The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra kicks off the 2012-2013 season with a program that is out of this world. Out of this World is the name of the concert that features works from E.T., Star Trek and The Planets. Professor of Composition at Methodist University, Keith Dippre, will also perform. The concert is scheduled for Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at Reeves Auditorium at Methodist University.

Dippre and FSO Maestro Fouad Fakhouri have been friends for some time and the orchestra has performed Dippre’s works in the past. For this concert, Dippre’s composition is called “Sun Ra an Apogee of Saturn.” While many might think of the Egyptian sun god, Dippre based his composition on big-band era musician Sun Ra. “He was quite famous in his day,” said Dippre. “He claimed he was from Saturn. The piece I wrote isn’t trying to sound like him per se, but it was inspired by him. And he has connections to outer space, so I thought it might fit with what is being programmed.”

The piece has a lot of percussion, and Dippre is confi dent that the audience will find the composition entertaining.

“We also use an instrument, that you don’t usually hear in an orchestra — a shofar, which is a Hebrew instrument that traditionally is made of a ram’s horn,” Said Dippre. “Historically, it was used for a war cry before going into battle.”

Composer John Adams is known for his minimalistic style of composition. His work is characterized by a lot of repetition in a piece and slowly changing the rhythm or harmony by just a single note at a time. His piece “Short Ride in a Fast Machine,” was written in 1986 for the Great Woods Music Festival in Mansfield, Mass. The melody is monotonous, but what makes the composition work is how the rhythm and instrumentation constantly change.

Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Henry Purcell (Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra), Op. 34, by Benjamin Britten, is based on the music of Baroque composer Henry Purcell. In 1946, Britten supplied music for Instruments of the Orchestra, an educational film based on Purcell’s work. The result was Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Henry Purcell (Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra), Op. 34. Like the title implies, this composition uses variations on a theme to create interest within the work and still maintain consistency.

When the Nazi’s ruled Germany in the 1930s and ‘40s, many classical composers fled the country and ended up in Hollywood. They used music to influence the way viewers felt during performances. John Williams has built on that tradition since the 1960s. In fact, his work is included in films like Star Wars, Jaws, Schindler’s List and E.T. Williams has received five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and 21 Grammys.

Gustov Holst composed The Planets, Op. 32 between 1914 and 1916. While the piece made him famous, he did not enjoy its popularity. At this performance, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra will perform “Mars” and “Jupiter” from Holst’s work. Inspired by astrology, The Planets was an attempt to showcase the astrological “personalities” and their relationships with the planets. ‘Mars, The Bringer of War” is a martial movement with its brutally percussive machine rhythms, and was actually written a few months before the outbreak of World War I. According to Holst’s directions, it is to be played slightly faster than a regular march, to give it a mechanized and inhuman character. “Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity,” with its broad central British folk-like melody was strongly influenced by Edward Elgar. The mood of this movement bears little relationship to the Greco-Roman king of the gods.

Upcoming performances include Italian and Spanish Inspirations on Nov. 17; Musical Holiday on Dec. 8; Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Feb. 23; and Masterpieces on April 13. To fi nd out more about the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra or to purchase tickets, visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org.

Photo: Fouad Fakhouri, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.

Let the games begin … Scotland County will hold its 4th Annual Highland Games on Saturday, Oct. 6, at the historic John Blue House and Heritage Center in Laurinburg, N.C. At the site, visitors will have the opportunity to see several historic Scottish-American features such as a working antebellum cotton gin and a general store. If you have never experienced the Highland Games, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

There will be athletic competitors featured in the games this year. Many of the top-ranked amateurs in the world who are considered to be the best athletes in the Highland Games will compete in the games this year. Athletes will compete in games such as the caber toss and hammer and stone throwing. It will be fun for the entire family as everyone has the chance to see the athletes do the sheaf toss. In the sheaf toss, the competitors will throw a 20-pound bale of straw straight up over a high bar using a pitchfork.

And there will be events that will allow children to test their skills. You can register for the kids games atwww.shgnc.org or sign up before 11 a.m. on the morning of the event.

Not only does the games’ site create an illusion of the Scottish-American historical experience, the local hotels and restaurants will offer Scottish-inspired theme and menu to welcome everyone to the City of Laurinburg/Scotland County.

One thing that you don’t want to miss and it is sure to leave you with great memories of the event is the competition between pipe and drum bands. There is nothing as stirring as the wail of the bagpipes, and when coupled with the beat of the drum, you are sure to have a Braveheart moment. According to Bill Caudill, director of the games, the day will offer both individual and band competition sanctioned by the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association.

“The competition will bring bands in from all over the southeast and provide spectators a fi rst-hand look at the precision of pipe bands,” says Caudill.

Another featured attraction is the assortment of food from numerous vendors that offer both Scottish and American food. There will also be entertainment on the music and dance stage, including a Scottish Dance competition, so come out and join in all of the activities.

“The day’s festivities continue Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. when the organizing committee presents a Ceilidh (Scottish party with beer and light food) at the William Henry Belk Student Center on the campus of St. Andrews University. There will be a $10 admission charge at the door,” said Cory Hughes, event spokesperson.

The Scotland County Highland Games are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 6, at the John Blue House and Historic Center in Laurinburg. The event begins at 9 a.m. and will conclude at 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $3 for children. Advanced ticket discounts are available. For more information, visit www.schgnc.org or call 910-277-3149.

Photos: The Scotland County Highland Games will feature traditional events like the caber toss, as well as competition between elite pipe and drum bands.

More Americans are born in September and October than in any other months, and it does not take a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to make the connection between holiday festivities and what happens nine months or so later.

I am one of those millions of Americans, and as a proud Baby Boomer I am happy to be here to have a birthday and happy to be breathing steadily and uneventfully. My birthday this year did not involve a zero, so it was not so monumental and passed with small family celebrations, several hilarious cards, and a breakfast with my girlfriends at the K&W after our morning exercise class. I splurged and ate a veggie omelet with cheese.

Jim Jenkins, an insightful, articulate, and often laugh-out-loud funny writer for the News and Observer in Raleigh did observe one of those once a decade zero birthdays recently and wrote about his milestone in a column called “When the bloom’s off the boomer,” which left me both chuckling and pondering.

Rather than discussing our aches and pains, ailments and treatments, Jenkins suggests we consider not our own evolutions but the changes in the world around us as we grew up and cruised life’s continuum.

Here is part of Jenkins’ spin on some of what has happened since we Boomers arrived.

“Take food: We’re older than Goldfi sh crackers, pizza rolls, instant rice, boil-in bags, high-carb crazes, low-carb crazes, gluten-free crazes, and sugar-free chocolate. We had no clue about vegan. We’re older than Trident, Big Red gum, Lemonheads, Starburst and Reese’s Pieces. Except for Trident most of us have given up the rest of it thanks to high blood sugar.

“We’re older than the use of the term ‘free-range chicken,’ although my grandmother had some chickens and we ate the eggs on occasion, so perhaps we were groundbreakers and didn’t know it. Now we know ‘free range’ as a term that means more expensive in the local la-de-dah eatery …

“We are older than cell phones.

“We grew up without remote control. Now, that’s old. When I tell young people this, they ask things like, ‘I’m doing a paper in school. Can I interview you about what Cleopatra was really like?’...

“We have been around for 12 Presidents, or more than a fourth of those who have served since our country’s founding.

“When we were born Clint Eastwood had not yet made his first big movie or his first speech at a political convention. He’s not made his last movie, but we probably did get in on this last convention speech...

“In 1952, Elizabeth Taylor was already a movie star. No one had ever heard of, or anticipated hearing of, Justin Bieber or Britney Spears. That’s why we talk about the good old days.

“We were on the planet for the birth and death of disco. When we’re bending the knee replacements for nightly prayers, there’s something for which to be grateful.”

Jim Jenkins clearly gets the entire aging phenomenon and can make us laugh about it to boot!

Back, though, to my lesser birthday occasion.

I have written on this page on several occasions about my complete incomprehension of the wave of mass tattooing which struck our nation a decade or two ago. My most recent written foray into tattoo territory suggested that the wave has crested and is on the way back out into our vast pop cultural ocean.

Apparently not with other Dicksons.

One of my family birthday celebrations involved a dinner cooked by the Three Precious Jewels, two of whom were extremely behind schedule — about two hours. When they finally arrived, I was delighted to see them, of course, and then utterly flabbergasted when one, wearing shorts, crossed the room to reveal a large “something” on the back of his right calf! I shrieked, only to be shown a second “something” on the forearm of Precious Jewel # 2!

They had been out being tattooed — an anchor and a bolt of lightening, both emblazoned with the word “MOM!” — nominally in honor of my occasion but really to get a rise out of their mother who has yet to bridge the generation gap about putting ink under one’s skin.

They succeeded and how! My hair has only begun to lie back down in the last few days.

I suspect that Jim Jenkins and millions of other Baby Boomers would agree with me that we are delighted to be here taking in the sights and waiting to see what comes next as our world seems to spinfaster and faster and get smaller and smaller.

I also suspect that they join me in thinking thank goodness for henna!

Resident Evil: Retribution(Rated R) 2 Stars

Before the movie begins, a trailer for a movie due out next year called Mama makes me just about crawl out of my skin, restoring my faith in American horror movies. This is followed by the fifth sign of the apocalypse, a trailer for Battle of the Year featuring Josh Holloway and looking mind-bogglingly horrendous.

Writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson returns to the franchise, and even though I should love this series, I do not. He directed one of the best space-horror movies ever, but he has never been able to recapture that greatness, instead opting to go for style over substance productions. His films look alright, but generally descend pretty quickly into plot-hole filled nonsense.

I was concerned that skipping the last film in the franchise might render this entry a bit confusing, but Resident Evil: Retribution (95 minutes) offers a helpful recap of the last four films complete with split screen images to help catch me up. I must admit the opening credits are pretty darn cool looking, the cast names popping into view while the first five minutes or so of the film crawls by in back-wards slow-mo with plenty of distorted point-of-view shots.

Lots of militant types are jumping from helicopters to attack a ship filled with people dressed all in white. Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory) is leading the attack after the Umbrella Corporation (the Big Bad of the franchise) brain-washed her at some point in the last four films. Perennial hero Alice (Milla Jovovich) faces down the attackers only to be blown off the ship and into a seeming alternate reality in which she is a suburban housewife married to Todd (Oded Fehr from Apocalypse, etc.). While behaving cutely over breakfast with their daughter Becky (Aryana Engineer) they are attacked by fast zombie-like creatures.

Aside. Everyone needs to stop categorizing the Resident Evil series as zom-bie movies. Zombies are slow moving corpses brought back from the grave in various stages of decay that hunger after the flesh of the living OR they are living humans in a state of drugged complacency who have lost free will and most of their personality. They ARE NOT speedy little suckers with slurping tentacles that shoot out of their mouths. End Aside.

Anyway, the not-zombies more than decimate the neighborhood, but Alice and her daughter are saved when neighbor Rain Ocampo (Michelle Rodriguez, who also played a character named Rain in RE) drives by and offers them a lift. They wreck, and, hilariously, Alice grabs her daughter and flees the scene without a second glance at the Good Samaritan. After a few more near escapes the scene shifts to Alice awakening in an oubliette with Jill standing high above her.

Following some naked interrogation Alice makes her escape with the assistance of a digital Wesker (Shawn Roberts) and Ada Wong (Bingbing Li). After wading her way through a few score not-zombies she finds out that she is in an underground facility designed to simulate environments around the world and peopled with red shirt wearing clones. The only question remaining is whether or not the extraction team can rendezvous with them before Umbrella Security (the Red Queen) wipes them all out.

Overall, if the movie works in any respect it is because Jovovich sells the heck out of her role and fans of the films will love this as much as the last four. Retribution sticks close to its video game origins, with slick visuals that capture the essence of the game that inspired the series and a plot that resembles the standard hack and slash walkthrough. Of course, clothing the female action heroes in either barely-there clothes complete with spiked heels or pseudo-dominatrix wear is just the regular video-game bonus.

Now showing at Wynnsong 7, Carmike 12 and Carmike Market Fair 15.

Take a Peek at a New Release

This week we will get a sneak peek at the new WOW Hits release, find out where in the world the Passion worship team is and get caught up with Colton Dixon, a recent American Idol finalist.

WOW Hits 2013— the best in Christian music is back.

Only one record a year brings you the biggest Christian artists and songs. Featuring 36 of your favorite artists and their best songs of the year, WOW Hits 2013 Deluxe Edition captures the songs impacting our world. With songs about finding strength, placing your hope in Jesus and the promise of everlasting life, WOW Hits 2013 Deluxe Edition includes 21 number one songs and more than two hours of encouraging music.

Songs on the two-cd set include:

“10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)” by Matt Redman, “All This Time” by Britt Nicole, “Good Morning” by Mandisa (featuring TobyMac), “Where I Belong” by Building 429, “Courageous” by Casting Crowns, “Live Like That” by Sidewalk Prophets, “He Said” by Group 1 Crew (featuring Chris August), “Busted Heart (Hold On To Me)” by for KING & COUNTRY and “Strong Enough To Save” by Tenth Avenue North.

The latest from Passion worship

A new single from the recent number one multi-artist album Passion: White Flag is gaining a great response from listeners around the country. The heart-stirring “One Thing Remains” by Kristian Stanfill follows-up the project’s previous single, “White Flag,” by Chris Tomlin. You can find the radio version of “One Thing Remains” on iTunes and Amazon MP3.

Also, the Passion team is currently in South Africa on the Passion World Tour 2012. Follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/passion268 for updates from Africa, plus news about the upcoming Passion 2013 Conference in Atlanta, Ga.

American Idol Finalist Colton Dixon Releases First Single

Season 11 American Idolfinalist Colton Dixon released his first digital single “Never Gone.” It’s available now on iTunes.

Millions of viewers took notice of the 20-year-old Tennessee native thanks to his strong voice, outspoken faith and original songwriting ability. Colton’s first official radio single “You Are” will be heard on radio starting next month, and his full-length debut album is scheduled to release early 2013.

“I have a little over 30 songs now to pick for a record, so it’s just about picking the right ones and seeing what God does with them,” the singer recently told CBN News about being in the studio finishing the album.

The 39th Annual Economic Outlook Symposium will be held at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 25, at Embassy Suites of Fayetteville. The symposium is presented by the Center for Entrepreneurship, part of the Methodist University Reeves School of Business.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Joel Naroff, president and founder of Naroff Economic Advisors, a strategic economic consulting firm. According to his website, naroffeconomics.com, he is a nationally recognized economic forecasting expert and has received numerous honors, including the National Association for Business Economics Outlook Award in 2007 and 2011. In 2008, he received both the Lawrence Klein Award as the top Blue Chip forecaster and the Bloomberg Business News’ top economic-forecaster award. He was MSNBC’s top forecaster in 2006.

Naroff received bachelor’s degrees in economics and chemistry from Stony Brook University and a doctorate in economics from Brown University. He was also a tenured professor in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Each year, several awards are presented during the symposium. The Economics and Business Alumnus of the Year is awarded to a graduate of Methodist University who has shown promise for a successful career. Business Person of the Year is given to an executive who makes great contributions, not only to the successful operation of local business and industry, but also to the civic and cultural life of the community. The Greater Good Award goes to a professional who has shown kindness, charity, humanity, love and friendship to his/her associates. Entrepreneur of the Year is presented to a risk-taker in the free-enterprise system: a person who sees an opportunity and then devises strategies to achieve specific objectives.

Methodist University is an independent four-year institution of higher education with more than 2,400 students from 41 states and 53 countries. Methodist University offers more than 80 majors and concentrations, 100 clubs and organizations, four master’s degree programs and 19 NCAA III intercollegiate sports. All attendees must RSVP in advance by Oct. 10. Registration and sponsorship costs vary and include dinner at the event. For more information, or to RSVP, visit methodist.edu/cfe, email cfe@methodist.edu or call the CFE at 910.630.7642.

New Exhibit at McCune Art Gallery

A new exhibition, Exotic Encounters, is open at the David McCune International Art Gallery in the Bethune Center for Visual Arts at Methodist University. The show features paintings from the safaris of artist Paula Fitzpatrick, an active member of The Cape Fear Studios in Fayetteville.

The exhibit will run through Oct. 24 during regular gallery hours. This semester, the gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday. There is no cost to visit the gallery.

For many years, Fitzpatrick has been painting African animals that she observed in private parks and public zoos, but in 2004 she visited Kenya and Tanzania to see the animals in their natural habitat. She took her art supplies with her, and returned with inspiring memories. From that trip, the works in Exotic Encounters were born.

“After returning home with visions of animal herds walking through my head as I slept, I began a new style of animal paintings,” she said. “The landscape played a more important part of the design than previously. As the collection grows the animals have become a smaller part of the artwork, with emphasis on portraying the place and emotion of the moment I am remembering.”

Wildlife has been the most prominent feature in Fitzpatrick’s artwork for many years. Her love of the outdoors and animals has promoted her active involvement with many non-profit and wildlife organizations.

“As I paint, I can still recall the air, smells and the excitement of being just feet away from a phenomenal creature that still invokes excitement,” Fitzpatrick said. “Emotion often dictates the manner in which portray I a specific subject. I want you to feel the tension, excitement and sheer joy as I still feel it.”

“I was thrilled to be asked to show my work in the new art museum at Methodist University,” she said. “I have participated in many exhibits over the years, but this will be my first solo museum exhibition. I met Professor Silvana Foti at Cape Fear Studios, where she became familiar with my work several years ago.”

There are few things sweeter than a new baby — and few things more heartbreaking than a baby in crisis. Thankfully, the March of Dimes is there to advocate, educate and assist in these situations. Each year, the March of Dimes–Cape Fear Division hosts a Signature Chefs Auction to raise money for the March of Dimes and to raise awareness about its mission and the services it provides.

This year the event takes place on Oct. 7 at the Embassy Suites Fayetteville/Fort Bragg’s Richard M. Wiggins Conference Center. Chefs from several of the community’s finest restaurants come together to create an unforgettable evening of fine dining. Chef Russell Neff from Highland Country Club,Chef Julio Camberos Jr. from Embassy Suites, Chef Beth Shearin-Smith from Hilltop House, Chef Joey Meyers from Blue Moon Café, Chef Mustafa Somar from Sherefe´, Chef Tommy Randall from Hilton Garden Inn, Chef Bill Pannhoff from B&B Catering and Event Planning, Chef Daniel Fair from Pierro’s Italian Bistro and Chef Tommy Hinshaw from Morgan’s Chop House have accepted the challenge and are ready to impress dinner guests with their culinary skills.

Some of the meals include pan-seared fillet medallions, shrimp chowders with toasted baguettes, beef short ribs and a raspberry dessert. The chefs are competing for trophies (provided by Trophy House) and bragging rights for the title of best appetizer, best entree´, best dessert, best overall and people’s choice. While it’s not required, Catherine Heindselman, March of Dimes-Cape Fear Division director said that many of the chefs are in fact preparing all three courses for the event.

The theme this year is Bon Apetit for Babies. “This is a purple tie event,” said Heindselman. “The purple is for preemies and the dress is semi-formal.”

The evening starts at 5 p.m. with cocktails; food tasting begins at 5:30 p.m.

The evening also includes a silent auction. Up for bid are a ZipQuest adventure, a necklace valued at $5,000, along with other jewelry, a week at a cottage in Holden Beach, N.C., several musical instruments including a guitar and a drum set, a golf bag and accessories, a basketball signed by Shaquille O’Neal and a package from Shelton vineyards. Perhaps the piece de resistance of the auction is the culinary experiences hosted by the signature chefs. The chefs have put together fabulous dining packages for the auction. B&B catering will come into your home if you like, the package includes a seven-course dinner for six with wine pairing. Dinner at Highland Country Club and Hilltop House, complete with several courses are also offered by the respective chefs.

“The businesses in this community are incredibly generous,” said Heindselman. “They have given so much in support of this cause.”

The event usually sells out, but there are a few tickets left. With 250 guests expected, Heindsleman hopes to raise $70,000 or more for the March of Dimes. While the March of Dimes is a nationalorganization, the money raised here does come back to support the community. “Last year in North Carolina March of Dimes raised $5 million,” said Heindselman. “And $5.7 million came back to us. The money comes back here. Locally we fund programs at Womack Army Medical Center and Cape Fear Valley. We have a regional-programs coordinator who does education and tutoring to healthcare providers. We also have a high-school program.”

Many of the preconception programs funded by the March of Dimes focus on making sure that women are in good health before they conceive to help ensure a healthy baby.

This year’s ambassador family for the March of Dimes-Cape Fear Division is the Cooper family. Beverly delivered twins Brendan and Cameron four months early and both boys had serious hurdles to overcome, including a collapsed lung for Brendan and a ruptured intestine for Cameron. The boys fought hard, and today they are healthy and happy. Brendan and Cameron are 2 now. “They were born at 23 weeks. They were so, so early,” said Heindselman. “They had some struggles and spent five or six months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Today they are doing amazingly well.”

Their parents Laurin and Beverly credit the March of Dimes for helping to make it possible. The Cooper family will be there the evening of the event sharing their story.

In 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt created the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. The foundation supported research for the vaccines that Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Albert Sabin developed, which effectively ended polio in the U.S. Next the organization turned its focus to the prevention of birth defects and infant mortality.

Through research, education and support, the March of Dimes helps thousands of families every year. About 1 in 8 babies are born too early every year. In the majority of cases, no one knows why. A woman can do everything right and still not carry to term. “Our biggest challenge now is figuring out why this happens,” said Heindselman. “We are hoping to be able to fulfill our mission again and put and end to pre term deliveries.”

The encouraging news is that there has been a decline in the premature delivery rate in recent years. “There is still a long way to go,” said Heindselman. “One of the things we are excited about is that every single state and Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have signed the challenge by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials to reduce pre-term birth by 8 percent by 2014. That will be minimum of 21,150 babies who will then be born full term instead of coming too soon.”

Heindselman sees this event as a way to have a great time and make a difference. To find out more or to purchase tickets, call 9104833691 or email cheindselman@marchofdimes.com or visit www.marchofdimes.com.northcarolina/events. Tickets are. $75 each or a VIP table for eight costs $1,000.

A seven piece orchestra, 38 performers and 10 video screens. “This show is big,” said Tom Quaintance, artistic director at Cape Fear Regional Theatre. “I think this is the biggest project I’ve taken on.”

Jesus Christ Superstar opens at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre on Sept. 20 and runs thought Oct. 7. While the original version looks at the story of Jesus through the lens of 1970s hippie counter-culture, this version takes a different spin.

“I’ve wanted to do a version of this show for about 20 years,” said Quaintance. “I was watching a news show and the news anchors were talking about what it would take for a third party to win an election. They came to the conclusion that there is no one who could pull that off. No one who could unite the country … and I immediately thought ‘No one but Jesus. I bet Jesus could do it.’”

The production does not change the dialogue or music in any way, but by changing the context Quaintance believes this production will bring a fresh perspective to an age-old story that will both please and entertain the audience.

Centered in the world of politics, the story would not be complete without the media, because as Quaintance says “What is politics without the media?”

Indeed. Twitter feeds, Facebook posts and bloggers all share their views on the screens as Jesus becomes more and more popular. Eventually social media translates into mainstream media and Jesus is arrested on live television.

“We draw parallels and contextualize who everyone is in the story. Herod becomes a modern Internet queen along the line of Perez Hilton. Pilate/Rome is the main stream media,” said Quaintance. “This is a musical that asks you to imagine this world. I hope people don’t just think of this as clever, but as a new perspective on the show.”

While Quaintance is careful not to make fun of the story of Christ or be irreverent, he considers it a confirmation of the life of Jesus. A show this big draws big talent. With actors from Britain, Lumberton, New York, Southern Pines and Fayetteville, there is plenty of talent to go around.

Gill Brady, who has an impressive resume ranging from theater to film, television, print work and stand-up comedy, portrays Jesus. Past performances have been hailed as high-energy, remarkable, charming and witty.

Emelie Thompson, also from New York, portrays Mary Magdalene, while Lumberton native Kendrix Singletary is Judas. Singletary is no stranger to the Cape Fear Regional Theatre. He was in last season’s production of Miss Saigon.

While this show is a big undertaking, Quaintance noted that like so many other areas in life, finding a balance and rhythm in the season plays a big part in being successful in the theatre.

“This is a big show, and this is a lot of fun, but we care about smaller intimate stories, too. We are not always trying to top ourselves, other than doing our best,” said Quaintance. “Our tagline is great stories told here. What better story is there than the story of Christ?”

Find out more about show times and ticket prices at www.cfrt.org.

Rocking chairs, reclining chairs, lawn chairs: you can learn a lot about a space — and the people in it — by the chairs it contains. For generations, chairs have meant more to society than just a place to sit. They represent everything from social status to hierarchy to punishment. At the Blue Jean Ball and Chair-ity Auction, chairs take on an entirely different meaning. The chairs at this event represent community and hope. For six years this informal charity auction has raised money to benefit the Child Advocacy Center and the abused children of our community by auctioning beautifully hand-decorated chairs.

There will be 30 chairs available at the auction this year. Each one is unique and hand-decorated by local artists. Roberta Humphries the executive director of the Child Advocacy center explains the chairs by saying, “It’s all local people, artists or just people who are artistic and enjoy painting different things. There are all different kinds of chairs to be auctioned as well; there are wooden children’s chairs, adult chairs, rocking chairs, metal garden chairs and even a kid’s table.”

Chairs are not the only things that will be auctioned at the chair-ity fundraiser. Through many generous donations from community members, the auction will have many quality items available for bidding. “Our other items available are spa packages, restaurant gift certificates, jewelry and beautiful designer purses that have been donated for bidding. We have a lot of different items that will be in the auction,” Humphries says.

While the auction is undoubtedly the center of the ball, it is far from all the event has to offer. “We have separate parties for adults, and there is a party in another room at Highland Country Club for youths between the fifth through eighth grades. For kids there is a DJ, so there will be dancing. There will be face painting and food that the kids like,” said Humphries.

In the adult area there will be a live band — Toucan Jam will perform. There will also be the silent auction going on with both the hand painted chairs and other items that are available for bidding. Then there will be a photo booth for everybody, so that adults and kids can get a souvenir photo taken for the evening.

The most important part of this ball is not the fun and exciting activities for both children and adults — or the beautiful hand-painted chairs — but the funds raised to help the community’s children. For Humphries the most rewarding part of being involved in this event is, “knowing that the money raised goes to help child victims in our community to help them heal and hopefully have a better future.”

Tickets cost $60 for adults and $30 for youth. They are available for purchase at Holmes Fine Gifts, the Pilgrim and Grapes and Hops. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.childadvocacycenter.com or by calling (910) 486-9700. The ball is schedulds for Oct. 6, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Highland Country Club, 1105 Highland Country Club Dr.

September – the month of changes — closes with a concert by a man who has changed the landscape of music over the past five decades. Gordon Lightfoot will perform at the Crown Coliseum on Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. He is the complete package — singer, songwriter and musician. He learned piano in his teens and taught himself percussion and the guitar.

Lightfoot’s publicist noted that the iconic performer is excited about performing at the Crown, “Mr. Lightfoot has been looking forward to playing in Fayetteville for a long time, but it has always been a questions of logistics. He is glad that the venue and his schedule were able to come together.”

When one thinks of Gordon Lightfoot, three songs immediately come to mind, “If You Could Read My Mind”, “Sundown” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”. His discography spans 50 years and has been covered by Bob Dylan, Toby Keith, Jimmy Buffet, Dan Fogelberg, Richie Havens, Elvis Presley, Judy Collins and a host of others.

“If You Could Read My Mind” speaks to a relationship that once flourished but hit rocky times. We hear the questioning in his voice wondering whether the relationship could be saved as he mourns for what once was but will never be again. “Sundown” relates the plaintive desire for a woman who is just out of reach. When he finally captures her, regret fills his soul.

After reading a Newsweek article in November 1975, Lightfoot penned “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” The song tells the tale of the tragic last voyage of the S.S Edmund Fitzgerald. The ship was caught in a winter storm in Lake Superior and all 29 crew members perished. The lyrics were drawn from facts that surround the tragedy. To this day, Lightfoot visits family members of those that perished when his touring schedule allows.

Lightfoot has weathered his own storms as well. The life of a touring musician took its toll on several relationships. In 1972, he contracted Bell’s palsy and experienced temporary paralysis but continued to write music. In 2002, he suffered an abdominal aneurysm and was in a coma for six weeks and eventually had a tracheotomy. His indomitable sprit prevailed and by late 2003 he was back in the studio rehearsing. His 20th album, Harmony, was released in 2004.

A native Canadian, Lightfoot was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2003. It is the nation’s highest civilian award. He has also been nominated for five Grammy awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012.

Regardless of the instrument played, Lightfoot weaves music and words telling a story that has the listener nodding in appreciation — for the life lived and the life shared. September — the month of changes. Be prepared for an evening of moving moments and memories.

Tickets can be obtained by visiting www.crowncoliseum.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Don't Foget Yourself

Being a caregiver is a tremendous responsibility. Not only should you consider the health and well-being of your senior, but also of yourself.

Take some time to consider these points:

• How stressed are you?
As stresses build one upon another, you may also lose ability to help your loved one. Ask yourself what you can do to reduce the stress on yourself.

• Get others to help.
If you are the primary caregiver, make it clear to others that if you have to do the job all alone, over time you may break down (and possibly drop responsibility for Mom or Dad altogether). It’s not easy, but try to develop a procedure, a couple of key phrases, perhaps, that you are comfortable with that enable you to ask for help.

• Protect your Body and Mind.
Surveys indicate that caregivers are less likely than non caregivers to practice preventative self-care, including health care.

• Confront your Emotions.
Research indicates that people who take an active role in dealing with caregiving issues (and solving related problems) are less likely to feel stressed than those who simply worry or feel helpless.

Here are eight ways to help yourself!

1. Workout: Exercise and enjoy something you like to do (walking, dancing, biking, running, swimming, etc.) for a minimum of 20 minutes at least three times per week.

2. Meditate: Sit still and breathe deeply with your mind as quiet as possible whenever things feel like they are moving too quickly or you are feeling overwhelmed.

3. Ask for help: According to a national survey by Home Instead Senior Care of adults who are currently providing care for an aging loved one, seventy-two percent do so without any outside help. Reach out to others for aid.

4. Take a break: Make arrangements for reliable fill-in help (family, friends, volunteers, or professional caregivers) and take single days or even a week’s vacation. When you’re away, stay away. Talk about everything but caregiving and that book you haven’t been able to get to.

5. Eat well: Eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins including nuts, beans and whole grains.

6. Take care of yourself: Just as you make sure your loved one gets to the doctor, make sure you get your annual checkup. Being a caregiver provides excuses for skipping many chores. Don’t skip your checkups.

7. Indulge: Treat yourself to a foot massage or manicure; take a walk, rent a movie, have a nice dinner out or take in a concert to get away from the situation and to reward yourself for the wonderful care you are providing to your aging relative.

8. Support: Find a local caregiver-support group that will help you understand that what you are feeling is normal for someone in your position.

Photo: Exercise is just one way to take care of yourself so you can take care of others.

The 2011-2012 academic year was quite memorable for the Health Technology Simulation Labs of Fayetteville Technical Community College. The commitment to “teaching with best practices” using high-fidelity human patient simulators has been an ongoing part of the curriculum for more than three years, but there were several exciting new developments this past year.

First, our original “family of five” high-fidelity manikins welcomed three new additions to the team. The Emergency Medical Science Department purchased Sim Man 3G and the Associate Degree and Practical Nursing Programs acquired the birthing manikin Noelle and her newborn baby, Hal. It is truly incredible that students entering each of the Health Technology programs at FTCC now have a total of eight high-fidelity manikins to support their learning process.

The number of visits by health students to the high-fidelity simulation lab has also grown tremendously – from 350 visits during the 2010/11 school year to more than 900 during the last academic year. Evaluations are completed by students following each simulated clinical experience, and the overwhelming majority of comments are positive. Some comments from students include, “This really helped me pull all the pieces together,” and “I feel so much more confident in my ability to prioritize the care for my patient.”

In the fall of 2011, FTCC added a new state-of-the-art control room that allows faculty to be completely removed from the area as students are developing their assessment techniques, communication and critical-thinking skills, and are deciding what action is the next right step. An audio-visual sim-capture program records all the events of the simulated clinical experience which can then be reviewed during the debriefing discussion between the faculty and students. Throughout this active learning process, the faculty members act as facilitators to assist each student to self-recognize things done well and areas needing improvement.

In the spring of 2011, the National League of Nursing, the organization that provides accreditation for schools of nursing, accepted hundreds of applications for their “Leadership Development for Simulation Educators” program. Mitzi Averette, FTCC Sim Lab coordinator, was chosen as one of only 20 people from across the nation to participate in this year-long opportunity. FTCC supported her attendance at four national-level conferences this past year as well as time to complete projects associated with the program. Averette was also elected vice-chairperson for the North Carolina Nurses Association Simulation Council. In addition, during the 2011-12 school year, she applied for, received and administered a Perkins Grant for faculty development related to Teaching with Best Practice: Debriefing Techniques.

Fayetteville Tech continues to demonstrate an incredible commitment to teaching with the latest technologies not only through the purchase of equipment but with the addition of personnel as well. One clear example includes the addition in July of the Health Division’s new Instructional Technology support position to assist not only in the high-fidelity simulation lab but also with all health faculty incorporating new technologies in any lab, classroom or online setting. For more information about any program offered through the Health Technology division, please visit http://www.faytechcc.edu/areas_of_study/HealthPrograms.asp.

Photo: Fayetteville Tech continues to demonstrate an incredible commitment to teaching with the latest technologies not only through the purchase of equipment but with the addition of personnel as well.

This year marks the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, commonly known as America’s second war for independence and often referred to as the forgotten war. So as not to forget the sacrifices made by the veterans of this war, the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum is planning a special tribute that will pay honor to Fayetteville’s veterans of the War of 1812.

This program will be conducted on Saturday, Sept. 22 in Cross Creek Cemetery Number One, located on North Cool Spring Street. Official War of 1812 bronze markers will be unveiled at the graves of four veterans buried in the cemetery. The veterans to be recognized include a general officer, a commissioned officer, a noncommissioned officer and a private soldier. Brig.Gen. Thomas Davis (1764-1822) was Fayetteville’s ranking offi cer emerging from the War of 1812, and commanded the First Brigade of the North Carolina Militia. Both Lieutenant John Eccles (1763-1833) and Sergeant John Huske II (1786-1848) served in the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry. Militiaman John Powers (1794-1881) served in the N.C. Militia and his headstone proudly proclaims that he was a soldier in the War of 1812.

The F.I.L.I. Color Guard, accompanied with bagpipes and drums will be posting the colors. During the War of 1812, the F.I.L.I. Company was deployed for coastal defense.

Opening and closing prayers will be delivered by the Reverend Robert Alves, rector, St. John’s Episcopal Church. The Reverend Alves, who is descended from Brig. Gen. Davis and Lt. Col. Dickson Schaefer, who is descended from Sgt. John Huske II, will unveil the War of 1812 markers at their ancestor’s graves.

The ceremony will include a musical program conducted by the Army Ground Forces Band, featuring music from the period. Brief remarks will be made by David Brook, J.D., Ed.D., director, N.C. Division of Historical Resources and Committee Chair, N.C. War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee.

Mayor Tony Chavonne will read a proclamation designating Sept. 22nd, 2012 as a day of tribute and remembrance to those soldiers from Fayetteville who served in the War of 1812. Military and civilian dressed War of 1812 reenactors will also be present to provide historic interpretations. At the conclusion of the ceremony everyone is invited to the Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum, 325 Franklin St., to join Fort Bragg historians Lee Hartford, Chris Ruff, and Jason Wetzel, from the Office of Army Reserve History, who will bedressed in period military uniforms and will provide a living-history program that will focus on weapons and equipment carried by soldiers in the War of 1812.

Also staff historians Bruce Daws, Jim Greathouse and Heidi Bleazey, from the Transportation and Local History Museum will provide a guided tour of the new War of 1812 exhibit and answer questions. This free event begins at 10 a.m, Saturday, Sept. 22, in Cross Creek Cemetery on North Cool Spring Street, across the street from Heritage Place Retirement Home. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact museum staff at 433-1457, 433-1458 or 433-1944.

Photo: John Huske is one of the American soldiers who will be honored during the ceremony to honor Fayetteville’s soldiers who fought in the War of 1812.

Celebrate Halloween at the Poe House 

Halloween is the night for revels! The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex invites the public to experience a Victorian Halloween at the 1897 Poe House throughout the month of October. All month long the 1897 Poe House will be decorated with traditional Victorian and early 20th century Halloween decor. Participants in the 1897 Poe House tours will learn about the history of Halloween and how it was celebrated during the Poe’s time in Fayetteville.

Is the Poe House haunted? Find out the answer by taking a Victorian Halloween-themed tour during the month of October. 1897 Poe House tours are given at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. on weekdays and on the hour on weekends.

Mark your calendars for Halloween Revels Night Tours of the Poe House on October 19-20 and 26-27 from 6 to 10 p.m. The Museum of the Cape Fear has partnered with the actors of the Gilbert Theater to bring this Gothic Eastlake Victorian home to life after dark. Actors will portray members of the Poe household and their friends as they prepare for a night of Halloween revels. You may even see some Arsenal ghosts wandering the grounds of the Museum Complex. “We wanted to offer the public something different than the traditional haunted houses and tours at Halloween. This is a great event for families with just the right amount of spookiness created by the actors and the Victorian decor, without all the screaming and gore. It also works for those on a budget because it is one of the only free events in town,” says Megan Maxwell, 1897 Poe House education coordinator. The cost is free, but you must sign up for a tour time. Tours will depart every 20 minutes beginning at 6 p.m. with the last tour at 9:40 p.m. Tour space will be limited to 20 participants per tour.

As part of the Halloween programming, the museum will also host a Jack-o’-lantern contest. Carve your own Jack-o’-lantern at home and bring it to the museum to be displayed at the Poe House during our Halloween Revels Night Tours. Entries will be accepted beginning on Oct. 18, and the fi nal deadline for entries will be Oct. 27 at noon. Prizes will be awarded for the most creative design, the scariest design and the most historical design. The contest winners will be announced during the Poe House Trick or Treat Program on Oct. 27.

Finally, the annual Poe House Trick or Treat on Oct. 27 from 1-5 p.m. features a costume contest, scavenger hunt and traditional Halloween carnival games for the kids. Learn how to make tasty Halloween treats in the Poe House kitchen, have your fortune told and gather around to hear a ghost story. Family fun for everyone!

There are many cities that claim to be international. Few of them celebrate it like we do. For more than three decades, Fayetteville has spent one weekend a year focused on the beauty and diversity of the local population. This year the International Folk Festival runs Sept. 23-25. Come ready to learn, try something new and be entertained. It is a chance to see the world without ever leaving town.

There are more than 30 cultural groups that participate in the event each year. Although each person travelled a unique path to get here, the members of these groups are excited to share their culture with their adopted hometown.

“Something people may not realize is that these are our friends and neighbors representing these cultures, and they are representing them in many different ways,” said Arts Council Fayetteville/Cumberland County Marketing Director Mary Kinney. “At the festival you see people in the parade and then in the afternoon they are cooking for us — and they are cooking what they would cook for their families; and they are selling arts and crafts. On Sunday, those same friends and neighbors are performing. They are showing us traditions and dancing in their native dress. There are at least four different ways that they are celebrating with us and for us.”

The fun kicks off on Friday, Sept., 28. Enjoy a celebration of culture during the 4th Friday activities. There is plenty to do downtown, with different entertainment, programs and gallery openings. The Arts Council exhibit, The Figure: Likeness and Presence is scheduled to hang through the festival and the Arts Council will be open throughout the festival.

On Saturday, head downtown to see the Parade of Nations. Take in the colors and sounds of the world as Fayettville’s diversity is showcased through the center of downtown. Groups from different countries don their native garb and step into the spotlight to share their heritage with the city. It is a chance to learn a bit about our friends and neighbors and appreciate what they add to the community.

From noon until 10 p.m., Fesitval Park is the place to be. There will be live performances, authentic cuisine, arts and crafts booths, a children’s area and more. The stages in the park will rumble nonstop with the dancing, drumming and singing of songs from all corners of the globe as performers entertain and interact with the crowds.

As part of Fayetteville’s 250th birthday celebration, R&B singer Aaron Neville is scheduled to sing on Saturday, Sept. 29, in Festival Park at 8 p.m. With a new album scheduled for release in Jan. 2013, Neville has been hard at work. The album My True Story, revisits many of his favorite songs. Some of the tracks include “Money, Honey,” “Gypsy Woman,” Be My Baby,” “Tears on my Pillow,” “Under the Boardwalk” and “This Magic Moment.”

With more than 50 years in the music industry, Neville knows how to woo a crowd. He’s been nominated several times for Grammy Awards in categories like Best Traditional Sould Gospel Album, Best Jazz Vocal Album, and Best Engineered Album – Non-classical.

While you are at Festival Park check out the handiwork of the international groups. There will be jewelry, art, crafts and more. View the craftsmanship, ask questions and listen to the stories about the processes and history that go in to each item.

Who can resist a good meal? At the International Folk Festival you don’t have to — come hungry and try cuisine from all around the globe. With so many groups participating, there will be plenty of flavorful concoctions to go around.

If you can’t make it on Saturday, the festival continues on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

“It looks like one big melting pot — and we truly are,” said Kinney. “When you stop and think about how many ways cultures are showcased in the festival, what is so special about it is being able to experience so much in so many ways — and it is our friends and neighbors who are doing this for us.”

While it is a wonderful treat to spend the weekend savoring the diversity of the community, there are several diverse and historic offerings in the community on a regular basis. Don’t restrict yourself to one weekend a year. Enjoy any of the 15 Cultural Heritage Trails including the International Cuisine Trail or the Patri-Arts & Gardens Trail.

Find out more about the International Folk Festival at www.theartscouncil.com or by calling 3213-1776.

Photos: The International Folk Festival is a great place to learn about Fayetteville’s diversity and to enjoy the many cultures that make up our community.

It’s the place where the Nile river flows. The pyramids stand there as a monument to ingenuity and creativity. Africa. It is a place of promise and political struggle. It is known as one of the prominent cradles of civilization.

Through the years, its history has traveled through wise oracles passing on the legends of the land. Africa is a place where the rhythm of drum beats, the roar of lions and the cadence of stories are carried through the wind of time.

Jon Onye Lockard captures the beauty of the land and its culture in his exhibit Africentricity, which is on display as a part of the Fayetteville State University Fine Art Series weekend of events. This exemplary art is an examination of socio-political Black art aesthetics. The work illuminates historical revelation and is a visual reflection of African society.

The Rosenthal Gallery will display Lockard’s work from Sept. 22 through Nov. 3. An opening reception will be held on Sept. 22 from 1-3 p.m. Lockard will attend the reception and will also be available to speak with students on Thursday and Friday prior to the reception.

Lockard’s world view, which stems form urban life and political struggle, is woven into his work in a refreshing way. His more than 50-year career span as an artist, muralist, portraitist, illustrator, educator and historian brings wisdom and enlightens his work.

According to Lockard, “My art regenerates my spirit and renews my continuing curiosity of life. The existence of my people reflects a long, rich history of images that I have learned to immerse my spirit in, to give me visions of regeneration.”

“Those Who Learn, Teach” is the theme for the Africentricity exhibit, and Lockard has been both a student and a teacher. He is the senior lecturer at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. He is the former president of the National Conference of Arts and is currently a member of the board of directors. He is the associate director for the Society of African Culture & Aesthetics, and was part of the coordinating team that worked with sculptor Lei Yi Xin on the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial project. Lockard is truly making his mark in time and teaching through his art. Africentricity is an emotionally electric melody of African culture, challenge and contribution.

Rosenthal Gallery hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and you may contact Dwight Smith at 910-672-1795 for more information.

Photo: The works of Jay Onye Lockard are on display as part of the Fayetteville State University Fine Art Series. at the Rosenthal Gallery on the campus of FSU.

With the election season in full swing, things are hopping at the Cumberland County Republican Party Headquarters. The stakes are high this election and it has motivated the local GOP to invite all of the Republicans across the state who are running for offi ce to visit Fayetteville, meet the voters and get out their message. On Sept. 29 at the AIT building on Hay Street, join the Republican Party from 4-7 p.m. for a Potluck and Pink Slips for Democrats meet and greet. Tickets cost just $20 and food is provided.

Mikele Haywood, the events chair and others in the party are concerned for the future of the country and are looking to make a difference.

“I love being a factor in helping Republicans win office and getting out their message of conservatism and smaller government,” she said. “Our government is so big and bloated — it just has to stop somewhere. My fear is that we are so large. I am afraid we are almost to the point of no return. I don’t want to end up like Greece and that is where we are headed. People from every political party should be terrified by this.”

The event coincides with the International Folk Festival, and with good reason. Haywood sees the festival as an opportunity to inform people and connect voters with the candidates. Since the festival is so much fun, she is expecting a good turn out.

“I’ve held events down here during previous festivals and it has always turned out well,” said Haywood. “It’s a festive environment, it should be a lot of fun and we will have a 50/50 raffle, which means that someone will be taking home some money. The last time we had a 50/50 raffle the winner took home more than $500.”

Judges who are running for a seat on the bench and for reelection are expected to attend the event, too. “We invited everybody across the state,” said Haywood. “Justice Paul Newby is invited. He holds the court in balance right now, without him it will be a liberal court so we want to make sure that people get to meet him and talk with him about issues that are important to them.”

The party is hoping for a good turn out, especially since many of the memebers see this election as a pivotal point in America’s history. “Hopefully most of the candidates will be making an appearance,” said Haywood. “This will be the only event the Cumberland County GOP is doing this fall. It is the last event where voters can actually come in and ask questions before the election. That is why it really important.”

In addition to meeting the candidates, attendees can stock up on election items like T-shirts, bumper stickers and yard signs. The Cumberland County Republicans have already made and sold out of several items. “We’ve had Romney/Ryan T-shirts made in pink and royal blue and I have already sold out of the pink and had to reorder,” said Haywood. “We are expecting yard signs to come in soon. We get calls about that everyday and people coming in asking for them.”

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about the republican candidates and to have your voice heard by the republican candidates.

The Possession  (Rated PG-13) 2 Stars

The Possession(92 minutes) is like every other movie about demonic possession you ever saw. But get this. Instead of drawing on Christianity for its backstory, it draws on Judaism. Instead of the stars being non-practicing Christians, they are non-practicing Jewish people. The idea that the father, at least, is Jewish is advanced very subtly via mention of Wagner. You see he is divorced, and when his ex-wife mentions that she is attending a Wagner concert with the new boyfriend, he smirks. I think it is a credit to Jeffrey Dean Morgan that he manages to convey the anti-Semitism of Wagner with a mere quirk of the lip and raised eyebrow, while also sneering at the subconscious rejection of his beliefs inherent in his ex-wife embracing a new-found love of Wagner. Or maybe Wagner is just Wagner and I was groping for something interesting to write about.

The film opens with a True Story disclaimer that conveniently explains the timeline of events as a 29-day period. As a framing device it adds nothing to the plot and has no significance to the story. It comes off as a cheap and gimmicky attempt to capitalize off the popularity of documentary-style, shaky-cam films. That, in turn, not only turns me against it before it even begins, but sets up audience expectations that are not fulfilled.

The first scene begins with a woman trying to destroy an intricately marked up box. Since the audience knows the box is somehow a source of evil no one is surprised when the woman strokes out and ends up as a limp ball on the floor. Her son finds her and in fairly short order begins to liquidate her assets via the ever popular yard sale. Clearly he is a bad son who is just itching to put his mom in a home, as evidenced by the way he grabbed things at random out of her house to sell from her yard. Too bad for the unsuspecting passersby that the demonic items are priced to sell, as the recently divorced Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his two kids Emily and Hannah (Natasha Calis and Madison Davenport) sadly discover.

Emily, a naïve, optimistic adolescent going through her vegetarian phase, is quick to succumb to the seduction of the dark side. It turns out the box her loving father purchased for her is home to a dybbuk, a demon by any other name. Em makes friends with the spirit, and endures increasingly lengthy episodes of its possession. At first the young actor does a pretty good job with the possession scenes, but she loses track of the difference between acting and overacting in short order.

Even after consulting with a professor of some kind Daddy Dearest isn’t able to convince his wife (eternally young Kyra Sedgewick) of the need for some serious intervention before a hag-ridden Emily manages to convince everyone that he is a Bad Daddy. A couple of contentious court hearings and one restraining order later, Clyde has headed for New York’s Jewish district to get some answers and recruit some dude to exorcise his daughter.

Anyway, if you have seen The Exorcist you probably don’t need to bother with this one. The young spiritual guy trying to exorcise the tricky demonic being, the male screaming “Take me! Take me!” and the little girl growling out “Em’s not here” while twitching … it’s been done. And as it is presented here, these tributes to other, more original, possession movies come off as borderline parody. The only really scary bit is watching the little girl leap onto full grown adults like a feral animal — and that gets old quickly. Overall, if you have never seen another movie about exorcism, you might get some cheap thrills out of this one. Just don’t buy your ticket expecting any major scares.

Now showing at Wynnsong 7, Carmike 12 and Carmike Market Fair 15.

On Sept. 28, downtown Fayetteville will once again come alive for a local favorite tradition, 4th Friday. At this family-friendly event, the shops downtown stay open late and arts and entertainment flood the streets and galleries creating a fun atmosphere unique to Fayetteville.

Fascinate – U, the children’s museum will participate in the festivities with fun kid-friendly activities. Not only will they be open late for families to enjoy, admission will be free. Kids can enjoy a craft that goes along with the International Folk Festival theme. It’s one more way to teach children to appreciate the cultural diversity in Fayetteville. Youngsters will be able to participate and learn how to make Japanese origami. Fascinate-U will be open from 7 to 9 p.m. for this event and is located at 116 Green St.

The Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum will provide a historical aspect to 4th Friday. In commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum opened Fayetteville and Cumberland County in the War of 1812, on May 1. The museum is now honored to host the National Museum of the United States Navy’s traveling, mini-exhibit: War of 1812: A Nation Forged by War. Visitors will recognize how well the two exhibits complement each other and paint a more complete story of the War of 1812. Both exhibits will run through the bicentennial.

War of 1812: A Nation Forged by War highlights the prominent role of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service in bringing Great Britain to the negotiating table and forcing European recognition of a truly inde-pendent United States. The exhibit tells the stories of heroic U.S. Navy crews in battles on the oceans and Great Lakes, as well as the contributions of sailors in celebrated land battles from Canada to Louisiana.

The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum’s exhibit, Fayetteville and Cumberland County in the War of 1812, highlights the military, political and social history of the era. National events such as the inspiration for our National Anthem, the burning of the White House, and Battle of New Orleans set the stage for events affecting North Carolina. Learn about the state’s defense measures and the British invasion along our coast. Explore the weapons and tactics of Napoleonic warfare and gain a greater understanding of the war’s impact on the home front in Fayetteville and the surrounding area. The museum is located at 325 Franklin St. and will be open from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.

For those who like art, there are numerous galleries in downtown Fayetteville that will be open late for 4th Friday. Gallery One13 located at 113 Gillespie St. will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. The artists whose work is displayed here are all local.

Another place to explore the work of local artists is Cape Fear Studios. This gallery has many different mediums of art, so there is something for everyone to enjoy. This month, a new exhibit about glass opens on 4th Friday.

Glass blower David Goldhagen is the featured artist. As a visiting artist, Goldhagen’s work will show and be available for sale through the holidays. Other artists included in the show are Kathy Oda and several CFS artists: Lois White, Connie Bennett and Jaylene Nordgren. The show is called “...and then there was glass!”

Cape Fear Studious is located at 148 Maxwell St. and will be open on from 6 to 9 p.m.

There are plenty of other things available at 4th Friday celebrations, too. Downtown Fayetteville boasts 37 places to shop and 28 places to eat. Most of these businesses will participate in the festivities by staying open late and some even offering free refreshments for patrons. 4th Friday provides the citizens of Fayetteville with a safe and fun environment to enjoy the town after hours. It is a family-friendly place to enjoy everything the town has to offer, from shopping and food to art and history.

Find out more about 4th Fridayat www.theartscouncil.com.

The Best Is Getting Better

The Best is still getting better. You are reading our most popular special edition of the year. It’s the most read and sought after issue of the entire year: The 15th Annual 2012 Best of Fayetteville.

Every September for the past 15 years we have honored and recognized the “best of the best” people, businesses and organizations that have shaped, impacted and defined our community’s unique, awardwinning quality of life. So, enjoy! Save this special edition all year long and use it as your personal reference for where to go to get the best professional services, shop, dine and play. The complete edition will be available 24/7 on our website at www. upandcomingweekly.com with hyperlinks to the websites of the 2012 winners. Get to know them and become familiar with proven, local businesses and organizations that have, by their actions and attention to detail, shown they have mastered the art of quality workmanship, superb service and good ole-fashioned southern hospitality. To all of the winners, we want to say thank you and congratulations on your achievements!

Winning a Best of Fayetteville award is a cherished honor. I want to thank our loyal and long-time sponsors for supporting this event and helping us maintain the program’s prestige, integrity and legitimacy. In large part that integrity is owed to Lee Utley and Dale Knowles of Utley & Knowles, CPAs. Serving this community since 1986 Utley & Knowles assisted in counting, validating and verifying the ballots.

Jimmy Keefe and Steve Driggers of Clark’s Sporting Goods/ The Trophy House are our partners every year in creating the beautifully designed award certificates and plaques.

Rob Kallmeyer, owner of Brainbox Development, designed and implemented our first-ever Best of Fayetteville online ballot. It worked perfectly.

To Josh and Tonya Collins and the great staff at Wet Willies, we give thanks for hosting our 15th Annual Best of Fayetteville Awards Party.

And, last, but certainly not least, we want to thank our newest sponsor Mac Edwards and the great community radio stations of Beasley Broadcasting. They were magnificent in getting the word out and getting the votes in. Wow! What a line up of great community partners. Without their help, understanding, support, assistance and expertise Up & Coming Weekly would not be able to maintain this important program. As you travel throughout the community, look for the Best of Fayetteville plaques and certificates on display at the businesses you frequent. Look for our logo in their newspaper and TV ads. Listen for it to be mentioned in their radio commercials or appear as a symbol of excellence posted on their websites.

This issue is a labor of love for the professional staff of Up & Coming Weekly. At a time when traditional newspapers nationally are tasked with maintaining their relevancy as a media source and many struggling for survival, community newspapers like Up & Coming Weekly continue to grow and prosper. Why? Because our dedicated and professional staff stay in touch with the community and make telling Fayetteville’s story our #1 priority. Nobody does it better. T

hank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly. We are extremely proud to be your community newspaper. After all, you are the best of the best.

The world’s longest running musical is coming to Fayetteville. The Fantasticks is on stage at the Gilbert Theater from Sept. 20 through Oct. 7. Show times are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

This 1960s musical tells the moving story of two young lovers whose fathers plot to trick them into falling in love. They discover the deception and go their own ways, only to find love with each other once the bumps and bruises of life mature their notions of love.

This well known musical, with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics and book by Tom Jones, has been performed more than 17,000 times in the last 42 years. The score includes familiar songs such as “Try to Remember,” “Soon It’s Gonna Rain,” and “Much More.” It is played with a small cast, a two to three-person orchestra and minimalist set design.

This will be the first show for Robyne Parrish, new artistic director for the Gilbert Theater. Says Parrish, “I saw the show when I was 16-years-old in New York City with my father. It is the longest running musical in the world for a reason. This is the kind of magic the Gilbert has, and what better way of carrying on the tradition than having the Fantasticks be my first show as Artistic Director here at the Gilbert.”

The Gilbert Theater was founded in 1994 in the basement of Lynn Pryer’s home, and over the years operated in several locations around Fayetteville. The theater’s current home is 116 Green Street. On the corner of Green and Bow streets located near the Market House, the theater’s entrance is on the Bow Street side of the building.

The Gilbert Theater is a semi-professional, community-oriented theatre company and conservatory serving Fayetteville, and the surrounding area. The theater produces up to six plays and musicals per year as well as a full slate of theater-oriented classes for students of all ages in its Gilbert Conservatory and Gilbert Glee initiatives. The theater prides itself on committing itself to the continuous improvement of its community of local artists through training, collaboration with professionals in the field and meaningful production experience.

An exciting first for the Gilbert Theater, the cast will be joined by union actor, Patrick Riviere from Los Angeles. He will spend five weeks in Fayetteville just to play the lead part of El Gallo.

“The theater is very proud to be evolving in such a way that hiring a professional Equity guest artist seemed like the next step in raising the stature of the theatre — a theater that prides itself on quality presentations,” said Parrish.

Tickets cost $15 for all shows, with discounts available for large groups, military members and students. Call the box office for more information. Tickets can be purchased online at www.gilberttheater.com. For reservations, call (910) 678-7186 or e-mail the box office at boxoffice@gilberttheater.com. Doors and box office open one hour before start of show, although seating is not guaranteed without reservations.

The Apparition(Rated PG-13) 2 Stars

The Apparition(86 minutes) isn’t as bad as everyone is making it out to be. At the end of the day, yes, it sucks hardcore, just not as bad as everyone says. Clearly the picture had no studio backing since it was released in the August dead zone, and the flaws show pretty clearly. But this movie could have been really good. If only Todd Lincoln had a little more experience as a writer and/or a director. If only Ashley Green could actually act. If only Tom Felton’s British accent didn’t sound so fake! Which, wasn’t he born in England? He didn’t pile it on this much in Harry Potter.

What we have here is the redheaded stepchild of Poltergeist and Insidious, with a smattering of Paranormal Activity. If the movie had spent some more time exploring the premise hinted at by its tagline (“If you believe, you die.”) we would be in full-on famous original Nightmare on Elm Street territory, where forcing yourself to disbelieve in the monster that is trying to kill you might save you — or might not. That would have been cool. I wanted to see that movie. Instead I was forced to sit through this one. In which belief in the thing that is coming to get the characters has nothing to do with whether or not you die. Stupid, misleading tag line.

We begin with a completely nonsensical scene, shot in classic Dark Castle scratchy flashback style. Six people are conducting an old-school parapsychology experiment. What does this have to do with what happens later? Nothing whatsoever. It is cheap and gimmicky filler designed to add a few precious minutes to the barely feature-length running time.

Moving into the next scene, three college students named Patrick, Ben and Lydia (Felton, Sebastian Stan and Julianna Guill) are mumbling some nonsense about how capturing their attempt to contact the dead on film will “prove” that ghosts exist. Yes dears, and watching The Avengers proves that super-powered beings are battling aliens from another dimension. Anyway, that doesn’t go well. I bet it would be really exciting to see the aftermath of the failed experiment. The writer doesn’t agree, and we move onto the next scene.

Kelly (Green), Ben’s girlfriend, has moved into her parent’s house in an almost deserted neighborhood (nice nod to how the bottom dropped out of the housing market). There is at least an attempt to build some suspense, as mysterious burn marks and mold stains begin to appear all over the house. It gets downright ominous, leading Ben to start installing security cams. One would think he might return the increasingly frantic calls from Patrick regarding the ghost experiment, or at least tell Ashley that she might want find a couple of priests, but no.

Predictably, when things get super-duper spooky the cat gets let out of the bag, and poor, stupid Kelly kicks Ben out. So she can face the nasty, mean, spirit thingy alone without knowledge or assistance. A real sharp cookie is our Kelly. That particular New Year’s resolution lasts until Mr. Vaguely-human-shaped-scary-thing shouts Boo! into her fancy heat sensitive camera; then Ben is back in the game!

Patrick reappears and the power of his British accent seems to banish the ghost back into the ether. Or does it? I would tell you to go see for yourself, but you probably shouldn’t spend any of your hard-earned cash encouraging Todd Lincoln to make any more movies.

Now showing at Wynnsong 7, Carmike 12 and Carmike Market Fair 15.

33 Miles Working on New CD

This week in The Buzz we will get caught up with the band 33 Miles, Mark Schultz will share his thoughts on his new album, and we will share a recipe from mother and artist, Sara Groves.

What has the band 33 Miles been up to lately?

After touring with Mark Schultz last year, 33 Miles is working on a new CD and heading out on a new fall tour. Jason and Chris — that’s right, 33 Miles is now a duo — released the CD Today last fall and the single “What Grace Looks Like” to radio just a few months ago. They are now working on a new album that is all about worship. We don’t yet know the title or release date, but we do know some of the songs will be original worship songs and some will be their favorite covers. Expect a few of these worship tunes to make their way onto the band’s live set. Look for the fall tour Scars to Grace with Jonny Diaz at a city near you.

Mark Schultz talks about his newly released CD

“I once read a quote from theologian Frederick Buechner: ‘The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.’ ‘All Things Possible’ means something different than when I was first starting out as a musician,” said Schultz. “When I first got signed, I thought that if 10 people bought my record, that would be ‘all things possible.’ But today, using this platform for myself to sell more records is not as inspiring to me. I can only accomplish good things if God is in them, and God shows up. I want to pray those prayers.”

A tasty treat from the kitchen of Sara Groves

Groves says, “I don’t know where this recipe originates from... but this is a Groves family favorite!”

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked Pillsbury pie crust
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella, divided into half cups
• 4-5 ripe medium tomatoes
• 1 cup of chopped basil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup of mayo
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: 1. Bake pie crust 10 min at 450 degrees. 2. When crust is cooled, place 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese on bottom of pie crust. 3. Place sliced tomatoes on top. 4. Top with chopped garlic and basil. 5. Mix mayo and Parmesan cheese and spread on top of tomatoes, basil and garlic. 6.Put 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top. 7. Bake @ 375 degrees for 30-35 min. Sara is about to embark on her first ever tour of the UK next month.

Signature partnerships enrich a culture of excellence

I have often said there has never been a great university without a great community. From its founding, Methodist University has been fortunate to benefit from so many community members who have taken special owner-ship of this institution and its success. This has varied from individuals who have volunteered or contributed financially to ensure the well being of the institution, to organizations that have forged relationships with MU for the betterment of both institutions.

A Culture of Excellence

Perpetuating a “culture of excellence” is one of the fundamental principles of the University’s cur-rent strategic plan. Such a culture is characterized by signature people, programs and facilities. It is also enhanced by signature partnerships that have never been more critical.

The MU Journey

This past spring, we launched what we refer to as the “MU Journey,” which provides students with four different pathways that will allow them to complement their academic experience with ex-periential learning. These pathways include lead-ership, community engagement, global education and undergraduate research and creativity. The first two of these pathways will require the creation of partnerships as students become in-volved in special projects. We have also placed a special emphasis on internship opportunities for all MU students, so this initiative, too, will require more community partners.

The Monarch Network

A third initiative calls for the creation of the Monarch Network, which mobilizes MU affinity groups and other volunteers to serve as partners to areas of greatest need. This extends our community initiative well beyond the Cape Fear region and embraces Methodist University alumni, parents and friends in our quest to provide the very highest quality experiences for our students, and ultimately, brings these partnerships to life.

The Year of Partnerships

Our goal with all partnerships is to align them with our strategic priorities. Since we have spent the past year identifying our priorities, we begin this new academic year with a commitment to expand our reach, extend our partnerships and explore many more opportunities that will make a Methodist University education a unique experience for every student.

The year 2012-13 will be “The Year of Partnerships,” in which we will identify and celebrate these relationships and put them to action. These partnerships will come from every sector, including health care, business, education, the arts, not-for-profits, military and religious organizations, among others. Furthermore, we will bring “experts in residence” from each of these sectors to campus to help us maximize the benefits from these partnerships.

A “culture of excellence” at Methodist means taking programs and initiatives to the next level. Our community partners will ensure that we meet this expectation and deliver the very highest educational experience to our students.

How to Preserve Family Memories

Preserving family memories for seniors who have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias is important for several reasons.

Memories can help bring much happiness and joy to that older adult.

Preserving memories helps establish an important legacy for future generations.

Capturing and preserving memories can happen in a number of ways. It might entail turning on a favorite 1940s big band hit, spreading photos out on the coffee table, intentionally creating a list of questions to ask and sitting down in the living room together to record the thoughts your loved one shares. Or reminiscing might occur more spontaneously during a family gathering. If so, make sure you have a notepad or video camera handy.

To accommodate your family member’s cognitive ability level and make sharing memories in any situation a positive, meaningful experience, keep the following considerations in mind:

• Do involve other family members; don’t put the person with Alzheimer’s on the spot.

• Do look at photographs together; don’t expect the person to recognize everything.

• Do share your own thoughts as they relate to the memories your loved one shares; don’t monopolize the conversation.

• Do ask specific, personal questions; don’t interrogate.

• Do ask good questions and record the discussion; don’t expect a fivehour session.

• Do focus on general memories and emotions; don’t focus on exact facts and details.

The goal is to give your family member with dementia the opportunity to share cherished memories with the people he or she loves. You don’t need a precise journalistic account of the person’s life.

Activities to capture and preserve memories with your family living with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias should focus on what that person can and wants to remember. You can help to minimize frustration by paying attention to your loved one’s limitations and adapting opportunities for reminiscing accordingly.

Photo: Capturing and preserving memories with a loved one can happen in a number of ways.