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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DECEMBER 28 - JANUARY 3, 2016 UCW 21 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM CUMBERLAND Better Living Series Workshops co.cumberland.nc.us Follow us on social media The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners believes that all citizens should have the opportunity to participate in their local government. One way of participating is by serving on a citizen advisory board. The citizens who volunteer for these positions are the advisers who make recommendations that ultimately shape the future of their community. Cumberland County citizen advisory board descriptions, meeting schedules and application are available at co.cumberland.nc.us or by calling 678-7772. Thank you for your interest in serving your Cumberland County community! Citizen Advisory Boards Cumberland County Cooperative Extension is excited to announce the 2017 Better Living Series workshops. There are a variety of workshops offered, from gardening basics to canning. Each class requires preregistration and a workshop fee. Workshop fees vary; please check the registration form or Better Living Flyer for workshop information. Two workshops are planned for January 2017. The workshop Pruning Grapevines & Training Fruit Trees will be held on Jan. 10. Participants will learn how to improve the quality and yield from fruit trees and grapevines. The $5 registration fee is due by Jan. 5. The workshop Do-It- Yourself Fruit Bouquets will be held Jan. 31. Attendees will learn the basic techniques for creating small fruit bouquets. The $10 registration fee is due by Jan. 26. Class size is limited, so early application is encouraged. For a complete list of the 2017 Better Living Series workshops and the Better Living Series Registration form visit the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension online at cumberland.ces.ncsu.edu. For additional information you may contact Susan Johnson at 910-312- 6405 or via email at susan_johnson@ncsu.edu. A nine-week training program developed by Mears Construction, in conjunction with Fayetteville Technical Community College and the Cumberland County N.C. Works Career Center, is putting military veterans on the fast track to management careers in the gas distribution industry. The program is the brainchild of Josh Bieler, director of veterans training for Mears Construction, based in Kansas City, Mo. Bieler contacted the Cumberland County N.C. Works Career Center and Fayetteville Technical Community College in August with a proposal to bring industry professionals from around the state and across the country together to train the veterans to be pipeline foremen. The first class of 16 students graduated Dec. 16. The graduates will begin on-the-job training in January with Mears Construction and work on projects for Piedmont Natural Gas in the Charlotte area. A new class will start at FTCC on Jan. 17. FTCC hosts the program on campus, and the Cumberland County N.C. Works Career Center covers the tuition costs and provides boots and other supplies for the students. The Cumberland County Workforce Development Board, through the N.C. Works Career Center, will reimburse Mears Construction for the students' salaries for up to six months. India Mitchell of Houston, Texas, served four years in the Army. She was a petroleum specialist before she got out of the Army at Fort Bragg. "I wanted to see what this opportunity had to offer," Mitchell said. "I figured since I was a petroleum specialist in the Army and this training is for gas field distribution, it wouldn't be too far-fetched for me to transition." For more information about the pipeline foreman training program and other opportunities for veterans seeking employment, contact the N.C. Works Career Center of Cumberland County at 910-323-3421. India Mitchell, a student in the pipeline foreman training program, operates a backhoe during a heavy equipment rodeo held Dec. 8 at James River Equipment in Hope Mills. Training Program for Veterans While others retreat, we are moving forward. Some publication's numbers are falling behind. Your free community paper is moving forward. Readership of free community papers is now higher than paid daily papers, and continues to grow. Rather than being replaced by "instant" media, your local free community paper has become an important part of our neighborhood. Another sign we're working for you. Free Papers Working For You