The Council on Criminal Justice issued a report earlier this year that shows the number of homicides in the U.S. during the first half of 2021 increased by 16% compared to the same period last year. The number of homicides in 2020 compared to 2019 rose by 25%, according to an FBI preliminary report. It was the largest increase since the FBI began releasing annual homicide figures in the 1960s. The spike in violent crime came as the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the country.

This year’s murder rate in Fayetteville is unprecedented. As of Nov. 17, 43 people were killed by others. Arrests have been made in 33 of the cases. That exceeds the highest annual homicide number by 12.

“There is no one answer to what’s going on,” Police Chief Gina Hawkins told Up & Coming Weekly. “There are so many guns in our community.”

She says that people are impatient having been locked away in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hawkins said that unlike previous years, homicides here are city-wide.

“In Fayetteville, the number one reason for murder was drug-related robberies,” Hawkins said, noting that murder is almost impossible to prevent.

Light Up the City: A Holiday Decoration Celebration is coming to the Cool Springs Downtown District. The event is free for all who wish to attend or participate and encourages shop owners to decorate their windows for the holidays.

The idea is to bring residents downtown to view the lights and decorations. The decorations turn downtown Fayetteville into a decoratively lit winter wonderland. It is ideal for taking photos and making memories.

Last year, 35 businesses, restaurants and downtown museums took part in the event.

It is a great way to fill downtown Fayetteville with holiday spirit. Some locations are decked out with Christmas trees, others strung up lights and lots of places put up garland.

People can take a self-guided tour downtown. A map will be available on the Light Up the City: A Holiday Decoration Celebration Facebook event page (facebook.com/events/262093505957203) highlighting the establishments that are taking part in the event.

Maps of businesses taking part in the Light Up the City will also be available at 222 Hay St. beginning Dec. 1. The event will take place from Dec. 1 – 31.

Letters to Santa will also return with this event and there will be a giant five-foot red mailbox in which children can send their Christmas lists and Santa letters to the North Pole. The “Direct to the North Pole" mailbox will be located outside of the Cool Spring Downtown District's office at 222 Hay Street.

Just next door downtown visitors will also find the Holiday Alley, a photographic urban holiday oasis designed to spark joy and filled with holiday lights and decorations.
Families can visit and take photos in the alley.

“Last year, we saw hundreds of families come, enjoy the holiday decorations and take photos of their children at the photo stations,” said Lauren Falls, director of marketing and events for the Cool Spring Downtown District.

This is the third year Light Up the City: A Holiday Decoration Celebration will be held and it is the second year patrons can mail a letter to Santa and visit the
Holiday Alley.

Businesses are invited to sign up for the event by visiting this link, forms.gle/2YDiUgAZYu7PTfRq5. They must have decorations up by Dec. 1. They may decorate their storefront or inside their business to qualify and share the event link on their social media pages.

Pedestrians checking out the many lights can vote for the Viewer’s Choice Award, the best display in participating businesses.

The window voted best dressed wins $250.

“Last year, we had around 500 people vote for the Light Up the City Viewer's Choice Award poll and the winner for last year was the United Way of Cumberland County,” said Falls.

In addition to the businesses that have decorated, there will be a 14-foot tree decked out in holiday finery. The community tree will be located at 301 Hay St., in front of the Arts Council of Fayetteville and Cumberland County building and will likely be a prime spot for visitors to take photos.

White Trash will be offering buy-one-get-one 50% off, Mantra Scarves and free "bah humbug" wine glass for anyone who spends $30 or more. For anyone who spends $50 or more they are offering a tote bag that says "rose all day" and anyone who spends $100 or more will get a free tote bag that says “underestimate me, that’ll be fun.” The sale is on Saturday only. White Trash & Colorful Accessories sells a collection of items from greeting cards to artist jewelry. They are located at 223 Franklin St. and are open from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m, Monday through Saturday.

It has been two years since the virus we now know as COVID-19 began as a stealth incubation in Wuhan, China before exploding onto the world stage. It has since taken 5.1 million lives, almost 800,000 of them in the United States and nearly 19,000 of those in North Carolina. None of us remain untouched by the pandemic, whether we have lost someone near and dear or whether we feel merely inconvenienced by COVID-19 restrictions.

The second year of holiday celebrations affected by the virus is now upon us. Experts and regular folks alike are realizing COVID-19 will be with us for the long haul and thinking about how we are going to live with it. The Dicksons, all thoroughly vaccinated and feeling fortunate to be so, will gather for Thanksgiving with a handful of family and friends in a way we did not last year. We will take precautions — knowing that everyone except a 2-year-old is vaccinated, and we will stay outdoors as much as we can, both cooking and eating. While we and millions of other Americans are indeed choosing to gather, we are also thinking about how to go about our lives knowing that COVID-19 is not the raging pandemic it once was but it remains a very real threat. We are going to learn to live with COVID risk. We will learn to accept it the same way we accept the risk of riding in vehicles of all sorts, participating in sports and engaging in other once-routine activities. So, what will that look like in our daily lives?

People in Asian counties have long worn face masks in public, because of both various illnesses and air pollution. Many medical experts expect Americans to do so for the foreseeable future in public places such as grocery stores, cabs, buses, planes and in gatherings of people we do not know.

People will likely continue working remotely at least some of the time and communicating electronically, in part because of health concerns and because we have discovered its convenience.
We are now able to ponder our lives ahead because while the United States remains less vaccinated than other developed nations, about 65% of us have had at least one shot and 60% have had more than one. That means that the risk of contracting COVID-19 is going down, especially in more vaccinated communities.

In addition, COVID-19 treatments are becoming more effective, meaning that this virus may eventually be just another illness and not one that takes over our lives.

Increasingly, experts are saying COVID-19 could become like seasonal flu, an illness no one wants and can be successfully vaccinated against.

All of which is to say that we are not going to wake up one morning to headlines screaming, “COVID-19 eradicated forever,” that is a dream not likely to come true.

The poet T.S. Eliot wrote that the world would end “not with a bang, but with a whimper.”

Johns Hopkins University epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo has the same thoughts about COVID-19. As Nuzzo told the Washington Post recently, “It doesn’t end. We just stop caring. Or we care a lot less... I think for most people, it just fades into the background of their lives.”

I look forward to that day, even if it means I mask up from time to time.

Elected officials and staff of Fayetteville and Cumberland County could learn a great deal about cooperation and teamwork from our present Cumberland County delegation. Congratulations are due to our Cumberland County Legislative Delegation Chairman, Rep. Billy Richardson, Sen. Kirk deViere, Sen. Ben Clark, Rep. John Szoka, Rep. Diane Wheatley, and Rep. Marvin Lucas for the passing of North Carolina's first budget since 2018. For months they worked together diligently for one primary purpose, to do the right things to better the quality of life for the residents of Cumberland County. Serving the citizens of Fayetteville and the other eight municipalities was, and should always be, the highest of all priorities. Today, we are fortunate to have dedicated local leadership representing us in Raleigh, and they have done just that. As a result, last week, Gov. Roy Cooper signed off on a state budget and infrastructure bill that has been long over overdue. Anytime you can bring home over $402 million to your community, one must give credit where credit is due. It was only through hard work, compromise and cooperation that they accomplished this. The projects and programs funded by the new budget will impact the Cumberland County community for decades. The teamwork demonstrated by our bipartisan leadership resulted in the passage of a budget that will significantly impact Carolinians from the mountains to the coast. It targets the state's infrastructure needs in health care, K-12 education, broadband water restoration, community colleges, universities, medical research and much more. The tax policy portion of the budget is pro-growth, lowering the personal income tax and lowering the corporate income tax rates.

In addition, military pensions for North Carolina Veterans will no longer be taxed thanks to Rep. John Szoka, the primary sponsor of HB 83 and signed on to by Rep. Diane Wheatley. According to Szoka, this will make North Carolina more attractive to military retirees from all over the country. Specifically, it will aid in attracting and retaining retirees here in Cumberland County. Another budget highlight and a huge win for our local community was the allocation of $59.6 million for the North Carolina Civil War & Reconstruction History Center. Another example of fantastic teamwork, cooperation and perseverance by project Chairman Mac Healy, Mary Lynn Bryan, and members of the Center's board of directors who pursued an endeavor that is good and beneficial for the entire community. This state-run venue will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors and guests and millions of dollars into our community annually. What's not to like about that?

This bipartisan leadership is the kind of leadership that needs to be replicated locally in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. We have an election coming up soon after the first of the year. We should be looking for and voting for candidates who want to cooperate to better the circumstances of the city and county citizens. We need honest and trustworthy leaders who understand the detriment that municipal and community silos have on the progress of a growing community. Sure, we are moving forward in our development but not at the pace we should be because the cooperation and teamwork amongst our city, county and influential community organizations are only evident in fruitless sound bites. We now have a herculean opportunity to negotiate the $402 million earmarked for Cumberland County into a formidable "can do" community. Our Raleigh delegation has set the near-perfect example of what is accomplishable through teamwork and cooperation. We must encourage and demand that our local city and county leaders do the same. We need action, not empty words. We need to keep those traits in mind when we vote for our future leaders.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

The holiday season is always an odd time for me. I love to give gifts, but I don't really care to add to the collection of unwanted gifts. In my home, we often talk about trusting God to meet our needs. That doesn't mean we stand on the shore and watch for our ship to come in. We work hard to make sure we've done all we can to provide for our family and others, but still, we trust God.

Sometimes I'll pray and ask for specific things — you know, a particular amount of money, favorable diagnosis of a car problem — and I suspect you do too. Nothing wrong with that, but there's truly more to having your needs met than having stuff go your way. It may be as simple as being content with where you are and what you have.

My wife and I must be on the same wavelength concerning contentment. We have a little chalkboard in our kitchen where we'll write a recipe or date night idea, but recently I walked into the kitchen and saw these words: “What if God has already provided?” That stopped me. And the thought has haunted me for weeks. What if, in my quest for more and better, I've overlooked what I already have? It's caused me to take stock of my time, talents and resources. It's even changed the way I pray, and how I look at pretty much everything.

Discontentment runs rampant in our culture, and today I want to offer you three choices you can make in your life that can lead you to genuine, biblical, lasting contentment.

First, seek contentment as a lifestyle. Choose it. Acknowledge that you would not be happier if you had more. You wouldn’t be — you’d likely be more miserable. God’s Word contains clear warnings for us: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:25.)

Second, learn to say, “I have enough.” Let those words reign in your home. Push back from the table and say, “I’ve had enough.” When money comes your way — a surprise bonus from work, an inheritance from your great uncle, even finding $50 in your coat pocket — resist the cravings for more.

Lastly, settle it. Here’s a challenge — choose a lifestyle; don’t let your income dictate your lifestyle. Choose a comfortable level of living that meets your needs, and don't compromise that with more spending when more income arrives. If you don’t choose a lifestyle, this culture will choose one for you, and by default, it will be the lifestyle of living beyond your means. Be counter-cultural. Be radical.

Be others oriented. Let enough be enough. Learn from the examples of those around you (both the contented and the covetous.) You'll save yourself some heartache and know the joy of a truly contented attitude.

More does not equal happier. I promise. And remember this from Philippians 4:19 — “My God will supply every need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

When I made the decision to become a group fitness instructor the style of teaching that most caught my attention was barre. When we hear the word barre visuals may come to mind of floating ballet dancers in tutus and pirouettes. My husbands’ male friends had another connotation of the word bar. When he told them I was taking a class to teach barre they asked him if we were going to open a nightclub! You do not have to be a ballet dancer or have previous dance experience to take a barre class, barre is not about dance it is about movement. It is low to moderate exercise that infuses ballet, yoga and strength training for a wide variety of fitness levels. The exercises can increase flexibility, strengthen the core, improve posture and balance. You can take barre classes at private studios specifically for that purpose or fitness centers and gyms. The styles and concepts may vary but the bottom line is that they are designed towards a full-body minimal impact endurance workout.

Barre targets specific muscle groups with movements at a slower pace. You might hear the words “feel the burn” or “shake” which means that you have worked the muscles to the peak that you feel your muscles shake and know that you have worked a muscle group to its entirety.

A typical barre class will include a warmup, the body of the class and a cool down.

After the warmup participants may move to the barre for exercises that target muscle groups such as hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps and calves.

An exercise example would be a set of pliés that include static holds, pulses and engage the calves with a compound
movement.

A set of exercises could include a set on one side and a repeat on the other side or facing the barre. A benefit in taking a class is a facility will have barres installed. The aid of a barre helps with stability, form and is a terrific addition for more complex moves and stretching. When a barre is not available facilities might use the aid of a chair for support. Classes may also include floor work on the mat with exercises for abdominals and core. The incorporation of light weights, stretch bands, Bender Balls and gliding discs are tools that can be used to further work the muscle groups. The end of class includes a cooldown and stretching. Mobility is a huge reason to take a barre class, especially for the hip flexors that tend to get tight from sitting. It improves postural alignment, flexibility and functional fitness for everyday life. It can improve the way we bend, reach for something on the shelf, turn to look at something or squat to pick up an object.

By attending regularly, you will be able to see and feel improvements with your strength and flexibility. If you are interested in attending a class meet the instructor before beginning the class to familiarize yourself with the format and address any concerns that you may have with class participation.

Begin with fewer repetitions or modifications and rest when needed. You will see participants with flexibility and strength levels of all ages in class. The benefits of barre are obvious in the participants that have consistently attended. Wear activewear such as leggings, t-shirt, flexible shoes, barre socks or bare feet.

Bring your mat, water bottle and a hand towel to wipe that brow because you will sweat! Attend a class, have fun and live, love, life at the barre!

Fencing around Fayetteville’s downtown Market House will remain for at least another few months. City Council decided in April to re-purpose the historic landmark. A citizens committee came up with several ideas for transforming the building. The ideas include creating a museum of art and Black history displays or creating a marketplace for Black vendors.

“This group is scheduled to release their recommendations in early 2022,” City Manager Doug Hewett told Up & Coming Weekly. “The fencing will remain in place pending the outcome of that discussion or further direction from City Council.”

The Market House, built in 1838, is one of North Carolina’s 50 national landmarks. But historically was sometimes used to sell, trade and auction slaves before the Civil War.

In May of 2020, the building was set on fire during protests following the death of George Floyd. The fire was quickly put out, resulting in minor damage. Two months later protesters camped out at Market Square for nearly a week, demanding police reform in Fayetteville.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden traveled to Fort Bragg, Nov. 22, to hand out Thanksgiving meals to service members and their families.

Service members and families spent the afternoon getting COVID-19 tests and onboarding buses at Pike Field. From there, they were bused to a hangar by the Pope Army Airfield. The hangar had several activities for kids and families set up, including coloring books and games provided by the USO. The hangar was open, showing a panoramic view of the newly refinished flight line, so when Air Force One landed shortly before 5:30 p.m., all the service members and their families could see the iconic plane land and slowly pull past the hangar.

Shortly after arrival, the Bidens disembarked from Air Force One. Before serving a meal to service members and their families, they each spoke to the crowd about the struggles military families face. Both Bidens talked about when Joe Biden's son, Beau Biden, served in the U.S. Army in Iraq and Kosovo. Beau Biden passed away in 2015 from cancer.

"I know what it feels like for all of your families here because you won't be home for the holidays. I know what it's like to see that empty seat at the table and just feel how hard it is for the families," Jill Biden said. "I just wanted to thank all of you. That's why we came to have dinner with you."The First Lady then passed the microphone to President Biden, who spoke about how proud he was of being the Commander in Chief.

"You do so much. Your families give so much. I really mean it," President Biden said in his speech to the troops. "You're the finest military that the world has ever seen. That's not hyperbole. You literally are. You're the finest the world has ever seen."

The Bidens, Gov. Roy Cooper, Kristin Cooper, and Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin helped serve 250 service members and military families. The President served stuffing, and the First Lady served mashed potatoes.

The Robert Irvine Foundation prepared and supplied the food. The non-profit foundation focuses on supporting service members and veterans through relief grants, scholarships and hearty meals. The founder, Chef Robert Irvine, is the host of Food Network's Restaurant Impossible.

After dinner, the President and the First Lady walked along the hangar to take photos with and talk to service members.

Attending family members and the service members were chosen by their commands, and representatives from each command at Fort Bragg were present.

One of the families in attendance, the Ryan Family, Natalie Ryan and her two children, 10-year-old Mikayla and 8-year-old Tommy, have been at Fort Bragg for two years. Natalie's husband, Tommy Ryan Sr., who has 15 years of Army service under his belt, is deployed. She received the invitation to the dinner only the day before.

"It's definitely an honor. Once in a lifetime kind of opportunity," Natalie Ryan said. The visit is part of the Joining Forces initiative — a White House effort to support military service members, military-affiliated families and veterans. The initiative, spearheaded by First Lady Jill Biden, began during her tenure as the Second Lady.

"I think that Dr. Biden is incredible. I always appreciated it since she was the Second Lady. Especially her work getting military spouses’ employment and reducing the barriers to military spouse employment," Ryan said. "It's incredible and wonderful."

President Joe Biden and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, are visiting Fort Bragg Monday evening as part of the Joining Forces Initiative. They will be celebrating Thanksgiving early with service members and military families.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and his wife, Kristen Cooper, will be joining the President during his visit.

The president is expected to leave from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland around 4:20 p.m. and then arrive at Fort Bragg about an hour later. The White House's "Friendsgiving" dinner is expected to start around 6 p.m.

Joining Forces is a White House initiative to support military families, which includes families of service members, veterans, caregivers and survivors. Last week, Jill Biden spoke at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and pleaded with business owners to hire and train spouses of active members of the military — just as businesses have been doing in successful efforts to hire veterans.

Up & Coming Weekly will be at the event. We will update our Facebook and Instagram pages throughout the day.

Carl Pringle has roots in the Fayetteville community. Pringle's mother was raised here, and in 1993 Pringle moved to Fayetteville from Washington D. C. He is a father of four, a daughter and three sons. His sons also live in Fayetteville. Pringle retired from the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Plant five years ago.

While in Washington D. C., Pringle was deeply impressed by Party At The Park, a series of community events held in the area. Upon his arrival to Fayetteville, he sought to recreate these events with the plan to create "some positive" in the community.

The events, which involved renting out parks and hiring a D. J. to provide a safe, fun and positive space, were smaller in attendance than he hoped. But even with smaller numbers, they were creating the positive he was looking to manifest.

A party-in-the-park-goer stopped after one event to thank Pringle for organizing the event. It was then that Pringle realized it wasn't about the number of attendees, but about making the best of those who had made it out for the event.

This event and that realization were just the beginning. Pringle has built a community of helpers, and together they selflessly give back to his mother's hometown. Together they help where they can when they can. His main event has come together over seven Thanksgivings.

Seven years ago, Pringle stopped in at a local restaurant to purchase plates of food for a family in need during the holidays, and each year the measure by which he and his community give back has been amplified.

The theme of his Thanksgiving event has evolved into We Are 1 Big Family. Pringle explains that many different groups, motorcycle clubs, and groups from throughout the community have become part of the family and the team over the years.

"We don't care who is doing it; we look at the mission on hand," Pringle said. "We try to touch as many people as we can."

Last year when Operation Turkey was canceled due to COVID-19, Pringle's group stepped up to deliver over 1000 plates to families in Spring Lake and an additional 500 to 600 plates in Lumberton.
In addition, he created Lunch On Us. Carl and his army of community-minded helpers handed out food plates across different locations in Fayetteville for twenty-seven weeks on Sundays.

They served chicken, hot dogs, burgers, anything they could get their hands on to cook in support of feeding the community.

"If you can kill it, I can cook it," Pringle explained.

The hope was to fill the gap that school meals and weekend events might miss for hungry families in the community. The event is ongoing but has shifted to one Sunday every month.

"I didn't want to burn out the volunteers," Pringle said.

The Lunch On Us crew currently serves free lunch to those in need on the corner of Bragg Boulevard and Johnson Street. This location serves a purpose. Pringle strategically hands out meals at this

intersection near the Bonnie Doone community because he feels this is a place in need.

Pringle explained the nearest safe spaces, Westover Recreation Center and College Lakes Recreation Center are too far to walk to.

Pringle said that the Bonnie Doone area is a place that needs "some positive."

Pringle hopes one day to purchase a home in this area to create an extension of a safe space, a place where everyone who walks into the yard can leave the negative behind.

"When they walk in the yard, they are in a safe place," Pringle explained. "The best way to bring people's property values up is to invest in our communities."

This year Thanksgiving will see Pringle and his crew serving the community as they have for the last six years. They will be plating up turkey, stuffing and rolls; the vegetables will vary. These meals are available for pick-up and delivery for individuals and families.

"We try to touch as many people as we can," Pringle said. "Everybody comes together; they are all part of the family."

This year food will be plated and distributed from the team's base station at 541 Bonanza Dr. (behind Ponderosa Shopping Center).

Individuals looking for a warm Thanksgiving plate or those who want to donate or volunteer and support the We are 1 Big Family event can reach Pringle via Facebook or at 910-584-0203.

"Please help us help others," Pringle said.

Founder of Cora's Community Foundation, Rakeem "Keem" Jones, has organized a community event to "ensure that no family goes hungry or cold during the holiday season," taking place Nov. 21, at Segra Stadium from 2 – 6 p.m.

Cora's Community Foundation and Southern CC Inc. have partnered together for this community event, entitled "Everybody Eats," as a form of community service and unity with the city of Fayetteville.
Cora's Community Foundation's mission is listed on charitynavigator.org as “spiritual, educational and economic empowerment of underserved youth, families and other at-risk residents in Cumberland County, North Carolina.” Southern CC Inc. is described on their website “as a non-profit organization whose sole mission is to empower homeless veterans by rebuilding and revitalizing communities — while providing a network of support to assist homeless veterans and residents rebuild their lives.”

The event will also honor veterans, from 10 a.m. — 2 p.m. by showing Veteran Awareness Films centered around human trafficking, autism awareness and cryptocurrency.

Jones asserts that Everybody Eats shows that Fayetteville creates more opportunities through citizen and community effort by coming together in unity for the holidays.

"I remember the different holiday events all over the city. However, I remember my mom not having transportation to get to them," Jones said. "So I felt there should be one major event rather than multiple events."

Everybody Eats is offering resources and supplies for families to make it through the following months as winter sets in as well as support in recovering from the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We will have resources to assist with rent, utilities, education, job placement, clothing/hygiene," Jones listed. "Health and wellness, veteran services and youth services, along with food and winter items."

As a community leader, Jones’ self-proclaimed mission is to guarantee that Everybody Eats because "COVID hurt more than the homeless population... everybody was affected drastically. That's why this event is called Everybody Eats.”

Jones chose Segra Stadium for the event based on convenience for those traveling.

"Segra Stadium is the perfect location because of the amount of space. Furthermore, on a personal note, I wanted to show people that grew up with me, or like me, that you can do anything you put your mind and heart to," Jones said. "Don't ever let anybody tell you what you can't do."

Jones encourages the community to support the homeless population and those who may suffer from the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I feel like if we come together as a community, we can help the community," Jones said.

For more information or to help support the Everybody Eats event, contact Jones at 910-709-0826 or rjjones5045@gmail.com or Tony Brown at 910-568-5165 or contact@southernccinc.org.

It is Christmas time in 1944 and the men are away fighting the war. Despite their absence, the Carol sisters are determined to celebrate the season. The three Carol sisters are trying to produce “A Christmas Carol” but are having a hard time without the men. This is the premise for the next Gilbert Theater production.

“The show is special because it's not going to be one of the same Christmas or holiday shows you can see every year,” said Lawrence Carlisle III, artistic director at the Gilbert Theater.

The Gilbert Theater began in the basement of Lynn Pryer’s home in 1994. The Gilbert Theater has hosted classical theater productions as well as contemporary pieces. In 2012, Robyne Parrish took over as artistic director of the Gilbert Theater. She started educational programs such as the Gilbert Conservatory, Gilbert Rep and Gilbert Glee Club. She also created a volunteer base for the theater.
In February 2017, the third artistic director, Matthew Overturf, replaced Robyne Parrish. The Gilbert Theater is a very intimate space. The theater is now located at 116 Green St., above Fayetteville’s Fascinate-U Children Museum. The entrance is on Bow Street.

Popular in Pennsylvania, this is a newer program.

It's heartfelt, cute and hilarious, according to the Gilbert Theater. This is the second year performing the show for Gilber Theater and the entire cast is back.

It gives people another chance to see the musical if they missed it last year due to the pandemic.

“Performing this musical for the second year, everyone is connecting and having so much fun,” said Eden Kinsey who plays the lead, Lilly Carol. “I love her character. Lilly is a very independent person. She’s telling the story. She is strong-willed and hard-headed."

Kinsey’s favorite part of “The Carols” is the tap number.

“I love the music and period pieces.”

It is a family show with a little bit of everything, including different styles of music. “As always, I hope the audience has fun,” said Carlisle. “The show is full of laughs and heart. It is all about family.”

“The Carols” will run Nov. 26 – 28, Dec. 3 – 5 and Dec. 17 – Dec. 19. Friday shows begin at 8 p.m.; Saturday shows are at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays shows begin at 2 p.m. Concessions are available for donation.

Tickets are $18 and can be purchased at the Gilbert Theater website, gilberttheater.com, or by calling 910-678-7186.

For the past two decades, religious organizations around town have come together right before Thanksgiving to host a service focused on gratitude and being thankful for one another.

Although COVID-19 canceled last year’s interfaith service, it won’t cancel this year’s plan.

“I think that the idea here is that it's refreshing to see other viewpoints of what organizations bring in their expressions of gratitude, especially in the week of Thanksgiving,” Daniel Tenrod, the communications director of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The congregation that hosts the interfaith service rotates every year. This year, it will be the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that will host the event. In 2019, Beth Israel Congregation hosted the service.

Tenrod says that at previous interfaith services, close to 100 people will show up from all different types of faiths from the Fayetteville community, and he says each year new people show up.

Each participating religious congregation will talk at the service and share a special message of gratitude.

They want to highlight mutual declarations of gratitude, peace and love.

Participants who will be represented at the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service include Beth Israel Congregation, Courtyard Church of Christ, Fayetteville Friends Monthly Meeting, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and the St. James Lutheran Church.

In a newsletter to his congregants, Rabbi Dov Goldberg said that this time can be a place for giving thanks for the blessings everyone has received.

“Let us come together to lift each other up, not by denying the difficulties we have faced, but by remembering that there is still much good in our lives, and although frequently more socially distanced than we would like, we are not alone,” Goldberg wrote.

For Tenrod, seeing how people of other faiths express gratitude in their own ways is amazing to see.

For example, he loves hearing the Hebrew prayers that come from the rabbi of the Beth Israel Congregation and being part of the quiet that comes when the Quakers of the Fayetteville Friends Monthly Meeting pray.

“Everyone is truly grateful. It's not just something they are saying off their lips. You can feel their sincerity,” Tenrod said.

After the service, which is typically about an hour-long, there will be a meet and greet reception with light refreshments.

The event will take place on, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints off 3200 Scotty Hill Road.

There will be hand sanitation stations throughout the church and masks are encouraged. There will be security at the event as well, but reservations are not required.

Cumberland County Social Services Director Brenda Reid Jackson is retiring at the end of the year. The Social Services Board of Directors has hired Heather L. Skeens to succeed Jackson beginning on Dec. 6.

“Brenda Jackson has worked tirelessly for our county’s most vulnerable citizens over the last 13 years, and we are grateful for the impact her service has had across the county,” said County Manager Amy Cannon.

Skeens is currently Guilford County’s Health and Human Services Director but previously served in Cumberland County as DSS Deputy Director. She will oversee the administration of one of the largest social services agencies in North Carolina. Cumberland County DSS has more than 700 employees and a fiduciary budget of over $600 million.

It's not often that law enforcement agencies give up investigations. But the death of Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez, 21, of Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne Division “is in a cold case status,” according to Jeffrey Castro, an Army Criminal Investigation Division spokesman.

Martinez was reported missing on May 23, 2020, at North Carolina’s Cape Lookout National Seashore. Roman-Martinez’s severed head washed ashore six days later.

“After exhausting hundreds of leads and thousands of hours of investigation, there are no more credible investigative leads remaining at this time,” Castro added.

Roman-Martinez’s family has expressed concerns that the apparent murder of their family member may never be resolved. U.S. House Rep. Norma Torres has been in touch with the family since his death.

“I think that we owe our personnel at the very least and their families the respect of giving them answers,” Torres wrote in a letter to the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. “I’m not satisfied that the Army CID has done everything in their power to solve this case.”

Holy Smoke! The last few weeks have kept us crazy busy regarding news and events explicitly focused on our local government and city officials. First was the Island Flava incident, Oct. 13, where one man was shot and killed and another injured. A local news blog has alleged the Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins and Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin were at that location socializing and celebrating Fayetteville State University’s Homecoming that evening. The blog further accuses Hawkins of misuse of police resources and abuse of power. On Tuesday, Nov. 9, former Councilwoman Tisha Waddell resigned abruptly from her District 3 seat, alleging corruption on the part of Colvin, and accusing the mayor and city council members of self-serving misconduct, mismanagement and conflicts of interest. Then last week, at a special meeting to appoint citizens to city committees and commissions, Councilmembers Johnny Dawkins and Yvonne Kinston engaged in a shouting brouhaha that resulted in an impromptu recess and cooling-off period. These are indications that a day of reckoning is approaching for our city, which has allowed the lives and livelihoods of over 200,000 citizens to be entrusted to incompetent and unqualified leadership.

No doubt we can do better. Much better. Out of the ten members that make up our council very few have adequate business, government or political experience. Four are ordained ministers and all of them are being led by a mayor with a dubious and criminal past. One might ask, what possibly could go wrong? The answer, everything. After years of turning a blind eye to inept governance, contradictions in policy, corruption and conflicts of interest, it is coming to light that Fayetteville’s City Hall is being ravished by scandals and scallywags. As a local news source, we haven't written or commented much about these issues because, in many cases, accusations of criminal misconduct are difficult to substantiate without ample resources. However, what has always proven likely in this community is that where there is smoke, there is fire. Here at Up & Coming Weekly, we tend to believe in what we see and not what we hear. We did not comment on the Island Flava incident because we could not, and have not, substantiated or been able to contact someone who would come forward to substantiate the allegations. We concluded it is likely the story is an embellishment of the facts and is intended to target Hawkins, who is highly unpopular within the Fayetteville Police Department. Because it came from a source inside the FPD, the story was afforded credibility, and this fueled the attention it garnered. We immediately requested a comment or clarification directly from the Police Chief and City Hall concerning the incident and were told that a statement from the chief’s office would be forthcoming. It never came. Now, we're told City Attorney Karen McDonald is slow-walking an official request to have the incident investigated. One must ask, why the delay?

I admire Waddell's moxie in articulating all the unsavory allegations in her recent resignation letter. Anyone on the inside who cares about the welfare of the Fayetteville community knows there is substance to every one of her accusations. Many citizens not privy to the local government's goings-on do not have access to all of the information. After all, Fayetteville and Cumberland County lack adequate local news media coverage. This allows for little or no public oversight regarding what is taking place in our local government. And, like Waddell made clear in her letter, the only body capable of monitoring the conduct of the Fayetteville City Council is the City Council themselves. Yes. The fox is guarding the henhouse. No doubt this has made everyone's tempers short, and their nerves are on edge. This could be why Councilmembers Johnny Dawkins and Yvonne Kinston squared off at an Appointments Committee meeting.

Bad behavior has been rewarded for way too long: now it's time to pay the piper. We know there is currently an official complaint filed against Hawkins in the Superior Court. We have also recorded past corrupt, improper and questionable conduct by city staff and City Council members. (i.e. Ted Voorhees/Tyron Williams.) Now, Waddell has laid out at least a dozen accusations of mismanagement and misconduct directly at the feet of the City Council and all of Fayetteville. It is a bold and courageous move by a local official who refused to "go along to get along." It will be interesting to see how city officials react or if they react at all.

I would be remiss if I did not again point out that all of these issues stem from a lack of media or news journalism to provide oversight to ask hard questions. These events and actions evolved without transparency, following the same corrupt plan the Town of Spring Lake followed for over a decade before being taken over by the state for misuse and mismanagement of over $1.8 million of taxpayer's money. We cannot let that happen in our city.

A special thanks to Waddell, regardless of what her motives were. The Fayetteville City Council has now been confronted with serious allegations. The warning signs of corruption are obvious. Let's see how they handle it. Yes. It's time to peel back the onion, take action and hold people accountable.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

The Fayetteville Public Works Commission has issued $94.79 million of revenue bonds at an interest rate of 2.278%, the lowest public rate ever achieved by PWC. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. bought the bond series. PWC issued the bonds to fund improvements to its electricity, water and wastewater utilities, including $22 million to retrofit utilities in the City of Fayetteville’s Phase V annexation area.

“The low cost of borrowing helps PWC maintain highly-reliable utility services and demonstrates the strength of Fayetteville’s utility system,” said PWC General Manager, Elaina Ball.

Fitch Ratings has assigned and affirmed an “AA” rating to bonds issued by Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission.

The rating reflects PWC's very strong financial performance characterized by very low leverage, strong operating cash flow and healthy liquidity, Fitch Ratings said.

Second Harvest Food Pantry supports southeast North Carolina

Action Pathway opened in Cumberland County almost 40 years ago. During that time, they evolved into the Second Harvest Food Bank. They are a partner of Feeding America and serve those in Cumberland, Bladen, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, Robeson and Sampson counties.

David Griffin, the Action Pathways Food Bank Director, says they service 196 agencies and organizations daily. With COVID-19 impacting so many people last year, Second Harvest Food Bank saw an increase in need. Last year they distributed 14.6 million pounds of food.

“We saw a 40 percent increase in first-time pantry usage at our agencies and at distribution,” Griffin said. They will be hosting a mass food distribution to anyone who needs it at the Smith Recreation Center, near Fayetteville State University. It will be a drive-thru distribution and they will be providing produce, canned food and meat. The food will hopefully last families at least a week.

The mass distribution will take place on Nov. 20 and will start around 9:30 a.m. It will be first-come, first-serve. They will have enough food for 250 households and will serve no more than 2 households per car. Second Harvest is also collecting items at this time.

They are looking for donations of canned foods, cereal and non-perishables at this time — including hygiene products and household items.

People can also volunteer their time with Second Harvest. Griffin said that they are looking for people with all different types of skillsets to help volunteer. This can be clerical work, social media/marketing skills or just helping to hand out food at a distribution site. Volunteers are welcome at any time of the year, not just during the holiday season.

“We continue to bring food to those underserved in our communities,” Griffin said. “It doesn't stop with the holidays, it goes on all 12 months of the year.”

Another distribution event is planned in December in Cumberland County. Griffin said they are still working on details, but they hope to help at least 1,200 people by bringing in three 18-wheeler trucks full of food. If you want to volunteer your time, donate food, or if you need help, their contact number is 910-485-6923.

Fayetteville Technical Community College Food Pantry supports local students

The Fayetteville Technical College Food Pantry started exactly a year ago opening its doors on November 17, 2020. The FTCC Food Pantry was born in an unexpected manner when it came to light that a sociology professor had been keeping a small pantry of items for students in need in her office. Worsened by the impact of the pandemic it became clear that FTCC students needed extra support in the wake of lost jobs and financial insecurity.

“It kind of magically happened,” explained Sandy Ammons, executive director, FTCC Foundations. The FTCC Food Pantry is placing specific attention on their need for gift cards this holiday season.

The Christmas season is of more immediate concern to the FTCC Food Pantry because it stretches over a longer period of time than the Thanksgiving break. Additionally, while harder to come by food items such as canned hams and meats are being requested for donation, the food pantry has a mix of students who use their services ranging from families to single students. Gift cards allow for more flexibility in how they are able to support their students in need. Some folks just enjoy the experience of shopping to help others, so all donations are welcomed. “We are just grateful,” Ammons said of any donations received.

The FTCC Food Pantry is set up like a grocery store; students can shop from shelves that are stocked with food, household items, personal care and baby items. To be eligible, students must be currently enrolled in classes and have a valid FTCC ID. Students can stop in at the FTCC Food Bank fill out a short form explaining their need and circumstances and help follows.

The Food Pantry is located on the backside of the Horace Sisk Building (HOS) 2204 Hull Road, Fayetteville, NC 28303. Donations are dropped off at a separate location from the Food Pantry.

Those wishing to make donations of food and other personal care items are asked to bring those items to the Property Control Office located at 284 Hull Road, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. To donate money or gift cards, contact the FTCC Foundation at 910.678-8441 or foundation@faytechcc.edu; to donate to the FTCC Food Pantry, visit www.faytechcc.edu/giving/give-now/; to learn more about the FTCC Food Pantry, visit www.faytechcc.edu/giving/food-pantry/.

Fort Bragg's Armed Services YMCA Food Pantry

In October of 2019, the Armed Services YMCA at Fort Bragg opened a food pantry for all service members regardless of rank. The ASYMCA Food Pantry helps address food insecurity for active-duty military families and area veterans.

“The program is a ‘client choice’ model where patrons can shop from a variety of well-balanced perishable and non-perishable items,” explained Jeremy Hester, executive director, ASYMCA Fort Bragg.

The food pantry is open on Wednesdays and Fridays as well as one Saturday a month. Participants are able to register online to schedule a visit to the pantry once a month. The program is confidential and referrals are not needed for junior enlisted service members, families and veterans. Senior enlisted and officers will need a signed memorandum from a commander.
The ASYMCA Food Pantry always welcomes support and finds that monetary donations are most helpful, but they will also welcome food drives or drop-off donations.

Donations can be dropped at 2411 Rodney Trail, Building #2, on Fort Bragg. Monetary donations can be made at fortbragg.asymca.org/give/340604/#!/donation/checkout.

With the upcoming holiday season, the best way to find out what is needed and what is happening is to follow AFYMCA on Facebook and Instagram. Donation needs vary week to week and a weekly wishlist is released on Facebook every Wednesday.

Families can register on the website for the food pantry and a turkey giveaway. There will be extended hours and weekend hours during the holiday months. Whatever the needs of service members and their families during this holiday season, the ASYMCA is geared up to help.

“We want all families in the community to reach out to us no matter rank or situation; especially during the holidays, we are here to help everyone,” Hester said.

Hester added that even if families are not able to register online, the ASYMCA is open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Families are free to call or come by to see how the AFYMCA can assist, whether it’s with the Food Pantry or any of the other programs they have available. Additional information and registration for service members in need can be found at www.asymca.org/what-we-do-fort-bragg.

Redistricting of congressional and legislative seats has created a political opportunity for former Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson. He announced on Facebook that he will run for Congress in the newly drawn 4th Congressional District. Robertson served three terms as mayor from 2013 to 2019. The new district includes all of Cumberland, Sampson and Johnston counties, as well as portions of Harnett and Wayne counties. Robertson is running as a Republican candidate.

“There is no current incumbent running in this district, and hopefully no one else from Cumberland County will file,” Robertson said.

He is a businessman and currently works for Cintas, an Ohio-based services company that provides uniforms, cleaning supplies and safety equipment. As mayor, Robertson oversaw Fayetteville’s efforts to build a minor league baseball stadium and secure funding for the I-295 freeway.

Thanksgiving is a day when we reflect on all we are thankful for, often that is our family and friends.

It can be hard to spend the holidays far from family and friends.

Fayetteville has a large military population, which means that there are a lot of folks far from home, and they often can’t make it back home for the holiday.

“We always have a great military crowd in our taproom, and we are a veteran-owned company,” said Olivia Caughey, event manager at Bright Light Brewing Company. “We encourage those serving that do not have Thanksgiving plans to come on down!”

BLBC is hosting Hoppy Thanksgiving for the fifth year. They are a startup nano-brewery in downtown Fayetteville located at 444 West Russell St., Suite 102. Hoppy Thanksgiving is free and open to all ages.

The event starts at 1:30 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving, Nov. 25. There will be live music from 7 – 9 p.m. Dogs are welcome.

What would Thanksgiving be without turkey?

BLBC will be cooking up three turkeys for the event. Side dishes and goodies will be prepared and donated by staff.

If you want to share your favorite food, they encourage patrons to bring it to the taproom. But don’t feel as though you must. You do not need to bring anything to celebrate Thanksgiving with BLBC.

“The company expects to see some of their mug club members which is a group of 75 individuals we have invited to be a part of a group where they have a permanent mug at our taproom and special events,” Caughey said. “Also at Hoppy Thanksgiving, in addition to the mug club members, staff family and friends, and hopefully those who don't have Thanksgiving plans will come.”

BLBC knows how to put the “hop” in Hoppy Thanksgiving.

“We will, as always, have 15 taps, canned ciders and wines, as well as three new beers,” Caughey said. “We're bringing back our pineapple pale ale, a caramel macchiato beer and a special holiday pilsner.”

There is no reason why you should be alone this holiday. BLBC invites those without a place to go to join them on Thanksgiving to enjoy good company, a holiday meal and a beer.

The Cumberland County school system is among several school districts dealing with school bus drivers who want higher pay. The numbers vary day-to-day, but on a typical morning this month, a school district spokesman said 315 buses picked up children. Normally, 438 buses operate morning routes.

Last Tuesday, more than 100 school bus drivers called in sick and did not show up for their shift in protest. Some drivers from other schools were able to assist schools without drivers. School buses usually take as many as 17,000 students to school each morning. The current starting pay for all bus drivers is $12.21. Superintendent Marvin Connelly Jr. said that there will need to be an annual $6 million budget they can set aside before drivers can receive a raise.

The Cumberland County Board of Education will be holding an emergency meeting on Nov. 17 at 8:30 a.m. to discuss "recent employee compensation and working condition concerns and to address additional recruitment and retention employee bonuses and to update the 2017 Compensation Study." That meeting will be live-streamed on their YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/CumberlandCoSch/videos

The Fort Bragg Religious Support Office organized a Thanksgiving Build-A-Meal Campaign on post to help support soldiers and family members who are in need. With the help of 71 volunteers earlier this month at the All American Chapel, the RSO helped build 1,631 Thanksgiving food bags and is giving out 1,269 $25 commissary gift cards.

Included in the bags of food are stuffing, yams, green beans, potatoes and cranberry sauce.

“The Thanksgiving meal bags are to provide meals for those soldiers and families who are in great need this year,” Col. Julie Rowan, Fort Bragg garrison chaplain, said. “These meals were accessible through the Unit Ministry Teams here at Fort Bragg.”

The bags of food will be distributed to soldiers and their families on Nov. 19.

Efforts are underway by Fayetteville City Council to replace District 3 council member Tisha Waddell. She resigned suddenly last week citing “egregious actions” of misconduct by Mayor Mitch Colvin and some of her council colleagues. Waddell issued a lengthy five-page open letter outlining her allegation that Colvin has engaged in conflicts of interest and lack of transparency.

She charged that the mayor regularly “ignored council policy and used his position to influence and subvert” procedures established by the council.

“I am disappointed that Former Councilwoman Waddell has chosen to resign while making baseless accusations against her former colleagues on City Council and private citizens on her way out the door. It’s campaign time so I guess here comes the smear campaign,” Colvin said in a Facebook statement. He has since updated and edited that statement.

“The City of Fayetteville is saddened by the abrupt resignation of one of our city council members. We thank her for the time she has dedicated to her district and our wonderful city. The City Council wishes her the very best in all of her future endeavors and we are looking forward to working with the new representative as we put Fayetteville first!”

During their years working together, Waddell was regularly critical of Colvin. Five of the nine council members — Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Jensen, Chris Davis, Johnny Dawkins, D.J. Haire, and Larry Wright — have been generally supportive of the mayor. Waddell wrote of “multiple closed sessions” held by the City Council, one of which included a representative of a private equity firm, Bernard Capital Partners, and Fayetteville Public Works Commissioners on BCP’s proposal to invest nearly $1 billion to operate the city's utilities for the next 30 years.

PWC eventually declined the offer. Closed meetings of public bodies are governed by state statutes that limit participation and topics of discussion.

Some of the allegations Waddell made include: Colvin destroyed public records by having his cell phone wiped clean; Colvin was involved in communication with BCP representatives about City Matters without City Council approval and did not state to City Council about the conflict of interest; Members of City Council were contacted by and had discussions with Attorney Johnathan Charleston regarding Dismass Charities before a Special Use Permit was brought before the City Council – which could violate sunshine state law.

Waddell urged the City Council to conduct an independent review of her allegations and that if they fail to do so, “the citizens of this city should begin calling for an investigation of their own regarding corruption of members of the Fayetteville City Council.” She went so far as to suggest that the State Bureau of Investigation of the FBI probe BCP involvement with Mayor Colvin.

In a follow up interview with RUD:E Podcast, Waddell said that it is up to the council and the public to follow-up on the allegations.

“I have every expectation that the members of this community will do their due diligence and that they will call me out if the need is there and I'm willing to answer to any accusation made of me. I'm willing to submit to any investigation. I am willing to move forward as a part of whatever this city and this governing body feels is the appropriate course of action,” Waddell said. “I said what I said, and now you take what I said, and you do what you're going to do with it. And if this body chooses to ignore this information, that says a lot about this body."
Waddell said she was honored to have served the city.

As of Nov. 16, the City of Fayetteville Ethics Commission told Up & Coming Weekly that they have "no such investigation related to those allegations, at this time."

An application form is currently available on the city website for anyone interested in filling the seat. Applications are due on Nov. 26. Anyone can apply for the position as long as they are a registered voter, live in District 3, over the age of 21 and is a Fayetteville citizen.

The application form can be found here: https://www.fayettevillenc.gov/Home/Components/Form/Form/900e59e85aba4d1b9207af0d0722a146/4126

A City Council Special Meeting is scheduled for Dec. 6 where the council will appoint the next District 3 representative.

This person would serve in the role until the next election. People who have already declared that they will be campaigning for the district seat in the upcoming election include John Zimmerman, Johnny Gordon and Mario Benavente. The primary election will be on March 8.