Up & Coming Weekly

December 15, 2020

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 14 UCW DECEMBER 16-22, 2020 Fort Bragg plants trees leading up to Arbor Day by KEYURI PARAB EVENTS Fort Bragg invited community members to assist the Engineering Division of the Directorate of Public Works in planting the next generation of Tulip Poplar trees at the Bastogne Gables Park on post Dec. 9 to kick off a series of monthly events leading up to Arbor Day in April 2021. "Planting trees is a generational opportu- nity," said Brian Vesely, registered architect with the DPW and Arbor Board chair. "It is an investment that will continue to make Fort Bragg a better place to live and work." In an initiative to be great stewards of the environment, 40 Tulip Poplar trees were plan- ted. Tulip Poplars are large, upright and fast- growing trees with big f lowers similar to a magnolia, producing yellow leaves in the fall. At the event, DPW senior wildlife biologist Erich Hoffman demonstrated to the volun- teers how to properly plant a tree. "W hen you take the tree out of the pot, you see the roots are pressed against the soil, break the roots up to stabilize root growth because much moisture on the tree can cause some damage, it's a little bit of a process," Hoffman said. Mixing the amendment and the soil together helps to ensure there is extra room to grow. Always make sure when you look up the tree that it is straight, so it can grow properly, he said. Hoffman instructed that adding mulch helps keep the moisture in the dry seasons and emphasized the import- ance of the first year of the tree's survival. "If you can get the tree to survive for the first year, it has a higher chance of survival afterwards," Hoffman said. Fort Bragg will host five other events, one each month, leading up to Arbor Day in April 2021. Each event offers the opportu- nity for volunteers to plant trees in designated areas throughout the installation, said Elvia Kelly, spokeswo- man for Fort Bragg Garrison Public Affairs Office. The other events will be similar to the kick-off, where volunteers will bring their own gloves, and DPW will provide the trees, shovels and other needed materials. "The intent is to ensure Fort Bragg's natural infrastructure, trees and vegetation are here for future generations to enjoy and is a highlight of the installation," Kelly said. The post will continue to manage and take care of its infrastructure and environment because it promotes readiness and a sense of community, she said. KEYURI PARAB, Editorial Assistant COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com 910-484-6200. Taking us back in time, and yet reminding us very much of our current turbulent ones, "The Carols," written by Jennifer Childs, transports its audience into a feel-good, nostalgic and wholesome family drama of Christmas and life. "The Carols" directed by Robyne Parrish will run at the Gilbert Theater until Dec. 20, bringing a genuine good time filled with many laughs, great songs, a tear in your eye possibly, but also a reminder to enjoy the present. In the war and poverty-stricken setting of a 1940's Veterans of Foreign War post where gloominess lingers, three sisters — Sylvia, Rose and Lily — shine bright with their opti- mistic natures. Sylvia (played by Molly Hamelin) is deter- mined to make a change in the world and is obsessed with Eleanor Roosevelt. Rose (play- ed by Megan Martinez), dreams of marrying a general and Lily (played by Eden S. Kinsey) holds down the homestead with her charm. The first half of the production focuses on the chaotic, hilarious challenges of putting on "A Christmas Carol." This includes con- vincing the fascinating Miss Betty (played by Karen Morgan Williams), who runs the VFW, to have the production and find the right cast. Then enters Melvin Shaatz (played by Evan Bridenstine), the Jewish comedian who brings everyone a very Yiddish "Christmas Carol." The themes in the show touch on loss of those at war, the state of poverty in the pre- sent, and how everyone is looking forward to the future while enduring the present. The actors put on a charming musical with wonderful jokes. The second act brings an usual yet enter- taining version of "A Christmas Carol" with Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the Ghosts of Christmas past, present and future with hilarious modifications. It brings a smile to everyone's face. The Yiddish punchlines, the 40's slang, the "bah humbugs" is just what the audience needs — a two-hour escape from the times of COVID-19. The talented actors do a great job in remin- ding everyone, while looking forward so much and focusing on the misfortunes of the past, that we should not forget to live in and enjoy the present, no matter how hard things get. For those who just need to get away for some light-hearted singing and comedy, "The Carols" is a must watch with its reminder to hold on to right now and cherish it. The final weekend of the show is Dec. 18-20. For more information on the play and sche- dule, visit https://w w w.gilberttheater.com/ season27/thecarols.php 'The Carols' delivers nostalgic, funny escape for audiences by KEYURI PARAB KEYURI PARAB, Editorial Assistant COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com 910-484-6200. "The Carols" continues at the Gilbert Theater Dec. 18-20. Volunteers help workers from Fort Bragg's Directorate of Public Works plant Tulip Poplar trees on post to kick off a six-month initiative leading up to Arbor Day 2021.

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