Good things last! For 26 years, the Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper has proudly showcased the people, businesses and organizations that have invested their time, talent and resources into the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community.

Since 1997 we have been privileged to publish the Best of Fayetteville Readers Survey. For those new to this process, we ask our readers to identify and ultimately determine who in the Fayetteville community is perceived as the Best of the Best.

The BOF reflects the unique aspects and amenities the Fayetteville community offers. Each year we record our readers' comments and sentiments. This process allows us to publish who, what and why our readers value these businesses. Your vote is essential! Ultimately, our readers decide the people, companies and organizations that make Fayetteville and Cumberland County unique, enjoyable and livable.

During June, Up & Coming Weekly readers can cast their ballots for the deserving Best of the Best. We make it easy and convenient to vote. Readers can fill out a ballot in the newspaper and mail it to our official Best of Fayetteville auditor and CPA firm, Utley & Knowles. Or they can vote online at the Up & Coming Weekly website, www.upandcomingweekly.com.

The non-scientific BOF Readers Survey incorporates time-tested and enforceable voting rules and guidelines. This maintains the integrity of the voting process and has made being the Best of Fayetteville valuable to the community.

Rules like: only one ballot per reader, one ballot per mailed-in envelope, and a minimum of 15 vote entries are needed to validate the ballot. These guidelines lend themselves to elevating the honor, integrity and prestige of winning the Best of Fayetteville designation.

By eliminating the nomination process, enforcing the policies, and monitoring and auditing the ballots, we have rendered our survey incredibly accurate and extremely valuable to residents, businesses and organizations who have earned the honor of being voted the Best of the Best.

This year is particularly significant since most organizations and businesses have been working their way back to normalcy after surviving the stifling effects of the COVID pandemic, labor shortages, high gas prices, supply chain shortages and rampant inflation. So, under these circumstances, operating a successful business and providing exceptional customer service are achievements that deserve recognition. So, your input and vote is very important.

The BOF winners will be recognized on Sept. 26 at the Crown Coliseum Complex. The Best of the Best will congregate to celebrate their achievements and contributions to our community. This will begin their 24/7, 365-day exposure in the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community with a year-long marketing and promotion campaign and a presence on our official Best of Fayetteville section at www.upandcomingweekly.com.

Last and certainly, not least, our BOF sponsors reflect the high standards required to maintain the integrity of this 26-year-old tradition. Proudly, the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and Utley & Knowles CPAs have been BOF supporters and participants from the beginning. Since then we have associated ourselves with businesses that, through their reputations and historic deeds and actions, have proven to be great role models for what it means to be the Best of the Best. These are the Beasley Media Group, Crown Coliseum, Steve Milburn’s UPS Stores, and Transworld Business Advisors.

Now, it's up to you. VOTE: Best of Fayetteville! And thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.