Up & Coming Weekly

April 19, 2016

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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APRIL 20-26, 2016 UCW 11 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NEWS AND EVENTS The Veteran's Memorial Museum in Huntsville, Alabama, is home of what is believed to be the oldest prototype jeep in North America. The museum and the Historic Vehicle Association have verified its authentic- ity. The GP-01 is one of five original test vehicles — two from Ford, two from Willys Overland and one from American Bantam. It was originally called the "Pygmy." The GP designation is believed by many to have hatched the name "Jeep," which is among the world's most iconic automobile brands. The little 4x4 1/4-ton vehicle became the renowned and most universally recognized automotive shape in the world. The original jeep produced for the U.S. Army early in World War II featured the upright grille with vertical slots that have become the brand's trademark. Will - lys and Ford produced more than 648,000 Jeeps. Fiat Chrysler's Jeep Wrangler is a direct descendent of the original Army Jeep whose trademark, like Kleenex, has become a universal reference for similar products. The U.S. phased the Jeep out of the military arsenal starting in 1984 when it adopted the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, popularly known as the Humvee. The Jeep may be headed for a comeback. According to a report in Stars and Stripes, the Army is looking for an inexpensive, lightweight, unarmored, all-terrain vehicle. It would bridge a gap between the Army's upcoming, heavily armored JLTV and the light MRZRs. A company that customizes Wranglers for spe - cial uses thinks that sounds a lot like the original Jeep, and they're submitting modified Jeep Wranglers for the competition. As a popular civilian vehicle, the Jeep is quite a suc - cess story. "The Wrangler is our number 1 seller. It ac- counts for about one third of all of our Jeep sales," says Dan Dederick, general manager of Hendrick Chrysler Jeep in Fayetteville. Soldiers at Fort Bragg are especially fond of the Wrangler for its off-road capabilities. The Wrangler Rubicon has been consistently voted the best 4 X 4 by off-road magazines. It's unusual and durable because it has a body on steel frame construction. It also has front and rear solid axles. There are no other vehicles quite like the Wrangler. Coil springs were added in 1996 to make a better overall ride quality. The convertible top is standard, just like the military version. Best of all, the doors can be removed. "The last two years have been record years for Jeep. It is selling so well Chrysler is adding a new Wrangler factory for 2017," adds Dederick. Is Jeep Making a Comeback? by JEFF THOMPSON The oldest Army Jeep. Photo: U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum JEFF THOMPSON, Senior News Reporter. COMMENTS? news@upandcomingweekly. com. 910.484.6200. April is the Month of the Military Child. With that in mind, Fort Bragg is set to celebrate military kids with a festival. The Child, Youth and School Services present the 24th Annual Children's Fest 2016 on Saturday, April 23 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Fort Bragg Fairgrounds. The event is open to the public and has fun activities for children of all ages. Access through a checkpoint is not required to get to the Fort Bragg Fairgrounds. "Children's Fest celebrates the Month of the Military Child and it's a culmination of programs that we do all during April in all of our centers on the installation," said Gudrun Blackmon, event action officer. "We've got a lot of school-aged centers and child development centers and during the month of April they will commemorate Month of the Military Child." The fest will include carnival rides, a climbing wall, Toddlerville, two clowns, National Guard static displays, Darth Vader, face painting, the Fort Bragg fire engine, food vendors, prize drawings and age- appropriate events. The first 500 children will receive a free T-shirt. "This fun-filled day is totally geared for children and their parents, mostly military parents, although the event is definitely open to the public," said Blackmon. "We will have a huge tent and all of the centers will bring activities for the children so the parents can see what their children are learning in their respective child development centers." Blackmon added that it is really a treat to see the soldiers interacting with the students and they have so much fun. "The military child is in a culture that is totally different than the civilian world," said Blackmon. "I liken it to the dandelion, which is the official flower for Army brats because dandelions just grow all over the world, plant themselves and keep on growing." The event is open to the public and free for children who are under 36" tall. There is a $10 admission for carnival rides and prize drawings throughout the day. For more information, call 396- 8110 or 396-5128. Children's Fest Slated at Fort Bragg by DR. SHANESSA FENNER DR. SHANESSA FENNER, Principal, WT Brown Elementary School, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly. com. 910.484.6200 It's not every day that the owner of a gentleman's club goes before City Council. But on April 11, Lamont Clark appeared at a Council public forum to ask for help. His place of business, the Body Tapp at 1200 Bragg Boulevard, was the scene of a fatal shooting incident in late March. One man was killed and another wounded after the strip club had closed for the night. Police reports indicate the incident occurred in the parking lot of the business. Clark would like to hire off-duty police officers to provide security at the Body Tapp, but has been denied. "What kind of image would that send of our police officers?" asked Police Chief Harold Medlock. Times have changed and old rules, which don't allow the police to work off duty at strip clubs should be changed, Clark insists. He's willing to pay the higher price for off duty cops. "No price is too high to pay for someone's life," he told Up & Coming Weekly. Clark has owned the large nightclub for 15 years. It was turned into a gentleman's club in 2010. Clark says he usually has six armed security officers on duty when his club is open on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. But he says he's not always happy with their performance and believes police officers would command greater respect. Medlock doesn't disagree that strip clubs need better security. "In most cases these businesses involve drugs and prostitution." When pressed, he said he has no awareness of any arrests at the Body Tapp. "I would hire a reputable security firm and require every vehicle be subjected to search when it arrives. We've suggested they do so," Medlock added "This is nothing new." The chief said that people who park their cars on adjacent lots should not be admitted because they can't be searched. He makes a point of noting that business owners can make rules that are stricter than the law. Private police are enforcing rules and "don't need probable cause or reasonable suspicion to search cars" like police officers do. Cops would need warrants. As for the homicide last month, Medlock says the investigation revealed there were two armed guards in the parking lot when the shootings happened and "neither of them saw anything." He added that if it were his business he would hire a more dependable private police company. "They can't waive their responsibility," the chief said. Medlock said he can't recommend any firm, but offered help. A police crime prevention team could perform a security audit for the business upon request and make them more aware of the authority they have in making the rules of conduct that their security officers could enforce. Protecting Gentlemen's Clubs by JEFF THOMPSON

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