Up & Coming Weekly

October 10, 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.

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28 UCW OCTOBER 11 - 17, 2017 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM ERICA WALLS, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? hopemills@upand- comingweekly.com. (910) 484-6200. Hope Mills News & Views Ole Mills Days by ERICA WALLS It's that time of year again. Time to celebrate and remember the reason why Ole Mills Days are important to Hope Mills. A Little Piece of History e Town of Hope Mills was founded upon the mill industry, beginning with the first saw mill on Little Rockfish Creek in the 1700s. Later, Bluff Mills was es- tablished in 1841 close to what is now the intersection of Camden Road and Hope Mills Road. ese mills flourished, and the town and economy boomed. But when the Civil War began, turmoil followed. Bluff Mill survived, but eight cotton mills along with the mill houses that provided room and board for the mill workers were ruthlessly burned to the ground during Gen. William T. Sherman's infamous March to the Sea. ough the mills were destroyed, Hope Mills would not be what it is today without the hard work of the lumber and mill workers and the ingenuity of the cotton, saw and grist mills. Let's Have Fun ursday, Oct. 19, jump-starts the fun of Ole Mills Days with the Hope MEALS Food Truck Rodeo at 5770 Rockfish Rd. from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Bring your dancing shoes and enjoy the party Friday, Oct. 20, with the Ole Mills Days Street Dance on Trade Street from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, is the annual celebration of Ole Mills Days in Municipal Parks 1 and 2 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. e Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Chili Cook-Off for the duration of the event. ere will be cash prizes for both hot and mild categories as well as a People's Choice award. It costs $5 to sample all the chili and vote for the People's Choice winner. Call (910) 423-4313 for more information about the Chili Cook-Off. e Mill Worker Reunion will be held from 2-4 p.m. roughout the day there will also be tractor pulls, food, craft vendors and a kids' corner. e celebra- tion will end with a movie night. Debbie Holland, interim town clerk, said the Town of Hope Mills looks forward to having resi- dents of Cumberland County come and enjoy the family-friendly festivities. "is is a great time for everyone from Hope Mills and the surrounding areas to learn about our his- tory while having fun," she said. "We will have many vendors and activities for everyone to enjoy." For more information about Ole Mills Days 2017, call (910) 429-4109 or visit www.townofhopemills.com. Budget, Finance and Problem-Solving by ERICA WALLS The Hope Mills Citizens Academy aids the resi- dents of Hope Mills in learning about the inner workings of town government while also mak- ing the town government more accessible. On Thursday, Sept. 28, the 2017 class learned some of what it takes to monetarily run the Town of Hope Mills. Finance Director Drew Holland and Senior Accountant Ricky Ramey explained the vital part of maintaining the budget and of knowing how to prioritize spending. Holland noted that the Finance Department is doing well and that everything is thoroughly examined before it goes to Town Council for adoption. The annual budget dates are from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. Holland described how each date on the bud- get calendar is vital to a successful year and what roles other departments play. It is important to note, he added, that the public has a say in how the budget is used on behalf of the town. There is a required public hearing every year in the spring. Only after the proposed budget is ap- proved, adopted and signed by the council does it then become accessible to the public. The Citizens Academy class on Sept. 28 par- ticipated in a mock budget exercise in which the budget was overdrawn and five situations needed to be balanced. Class members also actively asked questions concerning the maneuvers of the Finance Department and how long the docu- ments had to be kept. Holland gave examples of projects, like the refilling of Hope Mills Lake, to explain the regulations. After each project is fin- ished, he said, the documents must be kept three years from that date. They are kept electronically. There are many regulations and guidelines that must be followed closely. The Finance Department remains in good standing. For further information about the bud- get for the Town of Hope Mills, visit www.townofhopemills.com. GOVERNMENT Ole Mills Days festivities run Oct. 19-21 and include the Hope Mills Area Chamber of Commerce annual Chili Cook-off. EVENTS Hope Mills Finance Director Drew Holland The public has a say in how the budget is used on behalf of the town.

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