- Details
-
Tuesday, 11 March 2025
-
Written by Lisa Stevens
Orange Street School is not just a building but a beacon of hope and creativity for our community's youth. While many stories have emerged about the school's revival, it's essential to highlight one of its most significant collaborators: Sandhills Jazz Society. At the heart of our community, Sandhills Jazz Society is committed to fostering musical talent among students and has been nothing short of remarkable.
Founded in 2018 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and educational organization in Fayetteville, Sandhills Jazz Society has tirelessly worked to establish our city as a vibrant hub for musical exchange. The music is not just about jazz but about connecting with diverse interests to create innovative programs tailored for young individuals who may not find their passion in traditional sports.
Sandhills Jazz Society is excited about launching the Orange Street Music Education Lab, developed in collaboration with Fayetteville-Cumberland County Parks & Recreation. The lab represents a significant leap forward in providing youth with artistic expression and skill development. SJS will oversee all daily operations at the lab, ensuring that every aspect—from maintaining industry-leading equipment standards to offering expert technical support is handled with precision and care. SJS has meticulously designed the recording studio, adhering to the highest standards of acoustics, aesthetics, and functionality, with every detail thoughtfully planned to ensure an exceptional experience for artists, producers, and sound engineers.
Tina Turner is a passionate leader of the project. She is excited to share insights into their transformative work at Orange Street School.
“As one of the three founders of the Sandhills Jazz Society, I am thrilled to embark on this exciting project. Being an alumnus of E.E. Smith, I feel a deep sense of pride in being able to bring this initiative to Orange Street School. Our vision embraces a wide spectrum of music genres, including jazz, blues, and world music, as well as evolving forms influenced by modern technologies and media. This opportunity allows me to contribute to the community. It holds a unique and cherished place in my heart as I connect my past experiences with this vibrant musical endeavor,” she said.
Turner also shared that their mission is to promote interest in jazz music and engage new generations with their work while producing an enjoyable and financially viable annual All-American City Jazz Festival. They aimlessly strive to increase appreciation for jazz and strengthen the arts community through special projects such as artistic exchanges, partnerships, educational workshops, community programs, and collaborations that enhance the art form.
Tyshica Smith will be working alongside the Sandhills Jazz Society. With Smith at the helm as Youth Development and Cultural Arts Coordinator, there is confidence that her expertise will enrich their program significantly through her innovative approach to creating inspiring opportunities
for our youth.
In showcasing the contributions of the Sandhills Jazz Society, Up & Coming Weekly wanted to highlight SJS’s efforts of unwavering belief in nurturing our youth through music. Their work deserves recognition as they play an integral role in shaping future generations—one note at a time.
The Orange Street School is a testament to resilience and community spirit, having served generations of Black students since its inception in 1915. Originally one of the first publicly funded schools for Black children in Fayetteville, it played a pivotal role in the educational landscape, eventually becoming the birthplace of E.E. Smith High School, our historically Black public high school. However, after years of neglect and disrepair following its closure in 1953, this cherished institution was at risk of being forgotten.
Now, 110 years after it opened its doors, we are witnessing a remarkable revival. The revitalized two-story brick building at 600 Orange Street has undergone an impressive four-year renovation. This transformation is not only about restoring bricks and mortar, but about renewing hope and opportunity for our community’s children and teens.
The journey to this moment hasn’t been easy. Fueled by passionate advocacy from groups like the Orange Street School Historical Association and The Ville’s Voice during critical moments such as the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, their efforts highlight the importance of preserving this historic site for future generations.
With financial support from city, county, state, and significant contributions from partners like Google and Microsoft through The Two-Six Project—raising an additional $500,000 for Two-Six Labs—the Orange Street School is set to become more than just a building; it will be a beacon of empowerment for youth in our community.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Feb. 27 to celebrate its reopening. The school offers STEM educational activities and cultural arts geared toward youth in the city and Cumberland County that are dedicated to ensuring equitable access to learning opportunities for every student. By integrating fine arts and scientific resources into their curriculum, they are committed to delivering high-quality student outcomes that encompass mastery of essential 21st-century skills. These skills include proficiency in science, technology, engineering and math, and artistic endeavors that foster creativity and expression. Impressive!
The Orange Street School’s overall goal is to emphasize critical thinking and problem-solving abilities alongside effective communication and collaboration. They understand the importance of digital literacy in today’s world, equipping students with information and communication technologies necessary for success. We can all see why and thank all who contributed to the reopening of this remarkable school!
(Photo:The Music Education Lab in the Orange Street school will focus on creating artistic expression and skill development for students. Photo courtesy of Tina Turner, Sandhills Jazz Society)
- Details
-
Tuesday, 11 March 2025
-
Written by Paul Woolverton, CityView Today
Cumberland County is pausing construction of the $145 million Crown Event Center for up to 30 days while an outside lawyer reviews the project.
The Event Center had been scheduled to open in spring 2027. A 1,100 space, $33 million parking deck to support the Event Center had been scheduled to open in April 2026.
The county Board of Commissioners met for about 70 minutes in closed session on Wednesday morning before returning to public session to vote 6-0 to suspend all Crown Event Center work. (Commissioner Jeannette M. Council was absent.)
The pause is “for the purpose of reviewing and also investigating the scope, schedule and the financial budget for this particular project,” Vice Chair Veronica Jones said in a motion to initiate the delay.
When the review is done, County Commissioner Henry Tyson told CityView on Wednesday afternoon, the commissioners may decide that the Event Center project will continue, they could postpone it, they could change its location, or they could cancel it.
“I think it’s just good that we have this review so that we know exactly where our position lies and what the status of the project is,” he said.
During a news conference on Wednesday to discuss the delay, reporters asked Commissioners Chair Kirk deViere if there was a specific problem that prompted the review.
DeViere answered by saying the Board of Commissioners has changed. “Three new board members. You have a new board,” he said. (DeViere, Tyson and Pavan Patel took office in December, so they had not previously been part of the decision-making for Event Center.)
The Event Center is one of the largest, most expensive projects in Cumberland County history, he said.
“This board feels that we want to have an outside review of the scope of this project at this time,” deViere said. “We want to ensure that every part of this contract, every part of this project is properly done, and it’s efficient, and all aspects are accountable, and we’re getting the best use of taxpayer dollars.”
As a new commissioner, Patel said he wants this assessment.
“We’ve got a $145 million project that has kind of shifted in various ways,” he told CityView. “So we just want to make sure before we move forward, that we’ve got everything tightened up, we’ve looked over everything with a second set of outside eyes. Basically, that we do our due diligence, because there are a lot of capital projects going on.”
The county is hiring attorney J. Scott Flowers of the Hutchens Law Firm of Fayetteville to conduct the review, deViere said. Flowers’ fee for the review has not yet been determined, County Manager Clarence Grier said in an email later Wednesday.
Event Center to replace Crown Theatre, Crown Arena
Construction of the Crown Event Center began in October in downtown Fayetteville on the Gillespie Street parking lot of the county courthouse. With a 3,000-seat auditorium and other meeting space and facilities, the Event Center is to be a venue for concerts, stage shows and other performances, and host banquets, conventions, and other activities.
It is to replace the Crown Arena and Crown Theatre at the Crown Complex on Coliseum Drive off U.S. 301 South and Owen Drive. The buildings are being replaced due to age (they were built in the late 1960s), lack of compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the estimated costs of upgrading and modernizing the structures vs. building a new performing arts venue.
The much larger Crown Coliseum, built in the 1990s, is unaffected by the Crown Event Center project and will remain in operation. The commissioners voted on Wednesday to hire L & L Drywall & Construction of Fayetteville for $835,363 to modernize the coliseum’s bathrooms.
The Crown Complex and construction of the Crown Event Center are funded via the county’s hotel occupancy tax and by a 1% prepared food and beverage tax levied on food and drink served in restaurants and other retail outlets for immediate consumption.
When the review is done, the county commissioners will consider and bring the results to the public, deViere said.
“I want to ensure that everyone understands that this 30-day pause is a responsible and a pro-active step to ensure accountability and transparency,” he said. “Once this review is complete, you have my word that I will communicate the next steps on this project, and how we will move forward.”
How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
