Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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8 UCW OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 6, 2018 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Longtime county commissioner and civic leader Ed Melvin died last week. He was 72. Melvin served his community in many ways but is best remem- bered as a four-term county commissioner. He chose not to seek re-election in 2014. Melvin was admitted to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center Oct. 18 after suffering an apparent heart at- tack. He died five days later. A native of Bladen County, Melvin spent his adult life in Cumberland County but never lost touch with friends and family in the Tar Heel area. He belonged to dozens of civic, advisory and business groups and owned and managed 50 rental homes. Melvin also had a chain of auto repair shops. Sev- eral years ago, he sold all but one of them: Ed's Tire and Auto Shop on Murchison Road. Melvin was a U.S. Army veteran and a member of Village Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Julie, and their five children. Health department leadership post still vacant e Cumberland County Department of Public Health hasn't had a permanent director for nearly a year and a half. In August, the board of health selected an executive search firm to help recruit the next health director, but it has not yet begun the search. Former director Buck Wilson resigned in June of last year. Other county executives have filled in since then. "We are excited to initiate our search for a perma- nent health director," said Interim Health Director Duane Holder. e board's search committee met with the firm on Oct. 17 to begin the formal recruiting process. Staff and community listening sessions are being planned. Public input will be solicited, and the board of health says it welcomes feedback. Four-year terms on the ballot Local ballot issues Nov. 6 include proposals to change the terms of Fayetteville City Council mem- bers and Hope Mills Town Commissioners. Both bodies want to extend terms of office from two years to four. e prospect has raised little voter interest in Fayetteville, but opposition by Hope Mills residents has surfaced since the board rejected offers made by Lone Survivor Foundation to purchase property at Hope Mills Lake Bed #2 for a military veter- ans' retreat. Residents have organized Hope Mills Citizens for Change, a political action committee opposed to longer terms. ey have distributed signs around town. e four-year referendum idea was first proposed by Hope Mills Commissioner Mike Mitchell in Feb- ruary. If adopted, four-year terms wouldn't begin for Hope Mills commissioners until the 2019 election. e mayor and five board members would serve staggered terms. e Fayetteville City Council proposal is nonbind- ing. If authorized by voters, council would then decide whether to make the change. Local youth wins statewide honor A Cumberland County NCWorks Career Center student, Lamonty Bullock, 24, was named Out- standing Young Adult at the 2018 Governor's NC Works Awards of Distinction cer- emony held Oct. 11 in Greensboro. Bullock was enrolled in the Fundamental Skills for Substance Abuse Counselor Program at Fayetteville Technical Community College when nominated for the honor. He has completed part one of the program and is preparing for part two, with a goal of becoming a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor to help teens and young adults. "I really want to focus on prevention because that's where it all starts," Bullock said. He was living in a group home until he turned 18, when he aged out of the foster care system. He did not complete high school but later obtained his diploma and ap- proached Cumberland County NCWorks for career training assistance. Bullock's former NCWorks career advisor, Victo- ria Grey-Allen, described him as an "extraordinary example of what resilience, hard work and determi- nation can accomplish." Local university leader honored Fayetteville State University Chancellor Dr. James Anderson was honored this month by the North Carolina Justice Center for his years of "ex- traordinary advocacy for and commitment to social justice, inclusive community engage- ment, and educational opportunities." e NC Justice Center describes itself as the state's preeminent voice for economic, social and political justice. "My task is to apply leadership and management strategies that reflect integrity, quality, transparency and excellence," Anderson is quoted as saying on Fayetteville State University's website. "Our most precious commodity is our students and everything that we do should support their growth, maturity, and success." Fayetteville Technical Community College still top notch Military Times has ranked FTCC No. 5 nationally in its 2019 Best Colleges for Vets. e rankings are based on the results of Military Times' annual sur- vey, considered the most comprehensive school- by-school assessment of veteran and military student services. About 500 colleges took part in this year's survey. "Military Times' Best for Vets designation ... can't be bought with advertising dollars – unlike some other supposedly veteran-friendly rankings – only earned through a record of steadfast service and dedication to those who have served," said George Altman, the editor in charge of the rankings. e publication also factors in data from the Veterans Af- fairs and Defense departments. Cumberland County civic leader dies a STAFF REPORT NEWS DIGEST Ed Melvin Lamonty Bullock Dr. James Anderson