Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM DECEMBER 11-17, 2019 UCW 23 NEWS Newly-opened Pet Supplies Plus offers neighborly pet care by EARL VAUGHAN JR. Tony Mello is the manager of the newly opened Pet Supplies Plus in Hope Mills at the intersection of Main Street and Camden Road in the former Eckerd drug- store building. But Mello doesn't really care that people refer to him as the store's manager. He'd be happier if you just called him neighbor. "I'm from Hope Mills and have been here for 17 years,'' said Mello. "The whole idea behind Pet Supplies Plus is we don't have customers, we have neighbors. We are that big-box store to go shopping in minus all the hassles.'' Mello said the store is a win-win for pet owners of all types in the Hope Mills area. "This is somewhere you are going to want to come,'' he said. "We want to get on a first-name basis with our neighbors — not just our neighbors, but their pets.'' Customers will get a feel for the special interest the staff at Pet Supplies Plus has for them whenever they visit the store. "I hire for personality, but I also need pet people,'' Mello said of his staff. He said one of the first questions he asks any potential employee is do they own pets."I love to see their faces light up when you ask their pet's name,'' he said. "The first thing they show you is the pictures (of their pet) in their cellphone.'' Pet Supplies Plus is independently owned but part of a chain of some 400 stores, based in Cleveland, Ohio. On the premises, you can purchase live birds, various small animals, reptiles and live fish. Among the more exotic animals the store sells are chameleons, crested geckos and leopard geckos. The store doesn't sell dogs and cats, but arrangements are being made with several local pet adoption agencies to come in on weekends and help people pick out a pet. One of the store's major features is a full, self- service grooming facility. Shampoo, towels and a blow dryer are avail- able, and the store staff takes care of cleaning up and sanitizing the area when customers finish using it. If need pet food, the store carries everything for dogs, cats, reptiles, guinea pigs and ferrets to name few animals. If a customer has a special need for something not in stock, they'll work with you to make a special order. The store also plans to offer clinics with a trav- eling veterinary service.Two are already sched- uled for next year, one on Jan. 28 and one on Feb. 25. The hours for both are from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. "You can come in, see a vet and get vaccinations in house,'' Mello said. Regular store hours are from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Highland Baptist Church's "Singing Christmas Tree" returns by EARL VAUGHAN JR. For a second consecutive Christmas, Dawn Seegars is pulling double duty preparing for spe- cial Christmas music. Seegars, a bi-vocational worship leader at Temple Baptist Church, is again helping to put together the annual Singing Christmas Tree performances at Highland Baptist Church where she sang in the choir with the late Nancy Brady. This year's performances are scheduled Dec. 13-15 at 7 p.m. each evening. Brady was the choir director at Highland until she lost a battle with cancer last year. Seegars stepped in to take over Brady's role, and has agreed to do it again this year while Highland is engaged in the search for a new pastor. "They have awesome lay leadership but no music director permanently on staff and now no pastor,'' Seegars said. Seegars said the congrega- tion reached out to her over the summer to ask if she'd take on the job of directing this year's Singing Christmas Tree and she agreed. "In church music, if you're not a season ahead, you're behind,'' Seegars said. "In summertime you're picking out Christmas music.'' Rehearsals began about the third week in September Seegars said. "We always try to do something different every year,'' she said. "We haven't repeated music. We want everyone that comes to hear something new, see something new.'' The sets may be the same, but the music and dra- matic portions of the performance will be updated. Seegars said this year's music selections will repre- sent a variety of styles. "We've got some music with a Southern gospel feel, music with a regular gospel feel,'' she said. "We've got some Christmas classics and even a song that includes a children's choir.'' There will also be narrations along with actors por- traying the traditional manger scene from the story of the birth of Christ. There will even by a lyrical dance team performing. Seegars praised the lay leadership at the church for their commitment to keep the Singing Christmas Tree going even without a full-time minister and music leader presently on staff. "When you don't have a pastor, things are always a little tougher than when you do have somebody in that leadership role,'' Seegars said. "They are going to continue to do what they are called to do and pres- ent the gospel message of Christmas to the community.'' Woody Cox, chairman of the church's Board of Deacons, said those planning to come to the Singing Christmas Tree are invited to bring a donation of canned goods or other nonperishable foods to the church's food pantry. Even without a pastor, Cox said the church's ministry has been able to contin- ue because of the great people there who are willing to share their time. The church has been doing the Singing Christmas Tree many years before Cox joined the congre- gation in 1995. "We just think it's a great way to get the commu- nity in to hear the presentation of the gospel,'' he said. "A lot of lost people are more willing to come in and watch the program. Through songs and the message that goes into it they get the gospel pre- sentation of Jesus Christ."We can touch a lot of lives quicker that way.'' For questions about the Singing Christmas Tree, call the church office at 910-425-5305, Monday through Thursday. The Singing Christmas Tree at Highland Baptist Church will take place Dec. 13-15. Pet Supplies Plus provides an array of items and services to take care of your pets. Hope Mills News & Views