DestinationFAY

'A whole gamut of opportunities' The city continues to make progress on projects funded by the 2016 parks and recreation bond package. BY BEN SESSOMS Roman Stophel watches his dad, Nathan Stophel, try his luck reeling in a ca aish and bluegill on the Cape Fear River. Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits W ith the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the rearview mirror, there are various opportunities for parks and recreation activities for Fayetteville and Cumberland County residents. "We're seeing a resurgence of interest in all sorts of parks and recreation activities, be it sports or summer camps and senior programs and cooking classes," said Fayetteville Assistant City Manager Adam Lindsay. "ere's a whole gamut of opportunities." One is the new Bill Crisp Senior Center in west Fayetteville. Lindsay said the center houses many programs such as cooking and exercise classes as well as a pool and a lake. "at's a really important feature for the residents on the western side of the city and county," Lindsay said. "It's a beautiful setting." e Bill Crisp Senior Center is among several projects funded through the $35 million parks and recreation bond package passed by voters in 2016. Other uncompleted projects include Senior Center East, a sports complex in partnership with Fort Liberty, a tennis center and extending the Cape Fear River Trail, among others. e projects have various estimated dates of completion going into 2024 and beyond. Lindsay emphasized that the completion times are estimated because of inflation in recent years. "We are dealing with unprecedented supply-chain issues, shortage of labor," Lindsay said. "Nobody could have imagined the value of money and how it has changed." e city also offers various outdoor activities through its parks, pools and system of trails lining the Cape Fear River. Lindsay said it's a part of the city's military identity. "We just are excited to see Fayetteville continue to provide amenities that I think match our community with a big military population, known to be active once in a while," Lindsay said tongue- in-cheek. "at's a big thing for us. We want to make sure that we're meeting the demands of who we are." Oh, and there are splash pads and plenty of them — 14, to be exact. "I like to say, and I'm going to say it because nobody can call me on it yet," Lindsay said, "we are the splash pad capital of the world." Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation can be reached at 910-433- 1547 or fcpr.us. e Hope Mills Parks and Recreation Department can be reached at 910-426- 4109 or townoopemills.com/177/ Parks-Recreation. e Spring Lake Parks and Recreation Department can be reached at 910-436- 0011 or go to townofspringlake.com and click on "Department Services." 26 DestinationFAY 2023-2024

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