OMG! What depressing headlines. I was up early last Friday morning, coffee and newspaper in hand, ready to jump start my Memorial Day weekend when I read the Fayetteville Observer’s front page, below the fold headline Docks building in default. Then, another headline bombshell in the local news section caught my eye. This time, it’s above the fold: City sues Chen over fi nes. Both, inevitable and unfortunate signs of impending disasters for which our community will again become the victim. How exasperating!

Will we ever learn? Now, there is nothing left to do but shake our heads in dismay and disgust and imagine what could have been. It begs the question, why has Fayetteville/ Cumberland County never been a community that learns and benefi ts from its past mistakes?

What makes this so incredibly sad is that both of these depressing situations could have been avoided using common sense, honesty and prudent judgment. In the case of Dock’s it is not as if the banks, city staff, city council members and the Chamber of Commerce (then the CC Business Council) were duped, blindsided or misled.

They were simply irresponsible by turning “blind eyes” and “deaf ears” to what many local and vocal concerned citizens were calling gross and obvious disregard for sound, basic and elementary business and economic-development practices. Duh!

Red flags were up all over the place. Up & Coming Weekly has followed the Dock’s saga since the inception. Many articles have appeared in this publication over the last several years both celebrating Dr. Mel Henderson’s initiative and vision for his downtown business but also in questioning the terms and conditions of the “wink wink-nod nod” program Marshal Isler championed to involve the city, Chamber of Commerce and the taxpayers of the city. Well, get ready, because I have a feeling all the gory details of this transaction are going to come to light very soon. It will not be pretty. Matter of fact, the city better get ready because as the details of this fi asco becomes known the credibility and competence of all involved will be called into question. As the “he said, she said” fi nger pointing and confrontation begins the feasibility of the Dock’s venture will fall apart like a cheap suit in a rain storm. And, again, local taxpayers will be left holding the treads.

Concerning John Chen and his unresponsive and arrogant posture toward paying the city more than $45,000 in fines for violating our historic standard codes (and our community) at the Prince Charles Hotel. Well, in my opinion, jail time would be good. Chen leaving town would be even better. He as infl icted enough embarrassment on our community. Enough said for now on both issues.

Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly. Stay tuned. We will continue to provide you insights and observations on these and other important issues affecting our community.

Paul Cezanne, whom some call the father of modern art, believed that color, line, shape and form were as important as the actual subject of a painting. Fayetteville artist Jonathan Starling is a strong believer in that idea as well.

“I strive for that kind of painterly look in my paintings,” said Starling, a Fayetteville native, whose current exhibition of travel photography is hanging in the Leonard G. McLeod Gallery in the offi ces of Up & Coming Weekly.

Starling, who was handed his fi rst camera by his aunt when he was in third grade, has spent his life studying colors, lines, shapes and forms. He learned the art of looking at life in those terms through a lifetime of looking behind a lens.

“I’ve always loved photography,” he explained as he sat surrounded by his work during a recent interview. “I’ve been shooting ever since my aunt gave me that camera, so I ought to be really good by now.”

During his childhood he spent time learning his camera, and at the age of 16, he got his fi rst 35mm fi lm camera.

“I really loved that camera. I enjoyed it, and then I decided that this was a lot of fun,” he said. Although Starling waited until his 20s when he was working retail to actively pursue his passion, it was never far from his mind.

“I wanted to do something that would really allow me to be my own person,” he recalled. “I found that in photography. It allowed me to start my own business, and I’ve been doing that for the past 25 years.”

During those early years, Starling shot portraits, weddings and babies. “And I still do that,” he said. “But I’ve been able to branch out and do some commercial things and some artistic things.”

He’s also been able to translate his passion into teaching. He not only teaches professionals new tricks, he also teaches photography in the adult education program at Fayetteville Technical Community College. In his classes, he preaches his beliefs about light, form, color and shape.

“I’ve always looked at things differently,” Starling said. Maybe it comes from looking at everything through the lens. “I’ve always had an awareness of light, color and shadows. To me, that’s what makes my work different is my ability to see those subtle differences. I’ve tried to teach my students to look at the world that way, too.”

Starling’s world has also been shaped by his heritage, the son of an Italian mother, he has always had a strong interest in his family’s history. In recent years, he began to plumb the depths of that history, and sought to gain dual citizenship in his mother’s homeland. The process took four years, much longer than he had thought.

“You wouldn’t think it would take so long to gather documents from your family over the last 100 years, but it did,” he said.

Once he established his lieneage through his grandfather, an Italian fi sherman from the village of Molfetta, he applied for and gained dual citizenship.

“I don’t think it’s an unpatriotic thing to do,” he said. “I did it to honor my grandfather, and having the dual citizenship will allow me travel and work throughout Europe if I choose to.”

The act of receiving the citizenship was an impetus to travel to Italy for an extended time, although Starling needs little encouragement to travel. Last year, he spent the month of August traveling throughout the cities and streets of his ancestors. While there, he found that Italy is a country alive with color.

“Italy is full of modern cities will and old feeling,” he said. “It is vibrant. I remember sitting in a 2,000-year-old building and thinking, ‘Wow!’”

As he wandered through the countryside, his camera at hand, he met warm people, who he realized were no different than his neighbors in Fayetteville.

“People have the same wants. They have the same love for their children. They want to love and enjoy life. That’s worldwide, everywhere I’ve been. We have the same common interests,” he noted.

While in Italy, Starling often found himself wandering through the streets until the early morning hours. “Rome is so hot in August, so I spent my time out at night, and the streets were full of people, it really helped me look at things differently,” he said. “The colors there are so unique, and there are so many of them. It’s history and its ancient,” he said. “I wanted to capture that.”

Starling did just that. You have only to look at his photographs of villas surrounded by sunflowers or bridges over Venetian canals to step back and breathe in the heart of Italy. But he doesn’t want it to stop there.

“Next year, I hope to lead a photographic safari of sorts throughout Italy,” he said. “I’m trying to put that together now.”

The trip, designed for amature photographers will not be the usual tourist trip – see Italy by bus. Instead members of the group will walk the ancient streets. They’ll meet the locals, eat great food and see Italy through the eyes of one of its newest sons.

If you’re interested in becoming a member of that group, you can contact Starling at his office. Or if you simply want to bask in the colors and light that comes from an artist with a passion for his subject, stop by the Leonard G. McLeod Gallery to while away an afternoon.

Like rugged bike rides, running through the woods or swimming in lakes? Then the XTERRA Triathlon is for you!

Sunday, May 30, beginning at 8:30 a.m., Fort Bragg will be hosting an XTERRA Triathlon at Smith Lake, which is located on the eastern side of Fort Bragg.

XTERRA is a company that holds off-road triathlons and Fort Bragg is the only military installation to host an XTERRA event. The triathlon will consist of a 1000m swim, in Smith Lake, an 18 mile mountain bike ride and a four mile trail run. Smith Lake is shallow, with its maximum depth at eight to ten feet, the bike ride is across rough, dirt roads and the trail run will be in and out of the woods.

This triathlon has been held annually at Fort Bragg for four years and all elements of the race will be the same as last year except the trail ride will be in the opposite direction along its original path. In the past, winning participants completed the race within two hours and ending competitors finished after four to four and a half hours.

While the triathlon is not a training technique used by Fort Bragg there are usually many military competitors in the race. Thus far, 80 people have signed up to participate and they are hoping for 100 by May 27, the closing date for registration. Registration fees are $70 for individual participants and $120 for a relay team. The fees will be used to pay for costs associated with the triathlon such as race tee-shirts, swimming caps, food, water, etc.

Competitors are asked to bring their own bikes.

There are no age requirements or restrictions and currently a 14-year-old has registered to compete. Though only five or six women have registered, they are invited to compete in the race.

“Just be trained, prepped and ready for an outdoor experience,” said Derek Weller, a Co-race Director for the Smith Lake Triathlon.

Weller stresses to competitors that the bike route is pretty tough and the running trail goes both up and down hills.

Prizes will be given away to participants based on placing, different qualities and at random. The first place winner will receive a trophy and other participants will receive prizes. In the past, Weller has given prizes to the youngest and oldest competitors and to the competitor with the dirtiest shoes.

There will be eight stations set up along the biking and running courses where spectators will provide water and encouragement to competitors. Families are also allowed to come and stand along the course ways to cheer participants on.

The race will be held as planned in the event of rain, but will be postponed or canceled if it thunderstorms.

While there have been no serious injuries in the past competitors are required to sign a liability waver and through that are insured by USA Triathlon.

Qualifying points can be made through XTERRA and points will be awarded to the top 15 competitors to finish. From here participants can go on to national or international levels to compete in triathlons.

For more information please visit

www.fortbraggmwr.com/xterra/index.html.

Photo caption: Fort Bragg offers athletes a chance to push themselves
to the limits at the 4th Annual XTERRA triathlon on
May 30. 

Kick off your shoes and take in the blues as you sample the brews of more than 15 of the finest breweries from across the Mid-Atlantic region during the Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s 7th Annual Blues ‘n’ Brews Festival on Saturday, June 5, from 5-10 p.m. in downtown Fayetteville’s Festival Park.

The yearly event is the main fundraiser for the Cape Fear Regional Theatre (CFRT), and proceeds help the theatre meet operational costs and bring in great artists.

“This is our third year at Festival Park,” said Cassandra Vallery, event planner for CFRT. “It grows by leaps and bounds each year.”

Prior to its Festival Park venue, Blues ‘n’ Brews took place at Campbellton Landing on the banks of the Cape Fear River.

“It’s a type of event that happens in other places,” said Bo Thorp, artistic director of CFRT. “We had a contact with the Brewers Association, and they hooked us up with the brewers. People come for a good time and music, but they come primarily for the beer. They have an opportunity to try specialty and boutique beers.”

Some of those brews include lagers and fruit-flavored beers, noted Vallery.

“We also have food and vendors. People discover new beers and listen to great music. It’s a very upbeat event,” Vallery said.

Some of the breweries that will offer samplings of their beers include Mother Earth, Duck Rabbit, Front Street, Sierra Nevada, Terrapin, Carolina Brewery and Fayetteville’s own Huske Hardware and The Mash House. Additionally, Fayetteville distributors Harris Wholesale and Healy Wholesale and Tyron Distributors and Empire Distributors out of Charlotte will represent other independent beers.

Of course, good weather plays an important role in any outdoor festival, and Thorp is hoping for a repeat of last year’s sunny skies and mild temperatures.

“Last year we had close to 3,000 people. We can tell by the number of glasses we sell. We ran out of glasses and had to go and get plastic cups! The weather was terrific.”

As the crowd mingles and samples, three bands will perform in rotation on the stage.

“The bands will play from 4 to 10 p.m.” Thorp said. “So far we’ve got the Donna Duncan Band, an award-winning blues band from Charlotte, and a local band, the Dirty Water Band, who play the blues and an assortment of music.”

In addition to the blues and the brews, the event features games and contests with prizes, as well as young talent from the theatre.

General admission for the festival is $25, which offers a souvenir beer glass and beer sampling from. For $35, brew afficionados receive premier parking, a VIP glass and access to a private tent area, as well as a private pour with the brewers beginning at 4 p.m., a picnic lunch and snacks. VIP tickets are limited in number. Nondrinkers or designated drivers may purchase a ticket for $15, and members of the military receive a $2 discount. No dogs, tents or outside food or drinks are allowed, and festival attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets.

“It’s very laidback fun for the entire family,” said Vallery.

For more information or to volunteer, call the theatre at (910) 323-4234.

There is just something charming and a little nostalgic about small towns— the laid back pace of life and the close-knit, community spirit that comesfrom generations of families working, struggling and succeeding side by side.Whether you choose to live in one ornot, these small hamlets that dot thelandscape of our fair state offer morethan an opportunity to pull off theinterstate for some gas and a drivethruburger — much more. And they knowit, too.

Without stopping to look,experience and enjoy these places, howwill you ever know which village has thebest walking trails, the quaintest parkto picnic in, the drug store with a sodafountain that makes fresh squeezedlemonade by the glass or the restaurantthat makes the best bar-b-que around?

Well, Wade N.C. is just one of thesesmall town gems that people drive by,through and around without stoppingto sit a spell, much less taking the timeto get to know the town-folk. On June5, they are pulling out all the stops to showcase all that the family-friendlytown has to offer with the 2nd Annual Wade Founder’s Day Celebration.

The goal is not just to bring out the local population, but to draw in thesurrounding communities, show them a good time and give them a taste ofthe quiet, clean country living that makes it such a special place.

“This is the 2nd Annual Wade Founder’s Day celebration,” said EventOrganizer, Joe Dixon. “The reason we are doing it is to give something backto the community. Wade is a little community that nobody knows about andwe want to let people know we are here. We have a lot of older people andwe wanted to give something back to them and to bring back some of theheritage and tradition.”

Some of the static displays that will bring a touch of nostalgia to the dayare the antique tractors and farm equipment.Reconnecting with past traditions andtechnology at the vintage car show willgive parents the chance to reminisce ofmore innocent times while youngsters get apeek at what vehicles were like before theycame with DVD players installed and airconditioning was standard.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. at the WadeMunicipal Park. The Mayor will be there tostart the festivities.

"The kids (from local schools andchurches) will get up there and do thePledge of Allegiance,” said Dixon. “And wewill have a color guard from one of the localschools — they will sing a song. We arehoping to have some of the beauty queensto do the Star Spangled Banner and maybesome patriotic songs and then we fall rightinto our entertainment for the day.”

There will be two stages that will befilled through out the day witheverything from gospel singers to barber shop quartets, to country andwestern singing to clogging.

“We are going to have the Fort Bragg Stars and Stripes — the ladiesgroup,” said Dixon. “They go from 25 years-old to, well, one of them is 91.They are a feisty bunch.”

There will be pony rides and wagon rides for the kids. What celebrationwould be complete for a youngster without bouncy houses,inflatable slides,field games and face painting? Dixon promises that there will be plenty of allof that, not to mention the food vendors — lots of food vendors. Italian ice,popcorn, funnel cakes, cotton candyand every other delightful confectionthat brings a smile to most everyone’sface will be available.

“We had a fella last year — a goodsized fella — he had three cups ofItalian ice in one hand, a popcorn inthe other,” said Dixon. “He’d eat a bitof each one and then eat some popcornand he’d say ‘Now this is the way tolive!’”

Localfire and police departmentswill be performing demonstrationsand handing out information. Dixon isalso planning for a lifeflighthelicoptorto be on the grounds with somedemonstrations, along with ablackhawkhelicoptor.

What down home country throw-down would be complete without thetalented contributions of local artisans? “There will be a lot of arts andcrafts people there” said Dixon. “Last year we had several jewelry makers,a lapidary guy polishing stones. He will be back this year. He was actuallydoing the work while people were watching.”

Dixon said that it was only two days after last years Founder’s Daycelebration was over that planning for this year’s soiree began.

They’ve been working hard to make a great event happen and to showthe community and surrounding area what Wade has to offer — and it is allfree to anyone who chooses to attend, except the food of course.

“All the entertainment is free. I think it is going to be a really good time,”said Dixon. “It is a family type event. That is what we are hopingfor — to get the people to fellowship and enjoy each other.

“It is safe. It is enjoyable. It is something that families can go to andenjoy themselves without spending a lot of money.”

The town of Wade is located 14.5 miles outside ofFayetteville.Take I-95 to exit 61 andturn left. For more infovisithttp://wadenc.com.

Not too many places can beat Fayetteville when it comes to celebratingpatriotism. Unfortunately, we are right up there when it comes to sacrifi cein the name of duty, honor and country, too. Our community is fi lled withthe proud, selfl ess soldierswho serve and their families who serve just as proudly andselfl essly. The widows, orphansand families of those who havegiven their fi nal measure standfi rmly in our midst — manycontinuing to give as theyvolunteer, advocate, heal andembrace the military lifestylethat permeates the community.

As Memorial Day drawsnear, the community ispreparing their grand fi naleof 31Days of Glory whichhas honored those who havedied while in military service.Memorial Day weekend ispacked with activities that willremind us of the price that hasbeen paid for our freedoms, but also with eventsthat are aimed at helping us enjoy those freedomsand a showing appreciation to the heroes andfamilies that walk among us, and mean so much tothis community everyday.

The Field of Glory will fl y not just onMemorial Day, but through the end of June at theAirborne and Special Operations Museum. Eachof the hundreds of fl ags has been dedicated to asoldier.

On May 28, the Pilot Club of Fayetteville ishonoring military heroes past and present withthe lighting of luminaries at the Airborne andSpecial Operations Museum from 8-10 p.m. Eachluminary will be lit in honor of a service member.A list of the honorees will be available on theevening of the event. To honor your soldier in thisceremony, contact the Pilot Club at 850-7433.

Sunday evening, May 30, the DowntownAlliance is hosting a movie and a picnic in the park — Festival Park.

“Last year it was bigger and better than the year before,” said ChrisVilla the marketing chairperson. “We expect it to be that way again thisyear.” With a crowd of about 200 or so last year, the park should be full offolks coming to watch the award winning feature — The Blind Side starringSandra Bullock.

The park opens at about 6:30, but the movie wont be shown until itgets dark. Villa encourages folks to bring apicnic and a ball or frisbee to toss around.There will be food vendors there too if you’drather buy your dinner or snacks for themovie. She promises that the atmosphereis fun and family friendly, so go ahead andbring the kids.

“We all hang out and chit chat andwander around and play and whatever,”said Villa. “They can bring frisbees, balls orwhatever and just hang out in the park. It isa fun time and I think we should be in forreally good weather this year.”

Don’t stay out too late though, Mondayis packed with things to do and the fun startsearly! The pancake breakfast is back and itstarts at 7 a.m. It costs $5 a plate and willlast until 11 a.m.

If you time it right,you can come downtownfor breakfast and headright on over to theMemorial Day festivities.“It is a full day and weare really excited aboutit,” said Villa. “I wasable to secure general AlAycock. He is going tobe out there to do ourkick off.”

At 8 a.m. thePatriot’s Criterium,hosted by the CrossCreek Cycling Club, willtake place on Hay Street.

“Patriot’s Crit is likeNASCAR on bicycles,”said Villa. “It is bikeraces. It is a lot of fun.It goes really quickly, too.”

Check out www.CrossCreekCyclingClub.org if you are interested inparticipating.

A new event this year called “A Walk in Their Boots” takes place at9 a.m. “You can come down and walk in your dad’s boots, your mom’sboots, your own boots, your boyfriend’s, your husband’s — whatever —and we are walking from the Festival Park Promenade at 9:15 a.m. over tothe 10 o’clock ceremony at Veterans Park.”

The ceremony will pay tribute to veterans past and present. There willbe a guest speaker along with other events like the posting of the colors, atoast to the fl ag, wreath presentations and patriotic music.

Back at Festival Park, the activities range from static displays ofmilitary equipment from different times in history complete with militaryre-enactors to bouncy houses and more.

An old favorite, the Classic Car Cruise, will showcase cars (pre 1989)from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Ray Avenue and Maiden Lane. It’s free, too.

The stage will be rockin’ through out the day with a variety of musicaltalent. In One Accord, Fayetteville Symphony Brass Quintet, KennyHuffman, The Robbie Reid Band and The Stephenson Brothers and Lindaare scheduled to perform.

To find out more visitwww.glorydaysnc.com or31daysofglory.com.

Photo caption:  Fields Of Glory shown at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. 

May 31st will be a really sad day for the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community.

That’s when the Fayetteville Museum of Art will close itsdoors because of a lack of fi nancial support. How sad.

To me and many others, this is just anotherexample of howmutually beneficialorganizations in ourcommunity again havefailed to effectivelycommunicate witheach other.

Only in Fayettevillewould related entitiesrefuse to arbitratesuch a sensitive issue.Especially one thisimportant that affectsour community imageand quality of life. It’ssad to know that withall the progress andwonderful things takingplace in our community,we still lack the civilityand sophisticationto seek out and fi nd“common ground” toresolve our differences.

This is disturbing.

We need theFayetteville Museum ofArt. Visual arts defi ne acommunity. The sights,sounds and activitiesof a stable cultural arts presence refl ect positively on ourcommunity, our residents and our leadership. The cultural artsen instill confi dence, attract commerce, industry and economicdevelopment. The presence of art defi nes who we are andrefl ects a sense of sophistication and gives our community ahumanitarian balance.

Without art, well, you are just “without.”I have no idea of what the outcome of all this will be,however, I do know this: Our cultural, civic and governmentalleaders, at all levels, have let thiscommunity down by allowing thisto happen.

Unfortunately, we have againmanaged to embarrass ourselvesat a time when many individuals,families and businesses arescrutinizing and evaluating ustrying to determine if they want tocome to live, work and invest in theFayetteville/Cumberland Countycommunity (BRAC).

Should they?

Clearly, as a community, wehave not yet defi ned who or whatwe want to be. The reality of it isthat if we don’t fi nd the answersoon, and initiate a serious actionplan to get there, I’m afraid tragicsituations like this will continue todefi ne it for us.

May 31 will be a really sadday for Fayetteville. We still havetime to remedy this situation. Thequestion is, will we? Ego’s aside,let’s hope the ART of commonsense prevails. Mona Lisa is notsmiling anymore.

Thank you forreading.

Photo caption:  In the past two years, the Fayetteville Museum of Art has brought international exhibits, to our city like the Andy Warhol exhibit featured in the picture above. Sadly, unless the community comes together, that era has come to an end. Shown above, FMA Director Tom Grubb and museum patrons. 

The Carolina Philharmonic will perform a Concerto Extravaganza on Sunday, May 23 at 4 p.m. at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

“This is the end of our 2009-2010 season fi nale,” said David Michael Wolff, conductor and artistic director of Carolina Philharmonic. “We have a number of concertos we will be performing.”

Wolff added that the concert features music by Koussevitsky, Bartok, Bach and Ewazen.

Wolff is an avid linguist, fl uent in fi ve languages, and is a sought after coach of international opera stars and aspiring concert pianists. He made his orchestral debut as piano soloist at the age of 12, and has won numerous prizes in international competitions including grand prize in the Naomi Management International Competition in New York City. Wolff is the author of a new book, Zen and the Art of Piano.

Wolff, regular guest artist at Carnegie Hall and other major venues throughout the world, launched the West Side Chamber Orchestra, serving Fayetteville, Southern Pines and Greenville, N.C., in January 2009, with a debut performances on Feb. 28th and March 1st in Fayetteville and Southern Pines.

The entire ensemble then joined forces with Wolff’s New York orchestra, the Manhattan Chamber Philharmonic, on April 4, 2009, making its shared debut in Carnegie Hall.

After a whirlwind first season, the group incorporated as a non-profi t and in the process changed its name to Carolina Philharmonic. Although it remains a chamber orchestra, the Carolina Philharmonic has a decidedly more local fl avor and leaves open the possibility of metamorphosis in the future.

“We strive to show the unity of musical expression through solo performances, small chamber groups, small and large chamber orchestra formations, as well as occasional expansions to a full symphonic orchestra,” noted Wolff.

Also, historically, the term philharmonic did not refer to a large musical ensemble, but rather simply to making music together.

“We just got invited back to Carnegie Hall,” said Wolff. “We will perform on March 3, 2011, and we are real excited about this.”

Wolff added that they have a Chamber Music Series and the performances are in Fayetteville, Pinehurst, and other North Carolina locations. Next season six concerts are planned for Fayetteville.

“The joy of the musicians and the audience is when the concert people come up to me smiling and crying,” said Wolff. “These are people who do not like concerts but loved the show and plan on coming back to see another show.”

“We do not sell tickets in Fayetteville, we just have a donation basket,” said Wolff.

“I want to open this event to the public and not have anyone stay away because they feel like they cannot afford it.”

For more information call 687-4746 or visit the Web site at www.carolinaphil.org.

FIVE STARS

Iron Man wasn’t bad. Iron Man 2 (124 minutes) was fantas-tic. Unfortunately Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is still irritat-ingly ineffectual and completely annoying. On the plus side she doesn’t suck up nearly as much screen time.

Director Jon Favreau generally doesn’t appeal to me. Despite his occasional hit (directing and acting) he is just as likely to miss the boat. He does not know what to do with women on screen. He comes off as more than a little mean spirited no matter what kind of character he plays, and he doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

Luckily he had the good sense to hire writer Justin Theroux (Tropic Thunder). Theroux fixes almost every-thing that Fergus and Ostby did wrong in the first film. He does such a good job with the material that not even a hack like Favreau can do too much to mess it up. Pepper Potts gets less screen time, a strong female character is introduced to take down some cronies and a better vil-lain shows up. While it is a very busy script it does not drag or seem bloated.

Soon after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) reveals that he is Iron Man and alleges that he has privatized world peace he is called before a Senate commit-tee. Senator Stern (Garry Shandling) demands that Stark release his suit to the military and Stark reacts much as you would expect.

After some early plot revelations Stark’s decision making becomes increasingly suspect. His assistants/handlers/friends/servants attempt to come to terms with his life choices against a background of new characters. Paltrow’s atrocious acting ruins every other scene she appears in. The scenes not ruined by her atrocious acting are the scenes featuring hot new female assistant, Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson).

Natalie is actually a key character in the Marvel pan-theon, but she is a much better character when her flaming red curls are cut close. The gorgeous flowing locks almost pass muster considering her role in the film, so let’s not quibble over small details.

Once all the major players are established, includ-ing Colonel James “Rhodie” Rhodes (now played by Don Cheadle), out come the villains.

Ivan Vanko (the greasy haired, fake tanned wreck that used to be matinee idol Mickey Rourke) has a histo-ry with Stark and even merits his own Mr. Bigglesworth … a “burd” who he is unnaturally attached to. Completing the evil-doer sequel quota is Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell).

The expanded presence of Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) fits into the plot even if the addition of S.H.I.E.L.D to the main story does seem like adding chocolate sauce to the whip cream on top of morning coffee. If nothing else, it helps build support for the juggernaut that is The Avengers. Speaking of which, those willing to sit through the seemingly endless credits will catch an after credits sequence set in New Mexico featuring S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) … and Mjolnir.

Overall, this movie builds a ton of momentum for Iron Man 3. We can only hope that Theroux hangs around to script the final film.

Lake Rim Park is celebrating its 10th anniversary — and you are invited. The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is in on the fun, too. On Saturday, May 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. there will be food, entertainment, fun and art — plenty of art — at the Lake Rim Neighborhood Art Attack.

According to Amber Williams, park ranger coordinator at Lake Rim Park, they’ve really come a lon g way over the years. The park was originally a part of the old fish hatchery that is now the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center that is adjacent to the park.

“It just started off as a family park with playgrounds and sports fields and stuff like that and they only had a recreation staff out here,” said Williams. “When the city and the county merged a few years ago they started staffing the parks with rangers. Now, we host events and offer educational hikes and talks and things like that in addition to having space for people to play sports and play on the grounds and picnic.”

In the name of keeping things fresh and exciting the park is always looking for new and exciting things to offer the community. They work with wounded war-riors providing exercise and archery programs, and are expanding the kayaking program. One of the big events is a white water rafting trip to the mountains in July.

“We try to come up with new things all the time — new programs and events,” said Williams. “If anybody has anything they are interested in they should feel free to come to us and we will do our best to meet their needs.”

That obviously worked out well for the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. When they began talking to Williams about hosting an Art Attack at Lake Rim Park, she knew right away that there was an opportunity to provide the community with at great event in a relaxed and nature-friendly setting.

“The Arts Council’s Neighborhood Art Attacks are free mini arts festivals that feature musicians, dancers, artists and hands-on activities for the entire fam-ily in specific areas of our county,” said Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County Marketing Manager Mary Kinney. “Arts organizations from around the county partici-pate and actively engage residents in the diverse arts offer-ings in our community. The entertainment stage features a mix of professionals and local talent. The Art Attacks are an opportunity for everyone to express their creativity, have fun and learn about all the incredible arts and cultural offer-ings right here in Cumberland County.”

With the help of Miller Motte College-Fayetteville Campus and the Kiwanis Club of Fayetteville, there will be several local organizations there with hands on activities. The Museum of the Cape Fear, Fascinate-U Children’s Museum and Cape Fear Basket makers are just a few of the organizations that will have activities for folks to try.Entertainment will include storyteller Gran’daddy June Bug, singer/songwriter Autumn Nicholas, Brian Morgan and Friends, magician John Tudor and Jef the Mime.

Nature buffs will have plenty to do as well.

“They are bringing the whole arts and entertainment aspect to it,” said Williams. “We are going to provide field games and bounce houses and some exhibitors. The environmental educational mobile unit will be out there and mobile aquarium. I am going to have wildlife rescue agencies bringing out some animals and some other educational and fun hands on activities, face painting and stuff like that — and we will have vendors selling food.”

Lake Rim Park is located at 2214 Tar Kiln Dr. Admission is free. Call the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County at 323-1776, or Lake Rim Park at 424-6134 for more info.

Josh and Tonia Collins, the proprietors of Huske Hardware House Restaurant and Brewery, fell into the restaurant business quite by accident. While looking to add a property to their property management business, they made a bid on a building downtown. Upon closer inspection, they found the building housed a restaurant, and everything in the building came with the sale of the building.

Josh, who has been in business since he was 6-years-old, was excited about the idea of trying his hand in the restaurant business. So he headed down to Barnes & Nobles. That’s probably not where most restaurateurs start out, but that’s where he started.

“We bought five books on restaurant management and read them,” he said, during a recent interview. “Well, actually, I read three of them and fl ipped through the other two, because they all said the same thing: 1/3 of your money goes to overhead, 1/3 goes to employees and 1/2 goes to cost of goods.”

Armed with what the authors felt were the keys to success in the restaurant industry, Josh and Tonia took on the operations of the Blue Moon Café in the city’s historic downtown. Josh, an Army offi cer at the time, had little time to devote to the business, so Tonia took on the reigns of overseeing the business.

“Tonia works in the business and I work on the business,” said Josh, noting that operating the Blue Moon was a surgical operation. “We had no storage space, we had three shipments a week delivered and went to Sam’s for anything else we needed.”

Through hard work and a learning curve, they got the recipe right on the business, and it quickly became a favorite dining destination downtown.

When the couple, always on the lookout for a new investment, saw an opportunity to purchase the then defunct Huske Hardware House Restaurant and Brewery, they jumped on it.

“The Blue Moon was a 70-seat restaurant; we thought if we could do that, we could do even more with a bigger restaurant space.”

The learning curve was a little bigger in the new facility.

“We learned a lot of lessons in this 350-seat restaurant,” he said.

They sealed the deal for the restaurant at the end of January 2008, and in February, they jumped in with both feet.

“We were asked to be one of the title sponsors of the Dogwood Festival in April, and we hadn’t even opened yet,” he said. “The place was a mess. We had three months to renovate, create a menu, hire and train a staff, hire management and a brew master. We’ve worked on houses that have taken that long.”

Since Josh was still in the Army, Tonia had oversight of the renovations. She picked the fabric for the booths, the design of the new bar and the historic photos and tools that line the walls. When Josh got off work, he would come downtown and work until 2 a.m., return home, sleep for three or four hours and then put on his uniform and go back to work on Fort Bragg. The hard work paid off and the restaurant opened a week before the Dogwood Festival.

“At the time, I think because people were excited about the restaurant reopening, there was an unrealistic expectation of what we could do,” he said. “We made some mistakes, and it’s taken a while to get everything right, but over the past two and half years, we’ve come a long way and we’re moving forward.”

Part of that forward movement is a partnership with Harris Wholesale to distribute Huske’s microbrews throughout the region. That wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the Huske brew master, Julie Baggett.

“It took us three months to hire a brew master,” said Collins. “We interviewed people from all over the world, and we found Julie in Atlanta. I had three requirements: They had to brew a great beer, be able to talk their beer and compete with guest beers.”

The final requirement was necessary because the brewing operation was in such disrepair when the restaurant opened that they were unable to serve their own beers. Baggett was the only brew master who felt that she could compete with those guest beers, and she wasn’t wrong. The Huske brews began getting immediate attention with both the Rusty Nail Pale Ale and the Level Headed Blonde quickly becoming customer favorites.

Harris took notice when they saw that of the eight top sellers in the restaurant, six were Huske brewed.

“They wanted to take a look at what we had and decided to carry our beers,” said Josh. “We are in eight to 10 counties from Raleigh to Pinehurst.”The beers started circulating the region in February and are now in more than 30 locations. “They key is that while we are adding new locations every week, we are also keeping the ones that gave us a try,” said Collins.

Keeping customers is something that both Collins believe in. Over the past two and a half years they have altered their menu and revamped their evening entertainment until they found what works for the Fayetteville market. During the day and early evening Huske is a restaurant that serves great food, at night it becomes a nightlife destination. If you drive by on weekends, you’ll see the crowds waiting to get in. They’ve drawn loyal customers by giving them what they want: great food and great entertainment in a safe environment. Since opening, they have had no alcohol-related incidents because they put the safety of their patrons first.

In the spring of 2011, those patrons will have another reason to cheer. The Collins, along with a group of investors that Josh refers to as “band of brothers,” will open Wet Willie’s in the building adjacent to Huske. For those not in the know, Wet Willie’s is a daiquiri bar and grill with locations in cities like Charleston, Savannah and Charlotte.

“Chicks dig foo-foo drinks and guys dig chicks,” said Josh, who immediately got a look from Tonia. “Wet Willie’s and Huske are a perfect match. We are working on the building and expect to open in the spring, because you don’t open a daiquiri bar in the winter.”

The plan is to open the restaurant in conjunction with the Dogwood Festival. “We want to hit it out of the park,” he said. “Wet Willie’s will be a full-service restaurant that provides entertainment such as live acts and karaoke at night to great lunch during the day.”

The two restaurants will not be physically connected, but Josh said they will complement each other, adding another destination to downtown.

That’s something Josh is passionate about. As a board member of the Downtown Alliance, the often outspoken business owner has made making downtown a destination his mantra. “I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve given the alliance my ‘I Have a Dream’ speech for downtown,” he said. “I see our downtown looking like Savannah or Charleston or Charlotte or Greensboro, it’s just going to take some hard work.”

And, if you look at where the Collins have come from their fi rst visit to Barnes & Noble to today, Josh believes it pays off.

The arts are alive and well in Fayetteville and Cumberland County, and starting in May they will be the focus of a new monthly program, Arts Alive at 4th Friday.

In addition to the monthly featured exhibits that that typically mark thecelebration of the arts and downtown the fourth Friday of each month and includeentertainment and refreshments, artists will demonstrate and sell their creative work from 6 to 10 p.m. on May 28, along Maxwell Street by the Arts Council building on 301 Hay St.

“We wanted to get back to the arts focus of 4th Friday,” said Chris Kastner, executive director of Cape Fear Studios, a nonprofi t arts organization located by the Transportation Museum in historic downtown. “We want people to be able to learn about and view art.”

During Fire Arts Day last October, visitors were treated to live demonstrations of pottery and jewelry making by fi re. Arts Alive is an extension of that highly successful event, featuring artists on the street rather than in gallery exhibits alone.

A collaborative effort between the Arts Council, merchants and art lovers along Maxwell and part of Franklin Streets, Arts Alive is a juried art event. Artists will complete a one-time application process in order to secure a booth and demonstration spot.

Artists must provide a “…picture of their art and how they set it up,” Kastner said.

“Artists and groups of instructors at local universities will judge their work to insure that it is handmade and of a certain quality to maintain a standard of art. The booths will be inspected, and we must see what was pictured,” said Kastner.

The “best booth” and “best demonstration” will receive recognition.

But Arts Alive is about more than art on the street. It’s about more than what you can see, rather it’s about what you can experience. With that in mind, the event will feature performing artists as well. Singer/songwriter Autumn Nicholas and poet Neal Ray will perform as they move through the audience during the event.

“We want the whole thing to be interactive,” said Kastner. “Our mission statement is to educate the public on the arts, and this event will appeal to all ages.”

And, as is always the case, the various venues and galleries throughout downtown will also be open, and invite you to stop by to peruse their collections and exhibits, meet their artists, listen to musicians and get to know your community and your neighbors.

Other places to visit include:

• Arts Council, 301 Hay St.

• Cape Fear Studios, 148 Maxwell St.

• Cumberland County Headquarters Library, 300 Maiden Lane.

• Fascinate-U Children’s Museum, 116 Green St.

• Market House: An ever-growing and evolving drum circle will gather. Drummers are welcome to join this group, which plans to meet every 4th Friday under the Market House.

For more information on 4th Friday activities and Arts Alive, contact the Arts Council at (910) 323-1776 or visit www.theartscouncil.com/4th_Friday.html. Fourth Friday is free and fun for all ages.

The Fayetteville SwampDogs take fun seriously. Just ask Darrell Handelsman director of operations He takes everything seriously — especially his commitment to the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community.

The season opens May 27, and the SwampDogs are ready to show their guests a good time. They are so dedicated to the idea that their logo really says it all — Fayetteville SwampDogs Where Baseball Is Fun

!“Every single night we look at it like we are hosting a party at our house,” said Handelsman. “Like any good host you want people to leave feeling like they had a good time, with a smile on their face and wanting to know when the next party is. That is kind of the goal of what we do. Everything is geared to fun, affordable, family entertainment. That is a staple of what we do.”

And they do it quite well.

For the past 10 years, the SwampDogs have worked hard to provide good, clean fun to the community and their efforts have been met with bigger and bigger game attendance every season. According to Handelsman, last year, they averaged 2,200 people at each home game. The game over the 4th of July holiday pulled in 5,300 spectators.

Handelsman looks a for a variety of ways to draw people to the games and one of the big draws is the giveaway nights. The season hasn’t even started yet and there are already 22 giveaways scheduled. On a giveaway night, admission includes not only your ticket but whatever freebie the SwampDogs are throwing into the mix. It could be anything from a SwampDogs bauble head doll (they are on their sixth edition) to a beer stein, a reusable shopping bag, a magnet or who knows what else.

“On Father’s Day we are doing a bib apron giveaway for all dads in attendance,” said Handelsman. “What is more all-American than going to see a baseball game with your dad?”

Perhaps it is the theme nights that keep the fans coming back.

Every Tuesday is Two for Tuesdays. General admission tickets are two for the price of one – so are the hot-dogs. Wednesday is Ladies Night. The fi rst 200 ladies to come through the doors receive a free rose. The PA announcer will be female on Wednesdays, too. Thirsty Thursdays gets you $1 sodas, and Hawaiian Shirt Fridays (if you are brave enough to actually show up in a Hawaiian shirt) gets you a coupon for a free frozen treat.

“Our biggest night of the year is our July 3rd fi reworks show,” said Handelsman. “That will be a big one. And we are doing the 3-D glasses for that as well. Basically anything that gets people excited we will try to do.”

That’s right folks. The SwampDogs are having 3-D fi reworks, and not just on the 4th of July, but on May 29 as well. “As if our fi reworks shows weren’t’ spectacular enough,” said Handelsman. “For the first two shows this year we are giving out 3-D glasses to go with our 3-D fi reworks show. We’ve never done that before.”

The beer deck has been expanded by about 1,500 square feet and they are adding wine to the beverage list.

For the kids, there will be pony-pulled carriage rides in the parking lot. A few changes have also been added to the kid’s area of the park

.“We’ve added a new facade to our kid’s area entry way,” said Handelsman. “So that when the kids come in it makes them feel even a little more special. Little improvements are kind of our way of saluting our fans and saying ‘Thank you.’ To be here for 10 years is a great honor, and something we are very proud of.”

Additionally, the SwampDogs offer a children’s baseball camp each year. This year’s Chevy Youth Baseball Clinic will be held June 19 and 20 from 8 a.m. to noon. There is no fee, but registration is required a week prior to the event. For more information, visit the team’s Web site.

Those are just a few of the things going on inside the ball park this year, but it is only part of what the SwampDogs are about. They are a community team, and they go to great lengths to do their part to make their community better.

“One thing we are really proud about is our charitable involvement, which really sets us apart,” said Handelsman. “For the last four years we have done a Striking Out Cancer Night. Our players wear pink jerseys and we auction them (the jerseys, not the players) off. Last year we raised almost $7,000 for Friends of Cancer with the Cape Fear Valley Hospital. That money all stays local — which is neat. We are partnering with the hospital again this year. That is really near and dear to us.”

The Karen Chandler Trust is another local organization that benefi ts from the kind heartedness of the SwampDogs. People pledge money for every strike out that the SwampDogs get during a home game and the money is donated to the Karen Chandler Trust. Last year this raised close to $4,000 — and it all stayed in the community to help local citizens who are battling cancer.

Spare change for the Special Olympicsalso receives support from the team. Plastic containers are placed at every concession stand and folks are asked to drop their spare change into the receptacle, with the cash going straight to the local Special Olympics. In the four or fi ve years that this has been in place Handelsman says that almost $12,000 has been raised to help local athletes compete in the Special Olympics.

ERA Strother Real Estate is partnering with the SwampDogs this year to sponsor a bowling tournament called Strikes for MD.

“We have some lofty goals to help raise money for MDA,” said Handelsman. “That is our new thing. Between those four charities we have a lot of good work to do. We’ve done some neat things that I think set us apart and we hope will put us in a different light in people’s minds. We feel like it is our responsibility to give back to the community and be good corporate citizens. It is not about winning and losing baseball games. It is about seeing kids with a smile on their face and giving back to our community. We really, truly feel passionate about it. That is the message we try to convey when we talk to people. We are trying to have a positive effect on the community.”

First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. For more info check out www.goswampdogs.com

As the 209-2010 Cumberland County Concert Series comes to a close the North Carolina Symphony will perform at Reeves Auditorium on May 20 at 8 p.m. and Resident Conductor William Henry Curry is looking forward to the performance.

“Fayetteville is a great place to play,” said Curry. “We have a long history of being down there and I think that the audiences have been very supportive of us.”

This time around Curry has three lovely pieces planned for the concert goers, two of them are works that he has not conducted before. Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man opens the show and lasts about three minutes.

“Copland is perhaps our country’s greatest composer of orchestral music,” said Curry. “I worked with him a couple of times in my career. It was a real honor. He was a very helpful, very influential person in my life. His Fanfare for the Common Man was written during World War II. The title is inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s phrase ‘God must have loved the common man because he made so many of them.’”

Howard Hanson’s Symphony #2 follows. A contemporary of Copland, Hanson was part of the first generation of American symphonists —   men who were born at the turn of the 20th century and were teachers... administrators. They were some of the first American composers to be heard in Europe.

“Europeans thought that American orchestral music was kind of an oxymoron until people like Copland, Hanson and Gershwin changed their minds,” said Curry. “This piece was immediately popular from the first performance. I had a good friend who conducted it all over Europe in the 1980’s and he was stunned by the response.”

Musically conservative for the time in which it was written, Symphony #2, which Hanson subtitled “Romantic,” is described by Curry as melodic, lyrical, effusive and impassioned. This musical nod to American composers is inspired by the fact that Curry has spent the past six years focusing on Russian and German romantics.

“I noticed that over the last 10 years some of the American romantic works have been neglected and I realized that I’ve been neglecting them, too,” said Curry. “It is part of my own artistic vision now, over the next few years, to go back and redo some of these pieces. Because they are not cutting edge they tend to be overlooked these days.”

The concert ends with Tchaikovsky’s 3rd Symphony. This piece is also very melodic. One of the top five most often performed, most popular composers (think Nutcracker and 1812 Overture) Tchaikovsky created wonderful and exciting piece in this symphony.

“Anyone that likes Russian romantic music and knows his other pieces will definitely enjoy this piece,” said Curry. This piece is nicknamed Polish for the fact that in the last movement the rhythm is based on a Polish dance called the Polacca.

All in all Curry Expects to deliver and well rounded repertoire.“It is a very popular program of American music from the grandfathers and deans of American orchestral music of the 20th century,” said Curry. “As well as one of the more beloved composers of all time.”

Visit www.ncsymphony.org for more information or to purchase tickets.

Some people might consider the number 13 unlucky. But not the staff and sponsors of Fayetteville After 5. They all agree that 13 will be a lucky number, as they prepare to kick-off the 13th Annual Fayetteville After 5 Concert Series on May 20 at 5:30 p.m.

“This is our 13th year of putting on the series, and our third year at Festival Park,” said Michelle Horne, of the Fayetteville Museum of Art. “We also hold it on the third Thursday of every month.”

With a trifecta of threes and a successful equation for the event, Horne and company are looking for this year’s series to be even better than the past 12. And that’s saying a lot.

“The event has always proven very successful, and we plan on following a similar model from the previous years,” she said. “We will still have local bands opening before our featured band. We will continue to have our Young at Art tent, which will allow children to experience art by doing hands-on projects.”

Horne said that having the local musicians open allows the community the opportunity to hear the musicians who play here on a regular basis, but also gives the musicians a chance to expand their fan base. The art tent helps bring a family flavor to the event.

As in years past, there will also be food vendors on hand to feed the body, once the music and the art have fed your soul. Horne said that the museum is still taking applications for vendors, and that she hopes to expand the offerings from last year.

“Last year we added Chick-Fil-A, and we hope to add even more vendors this year,” said Horne. “We hope to have enough variety so that people can bring their families out, eat dinner and spend the evening in the park listening to the music.”

The museum is also still accepting applications from community organizations that wish to participate in the event. She noted that the fi rst event will be held in conjunction with the 31 Days of Glory events going on throughout May, and that she hopes that organizations involved in those events will take the chance to come out and support the community’s military heroes.

While fun and community are what drives the success of Fayetteville After 5, it is also an important fund-raising event for the museum. On an annual basis, the event raises between $15,000 and $18,000 for the museum.

“It is a considerable fund-raiser for us,” said Horne, “but it is a community event fi rst and foremost for us and the other sponsors.”

She noted that the funds raised during the event help the museum to continue its programming in the community.

The event would not be successful without a talented lineup of performers, and this year’s lineup isn’t too shabby. Kicking-off the series is the legendary beach band The Tams.

The Tams were formed in Atlanta, Ga., in 1962. Its members were Joseph Pope and Charles Pope (founders), Horace Key, Floyd Ashton and Robert Lee Smith. In the beginning, they sang and danced as a way of having fun and to escape their circumstances, hoping to make at least a little money. The group began performing in local night spots for $1.25 each. These small wages only allowed for them to purchase matching Tam O’shanter hats to wear while on stage. From this trademark, the legendary Tams name was born.

The Tams hard work, patience and perseverance eventually paid off when they were signed to Arlen Records and had their fi rst Billboard hit in 1962, the single “Untie Me,” which was number 12 on the R&B chart. In 1963, ABC Records signed them and their fi rst album produced a Top 10 hit, “What Kind of Fool.” They began playing throughout the country and a string of hits followed. These included “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy,” “I’ve Been Hurt” and “Hey Girl.” Since then, they have released more than 15 albums and been honored with one Platinum and two Gold records. They have toured and recorded with Jimmy Buffet and performed with such greats as Gladys Knight, Jackie Wilson and many more. They have received the title “Beach Band of the Decade” and have been inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Hall of Fame and the Beach Music Hall of Fame. The Tams are still recording today and have recently released their latest singles “My Main Squeeze” and “This Love Will Last” from their newest CD The Tams Comin’ At Cha’.

The Coconut Groove Band, Suicide Blonde, the Craig Woolard Band and the Chairmen of the Board will round out the series in the coming months.

Beach bands draw huge crowds to the event, and the sponsors hope the lineup will get people into the park and up on their feet dancing.

Sponsors for this year’s series are Harris Wholesale, Up & Coming Weekly, Rock 103, Magic 106.9, Q98 and the Fayetteville Observer.

For more information, visit the museum’s Web site at www. fayettevillemuseumart.org.

In 1945 a small ad appeared in the New York Times. It read “Multiple Sclerosis. Will anyone recovered from it please communicate with patient.”

Sylvia Lawry placed the ad because her brother had been diagnosed with MS and the family was frustrated by the lack of treatment options available. While no one came forward with a treatment option, the number of people who also came forward because of their frustrations was so large that in 1946 the National Multiple Sclerosis Society was created.

The organization has invested more than $600 million into research, according to its Web site. This has led to the development of six approved disease modifying drugs, genetic research, experimental treatments and breakthroughs in potential therapies.

The National MS Society claims that there are almost 5,000 people living with MS in North Carolina, and approximately 400,000 suffering from this disease in the U.S.

This year Walk MS is seeking to raise $800,000 to fund cutting-edge research and life-changing programs and services. The Fayetteville area Walk MS event is trying to bring in $55,000. They haven’t lost sight of the fact that this is an opportunity to have a good time though.

“The best thing is that this is a great family event,” said Fayetteville MS Walk Coordinator Elizabeth Jones. “Bring kids. Dogs are welcome. We’ll have live entertainment. It is a big festival atmosphere — there is a big playground for kids to play, teams have the option to set up a team tent and bring their own food and drink and celebrate that way.”

The Fayetteville Walk for MS will be at Honeycutt Park on May 15 moving out to make a difference. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The walk starts at 10 a.m. Jersey Mike’s will provide lunch.

Unlike many races, there is no registration fee to enter, but volunteers are encouraged to go out and fund raise for the cause. Sixty percent of the funds raised will go toward programs, services and advocacy for North Carolinians with MS. The other 40 percent is used for research in the fight against MS

“Our mission statement for the walk is that it truly is the rallying point for the MS movement because so many people who do have MS participate in this event,” said Jones. “Our statistics show that about 94 - 95 percent of the people who participate either have MS or a close personal friend or family member with MS. It is truly mission driven and is meant to be a celebration and a rally.”

For more information on how you can help call (919) 792-1011.

On May 16, the Cumberland County Headquarters Library will come alive with the sound of music. Blues music.

Claudia Swartz, the organizer of the annual Blues Showcase, and Jane Casto, the manager of the Headquarters Branch, have once again partnered to bring the sound of blues to the community, both young and old.

“It’s a nice family event, for all ages. It’s for people who really love music, but may not want to go to a bar atmosphere. It’s more like a concert, so you can really pay attention to the music. This showcase is a really great opportunity,” said Casto. The event is free to the public and will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Pate Room at the Headquarters Library.

Swartz also encourages people to bring their children, and said there will be young people performing the music as well.

A highlight of the afternoon will be performances by 13-year-old John Locklear and his sister Layla Locklear, who is 16. Other performers will include the Robbie Reid Band, Corky Jones, BluesEnigma, Lakota, the Raiford Street Band, Mister P. and Friends, Ray King on percussion and more.

“This event gives a chance for local blues musicians to come up and perform for 20- 30 minutes to give people a taste of what’s available locally,” explained Casto.

“The whole thing came about from just seeing that there were so many incredible musicians and so much talent, but not enough venues to showcase them,” said Swartz of the annual Blues Showcase which began in 2005.

“This event is geared towards young talent. There are more and more young talented musicians starting to play the blues.”

Refreshments are not available at the event, but guests are welcome to bring their own nonalcoholic beverages and food to the Pate Room.

For more information on the event, contact the library at (910) 483-7727.

According to www.about.com, almost 303,000 people live in Cumberland County. Adolph Thomas, City of Fayetteville community development specialist, knows that about 1,033 of them are homeless, and that there are not enough resources to go around to help these people.

That is why the City of Fayetteville is joining forces with other agencies to try and bring changes to the community with Project Homeless Connect on May 20 at First Baptist Church on Moore Street.

“Project Homeless Connect is an event sponsored by the 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness steering committee,” said Thomas. “The purpose is to bring the community together — and when I say that, we are talking about the primary agencies that deal with housing, health issues, parenting — all these different agencies under one roof — to provide a one-day service to the homeless residents of our county. The idea is that any issues that these people have we are asking people to help us deal with it.”

For example, North Carolina identification cards are a big deal. Without one you can’t get get a job and you miss out on many services that are available. Project Homeless Connect has asked the N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles to provide a way to get ID cards to those who need them and would not otherwise know how to go about getting them. The $10 fee is waived for homeless individuals, for obvious reasons.

“That is a big stumbling block for a lot of these folks,” said Thomas. “A lot of them don’t walk around with $10 in their pocket.”

This is just one of the many areas that the event will focus on. It starts at 7:30 a.m. and runs through 1:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Free haircuts will be offered along with medical prescription assistance, medical and dental assistance, housing assistance, job placement, government assistance and more.

“We are trying to include local, private agencies as well,” said Thomas.

Everyone from local churches and non-profits who are looking for ways to be helpful in solving this problem while ensuring financial accountability is offered the chance to participate.

Local businesses will be on hand, as well.

“We are trying to include them as part of the solution, and to make them feel a responsibility for helping to solve the problem,” said Thomas, noting that the city is also reaching out to Fort Bragg in an effort to deal with the large number of homeless veterans.

Transportation is provided free of charge to the event for those wishing to attend. Thomas said homeless individuals need to procure and give the bus driver the Homeless Connect F.A.S.T pass.

“Most people think of homelessness as the guy on the street corner with a sign,” said Thomas. “What they don’t realize is that a lot of our homeless in Cumberland County are families sleeping in cars — single moms and children.”

For more information about this event, or to volunteer call 433-2161.

Over the last 15 years I have written many editorials and opinion pieces about the need for a local television station in our community. As I travel around the country I have the opportunity to tune in and watch local news programming. I envy how the local TV media is able to not only report relevant, up-to-date community news, and their capacity and dedication to keeping local residents educated and well informed on important issues affecting their families, neighborhoods, towns, cities and state.

This is even more important during election time when the relevance of covering local politicians and government issues reaches it’s peak. Without effective TV, newspaper and radio media coverage there is little hope for transparency in government.

This is especially true with TV. There is nothing more effective for exposing and defining the truth than a camera and reporter investigating or reporting on an issue. It is this lack of coverage and accountability that breeds apathy among voters and thus produces the disappointing turnout results at the polls on election day.

Here in Cumberland County the turnout was less than 12 percent. Twelve percent? And, this at a time when we have so many important and pressing issues facing our community — both locally and statewide. Our community has problems and our community has questions.

We need solutions. We need answers. In today’s political climate way too much emphasis and political posturing is focused on the race of the candidate and not his qualifications. Hmmmmmm?

How sad is that? Wouldn’t it be nice to know more about the qualifications of the candidates, why they are seeking office and what their ideas and plans are for moving our county, state and nation forward?

Sure, there are political forums but these are poorly attended, and again, because no one knows about them. Honestly, getting elected and serving effectively are two different things. First, getting elected (or appointed) to an office shouldn’t be the objective in itself. Anyone with the resources can spend a million dollars to be elected. Or, if you don’t have those kinds of financial resources you can resort to political maneuvering or “slight of hand” to get your ballot numbers.

Either way, the constituency is ill served because no relevant motives or information have been exchanged. Trying to be elected to an important political office “just because” is not a good enough reason.

Our county, state and nation are faced with some very serious and vital issues. Education, unemployment, transportation/roads, the environment and national security, just to name a few. People want — and have — a right to know how potential elected offi cials are going to effectively (and honestly) address these issues. Who cares what color the candidates skin is as long as the job gets done?

No, accountability will only come with transparency, and, transparency will only come when the media can report on our government and politicians in real time. And, that’s television. So, lights, camera, action! Until we get it … we won’t have it.

Former boxing world champion Ricardo Mayorga will compete in his first Mixed Martial Arts fight at the Crown Coliseum on May 15. The Shine Fights’ World’s Collide MMA fight will pit Mayorga against MMA star Din Thomas.

Ricardo Mayorga is a Nicaraguan born mixed martial artist and former professional boxer. He is the former WBA/WBC Welterweight champion and the former WBC Junior Middleweight champion. His record of 28-7 includes 22 knockouts. His debut into MMA fighting is sure to draw a crowd at the Crown as he goes up against MMA veteran Din Thomas.

Thomas is an American mixed martial arts fi ghter who was featured on the popular series The Ultimate Fighter 4. He runs two successful Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA academies in Port St. Lucie, Fla.Thomas made his UFC debut at UFC 32, in a fight against future UFC lightweight & welterweight champion B.J. Penn. His most recent UFC fi ght was a unanimous-decision loss to Josh Neer at UFC Fight Night 13. After that fight, he dropped to Featherweight class. Thomas has also recently began an acting career in independent fi lms.

Mayorga and Thomas brought fireworks to their recent press conference in New York. They were brought together to announce Worlds Collide, and sparks flew immediately as the two fi ghters began to taunt each other. Mayorga lit a cigarette and blew smoke in Thomas’ face, inciting a shove from Thomas. Shortly afterwards the two went toe-to-toe, yelling at each other, and neither showing any respect for his opponent. The press conference, culminated with Mayorga landing a backhanded left jab to Thomas’ chin.

Tickets for Mayorga vs. Thomas at the Crown Coliseum are on sale now. Reserved seat tickets are available at the Crown Center Coliseum Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Prices range from $25 to $150.

The event is being promoted by Shine Fight Promotions in conjunction with the Crown Center. For more information visit Shine Fight Promotions Web site:www.shinefi ghts.com or the Crown Center site at www.atthecrown.com, or call (910)438-4100.

“When you think of a catfi sh tournament you think of a couple of guys and some stinky bait — you know what I am saying? But we have taken this tournament stuff to a different level.”

These are the words of the 6th Annual Catfi sh Tournament Director Robert Kitchen.

In the past five years the event has raised more than $20,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year they are hoping to add significantly to that figure.

“We started with 19 boats paying $250 to win,” said Kitchen. “Now we are at more than 100 boats which makes us the biggest catfish tournament in North Carolina. We are paying $3,000 to win, and there is a chance to win a pick-up truck.”

There is a captain’s meeting on Saturday, May 8 at the Hope Mills Shriner’s Club from 6-11 p.m. Dinner and entertainment will be provided.

This year the tournament will be held on May 15 and 16. Registration will open at 6 a.m. and run until 9 a.m. at J.P. Riddle Stadium. The boats will blast off from the stadium at 8 a.m., but if you miss it there is still another hour of registration time.

“After blast off they can go anywhere on the Cape Fear river they want to... from Buckhorn to Wilmington...they can fish the whole span of the Cape Fear River,” said Kitchen. Weigh-in starts at 9 a.m. on Sunday. All boats have to be in by 10 a.m. There will be a polygraph examiner at weigh-in. The top three winning team captains must take a polygraph before any winnings will be declared.

While the fishermen are certainly expected to have a good time, the tournament is fish friendly.

“We do catch and release. We put all the fish back in the river because we are tournament fishermen and that might be the one we need for next time that will win,” said Kitchen.

“Plus we don’t want to deplete the river population of fish due to the fact that this is such a great river to fish in, and the more you take out the less there is gonna be. Last year we put back 1,866 pounds of fish — all alive”

Before the fish are put back in the river they are put into revive tanks and soaked in rejuvinade so that they are not put back into the river in a weak state. In order to maintain the health of the fish, the tournament has also changed the number of fi sh that can be weighed-in to three. It used to be fi ve fish.

While tournament participants enjoy a good time on the Cape Fear River catching catfi sh and competing for one of the many prizes that will be handed out, Kitchen and the event organizers are very focused on running a successful tournament because they support the cause... the children and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“In our organization everybody is gung ho about it — we all know that we are blessed that our children don’t have cancer,” said Kitchen. “These kids didn’t ask for it, but they won’t get to run and play and stuff like that. So if we can give them a chance to that is all that matters in the world to us. There is just something so precious and special about children... one of our philosophies is that the person’s life that you save could be the person that saves your life someday.”

For more information, check out myspace.com/FishingtoFightCancer or call 237-1343.

Judy Dawkins knows the power of positive thoughts and of positive contributions. Following her retirement from the federal government a number of years ago, she began a second career as the director of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, or RSVP. Since that time, she has seen retirees, like herself, step out into the community and do everything from helping children learn to read to taking meals to shut ins.

On Friday, April 23, Dawkins was joined by more than 475 volunteers at the RSVP annual volunteer appreciation luncheon at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church. The event is designed to thank the organization’s senior volunteers and to honor one of its own for their dedication and contributions to the community. Both were done in style.

In 2009, the 515 volunteers registered with RSVP logged more than 104,187 hours of service to the community. Their time is equivalent to 50 full-time employees, which saved local organizations more than $2,031,646.50. Volunteers with the organization must be at least 55-years-old and elect to serve in one of the 76 agencies served by the organization.

Joining Dawkins in thanking the volunteers were Kim Hasty, who served as the mistress of ceremonies; the Rev. John Cook, Sheriff Moose Butler, Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, of the XVII Airborne Corps, N.C. Rep. Rick Glazier, Mayors Ethel Clark, Eddie Dees and Tony Chavonne, Billy King, chairmen of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and Robert Hines of the United Way.

Janice Burton, associate publisher of Up & Coming Weekly presented the Up & Coming Weekly Spirit Award, which honors the outstanding volunteer of the year, to Jim Stitt.

Stitt, who has been volunteering with RSVP since 2002, delivers meals to the home bound, works with the United Way and a number of other agencies. Stitt, a retired Special Forces soldier, is an avid painter and is still actively involved in athletics. The award’s presentation was complete when Stitt arrived at the ceremony, having just won a gold medal at the Senior Games.

Dawkins joked with Stitt, recalling his start with the organization. She explained that a number of gentlemen came to the senior center to play pool on a regular basis.

“I heard them in there and they were having so much fun,” she recalled. “I went in and told them I need them and that energy to volunteer.”

It seemed that no one was going to take her up on her offer until later when Stitt came to her privately.

“He told me he would do what I needed him to do as long as I didn’t tell the other guys,” she said.

Over time many of those gentlemen joined Stitt in his service to the community

“In the Shadow Series I am attempting, like children, to combine the shadows of the eye and spirit, giving mental and spiritual experiences a form of tangibility — a virtually impossible task which will probably remain forever as visual speculation without hope of fi nding an acceptable solution,” said Stanley Greaves, in a statement about his work.

“Unlike literature and drama, in painting, exploring this realm of emotional, often irrational, states of the mind becomes a diffi cult enterprise well understood by the Surrealist School,” said Greaves.

According to Greaves, the tool of exploration that must be used here tends to become visual allegories or other forms of symbolism that are used in a highly personalized manner. The paintings hold some form of narration, however, there is no defi nite ending. Shadows Move Among Them displays conjecture, or the formation for the expression of opinion or theory without evidence for proof, the drama to spaces and dimensions that reach outside the space within the picture.

Both the first and second series of Shadows Move Among Them are dedicated to Edgar Mittelholzer, a Caribbean author, who wrote a novel entitled Shadows Move Among Them. Greaves’s first set of artwork in the series was shown on the island of Barbados.

“At the end of this, the second series of the Shadow paintings, I am left to consider that coming to terms with the intangible is still elusive — the true history of mankind perhaps. My perception of the intangible becomes a vision lying on the edge of some strange horizon and my search will have to follow the lead of the spectrum shadows becoming shadows of the soul,” Greaves said.

Greaves’ works will be on display at the Fayetteville Museum of Art from May 8 through July 11 and the museum has been working with Greaves on this exhibition for more than a year and a half. Greaves was originally a patron of the museum and through dialogue and submission of an application the studio reviewed his work and decided to display it. The artwork will essentially be exploring two dimensional shadows of the human condition and will consist of twenty-three pieces.

On Saturday, May 8 at 7 p.m. the premier party for the exhibit will take place at the Fayetteville Museum of Art.

“This is another example of bringing contemporary work of a living artist to our community and the diversity within our community,” said Michele Horn, assistant director and curator for the Fayetteville Museum of Art.

Greaves is a native of the Republic of Guyana and he served as the fi rst head of the Division of Creative Arts at the University of Guyana.

All artists can ask to have their artwork displayed by sending a copy of their portfolio to the museum and a request form. If chosen, the artwork will be on display generally for six to eight weeks.

It has long been a dream of Bo Thorp, the artistic director at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre, to bring a production of Hair to the CFRT stage. Over the years, she has mulled over the idea, trying to find a way to bring what has been billed as an anti-military production to a very pro-military community.

“I love the music in Hair,” said Thorp. “It’s a generational thing. People know the music, they can sing along with it. But it is not our intention ever to offend anyone and we certainly don’t want to turn people off, so we had to find a way to bring this wonderful music to the stage without getting into the idea of war or nudity.”

After looking for many years, Thorp found the answer.

The show will be performed in concert, with limited dialogue, which will mostly be used to introduce characters and segue into the next musical number.

At the helm of the production is William Day, a New York actor with close ties to not only the CFRT, but also the production.

Day, who was raised in North Carolina and Viriginia, has spent some time on the CFRT stage. In his earlier years, he performed in Godspell and Footloose.

“As a young actor trying to fi gure out what I wanted to do, I spent some great time at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre,” said Day during a recent telephone interview. “I learned a lot from the local talent, and I really admire the work they do there. Over the years, Bo and I have remained friends, so when she called me about Hair, I was ready to do it.”

Day recently staged a production of Hair in Wilmington, and it was that production that gave Thorp the motivation to move forward with the production.

Day explained that he has a passion for the production, and has made a careful study of it.

“I recently saw the revival of Hair on Broadway,” he explained. “Having done the production a number of times over the past 10 years, I thought the Broadway show had a lot of problems. It was too polished. It had no authenticity. There was no rawness to it. The acting was fl awless — it’s Broadway — but it lacked heart and the great storytelling that this production needs.”

So Day took the idea and reworked it into another production of the show.

“It’s less about war and more about loving yourself and others,” he explained. “That’s really the central theme to Hair. There are certain things in the script you can do without, so it’s not so much in your face. This staged concert version is going to be veryexciting. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

And, according to Thorp and Day, it goes back to the original production’s roots. The first production of Hair was staged in the park. So the outdoor setting at Campbellton Landing will greatly enhance the production.

“The show is so environmental,” said Thorp. “The cast is going to be out in the audience a lot, and the audience is going to be a lot more involved than they normally are.”

Thorp said she expects this show to appeal more to a younger audience than what has typically attended the river show.

“There’s going to be a lot of tie-dye and glow sticks,” she said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Part of the fun will come from the fact that people know the music.

“A generation grew up on this music, and I expect they will be singing along,” she said. “Traditionally, at the end of theshow, people throughout the audience are on their feet dancing. We want to see that.”

Day, who arrived in Fayetteville this week to begin rehearsals, will be arranging the staging and the dancing to get people in that mood.

“It’s really fresh and exciting,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a great show, and I can’t wait to work with the cast to bring it to stage.”

Thorp said there will be more than 30 actors involved, as well as the Volkswagon bus and Beetles. “There’s going to be a lot of hippy stuff,” she said.

The show opens on Thursday, May 20 and runs through May 30. The shows being at 8 p.m. As in years past, attendees can elect to eat dinner at the show. This year’s dinner will be courtesy ofRiverside Steakhouse & Oyster Bar at Campbellton Landing. The menu will feature pork tenderloin, vegetables, bread pudding and homemade rolls. Thorp added that there will be a variety of beverages from tea to beer and wine available for sale throughout the evening.

To make reservations or for more information, visit www.cfrt.org.

Fayetteville artist Erica Stankwytch Bailey fi nds inspiration in the smallest of details within a larger body — a cell within a plant, a shell in the ocean. Bailey, a metalsmith, found herself within that very context when she journeyed to the Grand Canyon as an artist-in-residence earlier this year. For three weeks in January and February, she lived, worked, hiked and photographed in the Grand Canyon. Bailey will share her experiences on Thursday, May 6 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in a presentation at the Arts Council, 301 Hay Street, in Fayetteville. The presentation is free and open to the public.

“It’s a really great program,” said Bailey, a metalsmith, in a phone interview. “Several of the national parks throughout the country do artist-inresidence programs. The cool part is that both the artists and the National Parks have worked hand-inhand for a long time. In the early times of the National Park Service, there was no way to show people what the parks looked like without artists, and that’s how all the national parks shared the parks with the people so that people would support them.”

Bailey took her fi rst metalsmithing class at Fayetteville Technical Community College when she was 17.

“The funny part is I now teach at FTCC. I really love teaching. For me as an artist, I work so much in the studio that it’s really nice to get out and interact with people.”

Bailey draws her inspiration from nature, and many of her jewelry pieces, wrought in materials such as sterling silver, copper, brass, freshwater pearls, jade and recycled paper, evoke images of a piece of coral, an unfolding bloom or the magnifi ed surface of a grain of pollen or tiny ocean plankton.

“My studio is covered with trays of things,” Bailey said. “I’ll pull them out and look at them or photograph them. I keep a pretty involved sketchbook. It’s always nature, sometimes architecture, and I’ve been looking at a lot of nano and microscopic photography. The last year or so, my work has really started to be about how signifi cant the really small things are within a larger context. That is part of how I chose the Grand Canyon. It is the perfect place to experience the signifi cance of the small in the large. I chose the Grand Canyon because I knew it was a place that would be truly inspiring.

“When I fi rst got to the Grand Canyon, it was so big that it was hard for me to take it in. There was visually so much to see. I really started breaking it down into its different parts –– line, shape, texture, form. I’m working on pieces inspired by the trip. It’s a series of pieces based on elements of art. Most of them will be wearable, but I do have a piece that I’m working on that is more sculptural. At the presentation, I’ll talk about the entire experience and plan to have some of the completed works there.

Bailey’s presentation is part of an outreach program of the national parks’ artist-in-residence program.

“It was an amazing opportunity,” said Bailey. “I had the best view in the park. They ask very little but that you do outreach to spread the word on how amazing the National Parks are. I also have some great photographs to share and stories about how amazing and wonderful the experience was and how challenging it was. It was such a profound experience.”