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/950172
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MARCH 7-13, 2018 UCW 11 Officials of the Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center are reconsidering sponsoring a debate on gun violence. "e topic came up during a library management meeting," said library spokeswoman Kellie Tomita. "We were hoping to have a balanced forum with differing views." Library officials were unable to identify appro- priate participants and decided initially to change the format to an informational program. en "it became apparent that, due to the complexity of the subject matter and the rapidity of developments in the news, that the program would need to be reconsidered," Tomita said. Stores stop selling military-style weapons Walmart has joined Dick's Sporting Goods and Field & Stream in a decision to more strictly regulate the sale of guns and ammunition. "We are raising the age restriction for purchase of firearms and am- munition to 21 years of age," a Walmart statement said. "We are also removing items from our website resembling assault-style rifles, including nonlethal airsoft guns and toys," Walmart added. Walmart stopped selling many long guns in 2015. Dick's Sporting Goods, the nation's largest sport- ing goods retailer, said it also has stopped selling weapons like the one used in the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting. It also raised the age of sale of all firearms to 21 as did its retail affiliate Field & Stream. Dick's recently relocated its Fayetteville store to the new Freedom Town Center at Skibo and Cliffdale Roads. e company also opened a Field & Stream adjacent to the Dick's property. e cor- porate decisions came amid a broad public push to tighten gun regulations in the wake of the mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school Feb. 14 that left 17 people dead. Gun regulation advocates said they hope the decision would prompt other major retailers to follow suit. Street crosswalks for the visually impaired Crossing busy streets can be a challenge for people with good vision. For blind people, it is a perilous activity. American cities are generally poorly equipped to deal with blind pedestrians, but technology has made it possible in recent years to remedy that situation. Fayetteville is among the smaller cities that are beginning to equip traffic signals with what are called "chirping birds," audio versions of green and red lights. Two street cross- ings in Fayetteville have been equipped to make life for blind community members safer. City traffic engi- neer Lee Jernigan said the expense of upgrading intersections for the visually impaired limits his capacity. Four years ago, the city put in special equipment for the blind at Hay Street and Woodside Avenue in Haymount. Last month, the intersection of Cain Road and Rogers Drive was upgraded. at project cost $40,000. "We chose that intersection because the city just completed the installation of sidewalks along Cain Road," Jernigan said. Posts with buttons that have audible beepers are positioned at the "Walk/Don't Walk" signal poles. When the traffic light changes from green to red, the audible device signals to blind pedestrians that it's safe to cross. Motorists are alert- ed to the intersection via marked zebra crosswalks that feature a series of thick white hash mark bands. Fayetteville welcomes new industry Cambridge-Lee Industries of Reading, Pennsyl- vania, has chosen Cumberland County for a facility to manufacture line sets of copper tubing that are assembled into various forms and shipped to customers. e Fayetteville/Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation says the proj- ect will result in the creation of 19 full-time jobs. e company said the jobs will be manufacturing positions offering a competitive wage and com- prehensive benefits packages. No specifics were provided. e plant will be in the former Cape Fear Distribution Center on Tom Starling Road. "Fayetteville provides us with an improved reach to our customers as well as an improved ability to streamline and grow our operations," said Dave Spadafora, vice president of Global Supply Chain for Cambridge-Lee. "e new jobs and investment this facility will bring are prime examples of how our business cli- mate and aggressive approach to economic develop- ment are creating growth," said County Chairman Larry Lancaster. Cambridge-Lee Industries said it plans to add more full-time and part-time employ- ees in the coming year. Council approves communication tower Fayetteville City Council spent 45 minutes debat- ing whether to allow South River Electric Member- ship Co-op to build a 190-foot radio tower on its property on Ramsey Street in North Fayetteville. e utility sought a special use permit. After a move by Councilwoman Kathy Jensen to deny the re- quest failed, council voted 8-2 to approve the measure. Jensen was concerned about the aesthetics of the mast. e company said the tower would be constructed several hun- dred feet off Ramsey Street at the rear of its 10-acre property. e facility will provide point-to-point microwave radio communications between South River's local office and its headquarters in Dunn. Mirror Lake Dam open house It's taken a year and a half, but the city of Fayetteville hopes to begin construction of a new Mirror Lake Drive dam this summer. It was washed away by Hurricane Matthew Oct. 8, 2016. e city has determined that rebuilding the dam and repair- ing Mirror Lake Drive, which runs over the dam, will cost $1.9 million. FEMA approved the funding, according to city spokesman Nathan Walls. An open house will be held ursday, March 15, at Van Story Hills Elementary School from 6-8 p.m. Preliminary design plans will be shown to the public for comment. is is the second time the city-owned dam was destroyed by a storm. It was also washed away during Hurricane Fran in September 1996. Police/citizen workshop set for March e U.S. Department of Justice Of- fice of Justice Programs and Com- munity Relations Service has developed a new community-based workshop focused on strengthening the partnership between local law enforcement and the community. A Greater Fayetteville United workshop is designed to bring together local law enforcement officers and community members for an open dialogue about community engagement. e Office of Justice Programs Diagnostic Center will facilitate the 90-minute workshop with mem- bers of the Fayetteville Police Department during an in-person, scenario-based session. It will be held Tuesday, March 20, at the Kiwanis Recreation Center at 352 Devers St. Library's gun control debate on hold by JEFF THOMPSON NEWS DIGEST JEFF THOMPSON, Senior News Reporter. COMMENTS? news@upandcomingweekly. com. 910-484-6200.