DestinationFAY

MEET the Contributors BILL MCFADYEN Fayetteville native Bill McFadyen is not only a local real estate aficionado but also the author of CityView's popular "McFadyen's Musings" column. His razor-sharp memory, humor and talent allow him to regale readers with heartwarming stories of today and years past. "Having been born in Fayetteville, what I love most is knowing someone in most every store and at most stoplights. One thing I like a lot is when people who came here from elsewhere decide to stay here." CLAIRE MULLEN A busy mother of two young children, Mullen nevertheless finds time to charm and inform CityView readers with her monthly "Family Ties," column. Her reflections on life in her column are an extension of her entertaining and often hilarious social media posts. "I've lived in Fayetteville for almost all of my 35 years. I think that what I love the most about our community is the way that it's always evolving just enough to allow for new experiences, places and friends without ever losing its undeniable hometown feeling. I'm so proud to be raising fourth-generation Fayettevillians." WEEKS PARKER Weeks Parker is an award-winning Fayetteville historian, former Presbyterian Junior College Band Director and author of 12 books on a variety of subjects including "Fayetteville, North Carolina: A Pictorial History." THOMAS POPE Thomas Pope retired from The Fayetteville Observer in 2019 as sports editor. He is an award-winning writer who spent decades specializing in auto racing, covering everything from local dirt tracks to the Daytona 500. "A lifetime in Fayetteville has given me a better appreciation for the military folks because there are so many who live here and contribute to our community." RAUL RUBIERA JR. Raul Rubiera was born in Miami, where he learned from his father, an award-winning photographer. His mother, a native of Fayetteville, is an accomplished painter and artist, and together, they helped their son have faith that he could make a living from creating art. In 2002, he said, he moved to New York City to seek out a few of his favorite photographers in the world, and "bug them until they agreed to train me in their specific fields." Rubiera moved to Fayetteville to start a photo studio 15 years ago. TONY WOOTEN Tony Wooten is an architectural, headshot, and event photographer for LRP Media, as well as a photography instructor at Fayetteville Technical Community College. "Aside from familiarity, I like Fayetteville for its efforts in creating a strong community by providing multicultural events within the city." MARY ZAHRAN Mary Zahran writes CityView's "Someday You'll Thank Me" column, in which she shares the humor and the heartwarming about life as a mother, wife and friend. "What I love about Fayetteville is that it is a city filled with people from all corners of the world who have different backgrounds and who also have interesting stories to tell about their experiences." EARL VAUGHAN JR. No one knows the world of local high school sports like Earl does. Writer of CityView's weekly online sports newsletter, The Press Box, he is a member of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame and has spent nearly 50 years in prep media. "Fayetteville is home to my family, countless friends and some of my most treasured memories." "This city is full of creative and talented people from all over the United States because of Fort Bragg, and I'm lucky to have met thousands of them in my years photographing in Fayetteville, and have gained many great friends along the way." "My favorite building in Fayetteville is the Market House. The fire department once used the Market House as a parking place for the Silsby Steam Pumper. The Market House is the first building most people want to see when they visit Fayetteville. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's wife Eleanor wanted to see it when she visited in the 1930s. There is a replica of the Market House atop the Veteran's Administration Medical Center on Ramsey Street, but most people never realize it as they drive by." 5 DestinationFAY 2021-2022

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