Up & Coming Weekly

NOVEMBER 11-17, 2009 UCW 13 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM SHANESSA FENNER, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com Yule Mart Kicks-Off Season by SHANESSA FENNER Chestnuts roasting on an open fi re… Jack Frost nipping at your nose… yuletide carols being sung by a choir… yes, Christmas is next month and on Nov. 20-22, Yule Mart will take place at Ritz-Epps Physical Fitness Center near the 82nd Airborne Division Headquarters on Fort Bragg. "Yule Mart is an arts and crafts fair that we hold every year," said Lory Johnston, chairperson of Yule Mart. "All the items are either handmade or homemade." Johnston added that the event will have more than 70 vendors. "This is our 19th year doing this event," said Johnston. "We have one vendor who has been participating in the event for 17 years." There are 25 new vendors that represent Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio and other states, but most of them are from North Caro- lina and are military spouses or retirees. "Santa's Secret Shop is something that we have every year," said Johnston. "This is where the children shop for their parents and siblings." The gifts and proceeds are donated and the prices vary from $3 to $8. "We also have Mrs. Claus' Bake Shop where people have donated baked goods and people can shop there," said Johnston. "We have pictures with Santa and all the kids can have their picture taken for $3." All of the proceeds will go towards scholarships and welfare grants. The scholar- ships are awarded to high school seniors and continuing education spouses. "We have a welfare committee that meets once a year," said Johnston. "They distribute funding to different areas like PTAs, Wounded Warriors, Armed Services YMCA, and other areas in the community." Last year $18,000 in scholarships were awarded and $15,000 in welfare donations were made. "It takes anywhere from 100-200 vol- unteers for this event and all of the different shifts," said Johnston. "We need help with everything from admissions to hostesses." The cost of the event is $3 per day or $5 for all three days. Volunteers get in free on the day that they volunteer. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 20; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 21; and noon to 5 p.m. on Nov. 22. For more information call 436-6719 or visit www.fbaosc.org. For the past several months, the Museum of the Cape Fear has been hosting 1,000 Words, an exhibit featuring photographs taken by veterans of the Vietnam War. As Veterans Day approaches and the display draws to a close, the museum is hosting a special event to bring a distinguished end to this exhibit. On Nov. 15, at 2 p.m., Dr. Sharon Raynor will present Breaking the Silence and Healing the Soul: The Oral Histories of Vietnam War Veterans of North Carolina. The presentation started in 1999 as a literature project (Raynor teaches literature at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte) when she took her father's Vietnam-era diary and pictures to class. It has blossomed into a traveling, interactive event that has not only educated many North Carolinians but has brought peace and healing to the exhibitors as well. Once bound by a code of silence, these men have formed a brotherhood in sharing their experiences with others. "I think because I am a literature professor I was really into the stories and what they were going to tell me," said Raynor. "And I really, at the beginning, did not think that them (the veterans) having the opportunity to speak about their experiences for the first time would also help them deal with what happened during the war and what happened when they came home. So it has really been a healing experience and process for all of them." Funded by the North Carolina Humanities Council, Raynor started the project by interviewing several North Carolina Vietnam vets and putting together a presentation that talked about the Soldiers' memories of sacrifi ce, pride, disappointment, honor and recovery. "Over the years we have been traveling to community high schools... museums," said Raynor. "At fi rst, I was the one going to programs and presenting information and talking, but in the last fi ve or six years the vets have been accompanying me and telling their own stories. I will introduce the project and then I let them tell their stories to the community. This is going to be an interactive event." One of the things that make this so interesting, according to Raynor, is the fact that the men are not only great story tellers, but they shoot from the hip and their stories cover many aspects of their experiences. "People in the audience can expect to hear, I would say, individual experiences about the Vietnam war," said Raynor. "Some were there during the same time, but their experiences were very different. People will really hear, I think, heartfelt experiences and stories that they have probably never heard or read about before. They talk about everything and I never know what they are going to say. We give them a starting point and they take it from there. It could be a number of things that we will hear on that day." The audience will have an opportunity to ask the presenters questions as well. The Museum of the Cape Fear is located at 801 Arsenal Ave. Admission is free. Call 486-1330 or visit www. museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov for more information. STEPHANIE CRIDER, Staff Writer COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or Editor@upandcomingweekly.com Vietnam Vets Share Memories, Healing by STEPHANIE CRIDER A Title III funded project ~ Art Blakey Jazz washes away the dust of every day life. Tune into WFSS 91.9 FM for the finest jazz in Fayetteville! Listen & Pledge online anytime at http://www.wfss.org

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