The Museum of the Cape Fear is celebrating the life of Omar Ibn Said through Dec. 5 and invites you to join them as they delve into the life of this Muslim slave whose writings and works are still studied by scholars today.

The story of Omar Ibn Said is an interesting one indeed. A man of privilege, he was born in 1770 and raised in what is modern day Senegal and enjoyed a prosperous life until he was captured and sold into slavery. His family was Muslim and he was educated in the Qur’an, Islamic practices and prayers. He also learned how to read and write in Arabic and knew some math too. He considered himself a scholar, a teacher and a merchant.

By the time he came to America as a slave, Omar Ibn Said was 37 years old. He ended up in Fayetteville in 1810 after running away from a cruel master in Charleston, S.C. Of course, he was captured pretty quickly and charged with being a run away slave. While in jail, he turned to his faith and used coals from the fireplace to write prayers to Allah on the walls and ceiling of his cell. Being an educated Arab, all of his writings were in Arabic and the citizens of Fayetteville were intrigued by the markings he made in the jail.

“They weren’t familiar with the writings, but it was obvious that this was an educated man,” said Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex administrator David Reid. Omar Ibn Said was purchased by James Owen of Bladen County and went to live with the family there. “Omar was held in high esteem by the family and treated quite well.” Reid added.

Little did Omar Ibn Said, or the young town of Fayetteville, know what an impact he would have — one that would last for centuries.

Although Omar Ibn Said is not the only Muslim sold into slavery in the U.S., he is the only one known to have penned his autobiography in his native language — Arabic. In fact, his original autobiography, which was penned in 1831, is the cornerstone of the exhibit.

The manuscript consists of two parts. Omar Ibn Said begins with a chapter from the Koran, surat al-Mulk (‘dominion’ or ‘ownership’), then follows with his own narrative. Omar Ibn Said’s narrative is addressed to a “Sheikh Hunter,” who presumably asked Omar to write the narrative.

In 1836, Omar Ibn Said sent his manuscript to Lamine Kebe, a freed slave and Muslim of Futa Toro, the region Omar Ibn Said grew up in, living in New York and preparing to return to Africa. Eventually, the manuscript of the autobiography was lost. It was found in a collection in Virginia in the 1990s and sold at auction. The current owner has allowed it to be examined by scholars and displayed in museums.

Lamine Kebe passed the manuscript of the autobiography to Theodore Dwight, a founder of the American Ethnological Society professional traveler, writer and abolitionist. Dwight made it available to Alexander Cotheal, a linguist who was fluent in Arabic. Cotheal produced the first English translation of the work in 1848. A second translation was later done by Reverend Isac Beard, a founder of the Syrian Protestant Mission in Beirut (later American University Beirut).

“I think the autobiography is something he wrote in 1831,” said Reid. “It is in his handwriting, it has been missing for a while and has come to light, so it is exciting to get the attention brought to Omar. He is an interesting fi gure from our history that people aren’t aware of — I think it will generate a lot of attention and interest.

”In addition, Davidson College is loaning a copy of the Lord’s Prayer translated into Arabic by Omar Ibn Said to the Museum of the Cape Fear.

“The Owen family donated some artifacts to Davidson back in the 1870s or so,” said Reid. “They were staunch Presbyterians and knew of Davidson and trusted them to preserve it.”

The Museum of the Cape Fear is located at 801 Arsenal Ave. They are open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 1-5 p.m. on Sundays. Call 486-1330 for more info.

When you think of theater, you don’t automatically think about Fayetteville State University. But that’s where you make a mistake.

FSU has a growing theater department that is committed to bringing a wide variety of plays to the community each year. Its most recent offering, Fences, will be on stage Nov. 18-20.

Directed by Dr. Harmon Watson, chair of the Performing and Fine Arts Department, Fences, written in 1983 is authored by African-American playwright August Wilson. Set in the 1950s, it is the sixth play in Wilson’s 10-part Pittsburgh Cycle. Like all of the Pittsburgh plays, Fences explores the evolving African-American experience and examines race relations, among other themes.

The production won a Tony Award for Best Play, Best Actor in a Play for James Earl Jones, Best Direction of a Play, as well as the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Jones) and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Mary Alice). This year the Broadway revival of the production won Tony Awards for Best Revival Play, Best Actor in a Play for Denzel Washington and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for Viola Davis.

The play begins on payday, with Troy Maxson and Jim Bono drinking and talking. Troy has made a formal complaint to his bosses that only white men are permitted to drive the garbage trucks for the waste disposal company at which both men work. The two men finish their discussion of work, and Bono asks Troy about a woman, Alberta, he suspects Troy of seeing. Troy denies that he would risk losing his wife, Rose, but Bono does not give up so easily and reminds Troy that he has been seen at Alberta’s house when he said he was elsewhere.

The conversation is interrupted when Troy’s son Lyons who arrives to ask his father for money. Troy gives his son a hard time, but eventually gives him the $10 requested. Eventually, it is revealed that Troy has been having an affair with Alberta, whom the audience never sees throughout the play. Alberta gets pregnant and dies giving birth to Raynell, the daughter conceived from their affair. Troy’s wife Rose accepts the duty of being Raynell’s mother when Alberta dies in childbirth. Troy and Rose have another son, Cory, who against his father’s wishes, plays football and temporarily leaves his job during the football season. This infuriates Troy, who eventually kicks Cory out of the Maxson home. During the fi nal act of the play, Troy dies. His daughter Raynell is seen as a happy 7-year-old; his son Cory comes home from war, and initially refuses to go to his father’s funeral due to long-standing resentment. However, Rose convinces him to pay his respects to his father — the man who, though hard-headed and often poor at demonstrating affection, loved his son.

The curtain raises at the Butler Theater at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, call 672-1006 or visit the FSU Theatre website www.uncfsu.edu/theatre/fsu_drama_guild.htm. For reservations contact FSU’s Ticket Manager, Antoinette Fairley, at 672-1724.

It seems today that there is a gadget to do virtually everything for you, that all presents come with bells, whistles or … a touch screen, and homemade and handcrafted gifts are a thing of the past. In light of this, the 2010 Yule Mart seems like a piece of much needed nostalgia to a time when everything wasn’t manufactured and mass produced. Yule Mart is a showcase of local, regional, and out-of-state crafters and artists and their creations, sponsored by the Fort Bragg Officers Spouses Club. More than 70 booths will be featured, offering a wide variety of items, such as quilts, holiday decorations, jewelry, paintings, furniture, Americana crafts, and much more. They will be selling their handmade crafts and products this November 19, 20 and 21 in the Ritz Epps Gym, Fort Bragg.

“We have lots of new vendors this year, as well as some old favorites” said Yule Mart chairperson Tracy Curran. “My Sister and I is a new vendor this year. The Promise is back and they are always a big hit. The Buy n Bragg will be there again, which is our (Fort Bragg Area Spouses Club) boutique here on post — they sell Fort Bragg related items.”

Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be taking a break from their busy schedules and stopping by, with Mrs. Claus’s Bake Shop and Santa’s Workshop both in the Ritz Epps Physical Fitness Center. Donate or buy tasty treats or bring the kiddies to shop for low priced gifts for their family and friends.

“There is a new feature this year at Santa’s Secret Workshop,” said Curran. “This year we have an EFMP (Exceptional Family Member Program) shopping experience, and we are very excited about that. That will be on Sunday Nov. 21 from 10-11 a.m. We are very excited about that. It will be a little less chaotic than our other shopping times.”

Mrs. Claus’s Bake Shop will be fi lled with cookies, brownies, muffi ns and breads, as well as fresh fruit and sugar free items for sale.

Of course all of the proceeds go right back into the community on and around Fort Bragg.

“We had about 3,000 shoppers last year and this year we are shooting for at least 4,000,” said Curran. “All of this goes back to our community through welfare grants to community organizations that support the military as well as on scholarships and continuing education scholarships for spouses of military members. Last year a lot of local schools both on and off post benefi tted from general welfare fund grants including the Fort Bragg animal shelter, the Armed Services YMCA, Operation Homefront N.C. and the Fisher House.”

One of my earliest memories of Christmas is sitting with my uncles, aunts and cousins at the dining room table covered with beads, string and pipe cleaners making our own ornaments. Eventually they got so popular that we began to sell them to friends and family members, as well as in our church. We enjoyed the money, but nothing could ever put a price on the bond that we created together and the delight in making something with our own hands that gave such joy to others. This year I urge everyone to step away from the gadgets and electronics, and give something made with care, and support our neighboring artists and talent.

“The mall and other retailers are standard — everybody can fi nd what you fi nd at the mall, but these are all unique hand crafted items,” said Curran. “I think the uniqueness would be the reason to come and shop at Yule Mart. The stuff you will fi nd at Yule Mart you are not going to fi nd at the mall or any other retail outlet.”

PICTURED: Shoppers enjoy regional crafters and artisans at Yule Mart.

For years the Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center has been hosting events that support literacy, but they are great supporters of arts and culture, too. Every 4th Friday you can fi nd some sort of concert, performance or exhibit at the Headquarters Library on Maiden Lane, and throughout the year there are assorted performances, events, lectures and competitions that make our community more interesting and engaging. Case in point — the upcoming 5th Annual Bohemian Music and Art Festival on Nov. 14.

The Pate Room at Headquarters Library will be transformed into a celebration of great music and art from 12 - 7 p.m. Music lovers can look forward to hearing the sounds of some of Fayetteville’s favorite performers who we fi nd all around town on a regular basis — the Chris Cox Band, Robbie Reid Band, Corky Jones, Blues Enigma, The Guruvs, Original Nature, Fat Freddy’s Cat Band, Ray King Percussions and others.

“It will be highlighting local artists and musicians,” said Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center Headquarters Branch Manager Jane Casto. “The line up has changed a little bit but they are all local. The focus, in the past, has been on blues but Claudia Schwartz is the person who put it together and I think she has tried to get a little of a mix in there. There will be some acoustic, some electric — it is more of a variety.”

Art enthusiasts will be treated to the works of painter Dorothy Finello, glass artist Shannon Davis, Kerstin Hanson and her chakra inspired jewelry, Robin Deffendall, Jeff Coleman and others.

“The artists are there all day,” said Casto. “They are there for people to browse and look — and buy. You can purchase music and art and they will give a 20 percent donation to the Friends of the Library.”

Event organizer Claudia Schwarz added that this is a great way to do some Christmas shopping for those gifts that you just won’t fi nd anywhere else.

“This is really a chance to not only support local artists and musicians by purchasing their work, but it supports the library, too, and offers a chance for unique gifts as well,” said Schwarz.

Local belly dancers, Shadows of the Fire, will round out the event with a performance late in the afternoon.

Bringing such an eclectic group together every year has become something that the event organizers really look forward to. It gives people a chance to come to the library and to do something different.

“We get a lot of regular customers and new faces, too,” said Casto. “We hope that people will come back just to see what else the library has to offer. We always have a library table of information as well, so we can promote that we have music, we have books on music, we have books on making art — so if it inspires you, you can investigate your creative side at the library.”

It is not just coming and seeing the musicians, you can come and learn more about a particular technique you’ve seen, or if you want to learn more about music or to listen to music, the folks at the library can do all that.

The event is appropriate for all ages. “Many people who attend enjoy the fact that they can come and it is not a bar, it is not in a big setting — it is more of an intimate setting where they can really listen and enjoy the music,” said Casto. “It really brings music to a very comfortable secure environment.”

To find out more, give the library a call at 483-7727.

Wiley and Wendy Hughes are the senior pastors of Mount Carmel Church and the founders of Destiny Now World Outreach located at 2569 Owen Dr. They’ve been serving full-time in the ministry for more than 20 years and have no plans to stop anytime soon, in fact they are more motivated than ever with the opening of the new worship center.

On Nov. 16, to celebrate their new house of worship, they are hosting Israel Houghton and the New Breed for a night of worship and praise and you are invited to attend.

Israel Houghton has a Christian music sound that just can’t be easily put into a category. He covers gospel, jazz, rock, reggae, pop and more. Not only does he have his own recording career, but Houghton is also the worship leader at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. He’s also served as worship leader for Promise Keepers and Champions of Christ and performed at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

Houghton came on the scene in 2003 when he produced an album by Michael Gungor called Bigger Than My Imagination. Christianity Today proclaimed it “one of the year’s best worship albums.”

In 2005 his work “Again I say Rejoice” from the album Live From Another Levelwon a Dove Award. “Not Forgotten” and “Turn It Around” from the album Alive in South Africa won Dove Awards for Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Alive in South Africa was also honored with a Grammy Award in 2007 for Best Traditional Gospel Album.

“This is going to be a wonderful evening of worship,” said Emily Smiling of Destiny Now World Outreach. “We are an outreach church and this is a way for us to reach out to our neighborhood and our community. Our goal is to reach out and impact our neighbors, our neighborhood and our community.”

The concert starts at 7 p.m. and is sure to leaving you feeling fulfi lled and refreshed. For more info visit www.mountcarmelchurch.net.

PICTURED: Israel Houghton will perform in Fayetteville on Nov. 16 at Destiny Now World Outreach.

Early one recent Saturday morning, four teen-aged girls stretched out on the stage of the Westover High School Auditorium. In the darkened room, they chatted about every day things near and dear to the heart of teenagers: boys, football and dresses.

In the relaxed environment, they listened to their teacher/ mentor Laura Stevens talk excitedly about the upcoming Heart of Christmas Show featuring the girls — Hannah Godbold, 15; Mandy Hawley, 16; Rachel Crenshaw, 15; Katelyn Godbold, 14; and Hannah Pritchard, 12 — who are collectively know as Voices of the Heart.

“This is an incredible group of girls,” said Stevens, who has been directing the show that is slated for Saturday, Nov. 27 and Sunday, Nov. 28 at the Crown Theatre. “They’ve been performing together as a team for the past two years, and that helps make it a solid show. They sing so well together. It’s really a landmark for us this year. We have had a lot of great Voices of the Heart over the years, but this one has a particularly great harmony, and they all have equal talent. Not only are they great singers, they are also great dancers.

“Gone are the days when you could be in Voices of the Heart and only sing,” continued Stevens. “You have to be able to dance as well. We have added a lyrical dance segment in our church concerts — a praise dance. Even the stiffest churches have embraced that with open arms. That’s such a heartbeat for me. I’ve always loved that. It took a long time to get to here. To be on that stage, you have to be able to perform, to express your passion on your face. When the lights come on, these girls have it all.”

What they bring to the stage creates the Christmas magic that Fayetteville residents have come to know and love.

“It is really a Fayetteville tradition,” said Stevens. “Since the show is on stage Thanksgiving weekend, it really is the kick-off to the Christmas season. Everyone enjoys lights and trees and how Christmas-y the show is. It truly captures the magic and splendor of Christmas.”

To keep the show fresh, Stevens adds new numbers every year, although the core of the show remains intact. She said this year they are pulling out all of the stops and are adding what she hopes will be real crowd pleasers.

One big addition is the staging of a live nativity scene, complete with donkeys and sheep, as the audience exits the building. Another addition is the performance of a Rockette-style number. “To see this one, you would have to go to New York,” said Stevens. “We really have worked on the ‘wow’ factor, and promise to deliver a fast-paced, two-hour production.”

At the end of the day, Stevens acknowledges the show wouldn’t make it without the support of community sponsors. “Every year they dig deep and set a little aside for us,” she acknowledged. “It costs more than $100,000 to stage the show, and they foot the bill. We couldn’t do it without them, and Fayetteville wouldn’t have such a great show without them.”

And the community’s children’s charities and schools would not benefi t without the support of the show’s sponsors and the community. Each year the show raises funds to feed back into the community. Charities like the Child Advocacy Center, the Fayetteville Autism Society and the Friends of Children at Cape Fear Valley receive generous donations from the show. Since its inception, more than a quarter of a million dollars has been put back into the community through the Heart of Christmas Show.

The schools have also benefi ted to the tune of $100,000. Stevens noted that this year the school shows have already sold-out.

“It’s great to be able to give that money back to the classroom teacher to let them buy whatever it is they need to be successful in their classroom,” said Stevens.

She added that the Heart of Christmas Show is about making a difference. It makes a difference in the lives of all of the talented youth who participate from the Voices of the Heart members to the dancers from Linda Kinlaw’s School of Dance. It makes a difference in the community through its charitable bent. And, maybe most importantly, it makes a difference in the lives of those who attend.

Stevens explained that this year the dance school was uncertain as to their participation because their dancers were so young. A morning visit to McDonald’s changed everything.

“Michelle, who is one of the artistic directors at the school, was really not sure about bringing these young dancers to the show,” explained Stevens. “She went to McDonald’s for breakfast one morning and the lady working at the counter saw her Heart of Christmas T-shirt.”

The lady explained that she had attended the show the previous year. At the time, she was a resident in a substance abuse center for alcoholics.

“She said that after seeing the show, she got right with the Lord, got back in church and got her life back on track,” continued Stevens. “That was all Michelle needed to hear. That was her answer.”

If you want to enjoy the magic and majesty of Christmas, be sure to get your tickets. The Saturday show is at 7 p.m.; while the Sunday show is at 3 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and can be purchased at the Crown Box Offi ce or Hawley’s Bicycle World. Tickets are $18 at the door. Tickets can also be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets; however, convenience fees will apply.

According to GlobalSecurity.org, Fort Bragg is the largest Army installation in the world by population, and is home to almost 10 percent of the Army’s active component forces. Approximately 43,000 military and 8,000 civilian personnel work at Fort Bragg.”

That’s a lot of service, sacrifi ce and selfl essness on our behalf.

Veterans Day is right around the corner, and with it comes the opportunity to say thanks and to show appreciation for those who offer up their lives and who fi ght to defend our freedom every day. On Nov. 6 Fayetteville will celebrate our heroes at the Veterans Day Parade. It starts 11 a.m. at the corner of Hay Street and Bragg Boulevard and will end at Robeson Street.

Don Talbot, the event organizer and a veteran, has been organizing this event for the past 13 years. He’s excited about the size and scope of this year’s event.

“This is a long and interesting and never boring parade of military, ex-military and loyal supporters,” said Talbot. “A typical year has anywhere from 1,000 to 1,400 people in the parade. This year because the majority of the troops are back at Fort Bragg, they are sending me an entire brigade to march in review. That’s 1,200 soldiers from the 3/73 Cavalry of the 82nd Airborne Divison. That one entry doubled the size of our parade. I would guess there are about 2,800 people in the parade this year.”

Check out America’s future leaders as the local high school ROTC units march by the grand stand. Talbot is expecting anywhere from 80 to 250 cadets. A few of the high schools will also send their drill teams to impress the crowds with their rifl e-spinning skills.

Restored military vehicles from by-gone eras will be rolling through the streets of downtown as well.

“In the past we’ve had armored personnel carriers, jeeps and trucks of various descriptions, as well as artillery pieces,” said Talbot. “We always include heritage organizations, too, such as the Arsenal Camp which is commemorating the Confederacy.

”What is a parade without a band? Look for the 82nd All American Band along with several of the local high school bands to entertain the spectators

.Talbot has arranged for a C-130 fl y-over as part of the event as well.

With the right coordination and ground control, he likes to have theplanes overhead as the Air Force is passing in review.Come and see what other groups and displays Talbot has in store.

“The whole parade is dedicated to vets and their service, so everyone in it is somehow connected to the military,” said Talbot. “The theme this year is to honor recipients of the Purple Heart Medal for combat wounds. We are asking everyone that has a Purple Heart to wear it — even if you aren’t in the parade.”

Take the opportunity to say thanks to the men and women who have proudly served our nation, and enjoy the sights and sounds of freedom.

Paranormal Activity 2 (91 minutes) is pretty freakin’ scary. It is difficult to pro-duce a film, much less a film sequel, with scary scenes that produce genuine terror rather than relying on blood, guts, and vio-lence to produce “horror.” Monsters aren’t scary, murderers aren’t scary, and special effects aren’t scary. Buckets of blood, muti-lation, torture … these elements produce revulsion, but not authentic scares.

One really great thing about the original was the slow building suspense that captured its audience. Happily, the sequel to this low-budget heart stopper is equally reliant on sudden shocks and the immediacy of the moment to captivate the audience. It is difficult to think of another movie that has affected a Fayetteville audience so much so that a theater full of people jumps as one.

From the comfort of a seat, it is easy to second guess the characters. However, it is rare, and more than a little bit fun, to hear a Fayetteville audience shout directions and warnings at the screen.

Remember Katie Featherston from the first film? Well, this film managed to blend its narrative into the story of Katie, actually providing a new perspective on the first movie. The film opens on a house around the block from the setting of the original movie. Kristi Rey is bringing her new son Hunter home. A montage of video clips builds a sense of the everyday, demonstrating that the family is young, wealthy, and happy.

Kristi is married to Dan, and in addition to Hunter they are raising Ali (Dan’s daughter with his late wife). These classic representatives of the bour-geoisie also have a live-in (?) nanny/cook/maid, Martine, as well as a German Shepard named Abby. They spend a great deal of time relaxing poolside and having Kodak moments. Everything is lovely until they arrive home one evening to discover a seeming break-in. Although nothing valuable is missing, the event unsettles the whole family and provokes Dan to install security cameras.

Martine, who is very suspicious and also very religious (but in a totally non-stereotypical way … wait, that is totally stereotypical. Nevermind) decides that the house is clouded with evil and needs a smoke cleansing. Anyway, she takes action to protect the family, but Dan doesn’t understand and decides to exercise some patriarchal authority by firing Martine. His female house-hold doesn’t use up much camera time defending Martine, but maybe that all occurred off-camera.

The security cameras begin capturing some unusual events, although noth-ing too alarming happens until the suspense has reached a screaming pitch. Subtle motions capture the eye as the security cameras switch from perspective to perspective. Ordinary explanations are found for extraordinarily weird events, but the family is the proverbial frog in the slowly heated pot of water. Finally, events occur which drive Ali to consult the Internet, since it is so full of credible information about ghosts and demons.

And that’s when things start getting interesting. The incidents become stranger and harder to ignore. Despite the discomfort of his family, Dan is really quite eager to leave his women home alone so he can go ahead and attend to imaginary errands that nevertheless sound quite urgent. Finally, even Dan Everything has an Ordinary Explanation Man is willing to call in the Scooby Gang.

This is one of those movies you definitely want to see in the theaters, and the bigger the crowd, the better.

The son of a Baptist minister, David Adkins grew up in Michigan. As a student he had a wide range of interests, participating in everything from the math club to the marching band to playing on the school’s basketball team. All of those experiences became fodder for Adkins, who the world knows as Sinbad — a comedian who began his career on Star Search, where he beat out Dennis Miller.

On Friday, Nov. 6 Sinbad will make a stop in Fayetteville to share his wit and humor at the Crown Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

The comedian and actor was hugely popular during the ‘80s and ‘90s with his HBO comedy specials and television role on A Different World and starring in such films as Houseguest, First Kid and Jingle All the Way. Most recently, he appeared in last season’s Celebrity Apprentice with former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, Sharon Osborne, Cyndi Lauper and Darryl Strawberry, among others.

Sinbad is one of a handful of comedians who does not use profanity in his act. His lack of profanity makes his show family friendly. However, the comedian has not always been so “clean.”

Sinbad initially started out using profanity in his routine but he cleaned up his act. In January, he told the Bay State Banner, “I was dirty when I started, but then I changed it up when my father came to one of my shows, and it worked. I found out I could talk about more stuff.”

However, not using profanity did not hinder his career. In the ‘80s and ‘90s he saw his biggest success with television and movie roles and HBO specials. Although he hasn’t been seen much this decade, he’s has been touring and recently performed his Comedy Central television special “Where U Been?” at Club Nokia, which was later released on DVD to even greater success. And in December, he will perform as a special guest on the Prince Welcome 2 America tour.

Tickets for the Sinbad show are can be purchased through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by contacting the Crown Auditorium at 910-438-4100.

When James Black skates onto the ice at the Crown Coliseum, he will be every little girl’s dream — Prince Charming. Black, and the remainder of the Disney on Ice cast, make it their business to make dreams come to life, and the upcoming show at the Crown is no exception.

This year Feld is bringing the Princess Classic show to Fayetteville. The audience will have the opportunity to journey through the magic of some of the most beloved Disney stories visiting Ariel’s kingdom under the sea, Belle’s cursed castle the Arabian palace of Jasmine and the cold hearth that Cinderella called home.

“The Princess Classic show features seven of everyone’s favorite stories,” explained Black, a former World Champion who has appeared in the show for the past five years. “It has Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and finishes with the whole story of Cinderella. It’s got everybody’s favorite story in there.”

And while the material they have to work with is magic on its own, Black and the cast strive to bring the magic of iceskating to the show.

“Our cast represents 11 countries in the world, and we are all world-class figure skaters,” he said. “Not only are you getting to see these amazing stories come to life, you are also getting to see some amazing skating. I do several triple jumps, and you will see the same level of professional skating that you see on television right in front of you on the ice.”

Black was a member of British World Championship team for a number of years before joining Feld. He was the 1999 British Junior Men’s Champion. He won third place in the 2000 British Championships.

Black noted that his skating style is “energetic” and that he “likes to make diffi cult things look easy.

”“I really like for the audience to know that I’m having a great time out there,” he said.

“I finished my competitive career in 2004, but still wanted to skate,” he explained. “Feld’s Disney shows are the biggest ice shows in the world, so that led me straight to them.”

Black first performed in 100 Years of Magic, but then made the move to the Princess Classic show. Even though he’s been skating in the show for the past fi ve years, he added that it is always fresh.

“It doesn’t get old,” he explained. “Even though you get used to the traveling and living out of the suitcase, you are given this amazing opportunity to travel to some places that most people don’t have the opportunity to visit. We’ve played every continent except Antartica. It’s been fantastic

.”Black said one of the things that keeps the show so fresh for him is the enthusiasm of the audience.

“One of the first things people will notice if they haven’t been to a show before, is that the children come dressed as their favorite character — in this case their favorite princess,” he said. “It’s something we love to see. We also see the audience loving the show that they are seeing on the ice. You can see how they relate to it, and even in the adults you can see how they remember the story. We love to see their smiling faces, and we love noisy crowds.”

The show is two hours of spell-binding magic, with a 15 minute intermission that will allow you to catch your breath and grab some great Disney gear.

If you want to catch the magic, you’ll have several opportunities. The show starts on Thursday, Nov. 4 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 7. On Thursday the show begins at 7 p.m. You’ll have two opportunities to see the show on Friday, one at 10:30 a.m. and one at 7 p.m. Saturday’s show are at 2 and 6 p.m., and the show ends on Sunday at 2 p.m.

For tickets and more information, visit www.atthecrown.com.

If you’re from the Fayetteville area, chances are, you’ve not only heard about the infamous World’s Largest Spaghetti Dinner and Greek Pastry Sale, but you’re most likely a repeat customer. For those of you that are newer to the city, it’s a tradition that you will surely want to be a part of.

The World’s Largest Spaghetti Dinner and Greek Pastry Sale started back in 1958 by the late Pete Parrous as a way to make money for the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church. The dinner is held the third Wednesday each November, with this marking the 52nd year that the event has been held. With more than 12,500 dinners being served, this is no small task, so more than 100 Greek families join together to put on the massive dinner.

The spaghetti is made with a secret sauce that was created by Parrous that’s been handed down four generations and only brought out for this yearly event. Plates consist of generous portions of mouth-watering spaghetti, parmesan cheese and a dinner roll. Alexandra “Sandy” Dais, who volunteers for the event, says that the dinners freeze really well.

“Just put the whole box in a ziplock and put in your freezer,” she said, adding, “Chances are, it won’t last to the freezer.”

In addition to the spaghetti, a popular highlight of the dinner is the vast variety of pastries, breads and cakes that are available for purchase. The church’s Ladies Philoptochos Society sell baklava (phyllo dough filled with honey, walnuts and pistachios), Kourabiedes (almond shortbread-like cookies), koulourakia (lightly-sweetened butter cookies) and fi nikia (honey-dipped walnut cookies. These items may be purchased individually or by the box.

Proceeds from the dinner help support several of the church’s charities like: International Orthodox Christian Charities, Salvation Army, Friends of the Children (of the Cape Fear Valley Health System), Highland’s Chapter of the American Red Cross, Cumberland County Autism Society, Panagia Prousiotissa Montastary and Easter Seals. Over the years, the dinner has supported church expansions as well as other charities, both local and national.

This year’s dinner will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17 in the Hellenic Center at the Orthodox Church, located at 614 Oakridge Ave. in Fayetteville.

Tickets are just $6 each and can be purchased in advance or at the door. Plates are available on a take-out basis only. For a list of local businesses that have tickets, to get information about special large-delivery options or for general questions, call the church offi ce at 910-484-2010.

For more than 100 years the Falcon Children’s Home has been taking in children, caring for them and providing not only for their physical needs, but for their emotional, spiritual and mental health, too. That is no small task in any day and age. Not only is the emotional task daunting, the nuts and bolts of feeding and clothing their charges can be overwhelming, too.

Hence the Harvest Train, a 61-year-old tradition that has allowed the surrounding community to bless the Falcon Children’s Home by filling in the gaps and meeting the needs of the children who reside there.

This year, the Harvest Train takes place on Nov. 23 and you are invited to attend, participate or contribute in whatever way suits you.

“It originally started back in the 1940s. They (the Falcon Children’s Home) were having a diffi cult time meeting their budget and having enough food and clothes to last throughout the year,” said Joey Leggett, Falcon Children’s Home CEO. “So the women’s ministry groups from some of the churches here in North Carolina said ‘Let’s start something called the Santa Claus Train’ — that is what it was called to start with.”

The churches came together to collect things and raise money throughout the year. They would meet up in Dunn, which is eight miles from Falcon, and then would make a caravan and drive down I-95 to the Falcon exit. The children from the home would line the street and the folks in the parade would throw them candy and then everyone went to the auditorium where the children would do a program as a way of saying thanks.

“I don’t think the home would have made it back then if it had not been for the Santa Claus Train,” said Leggett. “I feel certain they would have had to close their doors.”

Back then, there was not state funding to lean on, and the proceeds from the parade made up about three quarters of the annual budget, according to Leggett.

Today, it still makes up a little more than a quarter of the budget. Although the home currently receives funding for some of the children that reside there, they never turn a youngster away and there are several in their care who do not have state or federal fi nancial support and whose families are unable to help cover the cost of car-ing for them.

The parade doesn’t start in Dunn anymore, but at the Culbreth Memorial Church in Falcon. Folks bring their donations, be it school supplies, canned goods, cleaning supplies, paper products, toiletries or diapers and infant-care items for the babies of the resident teen mothers and walk to the children’s home (and yes, they still throw candy to the kids as the come in).

“Last year the parade was about a mile long,” said Leggett. “We’ve added a lot more to it this year, too. Pope Air Force Base will have a lot of their Airmen and equipment in the parade. It still winds up at the auditorium and then the children still do a program as a way of saying thank you to everybody.”

Leggett estimates that 90 percent of the residents at Falcon Children’s Home come from Cumberland County, and while they do get a lot of support from organizations like the Fayetteville Area Hospitality Association, there are still many needs that have to be met, and unfortunately, the funds to do that are not always readily available. That is why the Harvest Train is so important to the Falcon Children’s Home.

“We are definitely grateful for all of the support that we get from the commu-nity,” said Leggett. “We touch so many lives here. There is no greater feeling than knowing that you have touched a child’s life and been able to help them turn them-selves around and be successful.”

Supporting the Harvest Train is just one easy way to help the Falcon Children’s Home in their mission to change the lives of the future citizens, and hopefully leaders, of our community.

To find out how you can help, visit www.falconchildrenshome.com or call the home at 980-1065

While I sat watching television with my son the other day, a commercial came on about unfortunate children in another country. I proceeded to pick up my cell phone and begin to text, but my son kept watching. After it was over he, clearly af-fected, asked what we should do. I almost shrugged my shoulders until I realized that he was not only serious, but he was right. We should do something. We have so much to juggle in life that sometimes we can become unintentionally desensitized to the people around us who may be in need. We tend to forget everything except the present; the car note, the electric bill, the kids’ homework. So thankfully, organizations like World Vision still exist, and are behind wonderful programming like The Make A Difference Tour 2010 to help remind us.

World Vision is an international partnership of Christians and humanitarians on a mission to help communities worldwide to reach their full potential, tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. This year they, along with leading provider of entertainment AEG, and the top source for online Christian music Hearitfirst.com, have put together a powerful concert with some of the biggest names in Christian music to further achieve that goal.

Michael W. Smith, one of the best selling and influential Contemporary Christian artist, as well as having a great deal of popularity in the mainstream market will headline the event. The winner of three Grammy awards and 33 GMA Dove awards, Smith has been called creative and poignant and celebrates 27 years of creating worship through music.

Toby Mac has blossomed to become a stellar and award-winning musician and author. Mac has been honored with four Grammy’s and was named GMA’s Dove Award artist of the year in 2008.

Atlanta based rock band Third Day will also be in attendance. Recently in-ducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame, Third Day has been entertaining audiences of millions, which has also earned them more than 20 number one singles and several awards for songwriting.

Next we come to Max Lucado, accomplished author and minister, who has inspired many Christians, and whose upcoming book Outlive Your Life: You Were Made To Make A Difference inspired the tour. Lucado feels that this is a big step toward helping others in need. “None of us can help everyone, but all of us can help someone. And when we serve others, we serve God.” Lucado not only speaks it, but is practicing that philosophy, 100 percent of the profits from his book ben-efit children and families through World Vision and other faith-based ministries.

Just added is Christian singer songwriter Jason Gray, who has released four independent records before signing with Centricity Records in 2006. He believes in finding strength in weakness, and his music emphasizes that. Named one of the Ten Outstanding Minnesotans in 2003, Gray is quickly making a name for him-self and holds his own in this concert among his peers.

Janine Lewis, marketing and promotions manager for the Crown says “The Crown Center is thrilled to be a part of World Vision’s Make A Difference Tour 2010! This event not only features best-selling author, Max Lucado, but also Christian music artists such as Third Day, Toby Mac, and Michael W. Smith. This is a great opportunity for community members to support World Vision’s efforts in helping children. Join us at the Crown Center on Saturday, Oct. 30 for the final tour performance!”

This is the first time that all four of these artist have been brought together, and Oct. 30 is the only date that this tour will be in N.C., making this perfor-mance extra special. Tickets are on sale now through the Crown Coliseum box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or order by phone at 800-745-3000. V.I.P. Seating is available and in-cludes a Q&A session with the artist, light refreshments and a copy of Max Lucado’s new book, Outlive you Life.

For tickets or more info. give the Crown a call at 438-4100.

PHOTO: Third Day will be performing at the Crown on Oct. 30. 

For the last 35 years the Givens Performing Arts Center, located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, has brought some of the best and brightest in entertainment to southeastern North Carolina. The 2010-2011 season proves to be no exception.

On Wednesday, Oct. 29, bring your “Boogie Shoes” and “Shake Your Booty” to the disco sounds KC and the Sunshine Band. The legendary disco group kicks off the Nostalgia Concert Series as it performs at UNCP’s homecoming. With sales of more than 75 million records, nine Grammy nominations, three Grammy Awards and The American Music Award, KC and the Sunshine Band is one of the seminal forces in pop. The group pioneered an original funk style that continues to delight old fans and attract new ones into the millennium.Tickets for KC and the Sunshine Band are $40, $35, $20*/$12 child or student.

On Monday, Nov. 1, the GPAC goes blonde, when Legally Blonde The Musical stops by as part of its national tour. During its run on Broadway, Legally Blonde The Musical earned seven 2007 Tony Award nominations, 10 2007 Drama Desk Award Nominations and a 2007 Outer Critics Cir-cle Award. In addition, the show received three 2009 Touring Broadway Awards including awards for Best New Musical, Best Production Design and Best Choreography of a Touring Production.

Legally Blonde The Musical is based on the 2001 movie “Legally Blonde” starring Reese Witherspoon. Elle Woods is a bubbly, popular sorority girl who gets dumped by her Har-vard Law school boyfriend for someone more “serious.” Elle tries to win back him by entering Harvard Law School to obtain a law degree.

For tickets, call the GPAC Box Offi ce at 1.800.367.0778 or 910.521.6361 or for more infor-mation, visit the theatre website at www.uncp.edu/gpac.

Toga! Toga! Toga! What’s the fi rst thing that comes to your mind when you hear that chant? For most people, it’s John Belushi wrapped in a toga, head adorned with leaves. Or maybe hoards of drinking, screaming teens, partying like there’s no tomorrow. For others perhaps it’s helpless puppies, kittens and other animals that have been rescued and are looking for a good home.

Okay, if you’re like most people, it’s not usually the latter, but after Fri-day, Nov. 12, that may change thanks to the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society. This year for its annual fundraiser, FAPS is throwing a toga party, and its members are encouraging you to dress as your favorite character from the 1978 hit movie Animal House, in a toga, or any college gear that you may have.

FAPS is Cumberland County’s only state-licensed no kill animal shelter, and like most nonprofit operations, depends on the support of it’s community to be able to continue rescuing, sheltering and placing animals in stable, loving homes. Opened in 1982, FAPS has grown from a small shelter for a few animals into one of the most thriving, progressive shelters in North Carolina

Venturing away from the usual silent auc-tion or charity dinner, FAPS has decided to ap-peal to the young (and young at heart) this year and hopes that everyone will enjoy this venture away from the norm.

“This year the board just wanted to do something different, something to attract a younger crowd, along with our usual loyal fol-lowers.” Serriah Nicole explained.

This is Nicole’s first year on the the board of directors and the first event she has taken part in.

“We have worked really hard this year to capture the fun and excitement that was shown in (the movie) Animal House, and that you would come to expect of a toga party, all for a good cause. Jenny Beaver (of Just Jenny Events) has done a great job of helping to plan and set up our event.”

This is a unique event, as Huske Hardware has graciously agreed to close its doors to the public from 7-11 p.m. to host the event. In addition to great hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer, there will also be some great music that will put you in the mood to alligator.

The band in question is Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts, the oldest college fraternity band, and the band that was the inspiration for the toga party in Ani-mal House. The band was formed in Chapel Hill in 1955 as The Tops. Leading the band was Doug Clark, who was trying to earn money by play-ing at UNC fraternity parties and other school functions. The Tops first played for the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and quickly drew a following throughout the Greek community.

The following year, the group broke up and founded a new group called Doug Clark’s Combo. This group continued playing the local fraternity scene. After picking up a new song called “Hot Nuts,” the group became recognized for this instant hit and the name stuck.

From the mid-’50s to today, Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts have been playing their addictive music at colleges and universities all across the United States. Their style of telling dirty jokes and singling out audience members has proven extremely successful for the band. Although the Hot Nuts have often been booked for “censored” shows, the crowd ALWAYS ends up begging for the raunchy style that has made them famous.

While you’re there be sure to check out “Where were you in 1978 when Animal House hit the big screen?”, view some of the pets that are up for adoption or even sign up to volunteer for a few hours at the shelter. The FAPS’staff is grateful for everyone who is able to give or volunteer some of their time.

Tickets are $75 and are on sale now, and can be purchased online at www.fapspet.org.

Fayetteville is full of interesting people, and always has been. From the Highland Scots who settled here in the 1700s to the present day citizens who live, work and serve in the community to make this town a better place, you don’t have to look far to find infl uences from around the world that have shaped Fayetteville into a town with international fl air.

Beginning Nov. 4, our town is celebrating yet another fascinating historical fi gure — Omar Ibn Said (pronounced Sa’eed), with the dedication of a historical marker. The Museum of the Cape Fear is hosting a corresponding exhibit that will open at 10 a.m. on Nov. 4.

The exhibit will feature an original manuscript penned by Omar Ibn Said. A performance of The Life and Times of Omar Ibn Said at 71st High School at 7 p.m. will also be a part of the celebration.

According to the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, Omar Ibn Said was born in Africa in about 1770, in the modern day country of Senegal, to a Muslim family and was educated in the Qur’an, Islamic practices and prayers. He also learned how to read and write in Arabic and knew some math, too.

Historians aren’t sure if Omar Ibn Said was convicted of a crime and sold into slavery by his family or if he was captured by an enemy tribe, but in 1807 Omar Ibn Said found himself a slave in Charleston, S.C.

After running away from his harsh master in 1810, Omar Ibn Said arrived in Fayetteville, where he was arrested and put in jail for being a run away slave. While in jail, he turned to his faith and used coals from the fi replace to write prayers to Allah on the walls and ceiling of his cell. Being an educated Arab, all of his writings were in Arabic and the citizens of Fayetteville were intrigued by the markings he made in the jail.

“They weren’t familiar with the writings, but it was obvious that this was an educated man,” said Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex Administrator David Reid.

Omar Ibn Said was purchased by James Owen of Bladen County and went to live with the family there. “Omar was held in high esteem by the family and treated quite well,” Reid added.

For years, Omar Ibn Said remained a practicing Muslim. Owen gave him an English copy of the Qur’an to help him learn English. Eventually, Owen, with the help of N.C. Chief Justice and Francis Scott Key, the author of our “National Anthem,” provided Omar Ibn Said with a Bible that had been printed in Arabic, hoping that he would become a Christian. In 1820, he joined First Presbyterian Church in downtown Fayetteville.

“The local citizens were very excited that Omar converted to Christianity,” said Reid. “Missionaries even offered to supply him with Bibles and tried to get him to go back to his native country to share the gospel, but he chose instead to remain in the states with the Owen family.”

Through the years Omar Ibn Said not only proved to be a mystery and an asset to the Owen family, but he also left some pretty signifi cant historical documents. He wrote a 15 page autobiography and also translated some religious passages like the Twenty-third Psalm and the Lord’s Prayer into Arabic.

“One of the most significant things about Omar Ibn Said is that he is the only slave that produced an autobiography in his native language,” said Adam Beyah, event coordinator and the former Imam of Masjid Omar Ibn Sayyid. Other autobiographies left by slaves were either dictated or written in English after they were taught to read and write in America.

“He was a very religious man, and it appears that perhaps in writing the biblical texts he was doing a comparative study of the Bible and the Qur’an.”

In addition to the exhibit at the Museum of the Cape Fear, which will run through Dec. 5, and the performance at 71st High School, there will be festivities through out the weekend to honor the memory of Omar Ibn Said.

At 10 a.m. on Nov. 5 there will be an offi cial unveiling of a Historical Marker dedicated to Omar Ibn Said in front of Masjid Omar Ibn Sayyid, 2700 Murchison Rd. followed by a reception at 11 a.m. and Jumu’ah Prayer (Congregational Friday Prayer) at 1:30 p.m. led by Imam Ibrahim Pasha, Atlanta Masjid. From 3-6:30 p.m., vendors will be open on the Masjid property. On Nov. 6 there will be workshops by scholars, including an Arabic workshop by Imam Darnell Karim. Vendors will also be on hand, and the event will be followed by a banquet at 7 p.m. at Masjid Omar Ibn Sayyid with guest speaker Imam Darnell Karim, Chicago, Il.

To find out more or to participate in the festivities, call the Museum of the Cape Fear at 486-1330.

Photo of Omar Ibn Said courtesy of North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina Library at Chapel Hill.

I like calling Cumberland County home. One reason is all the hidden jewels that you discover only after making the effort to really get to know the community. One of these jewels is the Stanton Hospitality House on Roxie Avenue. At the Stanton Hospitality House, those from outside the area with a family member in the hospital can fi nd a little bit of home away from home.

The Hospitality House, as it was originally known, was founded by Carolyn Gaskins. With the support of Cumberland County Medical Society Alliance, she established the house and its “home away from home” concept in 1990. The house was governed by an advisory board, fulltime director and part-time volunteer coordinator.

In 1996, the house’s name was changed to the Stanton Hospitality House in honor of Margaret and the late Hawkins Stanton. Margaret has been and continues to be a staunch supporter of the house, its concept and its needs.

In 1996, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center donated the necessary funds for the purchase of the house by the Cape Fear Valley Health System. Once the house was part of the health system, the former advisory board of the Stanton Hospitality House became the advisory committee and joined the medical center’s foundation, the Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation. The SHH Advisory Committee continues to advise and support the Stanton Hospitality House.

Our community provides this service for a small fee or through funds available through Cape Fear Valley Hospital. It is an act of kindness that speaks volumes about us as a community.

For those who have never been far from family and friends with a loved one in the hospital, it can be a period of fear, tension and loneliness that must be experienced to be fully understood. As a mother who was once thrown into a far away place, knowing no one and dealing with the reality that my 4-year-old was dying, I know what a comfort even the most simple act of kindness can be.

Our youngest son had been operated on twice in his four short years of life for a congenital heart defect. Unfortunately, both the surgeries had failed. We held on to every minute trying to have a normal life with him and our other two children. We also had to work, but 30 days after the second operation, David was in heart failure.

The doctors told us there was nothing else they could do and recommended a pediatric hospital in Massachusetts. We suddenly found ourselves in a strange place away from friends and family, with no idea what to do or where we would stay.

Boston Children’s Hospital was an upbeat place, though. The staff was experienced and full of confi dence. We were not the even worst case in the building and hope was alive everywhere. That attitude was one of those simple acts of kindness.

After seeing our son safely into the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, we at last began to consider what to do next. An admissions person asked where we would be staying and we told her we had no idea. She gave us a number to the old nurses’ dorm where they had a few rooms for $7 a night. She said there weren’t many restaurants in the area, but we could eat in the cafeteria. Her taking time to care about the problems of two strangers was another act of kindness.

So, the basics had been taken care of. There was one room left. It had only a single bed, so we took turns sleeping in the chair outside the intensive care. The heat in our little room was an old steam register. It was either on or it was off. There was no adjusting it. That said, I can’t tell you how grateful we were to be staying close to our son at a cost that meant we could stay as long as we needed to.

While we were in Boston, many people took time to encourage and care for us. That gave us the strength to deal with what we were going through.

My son is 27 now and doing great, but at the time we had no idea what would happen. These events in my family’s life and the kindness shown to us by so many strangers, got us through a very diffi cult time. Without them, I don’t know what we would have done or how things might have turned out.

That brings me back to the Stanton Hospitality House. It is natural to be compassionate to friends and family, but the story of the good Samaritan teaches us that we should do more. I have always believed that a key test of a community is its heart and compassion. It is to our credit that Cumberland County has such a place as The Stanton House. It speaks volumes about who we are as a community.

Thank you to the foundation and to those of you who support our efforts to provide comfort to those who need a place to feel a little bit of home away from home.

Editor’s Note:For more information, visit www.capefearvalley.com/cancer/stantonhouse.html

There are several fun events that folks in the community look forward to every year, and one of them is just around the corner — the Holly Day Fair.

For the past 43 years, the Junior League of Fayetteville has put on a one stop shopping event that hosts more than 160 vendors who bring the latest and greatest in trends, gadgets, gift ideas and goodies to the community.

This year, the Holly Day Fair runs Nov. 4-7, and the organizers have quite a treat planned for the eager holiday shoppers that fl ock to this event annually.

“It really is the latest and greatest for the holiday season,” said Jami McLaughlin, Holly Day Fair publicity chair. “We have vendors come from all over to set up, the Crown Expo Center is packed.”

Whether you are looking for holiday decorations, handmade crafts, stylish jewelry and clothes, children’s toys, specialty food items or the perfect hard-to-fi nd gift for that special someone, it is a given that you will find wonderful treasures at the Holly Day Fair.

“You can get lost spending an entire day going booth to booth and looking at all the different shops and vendors that are set up,” said McLaughlin. Not to mention food — there is a food court with a lot of food options. “We do homemade bake sales and we also sell Dewey’s, which is a customer favorite. They sell the sugar cakes and Moravian cookies.”

Laura Mulkey, Holly Day Fair chair is excited about the goodies that the vendors are bringing to town. There will be plenty of local favorites, but look for the out-of-town vendors, too. They’ve got everything from knives to Christmas ornaments.

“Some old booths that we are excited to have back are Helmuts Strudel,” said Mulkey. “We also have So Chic Bebe from downtown. Shea’s Wildfl ower which has a lot of decorations will be there, and TBIT Gifts. They have any Christmas ornament you could ever want ranging from a diet coke can to a piece of pizza!”

If all that shopping proves to be too exhausting, Mulkey recommends looking for the Cape Fear Aesthetics booth. They are a title sponsor of the event and will be providing services and selling products at the event.

“We are really excited about Cape Fear Aesthetics having a big booth,” said Mulkey. “If you get tired from all your shopping you can have a mani or pedi right there at the fair.”

As if providing an awesome shopping experience full of fun, creativity and the Christmas spirit weren’t enough, the Junior League of Fayetteville then takes the funds that are raised at this event and uses it to support their mission of “promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The Junior League of Fayetteville, Inc. reaches out to women of all races, religions, and national origins who demonstrate an interest in and a commitment to voluntarism.”

Specifically, they commit their programs, projects, and advocacy to ensuring children ages birth to 18 have the opportunity and services essential to their physical, intellectual, emotional and social well being.

“This is our number one fundraiser for the Junior League of Fayetteville,” said McLaughlin. “Last year we brought in more than $270,000 for the community and that goes to supporting our mission.”

So, loosen those purse strings, break out the shopping list (remember to treat yourself, too), and prepare yourself for a day of retail therapy that will not only benefi t you, but will also improve the lives of the most vulnerable among us.

“I think it it says something when you have thousands of people come in just in the fi rst few hours,” said McLaughlin. “This is something that Fayetteville really looks forward to — people know that when they come to the Holly Day Fair they are not only getting the best with gifts but they are also giving back to the community. It is the biggest holiday gift and craft show in NC, but it is also a fundraiser for our community and that is the best part.”

Super Shopper hours are from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Nov. 4 with an admission price of $12. No strollers please.

Regular shopping opens at noon and runs through 8 p.m. Admission is $9. Friday, Nov. 5 hours are 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Saturday Nov. 6, the Holly Day Fair opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 8 p.m. Sunday, shoppers are welcome from 12-5 p.m. Regular admission is $9 and includes parking. Children fi ve and younger are free. The event is held at the Crown Expo Center. Visit www.jlfay.org for more information.

Every year the Town of Hope Mills celebrates its history with the Ole Mill Days Fall Festival. The one-day event will be held Oct. 23 at the Hope Mills Municipal Park. Originally, called the Pumpkin Festival, the annual event was changed to Ole Mill Days six years ago as a way to recognize the various mills that once populated the town.

Sponsored by the Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department, the festival has vendors, storytelling, rides for kids, a chili cook-off, tractor pull, costume contest and dance and music performances. Scheduled performances by gospel artist Larry Chason and country artist Larry Frick are new events added to this year’s festival.

“We wanted to have something for everybody,” said Kenny Bullock, program supervisor. “So we added gospel and country [music].”

In addition, Bullock says there was more emphasis on attracting more craft vendors to the event.

“We’ll still have food vendors,” he said, “but we wanted [the festival] geared more to craft vendors.”

So far 21 vendors have confi rmed, and Bullock expects up to 40 vendors to participate.

Planning for Ole Mill Days begins in January. Bullock said the Recreation Department places advertisements in local newspapers to attract new vendors and notifi es prior participants so they can sign up. Turn out for the festival is usually good. Bullock said on average about 2,000 people attend the event each year.

While the Ole Mill Days has been a success, Bullock wants the festival to continue to become larger, possibly becoming a two or three day event. And he welcomes input from the citizens on ways to improve the festival

“We’re open for suggestions” he noted.

Events will be held at the Hope Mills Municipal Park, 577 Rockfi sh Rd. For more information, call 910-424- 4500.

Ahh, 4th Friday. A chance to enjoy some art, some entertainment, great shopping and dining, too. With the joyful sounds, colors and fl avors of the International Folk Festival still echoing in our ears, it’s time for downtown to roll out the welcome mat and wow the community with local talent and festivities once again, and like always the events that are planned for the evening are both impressive and entertaining. Come on downtown on Oct. 22 and enjoy the sights and sounds of the evening.

The Arts Council Fayetteville/Cumberland County’s Cultural Expressions Invitational Exhibit is still hanging if you missed the opening last 4th Friday. In addition to the lovely exhibit, the Arts Council will also host a writer’s round table that evening.

“It is going to be really great — we have a wide variety of writers planning to attend and share their thoughts and experiences on a variety of issues with the written word,” said Mary Kinney the organization’s marketing manager.

There are six featured writers and each has an individual table. They will set up around the grand hall with a podium placed at one end.

“At the start of the program, each of the writers will go to the podium and speak briefl y on their work — and they can speak on whatever is important to them or whatever they think would be important to the audience,” she continued.

In the past, authors have talked about the writing process, inspiration, subject matter and have also read a passage or taken questions. Each writer will have roughly 10 minutes to speak and then they will be at their table. After the first hour or so writers will be available for book signings and one-on-one interaction with members of the audience. Authors will have their published works availabel for sale throughout the evening. The round table runs from 7-9 p.m.

The Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center will host the 2nd Annual Storytelling Festival this 4th Friday, too. There is so much fun and entertainment planned that the library is dedicating Friday evening and all day Saturday to the event — and it’s free.

Friday night’s event will feature Susana and Timmy Abell. Abell is a recipient of the North Carolina Arts Council’s Fellowship for Musical Composition and Songwriting. Lynne Heffl ey of the Los Angeles Times says “with folk-style wit and charm recalling the classic Pete Seeger, singer-musician Timmy Abell offers listeners a break from the everyday rush with tender, funny and celebratory songs that resonate no matter what your age.”

The fun starts at 7 p.m. with a pre-show puppet play in the Pate Room at 300 Maiden Ln. Call 483-7727. Come back on Saturday at 10 a.m. and enjoy a full day of stories and entertainment.

Going right along with the puppet theme, Fascinate-U Children’s Museum has hand puppets on the agenda for the evening. Admission is free, refreshments will be served and your little ones can make their own puppet to take home.

Later in the evening, an interesting group of people will gather in front of the library for Fayetteville’s newest event — the Jazz Funeral and Zombie Walk.

Wilmington-based artist Christine Cole and her husband Sameul Guin are teaming up with the Feral Art Collective to put on an event that will entertain the grown ups and have them dancing in the streets — literally. Come as a Zombie, or wait until you get downtown and let the Feral Art Collective help you get into character for the evening.

Zombie dancers will perform to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” performed by Voice.Zombies will congregate at the library at 9 p.m. and make their way to Maxwell Street where they will join the Jazz Funeral that will feature a live brass band and a hand-carried zombie procession. The walk ends at The Climbing Place with a performance by the Air Born Aerial Art’s Aerial Zombies.

To fi nd out more about the Jazz Funeral and Zombie Walk visit www.facebook. com/pages/Fayetteville-Jazz-Funeral-and-Zombie-Walk.

All in all there is an evening of great fun lined up. It officially starts at 6 p.m. with Arts Alive!, then 4th Friday activities start at 7 p.m. and run well into the evening.

The Great Recession has played havoc not only with our finances but with what many of us consider the normal course of life.

Young people who have long assumed that they would complete their educations and take their expected places in the workplace and in their communities have had to re-think that one.

Jobs are harder to come by, and often that has meant postponement of other adult markers like living on one’s own and participating in community life. Part of this changing narrative has been speculation that young folks are not tying the marital knot. Maybe it is the expense of getting hitched or maybe it is a reluctance to make a life-long commitment in these uncertain times, but pundits have had a field day speculating about the health and future of marriage in America.

With the recent revelation that the percentage of Americans between 25 and 34 who are married has fallen below the percentage of those who have never married, some have wondered aloud whether marriage as we have known it is on the decline. Add to that, the Pew Research Center’s announcement earlier this month that for the fi rst time college-educated 30-yearolds are more likely to have been married than their less educated contemporaries, and the hand-wringing over the impact of the Great Recession on marriage continued in earnest.

Is American marriage on the decline?

Writing in the New York Times, Justin Wolfers says no, but that like all institutions, it is evolving. Wolfers, an assistant professor of business and public policy at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, says that marriage has remained remarkably steady in our country over the last century and surprisingly, at least to me, unaffected by our economic ups and downs.

Most of us, it seems, do get married at some point. If we look at 40-year-olds instead of 20 and early 30 somethings, 81 percent have tied the knot at least once. This is lower than when marriage rates peaked at 93 percent in 1980, but it is still a higher percentage than most other life experiences we Americans have in common. It is also true that divorce is also somewhat less common, meaning that many of us are married for the long haul.

It is also true, though, that how we operate within our marriages is changing.

Today’s marriage is much different than the marriages of most of our grandparents and maybe even our parents.

The model of the stay-at-home wife and the bring-home-the-bacon husband might have been an effi cient one, though not necessarily satisfying to either party, but it certainly is not the model for most marriages today. Today’s marriages, the Great Recession aside, are far more likely to have both husband and wife in the workplace, and they have more disposable income and more leisure time. Their union is likely based more on commonalities and shared interests than on economic realities and a division of labor.

In addition, couples are indeed marrying later as the hand-wringing statistics indicate, and both partners are likely to have invested in their educations and started careers before they married. Both careers are viewed with equal or at least similar importance. Neither partner is as tied to the home as in past generations, and having a family is more an option than an accident.

It is also true, though, that living together without a marriage certifi cate is also on the rise among young people, and some older ones as well. Some of this may be the sheer economic reality of rent and scarce jobs in these challenging times, and many such couples will eventually get married. In that sense, perhaps the Great Recession is pushing people together instead of keeping them apart.

Wolfers notes that one group for whom marriage does seem to be somewhat on the decline is women with less than a college education. It may be that for them, marriage with a man of similar education is less appealing than going it alone now that few career doors are closed to women. The Great Recession has been particularly cruel to men with little education, and young women may see few reasons to commit themselves to a man with limited career possibilities.

It seems to me that marriage has always been a fl uid institution, ranging from economic and political alliances engineered by family members for couples who barely know each other to today’s concept of marrying for love and the pursuit of mutual interests. How we come into a marriage and how we live within it changes, but marriage remains an enduring institution and our primary relationship for most of us.

I believe that just as long as we human beings want to eat, we will have farmers, that as long as men and women exist on this planet, we will have marriage of one sort of another.

I do.

I do.

Well, if you haven’t yet already “early voted” then the contents of this edition will surely assist you in becoming familiar with some of the candidates who will ultimately be asked to serve our community, our state and our nation.

This is a very, very important calling. Seventy-two percent of Up & Coming Weekly readers are registered voters. This is no wonder since community newspaper readers tend to care about their communities and issues that affect their families, jobs and quality of life.

If you haven’t noticed this community is on the grow and the signs of progress, growth, development and prosperity can be seen in many aspects of living in Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County. At no time has this been more evident than last weekend when Festival Park hosted thousands of Cumberland County children, educators and dignitaries during the 10th Annual Reading Rocks Walk-A-Thon. Directed and organized by Belinda Cashwell, hosted by School Superintendent Dr. Frank Till, supported by local businesses and organizations and emceed by community and education advocate John Malzone, this event was the near perfect snapshot of how a community invests in its future.

The fi rst big news of the morning was the announcement that the event raised more than $200,000 in support of reading and literacy programs for local children. This is a strong indication and reflection that the Cumberland County Commissioners are spending tax payers money wisely when they invest in Cumberland County children and provide money to an organization that puts forth an exerted effort to help itself. This is leadership personified.

The second highlight was when Debbie Lister, the senior director of the Washington, D.C. based America’s Promise Alliance, presented Fayetteville and Fort Bragg with a combined award that recognizes the community as one of the America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best Communities for Young People. This is a major honor and one that confirms that our local leadership has set the correct priorities...reading, literacy and children.

It is my hope that Fort Bragg and the City of Fayetteville make a big deal about this and encourages the promotion and posting of the APA emblem of distinction at all entrances to the city and Fort Bragg, on city vehicles, stationery, etc. This is a very a big deal!

So, why does your vote count? Because the people we elect on Nov. 2 will be the ones charged with continuing the task of keeping our children and the welfare of our community the top priority for all levels of government.

Anyone can run for offi ce but only a few are capable of leading with contemporary wisdom and vision. It will be up to us on election day to make the distinction. Vote.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly

Few people are suprised by what they see around Halloween, but if you are driv-ing downtown on 4th Friday, Oct. 22, you might get a little more than you bargained for if Christina Cole and the members of the Feral Art Collective get what they are hoping for.

Cole, a Wilmington-based artist and her husband, Sameul Guin, have put together quite an event for ghouls and goblins to enjoy — a Jazz Funeral and Zombie Walk.

We know, it’s not the usual celebration of Halloween that people expect for downtown, but Cole believes the undead are going to really liven downtown up.

“This event has really snowballed,” said Cole during a recent interview. “We were all talking about the fact that in Fayetteville unless you go to a bar and party, there’s not a lot for adults to do on Hallow-een. So we started talking about ideas for something fun, something different for adults.”

Initially, the idea was to sponsor a Jazz Funeral Cole explained.

“My mom died last December and we didn’t really have a fu-neral,” she explained. “Later we went to New Orleans and saw a Jazz Funeral and thought it was a great idea.”

For those not in the know, a Jazz Funeral is a New Orleans tradition that is rooted in music. Most commonly such musical funerals are done for individuals who are musicians themselves, connected to the music industry, or members of various social aid and pleasure clubs or Carnival krewes who make a point of arranging for such funerals for members. The music starts out somber and then moves on to joy in a celebration of life and death.

“We started talking about hosting a Jazz Funeral here, but culturally a lot of people don’t know what a Jazz Funeral is, but most people know about zombies, so we worked in the Zombie Walk to bring out the fun side and then we are working in the cultural side with the Jazz Funeral,” said Cole. “There’s an interesting parallel between the two of them.”

To make the tie in perfect, the Feral Art Collective tied their event to 4th Friday knowing that downtown would already be full of life.

The event will kick-off at the library where all the zombies will gather. From there, they will shamble over to Maxwell Street where all sorts of may-hem will unfold.

According to Cole, there will be a lot of zombie interaction in and amongst the artisans who will be on hand as part of 4th Friday. There will be break dancing zombies and belly dancing zombies. Members of the collective will be on hand to help you zombie-fy yourself if you didn’t get a chance to do it before you come downtown.

What might be the highlight of the event will be performances of “Thriller” — complete with a cast of zombie dancers. Voice, a singer/performer, will put on one performance of Michael Jack-son’s pop sensation, and the student’s from Leslie’s Dance Studio will put on another.

Once you’ve had your fi ll of “Thriller,” you can make your way over to the Climbing Pace to watch Air Born Aerial Arts’ Aerial Zombies put on a display of aerial acrobatics that is sure to take your breath away.

All of the fun kicks off at 9 p.m., when the zombies meet at the Headquarters Library Fayetteville on Maiden Lane. They will proceed down Burgess Street onto Maxwell St. where they will connect with the Jazz Funeral and proceed down Maxwell in the procession. Please be sure to comply with city laws and keep to sidewalks and obey traffi c rules!

A live brass band led by Donna Grimble will accompany the funeral proces-sion and second line for the Jazz Funeral complete with a hand-carried zombie coffi n procession.

After the downtown events, be sure and make your way over to The Rock Shop where a whole weekend of mayhem is planned during the Zombie Grind.

For more information about those events, visit facebook.com/therockshoplive.For more information about the event and special discounts being offered by downtown merchants, visit www. facebook.com/pages/Fayetteville-Jazz-Funeral-and-Zombie-Walk.

Do you have your passport? That is your National Park Passport. Earlier this spring I visited the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. America is rich with some of the largest and most notable landmarks in the world. The National Park Service man-ages more than 388 national parks, national monuments, and national historic sites.

At the visitors center, I noticed a book called the National Park Passport. This little passport is a fun way to document your visit. Like a passport stamp from the U.S. Customs, the park service can stamp your National Park Passport book to record and commemorate your travels.

While planning a trip to Vermont last month, I decided to break up my trip with something new and educa-tional. I stopped at the Shenandoah Skyline National Park Visitors Center and picked up a book and got my stamp. From there I scouted out my route to Vermont and hit as many parks as I could during the trip. Working maps and the GPS gave me hours of fun riding and a sense of purpose. By the end of my 10 day trip I had visited eight parks.

North Carolina has nine national parks in our great state. These parks include the Blue Ridge Parkway and the National Heritage Area (Asheville), Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Manteo), Cape Lookout National Seashore (Harkers Island), Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site (Flat Rock), Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Manteo), Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (Greensboro), Moores Creek National Battlefield (Currie), and Wright Brothers National Memorial (Manteo).

There are fees for visiting some of the parks. Day passes are available and the price varies from park to park. The National Park Service offers a seasonal pass called the America the Beautiful: National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. These passes can be purchased for $80. There are three types of lifetime passes available. A Senior Citizen’s lifetime pass is advised for U.S. citi-zens or permanent residents age 62 or over. Second, a Lifetime Access Pass is available for those with permanent disabilities. To show proof of disabilities you will have to show documentation. Acceptable documentation includes: state-ment by a licensed physician; document issued by a federal agency such as the Veteran’s Administration, Social Security Disability Income or Supplemental Security Income; or document issued by a state agency such as a vocational rehabilitation agency. Finally, a Volunteer Pass is free for those who acquire 500 service hours on a cumulative basis.

Sadly, there is no free admission for our military folks. While doing my exploring I wanted something a little more than my National Park Visitors Guide book. I did a quick search on my iPhone’s app store and found the National Parks Companion app. This app gives great infor-mation at your fingertips. The app gives you the park’s locations by state, helpful information about the park, visitor center addresses and phone numbers. The app even has a place that allows you to check off which park you have visited.

Whether by car or motorcycle we all have to do some fun exploring. I hope you get a chance to visit North Carolina’s National Parks. For more information about the National Park Service visit www.nps.gov.

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

Reistration cycle begins on Monday, Nov. 1, 2010, for current and future students with more than 2,000 spring semester degree-program classes available, with many of the classes offered online. These classes lead to 150 programs of study in business; engineering; public service and applied technology; health occupations; and college transfer and general education degrees, diplomas and certificates.

FTCC President Dr. J. Larry Keen, along with the facul-ty and staff, welcome you to the campus and encourage you embrace learning as a lifelong journey. FTCC is commited to fulfilling your educational needs — no matter where you are along your path on this journey.

Whether you are a new student or a returning student, our mission is to assist you with answers to your questions and to assist you in get-ting started. The general admissions process is four easy steps:

1. ApplicationAll students are required to submit an FTCC application prior to registration, using the College Foundation of North Carolina, (CFNC) secured site (www1.cfnc.org/Applications/NC_Community_College/apply.html?application_id=1497). Please put your social security number on your application for prompt processing of your admissions application and financial aid. If you have questions, please call FTCC Admissions at (910) 678-8473.

2. Submit High School Transcripts (High School, GED) Applicants for curriculum programs are required to submit official copies of high school transcripts, GED, DD214, or an official college transcript showing an asso-ciate degree or higher-level degree awarded. Home-schooled students must submit a copy of the home school’s approved registration from the state in which they are registered and an official transcript including the graduation date and documentation of completion of compe-tency. For assistance, please go to www.faytechcc.edu/admissions/documents/TranscriptReqFormtoFTCC.pdf.

3. Complete a Placement Assessment Visit the College’s Testing Office site at www.faytechcc.edu/Testing/Default.asp or call (910) 678-8417 to schedule an appointment for the Placement Assessment-Accuplacer. Appointments are also available at the Spring Lake Campus, (910) 678-1004 and the Fort Bragg Center, (910) 678-1050.

4. Apply for Financial Aid and/or ScholarshipsIf you will need money to assist you with college expenses such as tuition and books, you can apply for financial aid.

To apply for financial aid:

1. Set up PIN at www.pin.edu.gov

2. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) online at www.FAFSA.gov for the year you will be attending FTCC. FTCC’s Federal School Code: 007640

3. If you have questions contact FTCC Financial Aid, (910) 678-8242.There are additional admissions requirements for some programs such as Health Programs. Please see the information under Health Programs (www.faytechcc.edu/admissions/HEALTHPROGRAMS.asp)

Our Main Campus Admissions office is located in the Tony Rand Student Center with the following operating hours:

Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m., during semester classes

Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., during school breaks

FTCC is a certified military-friendly school and the servicemember’s opportunity college.

Please visit the FTCC Web site at www.faytechcc.edu/ for answers to other questions that you might have about the College.

Fayetteville Technical Community College was established in 1961 and serves more than 34,000 students annually by provid-ing150 affordable vocational, technical, general education, col-lege transfer, and continuing education programs to meet students’ needs and desires as well as the community.