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 Movie................................................ 20 TV...................................................... 21 PUBLISHER'S PEN Reassured: Fayetteville Police Are Competent by BILL BOWMAN "Reassure us." That was the below-the-fold headline found on indication that our police department is competent, well trained, the op-ed page of the Fayetteville Observer on Friday, Jan. 3rd. diligent and capable of responding to Fayetteville's major How disappointing. What a terrible way to start the new year. concern: Crime. Isn't this news? Why lose a great opportunity The fact that our local, daily newspaper has a very hard time to assure our community, that we are in good hands? finding the positive side to even the most simple situations Instead, the local newspaper chose to plant unsavory seeds of should be of great concern to our community's residents. That doubt and suspicion not only in regards to our police force but short, but emphatic, editorial spoke to our entire system. This undermines volumes about the newspaper's ongoing the goal of creating and maintaining reluctance to provide our community safe Fayetteville communities. What is balanced news and worse still, questions the motive here? the integrity of the men and women Is the newspaper trying to foster who daily put their lives on the line in unrest and disharmony in the protection of our city. community? I hope not. But what is The subtitle of this bogus editorial the purpose of questioning the findings was "Our View: Officer Cleared. and why suggest that this would be a But Shootings Leave Tension." The good time for the Fayetteville Police editorial referenced an incident Department to "redouble its efforts to involving Fayetteville Police Officer, ensure officers are well-trained and A recent editorial in the Fayetteville Observer casts doubt Denton Heath Little, who, in the line of on the results of an investigation involving a Fayetteville conditioned to make the best splitduty, fatally shot and killed Lawrence second decision when faced with Police Officer. Graham III. Graham displayed a gun similar situations, so future incidents during a routine traffic stop. This was a have a better chance of turning out very heartbreaking incident. differently." Any time you have a situation involving the loss of life, the Turning out differently? How? I hope by "differently" they community is going to "struggle" with questions. We all get mean that nobody gets killed and not that the police officer gets that. It's a part of life. Grieving families and friends want to killed instead or that the bad guy gets away with a crime. know why. We all want to feel safe on our city streets. We want The newspaper's position is that this would be an appropriate to know that those who enforce the rules are following the rules. time to reassure our community that our police department And that's really what the editorial should have been about. is competent and can hold itself accountable when doubts But instead of using editorial space to let the community arise. Well, guess what? That's exactly what happened, and know that proper procedures were followed and that a the newspaper failed to acknowledge it, but instead chose to thorough internal investigation conducted by state and local law sensationalize the incident. enforcement officials found Officer Little's actions prudent and One Final note: At this point, the family of Lawrence Graham lawful, the editorial questioned whether or not the investigation III and their local attorneys Allen Rogers and Coy Brewer are results were correct. Really? considering a civil suit against the city. For what? The police Based on the results of the investigation, which had input department doing its job? from the State Bureau of Investigation, District Attorney Billy Until all of the players in our community get on West decided not to take criminal action against Little. The the same page and realize that fostering discontent investigation found that this well-trained Fayetteville police will only tear the BILL BOWMAN, Publisher, Up & Comofficer acted, and reacted, properly in the line of duty. Little's city down, we will actions saved his life and perhaps the lives of others. have a difficult time ing Weekly. COMMENTS? editor@upandcomingweekly.com. Why isn't that newsworthy? Why wasn't it reported as an moving forward. Fayetteville's Weather Forecast Thursday January 9 Friday January 10 4 JANUARY 8-14 2014 High 59° Low 45° Showers Saturday January 11 High 66° Low 53° Showers Call 910.354.1679 Sunday January 12 24 / High 53° Low 40° Mostly Cloudy Free Wheelin' Feelin'........................ 22 Horoscopes/Advice Goddess.......... 23 Classifieds......................................... 24 Games............................................... 26 Monday January 13 Tuesday January 14 High 67° Low 47° Showers High 66º Low 41º Showers High 58º Low 37º Partly Cloudy 7 Forecast available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM