Letters

Unique Venue Closing

Opal Fly, her husband Foxfire and their friend Joe Credit have decided to close the doors to the Feel Good Lounge on Center Street, just off the square in Fayetteville.

Family friendly, rich with music in a warm, safe, loving space which offered good food and energizing drinks (all nonalcoholic) in a great music venue, Opal Fly’s was a concept and actualization was that was so unique as to change the meaning of a performance venue.

Fayetteville, you are losing not only some of the best people I’ve ever met, but a sorely needed spot for gathering all types and ages of people together in one place capable of working miracles for the community. This is not an exaggeration. The lost and lonely have been renewed at Opal Fly’s in any number of ways from being taken in and cared for physically, to being recharged with music and kindness.

It was one of the few places you could go if you didn’t drink liquor, either because of choice or age, and have one great time with others. What does it mean when such a place can’t “make it” in Fayetteville?

If these doors in fact close, we close the doors on all our community members that need, and I mean NEED, a place that offers peace, support, healthy drink, live music and above all the magic of giving people that have shown they would sacrifice their very health to create this for us.

Perhaps we didn’t realize that the founders were burnt out with long hours and overwhelmed by demands not only of running a business, but the neediness of community, especially young folk? Perhaps, this being a community place, it needed more active support and, being a new thing, we need to wake up. It mustn’t die.

Esyule Gamache

Fayetteville