs and camp food for sale. 

Stop by Lafayette Plaza at Cross Creek Park at noon  and enjoy a free concert compliments  of the Army Ground Forces Dixie-Land Band. The first 100 guest will get free birthday cake and ice cream.

“Part of the fun in this event is that you can connect so many things back to Lafayette and our freedom in this country,” said Parfitt. “When you talk about learning, the Lafayette Society renovated the area around the statue in Cross Creek Park and put in a nice brick plaza and there is a plaque there, which in about 250 words, sums up Lafayette’s life. It is a great way to take advantage of what we have in Fayetteville.”

This Wine Café will host a French wine and cheese tasting from 6-9 p.m. Then finish up the birthday celebration with an engaging presentation about Lafayette. At 7 p.m., Lafayette author and UNC professor of history Lloyd Kramer will speak about Lafayette and the Greek Revolution at the Market House. Kramer’s book Lafayette in Two Worldsoffers a look at Lafayette’s role in America and Europe  during the late 1700s and early 1800s. The event is free but donations will be accepted. 

“We have Dr. Kramer talking about Lafayette and the Greek Revolution and his support of national revolutions worldwide,” said Parfitt. “During his time he was considered a beacon of hope in people in nations who wanted to determine how they would be ruled. The Greeks were under the rule of the Ottoman Turks and that struggle went on for 10 years. Dr. Kramer is a fascinating speaker. He’s  the kind of history professor everyone wishes thy had in high school or college. He makes history come alive when he talks about it.”

Find out more about Lafayette and his birthday celebration at www.lafayettesociety.org/events.php.

For anyone who has ever loved a child, the thought of someone hurting  them or taking advantage of them is unbearable. Yet it happens every day and in some pretty horrific and unexpected ways. In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world it is challenging to oversee everything that goes on in a child’s life. But now more than ever, it is vital that parents, family members and loved ones do so. As part of a weekend-long joint initiative with several other community organizations, Groundswell Pictures is set to premier the film Not Just Pictures, a gripping documentary that addresses something most people avoid thinking about much less talking about — child sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse — on Aug. 28. The movie asks the question: Are your kids safe just because they are in the house with you? The answer is not necessarily.

While technology has made life better in many ways, the slimy underbelly of it is fraught with danger and downright evil. Thanks to the Internet, it is easier than ever to produce, reproduce and disseminate CSA images, which means there are more of these images out there than ever before and they are, tragically, fairly easy to come by. Disseminating these images is a multi-billion dollar a year industry, and one of the fastest growing online businesses. In the past 10 years, more than 120 million CSA images have been bought and sold. Ninety million of them were of prepubescent children with 12 million of them of infants and toddlers. Each year the images become more brutal and more graphic. 

This film has been in the works for more than two years. Filmmakers Jan Johnson and Pat Wright have more than 50 years of combined experience making films. From TV commercials to feature length documentaries, this award-winning pair has won more than 80 international and national awards.  They have covered topics that include recovery efforts in Haiti, the effects of desegregation, the Hollywood blacklist and more. The pair decided to tackle this issue when they asked their friend and child advocate Dr. Sharon Cooper, and the executive producer of the film, what they could do to make a difference. 

“Without any hesitation she said child pornography and exploitation are issues that need to be dealt with,” said Wright. “Since then, we have been crisscrossing the U.S. and Canada talking with experts. We even attended the Interpol Conference in Bermuda.”

Many people who make and collect child pornography consider it a victimless crime — just pictures. But to the children whose lives are broken by these predators, every instance of possession and/or distribution is a big deal because every time the images change hands,  the children are victimized yet again as predators seek to make child sexual exploitation a normal thing. The victims usually know that their images are online and are powerless to remove them. So every time someone recognizes them, they relive the crime — even as adults. Every time they see someone looking at a cell phone, computer or iPad, they pray the person using the device is not looking at the CSA image of them.

It is an intimidating and terrifying topic, but there are things that parents and guardians can do to educate and protect children at risk and to find and rescue those suffering at the hands of pedophiles and child pornographers as authorities on the front lines of this battle work to find and incarcerate offenders. Not Just Pictures faces this issue head on offering interviews with experts in the field, survivors and parents of survivors and victims of Internet child exploitation. A few of the topics covered in the movie include sex trafficking, sextortion, sexting and sex tourism. 

“What we want to do is, as the name of our nonprofit says, we want to create a groundswell of change on this issue,” said Wright. “We want people to talk about and think about it and act. There are things you can do to protect your kids, but when people are too afraid to even talk about it, it thrives in secrecy. We’ve got to raise the alarm and shine the light on it.”

The world premier of Not Just Pictures opens on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. at Fayetteville State University’s Seabrook Auditorium. A question and answer session is planned after the showing. Find out more at www.groundswellpictures.com. 

To truly get an understanding of what sexual abuse does to children, the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County presents Illuminations: Artwork Creating Change. This guided exhibit features artwork and journal entries created by two brothers. The boys were abused by the same person. Their works will help people understand what this crime does to children, why they react the way they do and the impact it has on their families. The exhibit is not appropriate for children under 12. Exhibit hours are Aug. 28 at 4th Friday from 5-9 p.m.; Aug. 29 from noon to 4 p.m. with a special workshop at 1 p.m.; and Aug. 30 – Sept. 12 with scheduled daily tours. Call 323-1776 for more information.

Skyview on Hay will host a free Internet safety expo on Aug. 28 during 4th Fridayfrom 5-9 p.m. and on Saturday, Aug. 29 from noon to 4 p.m. The expo offers free tips and ideas from national, state and local groups. Don’t wait to teach your children how to stay safe online. The expo if free.

At 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, world-renowned child advocate and public speaker Cordella Anderson will be at SkyView on Hay to discuss how parents and guardians can equip children to be safe online. This event is also free. 

“Technology is leaping ahead — look at kids 7-14 these days with hand-held devices and computers in their rooms. They are online and their parents have no idea the what apps the kids are using and they can’t keep them safe,” said Wright. “We put our children on the Internet without teaching them the basics of Internet safety. We need to rethink things and learn how to protect them better.”  

As the summer comes to a close, 4th Friday, on Aug. 28, is a fun way for parents to celebrate and kids to mourn the passing of the season. The shops and restaurants stay open late and live entertainment floods the streets. From art, to shopping, to history there is something for everyone. You have not truly experienced downtown Fayetteville until you have experienced a 4th Friday celebration. 

For the younger crowd, Fascinate-U Kids Museum is a must-see. This museum is uniquely designed for children. The exhibits mimic real-life scenarios like grocery stores and news rooms. Kids are invited to interact and play with these exhibits in order to learn about the real world. Admission is free for 4th Fridayevents, and the museum is open from 7-9 p.m. There is also a free craft that kids can take home. This month it is a food self-portrait. Kids are invited to be creative and make a fun and “funky” food collage. Fascinate-U is located at 116 Green St. For more information, call 910-829-9171 or visit www.fascinate-u.com. 

The Headquarters Library is also getting in on the 4th Friday festivities with an event that deftly combines art and science. It will host the Cape Fear Mineral and Gem Society. The event is sponsored by Systel and includes refreshments. The Cape Fear Mineral and Gem Society will have a large display of fossils, rocks and gems. There will be stones perfect for making jewelry, gemstone trees and cabochons. Members of the society will answer any questions and talk about all of the amazing minerals and gems on display. The members will also have hand-crafted items available for purchase. Look for the Cape Fear Mineral and Gem Society in the Pate Room of the Headquarters Library from 7-9 p.m. The Headquarters Library is located at 300 Maiden Lane. For more information, call 910-482-7727 or visit www.cumberland.lib.nc.us/ccplsite.

Coinciding with 4th Friday is the last Fayetteville After 5 of the season. These free concerts are the ideal way to relax and enjoy some of the last of the warm summer evenings. For this concert, Natural Wonder, a tribute to Stevie Wonder, and Trial by Fire, a tribute to Journey, will perform. Gates open at 5 p.m. and entertainment begins between 7 and 7:30 p.m. The concert is scheduled to end between 10:30 and 11 p.m. No outside food or beverages are allowed in the park, but patrons are invited to bring chairs of blankets. This concert is also military appreciation night. The concert is held in Festival Park located at 225 Ray St. For more information, visit www.faydogwoodfestival.com/p/Events/211 or call 910-323-1934. 

The Cape Fear Studios Gallery opens an exhibit featuring Benn Greene-Colonnese. He creates unique structural sculptures and functional pieces by molding, casting and grinding glass. He takes his inspiration from natural and man-made sources. This exhibit runs until Sept. 15. Cape Fear Studios is located at 148 Maxwell St. The gallery is open from 6-8 p.m. on 4th Friday. For more information, visit www.capefearstudios.com or call 910-433-2986. 

My eastern North Carolina grandmother drew me into the mystery of Virginia Dare before I started school. I was instantly riveted and have remained so ever since. Virginia was the first child born to English parents in what was then called “the New World.” She was born in 1587 on Roanoke Island, now part of North Carolina. Three years later when her grandfather returned from an extended resupply mission to England, Virginia and her family were nowhere to be seen —  nor were any of the other colonists.

Being a North Carolina girl like Virginia, I was convinced that it was my mission in life to solve that mystery, and what is more, I was absolutely confident that I could — and would — do just that. My enthusiasm continued into grade school, where I actually had a classmate named Virginia Dare Mason. After I figured out my schoolmate was not THE Virginia Dare — I was very young — I decided my Virginia was a direct descendent and probably knew the secret of what happened to the original Virginia but was not telling.

Clues have been scant. 

The newly returned Englishmen found the word “Croatoan” carved into a fence post and “Cro” carved into a tree. Over the last 428 years, people like me have speculated that the small band of 100 or so colonists were attacked by the local Native Americans, or more kindly, that they went to live with them and were ultimately assimilated. Some contended the colonists went south to Hatteras Island. Some said they went inland. Some said they were wiped out by disease, and one or two suspected abduction by space aliens. The truth, though, has been that no one from 1587 until now ever had much more than a theory. 

Now there seems to be actual evidence, not exactly Virginia’s crib with her DNA on it, but something we can touch nonetheless, and I could not be more thrilled!

Maps from Virginia’s day exist and have been studied for more than four centuries. Three years ago a Durham-based group of people like me called First Colony Foundation announced that scholars had taken another look at a map drawn by Virginia’s grandfather, an employee of Sir Walter Raleigh. Recent close examination revealed symbols that could refer to forts or secret emergency locations that the settlers would have known about. The symbol led researchers to an area in Bertie County, west of where the settlers were last seen and where rivers that could be used for transportation converge. 

The focus is now around a residential and golf course development, which conjures up thoughts of the discovery of King Richard III’s long-missing body being located three years ago beneath what the British call a car park in Leicester, England, but we will not go there in this column.

The front page of a recent Raleigh News and Observer had yet more good news. First Colony Foundation archeologists have been digging and have found pottery shards, a hand-wrought nail and artifacts associated with clothing, everyday items from the 16th century and consistent with similar finds in England. Researchers speculate that the colonists left their Roanoke Island settlement for whatever reason in two waves — first a small group of men and later a group of men, women, and children, presumably including Virginia.

Perhaps we human beings have genes that drive us to solve mysteries like what happened to baby Virginia and King Richard. We have long known that Richard died on the battlefield at Bosworth Field and that his head was later displayed to prove to both friend and foe that the king was indeed dead. Earlier this year, what was left of him was given a dignified burial, and Leicester continues to do brisk business in kingly tourist trade, including a special “Return of the King” beer.  

But Virginia? Who knows? Did she perish from harsh living conditions as did many infants in that era? Did she grow up and have children so that her blood still runs in someone, somewhere? Will we ever know or will we go to our own graves still channeling Virginia?

We will know, if the folks at First Colony Foundation have their way. Phil Evans, president of the foundation, is hopeful. “We’ve gone from known to unknown to a new known,” he says, referring to the recent finds in Bertie County... There’s a lot more unknown to be discovered. The future before us is one of still searching, still researching.”

I am cheering them on from Fayetteville, hoping that my childhood dream of Virginia being found will come true, even if I am not the one to do it. Knowing the fate to Virginia and the rest of the Lost Colony would enrich the history of the nation that came into being in part because of this tiny band of colonists.

Really, though, I just want to know what happened….

Well, I must admit I appreciate City Manager Ted Voorhees pursuing a downtown baseball stadium. A project, if it comes to fruition, that could actually unite our community rather than divide it. Unfortunately, he and city staff cannot resist the bureaucratic temptation to 

spend taxpayer money needlessly and foolishly.

Agreed, due diligence must be done on a project that could cost as much as $50 million. However, gallivanting off at taxpayers’ expense to Sugarland, Texas, near Houston, to tour a minor league baseball stadium seems a bit excessive, no? Especially when they can tour a half dozen comparable stadiums within a few short hours from Fayetteville. Go figure. 

When I inquired about this to two city hall insiders, both replied the same way: They said city staff feel compelled to spend their budgeted travel allowance. Bureaucrats! This scenario becomes even more ridiculous when you consider that the ballpark in Sugarland sits on the southwest side of Houston, Texas, which has a population of a whopping 2.2 million people. Sugarland’s sales tax, by the way, is 8.25 percent with a hotel occupancy tax of around 13 percent. Not to mention that the cost of building their stadium was $37 million in 2011. In 2016, this project would probably come in at $45-$50 million. All this being known, it begs the question: Why travel to Houston?

Yes, a baseball park in downtown Fayetteville does have potential– within reason. We must approach this reasonably and we must eliminate the silliness such as the editorial that was recently in the Fayetteville Observer written by Tim White. This August 16 editorial shows how grossly out of touch we are when it comes to being reasonable about such things. Ignoring our own history seems to be our local pastime. Someone needs to inform the Fayetteville Observer, Tim White, Ted Voorhees and Rochelle Small-Toney that “Build it and they will come” is only a fictional phrase from Kevin Costner’s movie Field of Dreams. Baseball players do not really enter and exit cornfields. Nor do corporations, businesses and fans follow and support multi million-dollar stadiums. Really.

 I love baseball, and as much as I would love to see a baseball stadium in downtown Fayetteville, I think we need to slow down and think this one out, in the meantime, let’s support the local sports teams we have. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Better Health is a local organization that is dedicated to helping Cumberland County residents attain a healthier lifestyle. 

“Better Health was founded to help address the unmet healthcare needs of Cumberland County residents through education, referral and assistance. We work closely with many other agencies in town to ensure that we can help our community stay healthy,” explained Amy M. Navejas, the new executive director of Better Health. 

“Our clients run the gamut from those in financial hardship who had an unexpected need for medication to professors wanting to learn more about managing their diabetes.” 

On Aug. 29, Better Health is set to host its second annual Diabetes…Dodge It! Dodgeball Tournament as a means of raising operating funds.

Navejas began as the new executive director on July 1, and quickly immersed herself into her new role. She has a personal connection with some of the programs, so passion for her work came naturally. 

“I love our diabetes program. My father has Type I diabetes and was diagnosed at 13 years of age, so I grew up being taught the signs of blood glucose problems. I also saw my father manage his diabetes very well and he is living a very normal, healthy life with diabetes. Seeing others learn to do the same and go from a daunting diagnosis to new found confidence is very rewarding,” she said.

“I have a true passion for children. Our Eat Smart, Move More program is phenomenal,” she continued. “We go to local schools, camps and after school care programs to teach healthy eating habits and exercise. The kids love it! We just can’t underestimate the importance of engaging kids in healthy lifestyle choices and the preventative impact that has. I love seeing the kids practicing tai chi poses and trying new veggies!”

Staying healthy and having fun all come together in the Better Health second annual Diabetes…Dodge It! Dodgeball Tournament. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Better Health diabetes program, which includes clinics three days a week as well as educational and exercise classes. 

For those unfamiliar with the game, Navejas provided insight noting, “Each team has six players and up to three alternates. Each team will play at least two matches. Each match has three games. The winner of the match is the best two out of three. Now if one team wins the first two games, the third game is not played. Each game can last five minutes, but typically that does not occur.”

Another benefit to the tournament is that it provides a fresh new perspective on fitness; one that is far more approachable and fun. 

“It’s an amazing, fun opportunity for everyone to be active! Exercise can be fun — think outside the box. Being fit doesn’t have to be running marathons and doing sit ups. That can be daunting for some people. Exercise can be at any level and for all ages. Most importantly, it can be fun!” Navejas said. 

The tournament is on Aug. 29 at 9 a.m. at the Freedom Courts Sportsplex located at 3126 Gillespie St. For more information or to register, visit http://betterhealthcc.org/forms.html or call 910-483-7534. Teams must register by Aug. 15 and team members must be 14 and older. The registration fee is $100 per team. There are also sponsorship opportunities available.

Farmers markets unite the producer and the consumer in a totally unique way. At the supermarket it is difficult to know where everything originated, how it was treated or how fresh a product is. But at a farmers market, you shake the hands that tilled the Earth, that grew the vegetables that grace your dinner table. The produce and various other products at the local farmers markets are a reflection of the landscape and the local people. There is a time and place for supermarket, but it is a tragedy to lose touch with the people and the land that feed the community, especially when there are so many in options in the area. Fresh, healthy, affordable food is closer than you might think. 

Murchison Road Community
Farmers Market

The Murchison Road Community Farmers Market was created by Fayetteville State University students in 2014 and is made possible thanks to a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farmers Market Promotion Program. The program is aimed at creating a healthier community by eliminating the food desert that surrounded the Murchison Road community. Before this market, there was no fresh produce readily available in the Murchison Road area. The market runs from mid-May through the end of November every Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at 1047 Murchison Rd. in Bronco Square. There are several family farms that sell produce, herbs, jams, preserves and fresh local honey. For more information, visit www.mrcommunityfarmersmarket.com. 

Sandhills Farmers Market of Spring Lake

The Sandhills Farmers Market of Spring Lake is another option for local fresh fruits and vegetables. This market is supported by the Sandhills Family Heritage Association. In addition to fantastic local produce and products, this market has a strong focus on the traditions and heritage of the land. 

“African Americans in the Sandhills region of North Carolina have a long tradition of economic self-sufficiency that is tied to the land. SFHA has rekindled that entrepreneurial spirit by promoting community-based economics,” the website explains. The market is designed for underserved producers with limited resources. It is costly to start a business. It takes liquid funds and resources that many just don’t have access to. These barriers often prevent people from engaging in entrepreneurial ventures. This market is an affordable alternative that benefits the producers and the consumers. 

The market features produce, handcrafted items and canned goods — all connected with the culture and history of the land. Every third Saturday, the market hosts special activities for children. Closely related to the Sandhills Farmers Market is the 10 Percent Campaign. Supporting the campaign means promising to spend 10 percent of the money that is already designated for food locally (like at a farmers market!) instead of at a major food chain. This pledge supports the local economy, community and farmers. The money not only buys healthy, delicious food, it is an investment in the community. The Sandhills Farmers Market is held at 230 Chapel Hill Road in Spring Lake on Saturdays, July through September, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call 910-497-0628 or visit http://sandhillsfamilyheritage.weebly.com.

City Market at the Museum

City Market at the Museum Starts on April 18 and runs through December. It is held at the Fayetteville Transportation and Local History Museum at 325 Franklin St. from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 1p.m. There is no telling what you may bring home from this market, but it is sure to be good. 

The vendors at this market are a mixture of farmers and artisans. Next to fresh corn, sweet potatoes and tomatoes are soaps, baked goods, pottery and hand-crafted jewelry of all mediums. This market is a perfect reflection of all the local community produces. The produce is a reflection of the land and the handcrafted goods are a reflection of the people. In order to truly understand the culture of the community both are necessary. 

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/CityMarketAtTheMuseum or call 910-433-1457. 

Community Supported Agricultural Co-op

In the busy modern world it can be difficult to take the time required to visit the farmers market, especially when the days they are held don’t mesh with soccer practice and piano lessons. Luckily, there is an even easier way to get your local fresh produce. Sustainable Sandhills partnered with the Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative to bring healthy, preservative-free produce practically to family doorsteps with the Community Supported Agriculture Cooperative. 

Co-op members subscribe to receive fresh produce boxes either weekly or bimonthly and these boxes are distributed to three drop-off sites by volunteers. These produce boxes offer seasonal fruits and vegetables and treats such as goat cheese, fresh breads, heritage grains and much more. This program helps to make fresh healthy foods more widely available in an environmentally friendly way by cutting down on the distance that food travels and the energy that is consumed to get it there. For more information, visit www.sustainablesandhills.org/#!csa/czpq or call 910-484-9098. 

On Aug. 14, WKML presents the second New Artist Showcase Parking Lot Party of the season. The Parking Lot Parties serve a dual purpose for the local country music community: It provides a platform for new talent to be heard and to gain performing experience, and it provides the audience with an evening of new music and good times. It is an all-around fun time and great event. 

Opening the Parking Lot Party is Dakota Bradley. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Bradley’s first love was sports. But when he discovered an old guitar hidden in the basement of his home, everything changed. He found his calling. Since then Bradley has immersed himself in music, starting his first band in eighth grade. That group even won a “Battle of the Bands” contest. Music is his passion and he is pursuing it relentlessly with a joy and excitement that is evident when he performs. 

Jackie Lee is also scheduled to perform. He was born in Maryville, Tennessee, in 1991, and began his music career at the tender age of 6 working with Carson Chamberlain. His style is that of a contemporary country rocker, but his powerful vocals lend themselves well to the classic crooning love songs that define country, as well. He takes inspiration from the great classic country stars as well as the newer country rockers, which gives him a unique and versatile style. 

Lauren Alaina is the headliner. The past American Idol contestant’s love of music was evident to her family from an early age when she constantly sang along to music in the car and in their home. They realized she was blessed with a rare talent. Early on, her talent was recognized by the community and fostered by her family. Her youthful passion and ambition brings an energy to the stage that can’t be manufactured. 

In addition to these fantastic musicians, look for plenty of other entertaining activities for fans and families to enjoy such as corn hole toss. Various food trucks will offer a range of foods and a beer garden filled with refreshing brews will provide all the delicious snacks and libations necessary for an excellent party.

The Parking Lot Party is at the Crown Coliseum Complex, located at 1960 Coliseum Dr. Tickets are $10 or $5 for WKML All-Access Members and Crown Insiders. Tickets are available online at CrownComplexNC.com, at the Crown Box Office, or by phone at 1-888-257-6208. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating. The Parking Lot Party is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and last until 10 p.m. Dakota Bradley will open at 7 p.m., followed by Jackie Lee at 7:30 p.m., ith Lauren Alaina preforming at 8:30 p.m. The final New Artist Showcase Parking Lot Party of the season will be held on Sept. 18 during the County Fair. For more information, visit www.wkml.com. 

Those of us who are products of the 1950s often reflect on the good old days; wishing we could return to the time when Eisenhower Republicans were held in high esteem. It was a different time, an enviable time of prosperity and harmony. At least it was where I grew up in Upstate New York. 

I still consider myself fortunate that I was educated in a state where I attended kindergarten in the post-World War II era. Folks my age who grew up in North Carolina didn’t get an early childhood education. When I went to junior high in the mid-’50s, my school had an indoor Olympic-size swimming pool. When I graduated from high school in 1959 with a Regents Diploma issued by the State University of New York, I had the equivalent of a first year education at Duke University.

I was fortunate to have been reared in an upper middle-class family. My dad was an executive with General Electric, and of course, my mom was a homemaker. We lived a privileged Ozzie and Harriet lifestyle. And yes, I do wish we could relive those days, which of course, we cannot.

But in one way, I am still able to thanks to a dear friend who I met in the 1960s when we both served overseas in the military. Jerry was in the Air Force and I was in the Army. He happened to be a native of Fayetteville, and we were reunited here after leaving the service. To this day I’m amazed that when we get together for breakfast or dinner, he always bumps into people he knows. He has never met a stranger. He went to school with my late wife at Alexander Graham Junior High and Fayetteville Senior High School. 

What’s funny about my friend is that in many ways he is still stuck in the ‘60s, and I sometimes envy him. Jerry doesn’t use an ATM card except to get cash out of the machine. He writes checks when he pays household bills and he carries cash in his wallet. He still reconciles his checkbook each month. How many of us do that anymore? He doesn’t believe in online banking and he mistrusts the government. He carries a flip phone and doesn’t text. He has a real home phone, too, and turns off his cell phone when he’s at home. He doesn’t have a Facebook page.

Jerry tells me his dear wife puts his clothes out for him each morning. I was aghast when he told
me that, but then he explained it’s because his eyes are color deficient. He’s not color blind,
but close. 

My friend drives a 12-year-old car of which he is very fond. He and his bride have a wonderful traditional marriage. He holds on to old fashioned values that were ingrained in those of us who grew up back in the day. Those values include honesty, loyalty and commitment. 

Is there anything else you could ask of a friend?