Hope Mills Town Manager Scott Meszaros tonight Aug. 1 is scheduled to present a “State of the Town’’ overview that includes updates on a number of issues, including planning, parks and recreation and public safety.

The town Board of Commissioners meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.
The town continues to experience a record number of voluntary annexation petitions, according to information in the agenda packet. Between June 2021 and July 2022, there were 10 voluntary annexations for commercial and residential development, according to the “State of the Town’’ presentation in the agenda packet from Meszaros to the board.

That includes more than a thousand proposed single-family residential developments and 20 acres of industrial development, the agenda materials state.
The town also is seeing an increase in commercial and retail development. Recent commercial development includes two standalone Starbucks, Popeyes, Barbara Ann’s Chicken and a second Jersey Mikes.

In January, the town began conducting its own planning and zoning practices related to fees, application intake and zoning processing. According to the Inspection and Permitting Department, June was the busiest month for permit issuance and fee collections in the town’s history. The town collected nearly $90,000 in fees and issued 240 permits, according to information in the agenda packet.

With parks and recreation, the materials say permit drawings for Phase 1 construction have been submitted for approval and construction is scheduled to begin in the fall for Heritage Park Phase 1. The town is also making improvements at municipal park, including a baseball-themed splash pad and an inclusive playground.

The presentation also is expected to include an overview of how the town used $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds and nearly $4.7 million in state funds.

Most of the ARP money — nearly $2.4 million — went for street improvement projects, according to information in the agenda packet. About $1.6 million was earmarked for quality of life projects like the basketball court and ballfields at the Golfview property. Just over $1 million was earmarked for public safety, the agenda materials state.

The state funding was used for outdoor park improvements and infrastructure, the agenda materials state.
In other business, the town will consider authorizing the town manager to contract with Dormakaba USA Inc. for the installation of touchless automatic sliding glass doors at a cost of $10,628.05.

According to a memo to Meszaros from Public Works Director Don Sisko, the board directed the Public Works department to look into installation of an ADA-compliant front door at Town Hall. Due to the age and condition of the current front doors, Sisko’s department is recommending replacing the door with a hands-free automatic sliding door.

The town will also hold a closed session to discuss a personnel matter under attorney-client privilege.

Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon on Monday, Aug. 1 again is expected to propose the creation of additional water and sewer districts during a meeting of the county Board of Commissioners.

The board meets at 9 a.m. in Room 118 of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse.
Cannon's proposal to create two more water and sewer districts is in response to an increase in contaminated drinking water wells as a result of chemical air and water discharges from the Chemours chemical plant on N.C. 87 on the Cumberland/Bladen County line.

The Board of Commissioners was expected to consider Cannon's proposal during a July 18 special called meeting. However, Chairman Glenn Adams adjourned the meeting because the group did not have a quorum. The board in June said it did not plan to meet in July. Adams said after the special called meeting that he was not aware that most board members were going to be absent.

Cannon is expected to propose creating a water and sewer district in the Cedar Creek and east central portions of Cumberland County. The proposed districts would join the Vander and Gray's Creek water and sewer districts created to provide countywide water and sewer service eventually.

Additionally, the county manager is expected to ask board members to adopt resolutions giving county staff the authority to apply for grants from state and federal agencies for water feasibility studies.

Currently, the county Public Utility Department is working with an engineering design firm for the first phase toward extending public water to Gray's Creek and Alderman Road elementary schools.
The Public Utility Department plans to apply for fall 2022 funding with the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Water Infrastructure funding.

But before the county can proceed, Cannon is asking the board to adopt several resolutions, among them are adopting the county's Code of Ethics, the county's Minority/Disadvantaged Business Contracting Goals, and authorizing her and the chairman to execute those documents.

After the presentation, Cannon is expected to ask the board to consider creating the two new districts, hold a public hearing on Aug. 15 to get comments on the creation of the water districts and have all the necessary board-adopted resolutions in place to meet the Sept. 30 fall funding deadline for grant applications.

The board also is expected to hold a public hearing on helping Cargill Inc. acquire $27 million in revenue bonds so it can build and install a solid waste disposal system at its Fayetteville soybean processing plant.
On July 28, the Cumberland County Industrial Facilities and Pollution Control Financing Authority approved issuing the revenue bonds in an amount not to exceed $27 million.

The seven-member Cumberland County Industrial Facilities and Pollution Control Financing Authority's function is to help issue revenue bonds for paying all or any part of the cost of industrial or pollution control projects.

The Financing Authority also helps to finance industrial and manufacturing facilities to alleviate unemployment or raise below-average wages, helps to finance pollution control facilities for industry, and conducts other activities appropriate to its stated legal objectives.
Although the Financing Authority approved issuing the revenue bonds, its actions do not create a liability or cost to the county. The Internal Revenue Code requires the board to hold a public hearing and render its decision after considering the comments.

The Fayetteville City Council on Monday, Aug. 1 is expected to receive an update on the proposed repurposing of the Market House. The council meets at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

The Market House has been a divisive issue for years, mainly because of its history of slaves being sold there.

Some people in the community have called for it to be torn down while others have suggested it be moved. The City Council has decided to repurpose the structure.

The Market House Repurposing Group was formed in late January 2021. The city worked with the U.S. Department of Justice, which held meetings to gather input on how the structure could be repurposed.

In March, after hearing a report from the Department of Justice, the council voted to hear from more residents, and not just a select group, before making a decision on how to designate a true purpose for the building.

The report from the Department of Justice came together after the department worked with 80 people — in what was described as a diverse group from different walks of life — during two sessions in October and January to glean opinions for repurposing the Market House.

Several options were identified. They included educational or themed events at the Market House; expanding the base and alleviating the multiple traffic lanes; using the space for vendor events; and using it as a place where diverse artisans could display their work.

When the groups were asked to develop solutions to the proposals, they suggested involving various groups in the community, including Fayetteville State University, Methodist University, the Fayetteville History Museum, the Arts Council of Fayetteville-Cumberland County, as well as artists.

The Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations Commission gathered additional community input on the proposed repurposing of the structure. It held meetings and created an online survey, according to background materials in the agenda packet.

According to materials in the agenda packet, the top recommendations from those meetings include:
Changing the language on the Market House plaque to reflect the involuntary nature of the enslaved.
Using the four corners of Market Square to display rotating art exhibits by local artisans.

Two people have been charged in connection with a Wednesday morning, July 27, shooting that left a woman with life-threatening injuries.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting just after 1:30 a.m. in the area of the 3300 block of Village Drive, police said in a release.

A woman had been shot and was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Police said an “unknown type of disturbance’’ occurred before the shooting.

Wednesday night police identified the woman as 44-year-old Angie Anderson of the 200 block of Eastwood Avenue.

“Detectives have determined the victim was not known to the suspects,’’ police said in a release. “The attack on the victim was the result of the disturbance between the victim’s boyfriend and the suspects.’’

Tyrece Kodjo, 19, of the 3000 block of Queen Anne Loop, was charged with attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and shooting into an occupied vehicle, police said in the release. He was arrested Wednesday and is in the Cumberland County Detention Center under no bond.

Justin Simmons, 19, of the 3000 block of Armour Drive, was charged with accessory after the fact. He was arrested Wednesday and received a $50,000 unsecured bond, police said.

Police said there was a report of shots fired in the area of Village Drive and Roxie Avenue prior to the reported shooting.

Anderson’s vehicle, a red Ford Fusion, was stalled in the intersection of Village Drive and Roxie Avenue, police said. Her passenger was trying to help her. Multiple vehicles passed through the intersection during this time, police said.

Anyone who has information about the shooting is asked to contact detective R. Vernon at 910-729-2525 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

The Fayetteville City Council will undergo a considerable change next month with four new members joining five incumbents, according to unofficial results Tuesday.

Three of those new council members – Mario Benavente in District 3, Deno Hondros in District 9 and Brenda McNair in District 7 – ousted incumbents in Tuesday’s municipal election, according to unofficial returns from the North Carolina State Board of Elections. The fourth, Derrick Thompson, was elected in District 6, where Councilman Chris Davis chose to run for a legislative seat.

Mayor Mitch Colvin defeated his challenger to win another term, according to the unofficial returns.

The mayor and the council members are set to be sworn in during an inauguration ceremony scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at Seabrook Auditorium on the campus of Fayetteville State University. The event is open to the public.

Meanwhile, there is the possibility of a recount in District 3 if Councilman Antonio Jones requests one and the lead in his race with Benavente remains as narrow as it is.

Benavente edged Jones by six votes, 1,012 to 1,006, in the tightest race of the night.

“At this point, we don’t know,” said Vicki Hilburn, who serves as administrative support with the Cumberland County Board of Elections. “That would be after the canvass (process) was done. Right now the margin could widen.”

That’s because the absentee and provisional ballots will be added to Tuesday’s results during the scheduled Aug. 5 canvass to make unofficial wins official.

"After all that's done," Hilburn said, “we can discuss that.”

The canvass will be conducted at 11 a.m. at the Board of Elections, 227 Fountainhead Lane.

Angie Amaro, interim director of the Board of Elections, said at this point Jones would be able to call for a recount. “But,” she noted, “everything is not final.”

Jones, 48, is a pastor and a real estate agent. He said he plans to ask for a recount should Benavente's unofficial margin of victory remain like it is.

For a non-statewide ballot item in North Carolina, a candidate has the right to request a recount if the difference between the votes for the candidate and the votes for a prevailing candidate is not more than 1% of the total votes cast, according to the state recount law.

"I have my own personal set of ethics," Jones said. "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."

Amaro said a request for a recount must be made in writing. The Board of Elections must receive the written request by 5 p.m. on the first day of business following the canvass.

She said that overall, election night went “very smooth.”

Turnout in Fayetteville was 11.72% for this off-year election, with 14,833 residents voting out of 126,533 registered voters, Amaro said.

A grassroots campaign

Thompson, 60, and originally from Philadelphia, has lived in the Fayetteville area since retiring from the Army after 22 years of service in 2003. He also is a retired postal worker.

He believes he won the District 6 seat by running a grassroots campaign. He also credited his involvement in the community.

“Me being a president of the Rayconda Homeowners Association, being a former mailman and having collaborations with other community watch leaders in Arran Lakes, Hickory Grove, Ashbury and Woodland Village, we have the same issues," he said.

Thompson said his main focus will be collaborating with communities in the district.

“Every community in my district, I want to get to know you,” he said Wednesday. “To me, it’s about serving the people. My district and my city.”

The new council will need to come together, as well, he said, when asked how he thought the new members will get along.

“We need to collaborate together so when we walk out of a planning session, we’re all in one accord,’’ Thompson said. “We stand together or we will all fall.”

Thompson said he will bring new ideas, an incentive to do hard work, transparency and a willingness to work with others.

“I’m anxious,” he said. “I’m ready.”

‘I want to be a winner’

McNair, who is 61 and from Hoke County, has called Fayetteville home for 22 years.

She’s an entrepreneur, having established four beauty salons, a bail bonding business, an HVAC company that does repair work and a landscaping company for her son. McNair also has purchased real estate over the years.

What did she think led her to victory over District 7 Councilman Wright, who has served four terms on the council?

“Well, I don’t think I put a whole lot of thought into that,” she said. “I think my strength was with the idea of winning. I’m the type of person, once I start something, I have to finish it, and I have to be at the top. I want to be the winner; I don’t like to lose.

“I’m very passionate about becoming a city councilman because I have a heart for people, and bringing change and bringing it to the next level,” she said. “I don’t like being stagnant. I don’t like poverty. I grew up in that. My mom and dad struggled, raising six kids. … I was always the one who was a trailblazer.”

Once she is sworn into office, McNair said she would like to hold a town hall meeting so she can touch base with her District 7 constituents.

“Because they’re really counting on me,” she said. “I’ve had several calls already. Requests from individuals who are heartbroken and feel they’ve been left out.”

The newcomers and the incumbents on the City Council have different goals and have set standards, she said.

“I do believe people coming in now have certain standards,’’ McNair said. “We have to learn each other’s personalities and learn to respect each other. Everybody brings something good to the table.”

McNair said she likes unity and believes she can apply her common sense.

“I have the ability to tear down things that are not good and rebuild to a place where it’s good,” she said. “Where it’s functional on a different level. Where everybody will be satisfied. I have very high standards.”

First-generation American

Benavente, 32, was born in Korea to a military family. When he was about a year old, the family moved from Fort Bragg to Fayetteville.

He's a first-generation American, he said, whose father immigrated from Peru and his mother from Korea.

Benavente felt that his win was due to his working in the Deep Creek community in a variety of capacities since he graduated from undergraduate college. When he returned to Fayetteville about five or six years ago, one of the first things he said he did was go back to his alma mater —E.E. Smith High School. He said he asked, what can I do for my high school?

"And we started the college bound community, where I would come in once a week and work with students to help them," Benavente said. "To fill out college applications. To fill out college scholarship application essays. It went from there. I got to know the alumni association; I worked on the scholarship community. I'm now the vice chair of the board of directors for E.E. Smith.

"That's not something that they handed me," he said. "It's something that I earned — the trust of the association, very well established with community leaders. So folks got to know me over this time doing real work for the community. So when I made the shift to try to represent them as a City Council member, it was a logical progression. I had already been doing the work, and now I want to be able to do even more."

Benavente said that when he joins the council, he intends to continue his efforts on behalf of community members to push for a civilian review board that would provide civilian oversight when police misconduct occurs within the Fayetteville Police Department.

"I think that's going to be the very first priority for me once I'm on council," he said. "That's exactly what we need to make sure we're improving public safety in the right way."

Benavente said he has gotten to know most of the council members by attending council meetings and work sessions over the years.

"So I'm confident of the working relationship that I will have with them," he said. "We'll be hitting the ground running. When it comes to some of the newer faces, we certainly got to know each other in early voting polling locations and seeing the kind of dedication and time that they're willing to invest in serving the community. It tells me that we all want to make Fayetteville a better place. I am looking to move the city forward."

‘A true group effort’

Hondros, 45, is a Fayetteville native who graduated from Terry Sanford High School and Fayetteville Technical Community College. He started in the restaurant business but has worked as a commercial real estate broker for 23 years.

He credited his victory over incumbent Yvonne Kinston in District 9 to God, his wife, Liza, his son, James, and his campaign team.

"It was a true group effort," Hondros said.

He plans to stay true to his campaign platform, focusing on public safety and city infrastructure. Hondros previously served on the Fayetteville Stormwater Advisory Board.

"Loss of life or potential loss of property — there are a number of things going into public safety to make the community safer," he said. "Workforce housing: I believe that everyone should be afforded the opportunity to live where they labor."

According to Hondros, Fayetteville is roughly 20,000 units short when it comes to workforce and affordable housing.

"That's definitely something we can improve upon," he said. "We need to invest resources in doing that" while collaborating with public/private partnerships and land trusts.

The new City Council will have its own makeup and focus, he said, calling it "a new character."

Hondros said he intends to apply the standards that he uses in the real estate business.

"We pledge to ethically represent our clients. Not discriminate. Treat everyone the same," he said. "We pledge to work together and come to a resolution on a daily basis. These are things I think transfer from client to constituent."

Political newcomer Deno Hondros defeated first-term Councilwoman Yvonne Kinston on Tuesday for the District 9 seat on the Fayetteville City Council, according to unofficial returns.

Hondros received 911 votes; Kinston received 804, according to unofficial returns with the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

Hondros, 45, is a commercial real estate broker. He could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Kinston, 53, was first elected to the City Council in 2019. She is a sales and service agent for AT&T and executive vice president of the 530-member Communications Workers of America Local 3680 branch.

“I am proud of the race I ran. I’m proud of the work that has been accomplished,’’ she said Tuesday night.

Kinston said she called Hondros to congratulate him.

During the campaign, both candidates said transparency and public safety were among their top issues.

Kinston said that when she was elected to the council there were things that she wanted to accomplish. “And I think we’ve done that,’’ she said.

When asked if she might consider running for the seat again, she said: “I’m going to take a pause on that and we’ll see.’’

She said she may find other ways to serve the community.

“You ain’t seen the last of Yvonne Y. Kinston,’’ she said.

Freshman City Councilwoman Courtney Banks-McLaughlin will return for a second term representing District 8, according to unofficial election returns.
A strong advocate for the homeless, the 37-year-old received 748 votes, or 79% of those cast, according to unofficial returns reported Tuesday by the N.C. State Board of Elections. Downtown businessman Michael Pinkston had 196 votes.

Canvassing of unofficial returns is scheduled for 11 a.m. Aug. 5 by the Cumberland County Board of Elections to certify the results, according to Angie Amaro, interim director of the board.

The mother of five and wife of a former 82nd Airborne Division soldier, Banks-McLaughlin did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday evening.
Banks-McLaughlin has said she opposes the city funding $7.5 million for the proposed $80 million N.C. Civil War & Reconstruction History Center. She also has said she opposes an initiative to restructure the way City Council members are elected, changing from nine single-member districts to five single-member districts and four at-large council members.

Pinkston said he was surprised by Tuesday’s election result.

“I spent more than $30,000,” said the retired Army veteran. “It’s almost inconceivable. I lost 10 pounds walking and meeting people. I sent 17,000 mailers three times. … All the pieces seemed to be falling into place.”

Pinkston, 70, said he thinks “the election was very clean.”

“We didn’t spar. There was no mudslinging, …” he said. “But the election is done, and it is what it is. The voters spoke, and they chose Courtney.”

Pinkston has said that crime was an important issue for the city and called for the removal of Police Chief Gina Hawkins, who has announced her plans to retire.

District 8 includes the neighborhoods of Cliffdale Estates, Fairfield, Four Seasons, Hammond Hill on Fort Bragg, Kings Mill, LaGrange, Middle Creek, Parkers Ridge and Westpoint.

Political newcomer Brenda McNair on Tuesday upset incumbent Larry O. Wright Sr. for the District 7 seat on the Fayetteville City Council, according to unofficial returns.

McNair received 679 votes compared with Wright’s 656, according to unofficial results from the N.C. State Board of Elections.
Wright was first elected to the City Council in 2013.

This was the first time McNair had run for office. She ran on a platform of change and envisioned becoming more of an advocate for the people.
Wright and McNair are both ordained ministers. Wright is head of Heal the Land Outreach Ministries. McNair owns several businesses.
Wright said he doesn't feel bad about losing per se, because, “when one door closes, one door opens.”

“We congratulate the winners and hope they are successful in their endeavors on City Council and their efforts to help move the city forward,” Wright said.

Wright said he plans to continue to serve the community.

“That was my goal from the very beginning of my tenure was to make Fayetteville a better place,’’ he said. “We are still going to work with our community.

That's what we did before we became a city councilman and that’s what we will continue to do as a pastor and a minister in outreach.”

“We will look for opportunities to serve,” he said.
McNair said she faced roadblocks from the mayor and some members of the council who supported Wright. But she said many residents came out to say they were ready for a change.

“There was so much support from people coming out of nowhere that I have never heard of before,’’ she said. “People reached out to me and volunteered to help.”

McNair said she couldn’t have done it without that support.

“I want to thank God because this was really tough for me,’’ McNair said. “It was my first time running and it couldn’t have been done without him. I want to thank my team and the citizens for coming out and voting for me and believing in me.’’

She said she’s “ready to take this city to the next level.’’

Derrick Thompson defeated business owner Peter Pappas in Tuesday’s municipal election, according to unofficial returns.

Thompson received 962 votes and Pappas received 619 votes, according to unofficial results from the N.C. State Board of Elections.
Thompson and Pappas were running for the seat vacated by Christopher Davis, a one-term councilman who ran for the Democratic nomination for the N.C. House District 45 seat. Davis lost in the primary.

Thompson, 60, an Army veteran, moved to Fayetteville in 2003. He is retired from the Postal Service.

“I am just thankful, appreciative and humbled tonight,” he said Tuesday.

Thompson said being on the City Council will be an opportunity to serve the city on a larger scale.

“I will continue to serve my district, my neighborhood and my community. It’s what I’ve done for the last 19 years since I’ve been in Fayetteville, including the last five years as president of my neighborhood HOA and on the board for the last 13 years.”

Thompson also applauded Pappas for running a clean and respectful campaign.
Pappas, 44, has owned and operated Baldinos Restaurants for 24 years and is a commercial real estate broker.

“I appreciate the residents who came out to support me and even the ones who voted for my opponent,” Pappas said Tuesday. “We need that involvement in our community. It’s important that we are all involved.”

Pappas said he will continue to be engaged in the community and encourage participation from others.

“This has been a very exciting and rewarding journey, and I look forward to more,” said Pappas.

Incumbent Fayetteville City Councilman Johnny Dawkins handily defeated political newcomer Fred G. LaChance on Tuesday in the election for the District 5 seat on the council, according to unofficial results.

“We’re keyed up,” Dawkins said Tuesday night. “I’m not going to be able to sleep for a while. It’s an exciting time.”
This would mark Dawkins’ fourth term in office.

Dawkins received 1,643 votes and LaChance received 750, according to unofficial results from the N.C. State Board of Elections.
Dawkins, 63, has been a member of the City Council since 2017 and is a former chairman of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the City Council from 2003 to 2005.

Dawkins, a health insurance and Medicare benefits consultant, campaigned on the issues of public safety, economic development and improving stormwater infrastructure.

Dawkins said he’s been in politics with his father, former Mayor J.L. Dawkins, since 1975.

“We got started early, No. 1; started working on the campaign in March 2021,” he said. “Then the pandemic and census delayed everything. Our team has been working and talking to constituents and listening to their concerns for almost a year and a half. I think being willing to work hard and be willing to listen is what matters with our citizens. My focus has been public safety and improving stormwater infrastructure. Our citizens care about our stormwater and infrastructure and good jobs.”

LaChance owns an antiques store on Bragg Boulevard. This marked the first time the 70-year-old Navy veteran has run for public office

“I would have liked to have seen a better turnout,” LaChance said. “We’ve got 12,000-plus voters in the district, and a little over 2,000 turned out. That’s just not good. But it is what it is. I think, personally, it’s the name (recognition for Dawkins). … I congratulate him. … I gave it a shot.”

D.J. Haire will be one of the longest-serving members of the Fayetteville City Council after easily turning back challenger Thomas C. Greene on Tuesday for the District 4 seat, according to unofficial returns.

The 63-yer-old veteran councilman received 1,232 votes and Greene, 50, had 237, according to unofficial returns from the N.C. State Board of Elections.
Canvassing of unofficial returns is scheduled for 11 a.m. Aug. 5 by the Cumberland County Board of Elections to certify results, according to Angie Amaro, interim director of the board.

“I thank the Lord for my wife, family and team,” said Haire, who is self-employed in real estate. “We put it all in. I thank the Lord for the residents of District 4. We’ve worked great together.’’

He will be starting an 11th term on the council. He was first sworn into office on Dec. 1, 1997, and remained in office until November 2013. He stepped away from the council for two terms before winning the district seat in 2017 and winning reelection since.

“It just means citizens from every precinct are giving you the thumbs up. It means people hear you and see you,’’ he said.

“They build a trust, and I think that goes a long ways,” Haire said. “I’m always telling new people coming along that you have to build trust.”

Greene is an Army veteran, bails bondsman and member of the local chapter of the Proud Boys, a nationwide activist organization linked to far-right and white nationalist political causes. At least five members of the Proud Boys were indicted on seditious conspiracy charges in the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol. Greene says he was not in Washington that day.

Greene told CityViewToday he does not support the organization’s participation at the U.S. Capitol.
He believes in term limits for council members and said in his campaign that Haire has served too long, but Greene was gracious in defeat.

“I’d like to congratulate D.J. Haire on his win,” Greene said. “I learned a lot. This was a big learning curve for me. I learned about local politics. Hopefully, we will improve on public safety, our police can be more active and we can hope for a better environment and standard of living for people.”

Council members and the mayor are scheduled to be sworn in at 6 p.m. on Aug. 11 in Seabrook Auditorium at Fayetteville State University.

Challenger Mario Benavente edged incumbent Antonio Jones by six votes on Tuesday in the election to represent District 3 on the Fayetteville City Council, unofficial returns show.

Benavente received 1,012 votes to 1,006 for Jones, according to unofficial results from the N.C. State Board of Elections.

The count, which was reported about 9:15 p.m., showed that there were 10 write-in votes that could have changed the outcome.
Benavente said public safety and the search for a new police chief will be his priorities. He said his training as a lawyer and in law enforcement will guide him in helping find a new chief.

“I look forward to learning about not just their experience in years but something that they can point (to) in the last department they were in,” he said Tuesday night. “Someone who is not just good on paper but on what they accomplished.”

“I’m very proud of my team,” said Benavente. “I was able to go out into the district and knock on doors and hear about constituents’ concerns. I look forward to being a zealous advocate for them.”

Jones has held the seat since December, when the City Council appointed him to fill out the term of Councilwoman Tisha Waddell, who resigned. Jones and Benavente were finalists for the appointment, and Jones won a second-round vote 6-3.

Benavente, 32, is a community organizer and legal professional. This would be his first elected office.
Jones, 48, is a broker and military relocation agent with the family-owned Jones Realty. He also is a pastor at Temple of Faith Church.

He could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

District 3 includes parts of Fort Bragg and the neighborhoods of Cottonade, Country Club North, Hillendale, Hillendale West, Kornbow, North Hills, Tiffany Pines, University Estates, University Hills, and parts of Pondero

City Councilwoman Shakeyla Ingram, running for her second term in office, held off former Councilman Tyrone Williams in Tuesday’s election for the District 2 seat on the Fayetteville City Council, according to unofficial results.

Ingram received 749 votes and Williams received 653, according to unofficial results from the N.C. State Board of Elections.

There were 144 write-in votes, according to the state tally.
Ingram said Tuesday night that she does not know what the difference in the race was.

“But what I do know is I went in this race saying I would focus on this race and this race only. I stayed true to that,” she said. “I served in the pandemic and social unrest in my term. Maybe that was what it was. I’m grateful through it all. …

“It was in the voters’ hands, and I understood that,” she added. “The voters stated what they wanted.”

Both candidates grew up living in the district.

Ingram, 31, works in marketing and community relations

Williams, 53, was a member of the City Council in 2018 for a partial term. He resigned roughly two months after allegations emerged that he tried to solicit money from a developer. At the time he left office, Williams blamed local media for false accusations. Williams also blamed his former wife for falsely accusing him of molesting a 10-year-old boy.

On Oct. 21, 2019, court records show, Williams entered into a conditional discharge on a charge of assault on a child under 12, a misdemeanor, and received 30 months of unsupervised probation, which came with specific conditions he was ordered to follow if he were to have the charges later dismissed.

Cumberland County Court records show that Williams did not meet those conditions.

On April 4 of this year, a judge revoked the conditional discharge and Williams was convicted on a misdemeanor charge of assault on a child under age 12. He was sentenced to 60 days suspended for 12 months and placed on supervised probation, according to court records.
Williams is a real estate developer and Navy veteran. He could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Kathy Jensen will serve her fifth term on the Fayetteville City Council after defeating Alex Rodriguez on Tuesday in the race for the District 1 seat, according to unofficial returns.

Jensen, 57, received 807 votes to the 561 that Rodriguez received, according to unofficial results from the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

“I look forward to serving our city for the next year and a half,’’ Jensen said. “This gives me great opportunity to finish working on the parks and recreation bond and to bring more jobs into our city.”

Moments after hearing the election results, Jensen was humbled, thanking her family, friends and everyone who has supported her over the last eight years.

Born and raised in Fayetteville, Jensen, her husband, Jerry, and their four children live in North Fayetteville, where she owns An Affair to Remember, a small business featuring prom, pageant and formal wear on Ramsey Street.

Rodriguez, 48, is a retired Army officer and former police officer. He said he ran for office because he sees Fayetteville heading in the wrong direction with crime, pollution and economic development.

“I closed the gap on the primary from 29% to 36%, but I am a little disappointed with the results,’’ he said. “Fayetteville isn’t ready for change.’’

He said part of the challenge was along political party lines.

“I’m proud of the effort that I put into this and look forward to seeing what happens next,’’ Rodriguez said. “I wish it had been different, but this is a very blue city and getting bluer by the day.”

Rodriguez said he was undecided if he would run again, but applauded the race as being a good one.

Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin easily won re-election Tuesday, complete but unofficial election returns show.

Colvin, who was first elected mayor in 2017, defeated political newcomer Freddie de la Cruz. Colvin received 9,253 votes – or 62.74% of the total cast – compared with 5,452 votes for de la Cruz – or 36.97%.

Colvin could not immediately be reached for comment. This will be his third term as mayor. He served on the City Council for two terms, including a stint as mayor pro tem, before first being elected mayor in 2017. De la Cruz served 32 years in the Army.

After it became apparent that Colvin had won, de la Cruz expressed disappointment, not so much that he had lost, but that so few voters went to the polls. Figures from the North Carolina State Board of Elections show that only 11.72% (14,833) of the city’s 126,533 registered voters cast ballots in the City Council election.

“The biggest thing is look, I gave the citizens of Fayetteville an opportunity to make a change, and they stayed home. That's the message. That's my message,” de la Cruz said.

Although Fayetteville’s voter turnout was only 11.72%, the turnout for the Charlotte City Council race was almost as low, at 12%. Greensboro saw a 16% turnout.

De la Cruz said he plans to regroup, continue to operate his businesses – Venus Vogue Weddings and Formals and Fayetteville Limousine Service – and take a vacation with his wife before beginning another run as a mayoral candidate. He said he will take a look back at his campaign and see what he can do better next time.

During their election campaigns, Colvin and de la Cruz placed a high emphasis on improving public safety, as well as other quality-of-life issues, such as affordable housing and educational opportunities.

We have taken down the Silent Sam Civil War monument on University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s campus and the statues of Confederate soldiers on many courthouse plazas.
But there are other monuments to the Civil War and slavery that cannot be removed — unfortunately.

In “Scars on the Land: An Environmental History of Slavery in the American South,” David Silkenat explains how over a 200-year period slavery made possible environmental disasters that cursed and continue to curse our region.

Silkenat says the slave owners in America’s South saw their landscape as disposable.
Using intensive farming methods made possible by slavery, southern plantation owners wore out their farms. Rather than rehabilitating the land as they exploited it, they simply bought new land to replace what had been ruined.

Sometimes, the replacement land could be purchased nearby. Other times, the owners and slaves from worn-out plantations would move from North Carolina to fresh lands in Alabama or Mississippi, with the enslaved people walking all the way.

In Virginia, Thomas Jefferson noted in 1793 that he did not use manure to fertilize or replenish his worn-out tobacco fields “because we can buy an acre of new land cheaper than we can manure an old acre.”
Twenty years later Jefferson acknowledged that the intensive farming by his slaves had left his soils inert.

But the environmental damage associated with slavery was not limited to farmlands.

In North Carolina, for instance, intensive enslaved labor made possible the exploitation and destruction of the magnificent longleaf pine forests that covered our state. To secure the pitch and tar from the pine trees, enslaved labor tapped, and scratched the surface, taking the ‘blood’ the trees needed to sustain themselves, leaving only ghosts of once-magnificent forests.

Silkenat wrote, “Intensive extraction conspired with environmental factors to expedite the forests’ destruction. Scarification caused by repeating chipping made the trees vulnerable to wood-boring insects such as the ips beetle, the turpentine bore and the black turpentine beetle. Stripped of their bark, the pine trees stood defenseless against these insects. A turpentine-borer epidemic in 1848 –1849 along the Cape Fear River devastated the heart of North Carolina's longleaf pine.”

Also, in North Carolina, the use of enslaved labor during the gold rush days before the Civil War made possible the extraction of gold but left a ruined landscape behind.

In South Carolina, the rice plantations that made that state wealthy before the Civil War, required an enormous commitment of enslaved labor to dig and manage the canals and other waterways that provided the right conditions for the crop. Those canals and their upkeep, adjustment and repairs destroyed the natural environment and left the coastal lands permanently affected.

Similarly, along the Mississippi River, the construction of levees to protect farmlands from flooding required enslaved labor. Continuing maintenance and repair demanded a long-term commitment of enslaved labor. The adjustments to the normal ebb and flow of the river still make for the continuing disruption of the great river’s natural flow.

In cotton and tobacco fields, hardwood and pine forests, rice fields, goldmines, rivers and levees, slavery brought about even more damage to the environment. Although the author sets out many more examples of damage, he acknowledges that “the environmental devastation chronicled in this book pales in comparison to the brutality of American slavery on human bodies and souls. Yet looking at slavery through an environmental lens reveals how the chattel principle poisoned everything it touched.”

Dr. Marye J. Jeffries has been named an Honorary Trustee of Fayetteville Technical Community College.
Jeffries, who served on FTCC’s Board of Trustees for 26 years, including four years as Board Chair, was honored June 21 in a ceremony at the monthly meeting of the FTCC Board of Trustees.

The designation of Honorary Trustee recognizes an individual for exceptional service and support of FTCC through the years. Jeffries served on FTCC’s Board of Trustees from 1992 until 2018. She served as Board Secretary from 1993 to 2004 and as Board Chair from 2004 through 2008. Jeffries was instrumental in the installation of the College’s two most recent presidents, Dr. Larry B. Norris in 1997 and Dr. J. Larry Keen in 2007.

Born in Victoria, Texas, Jeffries began her teaching career in Tacoma, Washington, then moved to Fayetteville in 1963 and began teaching elementary school. She was the first African American teacher at Vanstory Hills Elementary School and earned her Master’s degree in Education while working at Vanstory.

In the early 1970s, she joined Fayetteville State University as an associate professor of education. She earned her Doctorate in Education Administration and Supervision from UNC-Chapel Hill and held a series of positions at FSU, culminating in her appointment in 1995 as Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs. She was the first African American female to hold that position. Dr. Jeffries retired from FSU in 1998 but remained extremely active in her community.

Her community service has included chairing the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Arts Council and the Cumberland County Auditorium/Arena Commission (now the Civic Center Commission).
She is a longtime member of the Fayetteville Chapter of The Links, Inc., an international women’s service organization, and served on its Executive Council and as its president. Her daughter, Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, is currently the national president of The Links. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard and several officers and other members of the Fayetteville Chapter of The Links, Inc., attended the ceremony at FTCC. Also in attendance were Glenn Adams, chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, and his wife, Superior Court Judge Gale Adams; and FSU Chancellor Darrell
Allison and his wife, La Nica Allison.

Jeffries’ awards include the Order of the Long Leaf Pine and the Old North State Award. In 2011, she was honored by FSU as an Outstanding Black Woman in American Culture and History.
Jeffries is the 10th person to be named an Honorary Trustee of Fayetteville Technical Community College. Previous honorees include Tony Rand, W. Dallas Herring, Helen E. Batten, Thornton W. Rose, Lura S. Tally, Thomas R. McLean, Jeannette M. Council, Glenn Adams, and Larry L. Lancaster.

FTCC President Dr. Larry Keen praised Jeffries for her dedication and leadership at FTCC and in the community. “She has done such a remarkable job in so many ways,” he said. “We have all benefitted and learned so much because of her.”

A new exhibit dedicated to banking will be opening at the Fayetteville History Museum Aug. 2. The exhibit will focus on the history of banking in the Fayetteville area beginning in the late 1700s.
The exhibit will take the place of the History of Baseball exhibit on the museum’s second floor. Staff are working to create a space reminiscent of the opulence often found within banks. The room has been painted deep green, and white columns decorate the space. All of these finishing touches within the exhibit help to create the atmosphere of a bank, according to Bruce Daws, museum director.

“Architecture in banking was important. The bank had to speak to opulence, it had to speak to being solid, and it was usually classic architecture,” Daws said.

One of the panels in the new space is dedicated to architecture in the banking world, highlighting buildings in downtown Fayetteville such as the building at 100 Hay St. Originally built to be the National Bank, it has now been converted into office spaces. The building was built to replace the original National Bank, a three-story classic brick building.

“When they decided to build the 10-story skyscraper to replace [the old building], they asked the city if they could move into the Market House. The bank conducted business, not in the upstairs, but put windows and infill in the arches and opened that up as the bank while the mammoth structure was being built,” said Daws.

Stories like this fill the new exhibit space, which in addition to information about the architecture of banks, will hold a large collection of banknotes used in the Fayetteville area for 200 years. Most notable will be a 20 shilling note from 1754, the same year Cumberland County was established. The note is British, as, at the time, everyone who lived in the area were subjects of the Crown. In addition to this rare note, foreign coinage that would have been used for transactions will also be on display. Foreign currency was allowed as payment until the 1850s, when an act was passed forbidding it.

These coins and notes, known as “obsolete bank notes,” tell the story of the Fayetteville financial sector during the 1700s and 1800s.

“Banking is an important subject just to who we are as a city,” said Daws. “We were a colonial port city located at the head of navigation on the Cape Fear River. We were an important trade community. Fortunes were being made and lost on the Cape Fear River. Banks were certainly an important ingredient in the big picture of Fayetteville.”

The museum will be displaying obsolete bank notes from the local banks that popped up between 1807 and the Civil War. A rare set of four Bank of Clarendon notes will be shown. The notes are significant in that they are unsigned and uncut, meaning they never saw circulation.

The exhibit continues through the Civil War. The Civil War impacted banks in the South quite significantly, and the exhibit will have several displays detailing the roller coaster of currency during the war.

“Now, that was an interesting time because all of a sudden, overnight, you had to develop a treasury department and start printing money. Money was being printed so quickly at the very beginning that clerks were signing bank notes; they were being cut with scissors often times instead of being professionally cut,” said Daws. “At first that confederate currency held its value, it was kind of a trust that it was what it represented itself to be. As the war drug along and it wasn’t looking as good for the South, it had lesser and lesser value.”

On display will be a pile of confederate money that came down through one of the old families in Fayetteville.

“It was worthless, but it wasn’t thrown away. Often, it was tucked away as a souvenir, and after many years these saw the light of day again. Some of these notes are heavily worn where they were in circulation for a while; some are pristine,” said Daws.

Another significant piece on display is a banknote signed by the mayors and commissioners of Fayetteville on Aug. 1, 1865. Fayetteville fell to General Sherman in March of 1865. This note is important because of how soon after the war it was printed. A display panel also tells the story of William G. Broadfoot, a banker and confederate agent during the war at the Bank of Fayetteville. As Sherman was marching into town, he had an idea to hide the bank assets around Fayetteville. He put notes in a bank stationery envelope with details as to where these were hidden.

Several of the assets have since been located, affirming that Broadfoot’s plan worked.

Daws hopes the exhibit will showcase the importance of banking to the city’s history. From prominent bank presidents, vice presidents and directors such as Dr. Paul Melchor and Dr. E.E. Smith to Jacob Stein and E. A. Poe, the history of banking within Fayetteville is varied and tells a unique Fayetteville story. The banknotes on display all tell a tale of where the city has been.

“The notes themselves to me are like artwork. They are so finely done,” he said.

Daws said a special thanks should be extended to David Boitnott of North Carolina. The majority of the collection that will be on display is from his own private collection, and he generously allowed the museum to feature the history he has collected. Rev. Robert Alves of St. John’s Episcopal Church has also generously loaned out coinage for the exhibit.

The exhibit opens Aug. 2 at the Fayetteville History Museum at 325 Franklin St.

Be inspired by art and music at Kreativity Unlocked on Aug. 4 in the Orangery Ballroom at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden. Host Keith Sykes is a local photographer who will have prints on display to view with select items available for sale.

There will be an open bar with wine, spritzers and hors d'oeuvres. Guests can get creative with a 360-photo booth. There will also be musical performances by Testimony and DJ Liek, who both hail from Norfolk, Virgina.

This is not the first photography exhibit Sykes has organized. He held a show in 2018 at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre and one in 2019 at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden. He chooses locations that will inspire creativity in his guests so they can fully experience the art and music.

"One of the things that I always say when I'm putting (events) together is that it's all about the experience," said Sykes. "I want the people that come through the door to really experience something different than they've experienced in the first two shows."

Sykes has had a varied career that led to becoming a photographer and owner of an event planning company, IKreate Consulting. The New Orleans native joined the military when he was 20 years old. Sykes traveled the world while he served, which sparked his interest in photography. He settled in Fayetteville after 20 years of service.

"I have had a love for photography for a very long time because one of my older brothers was a photographer at one point, but it was never really serious," said Sykes. "And then, in 2015, I started taking it seriously because a couple of friends suggested it. So, my very first exhibit was in 2018."

Much of Sykes' inspiration comes from travel, and guests will be able to see areas like Edisto Island and Greenville, South Carolina, and some local spots in Fayetteville through his lens.
This event will be the last featuring his work as he plans to organize future events to help local artists.

"I want to give other local artists who are not very well known and who are not very visible in the local community the opportunity to show their work," he said. "So, I think the next thing I do will be something collaborative with a couple of different artists."

The event is limited to 100 guests. The cost is $50 and includes all drinks and appetizers. No tickets will be sold at the door. The event is not formal, but guests are encouraged to dress to impress.

Purchase tickets here www.eventbrite.com/e/kreativity-unlocked-tickets-302584035997.

The Summer Concert Series at Gates Four Golf & Country Club will be "Back in Black" on Aug. 5, with headlining band Shoot To Thrill set to take the stage. Presented by Fayetteville Dinner Theatre, the all-female AC/DC tribute band will grace the stage at 7:30 p.m. prepared to rouse the crowd in grand fashion.

The family-friendly event is intended "For Those About to Rock," and the buzz around one of the hottest bands out of Raleigh couldn't be louder.
The concert series has proven both successful and popular amongst those looking for good music and good vibes on a lazy Friday night.

The show offers concert-goers a little bit of everything up on the stage. Heartbreaker, Tuesday's Gone, and Mostley Crue, cover bands for Heart, Lynard Skynard and Motley Crue, respectively, are just a few of the bands still destined for the Gates Four stage before the concert series is over.

The relaxed, outdoor event will have food for purchase as well as beer with liquor provided by Healy Wholesale Co. Inc. Guests are encouraged to unfold their camping chairs and spread out their blankets to enjoy this awesome show against the backdrop of a fiery North Carolina sunset.

The gates open at 5 p.m. and local musician, Judah Marshall, will open the show shortly thereafter. The "Hometown" crooner's folksy, acoustic-driven offerings will undoubtedly be the perfect counterbalance to Shoot To Thrills' hard rock riffs.

Shoot To Thrill, featuring the talents of Kara (Vocals), Susan (Guitar), Jai (Bass), Wendy (Guitar), and Kate (Drums), are a powerhouse ensemble that brings the Australian rock n' roll band to which they pay tribute boldly to mind during their high voltage sets.

The five Raleigh women often take to the stage in a mix of lingerie and thoughtful nods to AC/DC, like Angus Young's classic school boy uniform and Brian Johnson's iconic newsboy cap. The energy and heart they bring to the stage as the crowd before them whips into a frenzy, stomping along to the first heart-stopping chords of "Dirty Deeds" is quite an experience, and the Gates Four audience should prepare for a wild ride.

"We love to have a lot of audience participation," Wendy, Shoot To Thrill's guitarist, told Up & Coming Weekly. "We really try to put on
a show."

Shoot To Thrill's journey started around five years ago with Kate, Susan and Wendy. Originally a southern rock cover band, the response to their hard-rock covers, especially AC/DC, caused the band to shift focus and drill down on their niche. From there, Shoot To Thrill was born.

"People were just going crazy," Wendy joked. "We thought maybe we should just do an AC/DC tribute band, and here we are."

Despite their success, popularity, and undeniable talent, the road isn't always easy. As an all-female band, the women have had to deal with the challenges of sexism throughout their careers.

"People think we have it easier because we're women, but we get rejected a lot," Wendy said candidly. "People are concerned that women won't show up to see us, but our audience is about 60% women. We definitely have our own fight to get in, but we're working hard, and we're really happy, we're having fun, and we're all friends."

Fans of the classic rock band will hear hits from throughout their catalog, and there will be plenty of opportunities to sing or scream along. From Bon Scott era "Highway to Hell" to Brian Johnson's powerful anthem "Back in Black," Shoot To Thrill aims to please and knows how to get a crowd going.

"We watch a lot of live AC/DC, and we try to change it up, even the more obscure stuff. We try to design the sets, so the die-hards are happy, as well as the people who've never heard a single AC/DC song," Wendy said.

Off the stage, the women all lead lives very different than their rock-star stage personas. Wendy has worked at IBM for the past 22 years, Jai is a veterinary surgeon, Kara is a salon owner, Susan is a professor of music at Elon University, and Kate is an architect. To accommodate the demands of their two worlds, the band tries to maintain a three-week on, two-week off schedule to ensure there's room in their lives for all the things that matter.

"We were going non-stop, and then COVID happened, and it helped us realize we need to find a balance, to take our time for our family vacations. We don't want to miss anything."
The Gates Four performance will be the band's second time playing Fayetteville, and they're excited to return. After Shoot To Thrill wraps for the evening, guests are invited to hit the free after party at the Sand Trap Sports Lounge, which promises more fun beginning at 10 p.m. with an opportunity to meet the band.

Though the event is free and open to the public, the Gates Four Summer Series offers an experience for every taste and budget. VIP packages are available for those that crave a more exclusive experience. Four packages range from $38 for single tickets, including table seating and all food, beer and wine, to $500 for a table seating eight inside the pavilion with food and beverage included. Guests can also look forward to door prizes.

As the summer season winds down, there is no shortage of opportunities for people to come together for a good time in all corners of Cumberland County, a primary goal for the Fayetteville Dinner Theatre.
Businessman and Up & Coming Weekly publisher Bill Bowman reconceived the Bordeaux Dinner Theatre intending to bring premium entertainment options to Cumberland County residents living outside of downtown Fayetteville.

With a name change and a move to Gates Four, Bowman and many talented performers have more than made good on that intention.

Additionally, events held under the banner of Fayetteville Dinner Theatre support Cumberland County education by contributing to Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation.

"Through Fayetteville Dinner Theatre, we get to create new cultural events and help fund an education initiative," Bowman said.

Gates Four Golf & Country Club is at 6775 Irongate Dr. in Fayetteville. For more information about Gates Four, visit www.gatesfour.com/.
For more information concerning the Fayetteville Dinner Theatre and to purchase VIP tickets, visit www.fayettevilledinnertheatre.com/.
To keep up with Shoot To Thrill, visit www.shoot2thrillband.com/. For those about to rock, we salute you.

Segra Stadium, home of the beloved Fayetteville Woodpeckers, will host its inaugural “Back to School Bash” event on Aug. 5.

As the days melt off the summer calendar, parents throughout Cumberland County know the time when they must trade flip-flops and sunscreen for lunch boxes and three-ring binders grows closer. Soon, the dreaded school supply lists will start circulating around Target, Walmart and grocery stores, sending local parents into a frenzy.

For some, the color-coded folders and index cards bear no additional financial stress; for others, the notoriously picky lists will be placed in the queue next to a growing number of items that have become increasingly expensive.

North Carolina gas prices still hover around $4 per gallon, and the price of groceries continues to increase; many families will struggle to secure the school supplies their students need to start the year.
To remedy this concern and ease some of the hardship associated with this time of the year, Segra Stadium is partnering with over 22 organizations to hand out school supplies to students across Cumberland County from 6-9 p.m. at the event on Aug. 5.

Up & Coming Weekly spoke to Kristen Nett, Community and Media Relations Manager for the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, about the event and its importance within the community.

“I knew a ton of ‘Back to School’ events happening all over the city,” she explained. “So instead of duplicating, I decided to bring all those efforts together. Our big goal is to partner with people who share the same goals — that‘s really important to us.”

The family-friendly event will entertain guests with games, a kid zone, batting cages and face painting — all free to those in attendance. Additionally, the stadium’s concession stands will be open and offer food and beverages available to purchase. “We want families to stay and have fun, enjoy time with each other,” Nett said.

To prepare for August’s event, fans can donate school supplies during games from July 26 — July 31 in exchange for a voucher which can be redeemed for a discounted $7 ticket. The ticket is good for any game left in the 2022 season. Public donations will be accepted until Aug. 5.

Nett expressed her excitement over the forthcoming event and why projects like these are close to the organization’s heart.

“We are a multimillion-dollar business and can use our platform to come into this community and make a serious difference. It’s very important to me that we equal the playing field and provide opportunities to people regardless of socioeconomic status. School is starting soon, and some people simply don’t have the resources — we want to bridge that gap.”

Families must register to participate, and supplies will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.

Segra Stadium is located at 460 Hay St. in downtown Fayetteville.

To register for the event, visit https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=bLr1ayMS-0aHO5q1XAC9JFug2voy1hFAl18UB_YKCyJUQTMzVjJCWkJJREFTNFZOTEtRRkQzQjVCTC4u.

To donate, email Kristen Nett at knett@astros.com.

To learn more about the Woodpeckers, visit www.fayettevillewoodpeckers.com/.

Kia Walker places her blue violin underneath her chin. She smiles, as she so often does, says a sentence or two, partially in song form, as she often does, and then straightens up to begin. Her soft ringlet curls fall just slightly onto her forehead as she looks down at the instrument. She moves her slender fingers over the string at the neck of the violin while the other hand glides the bow across the strings. In a flash, the bow is moving quickly over the strings, stirring up white resin dust on the strings, neck and bridge of her instrument. Her fingers slide from string to string. They glide in unison, almost dance-like. This instrument has become natural to her. It is second nature.

In Walker’s studio, piles of thin books line the walls and shelves. They range from beginning music books to more difficult levels, some are duplicates — meant for students. There are pieces of artwork around, all of which revolve around music. In each window sill, signs with quotes about music or God sit. The studio is quaint and bright with natural light pouring in. Just outside, through the window is the bustle of downtown Fayetteville. Walker continues to play, drowning out the faint noise of the city that can be heard just outside. She is in her own world now.

Walker puts down her instrument and rearranges herself. Her makeup is always done and she can usually be seen wearing long, dangly, bright earrings. She loves her jewelry. She loves people. She loves teaching. And most of all, she loves music.

In various corners of the room, instruments are displayed. At the entrance is a cello, held by its stand, and in the room next to it is a piano and a guitar. These are not for show. Walker plays all of these instruments and uses them at The Blue Violin Music Education Center — her music studio where she gives lessons for piano, violin, viola, cello, guitar and voice. Well, almost all of them are played. In the corner of the entire studio stands bright red conga drums.

“I don’t play the drums. I bought those drums because they are pretty,” Walker laughs. “I just thought it would be a nice little splash of color.”
Walker began her life with music singing as a 7-year-old. Around age 10, she started playing the violin when Cumberland County came to her school to introduce orchestra. She remembers even at those young ages, being in love with music. She tried her hand at writing songs, including one she gave to her orchestra teacher.

“I thought she was going to be all impressed. But she said, ‘Kia, your song doesn’t have any rests in it,’” Walker laughs again and then shakes her head. “She said, ‘your song has to breathe.’”

And so did Walker. For about 18 years, Walker put the violin down. In high school, she took piano lessons that she paid for herself. She remembers driving herself to her piano teacher’s home. Her mom, a single parent, was busy working, taking care of Walker and her younger sister.

“I just wanted music that badly,” she said.

Eventually, Walker went off to UNC-Chapel Hill to study psychology. But music still was her first passion. During college, she got lots of offers for credit cards. They would come in the mail and she would look them over. She decided to get her first credit card and make her first big purchase.

“I bought my first piano. I put my piano on my first credit card,” she said.

The piano that she bought still sits in her studio and she uses it to this day to help teach her students. Occasionally she’ll sit down to play it for herself.
Walker returned to Fayetteville to finish out her last years of college at Fayetteville State University. She eventually met her husband, Skip, at his recording studio in town. She would come into the studio to sing and record songs — both that he wrote and that she did.

“I started noticing that I was falling in love with him. After our recording session, we’d end our sessions at the Waffle House. I would get the scrambled eggs with cheese,” Walker sings the word scrambled eggs with cheese.

Walker continued on to take a job doing special education at an elementary school for Cumberland County Schools. At the end of each day, Walker would return home exhausted.

“I noticed I was too tired after teaching all day … I was too tired to practice. I thought maybe if I began doing music as my job I could practice too. I wanted to be fresh enough to practice. I wanted to play the piano or the violin.”

Walker looked outside the window for a moment and smiled. This portion of her life is where she picked the violin back up. She picked up other instruments too. She began to combine her first passion with one of her other passions.

She transferred into teaching music. This is where her life made sense to her. On the side she learned to play the organ and played for a church in Massey Hill. This is a job she still holds to this day. This position taught her some great life lessons that she carried into her later projects.

“I was not that good at it. I was learning that you don’t start being good at it until you practice it for a while and give yourself the time to get good at it. To this day, I have that job. Some songs I smoke them. Some songs I don't,” Walker laughs a loud, infectious laugh and shakes her head.

Walker went on to get a Master's in Divinity Church Music from Campbell University Divinity School. For Walker, faith is very important. She said she has been a Christian for a very “long, long time.”

“As I have become older, seen life and experienced things, my faith has become much stronger. Sometimes I’ll just sing to the Lord.” Walker sings a little bit in a normal sentence. Her life is part musical.

This year Walker began an online TV show for her music that she named “Music Life.” She says she wants to show the parallels between music and life and life and music. For her, there’s no separation of the two.

“There are life lessons that come from playing an instrument. I was really slow at playing the cello because it’s a big instrument. There’s a parallel there. Sometimes in life we don’t want to face the big problems that we have in our life, we want to play the small instruments. We want to play things that are more familiar to us. We don’t want to try new things.”
Walker stops for a moment. She looks around her room, the place where she learned so many lessons in life.

“Music Life is highlighting those areas in life where we learn to … there’s a saying, be patient everything is difficult before it is easy. Playing cello is difficult for me. Playing the violin was difficult for me at one time. It’s easy for me now.”

Walker continues to the piano and plays a song, on the same piano she bought with her first credit card in college. Her head bobs as she moves through the music. Rain began to patter outside but nothing distracts her from the song at hand. She trips over a part and starts over. This correlates perfectly to the first episode in her show. Walker is having each interviewee pick a focus word for the session. The first one is practice.

“If you mess up, you go back to the beginning and start again. Same thing with life. You aren’t going to get it all right the first time but if you keep perfecting what you do, and perfecting who you are, and excellence is your goal … you will get there.” Walker smiles and then packs up her violin.

Fort Bragg is one of the world’s largest military bases. Housing over 50,000 active duty troops and over 100,000 retirees and family members, Cumberland County is home to a brave population of men and women who have dedicated their lives to keeping America safe.

The price of service

But service, no matter how noble, can sometimes come at a high price. According to national research, incidents of major depression in the military are five times higher than in civilian populations, and PTSD is almost 15 times higher.
A 2021 study found that while over 7,000 soldiers have died in combat in the 20 years since 9/11, over 30,000 active duty and veteran soldiers have died by suicide.
Mental health has become one of the largest threats to modern military service, and resources to help struggling soldiers and their families are in high demand. One valuable resource available to the abundant military population in Cumberland County is the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone.

Founded in 2016 by philanthropist Steven A. Cohen, the father of a United States Marine, the Cohen Veterans Network is a national not-for-profit network of mental health clinics for post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and their families. Cohen Veterans Network has helped over 30,000 former and current service members and their families through 21 nationwide clinics.

The local clinic treats several mental health challenges for all post-9/11 veterans regardless of rank, discharge status or role while in uniform; all active duty service members with a Tricare referral; and the entire military family from spouses to in-laws. Clients can seek care for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, adjustment issues, anger, grief and loss, family issues, transition challenges, relationship problems and children’s behavioral problems. Care can be managed in person or through face-to-face video therapy.
Up & Coming Weekly spoke to Retired Army Major Sharjuan Burgos, Outreach Director for the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone, about Cohen Veterans Network’s work within the local military community.

“Nearly everyone who works for our organization is military affiliated,” she explained. “In this clinic, we understand the lingo — we have a very high military, cultural competency here. We believe that military families deserve a healthy life, and that’s our goal: ‘getting families back to better.’”
Burgos served in the military from her high school graduation to her retirement in 2020. With 27 years of service under her belt, she has been a compassionate witness to the sometimes heavy burden such an honor can bestow and feels right at home in this new position.

“It’s such an honor,” she said, beaming. “I thought I knew everything about the military, but it’s a huge transition working this side of it, but it’s wonderful to serve the people I know best. I knew I wanted to live a life of purpose and give something back. Taking off that uniform can be hard — I know I felt lost when mine came off.”

Stigma of seeking treatment

The stigma surrounding mental health and health care is still quite prevalent in the civilian world, but even more so in the military. Fear of career derailment or possible discharge keeps many soldiers from seeking the help they need. Burgos understands the pressure many in the military face to slap a “Hooah!” on their pain and keep it moving.

“There are so many reasons service members don’t seek treatment,” she said. “Many military service members struggle to be two people; they hide a lot, put on their cape, shield and boots, and then go home and have to be themselves — it’s hard. They put on their super capes, and then they must try to be the things they fear they aren’t.”

Underserved populations

One underserved population supported by Cohen Veterans Network is female veterans. The unique challenges of female military service pertaining to family, sexual safety and pressure not to appear weak in a male-dominated career field make it even more difficult for these soldiers to seek help. Among veteran clients, women comprise 30% of the group — more than two times the female veteran population in the United States. These numbers are especially important to Burgos. “One of my jobs is to make sure everyone is included, especially female veterans, because they’re so often overlooked,” she explained.
Military children are also a very high priority to the clinic and its larger organization. “We see kids as young as five years old,” Burgos said. “Kids don’t know how to express themselves the way we do. We give them the atmosphere and space to help them work through the challenges of having parents in the service. These kids are so resilient — unexpected PCS [permanent change of station,] constantly leaving friends — they’re strong but need support too.”

Understanding the personal and environmental challenges associated with seeking help, one of Cohen Veterans Network’s foundational principles is removing barriers to care. The clinic provides transportation to appointments, on-site childcare and Telehealth appointments for those who’d prefer to get help from the comfort of their own home. Additionally, the clinic works with clients individually to ensure that neither finance nor circumstance supersedes treatment.

Additional resources

Equally important to the clinic is linking clients to resources that will help them and their families with various needs.
Clinic case managers connect clients with additional support such as housing, employment, healthcare, legal support, educational opportunities and other necessary support based on the client’s needs. With such a high military population to serve, the clinic endeavors to meet all needs, one case at a time.
“There are just so many resources in the community, and that’s one of our goals here,” Burgos said. “Our case manager works to get people what they need outside mental health services. We’re gap fillers.”

Continuity of care

Because the Cohen Veterans Network builds its service around military bases, service members are never far from the care they need. Also, the continuity of care is especially important. The services a person receives at one Cohen Military Family Center will be available at another.
Burgos is proud to continue her service to such a deserving community and is honored to be a part of a growing legacy here in Fayetteville.

“It’s an amazing community, an amazing place to work, and the same work is needed everywhere you go.”

The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone is located at 3505 Village Dr. in Fayetteville. For more information about The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone's services, visit https://centerstone.org/cohen-military-family-clinic/fayetteville/.

A global food crisis is hitting the pocketbooks of those in the United States, including U.S. service members.
Jeremy Hester, the Executive Director for the Fort Bragg Armed Services YMCA Food Pantry, says they have seen an increase of 15% of service members coming to the pantry.

“Right now we're seeing an uptick in usage,” Hester told Up & Coming Weekly. “We're also seeing kind of a downturn in donations.”

The pantry typically receives calls from companies like Smithfield Foods and Tyson Foods on random days when their meat is about to expire. The pantry will accept this frozen meat and then do a massive giveaway to families on post. However, the last time they received these donations was over two months ago.

“We're not getting those phone calls anymore,” Hester said. “So there's this little bit of fear of just the food insecurity stuff, the scarcity that everyone's talking about and supply chains and things like that. So it makes us worry a little bit as to what six months will bring, a year will bring as far as us being able to supply [assistance to those in need].”

Individual donations have also gone down in the last three months.

“I would say in 2021, like clockwork, every couple of hours people would come in. Whether it's a small bag of food or they're bringing in boxes of stuff that they bought for us, or they're bringing in a couple of items that they just have extra. That has slowed down quite a bit as well,” Hester said.

This comes as inflation reached 9.1 percent in June, the largest 12-month increase in more than forty years. Food prices increased by 1%, with certain products seeing sharper increases, like margarine (6.8%), flour and prepared flour mixes (5.3%), butter (4.8%), ice cream (4%), breakfast cereals (2.5%), canned vegetables (2.1%), salad dressing (3.3%), and chicken (1.7%).

The food pantry is working to continue to keep the pantry stocked. One way is taking donations from the Commissary's Feds Feed Families program. Last week, the Commissary donated 70 bags of food.
Another way of creating more food is using the Victory Garden, just a few blocks north of the pantry. The Fort Bragg Victory Garden provides on-post residents a way to plant and grow nutritious produce in a social atmosphere. Two of the plots are reserved for the pantry.

“We're really recruiting volunteers to help us with the gardening because we want to prove that we can keep those gardens going,” Hester said. “We're getting some of those vegetables and things and bringing them to the pantry. And we're taking our group out there a couple of times. If we can keep that going and not lose a beat and not let it grow out, then I think there's an opportunity for us. Do more plots and just get more people involved. Right now we're getting a good amount of stuff out of there. But if we had 100 plots, it can really help.”

Plans to increase the food pantry are underway with a mobile food van that delivers food to Linden Oaks, a Corvias community located away from the military installation. There are also plans to move the pantry itself away from the small building it's currently in and somewhere more centrally located and filled with more freezers and fridges.

“We're the only food pantry on Fort Bragg and we have the potential to expand,” Hester said. A new, more central location that would be more conducive for a food pantry could potentially help more families, he said.

“I'm pushing now for people to think they have the capacity to reach out through donations or monetary donations to make sure that we can continue this on for the next couple of years at least.”

Currently, the most requested items for the food pantry are canned fruit, healthy cereal and bagged/canned beans. Donations of food, personal hygiene items and baby items such as formula or diapers can also be donated. The pantry is located on the north end of Fort Bragg at 2411 Rodney Trail #2 from Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for donations.

The U.S. Army Public Health Center and U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service released a survey last year that found that nearly 33% of more than 5,600 respondents at an unidentified Army installation were considered marginally food insecure, meaning they faced food hardship or had difficulties ensuring their food budget stretched through the end of the month.

Blue Star Families’ annual national member survey found that 14% of almost 4,500 enlisted active-duty family respondents reported low or very low food security in 2020. This can be compared to 10.5% of all U.S. households.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies and advocacy group Military Family Advisory Network both released studies this year that found structural parts of military life, such as high rates of spouse unemployment and moving and child care shortages, are driving the growing rate of food insecurity among active duty military families.

A new report from the Defense Department reviewing food insecurity in the U.S. military is due by Oct. 1.
In the meantime, University of North Carolina graduate students are doing a study on food insecurity at the Fort Bragg food pantry.

“They've done voluntary interviews with some of our families and they're really doing a good job there. They're going out talking to food banks. They're going out talking to lots of different organizations on post and off. And they're putting together a kind of an action plan,” Hester said. “How can we connect more? How can we help this organization that can help our food pantry?”

The Fort Bragg Armed Services YMCA offers other services outside the food pantry to help military families. Those services include financial planning classes and family support services that include child care,
mentoring and infant support.

For more information about the Fort Bragg Armed Services YMCA, go to their website, www.asymca.org/what-we-do-fort-bragg, or their Facebook page to learn more about special food giveaways.
The food pantry is open every Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and every second Saturday, excluding holidays.

Service members and their families do need to register and can only do one pick-up a month. Registrants can choose their preferred date for pick-up on the monthly online registration form, which can be found on their website.

The N.C. Green Party has filed an emergency motion in federal court in its bid to gain access to the state’s election ballot this year.

The motion filed Thursday, July 21 contends that the N.C. State Board of Elections has failed to provide a legal reason for excluding Greens from the ballot. The group seeks a preliminary injunction. It would force the elections board to recognize the Green Party and place its candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

“It has been 51 days, and counting, since NCGP timely filed its petitions with NCSBE, and NCSBE still has not certified NCGP as a new party, which it is required to do ‘forthwith,’” according to the Green Party motion.

“NCSBE has cited no legal authority for its failure to certify NCGP as a new political party,” the motion added. “NCSBE has cited no applicable statutory provision, regulation, or other legal requirement with which NCGP failed to comply. On the contrary, NCSBE concedes that when it voted not to certify NCGP, county boards of elections had validated 15,953 signatures on NCGP’s petitions – 2,088 more than the 13,865 valid signatures required under state law.”

“Thus far, the only explanation NCSBE has given for its failure to certify NCGP comes from its Chair, Defendant [Damon] Circosta, who stated that he had too many ‘questions’ to vote in favor of certification, because NCSBE staff claim to be investigating ‘irregularities’ in the NCGP petitions,” the motion continued.

“NCSBE has never produced evidence of any ‘irregularities’ in NCGP’s petitions to NCGP, nor has it provided NCGP with any opportunity to defend the validity of the signatures on its petitions or the integrity of its petitioning process,” according to the motion.

“Yet NCSBE appears to have undertaken a wide-ranging investigation into NCGP’s petitions, pursuant to which a team of NCSBE investigators has contacted NCGP’s petition circulators by telephone and email to request information about virtually every aspect of their petitioning efforts,” the Green Party asserted.

“NCGP has fully and voluntarily cooperated with NCSBE, promptly providing all information and every record requested by NCSBE’s investigators. Further, NCGP has repeatedly requested the opportunity to meet with

NCSBE to review its petitions and resolve any questions regarding particular signatures, but NCSBE has rebuffed NCGP each time.”

The Green Party argued that the state elections board “continues to invalidate NCGP petition signatures that county boards of elections validated.” That process has removed 127 signatures to date, and “That number continues to drop each day.”

The motion noted the involvement of Michael Vincent Abucewicz, “who appears to be a field operative of the North Carolina Democratic Party,” in the campaign to keep the Green Party off the ballot. The Greens allege a “concerted campaign by Democratic Party operatives to contact NCGP petition signers and convince them to request that their names be removed from NCGP’s petitions.”

“Thus, there is documented evidence of fraud in this case – Plaintiffs have audio and video recordings proving it, which they are prepared to submit – but it was perpetrated by Democratic Party operatives seeking to gain political advantage in the 2022 general election, not by NCGP,” according to the motion.

The Green Party initially filed suit on July 14. The party’s U.S. Senate candidate, Matthew Hoh, discussed his concerns about the state elections board’s actions in a one-on-one interview with Carolina Journal.
A hearing on the Green Party complaint is scheduled Aug. 8 in Raleigh before U.S. District Judge James Dever.