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.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/872870
SEPTEMBER 13 - 19, 2017 UCW 23 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Q&A with Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner A STAFF REPORT How do you feel about the new partnership between the Town of Hope Mills and Up & Coming Weekly? I'm excited about the opportunity to share what we're doing with all of Cumberland County. I think that's the big thing; Up & Coming Weekly covers all of Cumberland County. But the oth- er thing is I think it's important that we have focused news for Hope Mills. And now we have an opportunity to share in advance before things take place. What are you most excited about when it comes to Hope Mills as a community? Right now, it's the fact that we're growing by leaps and bounds. It has happened quickly. People want to live here. Hope Mills has that small- town feel, but the numbers are quickly growing. We've got nice homes, nice schools, and our community and rec- reation facilities just can't be beat. I'm very excited about the new businesses that we have coming in, too, and the fact that we have opportunities with our new golf course to make a nice rec- reational facility to attract even more families. I think that's the key, that we're a family-based community. Where do you see the town headed over the next five years? We have a positive direction. We do have a facilities plan and a strategic plan for our growth. When I was first elected, I didn't see that. It was very hard to get people to look further than just today. Even the Town Hall — it was built for the time. Now, we're planning for the growth. Over the next 5 years, you'll see that with our plan we're us- ing tax dollars more wisely, and we're planning not just for the next five years but for the next 30 years. It will be with the idea that Hope Mills is growing and that we want to meet those needs down the road. What do you consider the town's biggest accomplishment in recent years? e fact that we're starting to work with the other municipalities and the county. Years ago, it was almost like Hope Mills was an island. We didn't participate or do a good job of sharing our ideas with the rest of the com- munity. Now, we are. We're getting grant money and DOT money that we probably wouldn't have gotten if we had stayed isolated. We've also ac- complished a lot by negotiating and winning a lawsuit for the dam. Even though it's a process that's taken a long time, we're looking at the culmination of that because the (new) dam's almost complete, and so the centerpiece of our town (Hope Mills Lake) will be back. And so I think that will again draw more people. We also have a multi-modal conges- tion plan that's being worked on so we can be more pedestrian-friendly and more bike-friendly. Once those plans are complete, we'll be able to get more grant money to make this a more walk- able community. What is Hope Mills' biggest asset? Most people would want to say that it's the lake or it's the parks and recreation facilities. But I think it's the people that live here. It's our citizens. A lot of them have been here their entire lives. ose who have come back here or retired here are what make this com- munity what it is. It has a small-town feel; people know each other and look out for each other. What are your closing thoughts? e most important thing right now is that with growth comes some change, and what we're looking at now is change for everyone. But we're plan- ning that change. We're being proac- tive, and we're looking at what we know we need instead of having developers tell us what we need. We're planning, and we're going to keep Hope Mills feeling small-town while also accom- modating the new growth. Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner What's 'Up & Coming' in Hope Mills? A STAFF REPORT Hope Mills News & Views New Arrival: Read All About It! by BILL BOWMAN Greetings from Up & Coming Weekly, Hope Mills' Community Newspaper. Wow! I love the sound of that. Actually, we have been a part of the Hope Mills community since our weekly community newspaper began publishing in 1996. As a marketing company, we have never strayed from our mission and mandates of focusing on all the positive quality- of-life aspects of living in Cumberland County. Hope Mills has always been a part of our success. Starting today, we are taking our presence in your town to a new level. More papers, more newspaper racks (look for the bright yellow boxes) and a lot more Hope Mills coverage. Yes, the Town of Hope Mills will now have its own community section in Up & Coming Weekly. Pick up a copy every week to read about Hope Mills-related news, views, people and events as well as the many other great things happening in Cumberland County. We will also be marketing, profiling and promoting local businesses and organizations. We will be working closely with Jan Spell and the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce to market and promote "Shop local, Shop Hope Mills" as we invite newcomers, visitors and guests into the community. We are excited and pleased to have this opportunity to tell Hope Mills' story to everyone in the county, including Fort Bragg. And, we want to hear from you, the residents of Hope Mills. So, send us your editorials, comments, opinions, stories and events to hopemills@upandcomin- gweekly.com. In closing, I want to thank the Town of Hope Mills for its vote of confidence. Specifically, Mayor Jackie Warner, Town Manager Melissa Adams, Deputy Town Clerk Debbie Holland, the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners and Jan Spell, president of the Hope Mills Chamber. eir combined leadership, vision, dedication and commitment to excel- lence will give us plenty to write about in the future. BILL BOWMAN, Publisher, UP & COMING WEEKLY. COMMENTS? BILL@upandcomingweekly.com. (910) 391-3859. • Oct. 1 Cruise – Into – Paradise Come out and bring your shiniest car, motorcycle, truck or even trac- tor to display while enjoying BBQ, fried chicken and the fixins. Kids will love the train ride, jumping castle and playground. Free Admis- sion, food prices ranging from $2-8. Details: www.paradiseacres.biz or (910) 424-2779 • Oct. 20-21 Ole Mill Days Festival Celebrate the Mills Way! Ole Mills street dance from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20. Saturday, Oct. 21 runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Municipal Parks 1 and 2. Fam- ily fun to include: tractor pull, kids corner, movie night, food, vendors, craft vendors, and a Mills workers reunion. Details: (910) 429-4109.