Up & Coming Weekly

September 26, 2017

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/879539

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 18 of 64

18 UCW SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 3, 2017 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NEWS DIGEST Early voting for Fayetteville's 2017 municipal elec- tion is underway. Early primary voting ends Saturday, Oct. 7. ere's one ballot for the citywide primary race for Fayetteville mayor. ere are also primary races in six of the city's nine city council districts. Primaries are necessary for those races where there are more than twice the number of candidates for a given office. ey include council districts 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7. In districts 2, 3 and 5, incumbents are not seeking re-election. District 5 Councilman Bobby Hurst is retiring. Districts 2 and 3 incum- bents, Kirk deViere and Mitch Colvin, are running for mayor. So, there will be at least three new mem- bers of the council come December. Citizens who are not registered to vote may regis- ter during the early voting period if they show docu- ments that list their current names and addresses in Cumberland County. A list of acceptable docu- mentation is available online at co.cumberland. nc.us/elections.aspx. Early voting is held at only one location, the Cumberland County Board of Elections Office at 227 Fountainhead Ln., Fayetteville. Teacher of the Year e announce- ment of the 2018 Cumberland Coun- ty Schools' Teacher of the Year was made during an an- nual dinner where 86 candidates for the honor had gathered. Rockfish Elementary School fourth-grade teach- er Leslie Seals was the winner. During her eight years in the classroom, she has also taught students in Richmond and Beaufort counties. "When we create a real difference in a student aca- demically, emotionally or behaviorally, I feel we have accomplished what is sometimes not recognized by others but is more valuable to the future of our com- munities and world than a test score," Seals said. She was influenced to become a teacher by her mother and stepfather, who were both former ad- ministrators in Harnett County Schools. Seals likes to use small-group instruction to help "create a real difference" and meet the needs of each student. "My students know I care when I meet with them ... I am also able to see the needs of my students more clearly when working with them in small groups," she said. Seals earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from East Carolina University. As the 2018 Teacher of the Year, she re- ceived: $300 and flowers from Cumberland County Schools; $300 from the Communities in Schools of Cumberland County; a one-year car lease from Powers-Swain Chevrolet; a commemorative custom- designed Teacher of the Year ring from Jostens; an engraved clock from Herff Jones; and an award from the Cumberland County Board of Education. Beaver Dam Fire Protection Imagine a fire station with no firefighters. at's been a persistent problem for the Beaver Dam Fire Department for years. e rural Cumberland County fire department built a second station and equipped it to serve the large district better but could not af- ford to staff it. e district is considered low wealth because of its rural tax base. e problem was "a lack of volunteers during daytime hours," said Assistant Cumberland County Manager Tracey Jackson. Both Beaver Dam fire stations are located off NC Highway 210 not far from the Cumberland/Samp- son/Bladen County line. County Commissioners, at the urging of Fire Commissioner Jimmy Keefe, agreed to provide the Beaver Dam department a $75,000 budget supplement to staff its Turnbull Road station with two firefighters cross-trained as EMTs. e funding will get the department through the balance of the fiscal year. e Joint Public Safety Task Force is studying potential ways of permanently solving the funding problem. Sunday Brunch with a Beer Cumberland County Com- missioners have approved a local ordinance allow- ing restaurants to serve alcoholic beverages as early as 10 a.m. on Sundays. e North Carolina General Assem- bly gave cities and counties the authority to adopt local bills. e ordinance is identical to one passed earlier by Fayetteville City Council. Commissioners had to take the matter up a sec- ond time because the initial vote was required to be unanimous. It was not. Commission Vice-Chairman Charles Evans voted against it. On second reading, a simple majority was all that was required. Evans voted no again, but it didn't matter. Most bars and restaurants in the county are in Fayetteville, but eight of them are in unincorporated areas. e ordinance also allows grocery stores to sell beer and wine Sunday mornings. Sprint Joins Cumberland County Schools at Phone Fair Sprint and the Cumberland County School system are team- ing up to participate in Sprint and the Sprint Foundation's 1Million Project. Participating local high school students will receive 1,180 free smart- phones or laptops and free wireless service as part of an initiative to help close the homework gap. Seventy percent of high school teachers assign homework to be completed online. More than 5 million families with children do not have internet access at home. at's why Sprint created its 1Million Project. CCS is one of eight school districts in North Caro- lina taking part in the project. e 2017-18 school year marks the first year of the five-year initiative in- volving more than 180,000 students in 1,300 schools in 30 states. In each of the next five years, hundreds of thousands of high schoolers who lack internet ac- cess at home will benefit from the 1Million Project. Congressman Pittenger Opens Fayetteville Office Rep. Robert Pittenger, R-N.C., unpacked boxes and hung pictures in his permanent Fayetteville of- fice. It's on the third floor of the J.L. Dawkins Federal Building and post office on Green Street. e facility had been closed since October because of flooding from Hurricane Matthew. "We are excited to finally unpack," the congressman said. "At the same time, we recognize there are still families in Cumberland, Robeson and Bladen Counties waiting for necessary Federal Emergency Management Agency or HUD assistance to rebuild or repair their homes." Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., though constituents are encouraged to call ahead as staff will regularly be out of the office at community meetings. For more information, call Jake Cashwell at (910) 303-0669 or email him at jake.cashwell@mail.house.gov. City of Fayetteville Primary Underway by JEFF THOMPSON Leslie Seals Rep. Robert Pittenger

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Up & Coming Weekly - September 26, 2017