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: https://www.epageflip.net/i/173316
CITY LIFE point about how wonderful and progressive our city is, they always start the conversation by describing the 500 Block of Hay St. and what Fayetteville was like in the '60s '70s and '80s. Bars, prostitutes, crime etc. Of course, those days are long gone and Downtown Fayetteville has blossomed into a more attractive municipal hub and destination point. Noone can argue that the leadership Fayetteville enjoyed during the rebuilding of our city center was pretty remarkable. The reshaping process resulted from the hard work and the combined efforts and vision of remarkable community, civic and municipal leaders like J.L. Dawkins, Bill Hurley, John Malzone, Martha Duell, M.J. Weeks, John Swope, J.L. Dawkins, John Smith, Bruce Daws and Robin Kelly Legg, just to name a few. These folks jump- started the Downtown Renaissance we enjoy today. We congratulate Downtown Fayetteville on its new image and recognize we've come a long way, baby. However, many close to downtown feel, not as far as it could have gone with continued guidance and leadership. To sustain and enjoy the notable successes of the last decade like the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, the 300 Block of Hay St. and Festival Park we must continue to develop a plan for success for the heart of the community. Worst Change in Fayetteville, Worst Use of Tax Dollars Traffic/Road Construction We understand why our readers may take issue with local traffic. After all, Fort Bragg Road has been like riding through craters on the moon for quite a while; if you could navigate through the orange barrels. North Ramsey Street drivers have had to contend with the inconvenience of miles of concrete medians causing tempers to flare and leaving business owners to suffer the consequences of lost business and revenue. Then you have the poor residents of Glensford Avenue; these poor people have been living for years in this godforsaken muddy mess that many have described as a scene from bombed out Beirut. However, the good news is that combined, these tentative inconveniences will pay big dividends in the future for Fayetteville and Cumberland County residents. Already, traffic is flowing smoothly along Fort Bragg Road, residents of northern Fayetteville are getting acclimated to their u-turns and decorated medians, while local police reports indicate the number of serious traffic accidents and fatalities have been significantly reduced. As for Glensford Drive? Well, we sympathize with the homeowners of that once quiet, stable and established neighborhood. It may now be lost forever as the N.C. Department of Transportation creates the new "Hope Mills Road Extension." And, we all know how attractive that is, right? Thank You for Voting Best Children's Clothing Store "Thanks for voting us Best Place to Commune with Nature!" 536 N. Eastern Blvd. • Fayetteville, NC. • 910.486.0221 • www.capefearbg.org 4 SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2013 Best of Fayetteville