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  • Cumberlan Co logo The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Monday, Aug. 15 is scheduled to consider staff-recommended options for how to spend opioid settlement money.

    The commissioners will consider four proposals presented by Dr. Jenifer Green, the county health director.
    The meeting is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.

    The county’s opioid money is part of a $26 billion agreement that is supposed to help communities harmed by the opioid epidemic. The money came from opioid manufacturers. In July 2021, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein unveiled a memorandum of agreement between the state and local government as to how opioid settlement money is distributed and used.

    Before spending any of the money, local governments that were given a portion of the settlement must first select which opioid mitigation strategies they plan to fund.
    Cumberland County is supposed to get nearly $17 million in increments over the next 18 years. The city of Fayetteville’s 18-year total is nearly $2 million.

    The county’s amount for spring and summer 2022 totaled nearly $1.8 million. During June and July, Cumberland County Department of Public Health staff held four community meetings, key stakeholder meetings and conducted a community survey to get public comments on how these funds should be used.

    The memorandum of agreement between the state and local governments offers local governments two options:

    Option A: A local government may fund one or more strategies from a shorter list of evidence-based, high-impact strategies to address the epidemic. Collaborative strategic planning is included.

    Option B: A local government may fund one or more strategies from a longer list of strategies after engaging in a collaborative strategic planning process involving a diverse array of stakeholders.

    In a memo to commissioners, Green recommends the following:

    1. Use up to $800,000 in the spring and summer 2022 allotment to fund multi-year pilot projects that align with Option A strategies.

    2. Allocate $10,000 to $70,000 in funding for the purchase of Narcan and syringe service programs.

    3. Establish a $200,000 multi-year pilot project to support medication-assisted treatment in the Cumberland County Detention Center.

    4. Explore options to build or lease space for a residential substance use facility, a recovery community center and transitional housing.
    Stakeholder meetings came up with the following priorities: recovery support, housing and early intervention coupled with addiction treatment. Also, some meetings identified Narcan as a life-saving and critical resource.

    In other business, Fort Bragg Garrison Commander Col. John Wilcox is scheduled to brief the board on issues on Fort Bragg. Wilcox assumed command of the garrison in June. The board also is scheduled to hold public hearings for seven rezoning applications.

    The board also is scheduled to hold a closed session to discuss economic development, real property acquisition and personnel matters.

  • aug 12 a This Tuesday, Aug. 16, marks the 82nd anniversary of the first official paratroop jump. The first man to jump was Lt. William T. Ryder.

    As part of National Airborne Day and the Airborne and Special Operations Foundation’s 22nd birthday, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum will honor Ryder on Aug. 16.

    Ryder’s wife, Muriel, went to ASOM a few years ago to buy a paver in honor of her husband.

    The two met when Ryder was in the Pacific while Muriel served in the Red Cross. After he retired as a Brigadier General in 1966, he and Muriel moved to Pinehurst. Ryder passed away in 1992 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

    Muriel was working with ASOM on the paver design when she passed away earlier this year.

    Their son, Guy, who lives in New York, will come to ASOM on National Airborne Day to help honor his father.

    Jumps onto the Field of Remembrance, food trucks and big military events have previously marked National Airborne Day as a day not to miss at ASOM. This year, the museum is keeping things scaled down.

    “It's been more elaborate because we were working with the Garrison, but with COVID and the deployment of the Corps, it's not going to be elaborate like it has been in the past,” said Jim Bartlinski, Museum Director.

    However, there will be a 22% discount in the museum’s gift store and a free present to all guests who visit on Aug. 16. The main celebration and the honoree ceremony will start at 9 a.m. before the museum opens for the day.

    The celebration will continue on Aug. 20 when the food truck Sunset Slush will be at the museum from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All guests will receive a small item to celebrate the ASOM's birthday.

    A special mini-exhibit is also out this month at the ASOM, honoring the first female to ever parachute from an airplane. Georgia Ann Thompson, a North Carolina resident, jumped out of an airplane on June 20, 1913.

    “She actually demonstrated for the U.S. Army how she was doing it,” Bartlinski said.

    In 1976, she was made an honorary member of 82nd Airborne Division. Her parachute is on display in the mini-exhibit.

    The museum's future will be dedicated to looking at the recent past. Museum Foundation members look forward to updating the timeline of the permanent exhibit. The museum plans to add the new history of the war in Afghanistan coming to an end with the massive pull-out in Kabul and the takeover by the Taliban.

    “We just came out of 20 years of war, and as you go through the gallery, we don't have space dedicated to the 20 years of the last war. But, it doesn’t really tell the whole story,” Kris Johnson, the Foundation’s Development Coordinator, said. “So we are active in a fundraising campaign to raise the funds to renovate the gallery.”

    The 82nd Airborne Division played a critical role in the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Maj. Gen.l Chris Donahue, the commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division at the time, was among the last American troops to leave Afghanistan.

    Johnson told Up & Coming Weekly that the total cost to renovate the museum with the new section could cost roughly 8 to 10 million dollars.

    For more information about the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum, go to https://www.asomf.org/.

  • fay city council logo Political newcomer Mario Benavente’s win over incumbent Antonio Jones was verified Thursday, Aug. 11 in a Cumberland County Board of Elections recount of the vote for the District 3 Fayetteville City Council seat.
    The result proved to be the same as the count from the Aug. 5 canvass, with Benavente maintaining his six-vote edge to defeat Jones, 1,016 votes to 1,010.

    “Zero votes changed for either candidate. It was exactly the same as the canvass,” said Bill Helms, the technology officer for the Board of Elections.

    “We're glad to finally be at a point where we can move forward and start serving the community as the next City Council member for District 3,” Benavente said Thursday.

    Benavente, 32, had said he was "very much" confident that the election result would stand.
    This marks his first run for public office. Jones, 48, did not respond to phone messages left Thursday.
    With Benavente’s victory confirmed, the City Council will have four new members. Along with Benavente, the newcomers are Derrick Thompson, Brenda McNair and Deno Hondros. The mayor and City Council members were scheduled to be sworn in later Thursday in an inauguration at Seabrook Auditorium on the campus of Fayetteville State University.

    The ceremony was set to begin at 6 p.m. The recount process took about 90 minutes, and neither Jones nor Benavente were at the elections office. Only elections board members were there, officials said.
    Jones, who was appointed to the City Council in 2021, had requested a recount after the July 26 election. He was eligible to ask for a recount because of how close the tally was.

    Each candidate picked up four votes apiece in the canvass.

    For a nonstatewide vote in North Carolina, a candidate has the right to request a recount if the difference between the tally is not more than 1% of the total votes cast, according to the state recount law.
    Benavente is a community organizer and legal professional who recently earned his law degree at N.C. Central University.
    Jones is a pastor and real estate agent.

    On Aug. 5, the elections board certified the overall 14,910 ballots that were cast in the election. That included 198 absentee ballots added during the canvass. A total of 24 provisional ballots were added the day before the canvass.
    In all, 10,551 voters cast ballots on Election Day. An overall 4,137 ballots were cast during early voting.

  • fay city council logo Four new members of the Fayetteville City Council were among those sworn in to office Thursday night, Aug. 11.

    The ceremony was held at Seabrook Auditorium on the campus of Fayetteville State University.
    The political newcomers on the nine-member council are Mario Benavente, Deno Hondros, Brenda McNair and Derrick Thompson. They join incumbents Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, Johnny Dawkins, D.J. Haire, Shakeyla Ingram and Kathy Jensen on the council.

    Mayor Mitch Colvin also was sworn-in for his third consecutive term.
    Emcee and broadcast newsman Gilbert Baez drew some laughs from the audience when he quipped early on, “This is not a City Council meeting. We won’t be here until 11 o’clock.”

    The newly sworn-in council members cast their first votes when deciding on a new mayor pro tem. Councilman Dawkins will succeed Jensen in that post after a 6-4 vote.

    Voting in favor of Dawkins were Colvin, Dawkins, Haire, Hondros, Jensen and Thompson. Voting in opposition were Banks-McLaughlin, Benavente, Ingram and McNair.

    Banks-McLaughlin, who pitched herself for the job during her swearing-in speech, said she wanted to nominate herself. That could have led to Banks-McLaughlin and Dawkins sharing the position. But Haire, the longest-serving current council member, said that would go against protocol and was something that had never happened in his 21 years on the council.

    Banks-McLaughlin's request was dismissed, and Dawkins was selected as mayor pro tem.
    Colvin expressed appreciation for being reelected as mayor.

    “First and foremost, let me say, thank God for allowing this opportunity to me to serve the people of the city again,” Colvin said. “Regardless of the outcome, regardless of the candidate who was chosen, elections are very important to the operation of our government and the nation. … Thanks to the voters of our great city.

    “And tonight, I stand for you humble and excited because together, we’ve made history. Because of you, I am now officially the longest-serving African American man in the city of Fayetteville.”

    The audience erupted with applause.

    “Because of you, voters, we have seen a tremendous expansion in diversity in this city,” Colvin said.

    Like others who followed him to be sworn in, Colvin spoke of the late Bill Crisp, who he called “a mentor and father figure.” Crisp, who died at age 81 in July 2021, represented District 6 on the City Council.
    Colvin also spoke at length on the issue of public health.

    “We have a mental health problem here in our community,” he said. “We can no longer look away."

    Colvin said he hopes that mental health will become an area of focus for not only the City Council but also all locally elected officials.

    “Our first order of business, I’ll be asking council to institute a mental health full-response team in our Police Department,” he said. “We all have an obligation to do it.”

    He wrapped up his speech by saying, “I believe wholeheartedly in the future of this city.”
    After her inauguration, Jensen said the council has gone through a tough period since she joined five terms ago. The council has governed through two hurricanes, the COVID-19 pandemic and a rough spell of social unrest.

    Jensen cited some of the accomplishments of the council in recent years, noting that the city will be working more closely with Fort Bragg on initiatives, including a collaboration on a sports complex.
    She cited public safety, economic development and quality of life as ongoing concerns.
    Ingram, who is in her second term, told the crowd that she is “a true born-and-raised District 2 young woman.”

    “I lead with heart,” she said.

    Newcomer Benavente received perhaps the biggest applause of the night when he noted that he is a graduate of E.E. Smith High School. His father, Miguel Benavente, held a family Bible for his son to take the oath of office.
    Haire said he is starting his 11th term on the council.

    “You haven’t given up on me, though I have heard through this campaign, ‘You have been there too long. You have served too long,’” he said, while holding his wife’s hand. “But it’s because of the constituents. It’s because of the residents. It’s because you’re building relationships and you’re building trust that we continue to come back because they are supporting us.”

    Dawkins referenced the men of his family, saying his grandfather started “all this” in 1948 when he won a seat in the N.C. House. He also cited the influence of his father, the late J.L. Dawkins, who was the longest-serving mayor in Fayetteville’s history.

    “Although I think this mayor here might break that record if he wanted to,” Dawkins said, referring to Colvin. “Goodness gracias’ I said, I don’t want that job.”
    Colvin laughed from his seat onstage.

    Dawkins got more laughs when he recalled his father saying, “You’ve been born with two ears and a mouth. Use them proportionately.”
    Thompson, who referred to himself as a “newby on the City Council,” became emotional and paused briefly when referring to his father during his acceptance speech.

    Earlier Thursday, in a recount by the Cumberland County Board of Elections in the District 3 race, Benavente’s six-vote victory over Antonio Jones was confirmed with a tally of 1,016 votes to 1,010.

  • aug 12 Summer graduates of Cumberland County Schools received their diplomas Thursday, Aug. 11 in a ceremony at Jack Britt High School.
    A total of 57 students graduated, according to a news release from the school system.
    Students, faculty and staff members from 13 district high schools and their guests attended the ceremony.
    Cumberland County District Court Judge Cheri Siler-Mack delivered the commencement address, the release said.

    “Tell yourself, ‘While many started out with me, some fell by the wayside. However, I decided that I was going to push until I got to the finish line,’” she told the graduates. “You should be proud of yourselves today because although you were thrown a curve, you kept going.”

    The ceremony included the presentation of colors by the Jack Britt JROTC Color Guard, the playing of “The Star Spangled Banner” by the U.S. Army Band, and a solo performance by Rachel Townsend of the Rascal Flatts song “My Wish.”

  • cumberland co schools Applications for free and reduced-price meals for students who attend schools that are not eligible for a federal assistance program are due Aug. 22, according to a Cumberland County Schools news release.

    The federal Community Eligibility Provision of the U.S. Department of Agriculture applies to schools located in low-income areas. In Cumberland County, 62 public schools qualify, according to the school system’s website.

    In the district’s other 24 schools, parents must file an application for free or reduced-price meals.
    A list of eligible schools is online at the Child Nutrition CEP webpage.

    Applications can take as long as 10 days to process. Online applications are available at www.LunchApplication.com.
    Universal free lunch has ended, but students across the district can still receive breakfast at no cost, the release said. Students at schools that don’t qualify for the federal aid program must pay for meals unless an application is approved for the upcoming school year.

    In June, the Cumberland County Board of Education approved the first meal price increase since 2017. The cost rose by 50 cents for students who pay full price.

    Students who qualify for reduced prices will pay 40 cents for lunch.
    For elementary students who pay full price, the cost for lunch this year is $2.65.

    For middle and high school students who pay full price, the cost is $2.75.

  • FTCC logo The second of two finalists who hope to become the next president of Fayetteville Technical Community College spent 90 minutes answering questions from students and faculty on Wednesday, Aug.10.

    Pamela Senegal’s Q&A mirrored a similar session with Mark Sorrells, who is currently FTCC’s vice president for academic and student services. Sorrells answered questions for an hour last Thursday.

    FTCC live-streamed the Q&A programs on its YouTube channel. About 50 faculty and staff members attended Wednesday’s session.
    Larry Keen, who has been FTCC president since 2007, plans to retire in January. The college’s board of trustees plans to name his successor by the end of this month. The recommendation must then go before the North Carolina Board of Community Colleges.

    Senegal is currently president of Piedmont Community College in Roxboro. She had been scheduled to be at FTCC last week, but a bout with COVID-19 required her to postpone her visit to Wednesday.

    When she was introduced, some in the audience cheered. Debra Jordan, an FTCC admissions counselor, said it would be a historical move “when we have our first woman” with a diverse background as president.

    Asked what new direction she would work toward, Senegal said FTCC is a great institution already doing good things. She said her role initially would be to bring “a set of fresh eyes” to how the school operates. She said one way is to aggregate all the data FTCC now collects on student retention and other important measures and to re-examine that information.

    Responding to a question about the “brick and mortar” growth of community colleges, Senegal said that the COVID pandemic had brought about changes in how classes are taught. She said for decades, growth in programs meant growth in square footage and construction.

    “COVID taught us to grow smarter, to double down on online programs,” she said.

    Currently, FTCC leads the state in online community-college courses. It is ranked fourth in online courses when rated with four-year colleges.
    However, Senegal cautioned that offering online programs requires a commitment to invest in hardened, sustainable infrastructure, including immersion technology.

    She gave an example of students who can virtually step inside a human heart to see cell walls, compared to sitting in a room and viewing a small image of a heart on an overhead projection screen. She also suggested that online learning could be provided on a subscription-based approach.
    Senegal referred to herself as an Army brat who has lived in 30 countries, 20 of them with her parents.

    “I can appreciate what the military goes through,” she said.

    She says members of the military should get academic credit for what they've learned while in the service.
    If appointed FTCC president, Senegal said, she plans to meet with Fort Bragg leaders and others to form partnerships to help soldiers become FTCC students.

    Senegal fielded a variety of diverse and at times esoteric questions on topics from mental health curriculum and mental health services for students and faculty to issues of faculty and staff equity and morale. Topics also included child care, paid maternity leave, students with learning disabilities, and communicating with all faculty, staff members and students.

    Finally, asked why she wants to be president of FTCC when she already is president of another community college, she responded, “It’s a good place, and I want to be part of a good place on a larger scale.”

  • PWC logo Fayetteville’s public utility and city government want to do business locally.
    The Public Works Commission and city officials are reaching out to area businesses through the Industry Day Business Networking forum scheduled Thursday, Aug. 11.

    The event is scheduled from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the PWC Operations Center campus, 955 Old Wilmington Road.
    According to PWC, Industry Day will give representatives of local businesses the chance to meet with representatives of the PWC and city purchasing departments and officials from other city agencies. It’s part of ongoing efforts to engage with local companies on how to do business with PWC and the city.
    Elaina Ball, CEO and general manager of PWC, said during Wednesday’s commission meeting that all local suppliers are invited.

    The goal is to promote opportunities for local businesses to help boost the local economy.
    Specific areas of need include electric and water system construction and repair; building construction and repair; and fleet vehicles, PWC said in a news release.

    Admission is free. Preregistration is encouraged by not required.
    The forum is open to suppliers, professional service providers, prime contractors, and subcontractors. Businesses will be able to become a registered supplier for PWC and the city, the news release said.

    Representatives of the Small Business Technology Development Center, which is a partner for the forum, will attend to support suppliers with management counseling and educational opportunities to help build their businesses, the release said.
    In other business at Wednesday’s meeting, PWC members received an update on the results of a Gallup employee survey.

    It was presented by Bobby Russell, human resources officer for PWC, and Patrick Mieritz, a workplace consultant for Gallup.
    Gallup is a Washington-based analytics organization known for its public-opinion polls.
    Mieritz said Gallup survey results for PWC indicate that “the majority of people in this organization are engaged.”
    Engagement, he noted, improves business outcomes.

    A second Gallup survey, Russell said, was conducted for PWC in late June and early July. All managers and officers at the utility have those results and will be developing job-evaluation objectives in coming months.

    “We’re confident that you’re going to see the engagement in this organization increase over time,” Mieritz added.

    Gallup is scheduled to do another employee survey in February or March, Russell said.

  • pexels max andrey 1197095 The North Carolina Department of Transportation has awarded a $283 million contract to widen an eight-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in northern Robeson County.

    Webber LLC of The Woodlands, Texas, will widen the interstate from four to eight lanes between mile markers 29 and 37, the DOT said in a release.
    The contractor also will reconstruct exits 31 and 33 and replace several overpasses with bridges that are higher, longer and wider, the release said. They are: Great Marsh Church Road, East McRainey Road, and East Parkton Tobermory Road.

    The department said the project is needed to reduce congestion, plan for anticipated growth in traffic volumes and improve safety.
    Work is expected to start this fall by adding temporary pavement to the shoulder and installing concrete barriers to create a safe work zone. The contractor will not reduce lanes, except at night, for the duration of the project, the DOT said.

    The demolition of bridges or the installation of new bridge girders over the highway will require brief interstate closures at night, the release said.
    The contractor has until the end of 2026 to complete the improvements.

    This is one of four construction contracts underway to widen I-95 between Lumberton and Benson.

  • cumberland co schools Four Cumberland County schools have new principals.
    The Cumberland County Board of Education approved the recommendations of Superintendent Marvin Connelly Jr. at a meeting Tuesday evening.
    The board voted unanimously to appoint Amy McDowell as principal of Cumberland Mills Elementary School and Douglas Massengill as principal of Massey Hill Classical High School.

    Connelly also announced the transfer of two other principals.
    Larry Parker was named principal of E.E. Smith High School, and Tyson Johnson was named principal of Reid Ross Classical School.
    McDowell’s career with the local school district began in 2002 as a fourth-grade teacher at Benjamin Martin Elementary School, according to a news release from the school system.

    She has been an assistant principal in the system since 2017 and, most recently, was assigned to Cumberland Mills Elementary, the release said.
    McDowell earned her master’s degree in school administration from Appalachian State University in Boone, the release said.
    Massengill began his career in education as an intern instructor at Garner Magnet High School in 2010, the release said. He has been in numerous education roles, including teaching and administrative positions in Cumberland County.

    Most recently, Massengill was an adjunct professor at Gardner-Webb University in the master’s of executive leadership program and principal and coordinator of secondary multitiered systems at Roseboro-Salemburg Middle School in neighboring Sampson County.
    Massengill earned his master’s degree in education in 2013, an educational specialist degree in 2017 and a doctorate in educational leadership the following year, the release said.

    Parker most recently was principal of Reid Ross Classical School and has been a “premier professional” in the school system since 2002, according to the news release.
    The district said he started his educational career as a prekindergarten through second-grade teacher before serving in multiple positions as he advanced into leadership roles. Those included assistant principal at E.E. Smith High School from 2012 to 2014, the release said.

    Parker earned two master’s degrees from Campbell University, one in education and the other in school administration.
    Johnson joined Cumberland County Schools in 2007 as an English teacher at E.E. Smith High, the news release said. Most recently, she was principal of Cumberland Mills Elementary School.
    In 2010, the release said, Johnson began her administrative career in the local system as an administrative intern. She became an assistant principal at South View High School in 2012.
    In other business Tuesday, the school board approved the fiscal year 2022-23 lottery applications as recommended by its finance committee.
    North Carolina General Statutes provides that a portion of the proceeds of the N.C. State Lottery Fund be transferred to the Public-School Building Capital Fund.

    “A county may use the money in this fund to pay for school construction projects in local school administrative units and to retire indebtedness incurred for school construction projects,” according to Tuesday’s agenda materials.

    The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and Cumberland County Schools, the documents say, have jointly requested about $1.2 million from the Public School Building Capital Fund for a 2009 debt from a construction bond.

    Another $84,000 and $1.2 million also was requested, with both intended to erase construction-bond debts. The last request is being made on behalf of Gray’s Creek Middle School.

  • Cumberlan Co logo Fayetteville City Councilman Antonio Jones has requested a recount in the District 3 election in which political newcomer Mario Benavente leads him by only six votes in the latest tally, an elections official said Monday, Aug. 8.

    Jones made the formal request on Friday, said Angie Amaro, interim director of the Cumberland County Board of Elections.
    The recount is scheduled at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Board of Elections Office, said Amaro. That’s just nine hours before the winners of the July 26 election are scheduled to be sworn in at 6 p.m.

    The recount will be open to the public. The board's offices are at 227 Fountainhead Lane in Fayetteville.
    With the addition of absentee ballots after a canvass on Friday, each candidate received four more votes apiece to make the certified tally 1,016 votes for Benavente to 1,010 for Jones. Benavente maintained the six-point edge that was the difference in the Election Day count.
    For a non-statewide election in North Carolina, a candidate has the right to request a recount if the difference between the candidates is not more than 1% of the total votes cast, according to the state recount law.

    Jones did not immediately respond to phone messages left Monday morning.
    The recount request had to be made in writing, and the Board of Elections must have received it by 5 p.m. on the first business day following the canvass.
    That would have been Monday.

    “We have a recount scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m.,” Amaro said. “We’ll just recount the ballots in that district along with the absentees, provisionals and one-stop (early voting).”

    On Friday, Benavente said he was confident that the final count will confirm his win.

    "We're long past the era of the hanging chad,” he said, referring to the delayed count in Florida in the 2000 presidential election. “So, I'm not too worried about a recount."

    In her experience, Amaro said, in most elections “everything normally stays the same” after recounts.
    Benavente, 32, has listed his occupation as a community organizer and legal professional. He recently earned his law degree from N.C. Central University.
    This was his first run for public office.

    Jones, 48, is a pastor and real estate agent. He told CityView Today late last month that he planned to ask for a recount should Benavente's margin of victory remain low following the canvass.

    He has alleged that his opponent lied to voters about him during the campaign.

    "I have my own personal set of ethics," Jones said before Friday's recount. "I will not do those tactics, like send out lies and try to defame people. I saw the fliers. If it may have cost me, it's fine. I run a clean campaign. That does not move me. I'm not winning at any cost."

    In response, Benavente said, "We ran a grassroots campaign with a lot of first-time volunteers, getting young people involved in the political process. We knocked on doors, we pounded the pavement, and we had real conversations with people. And that's the real big difference between our campaigns. I got to know my neighbors. We spent real hours out in the community, and I don't think the same can be said about my opponent."

    The unofficial tally from the July 26 election had Benavente edging Jones 1,012 to 1,006, the tightest race of the night in the city.
    On Friday, the elections board certified the overall 14,910 ballots that were cast in the election. That included 198 absentee ballots added during the canvass. A total of 24 provisional ballots were added Thursday.

    In all, 10,551 voters cast ballots on Election Day. An overall 4,137 ballots were cast during early voting.

  • Blood drive Did you know about 62% of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood? But, only about 3% does. By making an appointment to help save lives with the American Red Cross in August, donors can pump up the blood supply and keep it from falling to shortage levels. Platelet donors are especially needed now.

    As a thank-you, all who come to give before the end of August will be automatically entered for a chance to win gas for a year, a $6,000 value. There will be three lucky winners. Everyone who comes to give blood or platelets in August will also receive a $10 e-gift card to a participating merchant of choice. For more information visit rcblood.org/fuel.

    Donors can schedule an appointment to give using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

     Upcoming blood donation opportunities in Fayetteville are below:

    Aug. 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mount Sinai Baptist Church, 1217 Murchison Road
    Aug. 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Dominion Health Care, 1220 Walter Reed Road, Suite 102
    Aug. 25 from 12 to 6 p.m. at Carolina College of Biblical Studies, 817 S. McPherson Church Road
    Aug. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at American Red Cross Sandhills Chapter, 807 Carol Street

    Blood drive safety
    The Red Cross follows a high standard of safety and infection control. The Red Cross will continue to socially distance wherever possible at blood drives, donation centers and facilities. While donors are no longer required to wear a face mask, individuals may choose to continue to wear a mask for any reason. The Red Cross will also adhere to more stringent face mask requirements per state and/or local guidance, or at the request of blood drive sponsors. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at a drive. 

    How to donate blood

    Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

    Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

    Amplify Your Impact − Volunteer!
    Another way to support the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross is to become a volunteer blood donor ambassador at Red Cross blood drives. Blood donor ambassadors help greet, check-in and thank blood donors to ensure they have a positive donation experience.

    Volunteers can also serve as transportation specialists, playing a vital role in ensuring lifesaving blood products are delivered to nearby hospitals. For more information and to apply for a either position, contact enc@redcross.org or visit redcross.org/volunteertoday.

    About the American Red Cross
    The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

     

  • 23a Editor's note: Up & Coming Weekly is sending our staff writer Ashley out and about in the local area to try new things. She will report on her experiences to help readers decide if they want to try the adventure, too.

    Skydiving has never been on my bucket list. I’m risk-averse to a fault, cripplingly afraid of heights, and as the mother of a teenager and a toddler, sort of too tired to do much of anything most of the time. But every once in a while, opportunity comes knocking, and we must answer that call with courage, or at the very least, a sort of dubious caffeinated interest.

    I’ve passed by Paraclete XP Indoor Skydiving too many times to count since moving to Cumberland County in the summer of 2020. However, I still remember the exact words I thought as I passed its ultra-modern brick facade for the very first time: yeah, no. I didn’t exactly understand what “indoor skydiving” was; I just knew it probably wasn’t going to be for me — until about a week ago.

    I was invited to join a group about to embark on an indoor skydiving adventure. While my first instinct was to say, no way, another part of me asked, why not? Sure, there was a better than 100% chance I’d do or say something horrifically awkward. Still, the initial fear didn’t outweigh the potential to meet new people, have fun and try something daring. Besides, it’s not every day you get invited to skydive inside the largest vertical wind tunnel in the United States. So, armed with the jittery confidence that only a 16-ounce iced coffee can provide and all the knowledge I could glean from three views of an indoor skydiving tutorial, I felt mostly ready.

    My top-notch Google sleuthing revealed that I should wear comfortable clothes and shoes underneath the jumpsuit Paraclete would provide, and once there, I was cautioned to remove all of my jewelry. Paraclete XP also provided goggles, helmets and earplugs prior to entering the tunnel, so nothing special was required to get started. Our instructor, Fabrizio, or Fabi as he introduced himself, was fun and patient as he walked us through the four hand signals he would use in the tunnel and demonstrated how we should position our bodies. After Fabi answered a few more of our anxious questions, that was pretty much it — indoor skydiving certified in under ten minutes.

    Despite my training, I was still a bit nervous, so I settled myself in at the back of the line. I watched as person after person before me stepped to the entrance of the wind tunnel with fingers clutched in nervous anticipation and exited with smiles to rival those of professional daredevils. If they could do it, I felt sure I could too, and though fear tangled my stomach into knots, I stepped to the door of the tunnel and let go.

    23 The feeling of flight as I fell into the force of the fans beneath me was immediate, and I couldn’t help the shaky grin that sprang to my lips. Fabi was right there with me in the tunnel, holding me up and helping me maintain my position. Though I seemed to forget every hand signal we’d gone over — I was flying, and it was amazing. I wasn’t worried about how I looked or whether I was doing it wrong. I just let myself be free to have fun and enjoy the moment. My second time through the wind tunnel, a new instructor stepped in, and together we zipped 60 feet into the air, the faces of onlookers growing distant below us. I’m sure I screamed loud enough to be heard from space, but not once was I scared. Altogether, I spent about two minutes in the chamber, but the feeling it gave me lasted far longer.

    While I don’t ever see myself jumping out of a plane or running with the bulls, my aerial adventure has made me a bit more open to trying new things, tackling my fears and challenging myself to say “yes” when new experiences come my way. And though I’m probably no less risk-averse than I was before, I am perhaps just a little bit cooler.

    Paraclete XP Indoor Skydiving is located at 190 Paraclete Drive in Raeford.

  • 22 What North Carolina cookbook has sold the most copies?

    If you ask the folks at UNC Press they will tell you that “Mama Dip’s Kitchen” is their all-time best-selling book. It has sold nearly 300,000 copies. Rarely do local oriented cookbooks published by community groups or churches sell in such numbers.

    But “Island Born and Bred” published by the Harkers Island United Methodist Church’s Women has sold a
    reported 140,000 copies of its cookbook over the 35 years that it has been in print.

    How and why did these cookbooks do so well?
    One of the secrets of “Mama Dip’s Kitchen’s” success was how the author shared her personal story of growing up in Chatham County and how it led to the success of her Chapel Hill restaurant.
    Writing in 1999, she told her story.

    “I was born a colored baby girl in Chatham County, North Carolina to Ed Cotton and Effie Edwards Cotton; grew up a Negro in my youth; lived my adult life black; and am now a 70-year-old American.”
    She continued, “I grew up and lived in poverty most of my life without knowing it. My children, too, grew up in poverty never knowing that they were poor. Our house just leaked. No screen doors. An outdoor bathroom and little money.

    “Our family was happy to sit around the table at dinner time, eating, poking jokes, and having fun.”
    Mama Dip’s book is a treasure of Southern cooking recipes. Still, the book’s success was due in large part to the appeal of her story of struggle that she shared.

    Similarly, “Island Born and Bred” combines a magnificent collection of recipes with a good hard look at the story of Harkers Island and its people.
    Today, Harkers Island, on the Crystal Coast near Beaufort, has about 1,200 residents who appreciate its small-town appeal. Some are new residents, including retirees and second homeowners.

    But the core population came from fishermen, mariners, boatbuilders, hunters, decoy makers and others whose livelihoods connected them to the ocean and nearby sounds and waterways.
    How the town got its start is also described in “Living at the Water’s Edge” written by Barbara Gariety-Blake and Karen Willis Amspacher, and published by UNC Press.

    Many of the ancestors of the town's residents “lived, haunted whales, and fished off Core and Shackleford Banks until the storms of 1896 and 1899 ravaged their homesteads and drove them to higher, safer ground.”
    Many floated “what was left of their houses and belongings across Back Sound to nearby Harkers Island, where they bought land for a dollar an acre.”

    The descendants of these settlers have long ago passed away but, according to the authors, “the story of the exodus from Shackleford Banks is told with great reverence by islanders, underscoring a deep and abiding attachment to place.”

    Among its more than 300 pages of recipes and memories, “Island Born and Bred,” a short note written by Susanne Yeomans Guthrie, explains this attachment.

    “No tradition is more precious to a native Harkers Islander then the privilege of returning to Shackleford Banks. For it is through this ritual that island people ‘go home.’ In fact, the desire is almost an actual need--often undiagnosed by the individual but quenched only by going and ‘feeling’ the Banks under your bare feet.”

    To help preserve these memories and share them with a wider group, the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center, led by Amspacher, has reopened after the repair of extensive damage during Hurricane Florence. It is located on Harkers Island at 1800 Island Road and adjoins the National Park Service’s Cape Lookout National Seashore Visitor Center.

    With three floors of exhibits and experiences, the museum gives visitors a rich experience and real connection to the history of Harkers Island and other nearby Down East communities.

    “Island Born and Bred” and “Living at the Water’s Edge” are available at the museum’s store and online at https://shopcoresound.com/collections/books

  • 21 The past two summers at Fayetteville Technical Community College have been unusually quiet, as the college dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. This summer, however, the campus began to come back to life. FTCC launched a new summer program designed to transform recent high school graduates into college-ready students.

    The Trojan Jump Start Program is for students who graduated high school with a GPA between 2.2 and 2.8. The program bridges the gap between high school and college for students who may not have thought they could succeed in college.

    While the transition from high school to college is difficult for any student, these students had their entire high school experience shaped by the pandemic and online learning. With this program, Jump Start Program faculty and staff hope to give students a head start on college.

    The Jump Start program is supported by funding from a Longleaf Commitment Student Support Services grant, part of the Governors Emergency Education Relief fund, allowing FTCC to offer the program to qualifying students at no cost. In addition to computers, students have received free supplies including backpacks and laptops.

    Over seven weeks, Jump Start students take two courses: ACA 122, a student success course, and either math or English. This summer, 44 students are enrolled in the program.
    The students are on campus from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for classes and enrichment activities. Enrichment activities included a STEM fair with the Department of Math and Science, a tour of Fayetteville State University, a visit to the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, and informative Q&A sessions with various college departments.

    As students progress through the program and begin to identify their academic and career interests, they are matched with a Success Coach who will help them plan their academic career and register for classes.
    While the primary focus of the program is academic, we at FTCC realize that education requires a holistic approach. If students have a sense of community, they are more likely to be successful. Program activities are designed to help students make connections and form lasting relationships.

    The program will be available again for Summer 2023, and FTCC hopes to expand to include more students. Rising high school seniors who believe they may benefit from the program should contact jumpstart@faytechcc.edu. The application process for the summer 2023 program will begin in Spring 2023.

     

  • 20 According to Riddle and Brantley, attorneys who specialize in personal injury cases, a study on the reoccurence of sexual assault found that 19% of women that live in North Carolina experience sexual assault sometime throughout their lives. Seventy-three percent of these victims experienced or were threatened with forced sexual intercourse, or rape.

    North Carolina has suffered from a lack of nursing professionals that are trained to supervise and care for victims of sexual assault or otherwise known as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners — there are less than 100 SANE’s that are certified across the entire state. Fayetteville State University’s School of Nursing is focusing on changing that.

    From the state budget, $1.5 million will support a one-of-a-kind pilot program at FSU’s School of Nursing to train around 20 of these specially qualified nurses each semester, including the summer, 40-60 per year.
    Out of all the HBCU’s in the country, FSU is likely to be the first to host a SANE training program at its nursing school. FSU’s nursing school hopes to grow the program while addressing a void in specialized nursing practices, particularly in underserved, underrepresented areas.

    “Unfortunately, sexual assault is a rampant problem nationwide, particularly in rural areas and among women of color and indigenous women,” said Dr. Afua Arhin, dean of FSU’s College of Health, Science, and Technology.

    “FSU’s School of Nursing is uniquely positioned to prepare health care professionals with the specialized skills required to meet the needs of these trauma patients. We are committed to training nurses to the highest caliber; SANE’s are another area of critical need that we aim to address here.”

    It is true that any nurse or doctor can complete a sexual assault kit, which holds DNA and evidence of an assault but SANE nurses are taught to know where to look for bruises and cuts. After hours of practice, SANE nurses also know how to carefully ask questions about what happened, so they know where else to look for injuries. SANE nurses provide medication to prevent pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases.

    A SANE nurse certification calls for a person to have been a nurse for at least 2 years, accomplish dozens of hours of training and clinical work, and then pass a written exam by the International Association of Forensic Nurses. Many nurses from across the state have completed some training and took part in training with their hospital about how to treat sexual assault survivors, but most of these nurses lack the full credentials to be certified as SANEs.

    About 580 students are enrolled at FSU for a variety of nursing-related programs, including pre-nursing, pre-licensure or a master’s program. According to Dr.Sheila Cannon, associate dean of FSU’s School of Nursing, in a recent survey taken by FSU nursing students, results show that 80% expressed interest in SANE training.
    All over the country, hospitals have a hard time retaining nurses in their SANE programs. Serving a sexual assault victim can be emotionally challenging and a SANE nurse might be the only person with the credential in a hospital — potentially leading to an erratic work schedule and heavy workload. This program is a huge step in the right direction. The more SANE’s there are, the more services that can be provided and the more healing can be done.
    For more information about FSU and the School of Nursing visit https://www.uncfsu.edu/.

  • 19b Barbecue lovers, beware. The “Black BBQ Cook Off” will hit the ground running at the Murchison Road Food Truck Park on Aug. 21 from 12 to 5 p.m. The cook off will coincide with the second annual “I Love My Community Cookout and Giveaway,” and the eclectic art show “Expression Through the Arts.”

    The purpose of the “Black BBQ Cook Off” is to exemplify the best African American pitmasters Fayetteville has to offer, while bringing people together, said Elizabeth Stiff, community organizer and L3 Brand Community Alliance owner.

    The goal of the “I Love My Community Cookout and Giveaway” is meant to “help families start the school year off in a great way through resources, giveaways and celebration.”
    Scheduled guests of the event include Cumberland County Judges Tiffany Whitfield and Stephen C. Stokes, crypto-millionaire Kwame Stover, comedian Jesse Mitchell, Food Network’s Chef Judy, boxing champ Michael C. Williams, Jr., NFL’s Greg Gilmore, Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin, Spring Lake Mayor Kia Anthony and the Briarwood Cattle Farm.

    The cook off is being brought to life by pitmasters Bruce “Boo” Yeoman (the owner of the “Noth’n Fancy Food Truck”); Carl Pringle (the creator of the “FLIP FLOP SAUCE”); William Jerome Wright, L3 Brand Community Alliance; Tonya McNeill, owner of the “Salad Box” (a restaurant located within the truck park); and John David Ross, the owner of the Murchison Road Food Truck Park.

    “We had been talking about [having a cook off] for about four or five years,” said Yeoman.

    The deadline to enter the “Black BBQ Cook Off” is Aug. 10. Presently, there are 12 entrants with about 30 groups still deciding; in fact, there has been so much support from North Carolina pitmasters, as well as pitmasters from surrounding states, that the “Black BBQ Cook Off” had to be Fayetteville area pitmasters only for the first time.

    “At another time, we’ll hold a cook off to see who’s the best of the best in the Carolinas,” Yeoman said.

    Although anybody can enter, each team’s pitmaster must be African American.

    “What we wanted was to showcase [black BBQ] in a big way,” Yeoman said.

    That’s the reason why the Murchison Road Food Truck Park was chosen for the location. Yeoman and his partners in the pit come from the Murchison Road area.

    “Pulling off this cook off is what the community needs to see,” Pringle said.
    It’s worth noting that the idea of a “Black” BBQ has caused some distress amongst Fayetteville’s public. Deeming the word divisive, those against naming the cook off the “Black BBQ Cook Off” argue that including race in the name is a recipe for segregation.

    However, the hosts want to make it clear that anybody can enter the competition, even though the cook off is meant to showcase the best African-American pit masters Fayetteville can muster.

    “The biggest thing is it’s not about separation, it’s about education,” Pringle said.

    The Murchison Road Food Truck Park is located at 3421 Murchison Road, just north of Country Club Drive, on the south side of the street.
    The pits begin cooking at 5:30 a.m., free samples will be given out starting at 12:00 p.m., and the judges will make their decisions beginning at 5:30 p.m. For more information, please visit www.L3Brand.com.

  • 19a The Cape Fear Regional Theatre invites audiences to follow them “Into The Woods” on Saturday, Aug. 20 for two performances of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning musical.
    The story of a childless baker, his wife, and a cast of colorful fairy tale characters they meet along their journey will come to life on the CFRT stage. Performed by 24 graduates of the CFRT summer camp, the talented teens will present the fruits of their labor at 2 and 6 p.m.

    Since its debut in 1987, “Into the Woods” has garnered international praise, earned numerous nominations and awards, and continues to delight audiences to this day with its engaging plot and exciting musical score.
    With Sondheim's passing in 2021, his legacy of work has become more popular than ever, a fact kept closely in mind when choosing to undertake this challenging production.

    “This is a play theater people know well,” director Marc de la Concha told Up & Coming Weekly. “There are a lot of characters, and even though it's a fairy tale, there are so many life lessons in it that are still relevant today.”

    Due to its popularity and familiarity, de la Concha promises CFRT's version will put a unique spin on an old story with a few surprises the audience won't be expecting.
    He also praised the professionalism and hard work of the production's young actors, aged 15 to 19 years old.

    “We have a great group of students,” he gushed. “They are so talented, and people will see that this is a celebration of the youth in our community.”

    Established in 1962 by a small ensemble of actors, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre has grown into a powerhouse that serves nearly 50,000 people a year throughout its high-caliber, six-show season. The theatre, founded on a belief "in the power of storytelling and the visceral impact of live theatre,” adheres to a strict commitment to artistic excellence evident in its performances' stagecraft and production value.

    That same level of commitment can be seen in the theatre's many programs to educate children and teens across Cumberland County. Offering student workshops, internships, day camps, and military outreach programs, CFRT understands its responsibility as a cultural touchstone within the community.

    “Into the Woods” is one of three student performances this summer that showcase the accomplishments of seasoned theatre kids and those new to the craft. The rigorous summer camps, particularly the one for teens, are meant to give students a full theatrical experience. Aside from building future actors, theatergoers and stakeholders, de la Concha feels strongly about the value of educational theatre in the lives of young people.

    “I have always been a storyteller — I love a good moment,” he joked. “Theatre can be a great way to escape, but educational theatre teaches so many skills in a fun way. It empowers kids to be their true selves and work together, which goes hand-in-hand with this production.”

    Cape Fear Regional Theatre is located at 1209 Hay Street in Fayetteville.

    To purchase tickets, visit the theater's website at www.cfrt.org/.

  • 16 Book Black Women will be holding a concert Aug. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre. The concert will feature local and national Black women performers. Tickets cost $25 for this one-time event.
    Ayana Washington, founder and president of Book Black Women, will number among the performers. She most recently played the Dragon in “Shrek the Musical” at CFRT, and will be singing a few of Stevie Wonder’s greatest hits.

    In addition to Washington’s own talents, the Arione String Ensemble of Leigh Montague (cello), Monique Singletary (violin) and Kimberly Simpkins (violin) will perform with upbeat renditions of hip-hop and rhythm and blies favorites. Melrose Johnson, a classically trained opera singer, was Sophia in CFRT’s production of “The Color Purple.” Her set will include “The Creole Call,” a sensual operatic number.

    Yael Hilton is a gospel recording artist with Light Records. She will close out the show with some inspirational music.

    “Her voice is incomparable and I personally cannot wait to experience her gift,” said Washington.

    Washington said the inspiration of the name “Blueprint” came from Black women.

    “Black women are incredibly influential in popular culture. Our vernacular, the way we style our crowns, our fashion and even our music has a tendency to inspire communities beyond our own. I felt it was beautiful to call Black women what they are and have proven to be: the trendsetters, the OGs, The Blueprint,” she said.

    Washington began Book Black Women as a way to empower Black women in the community and to help give women the opportunity to shine.

    “With colorism being loud and silent all at once, it can sometimes be hard for Black women to get the shots they deserve,” she said.

    Earlier this year, Washington began planning events to hold throughout 2022 to showcase talents within the Fayetteville community. Blueprint is her third such event, with the other two being quite successful. CFRT is partnering with Book Black Women and has become their first fiscal sponsor.

    “I am currently on the road to becoming a 501c3 non-profit … They believe in the vision I have for Book Black Women Inc,” she said.

    Washington says the best way for the community to help Book Black Women is to check in on their website, www.bookblackwomen.com, and stay updated on events.
    People can also find them on facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/people/Book-Black-Women/100070481793735/.

    Blueprint will be a one-night only event on Aug. 13. Tickets cost $25 and are currently on sale through the CFRT website at https://cfrt.easy-ware-ticketing.com/events.

  • Rock’n On The River presents “The Regional Band Blowout” Friday, Aug. 19 beginning at 6 p.m. on the Cape Fear River, 1122 Person Street in East Fayetteville. The event will feature 80’s Unleashed, The Guy Unger Band and Rivermist.

    “The Regional Band Blowout is something that I thought about and we started planning it around September or October,” said Greg Adair, manager and member of Rivermist. “I thought about how would the attendance be with all of these followers from these great regional bands altogether in one spot.”
    Adair added, “We never get a chance to play side by side or see each other because everyone is out gigging, so we figured this would be a stellar event and the bands’ followers would get a chance to see their favorite band perform.”

    80’s Unleashed 15a

    The band 80’s Unleashed started out as 80’s Unplugged 13 years ago. The band members are Curtis Church, guitar and vocals; Mitra Maraj, percussion; Domo Max, drums; and Bryan Shaw, lead singer and bass player.

    “My idea was to have a project that I could play during the week before we left out to travel,” said Bryan Shaw, lead singer and bass player of 80’s Unleashed. “My idea was to do 80’s music, but acoustic, and I started out as a solo then quickly added Maraj then Curtis so we were a trio for a decade.”

    He added, “We had a club owner approach us about doing a live band karaoke night because he had seen it done in Boston and wanted to recreate it. He said that we were the only band that knows thousands of tunes because the premise of the band was that we take requests on top of playing 80’s music.”

    “I wanted to set it up like a dueling piano show where they play certain tunes but the crowd gets involved by asking for certain songs all night,” said Shaw. “So that is kind of the premise on how 80’s Unplugged got started.”

    Shaw added, “The way that the name 80’s Unleashed came about is when a girl that worked with us introduced the band as 80’s Unleashed by accident so we kept the name and that is what we have been doing the last three years.”

    “On August 19, the audience should expect a fun show while taking a trip down memory lane,” said Shaw. “Hopefully they will sing along and remember the tunes that we bring to them.”

    You can find the band on Facebook and Instagram at 80’s Unleashed.

    15b The Guy Unger Band

    The Guy Unger Band got their start by all of its members playing in various bands together. “The core of the band has always been me, Mandy and Jeff,” said Guy Unger, founder, guitarist and singer of The Guy Unger Band. “We pulled in J. R. Wright after we lost a keyboard player along with Nate Williams joining the band.”
    The band members include Mandy Unger, saxophone, flute and singer; Jeff Stone, drummer and singer; J. R. Wright, keyboards and vocals; Nate Williams, bass player; and Guy Unger, founder, guitarist and singer.

    “We do a lot of classic rock stuff and we do everything from Led Zeppelin, Floyd, The Eagles, Billy Idol, Men at Work, some dance music and more,” said Unger. “We have opened for many acts such as Collective Soul, Charlie Daniels, Skid Row and tons of big name bands.”

    “Over the years we have been fortunate enough to keep on ticking and playing through all of this COVID-19 stuff,” said Unger. “For instance, when a lot of bands were not able to work, we found a way to do some stuff online by going to the venue that we would normally book at and they would let us play there and videotape it.”

    Future projects for the band include writing songs, he said.

    “We have not done any writing but I would like to do some writing with this band in the future,” said Unger. “I enjoy writing and that is the next thing we will really focus on is getting some
    original material into the mix of what we have been doing.”

    He added, “I have got some good solid musicians with me and they are the best players around. I think that Rivermist, 80’s Unleashed and The Guy Unger Band are the best musicians around and we have put ourselves to a level where it is hard to do what we have done over the years and be just as successful as we all have.”

    “As for the event, the audience should expect some of the best musicians and performances that you can see here in Fayetteville and I feel honored to be playing with Rivermist and 80’s Unleashed because they are awesome bands,” said Unger. “Every one of the musicians will bring it that day so expect nothing but the best.” Their website is https://www.guyunger.band/.

    15c Rivermist

    Rivermist is a local party hometown band that was formed in 2014 and is comprised of Greg Adair, manager, drummer and vocalist; Tony Harrison, bass player; Cliff Bender, guitarist;
    Allen Pier, songwriter, keyboards and lead vocalist; and Rick Starling, percussion, vocals and keyboards.

    “We have about 27 shows left this year and we have been really busy,” said Greg Adair, manager and member of Rivermist. “One of our songs, ‘Pucker Up,’ is number one on several charts all over the Carolinas and Virginia.”

    He added, “We are up for a Cammy Award,” and the band has been named Best Band in Up & Coming Weekly’s Best of Fayetteville competition for the last six years.

    As for future projects, fans can expect some new music. “We have some new material coming out and we are getting ready to get into the studio within the next couple of weeks,” said Adair. “Right now we have four songs that are out and they are doing very well on the charts.”

    The band has many accomplishments but there is one more thing they would like to achieve. “I want Rivermist to be a household name and keep getting better and better together,” said Adair.
    Their website is www.rivermistband.com.

    Rock'n On The River is free and open to the public. Parking is $10 per vehicle and refreshments will be sold starting at 5 p.m. No outside food or coolers will be allowed.
    For more information visit the Rock'n On The River Facebook page.

  • 14b Beethoven and beer may seem an unlikely pairing, but the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra makes it work as they gear up for a new season with a kick-off party at Gaston Taproom on Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.
    The free, family-friendly “mini-concert” will last about 90 minutes and feature food trucks, lots of seating and some of the FSO’s most talented musicians.
    The orchestra’s String Quartet, comprised of concertmaster Fabián López and several principal players, will perform a variety of music for people in attendance. While classical pieces are to be expected, be prepared for some popular, recognizable tunes as well.

    The kick-off at Gaston’s Taproom is a part of the orchestra’s Symphony on Tap Program, which launched last year. The popular concert series allows the orchestra to set up shop in casual settings around Fayetteville and bring beautiful music to the people of the community free of charge.

    “Our string quartet is a really great group of musicians,” Anna Meyer, the FSO’s interim director, told Up & Coming Weekly. “This event will be a good time to share about our upcoming season and just enjoy great music and beer — you can’t go wrong there,” she joked.

    The FSO’s Jazz Quartet, another talented ensemble, will make an appearance at Bright Light Brewing Co. on Sunday, Aug. 28.
    The 2022-2023 season will showcase the enormous talent of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra through several ticketed events as well as community concerts that are free to attend.

    Also set to return this season is the wildly popular Symphony Movie Night at Dirtbag Ales. The mash-up of live orchestral music against the spooky backdrop of 1920s silent-film classic "Nosferatu" proved to be a winning combination with audiences, and those who missed it last year can check it out on Saturday, Oct. 22.

    The FSO is also planning to include more church venues this upcoming season, about which Meyer is particularly excited.

    “I’m looking forward to playing at different churches around town,” she shared. “We really enjoyed that last season and decided to broaden our horizons this year. We get to reach a lot of people, and it allows us to play in some beautiful venues.”

    A staple of the community for over 65 years, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra has undergone many changes. Still, their commitment to musical excellence and attitude of service shines through with initiatives like Symphony Movie Night, Symphony on Tap and their free community concerts throughout the season. The orchestra takes pride in maintaining a relationship with the community that strives to “meet them where they are” and delivers on its promise to “educate, entertain, and inspire the citizens of Fayetteville.”

    In addition to a packed performance season, the FSO is passionate about the arts regarding Cumberland County’s youth. By developing the Fayetteville Symphony Youth Orchestra, String Sinfonietta, and various summer camps, the FSO is invested in creating beautiful music and talented musicians for generations to come.

    Gaston Taproom is located at 421 Chicago Drive in Fayetteville.

    For more information about the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and its upcoming season, visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org/.

  • 14a Solve the fictional murder of class jock Bobby Backer during the final event of the Sunset Series on Friday, Aug. 19 at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden.
    This 80's Prom Murder Mystery in the Garden will take you back to a time when hairspray was potent in the air and neon seemed to be everywhere. The students of Shermer High find themselves battling it out over grades, popularity, affection, class rankings and what they all have been focused on for years: who will be awarded the prom king and queen title?

    Prom officially starts at 5 p.m. During this time, guests can mingle, drink, dance and shop from local vendors.
    The prom will even feature a photo booth section that will allow couples to take photos of themselves in true 1980s fashion. There will also be three food trucks on site: Wild Sunflower Pizza, Cavity Connection, and Jaz-N-Soul.
    At 6:15 p.m., prom court nominations will begin. At 6:30 p.m., the prom court is announced. Every guest is strongly recommended to arrive before 6:30 p.m.

    “We really do encourage everybody to get here before the prom court is nominated at 6:30 because if somebody comes in late, they could miss out on some key evidence,” Meghan Woolbright, the marketing coordinator for CFBG told Up & Coming Weekly.

    In the last murder mystery, attendees could use modern technology to gather clues and investigate the case. This time, actors from the Gilbert Theater will be there to talk with attendees and give their statements. Each actor will play a key suspect in the murder.

    “We've seen that our visitors like the one-on-one type of them asking questions and our actors and actresses, you know, playing along,” Woolbright said. “That's where we've seen the most authentic experience for our visitors.”

    Each visitor is going to be getting a packet with the theme and character descriptions, but a majority of the mystery will have to be solved by talking to the actors and actresses from the Gilbert Theater. From the preppie to the punk rocker, the nerd to the stud, the jock to the jilted — all are suspected, although only one is to blame.
    Shortly after the murderer has been revealed, there will be a costume contest at the end of the night. Woolbright recommends that people think of the big hair, puffy sleeves on the giant prom dresses, and matching pastel suits.

    “The more you dress up and the more excited you are, the better it’s going to be,” she said.

    The Gardens are expecting a big turnout for this event. The last murder mystery had 100 people in attendance.
    This marks the third year for the Sunset Series, a public event and fundraiser for the garden. The event is free for Cape Fear Botanical Garden members and $10 plus tax for non-members. Visit www.capefearbg.org/event/the-sunset-series to learn more.

  • 12 Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon on Monday, Aug. 1 told members of the Board of Commissioners that talks about the county’s sales tax revenue distribution method are on the horizon.
    Cannon prepped commissioners on the upcoming issue of how the county will share sales tax revenue with municipalities.
    Her presentation came during a meeting of the board’s Finance Committee. The committee consists of Commissioners Toni Stewart, Larry Lancaster, Glenn Adams and Jeannette Council, who chairs the committee.

    The five-year sales tax distribution agreement among Cumberland County and county municipalities expires in 2023.
    The agreement hammered out in 2018 was often contentious, and the parties included the North Carolina School of Government in negotiations to help mediate an agreement.
    Cannon’s brief presentation came after the board’s regular meeting Monday. Cannon said she wanted to prepare the board on the direction it wanted to take regarding sales tax distributions in the future. The Finance Committee took no action.

    This presentation is to "get you to start thinking about where the county wants to be" next year, she said.
    County commissioners in North Carolina are authorized to choose between distributing sales tax proceeds between the county and its municipalities either on a per capita or ad valorem basis.
    Historically, Cumberland County distributed sales tax proceeds on a per capita basis.

    However, as the county’s municipalities grow in population, the county’s portion of the sales tax pie shrinks, and Cannon noted that the county’s responsibilities do not.
    North Carolina General Statutes require counties to provide or fund specific services, including law enforcement, jails, medical examiner, courts, building code enforcement, public schools, social services, public health and others.

    The General Statutes regarding towns and cities only require them to provide building code enforcement.
    The county commissioners may change the method of distribution annually in April with an effective date 14 months later at the start of the fiscal year, Cannon told the committee.

    Cannon said only Wake, Cumberland and Durham counties continue to use the per capita distribution schedule. Adams said the appropriate venue to work out an agreement is with the Mayor’s Coalition.
    The Cumberland County Mayor's Coalition meets quarterly, and the next meeting is scheduled for sometime in August.

    Its next meeting would be in November. The sales tax distribution discussion will not be on the coalition's upcoming agenda.

    “This should not be a shock to them that this discussion will come up,” Adams said.

  • fay city council logo The Fayetteville City Council gave consensus approval at its meeting Aug. 1 to have city administrators research the possibilities of a tax-deferred compensation plan for its members after they leave office.
    The directive was in response to Councilmen D.J. Haire and Chris Davis, who asked for information on “some form of retirement” similar to plans offered to federal, state and county elected officials, according to the councilmen’s written request.

    “I just want to get a clarification,” said Councilwoman Shakeyla Ingram. “We are asking staff to bring back what we can and cannot do, correct?”

    Mayor Mitch Colvin responded that the intent is to gather more information on the proposal.
    Haire laid out four conditions for eligibility for the plan: Available to a sitting council member who has served 10 years on the council; Participants must be 60 years old to apply; Money would not be received until the official leaves the City Council; Each official would receive $500 per month.
    Councilman Johnny Dawkins, who is a job benefits and Medicare consultant, said his suggestion would be to put $500 a month in a tax-deferred compensation plan for each sitting member of the council.

    “You cannot touch it while you’re on council,” Dawkins said. “It would not be a retirement plan.”

    He said a member of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners makes about $10,000 more a year, including benefits and pay, than members of the City Council.

    “That’s not right,” Dawkins said. “We work just as many hours. To say this is part-time is just not true. Technically, if it were part-time, we could not be on the health insurance plan. But we are allowed to participate on the health insurance plan, which is a federal requirement for 30 hours a week. I can assure you we put in 30 hours a week and more.”

    According to the city, the salary for a council member is $19,044 per year. The mayor pro tem receives about $20,160 per year, and the mayor takes home $34,833 per year. Elected city officials are eligible for medical, vision and dental insurance at the same costs paid by city employees.

    Cumberland County sets the starting salary for a county commissioner at $23,297 a year. The board vice chairman is paid $25,297 and the chairman, $31,100 a year.
    The commissioners are eligible to invest in a 401k-like matching investment plan with the county, including a deferred compensation plan. The county matches up to 4.9% of a board member’s salary for those who opt to participate.

    Glenn Adams, chairman of the county Board of Commissioners, said he chose a plan with Nationwide Insurance.

    “Those are our funds,” Adams said. “We have to fund it ourselves. If I want to do it, I take it out of my salary.” But he noted that there is a matching component to the investment plan.

    Some cities do offer plans to elected officials to provide retirement and survivor income. Financing for them is by employee contributions, investment earnings and city contributions. But other cities in North Carolina offer no such plans. Winston-Salem has no retirement plan for City Council members, according to Frank Elliott, director of communications for that city.

    “We do not pay a pension plan for elected officials,” Elliott said Monday. “They receive an annual stipend for their service.” The stipend ends when an official leaves office.
    A year ago, the annual stipend for council members in Winston-Salem was $18,220. This year, they got a raise and receive $25,700 a year, Elliott said.
    Members of the Durham City Council are not part of the state employees retirement plan, and the city does not offer a separate retirement plan to them, a city representative said.

    “Our commissioners do not have a retirement plan,” said interim communications director Amanda Perry in an email. “Adding a retirement benefit was discussed as part of the 2023 budget process but not adopted.”

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