Up & Coming Weekly

The Craig Woolard Band Heats Up Fayetteville After 5 by ERINN CRIDER On Thursday, Aug. 19, the Fayetteville Museum of Art is sponsoring a concert free to the public. It is part of the Fayetteville After 5 series, and the “ambassador of Beach Music,” Craig Woolard and his band, are going to play. The band consists of seven people. Keith Stone who plays the trumpet, Donald Jordan on the guitar, Andy Swindell playing the keyboard and acoustic guitar, Grey Watson on the bass and vocals, Alan Wentz as the sound man, Russ Whitman on drums, and of course Craig Woolard as the front man. The front man Craig Woolard has been in music since he was 14, and had been with his previous band the Embers for more than 27 years. When they parted in 2004, he created the Craig Woolard Band (CWB). He has also won many awards including the 2004 Carolina Beach Music Awards (CBMA). He won Entertainer of the Year, 2004 Male Vocalist of the Year, and Best Duo for “Cruisin’” with Marsha Handcock. Craig Woolard is most known for beach music, but he has an extensive variety of music in his repertoire. “Craig’s catalog of music is well diversified. Included, of course, are all the standard songs you would expect to hear from a legend in Beach Music, but with Craig you get so much more. If you were to hear him sing “Georgia on My Mind” you would swear Ray Charles was in the house. His version of “Hot Legs” and “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” might even fool Rod Stewart,” his website claims. When describing Craig Woolard, the most common words that come up are charismatic and showman. “Craig is committed to giving the audience more than their moneys worth. When you attend a function with Craig as the featured performer, you will be caught up in the fun. More than just an artist, Craig relates to the crowd, and insists that they have a good a time as he has, Many people can sing, but Craig has a special gift that is light-years above the rest — he is a showman, and that’s the difference,” proclaims the official Craig Woolard Band website, and since Fayetteville after 5 is free there is simply no going wrong there. On Aug.19 you can come on down to Festival Park at the corner of Ray Avenue and Rowan Street, downtown, across from Headquarters library, and watch the “Soulman of Beach” perform free of charge. Bring a chair or blanket to relax on the grass, and a couple of bucks for the vendors around the park. Leave pets and outside foods and beverages at home. At 5 p.m. the gates open and at 5:30-6 p.m. the opening acts start. CWB will come on at about 7-7:30 p.m. and will last until about 10 p.m. It is a family friendly event, but adult beverages will be available from a vendor in the park. Just remember, according to the CWB website, “If you want a band with high energy, charisma, a variety of music, and unsurpassed showmanship, then it is simple — you want the Craig Woolard Band.” City Takes a Close Look at Docks by JANICE BURTON With Docks closed, the Fayetteville City Council is taking a closer look at legal proceedings that may be happening with the defunct venue, according to Mayor Tony Chavonne. “The city attorney is working to see what proceedings are occuring, and is working to protect our investment,” said Chavonne. The Docks project was one of three Downtown Impact Projects that were proposed by the Downtown Development Corporation, and approved by the then sitting city council. The Downtown Development Corporation was a self-standing entity that had its own board. It did receive some funding from the city, and was later blended into what is now the Chamber of Commerce. The corporation was headed up by Marshall Isner. Isner presented three Downtown Impact Projects to the city council — Docks, the Festival Plaza Building and the 300 Hay Street Project. Chavonne said that he was not on the council when the decisions were made to fund the three projects, all of which have encountered trouble over the past two years. “I don’t know a lot about the decisions or how they were reached on those three projects,” said Chavonne. Chavonne said the current council, after learning of the problems facing Docks, asked city staff to give them information concerning the project. According to Chavonne, all funds provided by the city to the Docks’ project were through Community Development Block Grants, which are federally-funded projects in blighted neighborhoods. “The money that was used to support the Docks project came from CDBG project money for economic development to improve neighborhoods,” he explained. “These projects qualifi ed because the downtown area was considered a blighted area, so it was a qualifi ed expenditure.” Chavonne said that initial funding was taken from the general fund because the WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM project came up out of the CDBG funding cycle, but once the federal funds were approved, the money was put back into the general fund. He said all of the money invested by the city, and now on loan to Docks, is federal money. The funds are scheduled to be repaid; however, Chavonne noted that the loan has not come due yet, so the corporation, headed by Dr. Henderson, is not in arrears with the city at the current time. Chavonne added that other city support to the project included free parking. “We are concerned about any business failure,” he said, “but in this instance, the loan is not rescheduled to be paid yet — but we are looking at the situation.” When asked whether the city would take a closer look at the other Downtown Impact Projects funded through the Downtown Development Corporation, Chavonne noted that the city keeps a close eye on all of its investments. When questioned about the problems the other two projects have encountered, Chavonne replied, “In the short term view, the three projects haven’t gone as well as anyone would have liked. But it’s quite likely that none of the projects would have happened without government involvement. “The private sector was not ready or willing to invest in downtown at that time,” Chavonne continued. “Government incentives made things happen that the private sector wasn’t ready to do.” He added that if you look at the projects from a broader perspective, you can still see that even with their problems, they are and will be tremendous assets for downtown. “These projects are not going as well as we would have hoped, but I don’t want to say we would have all been better without em,” he said. JANICE BURTON, Associate Publisher COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com. AUGUST 11-17, 2010 UCW 15 ERINN CRIDER, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com.

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