The Cumberland Community Foundation is having its annual Giving Tuesday, running from Nov. 20 to Nov. 29.. Each year, they award more than $800,000 in college scholarships to students from Southeastern North Carolina.
Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity celebrated on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Every year, people across the globe come together to thank, help, give, show kindness and share what they have.
CCF works with charitable organizations in this compiled directory to make it easy for those to give to locals to support their important missions. The funding is essential to enhance the quality of life across the Cumberland County area.
CCF manages more than 60 scholarship endowment funds created by local individuals, families, civic organizations and corporations who want to provide a path to higher education for future generations.
Most scholarships are selected by the CCF’s Scholarship Committee, and a few are selected by external selection committees at the individual high schools.
Donors go to the catalog online at CumberlandCF.org and choose which organizations they would like to support. CCF then processes the gifts and passes them through to each of their 79 participating nonprofits, along with matching funds.
Maddie Kellogg is the Donor Service Manager at CCF and speaks about the importance of Giving Tuesday. In past years, CCF noticed that local organizations were not participating in Giving Tuesday campaigns.
“Our nonprofits are doing important work in our community. The only problem is they are stuck in a constant hamster wheel of fundraising to support their important work. We noticed that our local nonprofits were not running Giving Tuesday campaigns.
"A lot of them did not have the capacity to do so. The community foundation noticed this and jumped into action. Processing gifts and managing funds is what we do. So, in 2020, we ran our first Giving Tuesday campaign to raise general operating funds for local nonprofits while providing matching funds, and the rest is history. In 2022, we raised almost $2.4 million for local nonprofits,” said Kellogg.
She speaks highly about her work with CCF, “I couldn’t be happier to be a part of the dream team at Cumberland Community Foundation. Being able to help donors create legacies that support charitable work forever is a gift. I get to see the best of Cumberland County every day.”
CCF would like to extend their thanks to Will Gillis, Elizabeth "Beth" Keeney, Daphne and Ray Manning, Carol and Sammy Short, Fayetteville New Car Dealers Association, Healy Wholesale, and anonymous donors for making the $550,000 match possible.
Cumberland Community Foundation will amplify gifts on Giving Tuesday with matching funds made by sponsors.
Visit their website to donate or to learn more about Giving Tuesday at www.cumberlandcf.org or by calling 910-483-4449.
Come one, come all to a Christmas parade of homes. Happening from Nov. 30 to Dec. 9, Greg Floyd and his associates at Floyd Properties hope to bring a wonderful experience through sharing their love of real estate and architecture. The Tour of Homes will be happening in two locations: Fairfield Farms and Turnberry.
“We are hoping this Christmas tour of homes is giving us a chance to showcase these wonderful neighborhoods and great locations with outstanding open and dramatic floorplans, with gourmet kitchens, bathrooms, and unusual and special features. We want as many people in the community as possible to come and explore these homes and understand the capabilities of these homes, and provide a dream home for as many people as we can. This Christmas tour of homes would be a great chance for us to do that,” said Floyd.
The open house Christmas home tour dates are: •Thursday, Nov. 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. •Friday, Dec. 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. •Saturday, Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. •Thursday, Dec. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. •Friday, Dec. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. •Saturday, Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Started in the 1950’s by founder Sonny Floyd, Floyd Properties is a reliable construction contractor and realtor services company that aims at bringing dream homes to life and finding people their forever home. The company has remained a mainstay in residential living for residents of Fayetteville for almost a century.
As they have developed, Sonny Floyd has passed the mantle to his two sons, Greg and Steve Floyd. Each of the two provides their expertise, experience and learning from their father to better help people find a home they’ll love.
For this upcoming Christmas Home Tour, there are going to be ten ready-to-move-in model homes to tour, view, and even buy for open house attendees and prospective buyers. Buyers can look forward to unique floor plans, multiple bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, and square footage up to 3,600 square feet. Floyd Properties has even announced the availability of interest rates as low as 4.5% to entice those who may be wary of the current economic housing market.
The tours provided will have small amenities such as snacks and drinks for those touring the house, and will be guided by associates of Floyd Properties.
This is a perfect opportunity to see the current state of the housing market, shop around for housing options in Fayetteville, and potentially even find a contractor that can develop your ideal home for you if none of the available options suit your needs or tastes.
Being a locally owned and operated business, Floyd Properties has spread its reach throughout Cumberland, Hoke, Harnett and Moore County as a continuing provider of quality homes. Throughout their decades of experience, Sonny, Greg and Steve Floyd have strived to provide an unmatched level of professionalism to their customers and community. Odds are, if you’ve been to a few of the neighborhoods in town, you’ve seen a Floyd Properties home.
Whether your interest is modern decor, seeing the immaculate work of local Fayetteville construction contractors, or shopping for your dream home to set down roots, the Floyd Properties Christmas Tour of Homes is the place to be.
For more information on the tour of homes, buying one of their available ready to move-in homes or setting up an appointment, please visit https://floydproperties.com or call 910-423-6700.
The Cool Spring Downtown District announces they have scheduled their traditional and new holiday decor and interactive features to be installed in multiple spaces around the district’s footprint on or around Nov. 15.
“Our downtown residents, visitors, and business owners can expect to find quite an array of magical ‘District Winterscapes,’ as we’re calling them, spread throughout downtown this holiday season,” CSDD’s CEO Bianca Shoneman shares.
“We’re especially excited to be one of the first places in the state to welcome three augmented reality stations, allowing visitors to engage on the street level with AR impressions, creating memories through science and digital art,” Shoneman elaborates.
CSDD is welcoming the immersive art of Robin Vuchnich, who will use projection mapping to illuminate the Self-Help building with larger-than-life holiday winterscapes. According to CSDD, their District Winterscapes will include the following:
Twenty-Two-Foot Carolina Fir Holiday Tree Location: 301 Hay Street Designer: Mosca Design Sponsors: Cool Spring Downtown District; Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation
Holiday Alley Location: 222 Hay Street Designer: Downtown Safety and Engagement Ambassadors Sponsors: Cool Spring Downtown District; Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation Augmented Reality Station A: “Jack Frost” Location: 116 Green Street Designer: NOVABY Sponsors: Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County; Cape Fear Valley Health; Cool Spring Downtown District; Fayetteville Public Works Commission
Augmented Reality Station B: “Hanging with My Gnomes” Location: 222 Hay Street Designer: NOVABY Sponsors: Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County; Cape Fear Valley Health; Cool Spring Downtown District; Fayetteville Public Works Commission
Augmented Reality Station C: “For the Trees” Location: 318 Hay Street Designer: NOVABY Sponsors: Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County; Cape Fear Valley Health; Cool Spring Downtown District; Fayetteville Public Works Commission
Letters to Santa Location: 222 Hay Street Sponsors: A Bit of Carolina; Cool Spring Downtown District Eleven "Winterscapes" in total can be seen throughout downtown Fayetteville. Shoneman shares that she and her staff recognize many people start shopping and seeking places to take holiday photos with family ahead of the season, a motivation to begin decking out downtown as early as mid-November. In fact, Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation’s crew has already begun hanging the traditional holiday wreaths along downtown’s streets.
“Positioning our arts and entertainment district as a 'vibrant center of artistic, cultural, civic and commercial activity’ means our CSDD team is always exploring new ways to entice visitors here,” Shoneman explains. “This year, thanks to several generous sponsors of our District Winterscapes, we’re giving folks even more reasons to celebrate the season in Downtown Fayetteville.”
The election cycle has come and gone. Out of the 152,096 registered voters, data from the North Carolina State Board of Elections reports that only 20,229 ballots were cast for the municipal elections. Though only ~13.30 percent of registered voters came out to cast their vote, their voices will have long-lasting effects on the future of Fayetteville and Cumberland County. These are the returning and newly elected officials chosen by the Fayetteville population.
Mayor
Incumbent mayor Mitch Colvin has once again retained his position as mayor of Fayetteville, securing a fourth term. With 11,469 ballots counted in his favor, Colvin secured ~65 percent of the vote over his opponent, Freddie de la Cruz. Cruz, having 6,089 ballots in his turn, could only secure ~34.5 percent of the vote. Lastly, 80 individuals wrote in their choice for mayor and took up ~.5 percent of the total votes for mayor.
District 1
Incumbent District One city council member Kathy Keefe Jensen has managed to maintain her seat on the council. Earning 1,088 ballots in her favor, Jensen claimed ~65 percent of the total votes cast for the District 1 race. Alex Rodriguez, however, could only inspire 584 ballots to be cast in his favor. Rodriguez took ~35 percent of the ballots cast for District 1 council seat. Finally, three people wrote in their choice for the District 1 seat and made up .18 percent of the total ballots counted for the city council seat of District 1
District 2
Coming in with 1,298 ballots cast in his favor, Malik Davis secured the majority of the vote at ~65 percent. This win will mark Davis’s first term as city council member for District 2. The incumbent, Shakeyla Ingram, only managed to have 690 ballots in her favor, leaving her with ~35 percent of the votes in the District 2 race. Then, 15 individuals wrote in their suggested choice for a council seat and were .75 percent of the total ballots cast.
District 3
Commanding a large majority of the vote at 75~ percent, Mario Benavente, the incumbent city council chair holder for District 3, was able to secure 1,670 ballots cast in his favor. However, Michele Arita Dillon had 535 ballots cast for her and, as such, garnered ~24 percent of the total ballots cast. Eight people wrote in their choice and made up .36 percent of the vote.
District 4
Pushing his lead even further than others, D.J. Haire was able to amass a staggering ~81 percent of the total ballots cast for the District 4 race. With 1,443 ballots cast in Haire’s favor, ~18 percent, or 322 ballots, of the vote was seized by Stuart A. Collick. The remaining .9 percent of the vote came from 16 ballots submitted with write-ins.
District 5
In the second most contested race of the cycle, District 5 has elected Lynne Bissette Greene as the new city council chairholder for their District. Gathering 1,905 ballots cast in her favor, Greene secured ~60 of the vote against the incumbent, Johnny Dawkins. Dawkins, who had 1,261 ballots cast in his favor, was able to hold onto ~40 percent of the total vote in his run for re-election. A negligible .35 percent of the total ballots cast were those for miscellaneous write-ins.
District 6
Running unopposed, Derrick Thompson of District 6 secured 1,559 votes and ~96 of the total for his District. The other ~4 percent were made up of 66 write-in ballots.
District 7
Another single-person race, District 7, has chosen to elect Brenda McNair. With 1,554 votes, McNair won ~97 of the ballots cast. The remaining ballots consisted of 47 write-ins and amounted to ~3 percent of all ballots cast for the District 7 race.
District 8
In the final unopposed race, District 8, with ~97 percent of ballots cast in her favor, has chosen Courtney Banks-McLaughlin to represent them as the city council chairholder from District 8. Though small, the 38 write-in ballots represented ~3 percent of the total ballots cast in the District 8 race.
District 9
Lastly, 1,815 people came out to cast their ballots for the city council race of District 9. Deno Hondros has once again been re-elected by his constituents. With 1,209 ballots cast in his favor, Hondros managed to cumulate ~67 percent of ballots cast. Meanwhile, Fredlisha R. Lansana only obtained 596 votes. With ~33 of the total ballots cast going to Lansana, the remaining .5 percent comprised nine ballots cast in favor of write-ins.
With less than half the total estimated population of Cumberland County registered to vote, this is an opportunity to see that your vote matters and can determine the future shape of legislation, local infrastructure, and even widespread reform. For more information on this election, visit https://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/07/2023&county_id=26&office=ALL&contest=0. If you want to know more about upcoming elections, if you qualify to vote in them or your current voter registration status, please visit https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election for further resources.
Data analytics is the exciting new process of analyzing data to uncover insights and make informed decisions.
It focuses on collecting, cleaning, and exploring data, building models, analyzing findings, and presenting them visually. Data analytics can help businesses and organizations make better decisions. It can also provide skilled users of these techniques with new and highly paid job opportunities.
Students begin their data analytics training at FTCC by taking BAS 120, Introduction to Analytics. In this course, students learn the basics of analytics and descriptive statistics using analytical techniques in Excel and then move on to applying the same concepts in Alteryx Designer.
This innovative data analytics and data preparation software is designed for business analysts and data professionals. In 2023, Alteryx was named Analytics Company of the Year by Data Breakthrough Awards. It is popular among data analysts and business intelligence professionals and is used across various industries and organizations which ensures that anyone who can use Alteryx Designer will be in high demand on the job market.
Upon successful completion of the BAS 120 course, students have the following four certificates to add to their résumé: Alteryx Designer Core Micro-Credential: General Knowledge, Alteryx Designer Core Micro-Credential: Data Preparation, Alteryx Designer Core Micro-Credential: Data Manipulation and Alteryx Designer Core Micro-Credential: Data Transformation.
Students who complete their data analytics coursework at FTCC are qualified to sit for the Statistical Analysis System Examination. The average salary for a SAS certified worker is $92,000 per year. Data science jobs are expected to grow by 36% in the next ten years, making it one of the nation’s fastest-growing fields.
Students can complete data analytics courses at FTCC fully online. Students who take online classes are free to complete their classwork entirely from home. They also have the option to visit campus and use college computer labs, libraries, and gyms.
Are you ready to learn more? Please contact us today. We have campuses in Fayetteville and Spring Lake and a presence at Fort Liberty and are eager to help you start the next chapter in your life.
We’re currently registering students for spring semester classes. Spring classes begin January 16. We invite you to begin the new year with a new direction: focus on a high-tech career with great pay and exciting opportunities, such as the field of Data Analytics. It’s never too late to enrich your life and reimagine your future; your first, important step begins at FTCC.
For more information about Data Analytics and other Computer Information programs of study, contact Hana Seidi, IT/Computer Programming & Development/Database Instructor, at Fayetteville Technical Community College, 910-486-7349, or visit the Advanced Technology Center in Room 113H or Cumberland Hall in Room 377H at the Fayetteville campus.
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