What’s the worst thing you can imagine ever happening?

All you know and hold dear swept away in a flood or reduced to ashes in a fire? The loss of a child or sibling?
Channel that emotion for a moment as you read or hear the news of a catastrophic event in the life of someone in a distant city. Or the next town over. Maybe even someone you know and work with.

We’re not even halfway through the year 2022, and we’ve already seen and heard so many painful stories of death, loss and destruction it’s become difficult to remember them all — the wave never seems to subside.
Even locally, we’ve seen violence erupt as one man has the audacity to use a gun to kill another man in midday traffic at one of the busiest intersections in town.

We struggle uncomfortably with how to provide aid to one nation invaded by another while the next state over is reeling from a series of tornadoes.
Then our attention is drawn to the devasting loss of life in a shooting in a suburban school.

We search for something to pin the blame on; Second Amendment advocates scream, “arm the teachers,” while the teachers say, “more police.” The police point to mental health, while the psychology community is helpless in admitting they can only treat those who come.

All the while, our communities and their governments standoff over whether life begins inside or outside the womb.
We want answers. We want something better for ourselves and those who come after us.

One problem is that, in all the turmoil, we have lost sight of the question: “Who Am I?”
In the first verses of the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, God steps out into the vast nothingness that existed. With his big, booming God-voice, he said, “Let there be light!” and there was. Then the earth, water, land, animals of every kind, and finally, his crowning creation: man. Conferring with his ethereal partners, they chose to make man — male and female — in their image. Beings that work together to create, think, reason and love. And somewhere along the way to today, we have all but completely lost sight of that.

We have forgotten who we are. We have forgotten whose we are. We have devised ways to destroy, manipulate, control and even to wear our hatred for others, the God who created us, as if it were a crown of our own glory.

And as we look for answers to the evil and deconstruction of all we know to be good and right, let’s look at who we are. Or at least who we were made to be and how we were designed.
We know the symptoms all too well. Now it’s time to open the manufacturer’s manual, see how we were designed to function, and begin restoring ourselves to our original condition. We were made for more.

When we think of exercising, images of dumbbells or exercise machines may come to mind. This is not the only type of equipment used for muscle toning and fitness training. There are a variety of resistance bands and versa tubing at all levels of strength resistance to obtain benefits.

A prime example of an athlete that uses resistance bands is Tom Brady. It is reported that he gave up weights years ago in favor of resistance bands for training. When he started struggling with injuries, he decided to forgo the traditional training methods and worked with his trainer to develop a resistance band training program. He must have the right approach to training because he continues to dominate on the football field.

Resistance bands conform to your body’s natural movement and allow people of all ages and fitness levels to obtain a full low-impact workout. They enable the user to get a workout without overstraining muscles, irritating joints and are great for helping to keep good form.

The major difference between bands and weights is that they allow you to work at a resistance level that is beneficial to your muscle groups and can target isolated muscles. If you attend my classes, you will often see me carrying bands, balls and gliders. I use them in various ways to help with strength, balance and flexibility.

Let’s look at some of my favorites and what they do. Versa Tubes are a long stretch band with a handle, and they come in a range of colors related to strength. They are a versatile band in a full range of workout options, from bicep curls to squats targeting all muscle groups. You can work muscle groups in various directions, seated in a chair, standing, wrapped around a barre or during floor work.

The intensity is up to the participant by selecting a color or increasing tension by shortening the band. They can also be used with balance exercises and multiplanar movements.
Versa Loops are a band that looks much like a large rubber band. They come in a variety of colors, indicating their strength levels.

The band fits comfortably around the upper and lower legs, mid-thigh or mid-calf. They are used in shorter movements and target the glutes, calves, thighs and core.

A Bender Ball, created by Leslee Bender, is about nine inches in diameter and can support weight up to 300 pounds. The ball aids in a greater range of motion and provides an effective abdominal workout. Placing the ball behind the small of the back helps eliminate excess strain during abdominal work. The ball can be used for balance, strength training exercises, functional workouts and rehabilitation movements.

Gliders are discs that look like a Frisbee and come in materials that can be used on carpet or hardwood. They are used in balance, strength and flexibility training. The disc’s fluid movement assists in a greater range of motion for various lunges. They are an excellent tool in making planks and burpees more challenging and used for increased cardio in high-intensity interval training classes and circuit training.

All the items above are easily used in the home, gym or on vacation, take up minimal space, and are easy to use, with an average cost of about $15 per item. How-to videos can be found on the internet, seated or standing for many levels. Live and love life with a gym in the bag.

Would you be interested in a new privately published memoir by a Bozeman, Montana lawyer, titled “Tilting at Montana’s Windmills for 50 Years”?
No?

But what if he were my law school classmate? Still, no?
But what if I told you my classmate-author had been the lawyer for Charles Kuralt's long-time extramarital lover in her effort, after Kuralt's death, to secure a valuable tract of land in Montana that Kuralt had promised her before he died?

Does that get you interested?
Kuralt was beloved by people all over the country, but especially in his native North Carolina, for his human-interest stories on CBS TV’s “On-the-Road” and “Sunday Morning” programs. His warm, authoritative voice with perfectly pitched rhythms was irresistibly convincing.

Kuralt was married for many years to his second wife, Petie, and they lived together in New York City. Only a few people knew about his dual life and his long-term friendship and financial support for Patricia Shannon.

My Yale Law School classmate, Jim Goetz, is a hero in Montana for his work saving creeks and rivers. In his memoir, Goetz writes that Kuralt, “who fished in Montana, particularly in September, purchased land located on the Big Hole River.”
Kuralt and Shannon had planned for him to convey this property to her in the fall of 1997 when Kuralt would be in Montana to fish. Earlier, however, Kuralt became very ill, suffering from lupus.

To reassure Shannon about his intention to convey the parcel of Montana land on which she was living Kuralt wrote the following:

"June 18, 1997 Dear Pat - Something is terribly wrong with me and they can't figure out what. After cat-scans and a variety of cardiograms, they agree it's not lung cancer or heart trouble or blood clot. So they're putting me in the hospital today to concentrate on infectious diseases. I am getting worse, barely able to get out of bed, but still have high hopes for recovery... if only I can get a diagnosis! Curiouser and curiouser! I'll keep you informed. I'll have the lawyer visit the hospital to be sure you inherit the rest of the place in MT [Montana] cx. if it comes to that. I send love to you … Hope things are better there! Love, C.”

Kuralt died in a New York hospital on July 4, 1997, at age 62.

Goetz agreed to represent Shannon. Although it was clear from the handwritten letter that Kuralt intended to give the land to Shannon, Goetz writes that the sole issue is whether the language or the letter “is sufficient to establish Kuralt’s intent to devise that property to Shannon.” Goetz writes that most of the estate lawyers he talked to thought that the language was “well short” of what is required to constitute a valid will.

The judge in the first hearing agreed, ruling against Goetz and Shannon. But after four appeals to the Montana Supreme Court, “the first in 1999, the fourth in 2003,” they won. Shannon was awarded the property.
Goetz acknowledges, “Although we won, most estate lawyers I’ve talked to think the result was wrong. Nevertheless, the case is discussed routinely in many courses in law schools around the country, probably because of Charles Kuralt’s celebrity status.”

Goetz does not have a high opinion of Kuralt. He writes, “My impression, by the way, is that Kuralt, although a very warm public personality, had a dark, depressive streak. Rumor was around Dillon [Montana] that he and Shannon were heavy drinkers.”

Goetz is a good friend and is entitled to his opinion, but if he ever comes to visit, after I thank him for his fascinating book about lawyering for good causes in Montana, I will remind him that for me and most others in this state, Kuralt will always be one of North Carolina’s great heroes.

Every Saturday from April to December, the grounds of the Fayetteville History Museum transform into a bustling street market full of good food and local crafts for sale.

City Market at the Museum brings together 25 to 30 of the city’s artisans and makers to create a unique shopping experience for those visiting downtown Fayetteville.
Vendors at City Market must sell produce, farm products or food from a certified kitchen. If selling crafts, vendors must have had a hand in making them, maintaining the market’s commitment to selling local products to local consumers.

“I think the City Market is just another important element in the concept of a ‘vibrant downtown,’” said Bruce Daws, museum director. “People have an opportunity to enjoy an outdoor market that offers farm-fresh, local and organic products. It’s also great for people interested in different types of art.”

Originally a farmer’s market operating out of the parking lot at the Cumberland County Courthouse, City Market at the Museum, as it’s known today, has been in operation on the museum grounds for a number of years.

The Fayetteville Area Transportation & Local History Museum, located in a restored railroad depot, tells the story of Fayetteville’s rich history through a series of engaging rotating exhibits. Recipient of the Gertrude S. Carraway Award of Merit for historic preservation, the museum itself and its annex give visitors to the City Market a little more bang for their buck.

“It’s a nice crossover, with the market located here,” Daws said. “People wander into the museum and get another cultural opportunity. They come to buy tomatoes and leave with a little dose of history. It’s shaded; it’s grassy and nicely landscaped. I think it’s just a total experience.”

City Market at the Museum aspires to be a place where people of the city come together to enjoy the local color of downtown Fayetteville. It’s a place for families to get outside and an opportunity for small businesses to share their offerings with the community.

“It’s’ a very friendly environment,” Daws told Up & Coming Weekly. “People bring their children and dogs, and it’s nice to see regular customers interacting with their favorite vendors and witness the camaraderie between them.”

Downtown Fayetteville strives to bring culture, art and support to local businesses through a wide variety of weekly events. Daws sees the City Market as directly in line with those aims and enjoys offering people a new experience.

“[The market] is just something else in the larger scheme of things. There are lots of restaurants and unique boutiques; this is just another piece of that patchwork quilt that makes the downtown so vibrant and gives it character. For everyone here at the museum, probably the greatest thing to see is people walking around and talking to one another.”

City Market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday.
The Fayetteville Area Transportation and History Museum is located at 325 Franklin St. in Fayetteville.

For information about City Market at the Museum, visit www.facebook.com/Fayettevillehistorymuseum/.

Discipline In Action (DNA) Sports Performance LLC, in partnership with Catch These Hands Massage Co. LLC, invites everyone to come down for a unique Father's Day celebration. The third annual Father's Day Footrace will occur at Mazarick Park on June 18, starting at 10:30 a.m.

Unlike previous years, this year's festivities will include a Debonaire Dad's Walk to honor those fallen. This event will also roll into a Juneteenth celebration.

The Father's Day Footraces began with Calesio Newman, DNA Sports Performance LLC owner, school teacher and retired pro track and field athlete. Newman, embroiled in a contentious custody battle for his daughter, wanted nothing more than to run outside and play with her.

After being granted custody, Newman wanted his first Father's Day with his daughter to be a celebration. The Father's Day Footrace was born from there.

"Our first year, five people showed up," Tiffany Newman, owner of Catch These Hands Massage Co. LLC, said. "We bought about twenty pizzas, had a DJ, and nobody came, but we weren't discouraged. We rode around and gave away pizzas and juice to the homeless. It was bittersweet but an awesome experience."

From those humble beginnings, the Father's Day Footraces has grown into a massive undertaking for the Newmans and a supportive slew of sponsors, community volunteers and dads from all walks of life.

"Every year, it's gotten bigger," Tiffany Newman said. "It more than doubles each time, and I'm expecting over 100 kids this year for the foot race and even more for the Juneteenth celebration. I reserved 666 tickets on our event page to represent the 6 protons, neutrons and electrons that make up melanin," she continued. "This event is for everyone, but we're proud to celebrate Black excellence whenever and however we can."
Kids and their families will be treated to footraces of the old-school variety from 10 to 11 a.m. Newman hopes three-legged foot races, potato-sack races and a little healthy competition will help families enjoy time together outdoors.

E.E. Smith's Magnificent Marching Machine will lead the Debonaire Dad Walk in a traditional funeral procession starting at 11 a.m. The walk is one of solidarity and is intended to commemorate fallen fathers, who, in giving their lives for freedom, are no longer here.

Folks in attendance can look forward to a pizza party at noon, tribal face painting, a bouncy house, DJ Scooby, fun cultural facts, spoken word artists, Father's Day swag bags and more.
The Newmans feel the importance of an event like this cannot be overstated, especially within the African American community.

"The Black community doesn't have enough fathers available," Tiffany Newman said candidly. "We wanted to create an environment where there are enough dads for everybody. We always want to encourage male groups and fraternities in the community to come out and volunteer some of their time to run races with these kids. And what better way to celebrate Black fatherhood than on Juneteenth?"
This is the event's second year incorporating the newly minted federal holiday. A family-reunion-style barbecue is set to kick off around 2 p.m. There will be drinks, food, music and fun — all free of charge.

"This is a party for all of us," Tiffany Newman explained. "I just want to feed my family. You never know who's your family, so we're all family. Enjoy your sister from another mister or your brother from another mother," she joked.

People are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs and coolers. There will be pavilions open for games, dominos and dancing.

"This is a family gathering, everything is provided, and people are expected to come and have fun," Newman stressed.
More than anything, the Newmans hope important connections are made during this time of joy and celebration.

"We want to show fathers some love," said Tiffany Newman. "But I want to hear how much the kids had a good time, made new friends or found new role models. I hope everyone understands that this day is about family, the ones we have and the ones we make."

This event is free and open to the public. However, donations toward next year's event are accepted. Mazarick Park is located at 1612 Belvedere Ave. in Fayetteville. Tickets can be found on Eventbrite at debonairedadwalkjuneteenthinthepark2022.eventbrite.com.

Rock’n On The River concert series featuring Fayetteville’s The Fifth and Stone Whiskey will be held Friday, June 17 at 6 p.m. at Campbellton Landing on the Cape Fear River.

“We are known for our high energy live shows, and it is a very crowd interactive rock ‘n’ roll experience,” said Roy Cathey, lead singer of The Fifth. “We like to give the audience the kind of performances of the good old days when the bands were on the stage really entertaining the crowd.”

The Fifth is an 80s rock band that has been in existence for 20 years, and the members are Justin Womble, lead guitar and vocals; Gary Smith, vocals and drums; Jake Tripp, vocals and bass guitar; and Roy Cathey, lead singer.

“We are a pretty good mixture between modern rock and classic rock,” said Cathey. “We have three CDs out, and we were just recently signed to RFK Media, which is a new label headed by Ron Keel.”
He added, “Ron was the front man for an 80s metal band called Keel, and The Fifth is the first band that he decided to sign to his new label.”

“We also have a new video out, and we have just come off of a nine-state tour,” said Cathey. “We have been very busy lately supporting our new EP, which was released a couple of months ago.”
The band’s hits include “Shake Little Sister” and “Lost.”

“We will do a mixture of our music, and we are going to play some favorites for the audience to give them a little taste of yesteryear,” said Cathey. “We are going to throw in some Guns N’ Roses, some old-school Van Halen and make sure that everybody has a little bit of something.”

Some of the greatest songs that are written come from a specific inspiration, and the band’s three CDs have songs that were written about life’s experiences. The song “Shake Little Sister” comes from Cathey spending many years as a DJ in a nightclub. “Lost” is about his experience during a divorce and “Even To This Day” is about dealing with child abuse and was featured on the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy.”

“So we have really tried to touch on many subjects with our music, and it is not only about partying, chicks, sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll because we always try to put a message behind our music as well.”
The band is a national touring act, and they also toured in Japan in 2008. They are looking forward to an upcoming tour that is on the horizon.

“It has been a long time since we played for Fayetteville, and we look forward to everyone getting a shot of The Fifth,” said Cathey. “We are going to give you something for your ears, something for your eyes and everyone will walk away happy.”

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call 910- 797-7140.

While the third Sunday in June is typically reserved for celebrating dads, the SouthEast Crab Feast is hosting an event the whole family will enjoy.

On Saturday, June 18, Southeast Crab Feast will bring their wildly popular low country heritage all-you-can-eat blue crab event to the John D. Fuller, Sr. Recreational/Athletic Complex.

The event will start at 1 p.m. and continue until about 6:30 p.m. The day will be split into two sessions, each lasting two and a half hours.

Ticketholders can bring their plates up to a serving station doling out fresh, perfectly seasoned blue crab and then slide over to get a side of fish and chips.

The SouthEast Crab Feast supports fishers and crabbers of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida who harvest and deliver blue crabs and other seafood within 48 hours of the event. Everything is hot and fresh and cooked on site.

In business now for over a decade, Jamell Hamilton, owner of SouthEast Crab Feast, initially just wanted to bring the saltwater memories of his coastal South Carolina childhood to a few friends and family.

“Prior to this business, I was in corporate America,” Hamilton explained. “I would have conversations with people about where I grew up in Hampton, South Carolina, and people were intrigued. They encouraged me to throw a feast in Charlotte. I went home to South Carolina and brought back some fresh seafood to enjoy with friends and family at no charge. I estimated about 23 to 30, and over 100 showed up.”

Later that same summer, Hamilton organized an event selling out around 150 tickets in just two days. That’s when, he said, a light bulb went off. “I wondered if people in other cities would enjoy the same experience. The following year we did three cities, Columbia, Charlotte and Raleigh.”

Since that initial feast in 2010, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based business has grown to include stops in about 32 cities up and down the Southeast. Fayetteville has been a popular stop for about the last five years or so.

Hamilton credits the success of the SouthEast Crab Feast to keeping things simple and delivering a great experience in a family-friendly environment.

“People love it, and they come to have a great time,” Hamilton told Up & Coming Weekly. “We’re well-organized, I have a great staff, and people walk away with a smile on their faces. We cater to all demographics and celebrate a love for crab. We offer something most people can’t get anywhere else.”

Keeping ticket prices low is a commitment Hamilton takes seriously. Opting to play jazz music over a PA system instead of offering live music, for instance, is a choice driven by a desire for this experience to not be out of reach for people and their families.

“If you compare our ticket price to other crab feasts, it’s easily doubled,” he explained. “I wanted to kick the ticket price down so whole families can come out without it being a burden. We make it accessible — if I can walk out and see a table of three generations eating our food, that’s a success.”

SouthEast Crab Feast events help raise funds for cancer research and treatment organizations such as the American Cancer Society and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Adult tickets for ages 12 and up are $38, and kids tickets for ages 5-11 are $15. Tickets can be purchased at https://southeastcrabfeast.com/.
The John D Fuller, Sr. Rec Center is located at 6627 Old Bunce Road in Fayetteville.

June is LGBTQ* Pride month, and this year, PrideFest returns to Fayetteville’s Festival Park on June 25. The all day event will feature music, vendors and a drag show along with other entertainment. There will also be a kids’ area with activities such as face painting and balloon animals.

Fayetteville PRIDE, a local LGBTQ* non profit organization, is hosting the event.
Katrinna Marsden, the president of Fayetteville PRIDE, is looking forward to the return of the event. With the COVID-19 pandemic, PrideFest 2020 was canceled, and 2021’s events were more scattered and smaller in nature in an effort to be safe while celebrating.

This year, however, Marsden expects a full crowd at Festival Park.

“Our first PrideFest in 2018 was at Lafayette Park, and 1500 people showed up. We knew we were outsized from that park from the first year,” she said. “In 2019, we had the festival in Festival Park, and had 5,000 people in attendance.

The event is the largest fundraiser on Fayetteville PRIDE’s calendar. The organization holds monthly support meetings for the community, has created a Youth Empowerment Group, and works with local charities. The vendor fees and sponsorships from PrideFest help fund the organization’s goals throughout the year.

“We aren’t just a festival, we are an organization that is year round and our mission is about embracing diversity and about being a support network,” Marsden said.
Marsden said the festival has hit their capacity for vendors, and that people have come forward to volunteer for the event in numbers they weren’t expecting.

“We were worried we wouldn’t have enough volunteers, but we have had over a hundred, and people have come up to ask day-of if they could volunteer. We’ve just had an outpouring of support for (the festival), and it makes it really worth it,” Marsden said.

PrideFest celebrates LGTBQ* acceptance, and Marsden said that can be a huge thing for an LGBTQ* person who may feel alone. She expressed most LGBTQ* people wonder how they will fit into “normal.” By having Pride events, meeting others in the LGBTQ* community, these people discover there is a whole community with similar experiences.

“It makes you feel like you have a place in the world. We still regularly get people who come up to us as at events, who have found out about us and express to us that they have felt alone. (It’s important) just knowing there are other people out there who support you,” Marsden said.
Marsden said it takes hours and hours to prepare for PrideFest, and sometimes it can seem overwhelming. But for Marsden and her fellow board members, the outpouring of support from the community makes the long days worth it.

“Every year we get to hear stories what it means to people, and I think that is the thing that makes it all worth it to us,” she said. “I can distinctly remember the very first PrideFest in 2018, standing there with the other board members crying because so many people were there and they kept telling us how much it meant.”
Marsden also expressed excitement to see parents supporting their LGBTQ* children at PrideFest.

“I did not come out for a long time. I didn't figure it out for along time. But looking back, I can see it in kindergarten and first grade, sixth grade. I can see all these things, I don’t know why I couldn’t figure it out,” she said.

“And then when you see 12 and 13 year olds at these festivals standing with their parents, wearing rainbow gear, it's really exciting.”

PrideFest will be held June 25 at Festival Park between noon and 6 p.m. The stage will host alternating musical and drag acts, with some Fayetteville favorites making appearances. For more information, or to volunteer or donate, visit www.fayettevillepride.org/.

Volunteers can register at https://forms.gle/SxAki7yahwUKbtHq9. Volunteers can donate as little as two hours of time, and sign up as an individual, as a family or with a friend.

Juneteenth has been a time of celebration since its introduction in 1866. Marking the end of slavery in the United States, Juneteenth is a proud cultural moment for African-Americans and America as a whole.
After 250 years of Black enslavement, 100 years of Jim Crow, a 20 year fight for civil rights, and an epidemic problem of systemic racism on a national scale — Juneteenth being celebrated loud enough for everyone to hear feels a long time in coming.

Officially declared a federal legal holiday in 2021, the city of Fayetteville wasted no time creating an event that shines a bright light on such an important day in American history.

In partnership with Circa 1865 and Cumulus Media, Cool Spring Downtown District will present the inaugural Juneteenth Jubilee and Praise Party, beginning with a festival downtown on Saturday, June 18, and ending with the Juneteenth Jubilee Heritage Brunch on Sunday, June 19.

Plans for the celebration have been in progress since early 2022, and all those involved are excited to bring such an important celebration to the people of Fayetteville.
Up & Coming Weekly spoke with Ashanti Bennet, Director of Special Projects for Cool Spring Downtown District, and Tyrell Walker of Circa 1865, Executive Coordinator of the Juneteenth Freedom Festival. Both expressed their thoughts on what makes this celebration so important.

"This event feels very timely amid some of the social unrest of the last few years," Bennet shared. "I think there's been a yearning to claim some positive victories for the culture. Juneteenth is not just for Black Americans; it's for all Americans. It's the end of a dark time in our history, and it's a time for people to be joyful. We want to celebrate Black culture in a joyful way where everyone feels welcome and included."

Walker sees this event as a powerful source of recognition.

"First and foremost, for us, this is about acknowledgment. A lot of Black history has been overlooked en masse. This acknowledgment from a federal level is about recognizing Black history and what we've gone through as a people — our transition from slavery to freedom is huge."

Circa 1865 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, empowering, entertaining and uplifting the Black community as a whole.
Having hosted Juneteenth celebrations since 2018, Circa 1865 was honored to join Cool Spring Downtown District in curating the celebration.

"They've been part of the planning process all the way through, "Bennet said of Circa 1865's involvement. They've helped every step of the way, and it's been nice to combine our efforts — we're just so excited to be doing this."

Saturday, June 18 will focus on bringing people together through food and music. Festivities kick off at noon, and attendees can look forward to a full stage show featuring appearances by Grammy-award-winning rapper Morray and Grammy-nominated folk and country artist Amythyst Kiah.

Also on-site will be nonprofits to share some history about Juneteenth for those not quite as familiar with the holiday.

"There's an excellent opportunity to learn about this holiday," Bennet explained. "Education and information about its history are so important to see how far we've come, especially in a community as diverse as Fayetteville."
Local musicians, artists, vendors, bounce houses and food trucks will fill downtown, adding to the atmosphere of joy and celebration. Fireworks will officially end the event.

"The need to celebrate feels distinctly American," Bennet said. "It will be nine hours of music, fun and food. This event is great for families and a great way to blend history and entertainment together."
Bennet also sees the Jubilee as an official start to the summer.

"It's an opportunity to see local Black-owned businesses, support community, support our local nonprofits. It's a good reason to be outdoors and wander around to see friends, grab something amazing to eat, grab a cold beer and sit and enjoy the day," she said.

Sunday, June 19 will be a more reserved but no less powerful observation of the holiday with the Juneteenth Jubilee Heritage Brunch at Studio 215 in Fayetteville.
The Juneteenth Jubilee Heritage Brunch will have the honor of hosting Jaki Shelton Green as its keynote speaker. Green, North Carolina's two-time Poet Laureate, is the first Black woman to hold the role — a fact that speaks to the possibility of change and the power of lifting Black voices to tell Black stories.
The brunch is a ticketed event catered by The Friend's Table, a local Black-owned business. Doors will open at 9:45 a.m.; the event will start at 10 a.m. and conclude around 12:30 p.m.

"It's nice to have an event here in Fayetteville that gives you a little intellectual stimulation. People can get dressed up, but it's still accessible to the community," Bennet said.
One ticket option offers a nice boxed lunch for $25; the other offers a full hot brunch, including a cocktail bar, for $50.
Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra's Jazz Trio will provide entertainment. A short award ceremony will likely take place before the event's end.

While the Juneteenth Jubilee and Brunch are massive events for the community, they are but a part of the large-scale Juneteenth celebration taking place all over the city and surrounding areas.
Circa 1865, in response to the holiday becoming federally recognized, has organized a four-day celebration, making it the largest Juneteenth celebration in the country.

"We want to make Juneteenth as big as possible," Walker told Up & Coming Weekly. "We want to blow the roof off. We have celebrations planned for Hope Mills, Spring Lake, Fort. Bragg and Fayetteville."

Celebrating Juneteenth in a city such as Fayetteville, which has a high number of Black business owners, seems particularly significant.

"For me, this is about celebration plain and simple," Walker said. "This is our time to celebrate."

Though Juneteenth holds special significance in the African American community, Bennet and Walker both agree that the city's celebration of the holiday is for everyone.

"In our fight for freedom, many people who didn't necessarily look like us still fought beside us," Walker explained. "I see this as a unifying celebration. It's kind of like a birthday party; anyone can come to celebrate — but you still know who the party is for."

"I want people to be pleasantly surprised at the amount of fun they had," Bennet said, adding to the sentiment of unity. "I'm excited to see some diversity, and I want people to have joy. Joy is at the center of everything we do here. We want to bring people together. There's so much going on in the world; it's important to be gathered in a spirit of joy," she continued. "I think it multiplies."

To find out more about Cool Spring Downtown's Juneteenth Jubilee and Praise Party, visit https://visitdowntownfayetteville.com/juneteenth-jubilee/.
For more information regarding Juneteenth celebrations in Hope Mills, Fort Bragg and Spring Lake, visit https://juneteenthfreedomfestival.com/.

Judy Dewar moves her hands as she speaks. She’s passionate and thorough. Her mind focuses on the details. This is key to what she does now. Today she wears a cotton purple T-shirt adorned with flowers and butterflies. The shirt is from Cape Fear Botanical Garden and speaks to her love of gardening, flowers and horticulture.

“It’s really quite pretty,” she says, looking down at the shirt. “My husband bought it for me.”

Dewar is Chair of the Cumberland County Extension Master Gardeners Volunteer Association. She jokes about the length of the title and that about seven years ago, she raised her hand at the “wrong time” and found herself as chair. For her, this is a joke, of course, as she remarks that gardeners are some of the best people she’s ever associated with.
Dewar has two pairs of glasses — one on her face and the other resting upon her head. She talks for a minute, stops to feel the frame of one of the pairs, and continues speaking.

“I am just going to ramble,” she jokes.
In just a couple of weeks, on the 25th of June, the 2022 Cumberland County Master Gardener Volunteer Association Spring Gardening Symposium will take place. This title is longer than hers.
Dewar is busy making plans and lots of calls. She wants to make this year’s event successful. In the height of COVID-19, the symposium drew fewer crowds than it had in the past but is important for the community, she says.

“We are trying to reach as many people as we can.”

The symposium will have four speakers and will take place starting at 9 a.m.; doors open at 8 a.m. Speakers will include Doug Tallamy, Bryce Lane, Kenny Bailey and Dawn Adkins-Hurley. There will be about 30 minutes between each speaker, and during that time, there will be 12 vendors that will provide information about horticulture or will be selling items. These items will include herbs, gardening materials, and other things related to horticulture. The botanical garden will be open and accessible to all the symposium participants as well. Dewar and others in her group are hoping for about 65-125 attendees at the event.

“We are hoping to God that on the 25th of June we will really and truly be up and coming,” Dewar said. “We just want to have a lot of fun. This event is our fun time.”
The symposium’s purpose is for the association to raise two $1500 horticulture scholarships. The group’s members offer grants to high schools and teachers and sustain local gardens with the funds. Public Works Commission is the main sponsor of the event, which will also include a garden luncheon by Chef Judy — a Food Network winner.
Dewar’s involvement in the group and the symposium started thanks to her husband, Jack, about 19 years ago. He read about the group in the newspaper and told his wife about it. She called the group up to see how to get involved.

“I knew nothing about growing anything. The person on the other end of the line said, ‘Sweetheart, neither do we. Come and join us.’”
The group teaches the master gardeners how to learn acceptable horticulture practices. According to Dewar, the group takes interns, and there’s a three-month class available with a minimal fee about the bible of horticulture. North Carolina State, she says, has put out a book superior to all others.

“I could go on about it — for this old lady in tennis shoes, there is a miracle every time I see something come up in my garden or yours. I like to think I contribute a little bit to that.”
The upcoming symposium is open to the public, and Dewar urges all those interested to register ahead of time for it. There will also be raffles at the event that anyone can participate in.

“It’s geared to everybody who has never grown a weed to those who grow — it’s a whole spectrum. There is no speaker that you won’t get one little nugget of knowledge from.”
For those interested in gardening or who have been considering it, Dewar offers this advice. She stops for a minute before she doles it out.

“I often say to new gardeners — just have faith.”
Dewar smiles and says if it dies three times, she knows to throw it out.

To register for this year’s symposium, go to https://mg_symposium.eventbrite.com/. Tickets are $75 each.

Lights, Camera, Action! It’s fashion with a message. On June 18, Culture Clash will present its fashion show “Unmask the Unseen” at the Destiny Event Center in Fayetteville.

Culture Clash, founded by Shawna Lathan, is dedicated to tackling HIV and AIDS through education, outreach, morals and Christianity.
AIDS and HIV disproportionately affects members of the African American community. According to HIV.gov, about 1.2 million people in the United States are infected with HIV. African Americans account for over 40% of all new cases as of 2018 though only making up 13% of the population.

“Unmask The Unseen” speaks to the secretive and often taboo topic of sex education, sexually transmitted infections and preventative resources within the Black community. “It’s time to talk openly about these things,” Lathan said.

“We not only want to erase the stigma of AIDS/HIV and STIs, but we also want to address the ignorance that facilitates the spread of these deadly diseases.”
The creative approach of a fashion show appeals to Lathan’s sense of style and appreciation of the arts, but she also wishes to bring attention to a conversation too often shrouded in shame.

“Even today, parents don’t know how to talk to their kids about this, and those kids are getting the wrong information from the wrong sources,” Lathan said.
Representatives from the Sampson County HIV-AIDS Task Force will be present to offer education, information and resources. According to the organization’s CFO, Phillip White, this aspect is the true value of the event.

“Many people in the community still see HIV/AIDS as an issue that impacts only one type of person,” White shared. “Due to this ignorance, they put themselves and others at risk. Letting everyone know this is still very much an issue, and sharing this knowledge is huge for the community.”

Radio personality Tammy Renae will act as the evening’s host, and attendees can look forward to a night of carefully crafted elegance. Models wearing beautifully designed clothes will present messages of hope, courage, despair and redemption through choreographed dance.
Clothes by local and more established designers such as Carolina Fashion Award recipient Sheila Holly and DeLima Designz will be for sale.
Several local vendors will be on-site, making “Unmask the Unseen” a one-stop-shop for the latest styles and trends. Guests can also look forward to a silent auction, the musical stylings of DJ PJ and a special surprise guest.

Tickets for the event are $25. The price includes a raffle and a swag bag. VIP tickets start at $50 and include exclusive incentives at the silver and gold levels.

All proceeds will be donated to the Sampson County HIV-AIDS Task Force to help their efforts to engage, educate and empower the community.
Lathan hopes everyone in attendance leaves with a spirit to share what they’ve learned.

“I hope people are empowered and motivated to ‘reach one to teach three,’” she said. “I hope we’ve given them something to think about.”
A VIP reception will begin at 5 p.m. with the fashion show following from 6 to 8 p.m. Light refreshments will be sold during the show’s intermission.

The Destiny Event Center is located at 6405 Camden Road.
Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.cultureclashshow.com/.

Participating Blue Star Museums across the country are offering free admission to military personnel and their families through Labor Day.

The Blue Star Museums program is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, working with the Defense Department and museums.
The list of participating museums includes museums from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Museums educate and inspire, cause us to wonder and imagine dream and remember,” said Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “Participating museums offer military personnel and their families an opportunity to feel connected to their community and to explore the world through the power of the arts, culture and design, contributing to each person being able to live an artful life.”
The program is open to those currently serving in the military and up to five family members. Those eligible must show their Department of Defense ID card for free entrance to participating museums.

“The Defense Department is grateful to the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and museums across the country who participate in this program,” said Patricia Barron, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Military Community and Family Policy.

“As an Army spouse who raised three very creative children, I know the importance of these enriching experiences to the lives of military families. Improving the quality of life for our nation’s service members and their families through programs like Blue Star Museums ultimately leads to increased readiness among our service members.”

While there aren’t any participating museums in Fayetteville, there are a few located just a short drive away. The Averasboro Battlefield Commission, Inc., in Dunn, is part of the North Carolina Civil War Trails Program. The Fuquay-Varina Museums Complex consists of six museums: Centennial Museum, First Fuquay Post Office, "Squire" Ballentine Schoolhouse, Tobacco Barn, Johnson Playhouse and the Norfolk Southern Caboose #375.

There are also several museums in the program located within a two to three-hour drive from Fayetteville. These include: the Nasher Museum Of Art At Duke University (Durham), the Joel Lane Museum House (Raleigh), the Cape Fear Museum (Wilmington), the North Carolina Museum Of Dolls, Toys, & Miniatures (Spencer), and the North Carolina Museum Of History (Raleigh).

The Bechtler Museum Of Modern Art, the Charlotte Museum Of History, the Mint Museum and the Wing Haven in Charlotte are also participating in the free program.
For a full list of museums that are currently participating in the program, visit www.arts.gov/blue-star-museum-map.

Museums may join the Blue Star Museums program all summer long, so families are encouraged to keep checking the map for museums in their community or on their summer travels.

Editor's note: This column was submitted by former City Councilman Tyrone Williams, who is currently running for the District 2 seat.

As an entrepreneur and private money lender, I routinely receive requests from investors for the purpose of funding real estate transactions, generally secured by a note and mortgage/deed of trust. So when I received a call from previous financial consultant for the city of Fayetteville on behalf of the purchaser of the Prince Charles Hotel, who was in need of $100,000 to close on the property at 250 Hay Street, I was eager to provide my services in an effort to help my city. I funded the loan for $100,000 payable to the purchaser of the Prince Charles Hotel of 450 Hay, LLC, by way of the attorneys at closing. (Refer to Cumberland County Register of Deeds) In addition, in an effort to keep the purchaser of the Prince Charles Hotel in compliance with the city ordinance, my construction company provided mechanical services in excess of $15,000 to be repaid with money, or in-kind services never were paid.

Years after the loan was funded and my construction company completed work on the property, it came to my attention the subject property was penalized due to modification not being done in accordance with Historic Guidelines. The city threatened the purchaser of the Prince Charles Hotel with condemnation and tax liens which put my first lien position in jeopardy. Thankfully, the purchaser of the Prince Charles Hotel eventually repaid the $100,000 loan after I later read in The Fayetteville Observer the city was going to foreclose on the property. I assumed the property would have been transferred by way of tax lien and the other $15,000 debt the purchaser of the Prince Charles Hotel owed me was therefore canceled. I didn’t realize it never went through the tax sale. All of this happened prior to my being elected to City Council.

I ran for City Council and was elected. While in office vote came up for the construction of the Prince Charles Hotel and the Parking Deck. After reading the contract and relying on my experience as an entrepreneur, real estate investor, developer and negotiator, the contract seemed more beneficial for the private developer with little benefit for our city. I voted against it, but it still passed 9 to 1. Looking back, I realized this is where the witch hunt began. Mr. Archie McMillian got it right. I am referring to The Fayetteville Observer article, April 11, 2018, titled Opinions Mixed on Williams. The late Archie McMillian, who was the owner of Mr. Zeke’s Shoe Shine Shop, said, “I think it’s a witch hunt.”

A few months later, I got a call from my attorney at that time, stating the owner of the Prince Charles Hotel never received the 1st lien satisfaction letter that showed the $100,000 loan was paid off. At this point, I refused to sign off on the lien because the purchaser of the Prince Charles Hotel never paid me for services rendered for the other $15,000 debt. Somehow, the title company transferred the Prince Charles Hotel property, and they were able to move forward without the satisfaction letter.

As a council member, I sought advice on how to be transparent in this situation. At that time, I asked the Fayetteville financial manager about this action and was told that I needed to talk with the city attorney. The city financial manager later took early retirement. Now the witch hunt began with me dealing with threats, my home being damaged, and continually being harassed. The situation with the tape recording was a set-up that was altered to make it look like bribery. They forgot to cut out the part where we discussed taking that discussion back to the city attorney. At the next meeting between myself and the city attorney, I was informed that she had hired an attorney based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, to represent the city of Fayetteville.

There was also an Up and Comingpublication, FAYETTEVILLES’S MOST NOT WANTED — Gone And Fayetteville Moves On (cover), dated May 2018. The cover story article was entitled Tyrone Williams: What happens next? By Jeff Thompson

Just how far have we come? In November 2017, the Fayetteville citizens elected me, Tyrone Williams, because I was and I still am the most qualified for the job. I fought for transparency and accountability in government, particularly in this project. As a result, I have suffered ridicule, unfair judgment and lies from government officials who needed to cover up a bad deal. Defamation of one’s character in order to achieve the goals of getting what is desired is everyday politics, but it must stop. As a voter and taxpayer, you deserve honest and integral leadership as your representation. Vote Tyrone Williams, and you will get just that!

We as taxpayers have taxes withdrawn from each payroll check which goes directly to the government prior to being received, and we cannot have our voices or views heard in determining what is best for the city of Fayetteville. This is ridiculous and nonsense as it places us in organized types of bondage. Ask yourself: Just how far have we as Black people come? These actions and behaviors are so unfair and must be stopped. A change is needed desperately, and it has to happen very soon. There is a mentality that people still have of working in the “Big House” during these current times. Citizens have to elect the people to the City Council and other government offices that want to work hard for the taxpayers. District 2 and the entire city of Fayetteville need a change right now!

There is a discussion about $600k being taken from the budget of the city of Fayetteville to be invested into a high-rise apartment deck project located downtown. Full transparency of each and every city project that comes from the taxpayer’s money, grants, and funding must be revealed to the citizens of Fayetteville.

After the Texas school massacre, President Biden asked, “When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?”

The answer, which is already unfolding by inaction, is that we are not.

Americans decided a decade ago after the Sandy Hook killings that we value our guns more than we do our children, including very young ones and other people’s, of course. At the moment, we are full of sadness and outrage and demand that our elected leaders “do something.” They won’t.

Poll after poll confirms that Americans support what are billed as “common sense” gun controls, but we, the people, have yet to make that absolutely clear by voting out legislators who think it is OK for 18-year-olds to buy military assault weapons on their birthdays and head for the local elementary school. We are, of course, the only nation on earth that allows this, and we have the statistics to show for it. The New York Times reports that we endured 101 mass shootings between 1998-2019. Our closest competitor is France with eight.

In addition, the majority of gun deaths last year were suicides, not to mention individual murders by gunshot and accidental shootings. Mass shootings garner headlines, but most gun carnage is routine, if not expected.

The white men who wrote the Second Amendment thought muskets were the latest and greatest. They never conceived of death and destruction wrought by military assault weapons.
What is wrong with us?

The massacre in Texas has ignited a debate. It is shocking to acknowledge we are actually having this debate. Since so many Americans react with “ho-hum” to mass shootings at elementary schools, should we show them what it really looks like? Should media use photographs of 6-year-olds who met their maker courtesy of a military-grade assault weapon that left exit wounds the size of oranges in their little bodies?

Yes, you read that correctly.

Talking heads and ordinary Americans alike are wondering whether showing the actual carnage would shock us into dealing with our assault weapons issue, just as Emmett Till’s mother’s 1955 decision to have an open-casket revealing his murdered body spurred on the civil rights movement in our nation.

Meaghan Looram, editor of photography at The New York Times frames the issue this way. “We are always trying to balance the news value of an image and its service to our readers against whether or not the image is dignified for the victims or considerate toward the families or loved ones of those pictured. We don’t want to withhold images that would help people understand what has happened in scenarios like these, but we also don’t publish images sheerly as provocation.”

Think about it.

Donald Trump’s endorsement is certainly not the kiss of death in Republican circles, but it does not seem to be the breath of life either. Trump-endorsed candidates in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Texas did not traipse easily into their party’s nominations for high office, garnering about a third of Republican primary votes — respectable but not close to landslide territory.

Still, there is a hard core of Trump loyalists who will do almost anything for the man, including ink their own bodies. I know this because I was recently standing in a lunch line behind a tall fellow in a sleeveless T-shirt.
His bare flesh boasted enough tattoos to have financed college tuition. As I surveyed the back of his colorful arm, which was at my eye level, I wondered why on earth anyone would tattoo the number “45” on his bicep when it came to me. This man was paying an inky homage to Donald Trump!

Now, that has got to be true love! Or something …

Political conservatism, say its critics, is less a rational movement to shape the future than an irrational impulse to flee the present.

Historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. famously called it “the politics of nostalgia.”

In reality, the temptation to romanticize the past is evident across the ideological spectrum. Politicians, activists, and intellectuals often wax nostalgic about mid-century America, for example, but for widely divergent reasons. Conservatives like the period’s low rates of crime and single parenthood. Progressives like its high rate of unionization.

If Marty McFly floated by in his flux-capacitated DeLorean and offered us a trip to the 1950s, however, few would take him up on it. We know we’d be poorer for it. We’d be giving up too much in the trade — from our daily conveniences, more comfortable homes, and higher incomes to modern medicine and equality under the law.

My fellow conservatives direct our gaze backward not to worship at the altar of some idealized past but instead to study and practice the lessons of history. We believe they reflect unalterable facts of human nature.

“Modern formulations are necessary even in defense of very ancient truths,” wrote William F. Buckley, one of the founders of modern American conservatism. “Not because of any alleged anachronism in the old ideas — the Beatitudes remain the essential statements of the Western code — but because the idiom of life is always changing.”

One historical subject it would profit everyone to know more about is the history of American conservatism itself. As it happens, two insightful authors have given us new books on the subject. Matthew Continetti’s “The Right: The Hundred Year War for American Conservatism” (Basic Books) describes the movement as a sprawling, intricately woven, but also somewhat-frayed tapestry of ideas, institutions and individuals. In M. Stanton Evans: “Conservative Wit, Apostle of Freedom” (Encounter Books), Steve Hayward offers a perfect companion piece: a loving and entertaining profile of an especially colorful thread in that tapestry, my longtime friend and mentor Stan Evans.

Continetti, an American Enterprise Institute fellow and editor of the Washington Free Beacon, begins his narrative of American conservatism in the Coolidge era of the 1920s and skillfully integrates the political, intellectual, and social history of the ensuing decades. Among the strengths of the book are Continetti’s careful study of documents, both published pieces and correspondence, and his accounts of the founding of key conservative institutions such as National Review and Young Americans for Freedom.

As for Hayward, a resident scholar at the University of California at Berkeley and biographer of former president Ronald Reagan, his book properly places Stan Evans at the center of many consequential events in the history of American conservatism, including the foundational moments I just mentioned. Named editor of the Indianapolis News in 1960 (at 26, he was the youngest editor of a major American newspaper at the time), Evans went on to write a syndicated column and many books, become a national TV and radio commentator, and train hundreds of budding journalists (including yours truly) as head of the Washington-based National Journalism Center.

Local readers will particularly enjoy the books’ North Carolina connections. For example, Continetti recounts U.S. Sen. Josiah Bailey’s efforts to organize opposition to the New Deal. While Bailey never achieved his dream of rolling back the federal government’s unconstitutional usurpation of state and private responsibilities, his proposed alliance of Republicans and conservative Democrats did come to pass after the 1938 midterms, blocking some of Franklin Roosevelt’s later and more-expansive programs.

Two other North Carolinians, scholar Richard Weaver and politician Jesse Helms, get their due in the books. And Hayward reveals the key role that Stan Evans played in Reagan’s surprising victory over Gerald Ford in

North Carolina’s 1976 primary, which helped ensure he would be the GOP nominee for president four years later.
In his conclusion, Continetti argues “the job of a conservative is to remember.” Quite right. And you’ll find no better memory aids than his and Hayward’s new books.

Cumberland County education leaders called for increased funding for schools Monday, June 16, during a public hearing, but the Board of Commissioners voted to pass the budget for fiscal year 2023 with no such increase.
In a meeting following the public hearing, however, the board voted to raise the salary of Vice Chair Toni Stewart by $2,000 over a previously planned increase. The measure passed 4-2 with Commissioners Jimmy Keefe and Michael Boose voting in opposition.

Before that vote, the board considered a similar pay increase for all commissioners, except Chair Glenn Adams, but that motion failed 3-3. Boose, Keefe and Stewart voted in favor while Adams and Commissioners Larry Lancaster and Jeannette Council were against the plan.
Commissioner Charles Evans was not present for either vote or the public hearing.

Under the newly adopted budget, Adams will earn an annual salary of $31,100, and Vice Chair Stewart will earn $25,297. The rest of the commissioners will receive $23,297.
It’s an increase from last year’s budget, when commissioners approved a chair salary of $30,194 while the rest of the commissioners earned $22,619.
This is not including a 3% and 4% cost-of-living raise on the fiscal year 2022 and 2023 base salaries, respectively.

The cost-of-living raises also apply to county employees
The board did not discuss comments during the public hearing that called for increased education funding.
Commissioners did not immediately respond to emailed questions from Carolina Public Press concerning the votes for salary increases and calls for increased education funding in the public hearing.

The board approved $84.3 million in funding for Cumberland County Schools, lower than the $88.2 million requested by the school system, but the approved funding is an increase of $1.3 million from last year.
Commissioners also approved a $95,000 work study that will examine how to best retain workers amid what County Manager Amy Cannon had described at previous meetings as an employees’ market.
The approved budget did not increase property taxes or solid waste fees.

Calls for increased school funding

During the public hearing, education leaders in Cumberland County spoke to commissioners, advocating for the $88.2 million in the school board’s original request.
Among them was Cumberland Board of Education member Charles McKellar.

“I come from the business world, and I know the responsibilities of any organization,” McKellar said. “You have to plan for the future.”
While McKellar had previously voted against budgets recommended by the majority of the Board of Education, he said he supported this year’s request.

“I’m in total support of this year’s (school) budget, and the reason is it’s been simplified,” McKellar said. “You can understand where the money’s going.”
Heather Kaiser, a schoolteacher and president of the Cumberland County Association of Educators, said the budget decisions made by the Board of Commissioners will have a “lasting and far-reaching impact” on students, teachers and the community as a whole.

“Those of us with our boots on the ground need you to know that expecting Cumberland County Schools to continue to do more with less is not the way forward,” Kaiser said. “We cannot make progress and positively impact children under those conditions.”
Cynthia Brent, chair of the Fayetteville NAACP’s education committee, said more funding was needed to address how some students are falling behind academically. She noted that the N.C. Department of Public Instruction had classified 23 schools within the Cumberland County system as low-performing schools.

“The pandemic has exposed the need for additional resources,” Brent said.

“These resources include additional social workers, counselors, nurses and teachers assistants and also includes access to broadband, high-quality child care, after-school child care, quality summer programs and a committed community.”

Leslie Craig, a schoolteacher at Max Abbott Middle School, said school staff needed more income to pay for increasing costs due to inflation, particularly housing.
Craig cited her personal experience with the high cost of housing. She told commissioners that her rent had increased by $250 in the past year and that more affordable housing was not available to her.
According to Apartment List, a nationwide apartment listing service that also collects rental data, the average monthly rent in Cumberland County has increased from $995 two years ago to more than $1,300 last month.

“If teachers and support staff cannot meet their daily life needs for themselves and their families, particularly for housing, how can they stay in their jobs?” Craig said.
Per state requirements, the new budget that commissioners approved includes a new minimum wage of $15 an hour for certain school employees, as well as a 2.5% increase for anyone already at that pay grade.

Changes to budget

Some changes were made to the budget proposal that was presented last month after a few weeks of deliberation.
This includes $30,000 and $3,000 in additional funding for Cumberland HealthNet and the county’s Vision Resource Center, respectively.
To account for this, $33,000 in funding has been taken from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County.

HOPE MILLS — The Hope Mills Board of Commissioners on Monday, June 26, approved the fiscal 2022-23 budget with a few adjustments to the wording of some entries.

The $15.5 million budget keeps the property tax rate at 46 cents per $100 valuation.

No one spoke during a public hearing on the proposed spending plan.

The budget was approved unanimously. Commissioner Bryan Marley was absent on official business but sent an internal note to Mayor Jackie Warner informing her of his confidence in the proposed budget should the board vote on it, Warner told commissioners.

“I think it's a really good proposal,” Town Manager Scott Meszaros said. “It’s a good framework to get us moving forward.”

Before the vote, several commissioners expressed concern about the wording in part of the document that said departments had the authority to move budget funds around without having to bring it before the board.

Mayor Pro Tem Kenjuana McCray asked the town manager to explain that section. Drew Holland, the town’s finance director, stepped in to answer the question. Holland said a department can do an internal budget amendment without having to bring it to the board for a vote.

“It’s an internal adjustment and doesn’t increase the overall budget and it's not moving it from one department to another,’’ Holland said. “It just moves funds within the department. It’s a standard and has been in our budget every year.”

According to the wording in the budget, the departments were not required to inform the board about moving the funds.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen that language within a budget,” Commissioner Grilley Mitchell said.

The wording also said the funds could be moved “without limitations.” The ambiguous wording and “without limitations” bothered McCray, Mitchell and Commissioner Joanne Scarola.

Holland assured the board that the movement of funds was signed off by the head of the department. Mitchell said that’s not what the language states and said ”it’s very ambiguous.”

Scarola agreed with Mitchell, saying it didn’t matter to her that it has always been that way.

“That’s not very transparent,” Scarola said.

The board agreed the wording needed to be changed before approving the budget. The town’s legal counsel said the board could still approve the budget with those noted changes without having the new wording in place.

The commissioners agreed and approved the budget.

The board also met in closed session for personnel and contract discussion and attorney-client advice.

Developers will not have to deal with temporary restrictions on lot size and setbacks after a vote by the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Monday morning, June 6.
A motion to establish a 90-day moratorium for zero lot-line development failed to get a majority vote. Board member Jeanette Council made the motion for the moratorium to allow the county Planning Board to review the issue and make recommendations to the commissioners.

Council and Commissioners Toni Stewart and Glenn Adams voted in favor of the motion. Commissioners Michael Boose, Larry Lancaster and Jimmy Keefe voted against it.
The moratorium was one of two options the county attorney recommended in a memo to the commissioners. The second was to eliminate zero lot-line development without further input from the Planning Board and to amend the county’s subdivision ordinance accordingly.

Just before Monday’s public hearing on the subject, board Chairman Adams said the board never intended to stop zero lot-line development.

“That’s the furthest thing from the truth. We are for orderly development, not getting rid of zero lot lines,” Adams said.

He blamed miscommunication and misinformation for confusion on the issue. He said the board often has received conflicting recommendations from the Planning Board and its staff.

After the vote, Adams said the board will still ask the county staff to look at the issue and make recommendations.

Zero lot-line development allows subdivision developers to build on smaller lots and use smaller setbacks from adjoining structures. Rural residents in Stedman, Eastover and other communities adjacent to proposed zero lot-line developments had complained to the county about the smaller residential lot sizes.

Four people spoke against the proposed moratorium. No one spoke in favor of it.
Lori Epler, vice president of Larry King & Associates homebuilders, said that eliminating zero lot lines would be “stealing” the right of builders and property owners to maximize return on their property.
Amanda Smith, president of Longleaf Pine Realtors, said there is a shortage of houses in the Cumberland County market. Removing the zero lot-line option would “wipe away affordable houses” here, and it would take almost a decade to make up the shortage, Smith said.

Jamie Godwin, president of the Homebuilders Association of Fayetteville, said removing zero lot-line development would curtail thousands of jobs in the homebuilding industry and shift new construction to surrounding counties. He also said that because Cumberland County lacks water and sewer lines in some areas, zero lot lines rarely are used because there’s a need for septic tanks and leech lines. That requires builders in the county to use larger lots and have greater separation between houses.

Finally, former County Attorney Neil Yarborough, speaking on behalf of developers, said the process of reviewing zero lot lines should be transparent and involve the public. Doing so, he said, would result in greater acceptance of any policy on the issue.

After the June 6 public meeting, according to the agenda, the board was scheduled to go into closed session to discuss land acquisition and economic development.

The Fayetteville City Council on Monday night, June 6, voted unanimously to move forward with implementing a revised affordable-housing policy, including bringing back an incentive program and developing a housing trust fund.

The council funded an affordable housing study in fiscal year 2022 and adopted action plans on housing in 2022 and 2023.
In other business, the council discussed a request for financial assistance from organizers of the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, which is trying to recover from financial hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The festival’s board of directors has requested $15,000 from the city.

Some council members voiced concern about diversity, including in the festival’s traditional concert lineup.
The housing issue is about “how we preserve existing housing, how we help our seniors stay in their houses longer and how we produce more housing,” said Chris Cauley, director of the city Economic and Community Development Department.

A housing trust fund has two primary purposes, according to Cauley. They are identifying revenue sources, including federal and state grants, a potential housing bond and annual allocations from the general fund and setting policy guidelines on how to evaluate funding requests.
Most recently, the council directed the city staff to add a $12 million housing bond on the ballot in November.

“There’s a lot more work to be done,” said Cauley, who presented a report to the City Council on Monday, June 6. “So tonight, what we’re talking about is checking in with the work that your team has done for the city, making sure that the direction staff is going is the right direction council wants it … as we revise our affordable-housing policies and procedures.

“And then moving into the fall, we’ll be talking about our development finance incentives, which are a little bit different than economic development incentives,” he said. “We’re not talking about recruiting jobs. We’re talking about incentivizing certain kinds of development to happen in certain places where council achieves the specific goals that council has laid out.”
According to Cauley, housing goals include improving awareness and access to housing resources; increasing the number and diversity of affordable-housing options; supporting self-sufficiency; and ensuring housing quality.

Cauley noted that one of the biggest problems in the Fayetteville area is that rental housing is more expensive than in other cities.

“So, a lot of our problem, which is unique in Fayetteville, is that a lot of our housing challenge is at the lowest end of the spectrum,” he said.
Renters are significantly more financially challenged than homeowners, he said.

“I cannot emphasize enough that COVID did not do good things to these numbers."
City Manager Doug Hewett said after the meeting that moving forward on affordable-housing policies is a significant step.

“We don’t have enough affordable housing,” Hewett said. “It plays an integral role in the development of the community. The establishment of the housing and trust fund and bringing back the incentive policy incentivizes development in our redevelopment area.”

Cauley said the city has about $12.4 million available in housing resources.

"I cannot underscore that this is not enough," he added.

Hewett said the city “is putting money on this, making these plans real.”

During talks Wednesday, June 1 surrounding the county’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year, Cumberland officials voiced concern about low retention rates among the county’s workers amid rising inflation and stress from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Part of the reason that we’re losing employees is, first, the emotional stress of the pandemic,” County Manager Amy Cannon said.

Cannon said she’s hopeful that the situation is going to turn, leading to an employer market, but for now, she has concerns about county employees.

“They’re burning out,” she said. “They don’t feel like they can take a day off, because when they come back, it’s going to be difficult to then catch up.”

Beyond the pandemic, the ongoing labor shortage has contributed to high vacancies among county positions, Cannon said.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep people,” she said. “You may bring somebody on, and then six weeks (later), when they realize what we’re asking them to do, they exit out.”

To address these concerns, county officials are adding a 4% cost-of-living raise to employees in the proposed budget. The proposal includes funds for a $95,000 study to best determine how to retain employees.

County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe expressed concern about the long-term solution to ongoing cost issues.

“Health care’s gone up, energy’s gone up, everything’s gone up,” Keefe said.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the consumer price index, which measures inflation, has risen 8.3%.

Current measures won’t completely address employee retention issues related to this inflation, Cannon said.

“That’s not going to stop the bleeding,” she said. “It’s not going to fully take care of their disposable-income loss.”

Keefe said the county needs to create new solutions in the future to fully address inflation.

“I would caution us on thinking that old ways of doing things are going to get us through in the future,” he said. “I think we have to be more creative.”

Public hearing

The county will conduct a public hearing on the proposed budget on Monday, June 6 at the Board of Commissioners’ regularly scheduled monthly meeting at the Cumberland County Courthouse at 7 p.m.

Further work sessions on the budget will take place on June 8, 13 and 15.

Residents can view the budget online on the county’s website.

Pictured: The Cumberland County Courthouse houses meetings of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners in downtown Fayetteville. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits / Carolina Public Press)

The Hope Mills Board of Commissioners on Monday, June 6 will hold a public hearing on the proposed fiscal 2022-23 budget.

The board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Town Manager Scott Meszaros has proposed a $15.5 million budget that keeps the property tax rate at 46 cents per $100 valuation.

The proposed budget also includes a tax of 5 cents per $100 of property valuation to raise the revenue listed in Parks & Recreation fees.

The board could decide to adopt the budget after the public hearing. The new budget has to be adopted by June 30.

A public hearing also is scheduled on the annexation of 6 acres in the Horner subdivision on Corporation Drive owned by Beers N Trees LLC. This would be a contiguous annexation.

Those who want to speak at the hearings should sign up with the town clerk prior to the meeting and limit their time to 3 minutes.

Under the consent agenda, the board will consider accepting a budget amendment to receive just over $5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. The town has identified several projects for the funding, including nearly $2.4 million for street improvements, $1.4 million for ballfields at the Golfview property, $586,000 for police radios and $500,000 for a police real-time crime center and a license plate reader system, according to a memo to Meszaros from Finance Director Drew Holland

The board also will consider accepting a budget amendment in the amount of $97,500 for general fund expenses that include additional election costs and additional parking at the Lake Park. Of that, $9,000 is for election expenses and $88,500 is for the Fountain Lane parking lot, according to a memo from Holland.

The board also will consider a budget amendment in the amount of $16,000 for fuel expenditures as part of the consent agenda.

In general, items listed on the consent agenda are passed on a single motion without discussion.

Under new business, the town will consider the approval of the Cumberland County Joint Planning Board draft by-laws.

 

The Fayetteville City Council on Monday night, June 6 is scheduled to consider providing financial assistance to the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival, which is looking to recover from financial hardships related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The discussion has been tabled twice, including a request to drop it from last Thursday’s (June 2) budget work session.

The meeting begins at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

The 40th Dogwood Festival was held in downtown Fayetteville on April 22-24.
The Dogwood Festival Inc. board of directors has requested $15,000 to support the event’s expenses.

“As many know, the festival has been on a long hiatus since the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in March 2020,” reads an April 7 letter addressed to City Manager Doug Hewett from festival Executive Director Sarahgrace Snipes. “Due to this hiatus, the annual festival has not been able to be held since 2019; fortunately, the festival has shown resilience.

“Throughout the pandemic, several small fundraisers were held and as mass gathering restrictions relaxed last summer, events have been able to continue.”

While the festival has been able to bounce back from the financial hardship, Snipes wrote, the support would be greatly appreciated. It is the festival’s intention to use the money to promote sustainability.

With the latest festival, Snipes said in an interview Friday, organizers were still working with some funds from 2020.

"We are still a little behind, and we would like a little bit of support to maintain financial sustainability for the next events for the remainder of 2022," she said.

The festival's overall budget for the year is close to $500,000, according to Snipes.

"All of our other financial support comes from sponsorships and grants," she said. "I would say sponsorships make up a considerable portion of our income. We do receive some grant funds from the Tourism Development Authority of Cumberland County and also The Arts Council of Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Any other funds that we don't receive from them we recruit sponsorship and ticket sales and other revenue... If we're looking to make up that money — the $15,000 or even more — we would have to add additional fundraising."

Snipes said the latest festival did not wind up in the red in terms of profit and loss.

"We have seen some profit but doing festivals like ours, it takes a lot of financial resources," Snipes said. "It sometimes comes down to cash flow."

Watershed study

In other business, staff members are expected to present the findings of a Blounts Creek watershed study. Part of the study focused on Blounts Creek into downtown.

The recommendations include improvements to the bridges at Russell and Person streets as well as stream enhancements, according to materials in the agenda packet. The estimated cost is $20.5 million, the agenda packet states.

The materials say the improvements to Russell and Person streets would keep more roads open during large storm events.

The project would require consulting and coordinating with the N.C. Department of Transportation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality and other agencies, the materials state.

On another matter, Councilwoman Courtney Banks-McLaughlin is expected to discuss support of a proposed aquatic center.

The parks and recreation advisory board has expressed interest in an aquatic center and is requesting the council’s support, Banks-McLaughlin states on her agenda item request. No other information about the aquatic center, including where it would be located, was available in the agenda materials.

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Monday, June 6 will hold a special meeting to hear comments from the public regarding the recommended fiscal 2023 budget.

The proposed budget calls for nearly $553 million in total expenditures across all funds — which includes school and capital investment funds — and has a $362 million general fund.

The tax rate would remain the same at 79.9 cents per $100 property valuation.

Cumberland County estimates it will receive nearly $171 million from property taxes this fiscal year, which makes up roughly 55% of the general fund. A penny on the tax rate earns $2.4 million.

The June 6 meeting seeks public comment regarding the proposed budget. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse. The meeting takes place in room 118 on the main floor of the courthouse.

Historically, representatives from outside agencies seeking county funding speak at the public hearings. This year, 17 outside agencies sought public funding. The recommended budget allocates $486,042 to outside agencies, the same amount as in the fiscal 2022 budget and $142,827 less than requested.

Initially, of the 17 agencies requesting money, the budget only allocated funds for 15 agencies. The North Carolina Symphony Society and Cumberland Health Net Inc. were not recommended for funding. However, during last Wednesday’s budget work session, board Chairman Glenn Adams requested that $30,000 of the recommended $68,000 be taken from the Arts Council to fund Cumberland Health Net, which had requested $41,000. He also asked that another $3,000 be taken from the Arts Council for the Vision Resource Center. The Vision Resource Center had asked for $10,000 but the budget allocated $7,000, the same as last year. The additional $3,000 makes the Vision Resource Center the only outside agency receiving what it had requested.

Adams said he believes because of the pandemic during the past two years, the Arts Council did not spend all of its money. Also, the Arts Council receives a portion of the county’s motel and hotel occupancy room tax, which he predicted has increased over last year.

County Manager Amy Cannon did not have those figures available at Wednesday’s (June 1) budget workshop.

The city of Fayetteville’s recommended fiscal 2023 budget allocates $75,000 for the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County to partner for community art programs.

Members of Cumberland County’s staff unveiled their recommended budget to the public Thursday, setting up weeks of deliberation over how the county will spend its taxes throughout fiscal year 2023.

County Manager Amy Cannon and the rest of the county’s staff set the value of the proposed budget at just under $553 million, an increase of about 10% from the current fiscal year.

The property tax rate, which is 79.9 cents per $100 of property valuation, would remain the same. The county’s annual solid waste fee of $56 would also stay the same.

Property taxes, sales taxes, motor vehicle taxes and money from the federal and state governments are the county’s primary sources of funding for the budget — 48%, 17%, 7% and 21%, respectively.

Property tax revenue is projected to increase by more than $2 million while motor vehicle tax revenue would increase by more than $1 million in the new budget above the level of the current fiscal year.

For fiscal year 2023, the county is recommending that more than $60 million be collected in sales tax, a 4% increase in what is projected to be collected by the conclusion of fiscal year 2022 on June 30.

Even with these revenue increases, however, Cannon said during her presentation Thursday to the Board of Commissioners that overall growth in the budget is limited compared to expenditure increases.

“I had to make some tough decisions to balance this budget,” she said. “But our focus remained on three things: to maintain current services, to address unmet needs where possible within the funding available and to continue advancing the board’s strategic priorities.”

Those three priorities, laid out by Cannon, are the continued development of the Crown Event Center to replace the Crown Theatre and Arena, public water access for Gray’s Creek and addressing homelessness within the county.

To address homelessness, Cannon said the county had received $1 million from the N.C. General Assembly to construct a homeless shelter. She said the county is collaborating with the Cape Fear Valley Health System and Fayetteville Technical Community College.

‘The new normal’

Cannon said new realities associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have forced the county to push money in new directions to adapt.

“The last two years have been characterized by rapid, abrupt and constant change because of the magnitude of the pandemic,” she said. “Uncertainty continues as we transition to what I’m going to call this evening, ‘the new normal.’”

At the top of this list was inflation.

“The increased cost of goods and services and interest rate hikes will continue to reduce disposable income,” Cannon said. “Economic optimism nationally among chief financial officers has eroded in the first quarter of 2022.”

In the proposed budget, mandated increases from the state or those associated with health costs amount to $6 million.

One mandatory cost hike is the increased price of health insurance for county employees. Contributions that the county must make to the employee retirement fund have also increased.

The N.C. Department of Public Safety has required counties to increase their share of youth detention facility costs, Cannon said.

The state late last year also required that certain school employees in each county receive a minimum wage of at least $15 an hour. A wage increase of 2.5% of anyone already at the $15-an-hour mark is also required.

Due in part to this, the Cumberland Board of Education requested a school budget of $88.2 million, an increase of more than $5 million from last year.

Due to the new $15-an-hour minimum, the school sought the ability to address salary compression, a situation where the difference in wages between employees of different experience levels is minimal.

However, Cannon said the county is not required to address salary compression. Therefore, the recommended school budget is lower than requested, at $84.3 million.

General increased labor costs are also a cause of increased expenses in the county budget.

Cannon said increased labor costs are a trend across the country due to the pandemic.

“It’s impacted people both mentally and physically,” she said. “It’s caused employees to reflect on their priorities and life in general. Americans are seeking better pay, but even more than that, they’re seeking flexible work schedules that create a better work-life balance.

“The Great Resignation has had an impact on all organizations. Cumberland County is not immune from this workforce crisis.”

Cumberland has experienced worker resignations, Cannon said, that have resulted in an average employee age of 44 and an average of four years of experience with the county.

To help maintain its current workers, Cumberland is incorporating a 4% cost-of-living pay increase into the proposed budget.

The county is also increasing the annual pay of entry-level detention officers and deputy sheriffs to $40,457 and $44,000, respectively, both an increase of about $2,700.

Cannon said the county conducted an analysis of the salaries among Cumberland employees. The majority of workers made close to the minimum in their salary ranges.

“Our pay structure lacks a mechanism to move people throughout their range,” she said. “From a recruitment perspective, the minimum salary by many of our grades is no longer competitive in this employee-driven market.”

To address this, the county has included a $95,000 worker study in the proposed budget as a way to determine how to best retain employees.

Cannon said the city of Fayetteville had recently conducted a similar study. In Fayetteville’s proposed budget, the city is including merit pay increases for employees, Carolina Public Press reported.

Other counties, including Harnett, Durham, Guilford, Forsyth and New Hanover, are in various stages of conducting pay studies, Cannon said.

Deliberation over next few weeks

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners plans to conduct work sessions to discuss the recommended budget on June 1, 8, 13 and 15.

Each work session will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Cumberland County Courthouse in Room 564.

A public hearing, where residents can voice concerns over the budget, will take place at 7 p.m. June 6 at the courthouse in Room 118.

The Board of Commissioners may hold a work session immediately following that hearing based on community feedback on the budget.

Pictured above: The Cumberland County Courthouse houses meetings of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners in downtown Fayetteville. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits / Carolina Public Press)