So you’re a football fan. You attend the games. You follow the players, can recite their stats –– where they came from, their strengths, weaknesses, records. You know precisely where the game was won –– or lost. Think you have what it takes to pick the next great quarterback or running back? Well, you may have your chance! A new subscription-based service, Fanteractive, offered through the Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL), the minor league that includes the Fayetteville Force, hopes to create the ultimate fan experience and bring the fans as close to a team as possible. Andrew Bondarowicz, president & CEO of Fanteractive, LLC explained this new approach to bringing the fan experience to a whole new level.

“I’ve been an NFL-certifi ed agent since 2004, so one of the things I noticed is that it’s become very apparent that scouting is in the eyes of the beholder,” said Bondarowicz. “A player that one person may think fi ts may totally not be the right fi t for a different team, for a different coach. We were at a college all-star team back in 2006, and there was one quarterback that everybody was screaming about. ‘He’s going to be all pro one day.’ He gets drafted in the second round of the draft, has a mediocre career so far and you look back and say, ‘Well, what was everybody raving about?’ It’s just the luck of the draw. A year later, ESP [Entertainment & Sports Plus, a national, full-service athlete and entertainer management fi rm] comes out with a players report that the best general managers in the business only get it right 55-60 percent of the time interviewing the top draft picks.”

Bondarowicz reasoned that perhaps fans could offer better odds.

“More and more, there’s such an appetite for the business side of the sport — not just football, but any sport. We’re all obsessed with what kind of contracts the players get, what kind of deal did they sign, what kinds of trades get worked out between teams, and it’s a whole drama that fans never get to be a part of. We can all talk about what we think is the best thing to do, but when’s the last time the GM of an NFL team called up the fans and said, ‘What do you think we should do?’ What we want to do is create the ultimate fan experience. With Fanteractive, we have a database of players where fans can go in, write scouting reports, familiarize themselves with players who are available so that they can make decisions and recommendations to the coaching staff on the players that we want to bring in. We’re not going to be able to accomplish it for this year, but in future years, we’re going to have a fan draft, where fans are literally going to draft a number of the players who are going to come in for training camps, and then have the fans make decisions on the fi nal rosters.”

After all, where would the players and the league be without the fans?

“At the end of the day,” Bondarowicz said, “the fans are the ones who are our customers. They are our profi t, so what better way to give our fans what they want than to allow them to weigh in on the process? We have football coaches, we have closet football coaches, we have guys who have never played the game or never coached the game, but they have an eye for talent. It’s a pretty systematic process that we’re putting into play, and when you have 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 people weighing in on a player saying, ‘Hey, I think this guy’s pretty good,’ chances are, he’s going to be halfway decent. When you look at the NFL, the second biggest event on the NFL calendar, second only to the Super Bowl, is the NFL draft. What we’ve patterned our Fanteractive after is to simply recreate that on a minor league level.”

Fanteractive within the SIFL is live for the first year, so not every option of the system will be available in its “kick-off.”

“For this year, what fans will have the ability to do is to essentially interact with the players and coaching staff during the season. They’ll be able to work with the coaches on roster decisions. They’ll make decisions on the fi nal rosters at the start of the season. They’ll be involved in certain game-playing decisions,” said Bondarowicz. “We’re trying to work in certain in-game elements, for example, when it’s fourth and one, and whether we should take the fi eld goal or go for it. We want to incorporate some of those elements to really get fans into the game.”

Bondarowicz also explained that although the system is ready to go “full boat,” the fans will necessarily encounter a bit of a learning curve as they share the responsibility of providing their valuable input.

“We want to give the fans as much opportunity as possible, so we have to scale it back to administrative feasibility. From the fan perspective, we have to bring the fans along the way, too. We almost have to coach up the fans along to a certain point where they understand the decisions they’re making. They’re understanding the implications of some of those decisions from a player personnel perspective. It can’t be a popularity contest. You have to try put the best players on the fi eld. You have to look for the right parts to put into a system, so just because somebody may be a hometown hero, there may or may not be room on the roster for him, depending on what the team’s needs are going to be, so it’s a change in mindset from the stands just as much as anybody else.”

And the cost for fans to have their say? A bargain, especially when compared to the cost of owning one’s own franchise –– a $50 fee for the season. The option is included in the ticket packages for season-ticket holders. Response to the Fanteractive system has been positive, and it’s being extended to all players and ticket holders across the league –– potentially tens of thousands of people.

“People who are on the system really like it because the system itself incorporates the social media aspect,” Bondarowicz said, “so it’s kind of like Facebook wrapped up within a whole larger system. Right now, fans are voting on some of the league rules, player celebration rules, like how far are we going to let players go as far as celebrations, making some decisions about playing the ball off the wall. We’re giving the fans the ability to go through a full gamut of decisions, and it’s on a league-wide level.”

Although the Fanteractive system is essentially being done in the SIFL this year, Bondarowicz sees the application advancing into other sports as well.

“It’s really to infuse technology and fans back into the games. One of the challenges you have with minor league sports is that a lot of fans don’t really know who the players are, so you go to a minor league baseball game, and you go there because it’s affordable family entertainment, and you watch the game, but you don’t necessarily get engaged in the games in the same way because a lot of times, there’s just not as much information available. The history of the players is not as traceable to you. This is just one of the ways to really kind of make minor league sports relevant in a different way. You give people a reason to care. You care who your quarterback is or who your second string guy is because you’re making decisions on him, so you want to make sure you got the best players available. We’re also working on an element where the cheerleaders will essentially be selected by the fans, so it’s through the same premise; you go through, and you scout and you judge criteria, such as dancing ability, appearance, poise, character, and you assemble a team. We’re a Dancing with the Stars and American Idol generation now, where we tell you those things,” said Bondarowicz. “So we really make this fun. We really want to make this interactive and create a whole new experience.”

No more will fans be relegated only to painting their bodies in bold team colors, sporting jerseys and hats and waving giant foam hands promoting their favorite team as “number one.”

Fanteractive puts them right in the game from behind the scenes. For more information, visit www.fanteractive.com and www.fayettevilleforce.net.

Photo: Fanteractive, a new subscription-based service hopes to create the ultimate fan experience.

After a long and oddly white winter, it is at last once again time for spring to make an appearance. An iconic image of the long awaited season would be fl owers, but an upcoming show is highlighting a lovely little plant that adds some color to the winter white, camellias. On March 5, The Fayetteville Camellia Club will host the 65th Annual Camellia Show.

Jack Dewar, co-chair of the event, Camellia Club member and fi ve-year camellia enthusiast, says that they expect to have more than 850 blooms for the event. Growers from places such as Georgia, Virginia and all over the southeast bring their fl owers in to compete for prizes. The show will also offer camellias for anyone who would like to buy a plant, and seminars to educate anyone interested in growing them as well.

“Camellias are unique to the southeast, and to the coastal areas around Louisiana, Texas and then to California, up the coast. So, we are in a unique position in Fayetteville with a long tradition of growing camellias,” explained Dewar, who also recommended the collection of more than 300 fl owers at the Botanical Gardens for anyone curious to see the flowers.

Camellias are beautiful, though surprisingly simple to grow according to Dewar.

“Once you get them planted they require very little. They like shade, some varieties that grow in the fall tolerate the sun. The big deal is that they bloom all winter if they aren’t frozen,” he said.

Unfortunately the snow and ice this season hasn’t been the best for these fl owers, but it’s still expected to be a magnifi cent show. When asked about the frosts potential affect on the show Dewar said, “It may mean that we will have less blooms grown outdoors. You can grow them in green houses, that’s what people who are very serious about them do, and that’s why we will always have a nice show.”

“The next couple of weeks look promising,” he added.

The annual Camellia Show is being sponsored by the local Fayetteville Camellia Club that has monthly meetings, and is open to anyone interested in the flowers. They often have guest speakers, seminars and participate in workshops to learn about the flowers.

“We show people how to grow them, how to prune them, how to propagate them. Take little cuttings of branches, and turn them into camellia plants,” Dewar said in reference to the subject matter of the monthly meetings.

The show will be held at Methodist University in Reeves Auditorium on March 5 and 6. The show will run from 12-4 p.m. each day. People who wish to enter their blooms from their back yard need only to bring them on Saturday from 7 to 10 a.m. for registration. From 10 a.m. to noon, the flowers will be judged by trained judges from the America Camellia Society. There are cash prizes for the winners, and the American Camellia society will have a seminar on winning blooms past and present all on Saturday between 12 and 4 p.m.

The show is free and all are welcome to attend.

If you have never stopped in the art collective known as Cape Fear Studios in downtown Fayetteville, then you are defi nitely missing one of the community’s greatest assets. The member studio is home to a number of Fayetteville’s most talented artists. While the artists use the venue as a workspace and as a means of marketing their work, they also use it as a vehicle to give back to the community. All of this comes with a price, and in the coming weeks, the venue is taking advantage of their unique skills to raise funds to support their involvement in the community.

The annual Silent and Live Art Auction is one of the ways Cape Fear Studios gets the support from the Fayetteville community. Held on Friday, March 4, the auction will showcase various local artists as well as artist members of Cape Fear Studios.

Ideal for a savvy art collector, this event will display diverse forms of art, which will consist of paintings, handmade jewelry, pottery, contemporary fused art glassware, wood art and more. To support this worthy event, local restaurants and businesses are also participating by donating gift certifi cates and an assortment of non-art items for the live auction.

Chris Kastner, the executive director at Cape Fear Studios, encourages the local community to support this auction while pointing out that, “This is our primary way of raising funds.”

She also encourages art enthusiasts, collectors and all those who would enjoy an evening of live music, complimentary wine or beer, hors d’oeuvres and fusion art to come out to support the studio. Tickets for the event are $35.

Some of the artists portraying their work include: Rose Kennedy, Paula Fitzpatrick, Erica Stankwytch Bailey, Nancy Rose, Pandy Autrey and more. All of the featured artists donated their work, so all of the proceeds will benefit Cape Fear Studios.

Cape Fear Studios also reaches out to the community via their Ashton Woods Kids Art Program that targets children ages 7 and up, and most notably concentrates on improving important factors such as self-image and confi dence while teaching them to express their unique artsy and creative side.

Moreover, Cape Fear Studios also offers monetary scholarships to local college students enrolled in fine-arts programs. All of the community work done by Cape Fear Studios is possible because of the contributions and funds received through auctions, fundraisers and the sale of artwork created by members at Cape Fear Studios.

In order to carry out such extraordinary support to the community, the studio needs its own support system, which consists of the local community and artists alike. Be sure to attend the auction on March 4 as a way to support the only visual art cooperative non-profi t organization in Fayetteville.

The mission of Cape Fear Studios is “to involve, educate and enrich Cumberland County and surrounding communities with the opportunity to create and freely view art.”

The event begins at 7 p.m., and will be hosted at the Arts Council. Matthew William Buchanan and David Sinan Esensoy of The Fayetteville Academy will provide musical entertainment.

The event is dressy, so take the opportunity to don your favorite festive attire and come out and support the artists at Cape Fear Studios.

For more information, call 433-2986 or e-mail capefearstudios@yahoo.com.

Photo: This piece of pottery is one of many artworks up
for auction at Cape Fear Studios.

The Vietnam War has always been a sensitive topic in my family. My father was called Gramps by the young men who served with him. He was not the normal soldier. He was in his 30s. He had five children.

I was a toddler during those years. I grew up hearing stories of how much I missed my father while he was gone. Prior to his going to war, I would wait patiently at the front door for him to come home. No matter how hard they tried, my family couldn’t break me of that habit while he was gone. My mother and my grandfather would try to coax me away from the door, but I wouldn’t budge. Only after I fell asleep could they move me to my bed. When they got up in the morning, they would fi nd me sleeping in front of the door.

Patiently, I waited.

The father who left my family wasn’t exactly the same one who came home. He was wounded in an explosion, and spent quite a bit of time in the hospital when he returned home. That father cried out in his sleep. It wasn’t wise to surprise him. His patience wasn’t what it had been.

He had no love for hippies or protesters and even today, the name Jane Fonda is an anathema in his home. He recalls the protesters, the anger, the lack of a welcome home. He, like his fellow service members, had no heroes welcome. There were no ticker tape parades. No yellow ribbons. Flags did not fly to symbolize a service member. It was more a mark of shame than anything else.

Knowing this, you now know that the Vietnam War shaped a part of my life. The idea of Fayetteville finally holding a welcome home for Vietnam veterans holds a special place in my heart. The controversy raging around it does not.

To me, the old saying about the road to hell being paved with good intentions seems apt in this situation. I believe Fayetteville Mayor Tony Chavonne and his volunteer group have nothing but good intentions. I also believe that their intentions are not shared by Chuck Fager or those in his organization. (Note: I support their right to believe what they want, but I don’t have to agree with it. Bottom line, up front, I don’t agree with them.)

I believe that veteran’s groups and other volunteers should step up to the leadership position for the welcome home event — not because Mayor Chavonne’s heart is not in the right place, but rather that circumstances and people — the Quaker House and members of the media who have sensationalized the reporting around the controversy — have compromised Chavonne to the point that he is becoming a distraction.

That being said, I hope that all those who have it in their hearts to honor the service of our Vietnam veterans step forward and support this endeavor. I implore the veterans and others in the community not to let the controversy ruin the event. Participate. Mend wounds. Ignore sensationalism. Become a part of the solution.

To do less is just another slap in the face of the heroes the event is designed to honor.

The bass trombone is probably not the first instrument that comes to mind when one thinks of a solo musical recital. But music lovers will have the chance to see, hear and interact with Dr. David Krosschell, an accomplished bass trombonist, tenor trombonist and music educator, in an evening performance on Friday, February 18, at 7:30 p.m. on the campus of Methodist University. The performance at Hensdale Chapel is free and open to the public. “David Krosschell is newer to the area via North Texas State University and Northwestern University,” said Deanne Renshaw, Fine Arts Coordinator with Methodist University and Orchestra Personnel Manager of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. “He is a fantastic bass trombone player. It is unusual to hear solo bass trombone recitals. It’s a unique and cool situation, and whatever he plays will be engaging.” Krosschell received his BA in music education and music performance from Western Michigan University, his MA in trombone performance from the University of North Texas and his PhD in music performance from Northwestern University. He presently lives and works in the Raleigh/Durham/ Chapel Hill, N.C., area as a freelance trombonist and music educator. Before moving to North Carolina, Krosschell performed and taught in the Washington, D.C. area, Chicago, Il., and Dallas/Ft. Worth, Tx. His repertoire includes classical, jazz and commercial styles, and he has played with the North Carolina Symphony, the Opera Company of North Carolina, Fayetteville Symphony, and the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra, as well as the 1 o’clock Lab Band and North Texas Wind Symphony. The performance is part of the Friends of Music (FOM) series at Methodist University. “Friends of Music presents a concert almost every other week during the school year,” Renshaw said. “It’s not just to bring in national artists for the public, but also for the benefi t of Methodist University’s music students so they can see what they might do in their careers. The concerts are less formal than typical concert performances, and the artists talk and interact with the audiences. They are free for the public, and of course, we couldn’t do it without the generous support of the Arts Council.” For more information, contact (910) 630-7100 or visit www.methodist.edu/music.

David Krosschell will perform on Feb. 18 at Hensdale Chapel at Methodist University. The event is free and open to the public.

Warmer weather will be upon us soon and with it the long list of projects and home improvements that have been put off through the cold winter months. Whether it’s an upgrade to the garage, re-tilling the garden or painting the front porch, there is always something to be done, and fi nding the most effi cient and productive way to do it is not only smart in the long run, but often more convenient in the short term.

The Homebuilders Association of Fayetteville is here to help with that, just as they have been for the past 11 years, providing inspiring ideas, innovative products and plenty of encouragement for whatever project needs to be tackled.

On Feb. 25-27 visit the Carolina Home and Garden Show at the Crown Center to see the latest products designed to keep your castle in tip-top shape. There will be vendors for pretty much any home upgrade or improvement project you can think of, as well as outdoor things like landscaping, play sets and even decorative curbing and fl ag poles.

With so many folks on tight budgets and looking for ways to keep their homes running as effi ciently and as inexpensively as possible, look for vendors to help with everything from saving money through conservation to the latest high-tech ways to make the most of our natural resources.

“There are several vendors that will be there to talk about energy conservation and renewable energy,” said Natalie Woodbury executive offi cer of the Homebuilders Association of Fayetteville. “One guy has solar panel attic fans — renewable energy. PWC will be there and they will defi nitely be talking about how to conserve.”

There will even be vendors with earth friendly cleaning products.

“We have several new pool and spa vendors that will have their pools and spas on display,” said Woodbury. “Green Biz will be there, too. His booths are going to feature his garden center which is something new that he has built on his property. He will be bringing products from that.”

In addition to all the great products to choose from there will be free classes, too.

“There are speakers every day on a variety of topics, so I would suggest people go to the website to see the topics and times,” said Woodbury. “There are seminars that go on all three days.”

Want to take up organic vegetable gardening? Join Shauna Haslem for a spell and learn the basics. Jen Smith and Leslie Keiwra will teach the benefits and how-to of worm composting while Kimberly Van Borkulo will share her knowledge of waterwise gardening.

Fayetteville’s favorite gardening expert Roger Mercer will also speak at the home show about favorite perennials for the Sandhills.

Special guest Roy Underhill, host of the PBS show The Woodwright’s Shop will be in attendance as well.

“We are excited to have him back,” Woodbury said.“He is a crowd favorite.”

Underhill eschews power tools and high-tech gadgetry in favor vintage, musclepowered tools to make everything from furniture to Victorian-era toys. Learn the tricks of the trade as our forefathers knew them and see what amazing pieces Underhill will come up with next. Check him out on stage, or visit him at his on site workshop and try out some of his tools.

Whether ideas are on the agenda or a big project is in the working, Woodbury is sure that there is something for everyone at the show.

“It is a place to go where you can go to one building and see a variety of things for your home — from your garden to your bathroom to your kitchen. It is one stop shopping.”

The show runs Friday, Feb. 25 from noon - 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 27 from 12 - 5 p.m. Admission is $6.

Children 10 and under are free. On Sunday all military ID Card holders receive a food voucher that they can use at any of the food vendors at the show.

For more information, please visit www.carolinahome andgardenshow.com.

Photo: Roy Underhill of The Woodwright’s Workshop will be at the Home and Garden Show again this year.

Up & Coming Weekly readers know that this paper supports art and artists in the community. We cover the events, do profi les as space permits and try to keep our readers informed about the goings on in the art community. We cover everything from concerts to plays and exhibits throughout the area and even have our own Gallery 208 and Leonard G. McLeod Gallery in our corporate offices. In fact, if you’ve never been, we have a new exhibit coming up that you won’t want to miss.

On Feb. 24 from 5:30 - 7 p.m. Up & Coming Weekly invites you to join us for the opening reception of Bayscapes and Other Reflections: The Works of Clarence Schumaker in Gallery 208.

Shumaker’s works in this exhibition are primarily, as the name suggests, water scenes. The oil paintings capture the magic of the bay at different times of day and in different seasons, evoking both the calming effect of a still, quiet day on the water and the harshness that ice and winter can bring to the coast.

This collection is a body of work that Schumaker has assembled over time. Living on the Chesapeake Bay and having nonstop access to the water has proven to be a source of inspiration for him.

“I live in a little fi shing village and there is a beach that is just a short walk from my house — I’m just enamored with the water and the qualities of it that are always changing,” said Schumaker. “I’ve got this view that I don’t care what day, what time of day it is, it is always different and there is a certain timeless quality to that.”

His love of the water has inspired Schumaker to investigate the bay from every angle he can, from the shore out and from the water in, there is always something new to paint.

“A lot of my pieces are from the water — views that you wouldn’t normally get if you are a land lover. It gives a whole different perspective of living on the land when you get to see it from the water and see how small everything really is,” said Schumaker. “I am just trying to make pieces that will make someone pause and take their time and soak it in just like you would in nature. I think everybody is on a 24/7 news cycle and there is nonstop chatter going on and that is why people do like to get away. I am just trying to capture the feelings people have when they go to the beach — they kind of take their time and gotta stare at the water a little while.”

While this particular exhibit is about the water, Schumaker is also a sculptor, muralist and graphic artist. Check out more of his work at www.daybreakstudios. com or come to the art opening and hear what he has to say about his work.

“We are always excited to feature talented local artists in our galleries,” said Up & Coming Weekly Publisher Bill Bowman. “We look forward to these openings as a time to interact with the arts community and with our readers. There’s always great food and a good time is usually had by all.”

Also featured at this event will be the works of Chris Pruitt in the Leonard G. McLeod Gallery.

Up & Coming Weekly’s corporate offi ce is located at 208 Rowan St. Join us for refreshments and networking. For more information, call the Up & Coming Weekly office at 484-6200.

Photo: Twilight Reflections by Clarence Schumaker

4th Friday is right around the corner, and as usual the Arts Council Fayetteville/Cumberland County and the local downtown merchants have an evening of food, fun and entertainment planned.

Starting this month, 4th Friday will be a themed event. The new format kicks off with a Mardi Gras theme, as the Downtown Alliance joins in sponsoring the art and entertainment that the community anticipates the 4th Friday of each month.

“For 2011 we’ve decided to do different themes or activities for 4th Friday,” said Sherry Collins, 4th Friday coordinator for the Downtown Alliance. “One month is a street dance, other months will have a theme. We have a variety of fun and exciting things planned.”

With kids in mind, and keeping things family friendly, there will be a children’s wagon and stroller parade.

“We are inviting people to decorate a wagon or stroller and dress up their children and come out to be part of a parade that will start at Person and Green Streets right near Fascinate-U and travel through the Bow Street commons and back to the corner,” said Collins. “We are trying to enlist a couple of musicians to lead the parade with jazz, too.”

All of the children will get a prize and there will also be special prizes for different categories, like the best stroller or wagon and best costume. No need to pre-register, just show up that day and sign up. Registration is at 6:30 p.m., and the parade will start around 7-7:15 p.m.

After the parade, parents can take their little ones to So Chic Bebe where they can make their own Mardi Gras masks.

Horne’s Deli is carrying on a favorite Mardi Gras tradition, the sharing of a King Cake with 4th Friday attendees.

“That is something that is a big part of any Mardi Gras celebration,” said Collins. “They bake a cake and put a plastic baby trinket in the cake and whoever gets the slice with the baby in it wins a prize. This is a must if you are having a Mardi Gras celebration.”

Grown ups won’t be left in the cold, as there will be a Spirit of Mardi Gras adult costume contest sponsored by Miller Mott College. Just stop by their tent on Hay Street and register for the contest.

“We are trying to keep it to Mardi Gras costumes more than Halloween-type things,” said Collins. “Jesters and jokers and beads and boas would be appropriate.”

Winners will be announced at 9 p.m. and the Mardi Gras king and queen will each receive a Visa gift card.

Hay Street United Methodist Church is hosting the 4th Annual Bread and Bowls fundraiser. Stop by and have a steaming hot bowl of Brunswick Stew served in a handmade pottery bowl (that you get to keep) for $15 or enjoy your stew in a bread bowl for just $7. There will also be a silent auction along with entertainment by local musicians.

After a bite to eat, stop by the All American Fencing Academy at 207 B Donaldson St. Watch a few demonstrations by the fencing team, perhaps have a chat with the team members, handle some of the equipment, find out more about the sport and check out their collection of fencing-related art.

Headquarters Library is hosting author Kimberly Johnson — Destination Imagination for an interactive storytelling session. She will share stories from her books as well as pieces from other authors. Johnson received the 2005 Paul Harris Fellow Award presented by Rotary International for her work in literacy and has published 11 children’s books.

After Destination Imagination, there will be a question and answer session for audience members who have thought about writing a book of their own. Topics will include, but are not limited to, the pros and cons of self publisher versus using traditional publishers.

Arts Alive! on Maxwell Street kicks off at 6 p.m. and runs through 10 p.m. Stop by and see artists educating, creating and performing. At 7 p.m. 4th Friday comes alive as Hay Street and the rest of downtown fills up with exhibits, artists and folks who have come to have a good time.

Photo: This 4th Friday enjoy the Mardi Gras themed events that will begoing on downtown.

The Rite(Rated R)  4 Stars

Honestly, The Rite (112 minutes) looked pretty boring. One more exorcist horror-drama, and I’m not even that huge of a fan of the genre, The Last Exorcism notwithstanding. Admittedly the presence of one Sir Anthony Hopkins drew my attention, but be warned … he doesn’t show up until almost halfway through the film.

Little Michael Kovak (Colin Donoghue) experiences some borderline mental abuse while attempting to overcome his Oedipal complex. In a scene repeated approximately 20 times throughout the course of the movie his father (Rutger Hauer) lovingly paints the nails of his dead wife while whispering sweet nothings into her … nose? I think? This is a formative experience for Michael, since he evidently thinks about it whenever he touches dead bodies. Which he does a lot, because he is a mortician.

In an effort to make his own way in the world and discover what life has to offer other than girls who give him free beer, Michael decides to explore the vast unending possibilities open to a young man of his character and, ahem, vigor. Since an ancient family curse apparently dooms him to be a mortician or a priest, and working as a mortician for his creepy father isn’t working out, Michael checks out the priesthood.

Fastforward. Despite the fact that Michael apparently had no real interest in the priesthood, he made it through four years at seminary. Then flunked the final exam in theology. Then wrote Priest Hey! It’s That Guy! (Toby Jones) a lame letter of resignation. Which we get to see in extreme close-up for some unknown reason. Priest Hey! It’s That Guy! refuses the letter and blackmails Michael (as priests are oft wont to do) into traveling to Rome to take a class on exorcism.

He arrives late to his first class, and he’s all like, Sorry Priest Dude. And the teacher, Father Xavier (Ciaran Hinds), is all like, “I prefer punctuality to apologies,” which is both mean and awesome. Angelina (Alice Braga, professional voice of reason) notices that Michael is devoted to irritating Father Xavier, and further notices that Father Xavier is sending him to see a practicing exorcist. She insinuates herself into his good graces, and follows him around for the rest of the movie.

The practicing exorcist is Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins, channeling Dr. Van Helsing and Dr. Hannibal Lector). He lives with a bunch of cats and is currently focused on exorcising a pregnant 16-yearold girl. Here is where the movie starts to get ambiguous and cool, with subtly disturbing sound effects and close-ups on gross rashes and hair loss. Father Lucas is unable to break through Michael’s skepticism, even after the girl does some totally weird psychic-type stuff. Despite the assistance of Michael the untrained faithless skeptic, the girl continues to worsen. She eventually ends up in the hospital/roach motel.

Wracked with guilt, Father Lucas wanders around semi-nude, slapping small children. Basically, sucking as an exorcist turns him into a total jerk, in a sort of if-you-can’t-beat-them-join-them moment. Up until that point, this was film of ideas. As the climax approaches, this is less a film about what you believe and more a film about demons possessing the innocent, which isn’t nearly as interesting, but wasn’t as boring as I thought it would be.

During the past 10 to 15 years, many steps have been taken to reduce medical errors. In 1999, the Institute of Medicine published “To Err is Human,” an article about this staggering problem in healthcare. The article suggested that Congress create a Center for Patient Safety to track, monitor, and address National Patient Safety goals. This was done, and much progress has been made; but the numbers continued to be troubling.

In 2009 the Chief Medical Officer of England cited disturbing statistics in his annual report: “When you step on a plane, your chance of dying in a plane crash is one in 10 million. When admitted into a hospital, your chance of dying or being seriously harmed by a medical error is one in 300.” One of his recommendations states, “Simulation training inall its forms will be a vital part of building a safer healthcare system.”

When did healthcare begin to incorporate simulation into education? The beginning dates back to 1960 with the introduction of the Resusci-Anne manikin for CPR training. Students at that time remember shaking the manikin’s shoulders and shouting, “Annie, Annie, are you OK?” For many years, Annie remained silent and motionless, never giving a response. Now, times have changed!

Today healthcare education has computerized human patient simulators (HPS) that can talk (or cry, depending on their age), can display numerous heart rhythms on a cardiac monitor, and have pulses in their arms, legs, neck, and groin. Some simulators even have pulses behind the knee and can display cyanosis (a blue color around the mouth or on the fingertips) that indicates a problem with oxygenation. Students can perform a head-to-toe assessment that includes taking blood pressure and listening to lung, heart, and bowel sounds. In addition, there is one HPS that will go through the stages of labor and delivery of a baby.

FTCC purchased its first high-fidelity adult HPS in 2005 and currently has a total of six. In 2009, FTCC received a grant to bring together a task force of instructors from the nursing, EMS, CNA, respiratory, and dental programs to design and implement a way to more fully incorporate simulation technology into the curriculums. In April 2010, one lab area in the Health Technology building exists, exclusively devoted to simulation training. In November, a full-time position was added to coordinate the lab.

Many FTCC health students come to the simulation lab regularly as part of their training. Scenarios can be chosen to meet specific learning objectives related to their current class content, such as diabetes or asthma. Unlike clinical settings where instructors must hover closely and supervise every step, simulation lab students can be left alone to think through situations for themselves. If the student chooses a correct course of action in a timely manner, the vital signs and other indicators on the HPS will improve. Conversely, if the student makes a mistake, the conditions of the HPS can worsen and a simulated death can result. All this training takes place with no risk to any patients. It is clear to both students and faculty that teaching with simulation is one of the most exciting advancements in healthcare education.

SENIOR CORNER

Last week’s broadcast of ABC’s World News with Diane Sawyer closed with a story featuring Home Instead Senior Care, as “Person of the Week!” This is part of a series called “Families on the Brink: What to Do about Mom and Dad.”

Sue and Skip Hollcroft are two of the more than 20 million people struggling to take care of their children and their aging parents. In January, when her widowed father, John C., almost 86-years-old, wrecked his car, it got even more difficult. Because of her father’s declining health, the family decided that it was unsafe for him to live in the house he loved and had lived in for more than 30 years. Though Sue Hollcroft said it was terrifying to have her dad living alone in the house, he refused to move. He said he felt comfortable there.

For months, the family searched for a solution as Sue and Skip’s stress increased. “That’s where we said, We’ve got to find something. How can we? What can we do?” Skip Hollcroft said.

Finally they found a compromise, and today John C. is home but he’s not alone. A caregiver provided by a service called Home Instead Senior Care visits John C. for four hours a day, five days a week. The caregiver helps him with household chores, accompanies him to his favorite restaurant and provides him with comfortable companionship. “It’s kept him inhis home and that’s what he wants,” Sue Hollcroft said. 

Nine out of 10 people over 60 want to stay in their homes as long as possible. They are able to do that thanks to new technologies — like seniors alertingfamily members of a problem — and the help of neighbors and caretakers, according to the AARP. Amy Goyer of the AARP said that now there is a trend for seniors to age at home. “That is the goal of most adults as we live longer, most people want to stay in their own homes,” she said.

“That means that families have to be involved in support, neighborhoods, communities, but there is also the industry of technology that supports and aids people to stay in the home,” Goyer said. She pointed to such innovations as vibrating pill boxes that sound an alarm when it’s time for a person to take their medication and a website created for seniors so they can stay connected with family members in one place.

Goyer said franchised organizations and local nonprofit agencies also provide personal care to aging adults living at home. 

Home Instead Senior Care is one of the many services designed to allow seniors to stay out of nursing homes.

Offering the “Families on the Brink” series shows how this topic is clearly on the minds of Americans. Sometimes just starting the conversation is the most awkward position for the family member. Having a conversation around the dinner table might be the benefit that gets everyone informed. Accurate information is essential.

Home Instead Senior Care is one of the
many services designed to allow seniors
to stay out of nursing homes.

There’s the Kentucky Derby and the Boy Scouts have the Pinewood Derby, but a Duck Derby? You betcha — and you’re invited to participate.

The Fayetteville Duck Derby has been in the making for well over a year. It all started with Fayetteville Urban Ministry. The organization was looking for a fundraising idea and wanted to do something different. A little bit of research and imagination — and a lot of hard work later, event co-chairs Katie Crenshaw and Aurora Alexander are ready to introduce Quacky and the whole Duck Derby experience to the community.

They’ve made the rounds, gathered the support of local businesses and several fellow nonprofi ts and now it is time to share their vision and watch the fun begin!

You might be asking yourself what exactly is a Duck Derby? And we can understand that, because we asked the same question. 

The Duck Derby will take place on May 7 at Campbellton Landing. If you are on hand that day, you will see a rare site. Between 5,000 and 15,000 yellow rubber ducks will be launched into the Cape Fear River in a race to support Fayetteville Urban Ministry and many other local non-profi ts.

To make it to the river, a duck needs to be adopted. Anyone can adopt a duck, it costs $5 per duck, less if you buy a package of fi ve or more.

“The actual duck drop is going to be really cool,” said Crenshaw. “They’ll drop off the bridge by Campbellton Landing and the end is right about where the railroad trestle begins. We’ve timed it and that is about a 10 minute race.”

The prizes are impressive — a 2011 Toyota Camry generously donated by Rick Hendrick Toyota, a Las Vegas getaway, a Myrtle Beach escape and a catered Cape Fear River cruise. 

When you purchase a duck, your name will be entered onto a tag. May 5 is the tagging party. This is where the thousands of ducks that have been purchased by caring members of the community will be assigned numbers and prepped for the big race. Crenshaw is hoping for plenty of volunteers, since they are expecting a sizable amount of work.

“We have a minimum 5,000 ducks to tag,” said Crenshaw. “Our goal is much higher than that though, and they all have to be tagged.”

While Fayetteville Urban Ministry is the lead nonprofi t for this event, duck sponsors can help other nonprofi ts even if they only adopt one duck.

Visit the website, and click on “Teams.” There will be a list of nonprofi t organizations that are participating in this event. Choose your team, then adopt a duck, or two or three — or more.

“Choose your team and $1 for every duck you purchase will go to that nonprofi t,” said Crenshaw. “The rest will go to Fayetteville Urban Ministry. It is no cost to the other nonprofi ts to sign on. We have such a good working relationships with these other organizations and we are all working together to better the community. We just wanted to share a little bit with them. We thought ‘Let’s all combine our efforts. Let’s all work together.’”

Organizers timed the event to coincide with the month-long celebration of Days of Glory, which occurs in May. Throughout the month of May, local organizations put together events honoring and celebrating Fayetteville’s military heritage with ceremonies, art exhibits, sport and charity events and much more.

“This is part of the 31 day salute, and it is just so special because so many people have come together to support this in the community,” noted Crenshaw. “It is so much more than a one person event.”

While the actual race is short, Crenshaw and Alexander are planning an entire days worth of fun on the big day. From 1-6 p.m., Campbellton Landing will be fi lled with music, kid-friendly activities and educational resources.

“It will be an opportunity for all our non profi ts to share their mission, if they choose. We’ll have entertainment on the stage the entire day, too,” said Crenshaw. “We have Rattler Jake coming. He talks about different snakes and will educate the children. We have riverboat tours. Basically, it’s a free event with tons for the kids to do.”

May might be a long time away, but there are other things you can do now to support the Duck Derby.

“Just like the Kentucky Derby has the Mint Julep, we are looking for that perfect signature drink for the Duck Derby, and an appetizer, too.” said Crenshaw. “We’ve asked our local restaurants and the community to be part of this and help us with that.”

Eleven local restaurants (Huske Hardware House, The Hilltop House, Pierro’s Italian Bistro, Morgan’s Chop House, It’z Entertainment City, Scrub Oaks, Circa 1800, Luigi’s, Riverside Steak & Oyster Bar, Latitude 35 Bar & Grill and Chris’s Steak House) are pulling out all the stops in a competition to see who can create the signature cocktail and appetizer for this event. From Feb. 11 until May 6, the community is invited to visit these restaurants, sample their creations and then vote for their favorite at www.fayettevilleduckderby.com. The winner will be announced at the derby. The possibilities are incredible, and the competition is sure to be intense, so don’t miss out on a chance have your say.

May 7 will be here in no time, so you need to buy a duck, taste an appetizer, cast your vote and sign up to help. To do all of this, visit www.www. fayettevilleduckderby.com.

Middle Right: Quacky the duck stands by the Toyota Camry that is the grand prize in
the Duck Derby. Bottom Left: Tom Costello, of Hendrick Toyota gives Quacky a hug.

You don’t hear from me often in this spot. I like to stay in thebackground, writing about the facts and keeping my opinions tomyself, so I leave it to my Publisher Bill and Associate Janice to penthis space and share their opinions. After all, my momma alwaystold me “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything all.”But this week, I actually havesomething nice to say.

We read week after week,and hear day after day, ofthe evils in our present-dayworld... how uncivil we areto each other, how our kidsare bullies, and our teensare selfi sh, lazy and spoiledrotten. But I’m here to tell youthat there is hope. And that’ssaying a lot coming from me,the eternal pessimist.

During one of our recentsnow and ice storms, perhapson the second or third day asthe city was fi nally dustingitself off and coming backto life, I came to Fayettevillefrom my home in Harnett County, fi nally heading back to work.I was making a quick stop at my mother’s to deposit my son forthe day, as schools were still closed. As I neared my mother’shouse, I saw two young boys — maybe in the neighborhood of13 or so — cleaning the snow and ice off her neighbor’s car. Likemy mother, her neighbor is an elderly widow, and these kids didnot belong to her. “Oh,” I thought to myself, “there are someentrepreneurial kids out making a buck in the cold. Good for them.At least they have initiative.” Pulling up to my mom’s house, I sawthat her car had also been cleaned off. Entering the front door, Icommented on it and asked her how much they charged for that.“They volunteered,” she responded. “Yeah, volunteered for FREEor volunteered for a few bucks?” was my skeptical response. Sheexplained that they had, in fact, volunteered for FREE.

They were the boys that did her yard for her (albeit, not forfree) and came by and offered to clean off her car. Wow! I wasalmost stunned, which is sad. Once, that would have been acommon neighborly thing to do for each other. But these days,unfortunately, a kind simple act as that seems extraordinary. Iwatched out the window as the boys headed across the street tothe home of a disabled personand cleaned off yet anotherneighbor’s vehicle.

I took this as a teachablemoment for my own 10-year-oldson and let him know what a nice,admirable and unselfi sh act theseboys were performing. Insteadof playing with their friends, orsitting in front of the TV with acup of hot chocolate, they wereout in their neighborhood helpingtheir neighbors — and providingexcellent customer service andadded value to their lawn-mowingbusiness customers. Sometimes,it’s all I can do to get my own dearchild to take three steps acrossthe hall to put his laundry in thelaundry room, or to feed his own cats. And many businesses inour community could learn a thing or two from these kids aboutcustomer service!

Every now and then my faith in humanity is restored. There arestill some people who do the right things for the right reasons. Allhope is not lost for our youth. And to the parents of those two boys,whoever they may be, I applaud you for a job well done. I hope thatmy own will turn out so well, eventually.

And as for all this cold winter weather we’ve been having, toborrow a line from Grady Bowman’s Facebook post, “I’m snowover it.” Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weeklyand thank goodnessthe Groundhogpredicted an earlySpring!

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and the downtown merchants and restaurateurs are doing everything they can to make it easier than ever to impress, please and woo that special someone.

In addition to romance, downtown wants to share some good fortune with those who could use a hand this year. Through Valentine’s Day merchants will be collecting canned goods and nonperishable items for Second Harvest Food Bank. Look for the red heart in the window and take your donations inside.

While there is plenty to do, here are just a few fun ideas if you are at a loss on how to impress your date.

Show up at their door with a traditional sweet treat. The Chocolate Lady is offering confectionery delights that will satisfy most anyone’s sweet-tooth. Get a box of chocolate covered strawberries for $20. Call her at 480-2000 and place your order while there is still time.

Just Desserts is offering Valentine’s Day treats like chocolate covered strawberries, heart shaped cookies and red-velvet cake, as well as many other goodies that will impress your sweetheart. Give them a call at 860-2253. They are accepting advanced orders.

Then treat your Valentine to a carriage ride through historic downtown. Rides are available from 1-8 p.m. Feb. 12 and last about 20 minutes. Tickets are $15 per person if you don’t mind sharing the carriage, (kids under 12 are $5) or book a private ride for $50. Call City Center Gallery & Books at 678-8899 to make your reservation.

From there, check out one of the many deals that the local restaurants have for couples.

Circa 1800 is offering specials on Feb. 12 and 14 for a three-course dinner and wine fl ight. Discount movie tickets are included in the price. Give them a call at 568-4725 to make a reservation or get more details.

Blue Moon is celebrating Valentines Day with fondue — for two. A cheese fondue entree to share followed by a round of chocolatey fondue goodness for dessert.

For $50 Lido’s is offering an appetizer, two entrees, two glasses of wine and a dessert. They’ve got dancing and entertainment later in the evening, too.

Enjoy a laid back dinner at Haymont Grill where a surf and turf dinner for two costs $34.95 and includes a salad, potato and dessert. For more information, give them a call at 484-0261.

Stop by Huske Hardware for a dinner of salad. N.Y. Strip steak, a side, dessert and wine or champagne — for two. This special will run you $49.99.

Pierro’s is having a sweetheart of a special, too. It costs $59.99 and includes wine, appetizer, salad, an entree and dessert for two.

Hang around downtown and dance the night away or check out the Cameo Arthouse Theater. They are having a special showing of Blue Valentine, which earned awards in 2010 at the Independant Spirit Awards, the London Film Critics Association and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Call the theater for show times at 486-6633.

Adventurers seeking something different for their sweethearts may want to consider Zipquest. Just off Ramsey Street, Zipquest was named one of USA Today’s 10 great zip lines and it’s right here in our own backyard. It costs $79 per person and is an adventure you won’t soon forget.

Then head home with a nice bottle of wine to enjoy the rest of the evening. Bob & Sheree’s Beer & Wine Shoppe has his and her baskets fi lled with wine and chocolate — Sweetheart baskets for the ladies and Lionheart baskets for gents. Baskets start at $50. Mention downtown’s “Have a Big Heart” program and receive $5 off.

Of course these are just a few of the options for a fun Valentine’s Day date. Check out pages 18 and 19 and see what else is going on downtown.

Fayetteville State University’s Seabrook Auditorium will have magic in the air as Aladdin comes to the stage this month.

The magical story of Aladdin is a well traveled and long loved one. The tale is said to have started as a Middle Eastern folk tale, but is also said to have Arabic, Persian, Indian and Egyptian roots, dating well back to the 15th century. Like most great stories, the initial origin may be cloudy and some details may have changed but the heart of the story survives.

The story revolves around young Aladdin, an impoverished youth with dreams of being rich and respected. By a series of events, he comes to acquire a magical lamp containing a powerful genie, that he has tricked an evil magician into relinquishing. He then uses the genie’s power to win the heart of beautiful Princess Jasmine and impress the Sultan, making his dreams come true. In a twist however, the magician regains the lamp and kidnaps the Princess, and in order to set things right, Aladdin along with his monkey sidekick Alakazam, must face Chop-Chop the ruthless executioner and help set things right!

This story has survived and has been woven into history many different ways for the simple fact that it has all the components of a wonderful adventure. Love, betrayal and magic have always been a recipe for a good story. We cheer for underdog Aladdin and hope for evil villains comeuppance.

This February Fayetteville State University Theater put it’s own spin on this yarn, with this non musical version of the classic tale. In this delightful version, experience all the magic and suspense you’ve come to associate with Aladdin, as well as meet three genies, the whining Ali “Bubba,” the fire-breathing dragon and the haughty sultan’s wife.

Fayetteville State University has been putting on exciting productions since about 1973 and is still going strong, putting on more than 20 shows a year.

Associate Professor and Director of Theatre Phoebe Hall, who has been with the company since 2000, is enthusiastic about this months feature.

“I think that Aladdin will be well received, Tim Kelly has done an excellent job in bringing his adaptation to life. The students, as always, worked really hard to make this story one that the audience will really enjoy.”

The proceeds from Aladdin, as well as the theater’s other productions go right back into the theater fund, and is used to continually provide Fayetteville with genuinely entertaining performances.

Show times are Feb. 17 and 18 at 9:30 and 11 a.m. and Feb. 18 also at 7 p.m. The tickets for the two mornings shows were sold out as of Monday, Feb. 1, but tickets for the evening show is still available.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for staff, faculty and senior citizens, $3 for children and $2 for students with a valid ID until curtain time. After curtain the full adult price will apply.

For more information feel free to contact the theater at 910-672-1006 or at their website http://www. uncfsu.edu/theatre.

The Carolina Philharmonic has had an impressive season of performances in Fayetteville. It started with the Latin Serenade, followed by In Memoriam — In Celebration of the Faithfully Departed. The orchestra celebrated the holidays with Christmas in New York — Jazz Piano with Joshua Wolff and Twelfth Night. Now Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and the philharmonic is set to impress once again with Valentine’s Soiree— The Night They Invented Champagne Movie Music From the Golden Era which will be performed at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church on Feb. 13.

Fairly new to the Fayetteville music scene, the Carolina Philharmonic debuted in February of 2009 as the West Side Chamber Orchestra to standing ovations. The group then joined Maestro David Michael Wolff’s New York orchestra, The Manhattan Chamber Philharmonic, at Carnegie Hall on April 4, 2009. Again, the group received accolades and were invited back to perform on March 3, 2011.

Since then the orchestra has incorporated, and has changed its name to the Carolina Philharmonic, while continuing to impress and inspire local audiences. The musicians currently remain a chamber orchestra, and are dedicated to meeting the needs of the community through solo performances, small chamber groups, small and large chamber orchestra formations, as well as occasional expansions to a full symphonic orchestra.

The Carolina Philharmonic website notes, “If there’s a defi ning feature of the Carolina Philharmonic, much more than its virtuosity, it’s the tangible joy of musical expression that brings its audiences repeatedly to their feet, from Fayetteville to Carnegie Hall.”

Kathy Wilford, the Carolina Philharmonic spokesperson, credits the group’s success to Maestro David Michael Wolff.

“The heart and soul of the philharmonic is our maestro, principal conductor and artistic conductor,” said Wilford. “He is an exceptional human being, number one, but an amazing musician, too. We are a growing organization. Like our website says, we are still a small philharmonic — with big ideas.”

With Music from An American in Paris, Casablanca, An Affair to Remember, Gone with the Wind, My Funny Valentine, Fats Waller’s Valentine Stomp and The Night They Invented Champagne, music lovers are sure to delight in this latest performance.

“This was our maestro’s idea,” said Wilford. “This is an era that has exceptionally elegant music and it kind of came together as a natural combination.”

Musicians will include David Michael Wolff on the piano, Young Mee Jun, soprano, Yang Xi on the violin and viola, Izabela Spiewak on the violin and Nate Leyland on the cello.

There will be a champagne reception as well.

“We are trying to bring exceptional music back into the mainstream of America, and we are starting in North Carolina,” Wilford said. “Our audiences are growing exponentially, we’ve been very blessed in that, and it is coming together nicely. Once you see what we can produce you will just be amazed.

”The performance starts at 4 p.m. Tickets start at $5 for students and go up to $25. They can be purchased by calling 910.687.4746.

Photo: Maestro David Michael Wolff will lead the Carolina Philharmonic in its Valentine’s Day Performance.

Following months of speculation and conjecture, the Fayetteville Museum of Art Assessment Report has been released to the community. The report, paid for by the Arts Council of Fayetteville-Cumberland County, and prepared by Diane Frankel of The Museum Group, based in San Francisco, Calif., is designed to create a way ahead for the reopening of the now defunct museum; however, current museum board members say that until the old museum is sold, nothing can be done.

The Arts Council sanctioned the report last year, following news of the museum’s closing. Frankel has 25 years of experience in the non-profi t arena, serving as the director of graduate programs in museum studies at John F. Kennedy University and the founding director of the Bay Area Discovery Museum. As a presidential appointee of President Bill Clinton, she headed the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington, D.C. This agency provides funds for museum and libraries across the United States and is the largest Federal cultural agency. Frankel works with museums as they transition from one director to another, and on their strategic planning processes and fundraising programs.

Frankel’s task was to “assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Fayetteville Museum of Art” and to determine the support in the community for the museum.

During her assessment, Frankel spoke with 30 people in the community, the majority of whom had some tie or relationship to the museum in the past, including members of the FMoA Board of Trustees, the FMoA Advisory Group, the FMoA Executive Committee, the Arts Council Executive Committee and staff, as well as local politicos including Mayor Tony Chavonne, Councilman Bobby Hurst, N.C. Senator Wesley Meredith, John Meroski of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Eva Hansen of the Partnership for Children, former County Commissioner Breeden Blackwell and Jeff Pettus of the N.C. Arts Council.

During her discussions, Frankel said she found that the museum was “greatly valued by the community” and that those interviewed expressed the “need for a high-quality art museum.”

What they also expressed is a sense that the museum staff and board had strayed from its vision and had “lost focus” when they set their sites on expansion and the requisite capital campaign needed for the expansion.

“Most planning for the new building started long before I got there (on the board),” said Mac Healy, the current director of the board. “We were spending an inordinate amount of time trying to keep that boat afl oat, so the mission possibly took a backseat. But we continued doing our mission. Classes were going on, kids were coming and they were in the building. I would agree that there was a fair amount of attention to the new building. We believed new membership would go up, attendance would go up once we moved into the new facility, so saying we lost focus on our mission was not an inaccurate statement.”

In the report, Frankel noted that while community leaders are “eager” for the organization to rise from the ashes like the proverbial phoenix, they want “clarity in its mission and vision,” “evidence of a committed leadership” and for the museum to be responsive to the community’s interest.

In order to achieve those desires, Frankel wrote that the museum must follow the best practices of successful museums, including a clear vision and mission, a strong leader, a dedicated board, a well-thought through business plan, compelling exhibitions and educational program and a well-focused strategic plan.

None of those things can occur until the current board retires the outstanding debt of $580,000. The board hopes to satisfy that debt through the sale of the Stamper Road facility, but until that time, movement forward is impossible, according to Healy.

“My board’s main goal is to have the debt retired before a new board takes over,” said Healy. Healy explained that there is a committee of three people set up to recruit an interim board. Mary Holmes, of the Cumberland Community Foundation is the chairman of the committee. She is joined by Doug Peters of the Fayetteville- Cumberland Chamber of Commerce and Karl Legatski.

Healy explained that the committee would seek out those in the community willing to sit on the new board.

“They will look for a new permanent board, but the reality is that nothing will probably happen until we pay the debt off. Not many people will be willing to take on that debt,” he said. “Our hope is that the building will sale, and we can hand over a clean slate to the new board.”

At the current time, Healy said there is no intent to sell the museum’s collection, valued at roughly $900,000, to pay off the debt.

“The community and the new board will need to decide whether we are going to be a collecting museum or an exhibiting museum,” he explained. “There really is no formal way to dispose of the collection, but if the board decided to do that, they need the funds from the sale of the collection for operations, not to pay debt.”

In the report, Frankel suggested the existing board step down — a conclusion that board had alreadydecided on.

“We realize that irreparable harm has been done to the reputation of this board,” he said. “We aren’t the people to go out and try to rebuild relationships in the community. The new board’s life will be a lot easier if they are debt free. They can show up and make decisions once the city decides whether it wants and will support a museum.”

One of the key relationships that must be rebuilt is that between the museum and the Arts Council of Fayetteville- Cumberland County. Many museum supporters have, in the past, faulted the Arts Council for the museum’s ultimate demise for pulling its fi nancial support to the museum’s operating budget.

Healy said that the board wants to put those arguments behind it, and hopes that the new board will be able to rebuild the relationship and regain financing for the facility’s operations.

“Without that money, it will be hard to keep museum up and running,” said Healy. “The money comes to the Arts Council for the betterment of the arts. When the future board takes over, they are going to have to come to grips with that relationship.”

Jean Moore, the president of the Arts Council Board, believes relationships can be mended, and believes that the report is the fi rst step forward for the museum’s rebirth.

“There is a lot in that report that people knew,” she said, noting that there have been some who have been critical of the report within the community. “We needed someone who was not involved in the situation to look at it objectively and give us a way ahead.

“Part of what Diane had to ascertain was where we had been and how much commitment there is for the museum. She had to figure out where it had been to fi gure out the steps for rebuilding,” continued Moore. “I think she did a great job. There is some talk in the community that she didn’t tell us what to do to fi x it, but that is not what she was hired to do. What she has done is put us in the right direction. She has given the new board the right direction to move in, and now they can run with it.”

One of the biggest decisions the new board will have to make is where the new museum will be located. Healy and Moore both believe that the best location for the facility is downtown.

Many in the community, including Healy, have their eyes on the Lundy Building, Festival Park Plaza, on the perimeter of Festival Park.

“We had three very successful shows in the Lundy Building,” said Healy. “The city owns it and is paying $50,000 a month to keep it vacant. I haven’t spoken with the city and no one is going to enter this process without the board or a budget, but if the city wants a museum, they are going to have to step up and make it happen.”

Fayetteville Mayor Tony Chavonne said the city wants a museum, and he believes its ultimate location should be downtown.

He noted that the Lundy Building is a “diffi cult proposition,” because the city does not, in fact, own it. The building was originally owned by the Lundy Group, The Chamber of Commerce and 3 Aaab LLC (SchoolLink). The city does pay mortgage and operating subsidies for the building, and shortfalls in rent when it is not occupied.

“We have not talked with anyone, but once the museum is reorganized and the new board is in place, we would welcome talks with them,” said Chavonne.

Photo, middle right: The outgoing FMoA Board has high hopes for the future of the museum.

Have you ever sat in the theatre and had to physically restrain yourself from getting up and dancing? If not, then you obviously haven’t made it to the Cape Fear Regional Theatre yet to see the musical production of Hairspray. Because if you had of found yourself sitting in the seats of the theatre, you would defi nitely have found your toes tapping and your hips twitching.

The latest production staged by the CFRT’s talented staff is a certifi able box-offi ce hit. I caught the show on a preview night, and while the CFRT staff took great pains to explain that a preview is really just a warm up, other than some minor sound issues, I didn’t see a lot to fault.

The cast, which has enough energy to light several city blocks, sang their hearts out, while dancing their butts off. The show, set in Baltimore in the ‘60s, has a rich dialogue that can make you laugh out loud, but can also break your heart. And the music, well as you read earlier, the music can also make you soar.

Director Tom Quaintance has done a great job of bringing a relatively young cast together in a very short amount of time. With just three or four weeks to pull the show together, Quaintance and crew should be extremely proud of the job they’ve done. The dancing, choreographed by Todd Michael Smith, an original member of the Broadway cast of Hairspray, was beautiful and very energetic. The cast Ponied, Mashpotatoed and Twisted their way throughout the twohour production.

The vocals were executed beautifully, and I’ve got to tell you this cast has some chops.

At center stage most of the performance was Amy Rowland, a student at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke, who plays Tracy, the chubby Baltimore teen who turns the town upside down with her big hair, her dancing and her desire to integrate the daily dance show. Rowland, a music major, spends four or five hours in class singing every day, and then comes to the theatre and puts on one heck of a show. The petite Charlotte native has a great vocal range and she has a really big voice for such a small girl.

Also getting high marks in the vocal department is Joy Ducree Gregory, who plays Motormouth Maybelle, the quick talking DJ, who spins records in her record store for the black teens, while the white kids dance on TV. Gregory, a Wilmington resident, stopped the show with her performance of “I Know Where I’ve Been,” an epic song that refl ects on the changes she has seen throughout her life, and the changes yet to come. This performance had the audience sitting on the edge of their seats, and brought home the tensions and pain of that segregated time.

Fayetteville resident Alexis Dove Chieffet, playing Velma Von Tussle, did a great job of creating the character that everybody loves to hate. Her show-stopping moment came during the first act when she belted out “Miss Baltimore Crabs.” This song and this scene are laugh-out-loud funny.

I would be remiss not to mention Richard Pruitt, a New York actor, who plays Tracy’s mom Edna. Pruitt, a big teddy bear of a man, made the transition to Edna beautifully. His mannerisms were great, and his comedic timing superb. I really loved his interaction with Ken Griggs, a CFRT regular, who played his husband. The two played off each other nicely. Of particular note was their performance of “You’re Timeless To Me.”

The supporting cast did a wonderful job and put everything they had in the show. They seemed as energized at the end of the show as they were at the beginning. And that’s saying a lot.

If you haven’t made it down to the theatre yet to see this great production, don’t worry, you still have time. The show runs through Feb. 13, but I would suspect if word-of-mouth works, tickets are going fast. So dance your way downtown so you can catch the beat and while the evening away with the “Nicest Kids” in town.

For show times and dates, visit www.cfrt.org.

On Wednesday Feb. 2, rock artists, Korn and Distrurbed rolled through the Crown Coliseum on the fifth annual Music as a Weapon Tour. The tour will also feature metal heavy-weights Sevendust, and a relative new comer to the hard rock scene, In This Moment.

ITM features the only female rocker on this top-tier tour, Maria Brink. Maria’s platinum blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that match her soul piercing voice quickly gives way to a canvas of tattoos that helps her blend in with rest of her So-Cal metal mélange.

The five member band that formed together five years ago in Los Angeles have had success touring with the god-father of metal Ozzy Osbourne, and they continue to reach new audiences with their latest release, A Star-Crossed Wasteland. Wasteland is the group’s third offering produced by Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch), and brings together the group’s eclectic tastes and influences to produce a uniquely dark and melodious sound that is beginning to solidly define the group. The singles “Just Drive,” “The Promise” and “Gun Show” have helped the album reach #40 on the Billboard Top 200.

Chris Howorth, founding member and guitarist, says the dynamic of the group has led to the evolution of their sound.

“My influences are more traditional metal, like Pantera and Metallica, but Maria brings unique tastes like Mazzy Star and Massive Attack,” said Howard. “As we all push to have our influence felt, it blends into the unique sound that we have now.”

While Music as a Weapon is not the bands first big tour, as they’ve done arena tours with Ozzy, toured with Korn on the Mayhem Fest, and rocked last summer’s Warped Tour, the band is enjoying gaining new audience and new fans with the Weapon Tour.

“We love the music and realize that can be a very powerful tool,” said Howard. “We all just want to make an impact, so we’re going out there every night trying to have the best show we can. Even now we still get new fans come up to us after the show who haven’t heard of us, but they fall in love with the music.”

As the band bring its arsenal of metal to Fayetteville, Howard says they look forward to playing in another military town.

“We’ve played Hooligan’s in South Carolina (outside of Fort Jackson), and we’re always super-excited whenever we see it on the tour,” continues Howard. “The military crowd always brings this great energy to the show and we just have an awesome time.”

Photo: Music as a weapon comes to the Crown Coliseum on Feb.2.

PLANNING YOUR OWN FUTURE

Just as you take inventory of your parents’ resources, so should you evaluate your own. We believe that if you take the time and make the effort to get ready for the final stages of your life, as difficult and as expensive as some of those preparations may be, you will make that part of your life far more secure and fulfilling than it would otherwise be for both you and your loved ones.

Plan today for your tomorrow.

Where you will end up on the curve and how much care, if any, you will need depends on a number of variables:

• Shoot for the Galapagos but prepare for the worst. By all means plan for a comfortable, exciting retirement. But plan simultaneously for the time when that wonderful retirement might be cut short, gradually or suddenly, by accident or disease. Any of us could spend months, or perhaps years, with our physical or mental aptitudes in disheartening decline.

• Prepare now — and you should begin to plan immediately, because as you likely know from the experience with your parents, if you wait for an emergency to begin planning, the emotional and financial difficulties will be multiplied.

• Prioritize — think sensibly about the basic needs in your life, beyond food and other essentials, and focus on what you could give up and could not give up.

• Buy a home to last. If you are moving, either within your current area or many miles away, contemplate the kind of house you will want not just next year, but in 10 or 15 years, when you are likely to be less enthusiastic about climbing the flights of stairs.

• Estate planning. Everyone, and certainly everyone with children, should have a formal, comprehensive, written estate plan that designates a power of attorney for someone else to act in their behalf.

• Will. You can’t assume that your children or other heirs are going to apportion whatever money you leave in a way that you would consider fair. Make your wishes clear and legal in a will. Even when the financial consequences of dying without a will are small, the emotional repercussions can be tremendous.

• Advance Directive. This document is as crucial as a will( and is sometimes referred to as a living will)and emotionally might be even more difficult to face. The document states your wishes in some terrible accident or medical episode leaves you near death with little or no chance of recovery. It also creates a health care proxy, a relative or friend who can make the decisions associated with such an event on your behalf.

• Power of Attorney. You should give someone the power of attorney to act on your behalf if you are disabled in an accident or by an illness. Even though you will likely recover to take care of your own finances and sign important papers, in the meantime someone will have to sign the papers for the mortgage refinancing or the lease on the summer cabin. Give your power of attorney to an alternate as well.

• Last wishes. You can do your family a great favor by providing final instructions which address questions and other issues which are important to you. Don’t put the burden of making these decisions on your children.

• Long-Term Care Protection. One way is to reinforce the income you expect from savings and the equity in your home with long-term care insurance. A typical policy purchased currently would provide $100 a day worth of care, roughly the cost of a professional non-medical caregiver at home for five hours a day at current rates. A reassuring policy would cover you for four years of care with a provision for inflation of 5 percent a year compounded. There are financial advantages to buying early, of course; evaluate your options.

In a beautiful program of music centered around the spiritual, awardwinning opera singer and North Carolina native Cheryse McLeod Lewis celebrates the rich history and heritage of African Americans on Thursday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. at the J.W. Seabrook Auditorium on the campus of Fayetteville State University. Admission is free.

“This is part of our fi ne arts series,” said Dr. Earnest Lamb, chair of Fayetteville State University’sDepartment of Performing and Fine Arts. “She will present a program of African-American spirituals and other music by African Americans, including a musical setting (by Lee Holby) of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. She will also sing three pieces with the University Concert Choir.”

Originally from Greensboro, Lewis earned her bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Vocal Performance from Carnegie Mellon University, her master’s of music in Vocal Performance from The University of North Carolina-Greensboro and her Professional Artist Certifi cate from the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute at the North Carolina School of the Arts.

She has performed with Asheville Lyric Opera, South Carolina Opera, Connecticut Opera, UNC-Greensboro Opera Theatre, Capital Opera Raleigh, Central Georgia Opera Guild, Greensboro Opera, Opera Carolina, Piedmont Opera, The Opera Company of N.C. and Houston Ebony Opera. Lewis also appears and records with the Inspirata Quartet and her duo group, Eleganza, in addition to performing as a soloist. She is the recipient of several prestigious vocal competition prizes.

“What we have is basically a home girl (sic) coming back to the state and visiting our campus,” Lamb said. “It’s important that our students get a chance to interact with another African- American opera singer and get another perspective of what’s possible as far as music careers. The day before the concert, she will give a master class for our students. Anyone can attend on Wednesday at noon. She probably will talk about what it’s like to be a professional musician, especially being in opera, what kind of preparation that she needs. We are looking forward to her sharing her professional life and passing that experience on to our students.”

For more information, call the FSU Ticket Offi ce at (910) 672-1724, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., or visit www.uncfsu.edu/fah.

Raqi Barnett hasn’t been in Fayetteville that long, but she’s been in theater for more than 30 years teaching, modeling, acting and directing. She’s good at it — and she loves it.

She’ll be making her directorial debut in Fayetteville at the Gilbert Theater on Feb. 3, when Paul Woolverton and John Merritt’s play Dateline Greensboro opens there.

This is the story of the beginning of the Civil Rights movement — more specifi cally, it is the tale of how a series of sit-ins in Greensboro, N.C., in 1960, sparked a movement that changed the world while baffl ing and transforming the news industry there.

It all started when four African-American college students went to the lunch counter in Woolworth’s, which was a whites-only establishment. They sat down, asked for food and were promptly asked to leave. Without violence or malice, they chose to stay, much to the chagrin of the other customers. They came back again and again and were mistreated each time. They were spit upon, had food dumped on them and were called every name in the book, but they stood fi rm and responded without violence.

One of the reasons that these sit-ins were so important is that the local press responded with great interest, and the story was picked up and reported around the country.

In this production Barnett is seeking to draw the audience into the experience and transport them to 1960 to give them a taste of the tension that surrounded these events. The play begins before the audience even makes it to their seats.

“As soon as people go into the theater they are already back in time. There are signs saying “colored only,” “white only,” “we serve whites only” and things like that, as soon as you enter,” said Barnett. “In the lobby you will see the four guys at a mock Woolworth’s counter so you can see how it was when they were there.”

Then the audience will move into the theater where they will have a choice to sit in the whites only side or the colored only side so they can see how it was in that era going to the theater. Then the newspaper will start covering the story as if it were that day in 1960.

The characters are introduced in black and white costumes. This is by design.

“As the play progresses, the audience will be able to see how the characters are affected by the events around them,” said Barnett. “It will be sort of like Pleasantville, at least that is my vision. As the characters change internally their costumes will refl ect that — or not. There are some characters who remain unchanged by the course of events. I think it will be an interesting evening for the audience.”

The fact that Barnett, a black woman, is directing a play about the Civil Rights Movement during Black History Month is not lost on her.

“There is extra pressure and extra excitement in it and in being able to tell a story that is still very relevant. The cast is amazing, and I think the play will be great,” said Barnett. “The goal is for everyone to take away with them a little part of history.”

Barnett is dedicating her work on this play to her husband’s unit, the XVIII Airborne Corps, which is currently deployed to Iraq.

Dateline Greensborowill run through Feb. 20 on Thursdays - Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12, except for opening night which is “pay-what-you-can” night. Space is limited, so make your reservations at gilberttheater@aol.com or by calling 678-7186.

As you read in last week’s edition of Up & Coming Weekly, the FireAntz have some exciting hockey coming up. There are also some really unique and fun promotions coming soon. Here are just some of the highlights of what is to come:

Saturday, Feb. 5, the FireAntz, fans and corporate partners will once again take an opportunity to pay tribute to the men and women of the military.

The FireAntz will wear special, patriotic jerseys for the game and all of the themes of the night are in support of the military. Several of their partners have joined them in supporting the military that night; Fort Bragg Federal Credit Union, US Logoworks, Stanley Steemer, First Class Property Management, Wilson Off Road, Century 21 Agents, 4G Communications, Carpet Dry Clean and Restoration, Wolfe Audio, Century Link, Dex Knows, Master Exterminators, and Caviness and Cates. It’s sure to be a great night and a great tribute to the military.

Friday, Feb. 25, is Kidsville Kids Night. The singing/dancing troupe known as the Kidsville Kids will be in attendance and performing throughout the game. They put on a spectacular show and this is one you won’t want to miss.

Tuesday, March 8 is Kids Night presented by Cape Fear Valley Health. There is a great ticket promotion for that game and the proceeds are going to a wonderful cause. Fans who donate $1 to Friends of Children will get a free ticket to the March 8 game. There will be select locations that you may donate.

Make sure to circle these dates and check out the other ones as well. There is guaranteed to be exciting hockey, and as you can see, some really exciting promotions as well.

Photo: FireAntz Forward Chris Leveille streaks into the zone. Photo
Courtesy: J. Shank.

Ahhh, the magic of the circus — the clowns, the animals, the music and food all add up to a day of excitement and fun. There is just nothing like it — and it will be here soon. Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 10-13, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus presents Zing Zang Zoom Gold Edition “a magical circus experience, where just feet away from your seat you will enjoy high-fl ying excitement and pulse-pounding acts combined with performers of amazing courage and extraordinary skill!”

Jason Gibson is the production manager of this particular version of the greatest showon earth and considers himself one of the luckiest people in the world to have such a great job.

“Even though I am one of the behind the scenes guys, I just love coming to Fayetteville,” said Gibson. “It is great to be around the military and have a chance to make so many people smile.”

Since this event is a little more intimate — it is a one ring circus, not the traditional three ring type — Ringling Brothers is able to offer the public a chance to meet the performers, including some of the animals at the pre-show warm-up, and it is included in the ticket price. For an hour before the show, ticket holders are invited to come to the arena fl oor and get up close and personal with the performers.

So you pay for two hours of excitement and get an extra one for free, Gibson noted.

“People can meet the performers, shake their hands, have pictures made with them and even try-on previous season costumes,” said Gibson. “It is a chance to make a real connection with the performers and maybe even learn a trick or two. If you want to learn how to juggle, we can show you how. It is a really fun and amazing time for both the audience and the performers.”

Suzy, one of their beautiful and majestic Asian elephants, makes an appearance at the pre-show and produces a work of art that some lucky circus goer will take home. Folks sign up, and at some point during the show, a name is called and the winner takes home a colorful elephant footprint, courtesy of Suzy.

“It is really cool because you are sitting just feet away from this gentle giant as she makes the art work, and then we are able to give it away during the show,” said Gibson.

The event will include thrillusionist David Davinci, who in 2007 set a world record with an underwater free-diving card trick. To promote the Zing Zang Zoom opening, Davinci took to the air just a few weeks ago on Jan. 19 in Savannah, GA., hanging upside down from a hot-air balloon, in a straight jacket. He freed himself in just seconds. See it on youtube at www.youtube. com/watch?v=dE41lsoiE9Q.

During the circus, Davinci will attempt a similar feat, but one that is just as dangerous, as he attempts to escape a straitjacket while suspended three stories in the air above a den of lions.

“Since this is a one-ring show and we don’t really have a ringleader, David provides continuity during the show, and acts as the host,” said Gibson. “He performs several amazing stunts throughout the show.”

Flying high is a common theme as Viktoriya and Windy, the Hairdaring Duo, perform an extreme hair hang an amazing 35 feet in the air and Sky- High Sensation Franclieb Rodrigues walks upside down, across the ring without a safety harness.

Trained house cats, yes, there is such a thing, are a crowd favorite, too.

“Watching them jump through hoops and perform tricks is so much fun and you can tell that the cats are having a really good time, too,” said Gibson. “I think people really like that act because so many folks have cats and can relate to them.”

Of course, there are clowns, three trained elephants, Kung Fu performances, motorcycle stunts and more.

Tickets start at $10 for children, and go all the way up to $55 for a VIP pass. Show times vary. Tickets are available at the Crown Box Offi ce and all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information, visit www.atthecrown.com.