With the year-round schools already in full swing and the traditional 10-month schools about to start, back to school season is here. There are lunches to pack, homework to check, scads of paperwork to fi ll out and the school buses are back on the road.

While the students are hard at work getting back into the groove, the Cumberland County School System has some interesting things in the works that are aimed at making life better for everyone. With everything from a new early-college program to improved technology and getting ready for a new curriculum next year, there is a lot going into making sure Cumberland County students are well prepared for the future.

Dr. Theresa Perry, assistant superintendent for communications of Cumberland County Schools, is excited about what this school year holds, for both students and teachers.

Cumberland County Schools Superintendant Dr. Frank Till is wasting no time in fostering camaraderie and making sure that this year’s faculty and staff are on the same page. He spent time this summer speaking with each principal to determine their plan for success this coming year, and now he is reaching out to the entire system to bring them together as the school year gets rolling. It starts with a big event at the Crown covering a variety of topics that will affect the school system this year, according to Perry.

One of the many things that parents and students (and teachers too) can look forward to this year is the new wireless capabilities in the buildings.

“The Race to the Top grant has allowed us an opportunity to initiate wireless capabilities in our buildings and provide access to laptops for teachers and students,” said Perry. “It will give teachers an opportunity to expand teaching tools for students and give students hands-on opportunities with technology. It is going to be fantastic for both teachers and students.”

While Cumberland County has gotten pretty creative in reaching out to meet the needs of its older students with things like the Schools of Choice programs, the Fuller Performance Learning Center and Cross Creek Early College High School, it is adding yet another program. The Cumberland International Early College High School opened this year. Currently housed at E.E. Smith High School, it is slated to move to Fayetteville State University Campus next year, according to Perry.

“The focus for this particular college was an initiative of Lt. Gov. (Walter)Dalton. It has a focus on international diplomacy, culture and language,” said Perry. “It is a very different focus in terms of preparing students internationally.”

Arabic, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese are being offered as language choices.

Next year, North Carolina joins the Common Core Standards Initiative, along with all but five states in the lower 48. The curriculum will be changing for the better.

At www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards, the program is described as a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Offi cers (CCSSO). The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce.

“We will implement that curriculum next school year, so we will spend this school year really training teachers,” said Perry. “The beauty of it is that it very much streamlines the curriculum and allows teachers to go deeper with fewer goals and objectives there instead of having numerous goals and objectives. It really streamlines it so teachers can go deeper but in fewer areas. I think it will be a verygood opportunity for teachers to really make students have a deep understanding of the content area, particularly for students in our community who are transient and often move to other states during their educational careers that there can be some continuity as they do. That is very exciting.”

To find out more about what is going on in Cumberland County Schools visit www.ccs.k12.nc.us.

Photo: With everything from a new early-college program to improved technology and getting ready for a new curriculum next year, there is a lot going into making sure Cumberland County students are well prepared for the future.

In the words of Pearl S. Buck, child advocate and founder of Pearl S. Buck International, “If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all.”

Yet there always seem to be children and families falling through one crack or another. On Friday, Sept. 30, Fayetteville Area Hospitality Association and Up & Coming Weekly are hosting the 10th Annual Charity Golf Tournament at Kings Grant Golf and Country Club, benefitting, you guessed it, our community’s greatest asset, its children.

In the past, the Fayetteville Area Hospitality Association has sponsored this event, but this year, Up & Coming Weekly has joined the team.

“It was suggested that we partner up and put our two forces together and make it an even bigger and better tournament than ever,” said FAHA Vice President Ramona Moore. “Putting two groups together, we are looking for it to be twice as successful.”

In prior years, this tournament has raised between $5,000 and $13,000 dollars. This year organizers are hoping to raise even more.

The proceeds will be split between Falcon Children’s Home and Kidsville News! of Cumberland County

.Falcon Children’s Home is located just a few exits up I-95 heading toward Raleigh. They’ve been in the business of caring for children for more than 100 years, and they don’t take their responsibilities to the youths who come into their care lightly.

As a ministry of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, Falcon Children’s Home builds their programs on biblical principles and seeks to provide for the mind, body, spirit and soul of their charges. The institution is unashamedly a Christian organization and seeks to instill Godly values in children, but also to set a good expample in leading an upright life.

Thelegacy can be found on its Facebook page, where former residents reconnect and share their memories of being at Falcon Children’s Home.

Some of the programs that are offered at Falcon Children’s Home include, pathways to independent living, preparation for independent living, on campus individual and family counseling, a campus chaplain, recreation and activities, several resource programs and after school academic enrichment.

Find out more about the Falcon Children’s Home and the many ways to help and support them at www.falconchildrenshome.com.

Kidsville News! of Cumberland County has a totally different, but equally important mission in shaping the lives of the next generation: instilling a love of reading. If you have a student or know a student in the Cumberland County School system that is in fifth grade or below, you may have seen the colorful publication come home in your student’s back pack. The newspapers can also be found at your local Cumberland County Library. Kidsville News! of Cumberland County is a monthly publication with fun, relevant and educational articles for children, teachers and parents.

Of course, it is colorful, interesting and engaging on every level, so that children stay interested and motivated to learn. Some of the features every month include Kidsville Connections which covers history topics, Wildville which highlights a different animal every month, What it’s Like to Be, which highlights a different career each month, while All about Art talks about art, music and theater. There are also sections about sports, cooking, local events, safety and more. The puzzles and games are a great together-time activity to promote critical thinking skills and bonding time, too

.Truman the dragon is the Kidsville News! mascot. He’s a great example of working hard and living a healthy, honest life.

“Kidsville News! is excited to be a part of the FAHA Golf Tournament this year. Their support will help us continue to provide Kidsville News! to every elementary-aged child in Cumberland County, free of charge,” said Joy Crowe, editor of Kidsville News! “It is a valuable resource for teachers and elementary students in our community, offering a fun, informative, educational resource.”

Find out more about Kidsville News! of Cumberland County and Truman and what they are up to at www.kidsvillenews.com/cumberland.E

ven though the golf tournament is still a few weeks a way, that leaves plenty of time to build a team, or become a sponsor. Four-some entries are $275 and single entries are $75. Hole sponsorships are $100, and a beverage cart sponsorship can be had for $300. There will be prizes for the fi rst, second and third place teams as well as for the longest drive, closest to the pin and a hole-in-one prize.

Call Ramona Moore at 487-1400 to find out more.

Photo: On Friday, Sept. 30, Fayetteville Hospitality Association and Up & Coming Weekly are hosting the 10th Annual Charity Golf Tournament at Kings Grant Golf and Country Club, benefi tting, you guessed it, our community’s greatest asset, its children. 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes(Rated PG-13)  5 Stars

There was a real risk for the Rise of the Planet of the Apes (105 minutes) to become a cheesy knock-off worse than the ill-conceived 2001 Tim Burton remake of Planet of the Apes. Luckily, Director Rupert Wyatt and writing team Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa do an utterly superb job of cre-ating a legitimate prequel that simply begs to become a tril-ogy. The best part? The way people in the audience clap and shout at all the good bits and callbacks to the original film!

The worst part? Well, it’s hard to notice because every-thing happening is so awesome. But take a minute to think about the basic plot. A scientist working with potentially bil-lion dollar formulas takes home an ape in California WHERE THEY ARE BANNED AS PETS and nobody blinks an eye? Not even the jerky neighbor who clearly has a problem with the Chimpanzee? Not the smoking-hot ape refuge veterinarian who clearly understands how dangerous apes can get? And when the authorities are called in, he doesn’t get arrested or worry about paying a fine? I guess James Franco gave Hot Vet and Animal Control the puppy dog eyes and grin, and they let him walk.

This may have been an editorial choice, since bringing in that sort of subplot would distract from the main action, while taking too much time to explore the ramifications of the law would kill the pace. Like Mulder and Scully’s relationship, just assume it’s all happening off-screen … it’s happening, it’s distracting and so the audience doesn’t need to see it. Now we can all look forward to the deleted scenes on the super-mega DVD/Blu-Ray.

Will Rodman (Franco) is trying to cure Alzheimer’s by playing God with Chimpanzee’s and his father (John Lithgow). The chimp in question, Bright-Eyes (after Heston’s character in the original) goes a little nuts and wreaks havoc all over the expensive testing facility. This shuts down the testing, and results in a baby chimp heading home with Rodman. His father names the chimp Caesar (Andy Serkis).

It is interesting to contrast the handler’s at the testing facility with the handlers who appear later in the primate refuge; while the former are clearly professional and view the apes as worthy of decent treatment, they do tend to treat them like unreasoning animals. This is, of course, much better than the latter handlers, who treat the apes as undeserving of even a modicum of compassion. I suspect that both are fairly accurate depictions of the day to day life of the average laboratory animal. Humans are jerks sometimes.

With the addition of an adorably brilliant ape to the household, Rodman has a convenient way to pick up chicks. He meets Caroline Aranha (Frieda Pinto) when Caesar is injured by jerky neighbor, and in between helpful time advances they apparently move in together despite her opinions about his attempt to domesticate a chimpanzee, and without him explaining to her his life’s work and how it changed the chimp. Like, way to warn your new girlfriend about the way you play God, Will Rodman! And way to hold on to those vaguely formed ideas about how dangerous apes can be, Hot Vet!

Inevitably, jerky neighbor gets into a fight with Caesar, who is then shipped to the aforementioned primate refuge run by John and Dodge Landon (Brian Cox and Tom Felton. Perhaps Brian can explain to Tom the dangers of typecasting?).

Reacting in a fairly reasonably fashion, Caesar becomes depressed, stages a coup d’cage, and then foments revolution against his human masters. Really amazing film, letter perfect CGI, and competing with Source Code and Insidious for the best movie I have seen all summer.

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

Driving south on Lake Logan Road, in the Pigeon River Valley and the shadow of Cold Mountain, headed towards Inman’s Chapel the other day, I could not help wondering whether or not the Inman in Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain was a real person.

The dedication of a highway marker at Inman’s Chapel that day gave me some idea that somebody named Inman was impor-tant enough to have a chapel named after him.

As I neared the chapel, I passed Inman Branch Road and then Frazier Road. Good evidence that Inmans and Fraziers lived close by — and that they were real.

Other Cold Mountain readers and moviegoers may also wonder about the lead character, W.P. Inman, that strong-willed, determined, and principled North Carolina Civil War soldier and his odyssey from battlefield, to a hospital, and a long walk across the state towards his mountain home.

But was he a real person?

Charles Frazier insists that his Inman was a fictional char-acter. But he concedes that family stories about his great-great-grandfather and his ancestor’s brothers inspired the novel.

At the highway marker ceremony, I met two Inman family historians, Cheryl Inman Haney and Phyllis Inman Barnett. Both have written books about the Inman family. I learned from their books that W.P. Inman was indeed a real per-son. Like the fictional Inman, he fought in the “Battle of the Crater,” was wound-ed, deserted from a hospital in Raleigh, and made his way back to his mountains.

According to the family historians, in December 1864, the real William Pinkney Inman went to Tennessee, where he signed an oath of allegiance to the United States. On his way back home, he was killed by the Home Guard at a place called Big Stomp.

Someone complained to Charles Frazier that the title of his book should have been Big Stomp, not Cold Mountain.

The family histories report that a few months before his death, W.P. Inman and Margaret Henson had a daughter, Willie Ida Inman. She grew up, married, and had five children and a host of descen-dants. Thus, the real W.P. Inman’s descendants are scatted across North Carolina and the rest of the world.

W.P. Inman and five of his brothers went to war. Only two survived.

Although W.P. Inman is, thanks to Charles Frazier’s book, by far the best known of the brothers, the attention at the dedica-tion of the historic marker at the chapel was focused on his oldest brother,

James Anderson Inman.James Anderson and two other Inman brothers were cap-tured early in the war and sent to a prison at Camp Douglas in Chicago. Conditions were harsh. Although James Anderson sur-vived, the other brothers died in prison.

When he returned to the Pigeon River Valley, James Anderson became a minister in the Universalist church. Universalism was a form of Christianity that emphasized a God of mercy, rejecting the idea that God would condemn any soul to an eternity of suffering in Hell. This and other liberal Universalist beliefs were foreign to the fire and brimstone image of the Bible Belt and conservative mountain religion.

Like Cold Mountain’s fictional Inman, James Anderson Inman was ready to stand up against cultural norms if he did not think they were right. Over time he built a loyal congregation, had the chapel constructed, and won the respect of the people of the valley. His successor in the pulpit, a woman named Hannah Powell, carried on and expanded programs of education and social service that people in the valley still remember.

Inman’s Chapel no longer hosts an active congregation, but it can still inspire and remind us that there was indeed a very real Inman.

In fact, more than one.

Who Knew?

It is fair to say that I am a significant consumer of media output, not all of which is actually news.

Two newspapers land in my driveway every morning, and I subscribe to more magazines than I can actually read cover to cover. Then there is television, although I find that increasingly unsatisfying, and the Internet which allows me to read yet more newspapers and other publications,actual and virtual. It also lets me research topics that catch my interest and to follow the latest breaking news as well as stories with less rigor. I am not even going to address all the video info that is now available, winging in from the ether.

In other words, I read most everything I can find, including labels.

I believe that information is a good thing, a blessing in fact, but that does not mean we do not have to evaluate it all for ourselves. Some is accurate and valuable, some is entertaining, some is suspect, and some is just plain incorrect.

Here is just a bit that has come my way in recent days, all of which falls under the general category of “Who Knew?”

Who knew, for example, that this would be the summer the Congress of the United States of America literally shut down because of partisan gridlock?

Not that they were not physically “on the job,” but literally nothing was happening except for name-calling and finger-pointing. A poll taken after the debt-ceiling crisis was resolved, to no one’s satisfaction as far as I can tell, found that an astounding 82 percent of Americans of all political persuasions disagree with Congress’ handling of this matter — the highest disapproval rating ever recorded. Who knew, indeed, but who is surprised?

Who knew America’s playgrounds may now be too safe?

According to a recent story by John Tierney in the New York Times, our efforts to keep little ones from toppling off slides and dropping from monkey bars and experiencing the resulting bumps, bruises and occasional fractures have deprived them from learning how to take appropriate risks and how to overcome fear.

Parental safety concerns have resulted in federal guidelines, new safety standards set by manufacturers and a wildly litigious culture have turned our playgrounds into places for little Mr. and Ms. Milquetoast. To this day, I remember the absolute exhilaration of zooming down our family church’s sun-hot, 10-foot-high metal slide with no side rails, a sheet of wax paper beneath my burning bottom to grease the ride and my heart pounding in my throat. The thrill of doing it was surpassed only by the thrill of having survived it. Later, I fell off the monkey bars at Haymount Elementary School and knocked every molecule of breath out of my school girl chest. I remember gasping to get some back, and I am happy that I am here to tell you about it.

Who knew that my generation, the storied Baby Boomers, would be the most obese in American history?

We like to think we invented, or at least popularized, jogging, surfing, aerobic jumping around to pounding music and a host of other physical activities. So, too, have we become the queens and kings of yoga in our later years. Maybe so, but two-thirds of us are either overweight or obese. Some of us are trying to deal with this through diet and exercise, but plenty of us are just going along our merry and chubby ways. Jeff Levi of the non-profi t Trust for America’s Health goes right to the bottom line when he points out that an obese senior costs Medicare — that is American taxpayers — 34 percent more than non-obese seniors. Says Levi, “They are going to be expensive if they don’t get their act together.”

Who knew that average citizens used to drop by the White House to say “hello” to the President and actually did so?

Barack Obama his family and their immediate predecessors live their days behind a protective barrier of highly-trained and highly armed Secret Service agents, for reasons we know all too well. It was not always that way, though. Thomas Jefferson, our second President and the fi rst to live in the White House, wanted it accessible to the public which it historically has been. Until World War II, the gates were open to the public from morning until night, and Edith Roosevelt, the second Mrs. Teddy, said living in the White House was like living above the store. In contrast, I requested tickets for a White House tour for visiting family members and was turned down because my request was inside the 21 day waiting period for necessary background checks.

My favorite “Who Knew” in recent days arrived in an email from a friend detailing messages posted on church marquees. It is hard to argue with this one:

“Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.”

I think we all knew that.

Photo: Who knew today’s playgrounds would become so safe, our children would lose their daring?

Yes Virginia, there is a place where it is not over 100 degrees. If you read it in the Up & Coming Weekly it must be true. This is the annual “What I Did on My Summer Vacation Column.” In odd numbered years, the Pittman Cousins take a trip to a semi-exotic location. We rent a house for a week to get together at an occasion other than a funeral. This year, nine of us went to Yellowstone National Park to see the bears, geysers and French tourists. We stayed outside of West Yellowstone, which is a T-shirt selling town at the edge of the park. Montana is the Shoshone word for Land of Bat Sized Vampire Mosquitos.

Despite becoming gradually calendar impaired, our group maintained a very vigorous physical schedule. Mountain climbing, horse back riding and zip lining jammed the agenda. It was like being on vacation with the Kennedys except without the excessive drinking, loose women and impaired driving. Being on Eastern Daylight Time, which is the King James version of time, I would wake up fi rst each morning. One morning I scraped frost off the car’s windshield. That’s right, real frost. The weather in Yellowstone is just like in North Carolina, except that it is entirely different. No heat, no humidity. While Fayetteville was on full broil, Yellowstone was frosty. The mosquitos must sleep in North Face parkas at night to keep from freezing.

There are lots of wild critters in Yellowstone. Bison, elk and bears abound. It was easy to spot the animals. You drive along until you see a bunch of rental cars stopped on the road and look for the tourists pointing cameras. Like Pavlov’s dogs, we would also pull off the road to photograph the local fauna. I was so good at finding bears that once I was the fi rst one to spot a bear before the other tourists stopped. We got out and started taking pictures of the bear who thoughtfully remained still for us. Soon other tourists stopped and jammed the road behind our car. It was a bear festival. Eventually we realized that the bear was not moving because he was a stump. A bear shaped stump, but a stump nonetheless. I returned to the car filled with shame and heaped with abuse from my relatives.

Not being crazy about heights, I declined to participate in our zip-line outing. Montana zip lining consists of being hooked to a wire by a 20-something slacker and sliding in mid air between recycled telephone poles of questionable stability. My own personal wife, Lani, went on this adventure. All was well until the zip between the last two stations. Lani was the last zippee. Not being a person of significant heaviness, she didn’t quite make it to the last station. She slipped back and hung out above a river. This sort of thing happens. The preferred procedure is for the zip guide in front to slide back out and pull the stranded zippee back to the stand. As she likes heights, Lani was happily hanging over the river pending rescue. She was waiting to be hauled in like a kite to the relative safety of a rickety telephone pole when trouble arrived.

As Paul Newman once said in Cool Hand Luke, “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” The guide behind her somehow failed to notice that she was dangling in a position of helpless peril over the river. Perhaps his mind was focused on the raising of the U.S. debt limit instead of his job. Who knows? In any event he launched himself out on the zip line, realizing too late that a customer was hanging out in front of him like a pinata. Much to Lani’s surprise, without warning he whammed into her back. Miraculously, he did not knock her into the river or break any significant bones or organs.

She was shaken but not stirred as a result of the collision. Fortunately no permanent damage was done. She is small but wiry. We celebrated her near-death experience at Bugaboo’s saloon at the edge of a Montana lake with some Guinness stout.

The next day we went horseback riding. I admit to being the world’s worst cowboy. My hand was glued to the pommel the entire time to keep from falling off. Our trail guide was a cheerful psychotic named Stephanie who spent most of the ride turned around backwards explaining the scenery to us. At best, I was totally miserable during the four hours of the ride. Horses are large. They can make you sore where you would prefer not to be sore. The tour ended with a Dead Man’s Curve ride along a ledge that stretched hundreds of feet above a canyon promising death and destruction to anyone who fell in. I relied on my horse, Demon Seed, to know what he was doing and thus survived the ledge. I swore a mighty oath this was my last horse back ride..

Fayetteville is a town steeped in history, and wars have always been a major part of that history. For years, the Museum of the Cape Fear has been interacting with the public on the matters of history, one of the ways that they manage this is with the Arsenal Round Table program.

Leisa Greathouse, the associate curator of education, describes the growth of the program from just an idea to a success.

“It started out trying to do things interactively with the public and history. We’ve done things like the popular Civil War Quiz Bowl, which started out as like the Arsenal Round Table, as a simple competition. Asking trivia questions to contestants. That program grew so big it’s now its own program,”

The museum offers a variety of programs, but the programs usually focus on the Civil War.

On Aug. 25 at the Museum of the Cape Fear complex, located at 801 Arsenal Ave., Fayetteville residents will once again have the opportunity to celebrate its wartime history, but oddly enough it will not be about the Civil War. In preparation for the bicentennial, the museum will be focusing on the North Carolina Naval War of 1812.

“The bicentennial of the war of 1812 begins next year with 2012. So it’s a good way to come and start and get familiar with the War of 1812,” Greathouse explains.

The War of 1812 is never really thought of as a turning point in American history, but Greathouse explains that it does in fact have a major impact on our history.

“It is pretty much a war people forget about but it’s actually Americas second fi ght for independence. Even though we won the Revolution, we weren’t being taken very seriously as a new nation. So our actions in the war showed the mother country that we were serious about governing ourselves. It’s the war where we got our National Anthem. We sing it all the time hear it all the time, but we never think about ‘Oh yeah, that came about in the War of 1812’,” she said.

“We hope to provide a lot insight and ‘Oh wow! This is kind of neat information’ kind of experiences,” Greathouse said when talking about the goals of the program. “We really try to get the people involved. It’s a particular venue for Civil War buffs that may not have a venue of forum for talking to others and getting into discussions of things and increasing their knowledge. I’m sure a lot of Civil War history buffs visit sights and museums and read a lot on their own, but this forum is an outlet to express what they know about things.”

The Arsenal Round Tablewill take place at 7 p.m. For more information, contact 486-1330.

When Fayetteville and Cumberland County merged Parks and Recreation Departments to become Fayetteville/Cumberland Parks and Rec in 2004, the newly combined staff immediately began the work of planning to meet the needs of the community. Surveys were conducted and needs were assessed. By 2006, a master plan was in the works showing both the city and county government what the citizens wanted the department to look like in the coming years and decades.

It’s taken some time and effort, but that plan on how to meet the needs of Fayetteville/Cumberland County citizens is getting a close look from community leaders.

According to Michael Gibson of the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Parks and Recreation, the time for action has come.

“We decided to come up with a bond package. That is mostly the way parks and rec items are funded. In that package, are 15 items or projects that are based on the executive summary of the master plan from 2006,” explained Gibson.

Although the plan is ambitious, it is based on community feedback and needs in the community that were expressed when the two departments first merged.

“Here you have the fourth largest school district in the state of North Carolina and there is only one outdoor pool,” said Gibson. “We can see that we have glaring defi ciencies.”

While the bond package is not a done deal yet, Gibson is seeking to educate the community about what they will be paying for. To get the word out, there has been a series of informational community meetings detailing the plan to the public.

“We’ve heard positive comments on the big things. One thing we are trying to make sure that people understand about these packages is that these are revenue generators. We are not asking the citizens to build more facilities that they will have to put more capital into and pay expenses for,” said Gibson. “We are, technically, asking for capital funding only to build them. The revenue generated from having tennis tournaments and swim meets and track and fi eld meets would generate revenue to operate these facilities.”

Broken down, the bond measure is asking citizens for roughly three cents on every $100. For example, if a person’s house is $100,000 they would have to pay roughly $30 a year in taxes to contribute to this plan.

In a nutshell, the projects include a multi-purpose aquatic center with a senior center. The facility would be 120,000 to 130,000 square feet with approximately 18,000 square feet dedicated to the seniors. There would be an aquatics facility of about 35,000 to 38,000 square feet with field houses, an indoor running track, a wellness center with fitness rooms, a common space and a commercial kitchen. A skateboard park is on the list too, in addition to a 50-acre sports complex with soccer fields, softball fields and baseball fields. Splash pads, neighborhood pools and one big community pool are included along with some building upgrades, two new rec centers and a green waste plant.

That is a lot of information to process, but Gibson is confident that if the public is informed, they will be able to make informed choices when it is time to vote.

“I think we need to give enough information in our community meetings, and do a better job making sure that the people understand what they are buying,” said Gibson. “We want to give them enough information so that they can say ‘Yes, this thing looks like a viable option.’ And that will enable us to do some great things and create a better lifestyle for the people who live in the city.”

The plan can be viewed in its entirety at the Parks and Rec. website www.fcpr.us/ as can the master plan that inspired the projects.

The current system

With 18 rec centers, three sports complexes, nine special use parks, 13 neighborhood/school parks, nine neighborhood parks, a community/school park, three community parks, four regional parks and four specialty parks throughout Cumberland County, Parks and Rec has plenty to offer.

Whether it is a place to relax and catch your breath (at Cross Creek Park), a place to grow your own food (at the Fayetteville Community Garden) a place to listen to a concert, have a festival or hold a special event (at Festival Park) or a place to take your dog for socialization (at Riverside Dog Park) the specialty parks add plenty to the quality of life here in Cumberland County.

The regional parks are each a treasure unto themselves. With Arnette Park comes baseball fields, sand volleyball courts, a horseshoe pit, tennis courts and nature trails. At Halloween there is a haunted trail and during the holiday season a beautiful outdoor light display. Clark Park is the community’s second largest regional park. With beautiful walking/biking/running trails along the Cape Fear River and an education nature center, Clark Park is the perfect place to spend a day outdoors without having to leave the city. The park also has a put-in point on the Cape Fear River for canoes and offers a variety of nature-related classes for people of all ages.

Lake Rim has something for everyone, and a great location to boot. With walking trails, tennis courts, playgrounds, picnic shelters and a lake, there is always something to do at the park. Because it is in such a great spot, Lake Rim offers fishing classes and holds events several times a year that take advantage of being on the water. Some of the other classes include star-gazing and archery and the summer camps can’t be beat.

Mazarick Park is a a multi-purpose park featuring fishing, boat rentals, a Frisbee-golf course, picnic shelters and trails. A tennis court and a baseball fi eld are available for a quick game. Picnic areas are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis unless they are reserved.

The community parks are each unique to the areas they serve. It’s where you’ll find athletes, fans and parents during the various sports seasons. The baseball fields, soccer fields, outdoor basketball courts are all part of what make up the community park network.

Like the community parks, the neighborhood parks are a unique part of the county landscape and offer different things at each location. Whether it is a field or court for a pick up game of basketball or baseball, a playground, walking trail, a picnic pavilion for large gatherings or green space, the neighborhood parks are user friendly and provide wholesome fun and entertainment.

The local special use parks are quite an addition to the park system and include Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Freedom Memorial Park, JP Riddle Stadium, Arsenal Park, Cape Fear Botanical Garden, Rowan Park and the Senior Citizens Center. Whether it is a chance to contemplate sacrifices and freedom at Freedom Memorial Park, or catching a SwampDogs game at JP Riddle Stadium or strolling through the botanical garden, the area’s special use parks seek to round out the offerings of the Parks and Rec system.

In addition to the facilities, there are seasonal sports like basketball, baseball, football and cheerleading each year. Seasonal camps and sports clinics are also a part of Parks and Rec offerings as are classes like karate, yoga, zumba, cooking classes, dance classes and even music lessons. Each facility has its own offerings to best meet the needs of their customers, but look around, the prices can’t be beat and there is sure to be something of interest near you. Quite often if a rec center doesn’t have what you are looking for they can point you in the right direction.

Find out more about Fayetteville/Cumberland Parks and Recreation at www.fcpr.us or call 433-1547.

It’s almost the end of summer, but things aren’t slowing down for 4th Friday in Downtown Fayetteville. On Aug. 26, 4th Friday’s theme Women’s Night Out in celebration of the 91st anniversary of the ratifi cation of the 19th Amendment, a defi ning moment in women’s history, and praise all things lost and found. It’s a night, says Sheri Collins, 4th Friday coordinator for the Fayetteville Downtown Alliance, “all about ladies, from the right to vote to the need to be pampered.”

Festivities will start earlier than usual with a 6 p.m. presentation at the Rainbow Room featuring Mary Walton, author of A Woman’s Crusade: Alice Paul and the Battle for the Ballot. Walton will follow-up at City Center Gallery & Books to sign copies of her book. At 8 p.m., Fayetteville’s National Organization for Women (NOW) will reenact the 1913 march on Washington, D.C., demanding women’s voting rights. A woman on a white horse will lead a procession of marchers dressed in vintage suffragist white gowns from the Market House to Ray Avenue. Along the way, actors are planted in the crowd to heckle the demonstrators. NOW will wrap up the event with a showing of Generation M: Misogyny in Media and Culture at Cameo Art House Theater at 9:30 p.m. The admission charge is donated to the Rape Crisis Volunteers of Cumberland County.

While history is reenacted outside, objects with a history are being reinvented inside for the Recycle! It’s Second Natureexhibit at the Arts Council. Sponsored by the City of Fayetteville’s Environmental Services Department, Waste Management and Pratt Industries, the show features pieces created with recycled materials. “The first recycled art show was such a success that we wanted to do it again. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality, as well as the quantity, of the pieces that were entered three years ago. It was such a wide range in the types of materials and end results. It offered a lot of talk and the opportunity for people to look at recyclables in a fun way,” says Jackie Tuckey, public relations directot for Environmental Services.

At Cape Fear Studios, the jewelry artists are doing a little reinventing of their own. Lee McMillan, a local jewelry artist, wanted to challenge herself and other artists to use items not typical in jewelry production.

“I have always worked in recycled items, particularly old jewelry, making them into things people would wear today,” says McMillan, but the purpose of the challenge is to think in broad concepts.

Called objet trouvé, a natural or dicarded object found by chance and held to have aesthetic value the challenge features local artists Connie Bennett, Linda Sue Barnes, Stephanie Crider, Kathy Moore and Erica Stanckwytch Bailey along with McMillan. In the main gallery is an exhibit featuring potter Gay Smith. Ellen Olson Brooks of Cape Fear Studios describes Smith’s work as “unique in the use of color and style. Not your typical pottery.”

Meanwhile, artists are demonstrating their work for Arts Aliveat their new location in the parking lot of the Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum on Franklin Street.

As you move from each event, check in with the Downtown merchants. Joely, A Color Studio and Hair Salon is hosting a wine and cheese event with the chance to win a free makeover. At So Chic Bebe, Jill Charles, a singer who is making a name for herself in Fayetteville, is performing. An evening of art, wine, music, history and jewelry, what more could a Fayetteville woman ask for?

For more information about these events, visit the Downtown Alliance Website at www.fayettevillealliance.com.

When today’s seniors were raising families, meals were often a special time to catch up on the day’s events and share family triumphs. Mealtimes are still im-portant to older adults. But circumstances have changed. Many find themselves home alone, with no living spouse and families too busy to enjoy even their own meals at home.

CareGivers from Home Instead Senior Care® network understand the importance of mealtime companionship for seniors be-cause much of their work each day revolves around meal planning and preparation.

Warm and Comfortable

“Mealtime is the highlight of many seniors’ days,” said CareGiver Carolyne Kramme-Burkett, who joins her clients for table-side conversation after she has prepared their meal. “We have a lot of laughter from the news items, and family issues do come up. It makes them feel warm and comfortable. There was a time years ago when mealtime was the center of the day. Everyone got together to share laughter and humor. Fast food has changed that for many families.”

Kramme-Burkett takes pride in making mealtime an event by planning the menu with her clients and adding special touches such as table center-pieces. She helps clients shop by looking for fresh and affordable produce at local farmers’ markets. Family members occasionally drop by to share her gourmet meals and favorite memories with their loves ones.

A Welcome Distraction

CareGiver Donna Kumar said mealtimes are an important distrac-tion for an 84 year old man suffering from ailments of aging. “Mealtime is a huge thing for him,” said Kumar, who often takes her client to lunch. “He’s told me he doesn’t focus on the pain for the three or four hours of the day when I am there. It’s his best meal of the day. He eats a good lunch and it gets him through the day. By dinner he is often in too much pain to eat.”

“It’s so difficult for seniors to lose their independence,” Kumar said. “They can’t do what they used to do. Mealtime becomes the focus and highlight of their day. So it’s nice to have someone they can sit and talk with. That’s the time they can share their story.”

Reliving the Cooking Days

CareGiver Sharon Cornman said mealtimes can help older adults relive their own cooking days even if they can no longer cook in the kitchen. “My client loved to cook so she’ll give me some of her old recipes and I modify them for her current dietary needs. Sometimes we’ll get crazy with new dishes. We’ve tried tilapia with mango and banana chutney made with fresh herbs, cilan-tro and mint,” she added.“

I often engage her in conversation about what her family liked to eat. She’ll say, ‘George and the kids used to love when I made this dish.’ It takes her back and lets her reminisce and share that experience with someone else,” she said.“

I don’t think seniors eat as well if they’re left alone to make a cold sandwich,” Cornman explained. “Having someone around at mealtime is very important to them.”

For more information about the Craving Companionshipprogram, including family recipes and Caring Cards™ that can help facilitate mealtime conversation, go to www.mealsandcompanionship.com.

Photo: Mealtime is the highlight of many seniors’ days.

Cowboys and Aliens(Rated PG-13) Three Stars

Well, I feel rather foolish. I (and I keep my ear pretty close to the ground on this stuff) had no idea that Cowboys and Aliens (118 minutes) was based on a comic book. Here I was, planning to criticize it for being a screenplay by committee, when it turns out that the SEVEN guys with writing credits included the comic book author. You know what? I am still going to criticize it for being a screenplay by committee, because as fun as it is, there are a couple of subtle issues with it.

First of all, really dudes? Six guys working on it and nobody thought, hey, we’ve got a chick in this thing, maybe we oughta get a female co-writer? Apparently not, which is why, aside from Ella (Olivia Wilde), girls are strictly background in this one. There is one other slightly developed female character, but she gets taken out of the game pretty quick. And, in the grand tradition of action movies, the male characters tolerate but do not welcome her, and save her a few times since she cannot save herself. But she does a pretty good job of maternally protecting the young’un on several occasions. Because that’s what women are good for. Sigh.

And don’t get all up in my face about how her role at the end of the movie redeems the character, because up until that point her character is not only dead-weight, she is also irritating, what with the wandering around saying “I know something you don’t know!” Of course, I admit that may be due in part to the fact that Olivia Wilde is extremely irritating, and that she is Hollywood Attractive rather than Real World attractive. At least she looks super-pretty in firelight!

Second of all, the ending is more than a little bit unsatisfying on an emotional level. The writers set up this great father/son (Harrison Ford and Paul Dano) con-flict. Then they establish that the father is a sadist and the son is an idiot. Then, at the halfway point they proceed to ignore the sadism of the father, and by the end of the movie the audience is expected to completely forget that the son was an idiot. Maybe it’s that Harrison Ford isn’t selling his character? And he just wants to play the role like Indiana Jones as a cowboy? And when he tries to be murderous and evil (see What Lies Beneath) he still projects anti-hero type goodness?

Third, sure, set your science fiction film in the old west. But if you’re going to do that, train your actors to sell the idea that what a modern audience calls alien is perceived by western stereotypes as demons. Seriously, whenever Doc (Sam Rockwell) calls them demons, you can tell he is mentally rolling his eyes … and that goes for most of the main cast.

But that’s not to say it isn’t a decent action western science fiction movie. Grab that box of popcorn and settle in because it is mostly pretty fun.

Set in 1873, the hero of the piece (Daniel Craig) plays a great western character. In fact, age him up a few years and I could total-ly see him playing the Gunslinger from Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. Is he bad? Is he good? It’s super hard to tell since he can’t remember anything from his past. Once he ends up in the defunct gold mining town of Absolution, the character is summed up nicely by the local preacher (Clancy Brown! Good to see you!) … good people do bad things, bad people do good things, etc.

Too bad he is being singled out more for the bad things he has done. Not too long after he gets into town, he is arrested by Sheriff Taggert (Keith Carradine! Good to see you too!). Naturally, this is when the aliens show up.

The effects are decent, the aliens are pretty cool looking, and there are enough twists to keep you guessing (if you haven’t read the comic book or seen the trailers, which give away all the twists).

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

If Hell is as hot as July and August has been then I guess I need to go to church more often. Honestly, I don’t know if I can take much more of this. As one lady told me “everything sweats”.

As we all know, it has been hot, hot, hot! There is something hateful about these hot days. It has a burn to it. It has a taste to it, while not tast-ing like anything. It makes every mile longer. It makes every breath harder. It makes every red light longer.

All joking aside, the heat is very dangerous — and deadly. Keeping your bike in good working order is the best way to keep you from over-heating. Your bike may not keep you cooler but if you break down on the side of the road you could cook while waiting for help. Even if you get help, it is still a struggle to get it going or to get it towed out of there.

Check your oil and check your tire pressure. The engine is working harder in the summer and those temperatures will expand and countract your air pressure.

During this heat, rain storms just seems to pop up so be sure to keep your rain suit handy.

In the book 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive, Cody Lundin (the co-star of Dual Survivor) does a great job of explaining that the first rule of survival is keeping your core body temperature at 98.6 degrees. That is certainly the case while on a motorcycle. Depending on where you are riding, a motorcy-clist can change extremes within minutes. For example, while riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway, a rider can go from a couple of thousand feet to five or six thou-sand feet elevation in a matter of miles.

While climbing up a mountain a good rule of thumb for figuring temparture is that for every thousand feet subtract 3 degrees. That will help you figure out how to dress as you go.

I know we are not in the mountains and we are dealing with the painful heat. So here are a few things that will help you ride and survive in the heat:

• Hydrate with H2O

• Don’t drink alcohol

• Carry water or take a Camelback

• Always have spare water with you on your bike.

• If you have a passenger carry spare water for them (just in case of breakdown)

• Early to bed, early to rise — and ride early

• Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water, hydrate

• Force water even if you are not thirsty

• Wear eye protection

• Have a well vented helmet

• Wear cotton shirts

• Soak your shirt in water (poor man’s air conditioner)

• Don’t use a dew rag (they trap heat)

• At stops find shade if possible

• Take breaks often• Purchase vented safety gear

• Wear quick-drying nylon/spandex fabric, (disperses moisture)

• Don’t sacrifice safety for comforts sake•Wear sunscreen

• Hydrate with H2O!

One of the less noted dangers of the heat is that people are just irritable. I don’t know what it is but when people are hot they don’t pay at-tention while driving. People seem to drive more erratic. Be very careful out there.

Stay Cool!

Photo: In the book 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping our Ass Alive, Cody Lundin (the co-star of Dual Survivor) does a great job of explaining that the first rule of survival is keeping your core body temperature at 98.6 degrees.

Need a break and some time to relax from the day-to-day stress of life? Fayetteville Technical Community College invites you to visit the Cosmetology Department to receive new and exciting nail and skin care services Hours of operation have been extended to include nights and weekends.

The Nail/Technology clinic now offers many services including basic manicures and pedicures as well as advanced nail applica-tions, such as gel nails, acrylic nails, and nail art.

FTCC’s state-of-the-art esthetics clinicoffers basic or European facials, all waxing services, chemical peels, and make-up ap-plication. We invite you to visit the esthetics clinic for a quiet, peaceful spa setting and ultimate relaxation.

FTCC advanced-level cosmetology de-partment students perform the services under the careful direction of well-qualified instructors. The addition of natural nail care will be coming soon to the Cosmetology Department. 

The newly expanded hours of operation are: Tuesday - Thursday 8:15 a.m. - 8 p.m., Friday 8:15 a.m. - 12 noon and Saturday 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

The Salon & Spa Services Educational Center opened in January 2009, and its growth has surpassed all expectations! Fayetteville Tech’s Salon & Spa Services Educational Center offers a 1,500-hour Cosmetology program, a 600-hour Esthetics Program, and a 300-hour Nail Technology Program. All programs prepare graduatesto take the North Carolina State Board Licensing Examination.

The Salon Spa Service Educational Center offers both day and evening classes and is open to the public for client services.

Don’t delay! Visit FTCC’s beautiful Salon & SpaServices facility located at 2817 Fort Bragg Rd or call (910) 678-0158 for more information.

Photo: The Nail/Technology clinic now offers many services including basic manicures and pedicures. 

On Monday, Aug. 16, theMuseum of the Cape Fear givesyou the chance for a lunch datewith history in the fourthinstallment of their monthlyseries, Munch on History:A Lunchtime Lecture at theMuseum of the Cape Fear.

Heidi Bleazey, 1897 PoeHouse education coordinator,will present on Victorianetiquette and 1897 Poe Househistory. The lecture is in thefirst-floor conference room andstarts promptly at 12:15 p.m.

The 1897 Poe House,home of E. A. and JosephinePoe, is on Arsenal Avenue inthe Museum of the Cape FearHistorical Complex. E. A.Poe, not to be confused with the Edgar Allan Poe of The Raven fame, was aFayetteville brickyard owner and politician at the turn of the 20th century.

The house is a glimpse of the Poes’ life as an upper-middle-class family inVictorian times. E. A. and Josephine raised eight children in the home, gavedinner parties in the large dining room and welcomed society ladies bearingcalling cards. The 1897 Poe House is unique in that the exhibits are not tiedoff from the public. Visitors may step up and examine artifacts while keeping arespectful distance by not touching. Though not specifically part of the lectureseries, guided tours are available during the afternoons on weekdays and allday on Saturday. 

The Poes, like other society families of the time, were expected to follow astrict set of social rules.While some etiquette, likethe curtsey, is currentlyout of favor, other rulesof Victorian etiquetteare still relevant today.Lessons from your motherlike sit up straight inyour chair, don’t put yourelbows on the table anddon’t reach across the table for a serving dish were standards inthe early 1900s. The difference in execution is that today you mayget a disapproving glare from your mother. In the Victorian era,you would have been socially banished from polite society.

The Munch on History series is designed as a short,entertaining lunch break to connect museum visitors withFayetteville’s past. The purpose, says Leisa Greathouse, Curatorof Education, is “to raise awareness about Fayetteville’s place inAmerican history.” Greathouse explains that the series is notintended to make lecture goers experts on a topic, but “to provokethought and examine how history relates to present day.” Past topics includedthe history of the flag in honor of Flag Day and five Fayetteville eventstied to U.S. history.

Located at 801 Arsenal Ave., near downtown Fayetteville, the Museum ofthe Cape Fear is approximately 15 minutes from any destination in the city.According to Greathouse, “You can leave work at noon, arrive by 12:15 p.m.,eat your lunch during the 20 minute lecture and still be back at work by theend of your lunch hour.” Bring a brown baglunch. Beverages are provided by the museum.Just don’t put your elbows on the table.

An estimated 56 million students will be enrolled in elementary, junior high andhigh schools across the nation this fall. While retailers eagerly embrace the back-toschoolseason, many parents cringe as the costs add up for school supplies, sportingequipment, electronics and new clothes.

Today’s tough economy makes it challenging to invest in our children’s educationand future, and purchasing school supplies can be especially expensive. Stretch yourfamily’s back-to-school budget with these smart saving tips:

Assess Wants vs.Needs. Before youleave the house, makea list of items you’llneed and be realisticabout prioritizingneeds and wants. Doa complete inventoryof what supplies youalready have at home.Sure, it’s fun to buyall new, but if you justbought a new set ofmarkers or a packageof folders last spring,you can probablyhold off a few monthsbefore restocking.

Remember, too, that prime shopping season is before school starts. Delayingnon-essential purchases on items such as clothing until after school is in session (suchas during or after the Labor Day holiday, when items are marked down) can net bigsavings.

Budget, Budget, Budget.Once your prioritized list is complete, determine whatyou can afford to spend on each category – school supplies, electronics, clothing andother. Use free online budgeting tools to help you stick to that budget. Comparisonshop, check out online deals and watch store circulars for sales. Subscribe to receiveemails, text or Twitter alerts from your favorite stores for special sales. Some storeseven reward shoppers who “check-in” through social sites with more discounts.

Many states, like North Carolina, also offer a tax-free holiday for back-to-schoolshopping. Our tax-free weekend was August 5-7, so if you didn’t take advantage of it,you missed it til next year. Buying in bulk can save money, too. Look for multi-packs ofitems like scissors, pencils and markers.

Don’t forget that the annual back-to-school shopping excursion can be a greatmoney management learning exercise for older kids. Share your budget with them, andhelp them make selections to keep your checkbook on target.

Check for Student Discounts. By having a student living in your home, you maybe eligible for savings and not even know it. Many manufacturers, especially softwarepublishers, offer education eligibility discounts, and some stores offer price breaks forstudents, too.

For example, check out Academic Superstore (www.academicsuperstore.com),an online store that works with leading brands to sell deeply discounted products. Thewebsite’s catalog of more than 20,000 education-focused products includes schoolsupplies, full-version software titles and consumer electronics at prices up to 80 percentoff retail value. Some items are at such deep discounts that you will be asked to provideproof of academic eligibility – which for some products is as simple as providing an.edu domain email address or school ID.

Also, if you are military, be sure to ask if the store offers a military discount. Youjust may save 10 percent, or more.

Surf the Net for Deals.The Internet is a great place to fi nd bargains. And manyoffi ce supply and retail websites offer free shipping. Use online tools that let youcompare prices of multiple websites to fi nd the best deals. Don’t forget to search foronline coupon codes that can help stretch your dollar.

You can also save money by checking out the many online auction and trade sites.Bid on larger bundles that include several items on your list. You can further savemoney by trading gently used clothing and supplies with other area families. Lookthrough the online forums of local freecycle and swap sites to fi nd “new to you” items.

With a little pre-planning and discipline, you can manage through the financialstress and focus instead on setting a positive tone to send your kids back into theclassroom.Photo courtesy of Getty Images. Source: Family Features.

hos· pi·tal·i·ty [hos-pi-tal-i-tee] –noun, plural -ties.The friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.

If Southerners are anything, it’s hospitable. Fayettevilleeven has its own Hospitality Association — the Fayetteville AreaHospitality Association. It’s a nonprofi t organization of businesseswho promote tourism, social welfare and quality of life byimproving the quality and variety of food, lodging and recreationalareas for travelers and local residents.

Their reach is far, and their impact on the community is great.Every person who stays in a hotel, eats at a restaurant or rents acar in Fayetteville is operating within the world of hospitality andquite possibly interacting with FAHA members.

For FAHA, hospitality means not only treating visitors well,but also taking care of the community, and for the past 10 years,they’ve done just that, and had a good time doing so, and this yearthey’ve added a new sponsor — Up & Coming Weekly to theirannual fundraising event.

On Sept. 30, FAHA and Up & Coming Weekly are hosting the Annual GolfTournament at Kings Grant. Proceeds will benefi t Falcon Children’s Home andKidsville News! of Cumberland County.“This is our 10th annual tournament,” said FAHA vice president RamonaMoore.

“This is our third year donating to Falcon Children’s Home. Last year,we made a commitment to sponsor them for fi ve years.”

Historically, the tournament has raised between $5,000 and $13,000 forvarious charities. Moore hopes that by teaming up with another sponsor, thetournament will be able to increase their proceeds signifi cantly and be able tohelp that many more children.

Kidsville News! is an educational resource in the form of a full-colorchildren’s monthly newspaper with fun, relevant and educational articles forchildren, parents and teachers. While KidsvilleNews! content is educational, it is also funand interactive, keeping children engaged andmotivated to learn! The primary mission ofKidsville News! is to encourage learning andliteracy by helping kids have fun reading.

According to its website, “Falcon Children’sHome began its ministry of caring for childrenin 1909. For more than 100 years, with the helpof our supporters, they have served childrenand families in the Southeastern United Stateswho needed out-of-home placement forvarious reasons. A ministry of the InternationalPentecostal Holiness Church, we have alwaystried to demonstrate Christ-likeness in ourapproach and in the cultivation of our careprograms. We are unashamedly a Christianministry. We believe that to serve the wholechild — mind, body, spirit, and soul — we must foster an atmosphere thatalways asks, “What is best for the child?” and make every effort to answer thisquestion with our resources, assets and best efforts.

“Falcon Children’s Home offers goal-oriented and goal-directed care aimedprimarily at family reunification and is staffed to meet the needs of students inour care.”It’s easy to support these two great causes. Sponsorships areavailable, teams are being formed and door prize donations arebeing accepted. Call RamonaMoore at 487-1400 to findout more.

It’s time to put on your parachute pants, spike up your hair and headback to the ‘80s! On August 18, Fayetteville After Five presents another freeconcert for some more “Third Thursday” entertainment. Suicide Blonde willbe playing the concert in Festival Park. The gate opens at 5 p.m., and housemusic plays until 6 p.m. There will be an ongoing corn hole tournament andsponsor giveaways. An opening act will play until 8 p.m. Then, the main act,Suicide Blonde takes thestage.

Suicide Blonde, an ‘80scover band is no strangerto Fayetteville After Five.They have played for thisevent in the past, and areexcited to be back. “With awealth of experience in manygenres of music, SuicideBlonde brings the requiredprofessionalism, musicianshipand unmistakable love of the‘80s to transport any clubor private function back tothis unforgettable time of funand excess,” the band says ofitself.

The band’s repertoirespans more than a singlegenre so that there issomething for everyone. Theirsong list includes hits such asthe classic AC/DC’s “Backin Black,” “Video Killed theRadio Star” by The Buggles,“Sweet Caroline” by NeilDiamond, “Hungry Like theWolf” by Duran Duran, and “JustLike Heaven” by The Cure. Theyplay everything from AC/DC toZZ Top.

The band consists of fivemembers. Dave Adams, thebands front man and keyboardist,has experience in the musicindustry both in the states andabroad in the United Kingdom.Dustin Askew is the band’sguitarist, and has been involvedin music since he was 17. The drummer for Suicide Blonde is Lane Moss,who has been involved in music since a very early age. He started playing thedrums at the age of eight. Bassist Warren Summer has played in other groupssuch as Bottom Line and Sugar Daddy, but the 80’s is his favorite musicaldecade. Keyboardist Greg Uselman is Suicide Blonde’s newest member.Uselman has been playing music in the Southeast for 21 years but is happy tobe a member of Suicide Blonde now.

There will be a 50/50 raffl e and kids events at the park. This eventserves as a fundraiser for the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. Sponsors includeWeekenderNOW.com, The Fayetteville Observer, Up & Coming Weekly, Chick-Fil-A, WTVD ABC11, Magic 106.9, Rock 103, Q98 fm, and WFNC 640 am

Admission is free, but bring money for food and beverages, as there willbe stands located in the park. No outside food or drink is permitted intoFestival Park. Please don’t bring any coolers, pets or bicycles to the parkeither. Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged, however.The gates open at 5p.m. Festival Park is located at thecorner of Ray and Rowan Street. For further informationcall 323-1934.

With gas prices and unemployment at record highs, many are feelingthe pinch come summer. The dream of the ideal vacation some place remoteevaporates with a hard look at budget and savings. Sometimes, however, the“ideal” summer has more to do with quality time and a change in scenery thanfancy theme parks.

Nestled in the heart of Harnett County, just 40 miles from Fayetteville is agem waiting to be discovered. Raven Rock State Park offers hiking trails, picnicareas, campsites and amazing views. Located between Sanford and Lillington,off U.S. Hwy 421, this state park is a great way to spend a few hours or even afew days. Famous for its 150-foot-tall rock outcropping stretching more than amile along the Cape Fear River, Raven Rock has been fascinating visitors sincebefore European settlers arrived in the mid-1700s.

According to Park Ranger David Brown, Raven Rock boasts 11 miles ofhiking trails, nine in all, on the south side of the park. The longest trail is theCampbell Creek Loop, which is 5 miles long, or 6 miles if you opt to take thespur as well.

Says Kelly Fisher, Harnett County teacher and mother of three, “ I like thewalking trail behind the Welcome Center. It is stroller friendly, and you can stillexperience the wonder of God’s creation.”

Brown cautions that most of the trails require a jogging or bike wheelstroller due to the natural rock and gravel bars. The trails also have timbers atintervals to aid hikers with slopes. “From the parking lot to the overlook, thetrails are fairly even though,” says Brown.

If your goal is to hike to Raven Rock itself, you will have to navigate 100stairs to get all the way down to the river area.

Accessible from the separate entrance off Hwy 401 N, there are two horsetrails on the north side of the river. While hikers are welcome, the trails aremaintained for horse riding and hikers are urged to leave room in the smallparking lot for horse trailers.

The park also has a number of “primitive” camping sites at a nominaldaily fee. A primitive or backpack campsite consists of a fi re pit and either acomposting or vault toilet nearby. “We get a fair amount of campers in thespring and early summer,” says Brown. This year the park has seen an increasein the number of campers due to the early good weather. Brown says that thenumber of campers usually drop off as the weather gets hot.

Fishing is also a popular sport at Raven Rock. Visitors are limited to fi shingduring operating hours, but campers are welcome to fi sh at any time. Allfi shermen are required to hold the appropriate fi shing license.

For more information, or to sign up for Raven Rock’s free mobile app, besure to visit the Raven Rock State Park website: www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/raro/main.php.

The first things many Americans did after members of Congress heldtheir noses and passed a rise in the United States’ debt ceiling was heave asigh of massive relief. The next sound in our nation was a collective snortof disgust. After months of posturing, name-calling, grandstanding withthe eyes of the world upon us which ultimately culminated in a literal fi nalhours compromise that no one likes, the dirty deed was done.

The financial repercussions of this ugly chapter in our history remaincloudy, but what is clear is that, as my father would say, the rich are indeedgetting richer and the poor are getting poorer, relatively speaking.

His is a sentiment we have all heard before, and we may well putmore stock in it during these days of our troubled economy in which newsstories tell us about both bankers and corporate CEOs with bonuses in themillions and other Americans who are struggling to keep their homes outof foreclosure and food on their tables. It just does not seem, to use a wordevery child utters to parents at some point, “fair.”

Fair or not, it appears to be true.

What we are talking about here is wealth, not income. Winning thelottery will skew one’s income for at least a year and perhaps longer, butwealth is a more basic measure than income. It is the value of what youown, your assets, less the value of what you owe, your liabilities. The moreassets and fewer liabilities you have, the higher your wealth. Conversely,fewer assets and more liabilities translate into less wealth, and sometimes,no wealth at all.

There is enough data out there about wealth distribution in the UnitedStates and the rest of the world to send most of us running for the juiciestsummer novel we can find. Truth be told, it is dry reading, and it all goessomething like this. Ten years ago, ten percent of the US populationowned more than 70 percent of the wealth, and the top one percent of thewealthiest folks held almost 40 percent of that wealth. On the other end ofthe spectrum, the bottom 40 percent of people owned only one percent ofthe country’s wealth.

Dry, indeed, unless you are in the bottom heap trying to pull yourselfinto a higher category. Then it becomes personal.

The data gets more concerning as you drill down on it as well. U.S.Census data in the news last month shows that wherever one is on thewealth continuum, racial wealth gaps are as wide as they have been in aquarter of a century. The translation of that is that our shaky economyhas erased many of the economic gains made my minority members of oursociety, leaving white citizens with an average of 20 times the wealth ofAfrican Americans and 18 times that of Hispanics.

None of this is a pretty picture to me.

My family and I are products of free enterprise going back generations,and I am convinced that hard work and entrepreneurship is what hasmade our country what we are. I know, too, that while our position inthe world may be shifting a bit, our economy and our culture remain thegold standard. We know that millions of people around our globe wouldgive their eye teeth to be here with us. Various schemes have been triedsince recorded history by everyone from the Romans to the Communists,and none have been successful over the long haul. Very few Americans,including this one, would support public policies aimed at suchre-distribution.

That being said, I cannot see how growing gaps in wealth can be goodfor our nation.

Minds far brighter than mine have advocated the importance of athriving middle class to our economic health, and that makes sense tome. Our American middle class began emerging during the IndustrialRevolution of the 19th century and came to fruition in the years followingWorld War II when veterans came home, got themselves educated on the GIBill, and built the economy that made us the wealthiest and strongest nationin history. Not to support and nurture our middle class and to allow thewealth gap to grow and divide the haves and the have nots even more canonly be dangerous folly, not just for those individuals and families, but forall Americans.

I fear that what we have just seen during our national ordeal overraising the debt ceiling is but a warm up for the 2012 election rhetoricthat is getting underway. As you think about choosing those who want togovern, ponder for yourself the importance of the American middle classand what we need to do to keep it.

This is one instance in which I hope my Daddy willbe wrong.

“Gnarly,” “munchin’ on some grindage” and “looking for some Betty’s” are all classic phrases coined by Paul Shore in early ‘90s. Shore, who has made his mark as a stand-up comedian in television and in the movies, will bring his unique vocabulary and style to Fayetteville on Wednesday, Aug. 10 at It’z Comedy Zone.

Born and raised in Hollywood, which he considers “kind of weird because most people are from small towns and come to Hollywood,” Shore’s childhood revolved around celebrites such as Elvis Presley, Sammie Davis Jr. and Tony Bennet.

His parents, Sammy and Mitzi Shore, were in the business, and operated one of Hollywood’s biggest comedy clubs, The Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard. It was there, while hanging around backstage, that Shore began to develop his own style while watching some of the greats — Robin Williams, David Letterman and the late Sam Kinison.

Like many young Hollywood teens, Shore attended Beverly Hills High School — the school made famous by Beverly Hills 90210 — but probably more so by its alumni including Angelina Jolie, Lennie Kravitz, Nicholas Cage, and of course, Shore.

At the age of 17, he began to write and perform his own comedy, introducing the character of The Weizel, a laid-back, Valley-talking dude who coins his own phrases and looks at the world in a totally different way than most.

Shore says that comedy is in his blood.

“I was destined to do this,” he says on his Website. “I feel almost like I’m the Frankenstein of comedy. My mom developed me in the comedy club and my dad had the gene. Then they put them together and then there’s Pauly.”

While his parents may have put him in the environment, it was his own hard work that got him his shot on the national scene.

His comedy connected with a whole generation, and MTV was anxious to entertain that generation, so they brought Shore on board with his own show — Totally Pauly, which had a four-year run. In 1993, he performed his first televised stand-up comedy show on HBO call Pauly Does Dallas.

The success of that show led to a three movie deal with Disney, which spawned Encino Man, Son-In-Law, In the Army Now, Jury Dutyand Bio-Dome. In 1997, FOX cast him as the freeloading son of a wealthy businessman in the short-running sitcom Pauly.

Shore’s career  atlined briefly, and in 2003 he produced, wrote, directed and starred in the critically acclaimed, Pauly Shore Is Dead, a semi-autobiographical mockumentary in which he satirizes the perils of Hollywood. In the fi lm, Pauly loses everything and decides to fake his death in a quest for post-mortem adulation. Ironically, one of the many celebrities who perform cameos on the show is Charlie Sheen, who is shown giving Shore career advice.

Most recently, Shore performed in the sketch comedy movie Natural Born Komics, for which he received the 2008 Entertainer of the Year Award from the Entertainment Merchants Association. With several projects in the works, Shore is taking some time to hit comedy clubs all over the United States

.“I’m single, I don’t have a girlfriend. My girlfriend is my mom and work; that’s where my love is,” he said. “I’m obsessed with my work. I love to come up with stuff. That’s kind of the beauty of the business, you don’t need anything but your mind and my mind is always going, going, going.”

When Shore hits the stage at It’z Comedy Zone, be prepared for side-splitting laughter and a raucous good time. Tickets are now on sale for $25. The show starts at 8p.m. To purchase tickets, visit www.itzentertainmentcity.com/comedyzone.htm or call (910) 826-2300.

It’z Entertainment City is located at 4118 Legend Ave.

Summer’s Winding Down, But the Beach Is Still Calling

If you’ve been to a store lately that sells swimwear, you’ve probably noticed that they’re already on sale for more than half off. That’s usually the case sometime after the passing of Independence Day. What’s really cool is that there’s still plenty of time to have fun in the sun, so why not buy a new suit and head east!

Ask locals about their favorite local strip of coastline and you’ll probably hear a wide variety of answers. No matter what your favorite beach activity may be, you’re sure to fi nd a setting that will suit (pun intended) your individual tastes.

Take Ocean Isle Beach, for instance. It’s located south, just minutes from the South Carolina border. Wilmington resident, Gina Locklear, owner of Gypsy Gina’s Art, Antiques & Jazzy Junk grew up spending summers at Ocean Isle Beach. When asked about her fondness for OIB (now you know what those oval bumper stickers stand for) she says it’s a “family beach that’s quiet and one of N.C.’s best kept secrets because it’s clean and affordable. There aren’t all the distractions that you fi nd in Myrtle Beach.”

Locklear, who now spends most of her time in her shop located on Castle Street in Wilmington’s art & antiques district, says these days she often ventures to Carolina Beach.

“Carolina Beach,” explains Locklear, “offers a bit more. There’s the boardwalk, summer carnival, and it’s close to Wilmington which provides even more entertainment, as well as shopping and dining options.”

The Fort Fisher Aquarium is also a great stop neat Carolina Beach.

If you’re on a budget and perhaps have kids in tow, Topsail Island is just a couple of hours from Fayetteville. If you’re into scenic routes, take Hwy 210 and stop to picnic at Moore’s Creek National Battleground in Currie along the way. You won’t find roller coasters or boardwalks, but, according to Sandie Blanton, Property Manager at Topsail Sound RV Park, what you will fi nd is a “family-friendly atmosphere, and pristine beaches without the over-crowding often found at some of the other beaches.”

Travel northward and you’ll find Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beaches, both near Morehead City. While Emerald Isle is the tamer of the two, Atlantic Beach offers a boardwalk reminiscent of a by-gone era. You’ll fi nd amusement rides, miniature golf, and of course, those mega-gift shops that sell everything from sand crabs to shell necklaces.

A trip to this part of the Bogue Banks Barrier Islands isn’t complete without stopping for a quick bite at the Sanitary Restaurant & Fish Market which has been a local staple of Morehead City since 1938.

Probably the most famous stretch of beach in our state is the Outer Banks, part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. This is where you can visit the Wright Brothers Memorial where aviation history was made. The Outer Banks is also home to five lighthouses, the oldest of which is Ocracoke Lighthouse, first erected in 1798. Another popular attraction is the outdoor drama, The Lost Colony, which is performed six nights a week during the summer on Roanoke Island.

So, what are you waiting for? Pack up the kids, the dogs and the cooler, fi ll the tank up with gas and find a beach that suits your style. The waves are crashing, the salt-air is blowing and it just won’t be summer without at least one trip to the North Carolina coast!

It’s no secret that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has been to town, working on a project for a very lucky Fayetteville family. But did you know that there is another design makeover in the works at The Salvation Army Shelter? Much like the home-makeover show, The Salvation Army is seeking to improve lives, and they understand that things, like being treated with dignity, make a difference in helping to turn lives around.

On Saturday Sept. 10, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. decorators, crafters and home-improvement gurus are invited to join the Shelter Design Challenge. It is a fun and creative way to not only let your design skills shine, but to make a difference in the community and help your fellow man.

Competitors in the design challenge will work in teams of up to six and on the day of the event each team will be put to the ultimate challenge.

This project has been a long time in the making and is something that is near and dear to Jackie Golbold’s heart. She sees thousands of people come through the shelter every year, and wants nothing but success for each and every one of them.

“We are hoping we will get design people who have a knack for it in their own lives who would want to come and take charge of a room here at the shelter,” said Godbold. “Not only is it a challenge, it will be a fundraiser, too. So it is going to be a really fun event. We are hoping to make the shelter more homey for the people who stay here.”

There are several rooms slated for the makeover at the facility, so only a limited number of teams will be able to compete in the day-long event. The areas to be made over include dorm rooms, multipurpose rooms, family rooms and patio and courtyard space.

Teams choose their room (first come, first served) and have until Aug. 10 to submit a room design plan. Make an appointment to stop by the shelter and take photos/measurements of the room that you choose to help as you make plans.

Goldbold also encourages competitors to reuse and repurpose whatever they can in the competition.

“We are the Salvation Army,” she said. “We have a thrift store and we encourage people to reuse things.”

Room design plans should be emailed to: jackie.godbold@uss.salvationarmy.org by Aug. 10 and should include a basic plan for the room, for example, painting walls, any large pieces to be brought into the room and basic colors for the room. Room designs will be approved via email by Aug. 15. If there are questions or concerns while planning, please call Godbold (910) 644-5261 or Mary Webster (910) 485-8026.

While the shelter is eager to grant creative license to the designers, there are a few limitations: no permanent structure changes, no drilling into walls, no outrageous wall colors and no expensive electronics or appliances should be placed in rooms. If you’re not sure, please ask.

Not only will competitors have a chance to wow the residents, they are also invited to join them for a cookout at 5 p.m.

The public has a chance to get in on the fun, too, and will be able to tour the building from 6 – 8 p.m., and vote on their favorite room makeover. Votes can be purchased for $1 per vote and the winning team will receive a trophy and a prize.

According to the Salvation Army Website, The Salvation Army’s Shelter in Fayetteville can assist up to 100 people per night, giving temporary shelter and counseling to destitute people. The facility provides shelter, necessities, strict discipline and spiritual guidance while encouraging individuals to find a job. They are taught budgeting along with other essential life skills in an atmosphere of love and concern.

Through the shelter, The Salvation Army is reaching out to people like Arthur, a shelter resident: “I prayed for God to take my life because of my addiction, but instead he guided me to The Salvation Army. The Army helped put God back into my life and taught me how to develop relationships with people I didn’t think I could be close with.”

It only takes a few minutes with Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB) Director David Griffi n and Operations Manager Gideon Adams to understand that they are passionate about their work, and perhaps more importantly, they are practical about it,too.

In their business, they have to be.

In an organization that feeds more than 90,000 people every month, practicality is key to surviving. Citizens of Bladen, Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, Robeson and Sampson counties count on the donations of individuals and organizations to stave off hunger every day. Like many non-profi ts, things can be tough even during the best of times. With things the way they are now, the staff of the SHFB fi nds itself in the position of facing a growing need and a declining base from which to draw donations.

From Aug. 1 to Sept. 30, they are pulling out all the stops to raise awareness, have a little fun and reach out to the community to educate it about practical ways to help feed our neighbors.

“The face of hunger is changing,” said Griffi n. “It used to be mostly homeless people, and this is still an issue for them, but now we are seeing more and more working-class and middle-class people who are struggling.”Griffi n explained that often a person will get laid off but they still have the same nice car, live in the same house and wear the nice clothes that are already in their closet. The problem isn’t about those things, rather it’s now about making hard choices. They often have to choose between paying the rent or light bill and buying groceries.

Having children in the family adds to the burden. The same is true for many elderly. Costs continue to rise but their income doesn’t. Griffi n noted that many of these people were used to paying their own way and taking care of their own needs, but now they are struggling and they don’t always know where to go or how to ask for help.

“When someone is hungry it affects so much about the way they function,” said Adams. “It affects how well they can think and concentrate, which can be devastating for students, as well as the kind of risky behaviors they may choose to become involved in. We do what we can to make a difference, but it is diffi cult to reach everyone. The need is so great.”

There are four events remaining in the Hunger Days Campaign, and of course, contributions and donations are appreciated anytime. On Saturday, Aug. 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., check out the SHFB Open House at 406 Deep Creek Rd. Learn how the food bank operates and enjoy food, games, activities and entertainment. Member agencies, elected offi cials and individuals are all invited.

On Thursday, Aug. 18, there will be a Strike Out Hunger Bowl-A-Thon at B&B Lanes from 2-9 p.m. It’s not too late to register or sponsor a team. There will be a 50/50 raffl e and prizes will be awarded for different categories of entries. Sign up with your four-person team, enjoy an afternoon bowling with your friends or colleagues, and help SHFB raise money to fi ght hunger in our community.

The Strike-Out Hunger Bowl-A-Thon will consist of teams of four bowlers who will have the opportunity to bowl for 1 hour and 45 minutes. There will be a maximum of 69 teams for this event, so make sure you register today! The cost per team is $150.

On Friday, Sept. 16, the 3rd Annual Driving Out Hunger Invitational Golf Tournament will be played at Baywood Golf Club. Registration starts at 8 a.m. followed by a 9 a.m. shotgun start. Registration is $300 per team or $75 for individual entries and includes transportation, round of golf, cart and lunch. For information or to download registration forms, visit www.drivingouthunger.net/tournament.htm.

The Tackle Hunger Video Game Tournament will take place on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 2–6 p.m. at the SHFB parking lot. Registered participants will play Madden 2012 for a chance to win prizes and claim the Tackle Hunger Champion title.

Sponsorships are available for all of the events above. To register for any of these events, find out how you can help volunteer, or to find out more about these events, visit www.hungerdays.org or call 485-6923.

Second Harvest Food Bank Has Far Reach In the Community

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina is a program of Cumberland Community Action Program, Inc. CCAP is a private, non-profit corporation whose express purpose is to “improve the education and economic opportunities, living environment and general welfare of the people.”

The food bank was established in 1982, and became an affiliate of Feeding America in 1994. It is one of seven certifi ed affliates of Feeding America located in North Carolina, covering all 100 counties.

The food bank provides nutritious food to those at risk of hunger through a network of over 200 non-profit members. There are over 200,000 individuals, or 18 percent, at risk of hunger within the seven counties the partner agencies call home.

The Mission

• Feed the hungry by retrieving unmarketable, yet wholesome, surplus food from major industries.

• Solicit public and private donations. Eliminate food waste by acting as a clearinghouse for all foods received through Feeding America food industries or food drives.

• Judiciously distribute food and grocery products to service our network of member non-profi t agencies; these agencies provide on-site and emergency feeding to those in need.

• Formulate a bond between local food industry, other non-profi ts and the Food Bank.

• Develop and follow plans which advocate resolutions to ending hunger.

The Programs

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina works to eliminate the cycle of hunger through a wide range of programs and services. They are achieved through our member agencies and local, state, and national partners.

• Back Pack Program - provides wholesome and nutritious food to elementary school students. Each Friday, selected students receive enough food for the weekend to supplement meals otherwise not available.

• Emergency Food Assistance Program – distributes surplus food from the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture to low-income families and individuals.

• State Nutritional Assistance Program – Allows the food bank to purchase products that are normally not found in regular donations.

• Nonfood Program – the food bank receives donations such as bikes, furniture, clothing and other nonfood items from Target/WalMart Distribution Center.

• Volunteer Program – Partnerships with local and state agencies provide volunteer and community opportunities to individuals and families.

• Grocery Retail Program – This program rescues edible foods such as meat, deli and produce from grocery stores.

• Salvage Program – The Food Bank receives and distributes donations from retail stores and reclamation centers. The products are inspected to ensure they are edible and safe for consumption. 

It’s been an interesting couple of weeks at the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce. Most have read an article that appeared in the Sunday, June 24, edition of the Fayetteville Observer that criticizes the work of the Chamber’s Economic Development team and the business leaders who make up our volunteer leadership, as well as recent hirings that have taken place.

In the midst of all of this, it’s easy to get distracted from what the Chamber of Commerce does in our community. I’d like to take this opportunity to explain some of the recent complaints and to let you know what your Chamber actually does.

The Chamber essentially operates as two entities in one. Our Economic Development team is tasked with helping grow current businesses in the community, and also with helping attract new ones to the area. The Observer article focused mainly on what this team does, and what some officials feel they haven’t been doing.

Our other “entity” is the Chamber of Commerce itself. That team is tasked with helping cultivate a thriving business climate within our area, through advocacy, development, networking and a variety of other tasks. It’s not a simple explanation when answering the “What does the Chamber do?” question, as we do whatever it takes to help grow the environment in which our businesses succeed.

The Chamber staff (but, importantly, not the Economic Development staff) has been reduced in recent years, as part of belt-tightening and efficient business practice measures. You may have read about a handful of recent additions to the Chamber team and it’s understandable that you’d question how we could rationalize hiring several new people when we are saying times are tough. But in actuality, those six people really just replaced six others who have left the organization since April. Two of the six vacancies were brought by relocation to other communities. Three moved on to advance their careers. One position was eliminated in order to redirect our resources in support of our Program of Work.

None of these staff additions were frivolous, all are supported by the Chamber’s current operating budget, and none are reflected on the Economic Development side of the Chamber’s unifi ed effort. In short, the Chamber has learned to do more with less, just as many companies and not-for-profi ts have been forced to do.

Our Economic Development team is tasked with a huge effort. In fi nancially diffi cult times, this crew has been asked to help recruit businesses into our area. Each and every one of you has been impacted by the fi nancial downturn of the past several years, and it’s easy to understand how diffi cult Economic Development as a whole can be in that climate. In spite of these challenges, we’ve helped in efforts that have seen over 5,000 new jobs created in the last year.

And no, we can’t take all the credit for that by any stretch of the imagination. It’s the collective efforts of many groups coming together that make these situations possible. We didn’t have a direct hand in getting every new job in the area, but that’s not what our task at hand is. We’re tasked with helping to create an environment that makes it easier for any business to thrive here. Whether they’ve been drawn here by the Chamber of Commerce, military growth, or any other reason isn’t relevant. Our organization is thrilled any time we see job growth here, no matter who was responsible for it.

Without question, the Chamber can always do more. We know that, and we’re committed to it. Consider the state of the national and world economy – both factors far beyond our local control. Given the absolute bleeding of jobs in other communities, our economic climate is trending forward and in today’s environment, even holding your ground is pretty good. Our economy is actually growing.

If you get nothing else from this, know that your Chamber of Commerce is here for the businesses in our community. Our mission statement sums this up well. “We strive to improve quality of life by creating wealth, jobs and investment in our community.” We are committed to that mission
wholeheartedly and look forward to continued success ahead.