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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STAFF PUBLISHER Bill Bowman bbowman@upandcomingweekly.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Janice Burton editor@upandcomingweekly.com OPERATIONS OFFICER Paulette Naylor accounting@upandcomingweekly.com EDITOR Stephanie Crider stephanie@upandcomingweekly.com ART DIRECTOR Alicia Miller art@upandcomingweekly.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS D.G. Martin, Pitt Dickey, Margaret Dickson, John Hood, Erinn Crider, Shanessa Fenner, Heather Griffiths DISTRIBUTION MANAGER/ OFFICE COORDINATOR Laurel Handforth laurel@upandcomingweekly.com MARKETING/SALES Cynthia Spears cynthia@upandcomingweekly.com Linda McAlister Brown linda@upandcomingweekly.com Kristy Sykes kristy@upandcomingweekly.com Beverly Pone beverlypone@upandcomingweekly.com ––––––––––– Up & Coming Weekly www.upandcomingweekly.com 208 Rowan Street P.O. Box 53461 Fayetteville, NC 28305 PHONE: (910) 484-6200 FAX: (910) 484-9218 Up & Coming Weekly is a "Quality of Life" publication with local features, news and information on what's happening in and around the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community. Up & Coming Weekly is published weekly on Wednesdays. Up & Coming Weekly welcomes manuscripts, photographs and artwork for publication consideration, but assumes no responsibility for them. We cannot accept responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or material. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to edit or reject copy submitted for publication. Up & Coming Weekly is free of charge and distributed at indoor and outdoor locations throughout Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, Hope Mills and Spring Lake. Readers are limited to one copy per person. Subscriptions can be purchased for $30 for six months or $60 for 12 months, delivered weekly by first class mail. ©2007 by F&B Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or advertisements without permission is strictly prohibited. INSIDE Calendar. .......................................... 14 . Concert Connection......................... 19 TV...................................................... 21 Movie................................................ 21 PUBLISHER'S PEN "Say Good Night, Gracie." You too, Prince Charles by BILL BOWMAN "Say good night, Gracie," was the familiar quote in the past. The Prince has served this community; now made popular by the iconic 1950s and 1960s actor/ his purpose and usefulness is gone and he must go. My comedian George Burns when he was signaling his only wish is that he goes out with grace and dignity and young, precocious wife Gracie that she was finished, not with the swell of loud and mis-directed protest from through and done with her monologue. people screaming we can't tear down history. "Say good night, Gracie," meant it was over. Period. Let's not forget that our noble Prince was acquired Well, someone very recently asked me: "Bill, why by a New York investor named John Chen for $1.9 don't you write something about the Prince Charles million at a foreclosure sale in 2007. This guy was no Good night, sweet prince. Hotel?" What? Are you kidding me? January 2014 friend of the Prince Charles or of Fayetteville. Matter will mark Up & Coming Weekly's 19th year serving of fact, when the hotel was finally closed down by city Fayetteville. During this period we have stayed extremely up-close and inspectors for major building violations, Chen was well on his way to personal to the goings on concerning the crown prince of Downtown turning the Prince Charles into a grandiose flop house. If protests do Fayetteville, the Prince Charles Hotel. Why? Because we have always arise, it will be from people who have no understanding of business admired and respected the Prince Charles for its historical value and economics or the true value of money. past contributions to our community. However, anyone not familiar Bottom line? The property that the Prince Charles Hotel sits on is with our publication or the last two decades of history and controversy extremely valuable to the successful economic development of our city. swirling around this historic icon may think we have ignored the Sure, I know that recently David Levinson, a wealthy developer from situation or at best had trouble making up our minds or taking a solid Harnett County proposed to the City of Fayetteville a $4 million plan position editorially concerning the future of the property. I can assure to save the Prince Charles. Well, I doubt if that is ever going to happen. you this is not the case. Levinson's plan was to partner with Chen to restore the building into The fact is, we have written dozens of stories, editorials and features residential and office condominiums. Success will be elusive. The about the noble Prince over the years. Yes, in hindsight, our positions numbers just do not work. may seem a bit contradictory. We love it, we hate it. We need it, we So, where do we go from here? Actually, I have no idea. Except, if the don't need it. It's an historical beauty, it's weather beaten, dilapidated decision is made to tear the Prince Charles Hotel down, that property and ugly. It is an economic "tour de force" for the city, it's an economic should not be used for anything else but to house a three or four star disaster and drain on our downtown development. Need I go on? You mid-range hotel (Hampton Inn, Marriott Fairfield, etc.) so there will get my point. be rooms and meeting space in downtown Fayetteville to support the But, in our defense, there have been many people and organizations arts, attractions like the ASOM and other existing ongoing businesses. over the years like the Old Fayetteville Association, Fayetteville I firmly believe if downtown is to succeed, if downtown is going to Downtown Development Association, Downtown Alliance, Chamber prosper economically, visitors and guests need a place to stay when they of Commerce, Fayetteville Historic Resources Commission who also come downtown. respect and admire the Prince Charles and, have loyally followed its When the Prince Charles was revived in the '90s, it was supported by progress and plight with sincere and earnest interest in its revival, downtown businesses organizations and government. The Rotary Club rejuvenation, rehabilitation, development and success. The numerous met there. The arts community held huge receptions in the lobby. We had attempts good people have made to resuscitate the Prince Charles and jazz festivals there and it was a convenient gathering place for the entire restore it to its former self is a matter of public record. community. It would be a huge mistake to miss this opportunity to move Let's face it folks, time has told the hotel's true story. This is not the downtown economic-development effort forward by not adding good going to happen. As a documented advocate of the Prince Charles hotel to the downtown landscape. But then again, we have a terrible track Hotel, I have extreme respect for its historical designation and its record when it comes to placing buildings in the right significance to downtown, but, economically, it is just no longer location. This should be a no brainer. We'll see. Stay feasible. Realistically, with the needs being what they are in Downtown tuned. This is about Fayetteville, that property, which is directly across from city hall and to get interesting. BILL BOWMAN, Publisher, Up & Comonly blocks from the train station and Airborne and Special Operations Thanks for reading Museum, is much too valuable for hosting or harboring a deteriorating Up & Coming Weekly. ing Weekly. COMMENTS? editor@upandcomingweekly.com. and dilapidated building no matter how beautiful or significant it was Fayetteville's Weather Forecast Thursday December 12 Friday December 13 4 DECEMBER 11-17, 2013 High 52° Low 37° Mostly Cloudy Saturday December 14 High 56° Low 37° Rain Call 910.354.1679 Sunday December 15 24 / High 47° Low 25° Mostly Cloudy Free Wheelin' Feelin'........................ 22 Horoscopes/Advice Goddess.......... 23 Classifieds......................................... 24 Games............................................... 26 Monday December 16 Tuesday December 17 High 46° Low 38° Rain High 55º Low 45º Partly Cloudy High 55º Low 38º Partly Cloudy 7 Forecast available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM