DestinationFAY

MEET the Contributors SAMMY BATTEN Sammy Batten was a sportswriter for The Fayetteville Observer for more than 30 years. He covered 40 college football bowl games, NCAA basketball tournaments, three U.S. Open Golf Championships, four U.S. Women's Golf Championships, dozens of CIAA basketball tournaments and hundreds of high school football games. "I love the fact that on any given day in Fayetteville – weather permitting – you can play a world-class golf course, see future major leaguers in action or watch bumper to bumper racing at the speedway. In other words, there is something for everyone when it comes to sports in Fayetteville." CINDY BURNHAM Award-winning photographer Cindy Burnham's work has appeared in national and international publications in her 40-plus- year career. She's not only a world-class photographer but a creative force everywhere she goes. She is the owner of LuckyShot Productions. "What I love about Fayetteville is its diverse and international community." MICHAEL FUTCH Versatile journalist Michael Futch began his career in the newspaper business in 1979 and spent 36 years at The Fayetteville Observer, adding his deft touch to stories on a variety of subjects. "What I love about Fayetteville is the people – the diversity, the grab bag of different cultures and ethnicities into a community melting pot." JANET GIBSON Janet Gibson has brought enthusiasm, charm and intelligence to a variety of media roles. She writes features for CityView, including the popular "Good Eats" feature that spotlights local restaurants. Her Planet Janet Media Marketing Service offers clients everything from professional biographies to website content. CHICK JACOBS Chick Jacobs has more than four decades of award-winning journalism experience. He earned a fellowship to study meteorology, leading to a long career keeping everyone abreast of tornadoes, hurricanes, rain and snowstorms. "The one thing I've always loved about Fayetteville overall is the willingness of people to lend a helping hand. There's a reason Operation Inasmuch was created in Fayetteville. I think back on big events like the tornadoes a decade ago or Hurricane Fran ... then the countless day-to-day troubles and tragedies that hit us all. Every time trouble hits, you'll find someone coming right behind it with a chainsaw, a chicken pot pie, a hug and a promise that things will get better. No conditions, no expectations, just neighbors with a willingness to reach out and help." BILL KIRBY JR. When it comes to this community, Bill Kirby is an encyclopedia of knowledge and history. In a long career as a newspaper columnist, he wrote about the people of Fayetteville with humor, heart and wisdom. "Just as Fayetteville is a melting pot of cultures, it's also a melting pot of cuisines. Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, German, Greek, Italian, Turkish, Lebanese, Afghan, Mexican, Guatemalan, Salvadoran, Honduran, Colombian, Peruvian, Jamaican, the list goes on ... and mom-and- pop barbecue joints, too. (Turn THAT into a rap.) Whatever you are craving, chances are you'll find it in Da Ville." KIM HASTY CityView editor Kim Hasty spent nearly 40 years at The Fayetteville Observer, spending 11 years as a sportswriter and then nearly 30 as a lifestyle columnist. She was Director of University Relations at Methodist University before becoming editor at CityView in 2020. "Nowhere will you find better, more compelling stories than here in Fayetteville. From the affable Greek immigrants who own many of our restaurants to the golfer trying to make a go as a professional to the retired soldier starting a new enterprise, everyone here has a story with heart." "Fayetteville is a city with a generous and benevolent spirit when the ill or the downtrodden need financial assistance or an act of kindness to lift them up from despair. And no more pretty of a city than the spring, when the azaleas and the dogwoods are in bloom." 4 DestinationFAY 2021-2022

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