Up & Coming Weekly

Symphony’s Red, White & Blue Tour Salutes Military by ASHLEY YOUNG In honor of those who have served in the military, the North Carolina Symphony has created the Red, White and Blue Tour which will run June 1-5. The idea for the Red, White and Blue Tour came from Grant Llewellyn, music director of the North Carolina Symphony. The symphony itself is 69 members strong and combines 19 unique instruments in its performances. The concerts will have guest performers, like vocalist Sgt. Christal Sanders Rheams and other members of the military. The fi rst performance will be on June 1 at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base on the Fitness Center Track and Field. Food items will be sold and base access is required. The show at the Station Theater of Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point will be on June 2, and will require tickets in advance. June 3 a performance for the troops stationed at Camp Lejeune and New River Air Station at Riverwalk Crossing Park in downtown Jacksonville will be held. Then on June 4, the tour will move to the Main Post Parade Field of Fort Bragg. A photo ID is required for base access. The tour will conclude at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in the Regency Park of Cary. All of the performances in the Red, White and Blue Tour are free and will begin at 7:30 p.m. The concerts will be approximately an hour and a half long, with a 15 minute intermission, except at Fort Bragg. Fort Bragg’s concert will be 90 minutes long and will not have an intermission. “I am incredibly proud that we’re going to be doing this particular tour. Music holds a special place in my heart and I think this tour is important to honor those who have served in the military,” said Rob Maddrey, director of Statewide Development for the symphony. Big crowds are expected because Ft. Bragg and Jacksonville can accommodate more than 2,000 people and typically Cary has brought around 3,000 people to evening concerts the North Carolina Symphony has performed. While the Red White and Blue Tour itself will probably not become a tradition Maddrey hopes this will not be the last time the North Carolina Symphony plays at these military installations. Maddrey also said that the symphony has been warmly welcomed every step of the way. The Red, White and Blue Tour’s sponsors are First Citizens Bank and Our State magazine. Complimentary copies of the magazine will be given away at the Fort Bragg concert. The Fort Bragg concert will also have a Hat Parade at 6 p.m., where people are invited to wear their wackiest hats, and an “Instrument Zoo,” where kids can play trumpets, violins, fl utes and other instruments. The show in Cary will also have an “Instrument Zoo” and will be part of the North Carolina Symphony’s Summerfest. Summerfest, now in its 20th year, is a series of concerts held over seven Saturdays in the summer months, with different themes. The North Carolina Symphony was started during 1932, in Chapel Hill, with 50 volunteer musicians from all over the state. For more information please visit the symphony Web site at www.ncsymphony.org/ redwhiteblue. ASHLEY YOUNG, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com. Cycling Club, FAMPO Work to Put Cycling on the Map by STEPHANIE CRIDER Whether it is for competition, recreation, a matter of healthy living or as a means of transportation, bicycling offers benefi ts to most everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are 6-years-old and riding in a circle on your cul de sac, if you are 14 and biking over to a friends house, a 20- or 30-something training for a race, a parent out with the family for an outing, a person recovering from an injury or a senior looking for a low impact and relaxing way to exercise — cycling offers something for everyone, if they care to give it a try. Unfortunately, Fayetteville is not exactly a bicycle friendly place if you are looking to really put in some miles. The roads are often dangerous and congested. Aside from the Cape Fear River Trail, there are no bike or riding paths to speak of and really, how many times can a person make that eight- mile round trip ride without getting a little bored? And sadly, that doesn’t leave much for the long distance biker to explore. That being said, there are folks in our midst who are dedicated to riding and are fi ghting to show the community that bicycling is something that can and should be pursued. Since 2003 the Cross Creek Cycling Club has been advocating for cyclists in the greater Fayetteville area. “Our primary focus, originally, was going to be on the recreation side and rider development as far as getting people in and teaching them how to ride together as a group and riding safety — that kind of stuff,” said Robert F. Havens, president of the Cross Creek Riding Club. “Then we sort of evolved and now we also have people who race under the club’s name.” The club is still 80-90 percent recreational riders though, and the original goal of getting people out on the bike, learning to ride with traffi c and obeying the laws hasn’t changed. “There are a lot of people who don’t even know the most basic laws about cycling,” said Havens. “Not just for cyclists, but for vehicles. Car drivers that don’t ride don’t know the law. That is usually our biggest stumbling block — trying to educate people. We are trying to make it safer for everybody.” They make it fun, too. With about 140 members, in addition to 8 UCW JUNE 2-8, 2010 supporting and sponsoring club members who choose to compete statewide, regionally and even nationally, the club also sponsors events like the Patriot’s Criterium and the Wounded Warrior Ride. They also have an event coming up to raise funds and awareness for Fayetteville’s “Bicycle Man” Moses Mathis. Havens said that while things aren’t ideal for cyclists in the Fayetteville area, the Fayetteville Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) is working to change that. The organization is currently conducting a bicycle and pedestrian connectivity study. The purpose of the study is to help guide the growth of the region’s walking and bicycling facilities. The study is in the early phases and is focused on reviewing previous plans, understanding existing conditions, working with stakeholders and listening to public views on biking and walking in the region. “We started working with FAMPO three or four years ago and they didn’t have a lot of knowledge on how riding was in our area,” said Havens. “They’ve started working on mapping and commuting routes ... I hope that it does come to pass. If you compare Fayetteville to Charlotte or Greensville, there is a lot more support for cyclists in those other cities.” To learn more abut cycling in the greater Fayetteville area or to weigh in on the issues, check out http://crosscreekcyclingclub.org. There is a link to the FAMPO survey as well as information about the study. STEPHANIE CRIDER, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM

• Cover