I’m glad we live in a city that respects its residents enough to allow us to voice our opinions on major issues affecting the community. Unfortunately, these opportunities sometimes appear ceremonial and gratuitous. I hope that was not the case at last Monday’s public hearing at City Hall.

Three minutes is not a long time, but in most cases, it is long enough to make one’s point. This being said, I want to share with you my three minutes before the City Council. I’m trying hard to debunk that haunting adage that “Fayetteville never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.” Here’s what I shared with the city:

“Good evening, Mayor, City Council. Thank you for this opportunity. I want to go on record in support of our new baseball team and the downtown baseball stadium as well as the Vision 2026 project that supports several quality-of-life venues such as the Civil War History Center and a downtown Performing Arts Center. I am here to go on record requesting that the city seriously consider naming the new stadium the Babe Ruth Memorial Stadium, securing Fayetteville’s unique station in baseball history. In addition, I urge the city and the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau to collaborate on establishing The Babe Ruth Museum and Visitors Center. This facility would attract 50,000 -75,000 visitors a year to our community, serving as an economic stimulus for downtown Fayetteville and the surrounding area. 

These suggestions are rather simplistic in nature, but simple ideas sometimes reap the biggest returns. It is said that “Fayetteville and Cumberland County never miss an opportunity to misses an opportunity.” These ideas are simple yet exclusively unique to our community. Please take them under serious consideration.”

That’s it. Short and sweet. Now, let’s wait and see if anyone was listening. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.