Recollecting when she lived in Daytona, Florida, Demetria Murphy recalled seeing a house made out of glass from top to bottom.
The notion of the house made her realize that all individuals live in glass houses, she said; though actions can be observed, the full truth behind those actions can not be heard.

Some things which remain unheard could possibly push young people to join gangs, Murphy said.
Murphy seeks to curb the often unheard issues that can cause violence with an event of which she is an organizer, Heal the Ville. The event is designed to educate and connect community members with resources to reduce violent crime in Fayetteville while also bringing awareness to gun violence.

Heal the Ville originally took place last year, a gathering that Murphy said brought out over 200 people.

This year's event will serve the community with resources for housing, employment, treatment for substance abuse, religion and mental health, Murphy said.
A key takeaway Murphy said she wants to see is employment, as a steady income can help prevent crime. Additionally, Murphy said she wants the event to empower the youth in the community to feel important and willing to walk away from harmful influences.

“I want children walking away from there feeling very strong and that their voices are important and that they have the solution to help fix some of what’s going on,” Murphy said.

Vendors will also be present at the event. A simulated crime scene will serve as an additional feature of the event, demonstrating the horrific effects violence can have for those in attendance to see.
Murphy said she hopes the event helps motivate people to get involved in efforts to stop violence before they become affected by it.

Michelle Ford, one of the workers and supporters for Heal the Ville, said she hopes the event inspires positive action in addition to discussion.

“I’m hoping instead of just talking about the problem that we can start focusing on trying to change things here in Fayetteville,” Ford said.

This year, Murphy said she wants the event to educate the community on the impact violence has on children. Though deaths caused by violence affect community members, the trauma doesn’t fade for the families affected.

“When the dust really clears, we go back to our normal,” Murphy said. “We go back to work, we go back to doing whatever it was that we were doing, but that family still has that hole, that loss. So making people aware that that pain does not stop for that family.”

Ford said she believes the event could cause tangible change in the community by reducing the number of deaths caused by violent crime.

“If we can at least begin the dialogue and then begin to understand why we do what we do or why we shouldn’t do what we have been doing all these years, and then start working toward changing everything around. I think if we can key on those issues during this event [then] this time next year we won’t be seeing the same high numbers that we do now,” Ford said.

Heal the Ville will take place on Sept. 10 at Festival Park in Fayetteville starting at 12 p.m.

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette may not ring any bells today, but a little under 200 years ago, he was one of the most famous men in the world.
Known simply as Lafayette on American shores, the French nobleman fought in the Revolutionary War as an enthusiastic nineteen-year-old. He would later achieve military glory in his home country — thus becoming: “The Hero of Two Worlds.”

The weekend after Labor Day, the Lafayette Society will host its 15th Annual Lafayette Birthday Celebration to honor the man, after which Fayetteville is named, in a three-day event beginning Thursday, Sept. 8 and ending Saturday, Sept. 10.

Born on September 6, 1757, in Auvergne, France, Lafayette felt unsuited to the life of a nobleman inside the palace of Versailles and hungered instead for the glory of battle.
Lafayette considered colonial efforts against the British worthy enough to purchase his own ship, voyage to the New World against the wishes of King Louis XVI, and then join the Continental Army as a major general under George Washington.

Though Lafayette proved himself a capable soldier and military leader, he was sent back home to request French military support, which he was able to secure.
Lafayette and General Washington worked closely during the war, and as the “physical embodiment of the Franco-American Alliance,” Lafayette was considered a key figure in important battles such as Rhode Island and Yorktown.

Lafayette went on to achieve political and military success in his home country and was an outspoken advocate for natural law and the rights of man.
In 1824, President James Monroe invited Lafayette to America to embark on a grand tour where his status as the Hero of Two Worlds would command crowds of up to 100,000 in some major cities.

During his historic tour, Lafayette visited Fayetteville, the first city in America named after him.
Lafayette died in 1834 and is buried in France under a sprinkle of earth from Bunker Hill. Today, over 80 cities and counties in the United States are named for him as a testament to his bravery and loyalty to the then fledgling country.

The Lafayette Birthday Celebration, instituted in 2007 for what would have been Lafayette's 250th birthday, is an event that not only honors the man's birth but a life dedicated to military service, inquiry and action. The three-day celebration is an opportunity to see Fayetteville as he would have seen it, learn about a few of his contemporaries, and experience art and music from another world.
Now back to full form after two years of COVID-19 restrictions, the celebration will kick off at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8, with a special concert at First Presbyterian Church on Ann Street. The French Music Concert, a popular staple in the Lafayette birthday tradition, is performed by Dr. Gail Morfesis and Friends.

The concert is a celebration of the strong alliance between France and America that still exists today. Tickets are $15 per person or $10 for students and can be purchased at the door, though advanced purchase is recommended.

“Our Lafayette birthday concert will be a special treat,” Morfesis told Up & Coming Weekly.

“As always, it will include members of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, but this year half of our program will be a tribute to the French contributions to American Jazz. We will highlight the works of Claude Boling,” she said.

This year’s concert is supported by the NC Arts Council and the Sandhills Guild of Organists. Three organists from the Sandhills chapter will also be featured.

“I know that classical music and jazz lovers alike will have a wonderful experience. There is a reception to follow with the artists,” Morfesis said.
Dr. Hank Parfitt of the Lafayette Society agreed. “There are six or seven different musical numbers, and it moves along quickly. It's a great chance to experience classical music in a fun environment. It's classical music for people who don't like it,” he joked.

Friday's event is a lecture hosted by Dr. Daniel Stewart and Fayetteville Technical Community College.
Dr. William Link will discuss his book on “Frank Porter Graham and the Rise of Modern North Carolina.”
A liberal Southern educator, Graham advocated for equality in education and believed, much like Lafayette, in equal rights for all humankind. Graham later became President of the University of North Carolina and worked as a consultant for President Franklin Roosevelt as he constructed the New Deal.

Dr. Link, retired Professor of History at the University of Florida, will have copies of his biography on Graham at the event. Guests may also purchase the book in advance at City Center Gallery & Books. The lecture starting at 2 p.m. is free to attend and will be held at the Tony Rand Student Center at Fayetteville Technical Community College. On Friday at 7 p.m., archives librarian Arleen Fields will showcase “The Lafayette Legacy” at Methodist University in the Davis Memorial Library.

Beginning at 6 p.m., a reception, complete with North Carolina barbecue, will take place before the presentation. Considered a “rock star” during his age, Lafayette's historic visit to the United States as “The Nation's Guest” will be viewed through artifacts, memorabilia, and merchandise generated by his tour.

Saturday at 8 a.m., guests are invited to take a trip back in time to see Fayetteville as Lafayette would have seen it in 1825. The Lafayette Trail Tour will treat guests to coffee and croissants as they embark on a journey beginning at the Museum of the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry (F.I.L.I.) and ending around 11 a.m. at Lafayette Plaza in Cross Creek Park. Led by city historian and F.I.L.I Commander Bruce Daws, visitors will have an opportunity to see the original carriage Lafayette rode into town during his historic visit, ride downtown's Coldwell Banker Trolley, and end the day with cake.

Tickets are $20/person and are limited to 30 participants, so advanced purchase is necessary.
The Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry is the nation's second oldest independent militia, founded in 1793. President Washington encouraged cities to form militias to protect against attacks from foreign agents. When Lafayette visited Fayetteville in March 1825, the F.I.L.I. acted as his official escort.

On Saturday's Lafayette's Trail Tour, visitors will get a chance to experience Commander Dawes outfitted in the same uniform as the F.I.L.I. during that historic time.
As the crowning event of the three-day celebration, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 pm, “Camp Lafayette” will be set up for guests to take a step right into the pages of history.

In partnership with the Fayetteville Local History Museum, Camp Lafayette will be in Cross Creek Park between Green Street and Ann Street.

Both sides of “the creek” will have activities for the whole family. Musket demonstrations, tomahawk throwing, historical re-enactments and food trucks will make for a day of immersive historical fun.
The present can seem all-consuming with the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

“We’re so busy, we don't stop to think about the incredibly rich history we have here in Fayetteville,” Parfitt explained.

“This is a fun, educational opportunity for the whole family. You learn about history, and it's a chance to be with friends. The weather is usually nice this time of year — overall, it's a fun way to involve the community and the people who have a passion for history.”

Ultimately, this is a celebration for everyone. It's a way to sing a song for this country's brave formation and shine a light on an important man. Aside from being the city's namesake, Lafayette upheld beliefs long before his time and spoke to ideals still dear to this day. He opposed slavery and oppression in all forms, felt strongly about the advancement of women’s rights, and opposed capital punishment.
Parfitt, organizer of the event since its debut fifteen years ago, said, “there’s something in this celebration for everyone.”

“I hope people realize that we have more things in common than we do things that separate us — we’re all the same people. You can learn, through history, that we’ve had struggles living together on this planet, but we’ve always found a way through it. I hope this celebration is uplifting and helps build our sense of community.”

Tickets for the French Music Concert with Dr. Gail Morfesis and Friends may be purchased online at www.lafayettesociety.org/events.
Tickets for the Lafayette Trail Tour are limited to 30 participants and may be purchased online at www.lafayettesociety.org/events.

To purchase tickets in person or by phone, visit City Center Gallery & Books at 112 Hay Street or call 910-678-8899.

Friends of live music, chilling out and having a good time, Rock’n On The River is proud to present KISS ARMY and Reflections II on Sept. 16. The concert will take place at the Deep Creek Grill, located at the Campbellton Landing of the Cape Fear River, about two miles east of downtown Fayetteville.

“The first band, Reflections II, will begin at 6, and KISS ARMY will be approximately 8:30 to just after 10 p.m.,” said Greg Adair, organizer of the Rock’n On The River concert series.

KISS ARMY

Self-described as the “coolest band in the world,” KISS ARMY is from Kentucky, but performs once or twice a week in hometowns all over the country. Wearing the iconic KISS masks and garb, KISS ARMY provides an uncanny look at KISS’s 1970s line-up.

"When we go out there, we try to make people think it's KISS. That's the whole point to being a tribute band,” said Jim Seda, who has performed as the “Demon” for over 30 years.

For the uninitiated, according to KISS lore, each member has a persona. And each persona is important to what makes KISS special.
KISS’s 1970s era is considered vital because in 1980 the original four-piece phenom splintered, sending lead singer Paul Stanley (“Starchild”) and bassist Gene Simmons (“Demon”) to reform themselves, replacing drummer Peter Criss (“Catman”) with Eric Carr (“Fox”) in 1980, while officially replacing Ace Frehley (“Spaceman”) with Vinnie Vincent (“Egyptian Warrior”) in 1982.

“That's the difference between being a tribute band and a cover band. . . . With a cover band, you can add your own flair to it. People say, 'Man, you're giving me flashbacks.' [A tribute band] gives them that feeling of how it was the first time they saw Kiss [in the 1970s]," Seda said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.

In 1983, KISS decided to “unmask” themselves, ending what was considered the “real” KISS in favor of a more contemporary 1980s look, sound and vibe. However, beginning in the late 1990s, KISS reformed for a series of worldwide goodbye tours as the original band.

When KISS reunited for the first farewell concert, with the four original members, the demand for KISS skyrocketed, and his band was called upon to perform shows when KISS could not, Seda explained.

However, “when KISS is off and not doing anything, people [still] want to see them, so it works both ways.”

Reflections II

Opening the night will be Reflections II, which is a North Carolina-based variety band led by keyboardist / multi-instrumentalist Mike Donald, who is the owner of JML Pianos.

“We are a true variety band. We are a three-piece band, and we play live. We don’t do any pre-recorded stuff or anything like that, [which] a lot of small bands do,” Donald said.

JML Pianos has been in business since 1980. However, back then it was called “Costal Music” and located at the beach in Moorehead City. In 1986, JML opened in Fayetteville, where they have been selling musical equipment ever since. JML stands for “Jim, Mike and Linda,” named after father Jim, mother Linda and son Mike.

Mike Donald has run the family business since 2013. In fact, the first iteration of Reflections II was started by Jim and Mike back in 1980, as well.

“[Playing music is] kind of like a paid hobby to us,” said Donald. “Me and my members all have full time jobs and careers.”

Rockin' On The River

Rockin’ On The River opens at 5 p.m. Parking is $10 no matter the size of the vehicle or the number of people inside.

The stage will be set up right behind Deep River Grill, literally rockin’ next to the Cape Fear River.
Beer is sponsored by Healy Wholesale, and food will be provided by Deep Creek Grill. Food and beer sales will begin at 5 p.m.

No outside coolers or containers will be allowed. And no animals are allowed other than documented service animals, Adair said.
Deep Creek Grill is located at 1122 Person Street, on the eastern side of Fayetteville, just over the Person Street Bridge. There is a juncture of highways 24 and 53, and Clinton Road at the first intersection coming from the other direction. Note that at this intersection, Person Street changes to Clinton Road, where it heads deep in to eastern N.C.
Vice versa, Hay Street becomes Person Street right around the Market House circle.

For more information about Rock’n On The River, check out Facebook.com/pages/category/Live-Music-Venue/Rockn-On-The-River.
To learn more about JML Pianos, please visit JMLPiano.com. JML Pianos is currently open by appointment only. To contact JML Piano by phone, use 910-977-0809.

It's more than obvious that Ms. Terryberry is feeling the desperation that conservatives are experiencing now.
Her wild and preposterous speculations about the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 are very transparent and laughable.
It's more than obvious that Democrats are continuing to put in work to benefit the American people; In the meantime, what have conservatives done in the past year and a half?

Nothing but whine, obstruct and offer nothing more than rhetoric-filled excuses.
That will no longer work in the real world. The American people have had enough of Republicans doing nothing but blocking progress and attempting to drag America backwards.

Case in point: This Spring, when a bipartisan committee was formed to tackle the inflation problem, not one Republican even showed up, much less offered a workable solution. It's more than obvious that conservatives only care about millionaires and billionaires who put money in their pockets, while the American working and middle classes, who keep the economy going, are ignored and excessively taxed.

Here's the reality: After Democrats win a historic victory in the November midterm elections, they will be running the tables for the next decade, possibly beyond. Progress and prosperity will happen, and conservatives can thump all the bibles they want after the fact.

There will be a higher minimum wage, voting rights, abortion rights, and strengthening of social security and Medicare. Our nation's crumbling infrastructure will finally and realistically be dealt with. Much needed gun control laws will be in place to protect our school children so they can have a proper education without fearing for their lives.

Oh, teachers will be allowed to teach, without the conservative dogma.

As the late President John F. Kennedy once said: A great change is at hand.

And conservatives will no longer hold back America from the future and promise it deserves.
It's not about a BIG government, it's about a BETTER government — one that will benefit all Americans, instead of a privileged few.

—Keith Ranson, Fayetteville

Editor's note: The referenced article by Paige Terryberry ran in the Aug. 24 issue. It can be found at https://www.upandcomingweekly.com/views/8968-five-ways-the-inflation-reduction-act-harms-americans
Paige Terryberry is the Senior Analyst for Fiscal Policy at the John Locke Foundation.

Steve Foley, CEO/President of Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union, has been named CEO of the Year by the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions.
Elected by the NAFCU Awards Committee which consists of a nationwide panel of Credit Union CEOs, Foley is being recognized for his vision, leadership and management that has led to 107% growth from 2018 to 2022.

“We knew when we hired Steve four years ago, we had someone who would lead our credit union to new levels of success,” said Bragg Mutual Chairman John Szoka.

“His dedicated efforts are reflected in the continued success of Bragg Mutual FCU demonstrating thoughtful leadership skills, as well as developing new ideas that are beneficial to our organization's growth.”

Leading the Fayetteville-based credit union with $110 million in total assets, Foley is being recognized as CEO of the Year among credit unions under $250 million in assets.
Under Foley’s direction, the credit union upgraded digital banking services, expanded the Field of Membership, diversified the loan portfolio, reduced expenses and placed a stronger commitment to compliance.

Furthermore, the credit union has seen a greater focus on employees, from quality education and training to an emphasis on outstanding member service to fostering a culture of teamwork. As a result, the credit union has seen record loan and asset growth during the past two years.

“Steve has led our credit union into becoming one of the fastest growing credit unions in our state,” Szoka said. “To be selected as the national award winner by his credit union peers reflects his exemplary services on behalf of our members.”

Bragg Mutual is now the 23rd largest credit union in North Carolina.
Earlier this year, the credit union expanded to serve 301 census tracts throughout the Carolinas and also opened a fifth location in Kenansville, North Carolina.

“Our team here at Bragg Mutual has tremendous spirit, dedication and servant hearts, which is how we’ve achieved the success we’ve experienced over the past four years,” Foley said. “I am truly grateful to have a team that is looking to improve the lives of many in our region.”

Foley will be honored during NAFCU’s Congressional Caucus in Washington, D.C., Sept. 11-14, and will be featured in the September-October edition of The NAFCU Journal magazine.
Bragg Mutual Federal Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative providing financial services to approximately 11,400 members with three offices in Fayetteville, one in Spout Springs, and one in Kenansville, North Carolina.

It is the fourth oldest active Federal Credit Union in North Carolina celebrating its 70th year of service to the people in the state. Membership is open to those who live, worship, work (or regularly conduct business in) or attend school in, and businesses and other legal entities located within various census tracts of 33 counties in the Carolinas. To find out more visit www.braggmutual.org.

Are you ready to imitate Jim Morrison and break on through to the other side? Ever wonder what awaits outside this vale of tears? You are on the road to find out.

John Lennon wrote a delightful little ditty called “She Said, She Said” containing the cheerful line: “I know what it’s like to be dead.”
A Russian proverb says: “If you wake up and you are not in pain, you know you are dead.”

Today we consider my recent near-death experience at the hands of a local financial institution. Come along and muse on the semi-finality of Mr. Death.
It was a sultry day. The heat index was waxing in the triple digits. It was also time to make a bank deposit. The lobby was cool and clear. All seemed merry and bright. Due to some bizarre corporate decree, the bank no longer used deposit slips. You walk up to the teller to present a bank statement and a check. Usually after consulting the computer, the nice lady takes your money. But not today, Bucko.

I had been using the bank for years without incident. This day was different. I presented my check. The teller began hitting computer keys when suddenly a strange expression clouded her face. She asked me my address. I knew it. She asked me for the last four digits of my social security number. I knew that, too. So far so good.

Her expression became colder. She called another teller to look at her computer screen. Teller #2’s wide smile suddenly morphed into anxiety touched with a tinge of fear. Uh oh. “This cannot be good”, thought I. No explanation was forthcoming.

Teller #2 then retrieved a bank manager to come over to ponder the screen. The manager’s face changed from a happy Chamber of Commerce “glad to meet you, look” to “holy mackerel, what fresh hell is this?” look as she perused the screen.

I still had received no explanation for what was happening during the usual mundane task of giving someone my money.
Suddenly, scenarios like sugar plums began to dance in my head. Had someone erroneously deposited $1 million into my account? Had an identity thief absconded with the balance? Had the IRS issued a double secret levy and emptied my account?
I verbally suggested all three possibilities to the trio of bankers silently frowning at the computer screen.

To misquote Julie Andrews in “Camelot”: “The silence at last was broken/ The Bank flung wide its prison doors.”
Finally, bank manager said: “According to the computer you are dead. You died in 2006.”

This was news to me. Of course, the decedent is usually the last one to know. No one had bothered to tell me I was dead.
I leapt at the chance to finally quote Mark Twain who had a similar experience of being erroneously reported as dead, I replied: “Like Mark Twain, reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
The manager’s explanation was that someone had mistakenly hit the bank’s death key back in 2006, but no one had noticed it until now — August 2022.

I felt some kinship to dead people in Chicago. I had been voting in many elections since 2006 despite being dead. It was a good feeling. My widow Lani had not remarried in the 16 years that I had been dead. She must really love me. My dogs still treated me as if I was alive. That was a plus.

We all had a good laugh at my return from the land of the dead to the material world. Then wanting to spoil the mood, I suggested darkly that like in the movie “Sixth Sense” perhaps they saw dead people.
Maybe the computer was right and I really was dead. Their laughter developed a nervous tinge. I threatened to come back from the dead to haunt them if they didn’t fix their computer.

They promised to tell their computer that like sweet Molly Malone in Dublin’s fair city who cried: “Cockles and Mussels that I was alive, alive, Oh!”
We parted strangers, thoughtless and free. They went back to banking. I went back to doing whatever ghosts do when they are not making bank deposits. I walked out through a wall, because as you know, ghosts don’t need doors.

Post script: In my incorporeal ghostly form I went to pet poor Freya the 1300-pound walrus who had been entertaining people in Oslo, Norway, this summer.
Freya had been climbing on fishing boats in the town harbor to sun herself.

Like the moron tourists in Yellowstone who get too close to buffaloes, the moron contingent in Oslo kept getting too close to Freya who could have done them serious bodily harm.
The Norway Fisheries Directory decided in order to save the morons from themselves, that Freya had to be killed. She was dispatched by government decree.

I asked Freya about this turn of events. She looked at me with very large sad walrus eyes and said “All I wanted was some herring and a place to sun myself.”
Rest in peace, Freya. We’ll meet again. Don’t know where. Don’t know when.

The first-ever Carolina Core Real Estate Summit will be held Sept. 13 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Wicker Civic & Conference Center in Sanford. The summit is hosted by 12 local REALTOR® associations from across the NC Core.

The Carolina Core brand was announced in 2018 by the Piedmont Triad Partnership. What many considered to be an audacious goal was set then for job creation — 50,000 office/industrial jobs to be created in the Carolina Core by 2038. That goal is well on its way to being surpassed. In only four years, more than 35,500 office/industrial jobs have already been announced.

“This meeting is open to everyone interested in learning more about the Carolina Core,” said Zan Monroe, CEO of Longleaf Pine REALTORS®, Inc. “We invite commercial and residential realtors, business leaders, economic developers, government officials, builders, investors and the media to join us.”

The Carolina Core region is a 120-mile stretch of central North Carolina along U.S Highway 421 stretching from Interstate 77 to Interstate 95.
The keynote speaker at the summit will be Christopher Chung, CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. He will speak on “The importance of regionalism, what it takes for the Carolina Core, or any region, to work well in economic development.”

The summit aims to inform leaders in real estate, in other business sectors and in government positions about the recent economic development successes and to understand what is needed to prepare for the region’s short-term and long-term future.

“Economic growth creates jobs, housing needs, and development potential, and it helps everyone in the area prosper,” said Mike Barr, CEO of the Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association and the Greensboro REALTORS® Commercial Alliance.

Robert Van Geons, the President of the Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation, is scheduled to speak about the use of a grant that helps retiring soldiers from Fort Bragg enter the regional workforce.

Other presenters at the summit will address the importance of regional approaches to economic development. Those speakers include the chairman of the Randolph County Board of Commissioners, the former mayor of Sanford, the former mayor of Greensboro and the president of the North Carolina Association of REALTORS®.

Mike Fox, president and CEO of the Piedmont Triad Partnership, said, “The Carolina Core has proven itself to be North Carolina’s third economic engine along with our adjacent neighbors in the Research Triangle and metro Charlotte regions. A big reason for the Carolina Core’s recent impressive economic development announcements has been an unprecedented amount of cooperation across county and city lines.”

The Carolina Core is a thriving region in central North Carolina. The region’s counties include Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Cumberland, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Harnett, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin. The largest cities in the Carolina Core are Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, High Point, Burlington, Thomasville, Asheboro, Sanford, Kernersville, Clemmons, Lexington, Mebane and Pinehurst.

Wicker Civic & Conference Center is located at 1801 Nash Street in Sanford. To register for the event, go to: https://nccarolinacoresummit.com.

The Carolina Core Real Estate Summit is hosted by 12 real estate associations: North Carolina Association of REALTORS®; Longleaf Pine REALTORS®, Inc.; Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association; High Point Regional Association of REALTORS®; Mid-Carolina Regional Association of REALTORS®; Orange-Chatham Association of REALTORS®; Winston-Salem Regional Association of REALTORS®; Johnston County Association of REALTORS®; Durham Regional Association of REALTORS®; Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®; Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS®; and the North Carolina chapter of CCIM.

Council member Johnny Dawkins, now Mayor Pro Tem, is nowhere near a new figure in local politics. Dawkins was first elected onto City Council in 2003. He was voted out in 2006 but rejoined in 2017.
He also previously served as a former chairman of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce.

The first act of the new City Council was to approve Dawkins in the Mayor Pro Tem role. Dawkins says this position is usually given to the council member who has served the most amount of time. D.J. Haire and Kathy Jensen previously served as Mayor Pro Tems.

As Mayor Pro Tem, Dawkins steps into the role of leading City Council meetings when the Mayor isn’t able to be there.
He also meets with the Mayor once a week as part of an advisory council — along with the City Manager and the City Attorney.

One major priority for Dawkins is to continue the improvements in stormwater drainage. Dawkins previously served as the chairman of the stormwater advisory committee and continues to serve on the committee.
He says they have gained some progress on the long list of projects that need to get done, but there are still quite a few more.

“I’ve got over $10 million worth of projects right now going on, which is going to have some impacts. The problem is that, well, we really need to spend about $200 billion and there's no telling what that number is going to be by the time we get them done,” Dawkins said.

When it comes to public safety, Dawkins says that’s also a topic to focus on. This term will be important as the city chooses a new police chief to replace current Police Chief Gina Hawkins.
Another focus of public safety he wants to enforce is noise ordinance laws.

“Our noise ordinance has not been enforced for four or five years now, and that needs to change,” Dawkins said. “I get more complaints about noise, I get 2 to 3 complaints a month for noise across our city. So I want us to enforce our noise [ordinance].”

Dawkins says there is little the city can do regarding the homeless encampments, as they primarily happen on DOT property.

“We physically can't take down the encampment unless the person is a known felon or if there's an all-points bulletin for a person's arrest that has occurred in the last month, and we were able to arrest someone who was camping on the property,” Dawkins said.

However, there is a plan for the city to have its own daytime shelter. This homeless day resource center will support and centralize resources for citizens experiencing homelessness.
The day center will be located at 128 South King Street. The day resource center will also be utilized for emergency shelter purposes when needed.

“The feds were not happy that the county was not moving quickly on assisting the homeless. So the money was sent to the city after we agreed to accept. It was over $3 million. So that's going to be spent on, I call it Person Street extension. It's just a building we're renovating. And that's going to be our homeless day center and emergency shelter,” Dawkins said.

“I do think you're going to see movement these next 15 months on an agreement with the city and the county on this homeless shelter. We've got to work together to try to save money, even though it's not a constitutional responsibility of the city, for homeless people. However, the Mayor wants it to become more of a priority for the city. So that's going to be coming out of our city tax dollars. We do not get federal or state money for homelessness in our city.”

Economic development is another focus for Dawkins. He says the Amazon warehouse is a big step, but focusing on military contractors and subcontractors will be a plus for the community.
Dawkins looks forward to the General Obligation Bonds vote, and hopes it passes in order to get money for infrastructure.

Dawkins will be leading the infrastructure committee which will help allocate funds to repair and build new streets, sidewalks and roads.
He will be serving on the audit committee, the appointment committee and will be leading the Cumberland Liaison Committee.

He will also be on a few new boards the Mayor is bringing in this year. One is a military advisory committee. The other is the Unified Development Ordinance.

“This affects our builders and developers in the city, whereas they have to have required green space, they have to have sidewalks, they have to have retention ponds. If they are more than three lots being developed, there's lots of regulations on builders, what they can build in the city,” Dawkins said.

When it comes to the Vote Yes referendum — a proposed change to have at-large members on the council — Dawkins voted in favor of the issue being on the ballot. In the emergency meeting Sept. 2, Dawkins voted against appealing Cumberland County Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons' decision to have the referendum appear on the November ballot.

“My position is I want people to vote yes or no on whether to have at-large seats,” Dawkins said. “The decision should be left up to the voters.”

The North Carolina Court of Appeals should be releasing a decision on Sept. 9 on the referendum.
For District 5 residents, Dawkins wants them to know that they can reach out to him at any time and to know that the city is continuing to grow. This includes parks, senior centers and more job opportunities.

“I want everybody to enjoy their life journey and I want them to be successful in their careers. And I've found that if you have more grain in your back pocket, you're happier, and you're able to do more things for your family.”

The next city council meeting will be on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.

For several years, I have been extremely disturbed by various actions of our city council. However, the Council’s 6-4 vote on Aug. 22 not to authorize a referendum on the Vote Yes Fayetteville petition has sent my disgust and distrust to a level beyond description.

In my estimation, the six council members who voted not to put this referendum on the ballot simply followed the pattern of recent councils.
Dictatorship governments must be peacefully challenged.

That is, they are and — if not challenged — will continue to be a dictatorship government. An unattributed online definition says this is “a type of government in which a single person — the dictator — or party has absolute power. This means that the ruler or party has complete control. The rights of the people are typically suppressed in a dictatorship, sometimes to a great degree.”
I forthrightly contend that this is an accurate description of the recent past and current majority of Council, in general, and relating to the handling of the Vote Yes Fayetteville petition in particular.

In a CityView TODAY article headlined “City Council votes 6-4 against referendum on Vote Yes Initiative,” Michael Futch explains the Vote Yes effort as follows:
The Vote Yes initiative would restructure the election process for City Council members. Instead of electing all nine members by district, four members would be elected at large and five would be elected from districts.

The mayor would continue to be elected citywide.
Against that backdrop, consider how this council processed the referendum petition. The decision as to whether the issue would appear on the November ballot as a referendum rested with the Council and their decision had to be made no later than Aug. 22.

The matter was tabled in two earlier meetings because there was a question as to whether the group leading the petition drive had done all the required steps.
The final sticking point was whether General Statute 163-218 applies to this type of petition. The statute is copied below:

Article 19. Petitions for Elections and Referenda. § 163-218. Registration of notice of circulation of petition. From and after July 1, 1957, notice of circulation of a petition calling for any election or referendum shall be registered with the county board of elections with which the petition is to be filed, and the date of registration of the notice shall be the date of issuance and commencement of circulation of the petition. (1957, c. 1239, s. 1; 1967, c. 775, s. 1; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, s. 3.1(a), (b).)

In their Aug. 8 meeting, Council tasked City Attorney Karen McDonald with getting clarification regarding the Statute 163-218 question.
In the Aug. 22 meeting, McDonald reported that she had written to the Cumberland County Board of Elections regarding this issue. Copied below is the section of her letter that shows what information was requested:

I have been directed by the city Council to formally request (1) a copy of the filed notice of circulation and the date of registration as required in General Statute 163-218 and (2) whether the citizen-initiated petition is a valid petition since the provisions of 163-218 have not been met.

After stating that she had written to the Board of Elections and received a response, Attorney McDonald said, “At this point, Mayor, it appears, particularly based on the response, that there remains a question regarding the validity of the petition that was submitted to the City Council for consideration.”
Immediately after that statement, Council member Mario Benavente made a motion that the City Council not put the referendum on the November ballot. The motion was seconded by Council member Derrick Thompson.

Before the vote, Mayor Pro Tem Johnny Dawkins asked some questions of the attorney. At the end of their exchange, Dawkins said, “So, we don’t know that the statute applies to the petition. Is that your guidance?”
Attorney McDonald responded by saying, “No, my guidance is that when you look at 163-218, it says that ….” (She quotes the statute as it appears above.) After quoting the statute, McDonald says, “Because we have not received that, the Council has not received that, it appears to me to be a legitimate question as to the validity of the petition.”

The vote was taken and the Benavente motion carried 6-4. Voting in favor was Mayor Mitch Colvin, Council members Shakeyla Ingram, Mario Benavente, D.J. Haire, Derrick Thompson and Courtney Banks-McLaughin.
Voting in opposition to the motion, and wanting a referendum, were Council members Deno Hondros, Brenda McNair, Kathy Jensen and Johnny Dawkins.

The letter from Angie Amaro, Interim Director of Elections, does say that a notice of circulation was not received by her office; however, the letter goes beyond that acknowledgement.
What she writes makes it crystal clear, in my estimation, that she does not believe that this petition required a notice of circulation and she contends that the Fayetteville City Council has sole responsibility for determining the validity of the petition. The body of the Amaro letter is copied below:

I respond to your request for a document and an opinion as follows:
The North Carolina State Board of Elections maintains information and guidance on filing petitions on its website. The only petition form provided on that website is a North Carolina Petition Request. Neither the State Board’s website nor the Petition Request form mentions a notice of circulation. I am not aware that any such form exists. Neither a document identified as a notice of circulation, nor a North Carolina Petition Request was filed in my office for this petition.

I supervised the verification of the signatures attached to the petition that was presented to my office and June 13, 2022, notified Bobby Hurst that 5,009 names of the 5,721 signatures were qualified. That is my certification of the petition. This petition is to the Fayetteville City Council, not the Board of Elections. I am advised by the counsel to the State Board of Elections and the county attorney that whether the petition is valid is a question for the city council, citing G. S. § 160A-104.

Critical considerations from what is presented above coupled with some other points not mentioned there are summarized below:

From Attorney McDonald’s letter to Ms. Amaro: (1) the city was notified on March 18, 2022, of the petition initiative; (2) June 13, 2022, the city received notification that the petition had been certified.
The matter was tabled twice by the Council after June 13 and not acted on until the last permitted day. Council had some 68 days in which to act on this petition, but waited until the last possible day.
In the letter from Angie Amaro, Interim Director of Elections, to Attorney McDonald, she presents reasons for concluding that there is not a requirement for submission of a notice of circulation. This input from Amaro was not mentioned in the Aug. 22 meeting.

Every indication is that Amaro is correct in stating that, under G.S. § 160A-104, it is City Council’s responsibility to determine validity of the petition.
It reasonably follows that where over 5,000 registered voters were verified to have legitimately signed the petition, Council members should have protected the process no matter their individual objections to the petition.

That is, in fairness to citizens, council should have early on identified the concern and tenaciously worked to clarify the situation and advise the Vote Yes Fayetteville leadership.
What is presented here indicates that Council made no serious effort to deal fairly with those of us among the 5,000 plus signers.

The bottom line is that everything here points to a majority of the most recent and present Fayetteville City Councils intentionally managing the petition process in a fashion that achieved their desired outcome of defeating it.

In doing so, they clearly suppressed the rights and the will of over 5,000 citizens. I submit that this is a dictatorship government that abuses citizens, disregards individual rights and will take this city to an unimaginable low point of existence. We cannot allow this to happen.
Fayetteville citizens must faithfully gather information, think clearly, be informed voters who focus on issues and refuse to have their thinking controlled by skin color or self-interest; in the end, stand up for what is right, for what is Godly.

To the Vote Yes Fayetteville leadership, please tell me: (1) that there is a definite plan for challenging Council’s action in this matter; (2) how to financially support that plan; (3) what else I might do to help.

United States Air Force retired Col. Quincy Collins will be speaking at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Sept. 15, as part of the museum’s Distinguished Speaker Series. Collins, a 91 year old veteran, served during the Vietnam War. He was held as a prisoner of war for seven and a half years.

ASOM began the Distinguished Speaker Series in January of 2020. U.S. Army Veteran Kurt Muse spoke of his time as a captured soldier in Panama in 1989. The talk was a huge success.

“We filled the auditorium with people from the community who had not been here for a program in years,” said Renee Lane, executive director, Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation. “Everybody thought it was so great we had an evening program you could come to after dinner. People were just amazed that the museum was open at night.”

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum decided to continue the fledgling Distinguished Speaker Series, pushing programs out online via zoom. James Patterson and Matt Everson spoke during one such zoom session about their book, “The Walk.” During another installment of the series, a member of the National Archives spoke about museum work and some of the behind-the-scenes things they experienced working for the National Archives.

Collins will be the first in-person speaker since the beginning of the pandemic.

“With the pandemic lifting a bit we feel we can bring [the series] back to full speed in person,” Lane said. “Col. Collins will be here on the eve of national POW MIA Recognition Day.”

The timing of his talk is significant. Collins spent seven and a half years as a prisoner of war by the North Vietnamese. Collins had been flying with his squadron out of Thailand in September of 1965 when he was forced to eject from his plane. He was captured when he hit the ground. During his imprisonment, he and his cell mate, the late senator John McCain, worked to keep each other’s spirits up. In an interview with Spectrum News in 2021, Collins mentioned forming a choir and singing “Oh Holy Night” as a way to help bolster hope within the prison camp.

Collins was released in 1973 as part of Operation Homecoming and retired from service in 1974. He was awarded two Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts.

“He has unbelievable stories and the heroic actions he had taken as an Air Force pilot during Vietnam... If you come and hear him, you won’t believe he’s alive to tell these stories,” said Lane.

Lane said the museum has plans to continue the Distinguished Speaker Series and is looking forward to the next few months.
In October, the talk will center around a current exhibit at ASOM regarding the Holocaust and the courageous actions of the Bielski Brothers. Lane is working in conjunction with the Florida Holocaust Museum regarding the speaker of the event.

“The more we do this, the more routine it will be for the public to think “oh hey what’s going on down at the ASOM?” This is no small undertaking for us, but we feel it’s important for the public,” Lane said.

“We have plenty of free parking, we have a beautiful building and a nice auditorium. We have to use it as much as possible to bring the community in, let them know what we are doing.”

The Distinguished Speaker Series featuring Collins will be held Sept. 15, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the ASOM’s Yarborough Bank Theater.
Collins will also be signing copies of his memoir, "Into the Blue," during the event. Tickets are $10 for active military, $15 for civilians.

Books are also available for pre-purchase with the price of admission for $40 for existing Museum Friends and $50 for those who do not yet have a Museum Friend membership.
Tickets can be purchased at https://shop.asomf.org/quincy-collins/.

Finally, common sense prevails.

Unfortunately, it had to be mandated by Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons.
Ammons ruled on Sept. 1 that the Vote Yes Fayetteville referendum be put on the November ballot for voters to decide whether or not they want to change the structure of the Fayetteville City Council.
It's crazy. In my lifetime, I have never seen such aversion and reluctance to allow Americans to vote and have a voice in their government.

However, I do understand human nature, and when unscrupulous people get into positions of power, the only way they can maintain their foothold is to stifle transparency and derail the democratic process.
Unfortunately, Fayetteville's city government is a textbook example of these shenanigans.
When council members prioritize personal agendas over what is best for citizens, they are stifling this community and suffocating its growth and quality of life.

The Vote Yes referendum is vitally essential to the survival of this community.
Citizens must be allowed to vote on whether or not to break this Council's cycle of secrecy, incompetence and corruption.

If the Vote Yes Referendum fails after it's presented on the ballot, so be it. Then we will ultimately get the type of government we deserve.
For those who may have been on Mars for the past year, the Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative changes how our City Council members are elected.

Currently, the Mayor is the only elected official that is elected citywide. Districts elect the other nine members of the Council.
Vote Yes, if approved, would give Fayetteville voters six votes (four at-large, one precinct vote and one mayor vote) rather than only two.

I've always said, "What's not to like about that?" Six is always better than two, and every citizen gets the same opportunity. Make sense? Fair? Not to those who fear the outcome of a real democracy.
Well, the madness continues. After Judge Ammons announced his ruling, the Fayetteville City Council immediately called an emergency meeting the next day to analyze and discuss the litigation.

After such a logical ruling, one would think the Council would accept the decision and move on to more pressing issues in our community. Issues like the roving band of downtown vagrants peeing on my office storefront, ravaging my trash dumpster, and turning my parking lot and city sidewalks into a disgusting and embarrassing image of our city.

No. Not this group of ne're-do-wells. They would lose too much power and privilege if the people were allowed to vote for competency and transparency.

In a vote of 4 to 3, the Council voted to appeal Judge Ammons' decision against their own attorney's advice, all the while clinging to Mitch Colvin's false narrative that creating at-large districts would dilute representation and create hardships financially for minority candidates. Well, the Mayor is wrong on both assumptions.

First, at-large members would increase representation (six votes over two votes), and second, Fayetteville's Black population is no longer the minority — 50% vs. 35%.
In a typical and arrogant motion, with little hope of reversing Ammons' ruling, Mayor Colvin, Derrick Thompson, D.J. Haire and Mario Benavente voted to spend $25-30K of taxpayer money in a final desperate attempt to salvage their political futures.

Maybe by the time you read this, the courts will have made their final decision.
Let's hope so. In the meantime, I want to say "thank you" to the dozens of people who worked diligently getting us this far in the process and the thousands (5,009) of Fayetteville citizens that stepped up and signed the Vote Yes petition in the spirit of freedom and democracy.

Stay tuned, and thank you for reading the Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper.

A Fayetteville man was taken into custody Saturday afternoon, Sept. 3, after firing a weapon inside his home while his wife and adult son were inside, the Police Department said in a release.

At approximately 1:12 p.m., officers responded to the 6900 block of Woodmark Drive in reference to a domestic disturbance involving an “intoxicated subject firing his weapon inside of the residence,’’ the release said.

When officers arrived, they got a woman to safety and made contact with the “intoxicated, combative subject.’’

The man was uncooperative and resisted officers as they tried to detain him, the release said. An officer deployed his Taser and the man was taken into custody without incident, the release said.

The preliminary investigation revealed that during a domestic disturbance, the man fired multiple shots from a rifle into the ceiling. The man’s wife and adult son were not harmed during the incident, police said.

The man was identified as Emilio Crespo, 45. He was charged with discharging a firearm within an enclosure to entice fear. He is being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center with no bond, the release said.

A three-vehicle crash at Cliffdale and Bunce roads Saturday afternoon left one driver dead and a passenger with non-life threatening injuries, Fayetteville police said.

Officers responded to the crash just before 3:15 p.m.

Police said one of the drivers died at the hospital. A passenger from another vehicle was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The drivers of the other vehicles were on the scene, police said in a release.

The Police Department’s Traffic Unit is investigating the cause of the crash.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Officer J. Smith at 910-987-4510 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

Fayetteville police are investigating after a man was found dead behind a dumpster on Raeford Road Saturday morning, Sept. 3.

Officers were dispatched to the 7700 block of Raeford Road at 9 a.m. in reference to a deceased man behind a dumpster, the department said in a release.

Officers and emergency medical personnel found the man when they arrived. In the release, police said the body was in “advanced stages of decomposition.’’

On Saturday night, police identified the man as 58-year-old Roger Eugene Johns, who was homeless.

“This does not appear to be a random act,” police said in the release.

The department’s Homicide Unit is investigating.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Detective D. Arnett at 910-929-2565 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

Cumberland County Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons ruled Thursday, Sept. 1, that a referendum on the Vote Yes election plan be placed on the November ballot to allow voters to decide if they want to change the way the City Council is structured.

“I’m ordering that this measure be put on the ballot,” Ammons said. “This is important.”

He then told Cumberland County Attorney Rick Moorefield to “get the order done today.”
Attorney Edwin Speas, who represented the city of Fayetteville and the county Board of Elections in the civil case, said the city will work with the Board of Elections to have the proper wording completed in time to print the ballots.

The Fayetteville City Council has called an emergency meeting for 9 a.m. Friday to discuss the litigation, according to a notice sent by the city Clerk’s Office.

On Aug. 22, the City Council voted against putting the proposal on the ballot after some council members raised questions about whether Vote Yes Fayetteville followed the rules on circulating a petition.

Members of the advocacy group filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the city and the county Board of Elections asking that the referendum be put before voters on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative calls for changing the way City Council members are elected.
Currently, the mayor is elected citywide, and all nine council members are elected by district. If passed by voters, Vote Yes would change the makeup to five single-district seats and four members elected at large. The mayor would still be elected at large.

Proponents of the plan say it will give voters more representation on the City Council because each voter would help choose the mayor, four at-large council members, and a district representative.
CityView TODAY publisher Tony Chavonne, a former mayor, is among the supporters of the initiative.

Those who oppose the initiative — including Mayor Mitch Colvin and five other members of the current council — say it would dilute representation by increasing the size of the districts. Opponents also say it creates hardships for minority candidates who would have to run their campaigns citywide rather than by district at a higher cost to them.

“I’m real happy for the people to have a chance to vote,” Bobby Hurst, a leader of Vote Yes Fayetteville, said after the hearing Thursday.

Fayetteville attorney Lonnie Player Jr., who represented Vote Yes in the case, said he was pleased with the outcome.

“(Judge Ammons) read the statutes clearly and correctly and arrived at the proper result,” Player said.

Player said there is little case law on the issue.
Player represented the three plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit: Hurst, Karl Merritt and Suzanne Pennink, who were asking for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.

Speas, on his way out of the courtroom, declined to comment on the decision.
Moorefield and Karen McDonald, the attorney for the city, said they had no comment.
Earlier, Ammons questioned why some city officials opposed putting the issue to the voters.

“I’m wondering why the city is fighting this, to tell you the truth,” he said in court. “I wonder why they are incessant to delay the people to decide this issue that apparently — due to the plaintiffs — has been properly done.”

Moorefield responded: “I think the City Council is interested in complying with the law. If the City Council — if it receives a valid petition — will clearly put it on the ballot.”

Robert Hunter, who represented the plaintiffs challenging the City Council’s decision, told Ammons that federal and state constitutions both guarantee a right to petition.

“Both constitutions have a provision as part of due process,... and the state constitution has a right to vote and a right to petition for the address of grievances,” Hunter said. “In addition to that right to petition and right to grievances, the N.C. legislature codifies specific statutes — which your honor has said he has read — which allow citizens and municipal corporations to place a ballot measure on the ballot to change the structure of the election.
"In this particular case, over 5,000 citizens of Cumberland County were led by the group Vote Yes Fayetteville, who began to gather signatures in March of 2021,” Hunter continued. “They went to the Board of Elections here to receive guidance and, in doing so, they were informed they had to form a political committee, and they were not given any other forms (that were) necessary to begin a petition drive."

The City Council received verification of the petition signatures from the county Board of Elections, Hunter said, but it delayed action “for reasons that haven't been explained, from our viewpoint."

Hunter told Ammons that with the petition signatures verified, city officials had no discretion to refuse to call a referendum.
Speas argued that state law must be applied as written.

“We would like for this petition to be dismissed,” Speas said, adding that the petitioners could begin the process again since it had been more than a year since the first petition was initially circulated.

But Ammons said the petition process was completed within a year's time in compliance with state law.
In delaying action to call a referendum, some city officials had argued that Vote Yes Fayetteville failed to file a “notice of circulation.” But Moorefield said in court Thursday that the Board of Elections has no such notice required to circulate petitions.
Ammons said the City Council’s decision "appears to me to be self-serving."

“The City Council has failed to call for a special election, which is required by the statute," Ammons said. “That the plaintiffs had the clear right to this action that would comply with the statutes.... There's no legitimate right for the City Council to object to putting this measure before the people. …
"This measure needs to be included on the ballot," he added.

Cumberland County Schools administrators on Thursday heralded the news that 15 schools in the district were removed from the state’s list of low-performing schools based on end-of-grade and end-of-course test results.

The report on school performance for the 2021-22 school year was released Thursday by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
The report said that the district’s student achievement results are beginning to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels.

The results are based on an analysis of end-of-grade (EOG) and end-of-course (EOC) tests, which are used to assess proficiency in English language arts and reading and mathematics and the science.

At a news conference to discuss the test results, Superintendent Marvin Connelly Jr. was joined by Kim Nash, executive director of data and accountability; Jane Fields, associate superintendent for school support; Stacey Wilson-Norman, chief academic officer; and John McMillian, principal of Lewis Chapel Middle School.

Lewis Chapel was among the middle schools with the greatest composite gains.
The state’s accountability report includes performance and growth data for schools and districts across North Carolina. Nash defined growth as the actual performance of a student versus the predictions of how well a student will perform based on a number of factors, including tests.

In his opening remarks, Connelly said the district has overcome incredible challenges, from the disruption caused by the pandemic to teacher shortages. And, because of COVID-19, the accountability report is the first since the 2018-19 school year to include all the state’s accountability framework.

“Test results are only one of many ways that we measure the progress we are making in our district,” Connelly said.

But, he added, the accountability results demonstrate the “incredible work” happening in Cumberland County Schools.
Nash highlighted the major results of the report. In reading, English, math and science, various grades in the district had an increase in proficiency over last year but did not surpass proficiency levels reported in 2018-19.

For example, in 2018-19 — before the pandemic — the district’s performance composite was 54.7% in grades three through 12. In 2019-20, the scores dropped to 36.8%. In 2021-22, those scores rose to 47.3%.

In grade-level proficiency for grades three through five, the composite reading proficiency (combined grades) rose from 36.6% to 43.1%. In 2018-19, the composite reading proficiency was at 55.3%. For math, the composite proficiency scores were 45.1% in 2021-22 compared with 28.9% the previous year.

The math composite score was 54% in 2018-19.

Fifth-grade science proficiency scores were 73.3% in 2018-19, 45.9% in 2020-21, and 62.2% in 2021-22.
The trend continued for middle schools. Grade-level reading proficiency scores in grades six through eight were 47.1%, up from 42.6% in 2020-21. The 2018-19 score was 53.9%.

The composite math score for middle schools was 46.8% in 2018-19, 28.9% in 2020-21, and 36.8% for 2021-22.
The grade-level proficiency rating in high school grades nine through 12 includes biology, English 2, and Math 1 and 3. For years 2018-19, 2020-21, and 2021-22, the composite scores were 58.5%, 36.7% and 50.8%, respectively. For English ll, the scores were 56.9%, 53.9%, and 55.7%, respectively. For Math 1, the scores were 41.6%, 19.2%, and 35%. And for Math 3, the respective scores were 43.2%, 29.6%, and 50.9%.

High school ACT scores for 2021-22 were lower than in both previous years. Nash said the University of North Carolina system raised the standard from 17 to 19, resulting in a lower percentage of students reaching the new benchmarks. Also, graduation rates decreased during the past three years. The district’s 2021-22 four-year graduation rate dropped to 82.8%, compared with 84.2% in 2020-21.

Schools that showed the greatest composite score gains include:
Elementary schools: Warrenwood, Ponderosa and Mary McArthur.

Middle schools: Reid Ross Classical, Lewis Chapel and Luther “Nick” Jeralds.
High schools: Cape Fear, Pine Forest and Douglas Byrd.

“While we have much more work to do, we need to pause and celebrate the accomplishments of teachers and students,” Connelly said.

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education reported that reading and math performance saw the steepest decline in decades. The report cited the pandemic, classroom disruptions and violence, and a shortage of teachers as the causes.

The Vote Yes Fayetteville advocacy group is suing the city and the Cumberland County Board of Elections seeking to have its plan to reshape City Council elections put before voters in a Nov. 8 referendum.

The civil lawsuit, which asks for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, was filed Tuesday, Aug. 30 in Cumberland County Superior Court.
Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons is expected to hear the case and rule on it at 10 a.m. Thursday.
A leader of the group said city officials and the Board of Elections are both aware of the suit.

“The issue of protecting citizens' right to vote (is) too important not to pursue,” said Bobby Hurst, one of the Vote Yes organizers. “City Council’s actions are just an example of why the state’s general statutes give voice, through the petition process, to protect citizens' rights when their government refuses to listen to them.”

The Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative calls for changing the way City Council members are elected.
Currently, the mayor is elected citywide and all nine council members are elected by district. Vote Yes would change the makeup to five single-district seats and four members elected at large. The mayor would still be elected at large.

“I would say our attorneys are pretty confident that citizens will be able to vote on this this November,” Hurst said. “The goal is to have this done quickly and have it on the ballot in November. We think we can have this wrapped up and get it on the 2022 ballot.”

Fayetteville lawyer Lonnie Player Jr. will represent Vote Yes in the courtroom.
The three plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Hurst, Karl Merritt and Suzanne Pennink, all residents of the city.

“The Vote Yes Fayetteville committee believes that there is a good-faith basis to prevail and request to have the referendum placed on the ballot in November,” Player said.

Tony Chavonne, publisher of CityView TODAY, is one of several former council members who started the Vote Yes drive.
Proponents of the plan say it will give voters more representation on the City Council because each voter would help choose the mayor, four at-large council members, and a district representative.
Those who oppose the initiative, including Mayor Mitch Colvin, say it would dilute representation by increasing the size of the districts.

“As you know, I'm limited as to what I can say,” Colvin said Wednesday. “I'm looking forward to getting to the bottom of this.”

In the introduction comments, the lawsuit against the city and county Board of Election says it was filed on behalf of the Vote Yes committee and city residents who signed the Vote Yes petition “for violation of plaintiffs' federal and state constitutional and statutory rights to petition and to vote."

The lawsuit says: “Plaintiffs are citizens and electors of Fayetteville who have successfully petitioned the City Council in accordance with North Carolina law for a ballot referendum posing the question whether certain members of the City Council of Fayetteville be elected at-large rather than from separate districts as is currently the practice."

The lawsuit adds that “the legal requirements for a petition were satisfied and the Cumberland County Board of Elections certified plaintiffs' request.”
After delaying action on the issue at two previous meetings, the City Council voted 6-4 on Aug. 22 against calling a referendum on the Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative.

During that regular meeting of the council, City Attorney Karen McDonald said questions persist about the validity of the petition calling for the referendum that was submitted by Vote Yes. McDonald said the council had directed her to contact the county Board of Elections to inquire about whether petition organizers followed the rules.

“I did that on Aug. 9,” McDonald told council members that night. “I did receive a response from the interim director for the Board of Elections on Aug. 16. And to this point, there appears to be — based on the response — that there remains a question regarding the validity of the petition that was submitted to the City Council for consideration.”

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a man died following a shooting in a neighborhood near Hope Mills early Wednesday, Aug. 31.

Deputies responded to a shooting near the 400 block of Scipio Court around 1:15 a.m., the Sheriff’s Office said in a release. Scipio Court is off Spinnaker Drive, not far from Legion Road.

A man with a gunshot wound was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center before deputies arrived, the release said.

The Sheriff’s Office later Wednesday identified the man as 24-year-old Jaquon Jamario McCoy of Hope Mills. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, the Sheriff’s Office said.

“The preliminary investigation revealed that this shooting was not a random incident, as all parties involved are known to one another,’’ the Sheriff’s Office said in the release.

The Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit is investigating.

Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to contact Senior Sgt. C. Zwan at 910-677-5503 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

City and county government offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 5 in observance of the Labor Day holiday.
The city of Fayetteville released this schedule for government offices and services:

Police Department: The main lobby and records until will be closed Monday. Many police reports are available online at faypd.com.

Solid Waste Division: Monday’s garbage and yard waste will be collected on Wednesday; Monday’s recycling will be collected on Sept. 5.

Fayetteville Regional Airport: Administrative offices will be closed Monday, but all other operations will be on the regular schedule. Airline contact information is available at Visit flyfay.com.

Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST): Buses and other transit services will operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday.

Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation: Pools and splash pads will be open on Monday, the last day of the season for pools. Splash pads will remain open through September. All other public recreation facilities will be closed Monday, but parks, trails and green spaces will remain accessible.

Cumberland County government offices and the court system will be closed Monday for Labor Day, a county news release said. That includes Animal Services, the Ann Street landfill, the Wilkes Road yard debris site and all Solid Waste container.
All branches of the Cumberland County Library System will be closed Saturday through Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of 84 street signs from 42 intersections earlier this month.

The signs were taken on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13, the Sheriff’s Office said in a release.

The signs were removed from intersections in the Eastover area to the Wade-Stedman area, the Sheriff’s Office said. The Sheriff’s Office was alerted when it responded to a larceny call at the Cumberland County Sign Shop on Aug. 16, the release said.

It cost an estimated $20,000 to replace the signs, the release said.

“The sign shop worked diligently and swiftly to replace all the stolen signs from the reported locations,’’ the Sheriff’s Office said in the release.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking people who live in the area where the signs were taken to check their surveillance and doorbell cameras to see if they may have information about the signs.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective R. Tyndall at 910-677-5499 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

The Sheriff’s Office said signs were taken at the following intersections:

1. Magnolia Church Road at Maxwell Road
2. Pooh Avenue at Wade-Stedman Road
3. Tobacco Road at Baywood Road
4. Hayfield Road at Maxwell Road
5. Roebud Road at Jake Road
6. Morning Glory Drive at Wade-Stedman Road
7. Collier Road at S. River School Road
8. Boyces Landing Road at S. River School Road
9. Oak Grove Church Road at Bainbridge Road
10. Saddleback at Wade-Stedman Road
11. Mary Mccall Road at Bainbridge Road
12. Bridle Ridge Lane at Kennel Road
13. Kennel Road at Wade-Stedman Road
14. Kennel Road at S. River School Road
15. Stone Crossing Lane at S. River School Road
16. Bun Brady Road at Murphy Road
17. Irrigation Drive at Draughon Road
18. Travis Road at Draughon Road
19. Landover Drive at Draughon Road
20. Produce Lane at Draughon Road
21. Hollowman Drive at Murphy Road
22. Lake Gordon Drive at Murphy Road
23. Glamorgan Road at Murphy Road
24. Gobbler Lane at Baywood Road
25. Mistletoe Court at Baywood Road
26. Wolvey Road at Baywood Road
27. Autry Road at Clinton Road
28. Stallion Drive at Clinton Road
29. Harvestgrain Drive at Mary Mccall Road
30. Mccall Drive at Oak Grove Church Road
31. Wishing Lane at Huckleberry Road
32. Piglet Place at Tigger Trail
33. Pooh Avenue at Piglet Place
34. Ping Court at Bobby Jones Drive
35. Titleist Drive at Bobby Jones Drive
36. Maxwell Road at Murphy Road
37. Cherrybark Drive at Deerview Drive
38. Eastfield Avenue at Deerview Drive
39. Altitude Drive at Final Approach Drive
40. Final Approach Drive at Baywood Road
41. Sandy Acres Loop at Baywood Road
42. Creek Bottom Trail at Murphy Road

The city is moving forward with plans to build a $9.4 million fire station on Bragg Boulevard.

The new Fayetteville Fire Department Station 4 will replace the one on Stamper Road that opened in 1960, according to a news release from the city.
City officials and firefighters broke ground for the new station Tuesday morning, the release said.

The state-of-the-art station, located at 4210 Bragg Blvd., will be centrally located to improve response in high-demand areas, according to the release. Officials expect it to become the busiest fire station in the city because it will be readily accessible to several major roads and have three bays for firetrucks.

The 18,433-square-foot facility will include storage space for fire equipment, spare vehicles and office supplies. It will accommodate as many as 10 firefighters on duty with 10 bedrooms and five restrooms, the release said.

Fire Chief Mike Hill thanked members of the City Council for approving the new station.

“The investment in this long-awaited project illustrates the council’s commitment to the community and to the staff of the Fayetteville Fire Department,” Hill said. “It also has the potential to facilitate one of the greatest service enhancements I have witnessed in my career.”

Construction is estimated to be complete within 18 months, the release said.
The new station will have decontamination equipment to remove exhaust from the air as well as washers designed to reduce contaminants on uniforms, according to the news release. A space to store turnout gear will be a first for Fayetteville, giving firefighters room to store pants, boots, coats and gloves separate from living and working areas.

A community room will be available for Neighborhood Watch meetings and public-safety classes, the release said.
Plans for more fire station renovations and expansions are part of a $60 million public-safety infrastructure bond package that will be on the ballot in November.

Central Baptist Church in Dunn wants to celebrate Labor Day with neighbors near and far. All are invited for the semi-annual Food Truck Fest Sunday, Sept. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The line-up includes Catering by Alex & Family, Sisters II Ice Cream, TAL Dreams and Big B’s Southern Kitchen – all at reasonable prices.
Catering by Alex & Family will serve a choice of taco plate, fajita plate or BBQ plate with sides. TAL Dreams serves a variety of burgers, hot dogs and sausages. Big B’s Southern Kitchen boasts a “gourmet on the go” menu of seafood and soul food, most famously known for its “Meatloaf Melt.” And of course, Sisters II Ice Cream will bring the sweets with plenty of sundaes and shakes.

Bring your friends, families and neighbors to enjoy the beautiful weather and delicious food. Find the event on Facebook to receive updates and detailed menus. Be sure to bring a lawn chair to sit, eat and relax with friends new and old.
Central Baptist Church is located 4 miles south of Dunn on Highway 421 at 6050 Plain View Highway, (exit 73 off I-95). For more information call 910-892-7914 or visit www.cbcdunn.com.

Well, last week was not a good week for me. Actually, the past thirty days have been pretty much of a disaster for the entire Fayetteville-Cumberland County community. They say bad news comes in three, well the recent actions, decisions and events add validity to that adage.

First, the City Council fails to approve the resolution to put the Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative before city voters. This issue is not dead yet, only severely wounded. It appears the courts will have to intervene.
However, it's a near-perfect example of how our city leadership disregards its citizens and restricts voting participation and involvement in local government.

Currently, citizens of Fayetteville are allowed only two votes in a city election where nine district representatives and the mayor are elected. Approval of the Vote Yes proposal would add four at-large districts giving every citizen six votes to decide the leadership in our municipality. Six votes versus two. What's not to like?

On Aug. 22 it was voted down and rejected 6-4 by the mayor and five inexperienced council members who put fear and personal agendas ahead of the welfare of the citizens of Fayetteville.
Then secondly, came the stunning announcement from the Arts Council that there will be a rebranding of a successful Fayetteville tradition that brought over 25,000 citizens to historic downtown Fayetteville to celebrate the Christmas holidays and launch the holiday shopping season. A Dickens Holiday is no more.

I strongly doubt that the idea to dismantle one of Fayetteville’s most successful events came from the Arts Council board and staff. Those of us that worked the Dickens Holiday over the years know how much time and effort they put into making this community event diverse, accessible and inclusive. This was decades before Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, became “a thing.”
It's laughable that any so-called “internal review” would or could find otherwise. And since the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County provide funding to the Arts Council many know where the mandate originated, and where the resistance has come from.

It appears to be racially motivated. Fayetteville is a very diverse community but not a racially divided community, as those in our city and county government would like to have us think. The leadership of city and county governments has mastered the game of playing the race card to amass personal power and prestige without regard for their constituents and without responsibility or concern for the consequences that result.

This kind of behavior in government will continue until all citizens, Black and white, who love this community stand up and say "enough is enough!” This tendency to create divisiveness by encouraging and promoting division and making false accusations of non-inclusion will only continue to deteriorate the foundation of our community.

As I write this editorial, my storefront has been trashed, people have defecated in my parking lot, and the unhoused are meandering through downtown streets heading to their encampments in our city center while officials ignore this blatant situation, and the citizens of the community sit by in darkness, silent and afraid to speak up for fear of being canceled.
Many are leaving this community to live elsewhere. Those who remain, sitting on the sidelines, no longer get involved or contribute their time, talent and resources. Fayetteville and Cumberland County are in a bad place with a severe leadership crisis at all levels which takes me to the third hapless development last week.

We lost one of the most intelligent, hard-working and dedicated CEOs since former Chamber President John Swope. Her departure should serve as a resounding wake-up call to anyone who loves and cares about this community. Public Works Commission executive Elaina Ball came here because she wanted to make a difference. She was aggressive, methodical and not afraid to take on the major challenges facing Fayetteville and Cumberland County. She steered us away from the Bernhard Capital Partners ruse, took on the Texfi contamination situation that would have turned Fayetteville into a toxic wasteland in 20 years. In addition, she was dealing with the Chemours problem, working to bring clean water back to the Gray’s Creek community.

Anyone who is close to Ball or works with her knows that her biggest frustration came from local government processes moving slowly and with little sense of priority or sense of urgency. Communications between local agencies were often extremely poor if not nonexistent.

Ball is a dedicated CEO who helps those that help themselves. She has moved on to bigger and better opportunities and we are pleased that she has left her mark here and a community better off than it was. We wish her the best.
In the meantime, it is my hope these situations over the past few weeks provide a wake-up call to our local leadership.

The clock is ticking and our time is running out to make Fayetteville a viable community we can be proud of.
Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

The 6th Annual African World Peace Festival will bring culture, fun, education and awareness to downtown Fayetteville from Friday, Sept. 9 to Sunday, Sept. 11. Organized by the Culture and Heritage Alliance and partly sponsored by the Arts Council of Fayetteville, the festival will be a family-friendly fundraiser celebrating art, music and diversity.

After two years of COVID restrictions, the three-day event is back and better than ever, with an exciting lineup of entertainment and activities for people of all ages and backgrounds. In alignment with CHA's mission to “promote the works of emerging artists while fostering cultural diversity and education for the promotion of peace,” the festival will display a vibrant mix of cultures coming together in love and appreciation of one another.

The first festival launched in 2014 based on a need Dr. Isabella Effon, co-founder and president of CHA, saw in the community to have more representation for a population of African immigrants making their way into Fort Bragg.

“The idea of the festival came along when I moved here in 2001," she explained. "I realized our population was growing as African immigrants, we were starting families, and we wanted our culture to be part of this community.”

From there, the festival has grown over the past eight years to include an impressive array of activities over a well-organized schedule. Whether checking out the festival for just one day or all three, there's no shortage of things to see and do.

Beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, the AWPF will kick off with a prayer. Guests will spend the rest of the weekend dancing, drumming and singing along with an array of musical acts and dance groups. Friday and Saturday will welcome the African Highlife Band, Kongo Jazz, Aya Drum & Dance, and African Children Beats, to name a few. A gospel concert will begin on Sunday at 10 a.m., followed by a non-denominational service. The festival will end Sunday evening in the echoes of a drum beat.

In addition to an exciting musical lineup, the festival, organized into zones, will offer ample opportunity for its guests to explore different aspects of African culture.
The Arts & Crafts Zone will allow guests to learn a new trade, such as pottery, painting, papercraft, and much more. Various workshops within the zone will demonstrate craft-making from different regions of Africa, and artists from around the world will also use this area to display and sell their work.

Although music and activities are integral to any celebration, a festival is only as good as its food. With that in mind, AWPF's Food & Beverage Zone will be packed with a tasty variety of cuisines from around the world, drinks and desserts for purchase.

Lastly, The Kid Zone is a place where the festival's youngest visitors are free to learn, play and discover. Face painting, arts & crafts, games, and tons of activities will ensure a great time for kids and parents alike. Kids can also look forward to exercising their problem-solving skills with puzzle boxes supplied by Xscape Factor, a climbing wall provided by The Climbing Place, and a real-life excavation dig complete with remote-controlled digging equipment.

Of all the activities and offerings scheduled, Dr. Effon is most excited to share Africa's rich cultural diversity through its music and food with the people attending the festival.

“I'm most excited to share the music, the concerts and the food,” she laughed. “If you look at all the footprints Africa has left worldwide, this festival is a celebration of those influences. When you look at it, we really all eat the same things. So much of our food and music comes from Africa, and that's why we celebrate this as an 'African World' festival.”

Fun, games, art, music and food are important aspects of the festival, but there's more to AWPF than simply serving the spirit; the festival is dedicated to serving the body. Throughout Saturday and Sunday, guests can sign up for free health screenings beginning at 7 a.m.

Saturday is also race day. Those who register can participate in the festival's 5k/10k walk/run sponsored by Foxhole Consulting. Each participant who completes the race will receive a T-shirt and medal. A 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize will be awarded to males and females with the best time.

Walkers and runners under 16 will pay $30 for early registration, while those over 16 will pay $35. All participants must sign in between 6 and 6:30 a.m. to receive their participation T-shirt and race number; the race will begin at 8 a.m.

With over 8,500 guests in attendance pre-COVID, organizers expect an even larger turnout this year. This year's festival is later in the summer than any previously scheduled, which means it's the first AWPF to take place in concurrence with college classes. A later start date also ensures that the temperature readout is a bit kinder.

For Effon, this is an important year for the festival. After a two-year hiatus, she is excited to come back together to heal and share.

“Humanity doesn't stop, life doesn't stop, but things have changed,” she said of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It's given us a template to follow, and we now know that things can change anytime. We're adjusting to our new normal, but we shouldn't be afraid to come out and celebrate one another. It's important for us to come back and exchange that peace and love.”

In addition to the African World Peace Festival, the CHA organizes events throughout the year that speak to the same intention of social connectedness. Dance lessons, film festivals, demonstrations and workshops are all planned to bring people together to learn from one another.

Africa is a continent containing over 54 countries, 3,000 tribes, and over 2,000 different languages and dialects. It is a place with a fascinating history, diverse people and a wealth of cultural information to share. Events like the AWPF create an awareness of the world that can be transformative.

“Every time we do this,” Effon explained, “I want people to understand that we are all one. We all have different cultures, beliefs and languages, but one thing that brings us together is food and music. No matter the language we speak or what part of the world we're in — we don't have to understand each other to move together.”

The AWPF is a free and public event. However, food, beverages, vendor items and race participation require payment.

To register for the 5k/10k visit https://africanworldpeacefestival.org/5k-10k-run/.
To volunteer or sponsor, visit https://africanworldpeacefestival.org/for-volunteers/ and https://africanworldpeacefestival.org/be-a-sponsor/.