The population infusion means re-
markable changes for the community, changes that Peters said few can com- prehend right now. “We’ve all heard that BRAC is going
to have an impact,” Peters said. “But I don't think we have any idea of how positive this will be for Fayetteville and Cumberland County. This is our game to lose. I think our biggest challenge is positioning ourselves so that we’re ready to take advantage of every oppor- tunity BRAC will bring.” Community leaders are readying
for BRAC’s impact, and their eagerness to turn it into a growth opportunity is a big part of what attracted Peters to Fayetteville. It also helped that the com- munity had done so much to improve it- self long before BRAC became an issue. Downtown redevelopment is evidence of that, according to Peters. “Downtown is a great showplace
for this community,” he said recently. “Downtown is everyone’s neighbor- hood. It’s in economic development’s best interest to have a vibrant down- town. To see what Fayetteville had done with its downtown, and to hear stories of how far downtown has come it really showed me this community’s commitment.” All of it reaffirms the decision Pe-
ters and his family made to move here. The move from the Midwest has been a smooth one, Peters said, despite the fact that he and his wife spent most of their lives there — he was born in Virginia and lived there a short while before moving to Ohio. Peters is giddy over the fact that he was able to sell the snow blade for his tractor and may never have to shovel his way out of a huge snow- storm again. But perhaps the best testament to Pe-
ters’ assuredness that he and his family made the right move is his children’s adjustment to their new home. Oldest child Elliott plays football at
Mac Williams Middle School. Eleven- year-old daughter Alaina has continued her aspiring ice skating career at Fort Bragg’s ice rink. And then there's his youngest child,
Anderson, who is 6. “He’s my pal,” Peters said.CV
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