For many of us, living within a budget is not a new concept. We do it every day. At my house, I know to the penny how much money comes in, how much goes out and how much wiggle room we have. This is not a new concept, but with the ongoing budget debacle in Washington and in Raleigh, it seems as if it is.

If the majority of us as normal everyday citizens were to run our homes and families the way our political leaders have been running the country, we too would be bankrupt. But most of us tend to understand the concept that you can’t spend what you don’t have (or at least what you can’t afford to pay back).

I think the problem in dealing with the amount of money our government (local and national) deals with is that it ceases to become real and instead becomes more like, oh, I don’t know — Monopoly money.

Think about it. If you’ve ever played Monopoly, you don’t mind paying thousands of dollars on a piece of property that just might pay off for you later in the game. Because in Monopoly if you spend all of your money, you can always sell your land (or in the case of my son, steal money from the bank). In Monopoly, we realize that the money isn’t real, so we act foolishly with it. We gamble on the chance that our ship might come in.

Unfortunately, the leaders we’ve trusted to take care of our nation’s financial well-being have been making the same gamble, but with people who don’t necessarily have our best interest at heart.

When I play Monopoly with my son, if he gets into the hole a little too deep, I give him money from the pot. I don’t see China (our biggest lien holder) being that compassionate. And so instead of taking a proactive approach to our budget woes, our leaders have instead continued to borrow and spend. It’s a vicious cycle that gets you nowhere fast.

It seems that the light bulb has gone on in Washington and Raleigh, but there are still a lot of people in the dark. Don’t believe me? Then why is it April and the United States still doesn’t have an approved budget. Why is it that everyone is watching the clock tick away until April 8 to see if a compromise can be reached or whether or not hundreds of thousands of government employees will go home?

Why is it in Raleigh that instead of sitting down at the table and making realistic cuts and compromises that will benefit the entire state, patisan agendas are being pushed to the forefront?

It kind of reminds me of that old saying — “the light’s on, but nobody’s home.”

So while our political leaders haggle and try to build a compromise that they can live with, teachers are being fired, class sizes are expanding and money that we don’t have is being spent on programs that really haven’t changed anything in the past 65 years.

It’s time for a new approach in the way Americans, and particularly our leaders, look at money.

If you don’t have it, don’t spend it.

Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.

The clock is ticking.

We all are watching.

This isn’t Monopoly, and the money you are playing with isn’t yours. Spend it wisely, or be gone next year.

Battle: Los Angeles  (Rated PG)     3 Stars

Yes, we can all agree that Skyline was awesome, or, at the very least, awesomely bad. It was an honest B-movie filled with D-List actors with no pretensions to greatness. Battle: Los Angeles (116 minutes) is the film that the special effects guys Greg and Colin Strause worked on before/during/after creating Skyline. Sony Pictures Entertainment planned to sue when their movie came out before Battle: Los Angeles, with the idea that the Strause Brothers had gotten their ideas while doing the special effects for this other movie. Well, both movies employ the ever-popular, ever irritating, cinema verite shaky cam. Both films focus on an alien invasion in La La land. Beyond that, the films are pretty different. I would say that Skyline is an enjoyable, nerd-friendly monster flick while Battlefield: Los Angeles is a one-dimensional action movie with sci-fi trimmings.

In August of 2011 gas prices in California will apparently settle around $2.96 per regular gallon. So we have that to look forward to. Also, there will be meteors that turn out to not be meteors, but aliens. Much like Independence Daythe government brain trust figures that out when the so-called meteors start slowing down.

Some U.S. Marine beefcakes assemble at Camp Pendleton to get their marching orders, while the exposition fairy sprinkles backstory over their uniformed heads. Our hero-by-default is Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (Aaron Echkart). Nantz is getting ready to retire (Of course. Of course he is.) when he is called back into action by the alien invasion.

Gosh, there sure are a lot of dudes in the Marines. Except that one blonde girl with the nice smile and the freckles, but she is basically playing the role of the one lady in uniform from the “Citizen Soldier” video, so it’s not like we’re gonna see her again.

So, anyway, there are hostile aliens. The government, reasoning that California’s economy sucks anyway, decides to nuke the coast, killing the alien invaders and balancing the budget with a single stroke. Whoops … that’s how I pictured it working out. Instead, they send a handful of Marines with mental health issues to rescue hypothetical civilians from the LAPD. Their mission has a three-hour time limit, but instead of a helicopter drop to a nearby location, they head in on foot and start looking at shiny things.

They make enemy contact several times and finally settle in to figure out what has gone wrong with their strategy of walking straight down the middle of the street making lots of noise. Arriving just in time to help them figure out that particular mystery is an Air Force Intelligence Technical Sergeant Elena Santos (Michelle Rodriguez). They regroup and head to the police station where they find a grand total of five civilians. Which, really? That hardly seems worth the effort, even if one of the civvies is played by Bridget Moynahan. After all, the other one is played by Michael Pena, and his skill set is pretty much limited to looking befuddled. See if you can guess which one survives and which one is used for an emotionally manipulative death scene!

The plot begins to wander at this point. The movie goes on, which I’m gonna blame on the writers having no idea how to end it. If you can picture enjoying Black Hawk Down with aliens instead of insurgents, this one’s for you. If not, then do yourself a favor and rent Skyline.

Music is no stranger to change. Changes can occur with record label executives, producers, managers, and even band managers. It is no surprise for fans to read online or see on television that their favorite bands have broken up. It has happened with music groups from all musical genres; like the R&B group Destiny’s Child, the teenage girl group Dream, and the rock band Blink 182. In the music industry, this is common.

However, it is not very common for members of the same group to get back together and create a new group; still able to maintain the sound that made them popular the first go around.

Well, both of these scenarios are true for the band The Orchestra. On April 16 Fayetteville will get to witness this amazing groups talent when they come to the Crown Arena. The show is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., and ticket prices range from $23 to $37.

Members of The Orchestra are made up the former rock band ELO and Electric Light Orchestra Part II. ELO was a British rock group that originated in the UK. The group released eleven studio albums and won numerous awards, including the international level. Although the group originated in the UK, the group reached more success in the United States. The group earned the nickname “The English guys with the big fiddles.” Although ELO separated, some of the members regrouped as The Orchestra. A name that “acknowledges each band member’s illustrious former membership with the Electric Light Orchestra and/or Electric Light Orchestra Part II.” Their new name also “forges ahead a future utilizing the spectacular symphonic rock sound for which they are unequalled.”

The Orchestra consist of six band members, their front man, Kelly Groucutt, suffered from a massive heart attack, that took his life. He was the seventh member. The Orchestra’s sound reaches back into the “70s and 80s with the Electric Light Orchestra,” and dates with the current sound they accomplished in 2001, while still with ELO Part II.

During their show, the band will perform songs from their latest album (2009) Anthology - 20 Years And Counting as well as their 2001 album No Rewind along with many of their other hits. The Orchestra recorded No Rewind over “a two-and-a-half year period, and are proud because no money was used to record the album from the recording studio.” Fans have stated that No Rewind is an album that you will want to Replay every time.”

Fans have been well receptive to the new group and their new sound. So, it is no coincidence that when The Orchestra comes to the Crown Arena on April 16, Fayetteville is scheduled to see a treat.

Photo: The Orchestra featuring the former members of ELO will perform at the Crown on April 16.

The days are near when we’ll wake up one sunny Saturday morning, open all the windows in our homes to let the winter out and the warm weather in as we begin our annual weekend of “Spring Cleaning.” Nothing brightens my day more than those first few mornings of Spring when the birds are cheerfully chirping, the smell of fresh cut grass is in the air and I pack my UGGs away until next Fall.

Spring cleaning can be liberating; tossing out worn shoes or a blouse I haven’t worn in three years but held on to for those “just in case” moments. Even the smell of lemon Pledge and the swoosh of the broom seem exciting.

Now don’t get me wrong, usually these kinds of chores don’t excite me in the least! I am always “on the go,” and rarely home on the weekends cleaning. Maybe it’s the excitement of shedding that winter weight packed on by snow and ice, grey skies and colds that leave me looking so forward to Spring, or maybe it’s the idea of people who are out and about in parks and streets, window shopping, sitting on decks popping open an ice-cold Corona that lend to my spring daydreams.

Whatever the reason, Spring is a time for renewal, for beginning again, for waking up and getting out! And what better way to start “fresh,” than adding something positive to your life, experiencing new activities, meeting new people and just having a good time? This Spring, the Fayetteville Young Professionals are doing a little “spring cleaning,” of our own! Our committees have been bustling about to create exciting new social outings, professional development seminars and meet-ups just for you!

On April 9, FYP is off to the 60th Annual Stoneybrook Steeplechase for our Second Annual “Just Horse’n Around” day at the races! Come out with us and enjoy an afternoon of fun in the sun! We will meet at 8 a.m. at It’z Entertainment City for an early breakfast, load the bus at 9 a.m. and off to the race we go for a full day of horse exhibits and racing, tailgating and contests you won’t want to miss! Ladies, don your best southern-belle hats and sundresses! Gentlemen, don your sleekest linen or seer-sucker suits! (Visit www.fayyp.org to sign-up for the race).

Also, join us Saturday, April 16 for a full day of festivities. First, for you early risers, join the FYP team as we participate in Fayetteville Beautiful’s Citywide Cleanup by picking up trash in our downtown area. Then join us that evening at Re-Store Warehouse’s annual Recycled Art Show. Come out and enjoy artwork from local artists and amateurs and see the awesome things people can create from well, let’s be honest, trash. The Re-Store Warehouse gives back to our community in so many huge ways, so come out and show your support for all that they do. Hors d’oeuvres will be served. (Email social@fayyp.org to sign up for one or both events).

On Saturday, May 14, from 5-8 p.m. the Omni gym will host FYP Adult Field Day. That’s right! You’ve been asking for it, and here it is. Join us again for this fun evening of three-legged races, dizzy-bat and bouncy house obstacle courses. May the best team win! (Email social@fayyp.org to sign up)

What are you waiting for? If you have just moved to the Fayetteville area, and feel like “there are no young people my age here,” or just spent your winter huddled indoors at home, then thank goodness you are reading this article and thank goodness you’re in time for the Spring festivities! Don’t wait another minute! As I said earlier, Spring is here! It’s “out with the old and in with the new!” Make the Fayetteville Young Professionals a part of YOUR new beginning and I guarantee you’ll be glad you did!

To become a member of FYP, please visit: www.fayyp. org. For questions, please email chair@fayyp.org.

Thespians in Fayetteville don’t have to look too far to find a place to show off their talents. Between the Cape Fear Regional Theater, the Gilbert Theatre, the several strong performing- arts departments at the collegiate level and the River Valley Players, to name a few, opportunities abound for both performers and patrons of theater.

Jimmy Skenteris, owner of the Haymont Grill, is teaming up with the River Valley Players to bring Fayetteville a dinner theater experience that will surely impress.

“We have four shows booked up there this year,” said Gerry Cruze, founding member and director of the River Valley Players. “They are offering us the place for our performances and that is really, really good for us. We are glad to have the support.”

The River Valley Players are set to perform at their new theatrical “home,” on April 15 and 16, opening the season with Not The Wizard of Oz.

This particular piece came about when the group was trying to decide what they would perform this season.

“We looked through several scripts and none of them jumped at us, so we all made different suggestions,” said Cruze “Then one of our members, Dale Kalinowski, took them and compiled the whole thing and wrote a script. It is and original script in the process of being copyrighted. It is still kid-friendly, but we try to sort of include some local or current comments where appropriate in this production.”

For $25 the patrons receive a meal of chicken or steak, a tossed salad, potatoes, a vegetable medley, iced tea and dessert and an evening of entertainment. There will be a cash bar available as well.

Funds from this performance will be used to finance the upcoming productions for the group. All funds from the next three performances will be put back into the community through charitable donations. It is this charitable mind set that has driven the River Valley Players from their earliest days.

What started out years ago as a chorus in the radiology department at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center has grown over time into an independent theatrical company whose sole purpose is to raise money for local charities — and have fun in the process.

“It started the year Katrina came through. I was working at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. We had a chorus in the radiology department and we would go around and sing to the kids and adults in the hospital,” said Cruze. “Then Katrina came through and we thought it would be nice to do something as a fundraiser. The folks at Cape Fear Regional Theatre were kind enough to let us use the facility for a reduced rate and we put on a variety show and raised $3,000 for kids that had been displaced by Katrina. That is what planted the seed.”

Three years later, in 2008, the group incorporated into a 501c3 public charity and they’ve been performing around town ever since. One of the biggest challenges that the group faces is that they don’t have a space to call their own, thankfully different events and businesses have provided space along the way, although they hope to have a building to call their own at some point in the future. Until then, they practice at the library and perform wherever they can, storing props and costumes in a rented storage unit. That’s why this dinner theater is such a big deal for them, to have a consistent place to perform and build their audience means a lot to the group.

On June 4 and 5 look for A Salute to Our Military. Proceeds from this production will benefit the Wounded Warrior Fund. August 19 and 20 the group will perform a series of short skits including a past favorite called Revenge of the Red Feathered Ladies. The group will end their season with performances of their Christmas Show on Dec 9 and 10.

Call 858-2237 to purchase tickets and make reservations. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Banquet Room of the Haymont Grill and Steak House. Visit www. therivervalleyplayersnc.org. to find out more.

Photo: The River Valley Players perform at A Dickens Holiday.

Few things are as all encompassing as being a parent. From healthcare to education, healthy food to helpful gadgets, getting that squirming bundle of joy safely to adulthood takes time, effort, tons of love and well, let’s just say it ain’t cheap. So in the name of good networking, education, saving money, encouraging one another and making life a little easier for all the over-extended moms out there who are doing their best to raise happy, healthy, well-adjusted kids, there is a new gig in town. It’s called It’s a Mommy-A-Fair, which is a new and exciting consumer show for parents, grandparents, caregivers and even kids.

The goal is to provide information in the areas of nutrition, health, fi tness, education, safety, childcare and other important products and services.

On April 16 and 17, It’s a Mommy-A-Fair: From Birth and Beyond will be at the Crown Expo Center packed with vendors offering information and products designed to make things a little easier for moms and moms-to-be. There will be things that make life more effi cient and just plain better for junior too, which is always a good thing for mom.

Frances Scott, a journalist, blogger on parenting issues and mother of three will be the Grand Marshall of the event.

The organizers haven’t forgotten the wisdom in the adage “If Momma ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy” and are including vendors and events that are sure to make mom feel special.

“The Cape Fear region is home to a large number of families with young children,” said new mom and Event Marketing & Operations Manager Dani Durante. “We wanted to offer families a place where they could come and learn about the products and services that are available right here in our community. As a parent, I know how hard it is to fi nd out what information is available in this area. It’s a Mommy-A-Fair offers parents and children that information in a fun-fi lled atmosphere.”

On Saturday, the seminars start at 11 a.m. and run through 5 p.m. Visitors to Mommy-A-Fair will hear about things like optomology, potty training, facial anti-aging, non-surgical options for a facial plastic surgeon and everything you wanted to know about pregnancy but were afraid to ask your doctor.

On stage, look for demonstrations about fi tness, gymnastics and there will be some games too. One of the highlights of the day will be the Q98 Diaper Dash and Parent Olympics.

Sunday’s seminars open at 11 a.m. and are scheduled to include topics like optomology, cloth diapers, hair laser: removal and regrowth and new advances in long-term contraception. Look for Zumba and fi tness topics to dominate the stage Sunday morning as well, but the afternoon will be fi lled with kid-friendly events like a presentation by Snyder Music Academy, a rolling video game arcade and magic shows that are sure to impress the little ones.

“There are just so many things to be excited about. There is so much that will be happening on stage,” said Durante. “The chance to have the seminars and to be able to listen to the professionals and then talk with them about topics that are interesting to moms is a really important part of the experience we are trying to provide too.”

Vendors will include many of the area’s businesses that provide services ranging from 3-D ultrasound to autism consulting, kids camp, birth classes, childcare, medical and dental care, educational resources, entertainment, speech therapy, support groups and services and more.

There will be plenty of products to peruse and purchase, too. Look for things like stork signs, potty training and diaper products, kids clothes, jewelry, fragrances, fun, creative purses and bags and more.

Feel free to bring the kids. They are sure to enjoy the face painting and games that will be provided. This event was planned with kids in mind, making it easier and more fun for everyone.

“Being a mom myself, I think it will be fun to be able to look around and then be able to give the kids a break at the games so they can enjoy the day too,” said Durante.

Saturday the doors open at 10 a.m. and patrons are welcome to stay until the doors close at 6 p.m. Sunday the doors open at 11 a.m. and things will wind down at 5 p.m. Regular admission is $7. Kids 10 and under are free and grandparents can get in for $5.

Find out more details at www.itsamommy-a-fair.com or visit them on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ pages/Its-a-Mommy-AFair/ 169677953077531

A Station Wagon Girl

Like any parent, I am excited by the arrival of my latest baby — Station Wagon # 7!

I suspected she — all my wagons have been shes, except the last one which was defi nitely a he — was coming when SW # 6 was well into six fi gure mileage and needed a set of large and expensive new tires. Instead of committing for another 50,000 miles or so, I left him forlornly on a car dealer’s lot and drove away in my new baby, sad about leaving behind what felt like a dear old friend but anxious to get to know my new one.

I know now that I will meet my maker as a station-wagon owner for two simple reasons. I love being able to pop open the back door and toss in my belongings, and because today’s popular SUVs are a bear to crawl in and out of if one is wearing a skirt.

The only real question is what number it will be.

I have not always been a station-wagon girl, though.

I got my first car at 16, not so much because my parents were wildly generous as because my mother worked in the family business and needed me to drive my sister around. It was a used lemon-yellow Corvair, the car Ralph Nader called “unsafe at any speed,” because it had the motor in the trunk and nothing in front but space. I loved it! But I could not drive the darn thing. It had what was called “four on the fl oor” with a clutch so sensitive everyone who ever drove it leapt for several blocks. My long-suffering father tried to teach me to drive it, but he finally gave up in exasperation on a quiet Haymount street with these words. “Margaret, I love, you but I cannot stand it anymore. I am going to walk home and call your best friend to come get you.”

He did and she did.

She eventually taught me how to drive my Corvair during one long Sunday afternoon in a deserted parking lot.

The next car which lasted through college was a giant lemon-yellow (again!) convertible, mercifully equipped with an automatic transmission. I loved this one, too, because I could cram in five or more friends, but it also had an issue. Sometimes it would not turn off, even when you took the keys out. The world must have been a safer place in those days, because I often just got out and left it running. No one ever took it, but it did once run out of gas.

Post college, I had a blue Cougar with a white vinyl roof. By this time, cars were less exciting and more functional, and this one was fine although I did not love it. I particularly did not love it when it was stolen on a New York City street. New York’s finest assured me that it was “parts” within minutes of its departure, but they were wrong. It turned out to be one of the few stolen vehicles recovered that year and dirtier than any car I had ever seen. We picked it up from a Brooklyn impound lot and within 24 hours, the motor went up in flames.

Needless, to say, I traded it as soon as I could.

In succession came an Audi Fox (my first new car!), a Honda Civic and a diesel Rabbit. By that time, I was a mother so enter SW # 1, a diesel Oldsmobile, not representative of General Motors’ finest work. It was so loud, a friend once asked what was wrong with it.

Then came SW # 2, an Army Corps of Engineers blue Chevrolet, huge but with no pickup. That car self-combusted in front of VanStory Hills Elementary School, a surefire way to make a spectacle of oneself.

SW # 3 was a white Oldsmobile bought at auction, followed by my all time favorite, a Buick Roadmaster with fake wood paneling and big enough to move Ringling Brothers. By that time, the Precious Jewels were acquainted with the concept of “cool” which SW # 4 definitely was not. I tried to convince them that it was really a Corvette since it had the same engine, but they were not buying that. Apparently everyone else thought they were uncool, too, since those wonderful cars are no longer made.

SW # 5 and I had adventures too numerous to recount here, including another theft despite a legislative license plate, a concrete angel with a red bow around its neck shoved through the passenger window, and a fi nal fiery meltdown and demise in rural Canada.

The recently departed SW # 6, my only boy, is memorable because I did not fi t his demographic. Observers expected the driver to be Mr. T complete with gold chains and were universally startled when the driver turned out to be a middle aged woman in faux pearl earrings.

So, welcome SW # 7. We are still getting to know each other, but I look forward to many happy miles together. 

For most Americans, it’s nearly impossible to make it through four years of high school without having at least one healthy dose of William Shakespeare.

Of all of his famous works, the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet seems to be the one that more frequently appears in educational curriculums across the country. For those of you who cannot get enough of the world’s most famous love story, you’re going to love what’s coming to our area. On the other hand, if you aren’t familiar with this timeless-tale (where have you been?) read further. Your opportunity to catch up with us is coming and you don’t even have to read it!

The Russian National Ballet, which has performed to sold-out audiences nationwide, is returning to Givens Performing Arts Center (GPAC) on Thursday, April 14 to perform its unique spin on Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. The story is one of forbidden love, as the children of rivaling families meet, fall in love, then succumb to untimely deaths.

The story is one full of romance, fear, murder and suicide.

The Russian National Ballet was founded in Moscow in the late 1980s during the transitional time of Perestroika (Soviet Union reconstruction period). It consists of nearly 50 dancers well-known for their performances of classical ballet. Its principal dancers hail from the upper ranks of some of Russia’s most renowned ballet companies and academies.

When asked about the popularity of past ballet performances, Tasha Oxendine, marketing director for GPAC responded, “We have hosted the Russian National Ballet on several occasions. We have also welcomed the Moscow Ballet and the St. Petersburg Ballet.

“Our patrons enjoy the ballet and the performances are very well received. We also have a good number of parents who bring their daughters or little girls to see the performances. Last year we actually had a number of little girls who wore their ballet tutus to the performance,” she continued. “It is very special for us to see the excitement in their little eyes as they watch such a regal performance on stage for the first time.”

For those unfamiliar with GPAC, Oxendine explained, “We are the premier theatre in Southeastern N.C. We offer the Professional Artist Series which includes the Broadway and More Series, The Nostalgia Concert Series, the On Stage For Youth Series, and The Distinguished Speaker Series. Our Broadway series includes the Off-Broadway tour. We work to keep ticket prices affordable.

“For some of the shows you may see some of the same actors that were on stage in Broadway,” she explained. “This season we welcomed The Color Purple and Spring Awakening. Both were huge Broadway hits and well received here at GPAC. Next season is going to be grand as well. The line-up will be released in the summer.”

Tickets for the show are: $30, $25, $15 and $12 for children and students and can be purchased at the GPAC box offi ce at 910-521-6361 or 800-367-0778. More information can also be found by visiting their website at www.uncp.edu/gpac.

PHOTO:The Russian National Ballet, which has performed to soldoutaudiences nationwide, is returning to Givens Performing Arts Center (GPAC).

“Kinetic military action, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing.” as Edwin Starr once almost sang in a different context a few short decades ago. “Finish your fi rst two wars before you start a third war” as my sainted Mother would say. You may have noticed, things that your own Mother told you have a way of sticking around in the back of the old cerebral cortex despite your best earlier efforts to ignore everything she said to you. Quoth my Mother, “You can’t have desert until you finish your vegetables.” “Make up your bed.” “Always close the kitchen drawer after you open it so you won’t spill things into it.” “Procrastination is the thief of both time and money.” “Brush your fi shy teeth.” You get the picture. It’s your Mother’s voice in the back of your head that you will hear the rest of your life until you fi nally fi nd out what’s behind the light at the end of the tunnel. “Finish what you started before starting something new.” She would not be pleased with our third Muslim war.

I watched President Obi’s recent address to the nation explaining why we needed to make like Pat Boone and use the friendly persuasion of A-10 Warthog attack planes to nuance Moammar el Gaddaffy Duck out of Libya. I kept hoping President Obi would convince me we should be bombing Libya. As George Orwell said “War is Peace.” Could I stop worrying and learn to love the bomb, like Dr. Strangelove counseled? If NATO lightly roasts Gaddaffy with a basting of napalm into a Libyan version of the old Girl Scout favorite Somoammars, will we all end up singing around the campfi re of democracy?

As I watched the President I thought, please Obi, do your magical word thing. Make me believe. Convince me. Let your overarching wisdom pour down on me like the cooling radioactive rain over the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors in Japan. I prayed I wouldn’t fi nd myself in agreement with the crazy talking heads on Fox TV that the Libyan war was a double plus ungood idea. Alas, my prayers went unanswered. The unthinkable happened. I found myself agreeing with Republican Presidential candidates that our latest Libyan war was less than a most excellent adventure. The horror. The horror. Surely I couldn’t be in agreement with Newt Gingrich’s most recent fl ip fl op against the Libyan war. How could I have fallen so low as to agree with the Newtster? I cringed in shame. What was I missing? Had I dropped into some black hole of twisted Neo-Con anti-anything Obama radioactive cess pool of bitterness? Have I been eating too much Japanese sushi with Plutonium and Cesium sauce? What is disrupting my thought patterns? How can I be agreeing with the Republicans on this issue?

Who are the Libyan rebels we are now allied with? As Butch Cassidy once said to the Sundance Kid, “Who are those guys?” What do we know about them? Will the Libyan rebels turn out like the mujahideen in Afghanistan and morph into an unpleasant Libyan version of Al Qaeda?

As I watched Obi’s speech, realizing I wasn’t buying what he was selling, my confusion grew. I thought of George Washington’s band playing “The World Turned Upside Down” as Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. What will happen next, will I fi nd myself agreeing with Crazy Joe Lieberman that we need to bomb Syria to help the citizens who are protesting against Assad? Do we need to bomb Yemen and Saudi Arabia to help out democracy there? Is there any Muslim country we shouldn’t bomb back into the Stone Age so we can rebuild it with borrowed money from the Chinese back into a paragon of peace, love and democracy? Can we make the Shiites, Sunnis, Alawites, Stalactites and the Uptites link arms and sing Kum Bay Ya by blowing up their cities? Does love have to hurt? Crazy Joe Lieberman thinks so.

Despite our silver tongued President’s best efforts, I am not convinced we need to keep invading Muslim countries even though it seems like a good idea at the time. What would Charlie Sheen do?

“The earliest years of childhood are critical. Experiences during this time literally shape the structure of the brain. Because today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, parents and workers, everyone has a stake in making sure that all children have the experiences they need to thrive.”

Those are the words that are emblazoned across the Smart Start website. They are also words that North Carolinians need to take to heart, and North Carolina leaders need to ponder over as they make decisions concerning the funding of the Smart Start program.

Everyone needs to look at the achievements being made through programs directed to and affecting early childhood development here in Cumberland County and across our state.

Smart Start and More at Four are proven and timetested programs that have had positive, long-term effects on the development of children and their educational achievements. Those programs are now in jeopardy.

You might ask yourself what is Smart Start? In short, Smart Start is the state’s early childhood infrastructure. Smart Start local partnerships serve to bring stakeholders to assess local needs; ensure accountability; and leverage community, state and federal resources. Local partnerships have established community networks that bridge education, health services and family supports to best meet the needs of young children and their families.

The Smart Start network of 77 local partnerships serving all 100 North Carolina counties is the envy of the nation. Federal and private funders have invested millions of dollars in North Carolina’s early childhood system because Smart Start provides the network on the ground that is needed to produce effi cient and effective results.

The power of Smart Start is in its public/private partnership that mandates outcomes, while giving communities local control to determine the best approach to achieving them.

When state and local governments are focused on fi scal responsibility some tough decisions have to be made. These decisions should not be based on “fi scal desperation.” Young children are the innocent, bipartisan, foundation of our nation. Cuts in these programs are short sighted and devastating to the development of our children and our nation.

North Carolina’s Democratic leadership needs to man-up with the facts about the Partnership for Children and its progress. Governmental leaders need to look at the impact and success the organization has had in implementing these programs, rather than bantering over that weak redundant cliché “It’s for the children.”

Republicans need to get focused on what’s really important and stop fl exing their majority muscles while advocating a “onesize- fits-all” mentality when it comes to funding cuts directed at balancing North Carolina’s budget.

This is not an issue that needs to be determined along party lines. Both sides of the aisle in Raleigh need to focus on the existing and blatant waste, fraud and duplication of services that have a choke hold on the North Carolina taxpayer.

Smart Start: A Smart Move. We hope common sense and compassion prevails. We’ll soon see where our priorities are.

Thanks for reading.

Fayetteville City Councilman Bobby Hurst talks a lot of trash. But not in a bad way. Hurst, the chairman of the Fayetteville Beautiful Committee, is always ready to talk about his drive to make the community a better place by cleaning it up and getting rid of all the trash.

These days Hurst is particularly busy as the organization gears up for its annual Fayetteville Beautiful Citywide Clean-up that is scheduled for April 16. The day-long event brings people from all walks of life together to work toward one goal: beautifying our community by eliminating the rubbish that makes its ways to our city’s streets, side roads and fields.

Founded several years ago by Hurst and like-minded citizens, Fayetteville Beautiful’s goal is to encourage others to take greater responsibility for improving their environment.

The group looks at why people litter and where they litter. According to Hurst, people littler because:

• They don’t feel a sense of ownership;

• They believe someone else will pick it up; and

• They litter in areas where litter has already accumulated

Hurst believes the key to a long-term sustainable solution for a more beautiful Fayetteville is its success at changing individual behavior and attitudes about litter.

In order to change those attitudes, Hurst sees sweat equity as a big piece of the puzzle. The volunteers who come out each year for the cleanup themselves into the project. They go into areas where the litter index is the highest and walk the roads picking up the trash. The trademark orange bags dotting the roadside are a sign of the clean-up’s success.

Each year in the weeks prior to the clean-up, Hurst and several other key city leaders go out into the community to create the litter index. The index is a measurement tool that is essential to identifying and understanding the extent of the litter problem in Fayetteville. Designed by Keep America Beautiful for local communities, the index helps defi ne problem areas and then drive discussions about solutions.

Last year, the solution included the pick-up of 20,075 pounds of litter by more than 800 volunteers. Over the course of the past six years, almost 6,000 volunteers have banded together to make Fayetteville more beautiful one road at a time. Those volunteers have picked up 72 tons of litter spread across more than 250 miles of road.

But there is still more work to be done. Each year school groups, community groups and individuals come together for this campaign. This year, the call for volunteers is being sounded again. If you would like to be a part of this campaign to make Fayetteville Beautiful, you can register to volunteer by calling Lynn Hughes at 910-433-1587 or by completing the volunteer form at www.fayettevillebeautiful.com or signing up at the Fayetteville Beautiful page on Facebook.

Once a list of volunteers is generated, groups will be assigned a specific section of road. The assignments help to focus the clean-up in the most critical areas, rather than groups randomly picking spots to clean. This also allows the trucks to come by and pick up the trash once it is collected.

On the day of the event, volunteers should report to the kick-off at the entrance to the Martin Luther King Expressway on Ramsey Street. There, volunteers will receive, gloves, vests and trash bags, as well as receive encouragement from local leaders and thanks for their participation.

Fayetteville Beautiful is an affi liate of Keep America Beautiful.

(Photo, top right); Bobby Hurst, chairman of Fayetteville Beautiful, encourages volunteers at last year’s kick-off.

I’ve noticed that I rely more and more on my iPhone for my day to day and my traveling pleasure. This little device makes my life a little easier for my day to day life and now there are a few apps that make motorcycling a little easier. So I thought I would share a few of them with you.

AAA Roadside App is great if you have a break down. The best part of this app is that it displays your AAA card which is great when you are getting discounts at hotels.

Trip Journal was created more for hikers but has a very nice journal feature for documenting your trip. It allows you use Google Maps and Face Book your trip.

Greatest Road finds your location and will plot routes near you that other riders have uploaded to their site. This is great if you are just wanting to go for a drive and don’t know the area or looking for something a little different.

Motor Club is All-States App. This is the insurance company that is used by KOA membership.

MapQuest is a GPS program. This program does a good job of showing delays in traffic. When traffic is heavy it will display red lines on your route. This will help you decide if you want to find another route to your destination.

Bank Of America happens to be the bank that I use. Lots of banks have apps but the nice thing for the BOA app is that it will find you the nearest ATM.

Just Light is an app that is just that. It turns your phone into a little flash light. Handy when you are looking through your tank bag at night.

My Ride is the best app that I’ve found to track the maintenance of my motorcycles. It allows you to sort your bikes by pictures and stores lots of information from your bike’s information to safety checklist to maintenance log and much more.

Are you hungry for Chinese or Italian food? I use Siri to find what places and service I might need. This app helps you find restaurants, movies, events, local businesses, taxis, weather, Twitter and it will even let you set up reminders if you need it.

The Weather Channel. There are a lot of weather apps out there. I use a couple of them but The Weather Channel has the Doppler radar which is great when the rain is coming in. I use it to judge if I need find a place to park for a while like a dinner or something. It is always a great tool in deciding which direction you want to head based on upcoming temperatures. For example, this weekend I want to go to the mountains but it will be chilly for the most part so I’ve decided to explore the beach.

Vingo is an app that allows you to speak into the microphone to find a variety of information. This is handy if you have cloves on and need an address for something. For example, I say “find the Up and Coming”. It will then go to Google and give me the results. Two taps later I either have directions on my phone or a phone number to call there. It’s a great.

Weather. This app comes on the iPhone. It is a simple app that gives you the current temperature and upcoming forecast in a simple screen shot. It is one of the first things I look at when I wake up in the morning to decide how to dress for the day.

The Harley Davidson app has preloaded rides on it and the app will take you to either starting point of the trip or to the closest point from your location. I like these kinds of trips because I just ride. I know someone else has made the route but for me it is relaxing and think that if it was a good enough ride for someone to load up in a computer then it is probably a pretty good trip.

Maintenance Minder is another app for keeping track of your bike. I used it until I found the My Ride app but it is worth mentioning.

State Farm App. This app is good for locating hotels, gas, tow trucks, locksmiths and more. It gives you information on what to do after an accident, as well as holds your insurance information. There are other apps for insurance companies so check and see if your company has one for you.

My camera is awesome for most pictures. The iPhone has a 5 megapixel camera which is nice if you don’t want to carry a separate camera. It also has a built in video camera that does a decent job but the sound is not that great. .

As much as my iPhones does things I have not added a mount to replace it for my other tools. This is mainly because I use the Outerbox to protect it and it just does not fit the current mounting systems. The other thing about the iPhone is that during the summer it will tell you that it is too hot to operate. Once this summer I was at a stop and wanted to check my mail and had to actually put it in a freezer at the gas station. I asked the attendant if I could freeze my phone. Believe it or not, she knew why.

There are many apps and with the various platforms more and more are on the street every day. So keep looking for them. If you find a good one for riding please let me know about it.

If there is a topic that you would like to discuss you can contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!

RANGO (RATES PG)   3 STARS

I was looking forward to Rango (107 minutes) as a cute little animated comedy western. Then I realized that it was directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean). I mean, he looks good on paper and so does the Pirates trilogy; he just falls short on execution. I keep trying to watch his movies, but once you get beyond the pretty colors there isn’t much there worth re-watching. And with Johnny Depp in the lead role, why even bother? Although it was fun to watch him shift from Captain Jack Sparrow to the Mad Hatter to Willy Wonka to Don Juan DeMarco without ever really making it to Clint Eastwood or Gary Cooper.

A nameless pet chameleon with a weird neck and aspirations towards stage acting (Johnny Depp) is bounced from his aquarium because his owners are morons and failed to properly secure their pet when traveling. He meets an armadillo (Alfred Molina, channeling George Lopez) seeking the Spirit of the West. Armadillo sends him out to a desert town, and on his way he almost gets eaten by a hawk. It’s a cute character establishing scene that leads into a Dali-esque nightmare. Remember when Homer Simpson ate the Guatemalan Insanity Peppers? Yeah. Like that.

He wakes in a wash of water to the oddly appealing lizard Beans (Isla Fisher). She is a rancher’s daughter with an out-of-whack survival instinct that sends her into mini-comas at inconvenient moments, and she reminds me of when Bugs Bunny used to put on a wig and dress up as a girl bunny. She offers him a ride back to town in between working out her daddy issues, and nameless chameleon ends up in Dirt.

Not that he stays nameless for long! In scene reminiscent of Mickey Mouse’s “Brave Little Tailor” from 1938, our hero names himself Rango and brags that he has killed the seven Jenkins’ Brothers with one bullet. His hyperbole gets him the attention of the entire town, which is a bit risky and leads him into a bar fight with some local toughs (including Ray Winstone). Which in turn catches the attention of a hawk with a silver beak (raising the question … how can a hawk afford such a costly accessory?) He manages to evade and destroy the hawk by dropping a house on it and claiming its ruby slippers. At least I assume there were ruby slippers involved, because Gore Verbinksi is not all that original as a director.

Having established his reputation, Rango is taken to meet Mayor Tortoise John (Ned Beatty) and is appointed the new Sheriff. Beans then demands that he investigate the local water shortage. On his first night as Sheriff, Rango inadvertently makes the water shortage worse by sending Balthazar the Thieving Prairie Dog (Harry Dean Stanton) directly to the town’s only remaining water. Rango is finally forced to do some actual work, and he puts together a posse to go after the town’s water.

The posse tracks down the thieves by using the tunnels built underneath the town, and find the covered water cooler/safe at their Prairie Dog hideout. Following a pretty nifty chase scene that involved racing roosters and passenger bats, the posse captures their targets only to find out that the water was long gone before the water cooler was taken. Too bad Rattlesnake Jake (Bill Nighy) has returned to town before Rango can figure out what happened to the water.

Jake kicks Rango out of town and according to the Greek chorus of Mariachi Owls, he hits bottom. Luckily, the Spirit of the West (Timothy Olyphant channeling Clint Eastwood) helps him out, and he heads back to the town to call out the villain behind the water shortage.

Overall I didn’t mind sitting through it, and fans of Westerns (and Hollywood in general) will need more than two hands to count up all the movie references.

The Radiography Accelerated Non-Traditional Program offers students who are military trained or who have previously attended a hospital-based training program the opportunity to obtain an associate of applied science in radiography through an accelerated program of study. Students who enter this learning option also have the opportunity to sit for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) national certification examination if needed.

Eligible candidates are formally trained radiologic technologists who are currently employed in radiography with three years’ consecutive experience. All candidates must meet the program prerequisites and related courses in the curriculum prior to acceptance into the accelerated program, as well as meet the admissions requirements of Fayetteville Technical Community College.

Candidates may take prerequisite or related courses online through FTCC. Each accelerated course will be offered online with the exception of clinical courses. Candidates will have the opportunity to take a proficiency test on the first day of the online course. With a passing score, the student will be given credit for that course. If the score is not passing, the student will proceed in completing the course online for eight weeks. Clinical courses will be assigned a “portfolio” for completion of the course requirements.

Through the accelerated non-traditional option in radiography, candidates can receive an associate degree in only one year. This accelerated program is designed to help candidates who are interested in continuing their education in a four-year baccalaureate degree program by allowing them an expedient way to complete their education quickly. Completing the associate degree at FTCC also helps students save on tuition costs, as tuition expenses at FTCC are less than those at four-year universities.

Learn more about FTCC and the accelerated non-traditional program of radiography at www.faytechcc.edu or call (910) 678-8264. 

PHOTO: The Radiography Accelerated Non-Traditional Program offers students who are military trained or who have previously attended a hospital-based training program the opportunity to obtain an associate of applied science in radiography through an accelerated program of study. 

When people hear the phrase “child sex traffi cking” it is quite likely that a Third-World country comes to mind, and not the streets of small town America. It’s sad, it’s dirty, it’s scary and it is a big problem right under our noses. According to International Crisis Aid:

• In 2009, a University of Pennsylvania study estimated nearly 300,000 youth in the United States were at risk of being sexually exploited for commercial uses — “most of them runaways or thrown-aways,” said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

• Almost 300,000 American children are at risk for traffi cking into the sex industry, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of State.

• There are girls as young as 5 and 6 years old in the U.S. that are forced to do sexual acts for economic gain by their pimp, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

• In December 2007, research by the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice based on interviews with pimps and sexually exploited children in several U.S. cities found that most pimps manage one to three girls at a time and operate as follows:

• At least half appear to operate at the local level only.

• At least one quarter may be tied to city-wide crime rings (often engaged in drug sales as well as prostitution) and are constantly looking for new recruits.

• About 15 percent are tied to regional or national networks that are well financed and organized, in which the pimps communicate easily with one another electronically; provide support services such as recruitment, selection, indoctrination and movement of new girls; and occasionally assist in locating and disciplining girls who escape from other pimps.

• About 10 percent appear to be tied to international sex-crime networks and, through them, actively participate in the international traffi cking of children. Some pimps also are part of international drug networks and may use children to move drugs in to and across the U.S.

On April 8, the Methodist University, the Sociology, Social Work and Justice Studies Programs at Methodist University, Lyn and Michael Green, Christiane Thompson and Manna Church present the documentary Playground, in which Libby Spears, the director, investigates the domestic roots of the child-sex industry and seeks to raise awareness of the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

“One thing we’d like people to know is that this film has been praised for avoiding to sensationalize the issues of child traffi cking while still raising public awareness,” said Methodist University Professor of Sociology Dr. Vida Bajc. “That is really what we would like to achieve. It is not about blaming. It is not about sensationalizing, but rather thinking critically about this issue. By organizing such events we would like the community to understand that sociology is the study of social relations, social problems and social change. So we encourage our students to learn how to do critical analysis of social phenomena by making connections between local and the global issues so they can realize that when something happens locally it is always connected to larger global issues.”

Following the film, there will be a panel discussion featuring three experts:

Sharon W. Cooper, M.D., F.A.A.P, is a Forensic Pediatrician and Board member of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Cooper has been a pediatrician for more than 30 years and is the lead author of the most comprehensive text on child sexual exploitation and Internet crimes against children. She cares for victims of child pornography, cyber-enticement and prostitution.

Elzbieta M. Gozdziak, Ph.D. is the director of Research at the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University. She is also editor of International Migration, a scholarly journal devoted to research and policy analysis of contemporary issues affecting international migration, including human trafficking for sexual exploitation. She has published several articles on research on human traffi cking and on child victims of traffi cking for labor and sexual exploitation, including a special issue of International Migration on “Improving Data and Research on Human Traffi cking.”

Charity Magnuson is the director of N.C. Stop Human Traffi cking. She turned a website into an organization in 2009 and has been running nonstop ever since. She is a published author on human rights and development at Harvard University and on human-traffi cking issues in North Carolina. She has presented to thousands of people in her professional career in marketing and public relations and in her work as a human rights advocate.

The event starts at 6 p.m. at the Medical Lecture Hall, which is located at 5400 Ramsey St. Refreshments will be provided by The Fresh Cafe. This event is free and open to the public, but it should be noted that it does contain mature subject matter. Find out more at www.methodist. edu/sociology/events.htm

Fayetteville is home to many organizations and each organization holds a unique footprint in ourcommunity and adds personality to the community at the same time. The local SENCAIA — South Eastern North Carolina Asian Indian Association is one such organization.

Every year SENCAIA hosts the annual India Festival, donating all of the profits to a chosen charity each year. This year the festival will be held on April 9 at the Crown, and will feature authentic Indian cuisine, fusion Indo- Chinese dishes, Bollywood-themed performances, a live instrumental concert, live-cooking demonstrations, a fashion show and more.

Since 2005, SENCAIA has hosted the annual festival in Fayetteville, donating all proceedings to local charities such as Better Health for Cumberland County, Army Wives Association, armed forces, firefighters and the Boys and Girls clubs. To date the organization has donated $85,000 to these local charities.

According to SENCAIA member, Sharmila Udyavar, “The main purpose of this annual event is to create awareness about the Indian culture, adding to the great cultural diversity of Fayetteville, N.C.”

A range of vendors will also be on hand to display different cuisines of India varying from the street foods to delicacies full of exotic spices. For food lovers, there will be various live-cooking demonstrations throughout the day that will feature different Indian recipes. Other vendor booths will also offer a variety of spices typical to India, ethnic Indian wear, intriguing gold jewelry, arts and crafts and more.

No festival can be complete without some dance and music, and the India Festival has invited professional artists/ performers from different parts of the United States, and is even bringing on group of performers from India. These artists will display and array of folk dances, Bollywoodthemed dance numbers, classical and contemporary dances.

Overall, the goal of the festival is also to familiarize our community with various colors of the Indian culture, by focusing on the spirit of the local Indian population. Fayetteville indeed is a melting pot, full of wonderful surprises. The India Festival is an event not to be missed, as it takes you away to a world full of hospitality, delicious food, beautiful people and great bargains.

Since sponsors and vendors mostly fund the event, there is a small entry fee of $2 for adults and children under three are free. The fun starts at 11 a.m. and runs through 7 p.m. Call 438-4100 for more info.

PHOTOS: Dancers perform at the 2010 India Festival.

In 1955, something miraculous happened that would change the world of dance forever, and help shape race relations in the theatrical world. Arthur Mitchell, a Harlem native and African-American ballet dancer, was selected by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein to join the New York City Ballet. This historic occurrence in pre-Civil Rights America set the stage for many firsts by Mitchell, which changed the face and future of dance forever.

Shortly after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Mitchell and Karel Shook, the first teacher and ballet master of the Dutch National Ballet founded the Dance Theater Of Harlem which upheld and nurtured the idealism of the Civil-Rights Era.

With a less than auspicious start in a garage in Harlem, Mitchell threw himself heart and soul into the school, making it his goal to give the children of Harlem the same opportunities he was blessed with, and that spirit still lives on in the institution today, training more than 1,000 students annually.

The Dance Theater of Harlem has since gone on to tour internationally, receive countless awards and acclaim and is still the benchmark of success among aspiring dancers all over the world. At home or abroad, DTH is met with sold-out performances and accolades. After successfully returning to the United Kingdom in 2002 and 2004, DTH celebrated its 35th Anniversary with an extensive U.S. tour, followed by performances in Greece prior to the opening of the 2004 summer Olympics, and now Fayetteville State University is pleased to host this inspirational dance company.

Dr. Earnest Lamb, chair of the Department of Performing and Fine Arts at FSU realizes the importance of the arts in Fayetteville. “One of the priorities of Fayetteville State University is to become the cultural and intellectual center for city and region. The Fine Arts Series at Fayetteville State University helps realize this priority by bringing nationally recognized talent to campus for the benefi t of the entire community. The university is pleased to be able to bring the Dance Theater of Harlem for the cultural enrichment of Fayetteville,” said Lamb.

Lamb encourages the community to take advantage of this unique opportunity to see one of the most recognized dance companies in the world, while at the same time supporting the Department of Performing and Fine Arts at FSU. All proceeds from tickets to the event will go directly back into the department for future performances.

A free lecture/demonstration for students will be held April 4 at 9:30 a.m. This presentation will give students a glimpse into the lives of the dancers from rehearsal to performance.

The Dance Theater of Harlem will perform an evening of classic ballets at Fayetteville State University on Sunday, April 3 at 6 p.m. in the J.W. Seabrook Auditorium. A silent auction will begin at 5 p.m. Tickets are $50 general admission, $70 VIP single reserved seating and $120 VIP couple with reserved seating. Children and students with identifi cation will be admitted for $35. Tickets are available through the FSU Box Offi ce at 910-672-1724 or www.etix.com.

For more information about the event including silent auction items, please visit the Opus I website: http://www.uncfsu.edu/fah/opus.htm.

For more information about the Department of Performing and Fine Arts, please visit www.uncfsu.edu/fah or call 910-672-2143.

PHOTO: Members of the Dance Theater of Harlem perform.

It doesn’t take a lot of study to find that many Americans are not always vigilant about their health and taking care of themselves. Of course, there are a variety of reasons for this...laziness, lack of understanding, stressful lives, lack of funds for medical care, you name it. In many cases it doesn’t have to be that way. There are people and resources out there ready to encourage, educate and advocate for individuals in their quest for better health and a better quality of life — and to help get folks back on the road to better living.

Better Health is just one of those organizations. Its mission is to provide for the unmet healthcare needs of Cumberland County residents through assistance, referral and education. The organization seeks to “impact the quality of life for all Cumberland County residents, through a commitment to improving access and availability of health care services for the under-served, low-income resident.”

Better Health has been meeting that goal since 1958 and has no plans to stop anytime soon. It takes money though, and being a nonprofit, there never seems to be enough of it to go around.

On Saturday, April 9, Better Health is hosting its 14th Annual Evening at the Theater at Highland Country Club.

The entertainment “A Gleeful Evening at the Theater” features local musical theater talent, including students from Terry Sanford and Fayetteville Academy. The piece is produced and directed by Cassandra Vallery and will feature a wide range of songs.

“This is our fifth year to do a live musical show and our 14th for an Evening at the Theater,” said Judy Klinck. “About fi ve years ago Cassandra Vallery, who is one of the local theater performers, put together a show, and it was just such a hit that she has done it every year since. She uses some of the volunteer theater talent in the community and puts together a really professional show. It is sort of a little cabaret-style song and a little bit of dance. We have serious romantic songs and the comedic songs. It all adds up to a real nice evening.”

Attendees can look forward to beverages and hors d’oeuvres before the show and coffee and dessert following. Usually about 200 people attend the event and this year, Klinck hopes, will be not exception as the goal for the event is to raise $38,000, which will be used to support all four of Better Health’s programs.

Fifty-three years ago the organization founded a fi nancial-assistance program, which is designed to fi ll the gap for people with little or no medical insurance. It covers both medical and dental concerns, but the program is need based. Last fiscal year, this program helped 1,217 individuals.

The diabetes program is something that Better Health is well known for. It is a full program that includes a diabetes management class covering everything from A to Z related to diabetes, and includes weekly monitoring classes. This program is free to everyone in Cumberland County. Last fi scal year 370 people were served.

Closely related to the diabetes program is the healthy lifestyle program that reaches out to organizations and churches and will provide speakers to cover healthy living issues.

A medical equipment loan program is another popular service offered by Better Health and it is also free of charge to Cumberland County citizens. People donate medical equipment that they no longer need — things like walkers, wheelchairs and bath chairs — and Better Health loans the equipment to those in need of such devices. Last fi scal year 280 people benefi tted from this program.

Seeing those numbers makes it clear to Klinck that there is a strong need for the programs that Better Health provides.

“We feel that we really do have an impact on the community, especially with folks who have diabetes and are uninsured or where there is a gap in their insurance that is not being fi lled,” said Klinck , adding that “We don’t want to be the best kept secret in town. We’ve been operating for 53 years and we are glad for this opportunity to be exposed to people who haven’t heard of us.”

Tickets are $175 per couple or $100 per individual. Funds from the show will benefi t Better Health. Last year, because of the generosity of the community Better Health provided diabetes education to 365 people and emergency assistance for medical needs to 1,435 families in Cumberland County.

Call 483-7534 or visit www. betterhealth.CC.org. to make a reservation.

Since having their vision fulfi lled in January 2007 of becoming a recognized 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, Operation Inasmuch (OIAM) has served thousands of less fortunate residents in Cumberland County.

The mission is simple: “To walk among the broken and struggling, being the hands and feet of Jesus.”

On Saturday, April 9, Operation Inasmuch will continue its mission, with the annual Blitz Day. This year’s Blitz Day will mark the 16th year for the project, and will grant Operation Inasmuch an opportunity to add to the 30 neighborhoods it has already served since fi rst beginning.

Blitz Day is a day where a “neighborhood is selected to receive home repairs, yard maintenance and a block party for those young and old.”

Who is responsible for providing all of this? Community volunteers and local churches sign up to help make the day a success. Blitz Day is covered with “dedicated Christians fulfi lling their calling of service toothers,” by doing this, “they become the hands and feet of Jesus.”

The selected neighborhood to reap the benefi ts of Blitz Day this year is the neighborhood of Evan’s Hill. Seventy churches have signed up to volunteer. Some of the activities they will perform are: painting houses, building a wheelchair ramp and throwing a neighborhood block party. OIAM Executive Director, Sue Byrd, says that “neighborhoods are stronger when we leave” because “neighbors who weren’t talking to each other, are now talking to each other.” The Blitz Day helps to create a family in the neighborhoods.

Blitz Day is the signature project, but Operation Inasmuch offers a host of other programs for the less fortunate. One of the programs offered is the Jobs for Life Program. The program is designed to prepare community residents with the requisite skills needed to fi nd employment. The Breakfast Ministry provides a healthy and nutritious breakfast for homeless men and women; and the Home Sweet Home Program awards individuals with permanent shelter.

Recently, OIAM renovated its first house on Frink Street, fi ve men were able to move in. These men have been with OIAM and have participated in several of the programs, which helped them get back on their feet. OIAM calls this project the Frink Street Transformation Project. This project will allow them to put the homeless in homes and not in shelters, because one night in a shelter “does not change your life.”

Blitz Day will take place on April 9 in the neighborhood of Evans Hill. The event will kickoff at 7:30 a.m. The block party will begin at 11 a.m. and will last until the mission to transform the neighborhood is complete. Sue Byrd says that at the end of the day, they just want to “cover the whole neighborhood and community with the love of Jesus.”

To learn more about OIAM and the services they provide, visit their website at www.faoiam.org.

PHOTO: Hundreds of volunteers contributed to Operation Inasmuch Blitz Day last year.

If you are homeless, you have very little to dance about. But on Saturday, April 9, some local Fayetteville celebrities will put on their dancing shoes to help fight homelessness in our community as Dancing With the Fayetteville Stars hits the stage to benefi t the The Center for Economic Empowerment and Development.

Formerly known as the Women’s Center, CEED has a hand in providing opportunities to a wide demographic in Fayetteville. This nonprofit organization’s mission is to “provide resources and advocacy to individuals and families in order to restore personal dignity for economic empowerment and development.”

The Lease-to-Home program, one of the agency’s many programs, assists people in transitioning from homelessness to homeownership. The goal is to provide people of all backgrounds the chance to own their own home. This year alone, Lease-to- Home Program has created 60 jobs and helped 40 individuals become home owners. It is this program that will benefit from the dance event.

More than 30 local celebrities will dance to impress the crowd and raise funds for CEED’s Lease-to-Home Program.

“We use all the money that we raise, after we pay expenses, to go to renovation of a house. Those houses are then rented to someone with 50 percent or less of the median income,” said Sylvia Ray, executive director of CEED. “Once they have been in the house and saved money and gotten their credit straight, they are eligible, to purchase the house. The people we deal with are not ready to buy a house right a way. They need to get a much better credit score so that they can get a much better loan and they can be prepared to be home owners.”

Some of the celebrities participating are Bert Hassell, Hope Mills police chief; Bill McMillan, director of the Re-Store Warehouse; Dr. James Anderson, chancellor of Fayetteville State University, Jo Ann Ruff with Dr. J. Michael Ruff, Periodontics & Implants; David McCune, Jr., vice president of McCune Technology; Tim Price, owner of LaFayette Ford; Chris Rey, candidate for mayor of Spring Lake, Liz Tomalesky, co-host of La Voz Presenta at WITN-TV and Andrew Pennink with HomeFront Mortgage.

While the evening promises to be both lively and entertaining, if you are unable to attend you can still help. Go to www.ncceed.org/dance and vote for your favorite celebrity, because just like the Dancing With the Stars TV show, competitors get to stay based on the number of votes they receive. It costs $10 per vote.

On the night of the event, the audience can expect a rip roaring good time filled with dances ranging from ballroom to Broadway, disco to the Carolina Shag.

In addition to supporting a good cause, local support helps the CEED gain credibility with other funding organizations that partner with them in improving the community.

“Other lines of funding like the North Carolina Housing Finance and the city fund our housing projects and they always want to know ‘Are you getting private money? Do other people really care about the issue of folks trying to stay off the streets and own affordable housing?’ What it says back to those organizations is that yes the people in our local community really do care,” said Ray. “They are concerned just as much as we are.”

Included in the $125 ticket price is a buffet dinner including wine and beverages. Tickets are tax deductible and may be purchased at www.ncceed.org or by calling 323-3377.

PHOTO: Bill McMillan, of the Re-Store Warehouse is one of the performers in this year’s event.

Humbled by Gratitude

I do not think I am alone in feeling unsettled and on edge these days.

Our world seems to be spinning completely out of our control — a natural and a man-made disaster in Japan and a madman in Libya. Vicious partisan politics at both the state and national levels. It did not help when my copy of Newsweek arrived with the its cover screaming, “Apocalypse Now: Tsunamis. Earthquakes. Nuclear Meltdowns. Revolutions. Economies on the Brink. What the #@%! Is Next?”

Factor in one’s own demons and distresses and it is tough not to feel queasy.

A friend recently mentioned an Up & Coming Weekly column I wrote several years ago that he found hopeful and inspiring, and perhaps because of my glum humor, I decided to look it up. It was originally published in May of 2005, and because it struck a chord in me for a second time, I am using a portion of it again during these trying times in our world.

“If we could shrink the earth’s population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following:

There would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Western Hemisphere —both North and South America.

There would be 52 females and 48 males.

Seventy people would be non-white and 30 would be white.

Seventy people would be non-Christian and 30 would be Christian.

Eighty-nine would be heterosexual, and 11 would be homosexual.

Six people would possess 59 percent of the world’s wealth, and all six of them would live in the United States.

Eighty would live in sub-standard housing.

Seventy would be unable to read.

Fifty would suffer from malnutrition.

One would be near death, and one would be near birth.

One — yes, only one — would have a college education.

One would own a computer….

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness … you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pains of starvation … you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death…you are more blessed than 3 billion people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead, and a place to sleep … you are richer than 70 percent of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish someplace … you are among the top 8 percent of the world’s wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married … you are very rare, even in the United States and Canada.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than more than 2 billion people in this world who cannot read at all.”

This has been floating around the Internet, another great blessing, for some time now. I cannot vouch for its total accuracy, but from what little I do know about demographics, it strikes me as close to our world’s reality. All of us face problems in our work, with our families, and in other aspects of our lives, and at times, they overwhelm us. What we too often lose sight of, though, is how truly privileged our lives, even the lives of those among us with the fewest advantages, really are compared to much of the rest of the world.

As I write this, I sit at my home computer. I have had breakfast and am looking forward to lunch. I am warm and dry in my exercise clothes even though it is a little damp and chilly outside. I live on a safe street in an older but still vibrant Fayetteville neighborhood surrounded by neighbors I have known and trusted for many years.

My family is not home with me, but I know where they are and they are safe. When I fi nish writing, I will get into a car fi lled with gas to run errands. I have recently returned from a quick trip to the other side of our state. I complained about the high price of gas, but I went anyway.

Years ago, an American child of my acquaintance traveled to a Third World country with his family. Shocked by seeing young children playing naked in the warm streets, he approa

ched his mother who explained that more people in the world live that way than live the way he does. His stunned and very American response was, “You’re kidding!”

“No,” his mother replied, “I am not.”

A few weeks ago Bill Bowman of the Up & Coming Weekly and Kidsville News! called and asked for my help. He asked me to co-captain with him on the committee for the upcoming Hogs and Ragscharity event. After we talked a few minutes I agreed to help. I don’t know Bill very well but his enthusiasm is contagious. Over the past few weeks I have found it very exciting to be a part of something that really will help a lot of people.

Saturday, April 30, is going to be a great win/win event for everyone.

Hogs and Rags is an annual event for owners of motorcycles and convertibles to raise money for a variety of charities. This year, the proceeds will go to the Shriners Hospital for Children, the American Cancer Society and Kidsville News!of Cumberland County.

The event is part of the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. The ride is a very nice route from Fayetteville that will end at Landry’s Seafood Restaurant at Boardwalk on the Beach in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

The ride is $50 per entry and $30 for additional passengers. At first that seems like a lot of money, but remember it is for a good cause. The best part is that it includes a breakfast and lunch. The event will start at 8 a.m. at Cape Fear Harley Davison with breakfast. Kickstands up at 9:30 a.m. Once you reach Myrtle Beach you will be treated to a wonderful lunch. You just can’t beat that!

I know I keep saying this is a win/win event (because it is), but it is not the Shriners Hospital for Children or the American Cancer Society or Kidsville News! of Cumberland County that wins but the people that they touch.

I had a nephew that burned himself from his chest down and the Shriners Children’s Hospital helped him through rehab and put his family up during this terrible ordeal. They helped him heal and go through rehab. They bless so many children and families when they need the help the most.

Cancer is a terrible thing to go through. Cancer is one of the few illnesses that medical breakthroughs are changing before our eyes. Twenty years ago the “C-word” was a death sentence. Today, there is still a long way to go. The news is frightening but usually delivered with hope and options in many cases. The fight is not over and there is still a lot of research, treatments, and people that really need your help.

The Kidsville News! publication is a great literacy and educational resource provided free to children, teachers and families in Cumberland County. It is a wonderful way to help our children read and learn. Check it out at www.kidsvillenews.com/cumberland.

The Hogs and Rags charity fundraiser is for all types of motorcycles and convertibles. This includes Jeeps. So all of you bikers and open-air lovers in town please come out and join us!

This is going to be a great time so mark your calendar and tell your friends.

You can pre-register or make donations online at www. hogsandrags.com. See ya there! Hogs and Rags is an annual Dogwood Festival event for motorcycles and convertibles to raise money for a variety of good causes.

Since 1997, The Crown Coliseum has hosted great entertainers and family events. In addition to being the home of Fayetteville’s beloved hockey team the FireAntz, the Crown has been been honing its reputation for bringing the brightest, most entertaining and enjoyable acts to Fayetteville ever since the doors opened.

On Tuesday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m., The Crown continues this tradition with the Burn the Floor dance show. Called a mix of dance and acrobatics, Burn the Floor is not what you would expect from a ballroom-dancing show.

The ballroom dancing the world recognizes competitive ballroom dance, sometimes known as dance sport. It is comprised of ten dances, which can all be danced in “closed ballroom” hold. The style danced in Burn the Floor is called “international style” and has been danced in competition since 1920.

International style ballroom dance consists of 10 dances, split into five Latin American dances and five ballroom dances (standard). Each Burn the Floor dancer has spent a lifetime training to compete against other dance couples. This show allows the dancers to demonstrate their love and passion for their art, in their stark simplicity of simple outfits and bold dance moves, compared to the cavalcade of ruffles, sequins, tassels and over choreographed acts found in other dance acts.

Flashing lights, mirrored balls and clouds of billowing smoke add flair and create an exhilarating background for the talented artists to perform.

There are moments of real beauty, moments between two ubertalented dancers that will make you forget you are watching a performance, and become consumed in the magnitude of the dance.

Burn the Floor has been taking the world by storm, making stops in New York, London, Toronto and now of course, Fayetteville. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Crown Center at 438-4100.

Have you ever thought about how great it would be to have all of your favorite restaurants under one roof? If so, consider the sky as the ceiling and head out to the “The Swamp” on Saturday, April 2 for the Fayetteville SwampDogs 1st annual Big Bite. You may even want to skip lunch so you’ll have plenty of room to try all of the delectable delights

Big Bite is a gathering of some of the best local chefs, giving them the opportunity to showcase some of their fabulous culinary creations. Participating restaurants will have displays set up featuring samples of some of their most popular items as well as dishes that may not yet be on their menus. Riverside Steakhouse, Shalimar and Gyro City are just some of the restaurants that will participate.

In addition to the food samplings, there will be plenty of entertainment on hand. Live bands will play all afternoon and there will be bouncy houses set up for the kids. Also in attendance will be Fun-Go, the SwampDogs mascot, who will be there to greet guests. Everyone is encouraged to gather up their friends, pack up lawn chairs or blankets and spend the entire evening relaxing and enjoying some great music. Get there early because the first 500 folks, to arrive, age 21 and over, will receive their choice of a complimentary commemorative beer or wine glass to take home for free.

When asked about why our local ball team chose to host this event, Trey Wright, for the SwampDogs responded, “We want the residents of the Fayetteville area to be able to come out and enjoyFayetteville’s local fare in an affordable manner.” 

He also stated that while admission is free, sampling tickets must be purchased in order to sample the food. There will also be beverages available for purchase, including adult beverages from some of the participating restaurants.

Finally, if you are a chef or restaurant owner, there’s still time to sign up. You may do so by calling the Fayetteville SwampDogs Baseball office at 910-426-5900. That same number may be used if you need further information about the event. Once again, Big Bite will be held on April 2 at the Swamp. The sampling will begin at 3 p.m. and the final samples will be served at 8:30 p.m. The Swamp is located at 2823 Legion Rd. right here in Fayetteville.

Photo: Head out to the “The Swamp” on Saturday, April 2 for the Fayetteville SwampDogs first annual “Big Bite.”

Open since 1994, the Gilbert Theater has always been successful in bringing excellent plays and productions to Fayetteville.

In keeping up with that fine tradition, a Pulitzer Prize winning play, Long Days Journey into Night written by American playwright Eugene O’Neill will open March 31 at this charming and intimate venue and will run through April 17. 

Originally written in early 1940s, the play takes place in a cottage known as Monte Cristo, located by the seaside in Connecticut. The play revolves around a cobweb full of family drama that contains addiction and the dysfunctionality of the family that comes along with such severe issues.

The main characters of the play are James Tyrone Sr., Mrs. Mary Tyrone, James Jr. and Edmund. James Tyrone Sr. is the patriarch of the family who owns several pieces of land making him well off financially, yet struggling because his wealth is tied up in land. Along with his two sons, James Jr. and Edmund, James Tyrone Sr. are all addicted to alcohol which adds fuel to the fire of other family issues going on in the Tyrone household.

“Be always drunken. Nothing else matters: that is the only question. If you would not feel the horrible burden of time weighing on your shoulders and crushing you to the earth, be drunken continually. Drunken with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you will. But be drunken” a line by James Tyrone Sr. explains his conclusion to all problems.

The play invokes many emotions of frustration, anger, resentment and more. Life is full of different spices, which helps keep it interesting. Certainly, that is the case here as well. Long Day’s Journey into Night is something we all can relate to in a sense that we all are busy working, juggling, and rearranging our lives to end that journey into the night every day.

Long Day’s Journey into Night has also won many awards such as the Tony award for Best Play in 1957. The play has also been made into a movie, making this play a must see. The Gilbert Theatre is also encouraging guests to take advantage of the opening night as they are offering, “Pay what you Can.” This allows everyone to have a chance at enjoying Long Day’s Journey into Night for whatever they can afford to pay.

Gilbert Theatre is located at 116 Green St., Downtown Fayetteville. Tickets are $12, (except for opening night) and can be purchased by calling 678-7186 or vy visiting ww.gilberttheater.com.