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23 years in the saddle: C4 keeps Fayetteville moving

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Tuesday, 29 September 2026

Written by Jamie Bishop

On an October morning, cyclists will begin gathering outside Dirtbag Ales in Hope Mills. Tires will be checked, water bottles secured and riders greeted. Some will prepare for 100 miles. Others will choose 40. All will be riding through a story that began in Fayetteville 23 years ago.
Cross Creek Cycling Club, known as C4, will celebrate its anniversary Oct. 18 with a free group ride honoring the people who turned a small gathering of cyclists into an accomplished local sports organization.
“Our mission has been to encourage participation without regard to age, experience or ability,” club President Mike Thomas said.
That mission has carried C4 beyond its original circle. The club now has about 100 active members, and nearly 1,200 cyclists have belonged. They have included first-time group riders, endurance cyclists, competitive racers, active-duty service members, military retirees and families searching for community beyond the installation gates.
C4 earned national recognition quickly. USA Cycling named it Best New Club of the Year in 2004, one year after its founding. The organization has since received 13 USA Cycling Club of the Year awards.
Its racing record is substantial. Since 2005, C4 has conducted 35 competitive events, from road races and time trials to criteriums and cyclocross. Its résumé includes the Dragon's Challenge, the downtown Patriot's Criterium and multiple championship weekends. The club hosted the Carolinas Cycling Association road race and time trial championships in 2024 and 2025, followed by the association's time trial championship in 2026.
In 2006, Sports Illustrated selected C4 for a national U.S. Army advertising campaign, recognition that reflected the club's close relationship with Fayetteville's military community. C4 members have also included national champions Dane Pilon and Justin Mathers and world champion Jason Kimball.
Yet Thomas does not define the club by trophies alone. Seven marriages grew from relationships formed through C4. Beginners found mentors. Service members found connections to the city. Experienced riders taught newcomers how to communicate in a group, control pace, stay hydrated and ride predictably.
“Those goals are different, but both riders should feel that they belong,” Thomas said of beginners and accomplished cyclists sharing the club.
The anniversary ride will begin at 8 a.m. at Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom, 5435 Corporation Drive. The century route will travel approximately 100 miles to Chadbourn and back, with planned rest stops near miles 20, 50 and 80. The shorter route will cover about 40 miles to Tar Heel and back.
Registration will take place onsite that morning, and every participant must sign a waiver. One support and gear vehicle will assist the ride. Cyclists should select a distance suited to their conditioning, arrive with a properly maintained bicycle and carry their own hydration, food and repair supplies. Organizers will make a weather decision at 6 p.m. Oct. 17. Riders can RSVP through the club's Facebook group event to help provide an accurate headcount.
Thomas expects about 25 cyclists, compared with 30 to 50 participants in previous milestone rides. The smaller estimate does not diminish the occasion. The route offers something statistics cannot measure: hours in the saddle with people who understand that cycling builds trust one shared mile at a time.
C4 has extended that trust into service. Thomas said the club has contributed more than $200,000 to charitable causes, supporting organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Cumberland County Special Olympics, Bicycleman Community Bike Shop, the Wounded Warrior Project and local public-safety foundations.
In 2018, the club established an endowment with Cumberland Community Foundation to preserve that community impact beyond any particular group of officers. Thomas said it was the foundation's only sports-specific endowment at the time.
The anniversary ride therefore celebrates more than longevity. It honors a club that made room for elite competitors without forgetting the nervous beginner, and one that transformed a shared sport into sustained civic service.
“The club's real legacy is found in the people,” Thomas said, “those who discovered cycling, became healthier, formed lasting friendships, represented Fayetteville in competition and used their shared passion to help the community.”
On Oct. 18, that legacy will leave Dirtbag Ales on two wheels. Whether riders return after 40 miles or 100, each will help carry C4's story into its next year. For more information, C4 can be reached on their website at https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18HgeKFAxv/?mibextid=wwXIfr.

(Photo: Members of C4 gather at Dirtbag Ales for a ride. This year, the club celebrates 23 years. Photo courtesy of Cross Creek Cycling Club's Facebook page) 

Hallowe’en brings haints, diversions to 1897 Poe House

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Tuesday, 29 September 2026

Written by Tiffany Haywood

Sweet Tea Shakespeare actors turn the historic home into a turn-of-the-century Poe family party filled with period games, Southern ghost stories, audience participation and real Fayetteville history.
If you have ever attended a Sweet Tea Shakespeare production, you know it is never as simple as sitting and watching a play. It is a full-on experience. The company’s cast members and directors have a unique talent for breaking the fourth wall and bringing the audience completely into the story.
That is why Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s partnership with the 1897 Poe House for the upcoming Hallowe’en Revels production, “Haints and Diversions: A Poe Halloween Party,” feels like the perfect fit.
The words in the title help set the tone. A “haint” is a ghost, mischievous spirit or haunting presence, while a “diversion” was a period term for a game or entertaining activity that offered a break from ordinary life. Although diversion is often associated with distraction today, it once represented an opportunity to turn away from the everyday for a moment of entertainment, fun and, in this case, a little mischief.
Those haints and diversions become part of a turn-of-the-century Halloween story designed to bring history to life. Visitors will not simply tour the 1897 Poe House. They will enter as guests at a historically grounded Poe family Halloween party and participate as the story moves throughout the house.
The interactive format connects local history and turn-of-the-century Halloween traditions with celebrations that continue today.
Imagine entering the 1897 Poe House, perhaps even dressed in a period-inspired Halloween costume. After being greeted by a guide, guests will move from room to room, meeting and interacting with members of the Poe family and other people connected to them. Along the way, they will participate in Halloween activities and traditions while hearing ghost stories rooted in Southern and North Carolina history.
“It’s kind of like theater meets living history,” museum educator Mary Cooper said.
The annual Hallowe’en Revels program will be presented Oct. 16-17 and Oct. 29-30 at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex. Developed in partnership with Sweet Tea Shakespeare, the approximately 45-minute guided production will feature more audience participation than previous Hallowe’en Revels presentations.
One important distinction: This Poe is not Edgar Allan Poe. E.A. Poe was a prominent Fayetteville businessman and owner of the Poe Brick Company. The production imagines how a family such as the Poes might have celebrated Halloween during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It does not claim that this specific party historically occurred.
This year’s production focuses more directly on historical Halloween traditions and a younger period in the Poe family’s life. Actors will portray real Poe family members and historical figures connected to them. The format also gives guests more opportunities to participate instead of simply watching the story unfold.
“It’s a different story every year,” business officer Stephen Thompson said.
The production is supported by research into Victorian- and Edwardian-era Halloween activities, decorations and costumes, along with Southern ghost stories, North Carolina folklore and relationships within the Poe family. Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s experience with audience interaction allows that research to become something guests can experience instead of information delivered during a traditional historic-house tour.
As a complete and total history buff, I love the idea of becoming part of a historical story. However, not everyone responds to history in the same way. Hallowe’en Revels gives visitors an opportunity to see how people from another period celebrated, played and entertained one another, and why their lives were not quite as removed from ours as they may seem.
“Just because it’s history doesn’t mean it wouldn’t have been fun, and it wouldn’t have been entertaining,” Cooper said.
The production was created with families in mind. There are no jump scares and no actors waiting around corners; this is not a haunted house. It does include ghost stories, fortune-telling and historically rooted supernatural themes, so parents should consider their children’s individual comfort levels. Some characters represent Poe children around ages 10 to 12, reflecting the younger period of the family’s life explored in the story.
Tours begin at 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. each evening and are limited to 15 guests per time slot. Tickets are $10 per person and must be purchased in advance. Walk-up sales will not be available. Tickets can be purchased at https://bit.ly/4jjpOq4.
Guests will check in at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex, 801 Arsenal Ave., before being escorted to the Poe House by their guide. The experience requires approximately 45 minutes of walking and standing, and guests will use stairs. The second floor of the Poe House is not wheelchair accessible. The museum gift shop will be open before and after each tour.
Cooper hopes guests leave the Poe House with a different understanding of what learning about the past can feel like.
“I definitely want them to go through and say, ‘Wow, history is exciting,’” she said.

Welcome to 58th annual golf championship held at Gates Four

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Tuesday, 29 September 2026

Written by Mahalia Cooks

The Cumberland County Golf Championship returns for its 58th year in October, welcoming novice and seasoned competitors to tee up and give their all toward winning the title of CCGC Champion.
Registration runs until Monday, Oct. 5, offering competitors several divisions to throw their hats in the ring, including Men’s, Women’s, Senior Men’s, Senior Women’s and Super Senior. Registration for the Men’s and Super Senior Divisions is $145, while the Women’s Divisions cost $115; service fees apply. Registrants can sign up at https://pci.jotform.com/form/232342638462153.
In the spirit of keeping the game accessible to as many competitors as possible, a major change has been implemented for this year’s tournament. The minimum age for entry has been lowered to 13 so more future golfing pros can enter the Champion and Open Divisions. Previously, the age limit was 15.
The field will be divided based on sex and age and limited to 96 golfers; players will be flighted within their divisions according to their 36-hole scores.
Gates Four Golf & Country Club, trusted venue of the tournament since 2017, will host all rounds of the competition. General Manager Kevin Lavertu works hard each year to provide the ideal sporting environment with an 18-hole course redesigned in 2011 by Kris Spence, a respected golf course architect. This effort is why Gates Four is considered a premier club among golfers.
For many, playing in the tournament is about more than just vying for a trophy.
“It is a Cumberland County tradition, and it’s the oldest amateur golf tournament continuously running in North Carolina,” said Tournament Director and Up & Coming Weekly Publisher Bill Bowman.
Up & Coming Weekly has proudly put on the CCGC for almost a decade since The Fayetteville Observer stepped away from hosting it. Regular sponsors include SERVPRO, Healy Wholesale and Valley Auto World, among others.
“It’s been a very exciting and rewarding event for this community,” said Bowman. “Up & Coming Weekly is very honored to have been asked to carry this Fayetteville/Cumberland County tradition forward.”
The tournament will be preceded by the Gates Four Champions’ Reception and Pairings Party on Thursday, Oct. 8, held at the country club. This get-together gives players a chance to mingle and see who they’ll be playing against. Attendees include Kirk deViere, chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners; Diane Wheatley, North Carolina representative for District 43; and other city and county representatives.
The game starts on Friday, Oct. 9 and will last until Sunday, Oct. 11, with 54 holes of individual stroke play. The Women’s Divisions will play 36 holes across Saturday, Oct. 10 and Oct. 11. The tournament adheres to rules set by the United States Golf Association; any local rules will be declared before the game begins. On the last day, golfers who make it to the Championship flight will play from the black tees, which will determine the CCGC Champion.
After the tournament ends on Oct. 11, the SERVPRO Winners Reception will be held at the country club’s pavilion around 4 p.m. to reward the best of the best. The chairman and state representatives will also be present at this celebration.
Alongside new golfers, there will be many familiar faces returning to ramp up the competition, including 2025 runner-up Billy West, Chase Suitt and 2025 CCGC Champion Chip Collins, who’s looking to score a three-peat after his 2024 and 2025 wins.
Each division has its winners in addition to the overall CCGC Champion. Here’s a look at who took home the trophies in 2025:
• Open Division: Tori Callaway (245)
• Senior Men’s: Steve Wheeler (231)
• Senior Women’s: Jennifer Eavenson (181)
• Women’s: Toni Blackwell (175)
• Super Senior: Larry Spivey (231)
Collins went pro after playing in the CCGC for many years and is now back to competing in our local championship.
“I didn’t really know how much I would miss playing in the tournament until I got back to playing in the tournament,” he said. “It’s nice to be back, and it’s nice to have won a couple after coming back as well.”
With new competitors signing up each year, including youth players, Collins anticipates that the old guard of repeat champions will eventually give way to the “coming of the new kids.” Until then, he looks forward to returning for the 2026 game and seeing past players, and he keeps his skills sharp by competing in other tournaments during the year.
“I play on two amateur tours throughout the year — the Golf Weekend tour and the APT tour,” he said. “Between those two tours and some other tournaments, I just play tournaments mostly on the weekend and practice when I can.”
In addition to offering a highly competitive game and a weekend of elite sportsmanship, the tournament also supports youth education through the Kidsville News! Literacy & Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The organization “provides free reading and educational resources to elementary-age students in Cumberland County schools,” according to Bowman.
When Up & Coming Weekly took charge of the CCGC in 2017, there wasn’t yet a charitable component.
“The tournament really was just a golf tournament, and I wanted it to tie in with our mission and our mandate,” said Bowman, referencing Up & Coming Weekly’s aim to elevate Cumberland County’s quality of life and media landscape. “I wanted it to be a tournament with a purpose.”
This goal is also shared by and reflected in the sponsors who have been supporting the CCGC since its 2017 revamp.
Spectators are welcome to come down to Gates Four at 6775 Irongate Drive to watch the golfers play and see who comes out on top. Be there from Oct. 9 to Oct. 11 to root for the players and witness the excellence of Cumberland County golfers. Contact Bill Bowman at 910-391-3859 for any questions about the event.

(Photo: Division and championship trophies are lined up ready for the top golfers in Cumberland County. Photo courtesy of Cumberland County Golf Championship)

Celebrating 33 years of gospel singing

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Tuesday, 29 September 2026

Written by Dr. Shanessa Fenner

Massey Hill Baptist Church presents the 33rd Annual Gospel Singing Celebration Saturday, October 3 at 6 p.m.
“I started singing when I was five years old, and I have been involved with quartet music,” said Larry Chason, organizer of the event. “I have been doing solo work for 33 years in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.”
Chason’s humble beginnings began with him singing alongside his mother and sister at his home church, Pittman Grove Baptist Church, in the Rockfish Community of Hoke County.
“I sang with several quartets and back in 1989, I started doing solo work and the Lord has blessed me traveling by myself,” said Chason. “We have been able to sing with a lot of bigger groups, I do a lot of promoting of regional groups, and I am excited to be able to help the groups when they call me.”
He added, “I sing the old-style southern gospel music.”
The gospel celebration highlights performances by Gabriel’s Call from Durham, North Carolina, Jennifer Rhone from Balm In Gilead Family Counseling Ministries and Chason. Gabriel’s Call is a talented trio featuring Patsy Sanders, Bruce Wimberley and Tim Davis.
“There’s nothing like the old-style southern gospel music,” said Chason. “That’s what I try to bring to churches when I go and sing a lot of the hymns.”
When asked to name his favorite gospel song, he answered without hesitation.
“My favorite gospel song is “The Lighthouse” and it was written in 1970 by Ronny Hinson. I will never forget it,” said Chason. “It was the first song that I sang on the piano with my mother, and it has always played a special part in my life.”
He stated, “’Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven’” (Matthew 5:16) is my testimony. Yes, I make mistakes, but I want people to know that the light of Jesus is real.”
Chason’s heart and desire, wherever the Lord leads him, is to share the gift that God has blessed him with and use it for His glory. His prayer is that through every song, someone’s heart will be touched, a life will be encouraged, and a soul will be drawn closer to the Lord.
“We are at the end of time, and everybody needs to have that assurance that they know the Lord,” said Chason. “There is something about music that calms the storm and soothes the soul.”
He added, “I don’t call it a concert; I call it a worship service.”
September 19, 2025, was the day that changed everything; Chason lost his beloved wife.
“The Lord called her home, and one of her main wishes was that I would continue to use the gift that God has so graciously given to me,” said Chason. “She wanted me to go sing, spread the gospel, and I’m doing it now more than ever.”
For Chason, it has been an incredible journey of faith, ministry, and music. “We have been privileged to record 8 CDs and we are working on our ninth CD now,” said Chason. “My best friend, Lucy Hemmingway, and I co-wrote a song that will be on my brand-new project entitled ‘God’s Got It,’ and it will be released the first of the year.”
Chason added, “Those were the last words that my wife whispered to me before the Lord called her home: God’s got it.”
The 2018 Long Leaf Pine recipient is expecting a powerful turnout and hopes the community will rally behind his efforts.
“We would love to have a generous love offering to help take care of the expenses of the groups and the advertising,” said Chason. “I give God all the praise and glory, so come join us for an evening of worshipping and praising the Lord.”
For more information, call 910-818-9769 or email chasonlighthousemusic@yahoo.com.