If you’re like me, you have one or more drawers full of promotional T-shirts. And you probably have them in many different colors and with many different graphics, logos and phrases. Some say things that you are afraid to wear outside the house. Some are worn and faded.

“That one needs to go,” my new wife often says to me. I just chuckle and go on wearing it. That’s what I want to talk about this week — the difference between giving away a favorite T-shirt that people cling to beyond all reason and just another T-shirt.

T-shirts can be a powerful walking billboard. A good T-shirt does double duty as it is a constant reminder to the wearer of you, the giver, and they show your message to dozens or possibly hundreds of people every day that they are worn. That’s marketing power. So what makes for a good T-shirt?

T-shirts are made special in three ways: they commemorate an event like a concert, sporting event or visit to a tourist location: the print (graphic, logo or phrase) is one you like being seen wearing: and the fabric feels good against your skin or fits particularly well.

Commemorative T-shirts are generally created for retailers by professional designers. Most of you who are reading this are neither of those. However, some family and company events do deserve commemoration. Should you find yourself involved in such an event, then apply the rules we will be discussing later and you will be happier with the end product. If you are lucky enough to be using a nationally branded logo that is considered cool to wear, then you don’t need much more than that to get your T-shirt worn often. The rest of us, who have logos that are less well known, may need to add graphics, catchy phrases or effects around or behind it in order to create desire to wear it.

Often as not, it is a creative use of colors and shapes in the print that makes a T-shirt special. If your screen-printer has a full-time professional artist, he can take a mundane logo or design idea and make it a work of art. The really good ones can make an eye-catching print with just one or two colors, which saves you a lot of money. Using a professional artist might seem expensive but most work for between $30 and $50 per hour and can complete most designs in one or two hours. This is a small percentage of the overall cost of most T-shirt orders and can make the difference between a T-shirt that is worn a hundred times and one that is tossed in the garbage.

Sometimes, a catchy, funny or provocative phrase can be enough to increase the wear of your T-shirt. Think “Just Do It!” or “Life Is Good.” Use phrases that reflect an attitude (positive is almost always better when marketing a business) that has broad appeal. If you use one that appeals to a narrow demographic, then expect a majority to ignore it when choosing what to wear.

Most of my customers are surprised to learn that there are many ways to decorate a shirt besides standard vinyl inks. There are water-based inks that are soft after one washing (The most comfortable print for hot weather). Fashion inks that are somewhere in between. Laser engraving that burns the surface of the shirt but adds no pigment. Heat press debossing/embossing where the message is pressed into or raised in the fabric. There are many more and new ones are being invented all the time. Sometimes just decorating a T-shirt in a new and different way can be enough to make users want to wear them.

Lastly, let’s talk fabrics — the most overlooked aspect of the T-shirt buying process. You have this great graphic in mind and when it comes to choosing the fabric you ask, ‘What’s the least expensive?” Well, if a generic heavy cotton costs $5 and a fashion weight ring-spun ultra soft 4 oz. cotton costs $7, then the heavy cotton is the better deal right? Wrong. The fashion weight ring-spun is incredibly soft and light and most people prefer it hands down over the base model. Therefore, the fashion weight is worn many times more often and is a far better buy dollar for dollar than the heavy cotton. That is not to say you have to increase your budget for the better fabric. You are just as well off buying fewer of a better shirt than having more just end up in the landfill.

T-shirts are an excellent promotional medium but it takes thought and knowledge to make them truly effective. Take the time to choose the right fabric, decoration method, and image then watch your walking billboards do their job.

Photo: T-shirts are great ways to advertise, but there are a few things to think about first.

 Don’t Look Ethel!

Ha! Recording legend Ray Stevens shouted out that hilarious line in his 1970s hit song “The Streak.” This hilarious lyric comes to mind in a not so funny way when I think of the dust up local Fayetteville resident and Army veteran Don Talbot created when he sent out an alleged set of offensive photos depicting the extremely explicit realities of urban blight and noting the consequences of a deteriorating city.

It was shock and awe at its finest — Talbot style.

Online comments via email and Facebook flooded local cyberspace with criticism flying fast and furious lambasting Talbot for his insights. In reality, Talbot is right and he got me thinking. His message was as simple, as it was harsh: Is this what we want America to become? People were outraged.

When City Manager Ted Voorhees sent a reply-all message back asking Talbot to cease sending him such offensive materials and to remove him from his mailing list, it opened the floodgates of criticism of Talbot. And to my dismay, the race card was thrown.

When race is artificially interjected into any argument or situation, the result is that the main point of the argument is usually the photos people found objectionable — admittedly by their own volition.

Yes, they admit it.

Sure, it took nearly three decades to bring the Motown metro to this point, but, it was the citizens who nailed the coffin shut by consistently voting in leadership that took advantage of its citizens, extorted businesses and reduced the auto city to rubble. Talbot’s photos were nothing but a comment, warning and possible glimpse into the future of our nation.

My message is this: If photos of real life offend you, don’t look, but don’t bury your heads in the sand and think these problems are going away.

No one wants to see our community go the way of Detroit. But, only we can prevent this from happening. Love him, hate him, Talbot is right. We must stop illegal immigration. We must stop voter fraud — even if it means showing our IDs. Our leaders must focus on lowering unemployment by creating new jobs.

Most importantly, we must elect leaders who are ethical. It is a good time to remember if you do business anywhere in the world, you must be consistent. Being honest, hardworking and trustworthy has never failed to get the job done. Make your vote count this year. Send a message to all the candidates that character counts.

Make the statement that as Americans we need to stop rewarding bad behavior like that of New York City Mayoral Candidate Anthony Wiener, former Congressman Elliott Spitzer and of course our own Tonzie Collins.

You have a voice, use it. Vote.

See you at the Best of Fayetteville Party at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 17.

Photo: While many cities around the country face tough challenges like urban blight and high crime rates, citizens have an opportunity and a responsibility to be a part of the solution. Informed vot-ers make a difference.

 Raise your glasses for an all American good time. On August 8, Americans will come together to support and honor the people who make sacrifices for freedom everyday — military service members. Jack Daniels and the USO are collaborating to present Toast to the Troops. The event includes stuffing packages to send to deployed military members. To support and entertain the volunteers, as well as the general public, Fort Bragg MWR will a concert performed by Craig Morgan.

The day is broken down into three phases. Starting early, 150 volunteers will be ready for stuffing party. The volunteers are a mixture of military spouses, USO volunteers, Jack Daniels employees and friends. Care packages are to be stuffed with the necessities like razors, shaving cream, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant and sunscreen for 7,500 soldiers down range. In addition to these necessities each package will also contain a “toast” card. These cards contain personal messages for the soldiers that Jack Daniels and the USO have collected. After the stuffing party, the volunteers get to enjoy a nice cookout leading up to the prime entertainment — the Craig Morgan concert.

Morgan, a sensational country artist, is also an Army veteran. He spent 10 years on active duty and nine years in the Army Reserve. He has participated in eight Toast to The Troops events in Jacksonville, Fla. In a recent press release, Morgan stated, “I’ve said it before, but being part of every Toastevent over the past eight years has been a really rewarding experience for me. Our nation’s service members and their families do so much for us on a daily basis and I hope everyone will come out and join us.”

He has won fans over with his hit songs “Bonfire,” “Wake Up Loving You,” “Almost Home” and “That’s What I Love About Sunday.”

Morgan has participated in every Toast to the Troops, a total of 19 since 2005, but this one has a special importance for the singer. During his military career, Morgan was stationed at Ft. Bragg. “I served there when I was active duty in the Army, and I feel a special kinship with those soldiers and their families currently stationed at Fort Bragg. We can’t wait to get there to show them how much they are appreciated and supported.” Morgan said.

Since the program’s inception, Toast to the Troops events have provided more than 165,000 Operation USO Care Packages to troops overseas. This year is the 20th Toast to the Troops and that is remarkable. Kelli Seely, the USO Senior Vice President of Development and Chief Development Officer said, “Our 20th Toast to the Troops event is a true testament of the dedication and appreciation the Jack Daniels family has for the USO and our nation’s military. We are so grateful for their continuing support to bring a touch of home to those brave men and women serving overseas.”

U.S. Army Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) aims to create the best atmosphere for soldiers. The mission is to “serve the needs, interests and responsibilities of each individual in the Army community for as long as they are associated with the Army, no matter where they are. They also seek to bridge the gap between the garrison and the local community, and contribute to the Army’s strength and readiness by offering services that reduce stress, build skills and self-confidence for soldiers and their families. The Family and MWR mission is to create and maintain ‘First Choice’ MWR products and services for America’s Army, essential to a ready, self-reliant force.”

Here at Fort Bragg, MWR also strives to provide for soldiers and their family members. “We help to improve the quality of life for soldiers and their families by having quality entertainment and free opportunities for the community. Also, we provide service and a secure family-friendly environment at a very affordable cost,” Rhett Stroupe, special events coordinator of Fort Bragg MWR, said.

Ft. Bragg MWR also holds the Ft. Bragg Fair in May, the July 4th celebration in previous years, the Renaissance Faire in September and other activities and events.

The concert is free and open to the general public — no ticket is necessary — and lawn chairs and blankets are welcome. It is going to be at the Fort Bragg Fairgrounds. The gates open at 4 p.m. and the concert begins at 5 p.m.

“It’s exciting to have the opportunity to entertain soldiers and family and help relieve the stressors of military life,” Stroupe said.

The USO is dedicated to supporting the “spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide,” according to the organization’s website. The USO is a private and nonprofit organization, but the organization works closely with the government, as well as corporate partners and dedicated American citizens, to make all of its programs possible. So, for anyone who would like to support service members the Operation USO Care Package is an effective way to help. Due to heightened security, no packages that are marked “Any Service Member” can be mailed, so the USO ensures that the troops are still able to receive a little comfort from home. Since 2003, two million care packages have been sent overseas by the USO. The organization also offers other programs to support active duty military troops and families. For more information about these programs visit the www.uso.org.

Please do not bring pets, large bags, coolers, alcohol, glass, backpacks or weapons to the concert or Fair Grounds. For more information contact 495-1437.

Upon hearing that fellow musicians, David and Charis Duke were moving to Philadelphia, Soprano Gail Morfesis asked local businessman and supporter of the arts Menno Pennink to assist in presenting a concert in their honor. The concert is entitled Languages of Love: Music from Opera, Art Song & Musical Theater. It will be presented in The Capitol Room, 134 Person St., in downtown Fayetteville on Aug. 3, at 7 p.m.

Since their 2003 arrival in Fayetteville, the Duke’s have contributed their talents to the Fayetteville musical scene. Dr. David Duke came to join the music faculty at Methodist University and also served as the music director of many musicals at Fayetteville Technical Community College where his wife, composer and pianist Charis Duke, led the pit orchestra. He has been a cast member at Cape Fear Regional Theatre and in 2012 was a featured soloist with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.

David’s formal studies include undergraduate degrees from Brigham Young University (Provo, UT, B.M. Music Education), and graduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (M. M. and D.M.A. in Vocal Performance).

Charis has made her presence known at FTCC, The Gilbert Theater and Snyder Music Academy. One of her children’s musicals, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, was presented by Up & Coming Weekly in conjunction with Snyder Music Academy in 2009 at the Sol Rose Amphitheater at Campbellton Landing.

Charis attended Brigham Young University where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition. She received a fellowship to attend graduate school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she earned a Master of Music degree in Composition. Her music has been performed by numerous ensembles including the Jezic Ensemble of Baltimore, the Amadeus Choir of Toronto, the Boston Viola Quartet and the Cincinnati Camerata. She has received numerous honors and awards, most notably the Nancy Van de Vate International Prize for Opera from Vienna Masterworks. She is a four-time winner of the International Christmas Carol and Chanukah song writing competition, and most recently won the Cincinnati Camerata Prize for choral music. She has also written ten children’s operas which were commissioned by the Arts Academy at Bella Vista in Clovis, New Mexico.

The concert has attracted some of Fayetteville’s favorite performers who are no strangers to the world stage including vocalists Gail Morfesis (UNCP), Robert Williams (FSU) and pianists Scott Marosek (Methodist) and Jesse Davis (Methodist, FSU & Snyder Music).

The concert will be held at Menno Pennink’s Capitol Room, a relatively new music venue on Person Street in downtown Fayetteville. Dr. Pennink is a retired neurosurgeon and avid music lover having hosted 28 private music soirees in his home. Pennink states, “The Capitol Room was initially conceived as a private music room. When Suzanne and I moved from our home on Willow Bend Lane to the 300 Block in downtown, we had to part with our music room. So we looked for a building that would accommodate the same concept, making music in a private setting. We found a building on Person Street and created the Music Room. The room has a magnificent 9-foot Steinway concert grand and is a perfect place for chamber music. The acoustics in the room are excellent, enhancing the sound of the string instruments and voice. One of the interesting features of the room is that we used all recycled materials; the bookcases and cabinets came out of my old medical office. All metal was recycled material from an apartment complex, which was destroyed by a tornado that swept through our area a few years ago. The concrete floors were sanded and almost look like marble. The glass doors inside were salvaged from a downtown project.”

Don’t miss this wonderful farewell concert. Refreshments will be served. Seats are limited, so call our event manager Gayle Nelson for reservations at 978-3352.

Photo: Top left: Charis Duke, Bottom left: David Duke

Every October we see special, pink-ribbon packages of cookies, pink-ribbon T-shirts and tote bags. The stores are filled with Breast Cancer Awareness products for a disease that affects 1-out-of-8 women in their lifetime.

Yet there is no such publicity for mental health, a problem that affects a quarter of the population in a given year — and just half get treatment.

Many suffer in silence. They don’t tell their friends or coworkers. Some don’t even tell their families. So it’s no surprise that Mental Health Month comes and goes each May with little fanfare.

That’s unfortunate, because help for many can be as close as their primary care provider.

Some sufferers will struggle with their mental health issues, experiencing crisis from time to time. They don’t have many options. So they often end up in Cape Fear Valley’s nine-bed Psychiatric Emergency Department.

On any given day, at any given time, we have 17 or 18 patients for those nine beds.

That is all about to change.

Cape Fear Valley has entered into an agreement with Cumberland County and Alliance Behavioral Health, the Managed Care Organization responsible for managing mental health care and substance-abuse services reimbursed by Medicaid, as well as county and state funds.

This agreement allows Cape Fear Valley to add the missing piece to our community’s existing mental-health services: crisis intervention.

Individuals in crisis will be able to bypass the Emergency Department and go directly to the Roxie Center, 16 hours a day, seven days a week, on a walk-in basis. This service will be available in the fall after renovations to the second floor of the Roxie Center are complete.

We estimate our Crisis Intervention model will reduce our psychiatric Emergency Department volume by 20 percent in the first year and up to 40 percent in the second.

More importantly, mental-health patients in our community will finally have access to the full continuum of services — all on the campus of Cape Fear Valley Health.

Mental health may not have the dollars or publicity behind it that breast cancer has, but it is no less important.

I would like to thank our Cumberland County Board of Commissioners for entrusting us with the mental health needs of our community. I know our physicians and mental health professionals will provide the quality care they envision for our citizens.

I hope one day no one will suffer in silence from mental illness. Because help is available.

A Strategic Plan Will Help Solve City’s Problems

I have released our working strategic plan for our first 90 days in office. Our focus parallels my earlier stated priorities, including addressing the war on crime and promoting economic development. It should be obvious that our campaign has put a lot of emphasis on bringing people together. Our plan is broken down into two parts, the first is a 30-day plan followed by a 60-90 day plan. Both list multiple meetings with the new and veteran council members along with meetings with local, county and state professional and political leaders.

Our 30-day plan calls for the reestablishment of the City/County Liaison Committee that will bring Fayetteville and Cumberland County leaders together monthly to discuss common issues. We are also calling for the development of a Mayor’s Business Council that will advise the City Council and staff on enterprise and economic development issues. Our 30-day plan also calls for each of the council members to appoint a resident representative to a new committee that will assess the utility and usability of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and make recommendations to the council if changes are needed.

The 60-90 day plan brings players to the table in the areas of economic development, homelessness, PWC service in recently annexed areas, customer service training for city staff and the reduction of duplicated services between the City, County and PWC. Most importantly, our plan will host a biannual summit on crime, focusing on how city, county and state professional law enforcement and court leaders can help reduce the crime rate. Also in the 60- to 90-day plan, we are asking City Manager Voorhees to develop a five-year budget that will build splash pads at many of the city’s recreation centers. We believe splash pads can be included in the annual budgets and are a relatively inexpensive way to expand our youth summer programs without the cost associated with building and maintaining community pools and the personnel that are required to manage them.

Our plan is aggressive but realistic. We realize that it will take the entire City Council focusing on common goals to move things ahead. I believe that we will be able to move faster than the past councils and make great strides in a relatively short time. I’m confident our new council will be as dedicated as I am to put our issues ahead of our egos and get to work for Fayetteville residents.

Upon being sworn in, I will meet with the following people and/or organizations to create a strategic plan aimed at resolving our pressing issues. At each of the following meetings, a timeline will be established along with specific goals. Measurable outcomes and objectives will be evaluated and assessed routinely.

30-day Strategic Plan

• Meet with new and Veteran’s Council Members individually with City Manager Voorhees to establish common priorities.

• Meet with City Manager Voorhees and Chief Medlock to assess the needs of the Fayetteville Police Department and begin prioritizing budget needs.

• Meet with Chief Medlock and Sheriff Butler to establish a common plan of attack on local crime.

• Meet with the Fayetteville Regional Chamber, the City of Fayetteville Community Development office and Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau leaders to see how Fayetteville can better participate in the recruitment, retention and promotion of local businesses that will create jobs for our residents.

• Reestablish the City/County Liaison committee with elected leaders from Fayetteville City Council and the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. This committee will focus on resolving common issues affecting all county residents.

• Call for each council member to appoint a representative to serve on a newly established Business Council to further advise the City Council on enterprise and economic development issues and present items/actions that will assist local businesses in growth and long term prosperity.

• Call for each council member to appoint a representative to serve on a committee that will reassess the utility and usability of the Unified Development Ordinance.

60- to 90-day Strategic Plan

• Revisit, reassess and revise any new or unresolved issues from the 30-day Strategic Plan.

• Host a roundtable with PWC, City of Fayetteville Community Development office and the Home Builders Association of Fayetteville to find ways that each of these organizations can better service our residents and future development within city limits.

• Host a quarterly Crime Summit open to the public with all local, county and state professional and political representatives that will bring to light common resources that may be available. This Crime Summit should open conversation regarding our overall crime rate and ways to reduce it and ways that all agencies can come together. We must present a unified front on the war on crime that can no longer be ignored.

• Ask City Manager Voorhees to develop a five-year plan that he can present to the City Council that will budget building a splash pad for our kids at each of our community centers.

• Work with PWC to explore an expedited completion schedule for the recently annexed areas.

• Host a working meeting with City Council and elected state delegation to discuss mandates, revenue and current issues affecting both governing boards.

• Ask City Manager Voorhees to employ a comprehensive training course for ALL city employees on Customer Service.

• Establish and convene a Mayor’s Council on homelessness to unite existing resources and promote new ideas that may help those who have fallen victims to hard economic times and are involuntarily displaced.

• Work with PWC, city and county management to explore a functional consolidation of duplicated services.

Photo: Nat Robertson discusses economic development with Kevin Brooks, an owner of Trimmerz. Photo courtesy of www.natrobertson.com.

School bells will be ringing soon and the Cumberland County Schools system wants to make sure that students are prepared by having the “Stuff the Bus” initiative on tax-free Friday, Aug. 2, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. at the Ramsey Street Super Walmart. The goal is to obtain enough school supplies to ensure that every homeless student has a backpack filled with items they need to be successful at school and to continue filling them throughout the school year.

“This is the sixth year we have had this school supply drive,” said Pamela Story, Cumberland County Schools social work coordinator. “We are once again partnering with Communities in Schools of Cumberland County and their ‘Build A Backpack’ school supply campaign conducted by Wal-Mart.” Story added that under the McKinney Vento Educational Act’s definition, in the Cumberland County Schools system, 649 homeless students were identified for the 2012-2013 school year.

The items most needed include backpacks for all grade levels, three-ring binders, notebook paper, regular pencils, mechanical and colored pencils, glue sticks, pens, dividers, pocket folders, composition books, school uniforms, hand sanitizer, flash drives, Walmart gift cards and cash donations.

“The donated supplies will be distributed to students residing in shelters, transitional housing and motels, as well as to others in need,” said Story. “We all share the hope that our children will have a successful school year, but for many parents school supply lists present a challenge,” said Story.

She added that she is excited that across the county there are faithful sponsors that have been hosting zumbathons, book and school supply drives and motorcycle runs to help support our students who attend year-round and traditional schools.

Donations of new supplies are also being accepted between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Cumberland County Schools Social Work office located at 2465 Gillespie St. For more information about the event or other ways to support students in need, call 678-2621.

Photo: Last year there were more than 649 homeless stu-dents in Cumberland County. Stuff the Bus aims to provide school supplies for them.

Somewhere in Afghanistan, two soldiers are on patrol. The first is an elite warrior, he uses state-of-the-art weaponry and technology as he moves throughout the remote countryside. His partner, while no less elite, uses his basic senses to seek out the enemy or to find bombs before they can harm his team. He is a military working dog.

On Saturday, June 27, Cumberland County residents will come together to memorialize 56 of these unsung heroes at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. At 10 a.m., the museum will unveil it’s latest memorial to pay homage to the military working dogs that have given their lives in support of this great nation.

The SOF K9 Memorial Foundation is comprised of a small group of military and civilian K9 professionals who would like to create a lasting memorial dedicated to special-operations forces K9s killed in action. There is a unique bond between a military working dog and its handler. According to the SOF K9 memorial website, that relationship can best be seen through the bond between the two. “The bond between a SOF handler and his K9 can be seen in every aspect of their relationship, from the FOB to engaging the enemy. Countless hours of training go into each of our elite K9s to give them the tools they need to survive on the battlefields.

“Their actions in combat are simply heroic, facing eminent danger with courage that sets the standard for all others. They give selflessly so others may live, for many we owe them our lives. Many SOF K9s have paid the ultimate price in support of this great nation.”

Josh Collins, the owner of Huske Hardware House and the newly opened Tap House, has seen this relationship in action and has thrown his support behind the organization. Collins will not only host a reception following the dedication of the memorial for foundation members, he will also host Fayetteville’s largest Parking Lot Party later that afternoon to raise funds to continue the work of the foundation in providing pavers for fallen dogs and care for dogs who have been wounded or who have retired.

Having been a member of the special-operations community while serving on active duty in the U.S. Army, Collins sees the work of the foundation as important.

“These are my band of brothers. The soldiers who work with these dogs are the men I served with while I was in the Army,” he explained. “Each of these dogs has saved hundreds of lives. If they were human, they would probably have been awarded a Medal of Honor. They have given their lives for their brothers.”

Collins put feet to his beliefs when he organized the Parking Lot Party, which will be held in the parking lot behind Huske Hardware House and the TapHouse at Huske. The concert, which will feature four performers from the Huske Singer/Songwriter Competition, as well as headliners Madison Rising, will begin at 5 p.m.

“This is going to be the Parking Lot Party of the decade,” said Collins. “We are going to have music in all genres from rock to pop to Americana. This is going to be the event of the summer.”

Opening the show will be the performers from the Huske Singer Songwriter competition: Nathan Fair, whose hit song “Fallen Soldier” is raising funds for the wounded warrior foundation, will be on hand. The following week, Fair will be in South Dakota, opening a show for Lynnyrd Skynnyrd at the annual Sturgis Bike Rally.

Fair will be joined by Autumn Nichols, the winner of the last Huske Unplugged competition, who recently performed at the Country Music Association Festival in Nashville, Tenn. Also slated to perform is Mitch Clark, a singer/songwriter and Summer Collins, who will be featured in X-Factor 3 this fall.

Madison Rising is a rock band with a conscience. The band’s music ranges from the guitar-heavy opening track of “Right To Bear,” to the hauntingly epic sounds of “Honk If You Want Peace,” to the beautiful violins of “Hallowed Ground.”

Collins said choosing the band was easy because of its commitment to promoting the principles of liberty, independence, smaller government and personal responsibility.

Collins added that food and libations will be sold throughout the concert; however, no outside coolers or food will be allowed on the grounds. Tickets for the event are just $10 and can be purchased at www.huskehardware.com or on the Huske Hardware Facebook page. Tickets can also be purchased at Huske or at the newly opened TapHouse at Huske, which features more than 80 beers on tap.

Collins strongly urges patrons to purchase their tickets early to avoid standing in line the day of the concert. If you have not purchased your ticket before Saturday, he suggests you arrive around 3 p.m.

“Fayetteville is a very last minute town, and I would like nothing better than to see lines wrapped all the way around the block,” said Collins.

For more information about the SOF K9 Memorial Foundation, visit http://sofk9memorial.com. For more information about the concert visit www.huskehardwarehouse.com.

Photo: (Bottom left) An example of the statue that will be placed at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum on July 27.

Ask the Tough Questions: Then Vote

Well, have you heard enough about Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, Rolling Stone Magazine and Tonzi Collins?

If your answer is yes, then that’s good, because now it’s time to focus on the political winds that are starting to blow throughout our community. The Filing period ended last Friday and even though all of the municipal races countywide are important, all eyes will be focused on Fayetteville. Five city council seats are up for grabs including the mayor’s seat now that four-term Mayor Tony Chavonne has decided not to seek a fifth term.

This could be a very, very good thing for the Fayetteville community. This election is bringing new faces and new voices with fresh ideas to tackle the municipal challenges that have been so well de鴀ned in recent months. Crime, safety and jobs continue to be the most obvious concerns and lead the list among Fayetteville citizens. At least, that is what all the surveys, studies and statistics are showing.

No one is denying that these concerns are not real, and each will be the center plate of every candidate’s campaign speech; however, in real life, those citizens who must deal with Fayetteville’s municipal government each and every day know our problems are much more severe. High crime rates, concerns about safety, high unemployment and lack of economic development are the result of unresponsive government.

In other words, poor service and lack of real communication with the residents have brought us to this point. Now, I have no idea who will be elected mayor or to the new city council, but I do know this: for Fayetteville to grow and prosper in the 21st century we need leadership. Real leadership. Leadership that builds consensus, instills pride and can motivate the community into action. Leadership is being a good listener and then taking some sort of constructive action. Being a good leader is also knowing how to be a good follower and recognizing when to do the right things for the right reasons regardless of consequences.

Choosing these types of leaders is our responsibility and ours alone. This is what voting in a free society is all about. In the long run, it’s never about money, race or social status. It’s about leadership and who can get the job done keeping the best interests of Fayetteville residents above that of self interest — not an easy task in the world we live in today.

Rest assured, come November 5, we will get what we asked for and what we deserve. One only needs to look at the recent fiscal collapse of the city of Detroit or the blood-drenched streets of Chicago where 100 murders took place in a month, to see the results of a failed system — both of which started at the ballot box.

Interview the candidates. Ask them the tough questions and demand specific answers. Try these: Why doesn’t our community have sewer-line hook ups? Why don’t we have bus transportation in our community? When can we have more swimming pools and parks for our children? How are you going to reduce crime? Why does it take the city 120-150 days to approve a set of plans? Why do city officials and department heads not return phone calls? What will you do to make the Fayetteville City government more responsive to residents?

Ask them. Then Vote! See you at the polls.

Thank you, for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Fascinate-U — Igniting Creativity and Imagination

Fascinate-U Children’s Museum in Downtown Fayetteville has been fueling the imagination of thousands since 1999. Garnering an impressive following of nearly 50,000 visitors a year, Fascinate-U is a great place where children can experience and learn while still having fun and expanding their creativity and knowledge of the world around them.

“Not one day is the same,” said Susan Daniels, executive director of Fascinate-U Children’s Museum. “I never know what I’m getting into each day.”

Running a children’s museum entails a lot of responsibility and a wide list of responsibilities — Daniels may be bookkeeping one minute and cleaning up the next. Boasting many exhibits including a miniature city, Fascinate-U hosts a variety of fun and educational activities for children of a wide range of ages.

The first floor is home to the museum’s city. Modeled after a town, there’s a post office, grocery store, police station and even a city hall. That’s just the tip of the iceberg with more than 20 exhibits on the first floor alone. Daniels said there are plans to replace the first floor’s carpeting sometime in September due to the pattering feet of thousands of adventurers.

“It’s a hands-on children’s museum that encourages learning by role-playing and creativity,” Daniels said. Fascinate-U is teaching children about adult life but in a format that encourages exploration with minimal drawback. Using a hands-on approach, learning the basics of grocery shopping or sending a letter through post better equips children with knowledge that just isn’t taught in schools anymore.

One of the museum’s latest additions is the Fascinating Farm exhibit implemented May 14. The exhibit was a collaborative effort made possible by the contributions of Cargill, Cumberland Community Foundation, Cape Fear Farm Credit, Cumberland County Farm Bureau, Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District and Youth Growth Stock Trust. The exhibit was made in hopes of teaching children how food gets from the farm to the dinner table in order to build an appreciation for hardworking local farmers.

The second floor revolves around educational programming. The second floor is open to the general public only during certain events and programs. Every third Saturday of each month, Fascinate-U hosts Super Science Saturdays where children can come learn more about science and math through fun and educational activities. July’s activity was making ice cream with just a plastic bag, cream, melted ice and salt.

The third floor contains the Cape Fear Model Railroaders’ train exhibit. Children and adults can come to Fascinate-U every first and third Saturday of each month to view the showcase.

Fascinate-U will host a Back to School Bash to prepare kids for the coming school year on Aug. 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Expect magicians and animals from Aloha Safari Zoo along with two corn snakes and a bull snake. Don’t fret — these specimens are completely harmless.

Fascinate-U is located at 116 Green Street and is open Tuesday through Sunday. When looking for a way to spend your evening with the kids, visit Downtown Fayetteville’s Fascinate-U and spark their imaginations with skills and knowledge that is truly priceless.

Photo: Fascinate-U offers fun and exciting events. Above chil-dren help dissect a frog.

A par-fect event is on tap for the Lightning Friends and Family Memorial Organization on Aug. 2. A golf tournament is planned at the Baywood Golf Club. The organization was formed to construct a memorial to honor fallen soldiers and veterans of the 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade and 525th Military Intelligence Brigade. The money raised from this event will fund the memorial the organization plans to build at the 525th BFSB Headquarters at Fort Bragg.

Malinda Cox, whose husband is a soldier, first thought of this idea when her husband was deployed and she realized there was no memorial for the fallen soldiers of the unit. The founding group of the Lightning Friends and Family Memorial Organization put their heads together and eventually came up with the memorial idea. Figuring out what the fundraiser should be wasn’t hard, either. A lot of members on the committee play golf and know it can be a great fundraiser. Emily Damboise, fundraising chair and a good friend of Cox, grew up in a family that plays golf and reiterates the positive affect golf tournaments can have.

“It’s a lot of fun seeing friends and family coming together. It’s so great to honor our fallen and to see teamwork and support in such a big task,” she said. Participants can also join in on the silent auction, 50/50 raffle and a raffle to win two free golf entries to the tournament. Each will be going on all day at the tournament. There are fantastic items available for the silent auction including a one-week stay at the Massanutten Resort in Virginia, spa certificates and free rounds of golf offered by Hooters. The memorial organization is also accepting donations and sponsorships.

“No item is too small,” Damboise said.

Winners of the silent auction and 50/50 raffle will be announced at the awards ceremony after the golf tournament. Winners of the free golf entry were announced at the Lt. Col. Toy Tisedale Maintenance Facility on July 15.

By next year, the memorial should be ready to go. Members have been getting the word out and after it is completed, the next step is sustaining it and funding scholarships for 525th members and their families.

Registration starts at 7 a.m. and the tournament is at 9 a.m. Lunch is provided and a cash bar is available before, during and after the game. Practice space is also available.

“We are still currently seeking volunteers and encourage people to come out and talk to military personnel about their lifestyle. It’s about coming in for fellowship and doing something good for service members,” Damboise said.

You can register for the tournament online at lightningmemorial.com. Tournament fees include: $45 for retired veterans, $50 for civilians and E7-above, $35 for E6 and below. There is a late entry fee (after July 19) of $65. Visit lightningmemorial.com for more information about sponsorship opportunities and the tournament; also check out the group’s Facebook page.

Tournament entry fees, contributions and sponsorships are tax deductible, and proceeds, net of expenses, go directly to the Lightning Friends and Family Memorial.

Proper golf course attire is required including collared shirts and Bermuda length shorts, no jeans or T-shirts.

Photo: The 525 Battlefield Surveillance Brigade and 525th Military Intelligence Brigade are raising funds for a monument to honor their fallen soldiers.

Send a Message: City Hall Is Not for Sale!

Finally, the filing period is over and the 2013 municipal campaigns are in full swing. Thanks to all that have committed to serve our great community. Candidates — On your Mark, Get Set, Fundraise! All of the talking heads and Op-Eds have declared, if you don’t raise the most money, you won’t win.

It’s one of the oldest political tricks of persuasion and “psychological operations” in the book. The premise is that if you hear a message time and time again, you start to believe it. Well, I’m not buying it and I don’t believe you will either. Recent campaigns have proven that hard-working, well-organized candidates are more than capable of winning elections.

Unless a candidate has the means to finance their own campaign, some level of fundraising comes with the territory. Instead of spending time developing their message and speaking with citizens, many candidates will spend a great deal of effort scrutinizing campaign donor lists and dialing for dollars. Asking for contributions from friends and family, school mates from kindergarten through college, people they’ve served with in the military, fraternities and sororities and checking for coins in the couch is the reality for most candidates willing to serve our community via public office.

Fundraising often discourages unconnected but well-intentioned and exceptionally well qualifed ordinary citizens from seeking public offce. It is a big reason why many good people choose not to seek reelection. This environment undermines the integrity of the governmental process and the competitiveness of campaigns. The amount of money raised by many candidates and committees can erode public confidence in local offcials by creating the appearance they may be unduly influenced by contributors.

In Union City California, self-described as a small diverse community of 69,000 people, individual contributions cannot exceed $600. The Union City’s Municipal Code Chapter 2.06.010 Campaign Contributions reads:

“It is the purpose and intent of the City Council in enacting this chapter to minimize the potential for undue infuence by individual or groups on the Mayor and Council members by placing realistic limits on the amount of money that individuals or groups may contribute to political campaigns in municipal elections while providing for a level of discussion of public issues adequate for a meaningful election campaign; to insure and promote integrity, honesty and fairness in decisions of public policy; to provide for a campaign contribution and expenditure reporting process that will inform the public; to enhance the opportunity for challengers to be competitive with incumbents.”

Before you dismiss Union City as an exception, there are many cities (including Los Angeles) that have and are developing similar policy. This movement isn’t primarily about campaign finance laws, it is about allowing our political process to be accessible to everyone, no matter your social circles or level of affluence. Municipalities are increasingly interested in ensuring the voices and choices of everyday citizens are not silenced by well-financed political machines.

Citizens — if there is a candidate that you support, make a financial contribution. Recognizing we are a community with 9 percent unemployment with many that are impacted by sequestration, you may not be able to write a check for a few thousand dollars. However, $25, $50 or $100 may be a possibility and would be appreciated by your candidate. However, the real equalizer to this fundraising conundrum is free — it is the power of the vote.

Many are hedging their bets that since this isn’t a presidential election, certain blocks of voters will not come out to the polls. I’m betting they are wrong. I believe our citizens can and will send a very powerful message: Fayetteville’s City Hall is not for sale.

Candidates, let’s have great dialog about jobs, safety, families and supporting our military — real vision and real solutions for our city. Invest in a good pair of sneakers, drink lots of water and I’ll see you on the campaign trail. Thank you for your willingness to serve and good luck!

Our Future, Our Community, Our Fayetteville.

Photo: Val Applewhite with some of her supporters.

The Name Game

My chum since childhood, exercise buddy, travel companion and proofreader extraordinaire long since threatened to withhold her excellent editing services if I wrote yet another Up & Coming Weekly column on either of these topics:

• Tattoos, why people get them and whether they regret their choice to get inked.

• The names parents hang on their beloved babies.

Because I value her friendship, not to mention her focused editing skills, I have pretty much sworn off these topics although I remain fascinated by them myself. So imagine my surprise when, as we sat on our exercise mats at 6:30 one recent morning, she suggested a column on names.

Hurricane names, that is.As I write this, Tropical Storm Chantal has just fizzled out in the Caribbean, thank goodness, even though early projections had the storm posing a threat to the eastern seaboard of the United States.

Chantal?

I do not know anyone named Chantal, so I checked it out with the U.S. Social Security Administration, which maintains a handy and addictive website detailing the most popular baby names for boys and girls born in the United States since the late 19th century. Here you can find that the most popular names in 1900 were John and Mary. In the year I was born, Margaret came in at an impressive 14th, but James and Linda took the top spots. Last year, Jacob and Sophia were the most popular names with parents of American newborns, although we in North Carolina prefer William and Emma. Who knew?

But back to Chantal.

Chantal had a bit of a run several decades ago. The Social Security Administration keeps track of the top 1,000 most popular names, and Chantal first appeared in 1968 at 955. It shows up most years in the 1980s and ‘90s, reaching a robust 581 in both 1987 and 1989 before declining to 922 in 1999 and has not been heard from since.

So what other names has the National Weather Service dreamed up for the 2013 hurricane season in the Atlantic?

First a word about process.

The National Weather Service uses names because they are much more practical than actual latitude-longitude designations, and names make it easier to distinguish among several storms which might be churning around at the same time during a busy hurricane season. The names themselves are selected by regional committees of the World Meteorological Organization, which has a six-year list of storm names that will be repeated indefinitely. The only exceptions are names of dreadful storms that no one wants to hear again — think Hazel, Andrew, Fran, Floyd and Katrina and you get the picture. Originally, like ship names, hurricane names were all feminine, but in 1979 men’s names were also adopted, alternating with the women.

So who is on tap for 2013?

Andrea, Barry, and Chantal are already history, and we have Dorian, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastian, Tanya, Van and Wendy to look forward to.

And how do these names stack up with what parents are blessing their precious jewels with in 2013?

Parents and hurricane namers apparently have very different tastes. None of the 2013 hurricane names are anywhere near the parental top ten, or even the parental top 100. Some never even made the top 1,000 list. Since 2000, only four of this year’s hurricane names — Erin, Gabrielle, Melissa and Sebastian — have made the parents’ top 100. Several others, including Dorian, Humberto and Ingrid, made it into the parents’ top 1,000, while Fernand and Olga flamed out completely.

We have lots of time and plenty of waves to ride before hurricane season officially ends on Nov. 30. We all hope, of course, for fewer, smaller and weaker storms, even though the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an active season in the Atlantic with as many as 20 named storms, three to six of which could be major hurricanes — categories 3, 4 or 5.

Keep your fingers crossed that the NOAA is way off on that prediction!

No matter what their size, what happens if there are so many storms we run out of names for 2013?

The National Hurricane Center has thought of that, too, and has a plan. If Wendy comes and goes and we still need more names, we will look to the Greek alphabet and proceed with Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and so on.

Not to worry. I have no plans to write about tats next week and what they will look like when the wearer is 80 — even though I am always tempted …

Photo: Hurricane names are selected by regional committees of the World Meteorological Organization.

A recent news story showed an American entertainer defaming the American flag by using it as a door mat in his expression of contempt for the principles represented by the Stars and Stripes. Most Americans were offended by this display; some enjoyed it; and many just didn’t care.

In America, we have a right to freedom of speech and expression. In Colonial times Patrick Henry (quoting Voltaire) said “I may not agree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”

Our American Flag means many things to many people. Contrast the defamation of the flag with the historical painting by Dale Gallon entitled “Dress to the Colors.” San Juan Hill, Cuba, July 1, 1898 — the Spanish American War. Color Sgt. George Berry, Troop G, 10th U.S. Cavalry is the central figure in the painting. As a member of the famed Buffalo Soldiers, Berry saw extensive combat in the war. He is pictured here carrying the American Flag of the 10th Cavalry in the assault. As he passed by the fallen flag bearer of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry, he grabbed the yellow regimental flag of the 3rd and took both flags to the very top of Kettle Hill, while braving heavy fire. Berry saw this as his duty — he did it in combat, at the risk if his life. The American Flag meant something to Color Sgt. George Berry.

Our American Flag means a great deal for many Fayetteville citizens. On June 15, a Flag Retirement Ceremony took place on the historic Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Parade Field. “When the United States flag (Old Glory) becomes worn, torn, faded or badly soiled, it is time to replace it with a new flag, and the old flag should be “retired” with all the dignity and respect befitting our nation’s flag. The traditional method of retirement is to incinerate the flag.” (Boy Scout Handbook).

Photo: Dale Gallon’s painting “Dress to the Colors”.

On your mark, get set, race! Run for the Red, held by the Highland’s Chapter of the American Red Cross, is coming to Fayetteville. There are three options for the community: a 10K, 5K or a 1-mile family fun walk. The starting point is Ray Avenue near Festival Park and the finish line is inside the park, too.

Cash prizes and other awards will be given to winners and hands-only CPR instruction is being offered as well. There are usually bands performing but Lu Esposito, spokesperson for the regional communications office for the Red Cross in the triangle region, explains why they switched it up. “This year, we wanted something that would support the mission more and teaching the CPR so other people can learn how to save lives felt more appropriate.”

The event began seven years ago to raise money for Red Cross disaster relief. Overall, events like these help support the Red Cross’s mission, and because part of the mission is to help military members and their families, Esposito feels picking Fayetteville is especially perfect because of the town’s military base. The Highlands Chapter has been about saving lives and also offering courses on how to teach others to save lives. The services include recruiting donors for blood drives, giving assistance to families in every way possible, such as providing food, water, shelter or clothing after local disasters. Other than CPR, first aid, water safety and babysitting courses are taught. All these tasks are what Esposito enjoys about being with the Red Cross. “It’s so rewarding helping people from disasters and being that link to supplying blood and CPR training,” she said. She confirms it’s also rewarding to see the hard work pay off. “These are hard events to plan but it is rewarding to help people who need it. The events always end up being fun and seeing how many people support the mission is really great and worth it in the end.”

Prices and times vary for each type of race. The 10k begins at 7 a.m. It costs $35 to register. Ages 18 and under pay $25. At 7:15 a.m., the 5k starts. The cost to register is $30. Ages 18 and under pay $20. The fun 1-mile walk for all ages costs $5 to register and family members are encouraged to bring strollers. Military discounts are available. The last day to register online is August 1. It is suggested you register online. On-site registration may be available but it depends whether or not the event is full already. Keep in mind registration fees are non-refundable.

Cash prizes are awarded for the top three male and female runners over all. The first-, second- and third-place winner in each age group will also receive prizes. Age groups are 18-24, 25-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70 and up.

“I’m excited about this run being that it is in Fayetteville, which holds many service members. Red Cross loves and provides for the military and to see those service members come out and support us is very exciting. Service members and their families in Fayetteville know what we do with the military and it’s a beautiful thing to see both come together,” Esposito says.

T-shirts go to the first 750 participants who register by July 25. Extra T-shirts will be available for $8.00. Please, no pets, except service animals, are allowed. All of the race proceeds go directly to the Red Cross.

To find out more about the race and the Highlands chapter visit: redcross.org/nc/Fayetteville or call 910-867-8151. You can also email them at RunfortheRedHighlands@redcross.org.

 Helping Students Prepare for ACCUPLACER Testing

One of the most challenging aspects of college admissions is the dreaded Entrance Assessment. Fayetteville Technical Community College, like any other college, has admissions requirements that include an entrance assessment. Traditional and nontraditional students whose SAT or ACT scores do not meet certain criteria can take the ACCUPLACER© assessment to satisfy this requirement. However, as with any other test, the ACCUPLACER© creates anxiety for students. After all, many of them have been out of school for years. Adding to their anxiety is the belief that, with an assessment, there is no way to prepare. Either you know the information, or you do not.

This is untrue.

The brain, like any other muscle, needs exercise. A former athlete who has stopped working out is likely to incur an injury if he or she suddenly begins vigorous training. Similarly, students who attempt to jump right into the ACCUPLACER© will not succeed. Instead, they end up taking classes that they probably wouldn’t have needed if they had had a little refresher.

At Fayetteville Technical Community College, we are pleased to offer free ACCUPLACER© preparation assistance for new, prospective and current students. One of our free services is a diagnostic test that has been designed to focus on areas where students may need extra assistance. Staff and faculty members are available to discuss the results with students and to work on plans to boost the skills necessary for doing well on the ACCUPLACER©. The free resources include workshops, use of the computer labs for online preparation, and accessibility to faculty and staff who will meet with students for individual assistance on weak areas.

The goal is to prepare students for the ACCUPLACER©. Preparation can save time and money and students who do not prepare for the test often place into numerous precurriculum courses. These courses do not count toward graduation and can add an extra year to a student’s commitment to college. With the recent changes in Federal Financial Aid, students cannot afford to take unnecessary classes.

For those of you who have already taken the ACCUPLACER© and did not do as well as you had hoped, all is not lost. Please come in or call (910) 678-0140. We are happy to assess your scores and help you prepare to take the test again. We are located in The I-PASS Center in rooms 313 and 314 of Cumberland Hall, at FTCC’s Fayetteville campus. Our summer hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. You can also visit www.faytechcc.edu/student_services/IPASS.asp.

Humans have been creating and admiring art since the very beginning of civilization. Over time, techniques have been created and styles have evolved but appreciation has never diminished. Cape Fear Studios is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to bringing free art and art education to the community, and one way that they do this is through nationwide and local competitions. This year CFS will be present its fifth annual National 2D Competition.

This year the exhibit is sponsored by BB&T, and has many incredible and varied works of art. Ellen Olson Brooks, executive director, says, “People who visit this exhibit will find a huge range of painting styles, painting content, and painting approaches. The show includes oils, pastels, watercolors, colored pencil, mixed media, pen and ink, graphite drawings, portraits, landscapes, flowers, beach scenes, abstract work... a huge range of 2D work. It is an exciting show and it is eclectic. The exhibit is one of my favorite shows all year at Cape Fear Studios because it brings in such a huge variety of work, and it offers our community the chance to see a large, rich, national show that is juried by a well-known artist. That is a rare thing in the Fayetteville area.”

Cape Fear Studios are located in downtown Fayetteville, but its reach is extensive.

“We have works from artists who live in California, Texas, Maryland, Florida, South Carolina, Colorado, Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, New York and North Carolina. The competition is growing in reputation and in size,” Brooks said.

There are few competitions in the country, let alone in Fayetteville, that have as far of a reach. Consequently, as the competition grows in reputation and reach, it has also grown in size. This competition is the largest exhibit that the studio has hosted. After placing a call for art , the CFS received more than 70 entries. Forty-six of those were chosen as finalists and are currently displayed in the studio. In the first few years there were around 20 finalists.

This year the award money totals $1,700. $1,000 will be awarded to the Best of Show and $350 will be awarded to First Place and Judge’s Award. This year the juror, Mike Rooney, had quite the challenge in deciding who the top four winners would be from the record number of entries.

Rooney is a painter who has loved art his entire life. He is strongly influenced by The Cape Cod School of Art, and has a very open minded approach to painting. Brooks explains the judging process for the competition by saying,“The juror judges the first round of all the entries digitally... on the computer and selects the finalists. He then decides the winners in person, by looking at all the paintings personally. This year, Rooney came to Fayetteville, taught a plein air workshop for three days, and juried the winners on his last day. We usually try to have the juror teach a workshop just before we open the show.”

The 2-D Competition exhibit is open to the public until July 22. Admission is free. The exhibit is in Cape Fear Studios, which is located at 148 Maxwell St. For more information. visit the website http://capefearstudios.com/exhibits.html or call 433-2986. Questions can also be sent to the email artgallery@capefearstudious.com.

Photo: The Market Place, by Nancy Guiry of North Carolina is just one of many stun-ning pieces of art in the Cape Fear Studios National 2D Competition.

In a perfect world, children love school and learning. Parents have enough time, patience and money to give their kids the educational support they need and every teacher is a perfect match in teaching style and personality. In the real world, that is not always the case, and as students head into their teen years, overcoming education-related obstacles can be dif̀cult.

Enter the Teen Explosion Conference. On July 26, the Mind Over Matter Youth Development Institute, along with local businesses, colleges and community organizations in the area will sponsor the conference. The conference is designed with teens ages 13-18 in mind and provides critical skills that students need for a successful school year. While education is a topic to take seriously, Teen Explosion is about making the back-to-school transition both engaging and fun.

“There comes a point in the summer when teens are ready to go back to school — although they usually won’t admit it,” said event organizer Dr. Teresa Pinckney. “While this is a day of fun, the bigger piece is making the connection between school and a student’s future. It is about how to excite students about their future and embrace that. It’s about helping students understand that how you do academically will impact your ability to go to a good college, get a better job, have the skill required to be a successful entrepreneur. School is important but after graduation they need to know what possibilities they have for going to college, becoming an entrepreneur or getting job.”

There will be interactive workshops, discussions and exhibits with great information that will help prepare teens for workforce and college readiness skills and even business men and women who will share information with the attendees. The day is ̀lled with activities that are designed to motivate, educate and inspire students. City Councilwoman Val Applewhite will be in attendance and a representative from the library will offer a workshop on job skills. Pinckney is especially excited about the entrepreneurs who support this effort.

“One of the biggest highlights is that we will have student entrepreneurs there,” said Pinckney. “We have six college entrepreneurs, and they will provide insight about being a college student and being an entrepreneur. In addition there are several other small business owners scheduled to attend. It is important for teens to know that this is another option they have.”

Local vendors will also be on hand with information about opportunities available for teens in the community.

Three years ago Pinckney held Fayetteville’s ̀rst Teen Explosion to meet several needs in the community. It doesn’t take much Googling to ̀nd facts and ̀gures about the large amounts of money spent on education, the correlation between high school dropouts and juvenile arrest records or the challenges parents and teachers face when it comes to educating America’s youth. Teen Explosion is built on the premise that education is a great equalizer, a way out of poverty and a tool no one should be without.

“Without a doubt, one of the things I enjoy most is planning the event and creating and developing an event that is creative and is going to have an impact on students and the day of the conference when we see students walking around trying to ̀gure out which session to go to,” said Pinckney.

“Getting feedback and them being excited about what is going on around them and saying ‘I am ready to go to school now.’ This event has an impact with regards to students being ready to go back to school being ready and feeling empowered when they get there.”

One of the wonderful things about Teen Explosion is that regardless of a student’s circumstances, they benèt from the tools and activities at the event. Attendees will learn how to prepare for a successful school year, meet local business men and women and learn about career opportunities and the link between school and workforce development, complete a career assessment and learn different ways to prepare for life after high school. That’s a tall order, but the format is both engaging and exciting.

By spending a day with the community’s youth, Pinckney and other event sponsors are looking to bridge the gap between local businesses and youth so that the teens understand that being successful in school is key to being successful in life. The conference aims to empower the community’s youth and empower them to be successful nut just in school, but in life, too. It is a great opportunity for students to meet local business owners and college admissions representative and take a proactive approach to planning their future. It’s also a chance for the business leaders of the community to connect with the teens and their families and get feedback about how they can help support youth in the community.

An advocate of healthy communication, Pinckney is the founder of T. Pinckney & Associates, a consulting ̀rm that helps organizations and families. Although Pinckney and Teen Explosion sponsors put a lot of time, money and energy into the event, her dedication to helping students be successful is a year-round commitment.

Find out more about Teen Explosion and register to attend at www.mymindovermatter.com.

As the workday comes to an end and the weekend begins, downtown Fayetteville erupts with life. The evening of July 26, the streets will overflow with music, art and opportunities for fun at this month’s 4th Friday. This is a family-friendly event, and there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

For the art lovers, there are several different must-see galleries in Fayetteville. Showcasing the close relationship that the community has with the environment, the Arts Council is hosting the exhibit Transformation: Artful Recycling. This exhibit is invitational and highlights creativity, awareness of the environment and the talent of our local artists. The Arts Council Gallery is located at 301 Hay St. and is open from 7 to 9 p.m.

Cape Fear Studios will also be open late to bring art to the community. Cape Fear Studios is full of art from local artists who create in many different mediums. From paintings to pottery, to glasswork the art is incredible and varied. All artists are juried in, is open from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be art for people to view and artists there for the community to meet. The gallery is located at 148 Maxwell St.

For the kids, Fascinate-U is the place to explore. This museum is completely dedicated to children, and on 4th Friday it will not only be open late, it will offer a free fun craft for kids to create. This month the craft is a candle ornament. Kids will use felt, popsicle sticks and glue to make an ornament for the Christmas tree, the mantle or a gift. Fascinate-U is open from 7 to 9 p.m. and is located at 116 Green St. Admission and the craft are totally free.

Besides being at the center of downtown and a historical building, the Market House also acts as a museum. There is a permanent exhibit in the museum that is titled A View From the Square: A History of Downtown Fayetteville. Additionally, each month there is a different exhibit that pertains to local history presented in the Market House. This month the exhibit is Fayetteville’s Early Fraternal History. The Market House is open from 6 to 10 p.m. The Market House is located in the Center of Downtown on Hay Street.

The Headquarters Library is also taking part in the excitement. Beginning at 7 p.m., the library is inviting all local teen performers to come and perform for the community. All talented teens are welcome. Anything from singing to dancing, to stand-up comedy is welcome, and all are welcome to watch. The only requirement for performers is that they do not use inappropriate language. The open mic night will take place in the Pate Room at the Headquarters Library located at 300 Maiden Lane. The performances will begin at 7 p.m. and last until 8:45 p.m.

Moving Fayetteville Forward Together

We are truly at a critical time for our city. Over the last 10 years, Fayetteville has made some tremendous strides forward but for us to truly transform into the city we all expect and dream about, we must do it as one with a common vision and leadership to keep us focused and working together.

Every person — no matter how old they are, what neighborhood they live in, where they work or the color of their skin — has a fundamental belief of what Fayetteville should be. We all share the basic expectations that our neighborhoods will be safe, that our government will be ftscally responsible, that we will have a vibrant business climate and that the city will provide basic services for its citizens. These are all common threads that bind us together; but over the last few years we have watched the fabric that is made up of these threads be torn, as discussions have turned divisive. We must now weave these threads back together and strengthen the fabric to have one Fayetteville, with one common purpose and goal for every citizen.

I want to be the next Mayor of Fayetteville because I know and believe Fayetteville can be even greater than it is today. I can help strengthen the fabric of this community. Fayetteville must become a cohesive collection of safe, vibrant neighborhoods and prosperous businesses. This is my vision.

The next several years will be challenging as we balance an ever changing economic climate with limited resources, with the need to grow and transform our city. We have several challenges that stand in the way of this transformation, but I am only going to mention two of these in this article.

We must address the rising crime rate. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in 2012nFayetteville had the fifth highest rate of property crimes in the U.S., and among North Carolina’s nine largest cities, our city ranked first for property crime rate and fourth for violent crime, which includes murder, forcible rape and robbery. I believe that public safety is the highest responsibility of government. As mayor, I will do all that I can to prevent crime and the quell the fear of crime because our citizens deserve better. Crime prevention and reduction has to be a priority and will be my number one priority when I become mayor.

Crime affects all aspects of our community whether you live in Bonnie Doone, Kings Grant, Haymount, Seabrook, Southgate or Arran Lakes. People want to feel safe — we want to be able to walk safely in our neighborhoods, we want to be able to live without the fear of our homes being vandalized.

Crime also affects our business owners as well as potential businesses that want to open in our city. Churches, schools, police, community-watch groups, businesses, individuals and parents all have a critical role to fulfill. No one group or person can make it happen. We must all work together to reestablish a level of respect and trust while recognizing that respect and trust need to flow both directions — from citizens to our police and from our police to our citizens. We are in this together. We will never reach our potential as a city unless we aggressively address the causes of this crime epidemic and take decisive action.

Here are my priorities:

1. Recognize and accept the fact that we can’t arrest our way out of crime — this fight has to be a community effort filled with structured youth programs, educational and job opportunities that will remain vitally important to our success.

2. Identify successful crime-prevention efforts in other cities that will work in our city as well as support the new efforts that Chief Harold Medlock has brought to our city.

3. Dedicate ourselves to fighting the problem and creating a safer city and community collectively and not in “silos”. This is “our” fight and we must work together.

4. Put the necessary resources (personnel, financial and technical) where they are needed most and challenge and encourage others in the community to do the same.

5. Hold ourselves responsible and accountable for results. We can no longer blame it on the data. Perception is the reality.

In a time where resources will continue to be strained and our city will be asked to do more for its citizens, we must lean in and work smarter to grow our tax base through business growth, not on the backs of our homeowners. We can no longer give this issue “lip service” and we must take direct steps to enhance the business climate so that the business owners (the risk takers) can invest and do business here. We are fortunate to have many of these entrepreneurs and risk takers in our city and we have to find the balance of policies and good business to allow them to invest in Fayetteville and create jobs while making a profit. This growth is what will allow us the resources to fight our crime issue, create better streets, continue our investment in transit, fix our stormwater issues and build better parks and programs for our youth.

It’s clear that we need bold and innovative approaches to our most pressing concerns: crime, business climate and growth, core city services, civic engagement, city image and more. We must remember that we are not just here to grow the city but to weave it together, to restore the fabric that differentiates a great city from a good city. I intend to focus my time and energy on these priorities and not on things that divide us.

Over the next several months, we will build a campaign that is focused on discussing the opportunities and the challenges that we face together as one city and community and a campaign that begins this weaving process. The conversation about how our community can grow as one needs to happen in every corner and every neighborhood of this city, and in collaboration with each and every one of you.

My promise to each of you is that no one will work harder to earn and keep the trust of the citizens of Fayetteville. I will work every day to transform this city to the city we all want it to be. One Fayetteville. Forward Together

 Prayers for Trayvon, Prayers for Justice System

“Lord during my darkest hour I lean on you. You are all that I have” — Trayvon Martin’s Mother

The high profile case of George Zimmerman came to and end with a jury of six women handing down a not-guilty verdict, after deliberating and deciding that Zimmerman acted in self defense when he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Sad.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Trayvon’s family and friends, whom I feel were made even bigger victims of this senseless tragedy by professional Civil Rights opportunists Rev. Jesse Jackson, and activist turned TV commentator, Al Sharpton. The two grabbed the spotlight in Sanford, Fla., with their campaign to intimidate the state and nation into a costly legal battle to grab national attention by forcing the conviction of Zimmerman.

The intimidation was well organized with large, vocal demonstrations staged in major cities like New York, Miami and in Martin’s hometown of Sanford. Not surprisingly, President Obama weighed in the issue saying that if he had a son “he’d look like Trayvon.”

In the end, Sharpton and Jackson got their publicity, Zimmerman got due process and American justice and Trayvon’s family got all of the heartbreak from being used as pawns by individuals attempting to redefine justice in America in terms of black and white. This trial should never have been about race, but with Sharpton and Jackson on the scene, there was no way for it not to be. Their involvement assured them (Sharpton and Jackson) revenue of hundreds of thousands of dollars off of the family’s sad, tragic and unfortunate loss of life of their young son. Yes, young son. Not young white boy, young black boy or young hispanic boy.

Equally as tragic is when local and national wannabe journalist and radio jocks also jump on the race bandwagon to exploit the emotions of black communities rather than using their talent and exalted positions to soothe, comfort and educate the community through basic logic and a clear understanding of the law and American justice. To witness and hear supposedly educated and responsible community and civic leaders, both white and black, claiming that the not-guilty verdict handed down to Zimmerman is a verification and confirmation that 21st century justice still eludes African-Americans is an irresponsible, tragic injustice and insult to all Americans.

We have only one criminal justice system in America and it operates the same for everyone. Just because someone is not happy with the outcome does not mean the system is broken, does not work or is racially unfair. Justice is justice.

In America, we often refer to it as blind and use the term justice for all. American justice cannot be defined by emotion, opinion or historic bias. If it was, then Casey Anthony and O. J. Simpson would have never been acquitted.

Again, my thoughts and prayers remain with Trayvon and his family. We can only hope this kind of needless exploitation of innocents will soon stop. If not, then you can expect crime to escalate by adding yet another category called “black exploitation” to the crime list; Not a good thing for any American.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Best of Fayetteville: Make Your Vote Count

Nothing speaks louder and with more authority than an unsolicited recommendation that your business or organization has been celebrated locally as the best-of-the-best.

That’s right, The Best of Fayetteville is back. For the 16th year in a row, Up & Coming Weekly will carry on this Fayetteville tradition — and you and the residents of Fayetteville and Cumberland County will again play an integral role in the process. In this edition, you will find the 2013 Best of Fayetteville ballot with more than 130 categories of businesses, services, organizations and quality-of-life venues that define our community.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to pass judgment on all 130 categories. Comment on as many as you like. It takes only 15 to qualify and validate the ballot. Your submission enters you into a drawing for a chance to win $100. In addition, to accommodate our thousands of online subscribers, the ballot is available electronically at www.upandcomingweekly.com.

Being recognized in the Best of Fayetteville has many tangible, valuable and long-lasting rewards for its winners. That’s what makes this annual reader’s poll so special.

First, the winners are profiled and showcased in a special Best of Fayetteville edition of Up & Coming Weekly. This special edition is then provided free of charge to residents and area newcomers all year long. It is also posted online for the entire year with each winner hyperlinked directly back to its own website. Winners also receive a 2013 Best of Fayetteville window decal and a beautiful plaque presented at our famous (some would say infamous) Best of Fayetteville party. The party, planned for Sept. 17 at Fayetteville’s newest downtown restaurant and sports bar The TapHouse at Huske, gives us a chance to publicly recognize the businesses and people who make our community so great!

The Best of Fayetteville party will be hosted by Josh and Tonya Collins, Beasley Broadcasting, The Trophy House, Brainbox Inc., Utley & Knowles CPAs and the Fayetteville Regional Chamber of Commerce. Oh, and of course, the staff of Up & Coming Weekly.

Sound like fun? It all starts with your vote.

So, mark your calendars for our 16th Annual Best of Fayetteville celebration Sept. 17, at The TapHouse at Huske where music, fun, food, prizes and surprises come together to celebrate the best-of-the-best. Thank you, for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Legacy is a word that is often associated with world leaders and business tycoons — teenagers and young adults, not so much. Ryan Patrick Kishbaugh died 10 years ago at the age of 19, leaving a legacy that is still changing lives and helping people. A lot if it has to do with his passion for life and his desire to help people. The rest comes from the love his friends and family share for the young man and their determination to honor his memory and celebrate his life. On July 13, the Ryan Patrick Kishbaugh Memorial Golf Tournament tees-off to celebrate the life of this amazing young man whose journey is a stellar example of a life well lived.

An exceptional athlete and scholar, Ryan graduated second in his class in high school and had been accepted to Princeton when he was diagnosed with cancer. He fought hard and even wrote a book about his experience. His family continues to celebrate his life and has supported several nonprofits in his honor. This year the RPK Memorial Golf Tournament benefits the Carpe Diem Foundation and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

“We play in July each year because it is a celebration of Ryan’s life … his birthday is July 26, 1984. The first year it was just family gathering on his birthday and we went out to play golf so we would not drive each other crazy. Chris and Sean (Ryan’s brothers) invited a few of their friends to come along and later commented that it would be a good thing to actually have a tournament and thus the seed was planted,” said Ryan’s dad, and event organizer, David Kishbaugh. “It is still the most fun part of the whole tournament when I see the boys (now 30-ish) picking on each other and everyone else … Each year, I have chosen two charities to receive money from the tournament. Until three years ago, it was always the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and one other (Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation, Autism Society of Cumberland County, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Father’s Foundation), but a few years ago I helped a friend form a non-profit foundation in order to provide college scholarships for student-athletes with chronic medical problems and support other organizations that promote education and research for diseases that affect student athletes. I became the director and the foundation changed its name to the Carpe Diem Foundation in 2012. Monies from the tournament, and other events we hope to establish, will help us create that scholarship and we plan to offer our first scholarships in 2014.”

Carpe Diem is a Latin term meaning sieze the day. It’s a statement about making the most of every moment and living life well. It’s how Ryan chose to live and how his friends and family remember him.

According to www.lls.org, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society website, in fiscal year 2011 LLS invested more than $76 million in blood cancer research. “When LLS was founded in 1949, a blood cancer diagnosis was almost always fatal. Thanks in part to innovative research funded by LLS, survival rates have doubled, tripled and even quadrupled for blood cancer patients,” the website notes.

For the past several years, more than 100 people have come out to celebrate Ryan’s life. In fact, last year was the biggest turn out in the tournament’s history with 120 players.

“This year I anticipate we will be close to that,” said Kishbaugh. “That being said, there is still room for teams to register.”

The tournament is a captain’s-choice format with prizes for a hole-in-one, longest drive and closest-to-the-pin as well as a putting contest. Each player will receive a coin minted especially for the 10th anniversary of the tournament in addition to golf balls, a water bottle coozie, a T-shirt, tees and other items. Breakfast, snacks and lunch will be catered by the Invisible Chef. Brewmaster Tito Simmons will share some of his craft beverages during lunch.

While the warm summer weather can get pretty brutal, spirits remain high during the event.

“Ryan touched a lot of people during his short life. Those that come to play typically knew him personally or knew of him through someone close to him,” said Kishbaugh. “They don’t mind sweating a few pounds and suffering through the heat because as one person said it ‘Ryan (and other kids with cancer) suffered every day and if we can’t give him six hours of our life and be a little uncomfortable, then we don’t deserve to be here.’ A little harsh but a sentiment that many of us share. We are here to make a difference.”

In making a difference, Kishbaugh is adding a new feature to this year’s tournament. “We are using the event as the launch for the winter season of Team in Training, which is the LLS endurance sport fundraising arm,” said Kishbaugh. “Last year I participated in the inaugural LLS Half-Marathon in San Antonio, Texas (called HeroThon). Although I am embarrassed to say that an injury kept me from running as fast as I wanted or hoped, I have decided to run again.”

At the registration area and during lunch, there will be alumni of previous Team in Training events available to share their stories and encourage others to sign up and join in the Kiawah Island Half (or Full) Marathon in December 2013. Abby Miller, campaign director for Team in Training, N.C. Chapter will be a special guest at this year’s event. She will share the mission of Team in Training and LLS. Kishbaugh hopes that others will join him in signing up for the race and pledging to make a difference.

Already looking forward to next year’s RPK Memorial Golf Tournament, Kishbaugh is planning to add a Friday-night birthday party before the golfi ng begins. “Ryan would have been 30 next year,” said Kishbaugh. “I loved Ryan very much. He is my hero.”

Tee-off is at 8:30 a.m at Cypress Lakes Golf Course. Find out more about the event and register at www.2013rpkmemorial.com or visit www.facebook.com/pages/RPK-Memorial/441475325867617.

Photo: David Kishbaugh, event organizer and Ryan Kishbaugh’s dad, speaking at last year’s event.

Every summer, as the daylight lasts longer, the nights start to come alive. One summer tradition that has flourished and grown in Fayetteville is the Fayetteville After 5concert series. Once a month in Festival Park, the Dogwood Festival organizes and hosts bands to perform for the community for free. This month on July 19, three ‘80s tribute bands will perform. In the Name of Love, a U2 tribute band, High Voltage is dedicated to AC/DC and Mostley Crue, a tribute to Motley Crue, are performing.

For nearly 14 years, Fayetteville After 5 has entertained the Fayetteville community; and in that time it has grown and evolved. Carrie King, the executive director of the Dogwood Festival, says, “We have moved the concerts to Friday and we have had a much larger crowd. We are working on our service so that we can better accommodate everyone. This year we have been overwhelmingly surprised by the attendance and we are planning on blowing out this July concert. Our first tribute band to the Eagles had a great response and we are confident we will get the same kind of attendance for July.”

Fayetteville After 5 is a unique opportunity for the community. It combines several organizations and offers citizens a night of music and fun. The Dogwood Festival hosts and organizes the concert as a fundraiser and as a summer tradition. King says that these concerts are great for fundraising for the Dogwood Festival and they are great for the community. As compared to the Dogwood Festival, the logistics are easier because the event is only one day. The other organization involved in the concert series is the sponsor R.A. Jeffreys. R.A. Jeffreys is a distributor for Anheuser-Busch and believes in being highly active in the community. The company’s motto is “Making Friends is Our Business.”

This concert offers more than just rocking ‘80s music. “There will be food vendors, sometimes activities like the corn-hole boards for kids, and a 50/50 raffl e. The earlier you come to the park, the better for the raffl e because Budweiser gives away the best stuff — like T-shirts — at 6 p.m.,” King says.

This is the perfect event to enjoy classic ‘80s music with the family in a beautiful and inviting environment.

Festival Park is located along Ray Avenue. The gates open at 5 p.m. The opening acts of the night typically start between 5:30 and 6 p.m. and the headline bands will begin playing between 7 and 7:30 p.m. No outside food or drink is allowed within the park, but there will be opportunities to purchase refreshments within the park. The concert will come to a close at 10:30 p.m. Bring a blanket or chairs to the event. For more information, visit the website www.faydogwoodfestival.com/fayetteville-after-5 or email questions to info@faydogwoodfestival.com.

The Fayetteville area is unique in its history and is overfl owing with creativity. For years the Poe House, built in 1897, has been the center of history and heritage in the community, but this summer it will be a center of creativity as well. The Museum of the Cape Fear will use the Poe House as the location for its 2nd Saturdays Arts Fest.

This festival brings together artists of many mediums and the community. This event is family friendly and there is a multitude of activities for adults and children alike to enjoy. Leisa Greathouse, the curator of education for the Museum of the Cape Fear says, “The variety of artists include basket makers, mesh wreaths, custom jewelry, children’s hair bows, hand-painted novelty items, pottery and paintings. In addition to all the artists whom families will encounter, the museum offers two very child-friendly activities: candle dipping and water coloring. Both activities are free and the children get to keep what they make. In other words, they will take home a beeswax candle and a watercolor painting of their own work.”

Big Ed’s Creek Sauce and Catering will be on hand offering BBQ sandwiches and Mike’s Tropical Gourmet Icees for a cool delicious desert. Entertainment will also be provided by local musicians such as Evan Young.

Another important role the festival plays in the community is supporting local artists. Greathouse explains that goal by saying “2nd Saturdays Arts Fest is about highlighting the artists and showing the viable role they play in the economy. This is important since many times artists are often discounted for their choice of livelihood. One visitor said to us, ‘How nice it was to fi nd affordable art.’ We think that says it all.”

Over the years the festival has seen incredible growth in participation. “We have seen an increase in the number and variety of artists who take advantage of the opportunity to show and sell their wares, take commissions, and it makes people aware of the caliber of artists that live and work in our community. 2nd Saturdays started as a way to help stimulate the economy and show that the creative industry plays a role in doing so. Visual artists in a historic/cultural setting make a great partnership that people can identify with and, I believe, fi nd unique.” Greathouse said.

This year, special programs will take place at 2 p.m. each festival day. For July, Michael Hardy — a Civil War author and historian — will lecture, with funding coming from the N.C. Humanities Council Speakers Bureau. In August, participants will have the opportunity to attend a workshop on geocaching. This workshop will promote geocaching on the local “Trail Trek,” which was created by the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The 2nd Saturdays Arts Fest is slated for July 13 and August 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but the majority of vendors only take cash. The Poe House, where the Arts Fest is located, is at 801 Arsenal Ave. For more information, contact the Museum of the Cape Fear at 486-1330 or visit www.museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov.

Photo: 2nd Saturdays features kid-friendly activites including watercolor painting.