Talkback for Sunday, April 16, 2023.

e.t. 30:00

GM. I’m PJ Today is Sunday, April 16th – the 106th day of the year – with 259 days remaining in 2023!

Today is National Eggs Benedict Day, National Bean Counter’s Day, National Librarian Day, Teach Your Daughter to Volunteer Day

19 days left until Cinco De Mayo, 28 days to Mother’s Day and 43 days left until Memorial Day

— A Significant Highlight – 12 years ago – On April 16th, 2011, Tornadoes struck parts of Fayetteville (among them the Collonade neighborhood near the Yadkin Rd. Fort Bragg gate and other parts of Cumberland County. 150 homes were destroyed and just as many were damaged . A tornado tore the roof off Ben Martin Elementary School. Fortunately, it was Saturday and no children were attending.

— 1867, pilot Wilbur Wright was born (d. 1912)

— 1889, comedian Charlie Chaplin was born (d. 1977)

— 1947, the zoom lens was invented

— 1999, Wayne Gretzky announced his retirement

— April 16th, 2007, the Virginia Tech massacre occurred .. 32 people were shot to death and 23 more were injured. The shooter committed suicide.

— 2009, John Madden announced his retirement from broadcasting

— 2013, we lost sports broadcasting icon Pat Summerall

— and in 2018 on April 16th, we lost former Night Court star Harry Anderson

Today on Talk back, we’re going to put a few dates on your calendar to the betterment of our community and it’s people.

The first is this Thursday, April 20th. Fayetteville’s 2023 child abuse summit will be held. Subtitled: be their voice: help them soar!

Southern AHEC is the coordinating agency for this one-day regional conference highlighting Child Abuse, Prevention and Recovery month in April.

AHEC stands for AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER. SouthernRegioanalAHEC.org is their website for free registration.

Relatively few spots remain.

This Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day. It’s also a major fundraiser for Fayetteville Area Habitat fot Humanity called “Framing the Future”

held this coning Saturday at nearby Sweet Valley Ranch on Sunnyside School Road between Fayetteville and Vander.

It’s features a kid’s play area – Group Bicycle rides of 11, 39 and 62 miles – and a concert with area favorite band, Rivermist! Most importantly,

it’ll be a key fund-raiser for Habitat for Humanity – a builder of homes for people who need a hand up toward home ownership!

The owners of Sweet Valley Ranch, Fred and Anita Sturgeon and family are big believers in Fayetteville Habitat for Humanity. We hear from Brandon Price,

President and CEO of Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity in just a second.

We’ll also talk about the Dogwood Festival, to be held on the last weekend of this month, April 27 through the 30th, visiting with

Saragrace Mitchell, C.E.O. of the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, later in the show. For now, let’s hear from Brandon Price….(interview)

Thanks, Brandon Price of Fayetteville Habitat for Humanity. See more on fayettevillenchabitat.org. Circle this Saturday the 22nd

For Framing the Future. While you’re at it, block the last 4 days of April…from Thursday, the 27the to Friday the 28th,

Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th…for Fayetteville’s Biggest Party, THE Fayetteville Dogwood Festival.

Saragrace Mitchell, Executive Director, fills us in on ALL the headliners of the FREE Festival Park stage on April 28th thru the 30th!

(interview)

The Dogwood Festival’s website, as always, is, one phrase – no punctuation or spaces, “THE Dogwood Festival” DOT-Com.