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/238202
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. by JOSE GREEN In Fayetteville, Two events will take place in honor of is encouraging kids to stay in school, stop bullying and find Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 20: The 21st alternatives to violence. If a person is thinking about their Annual Prayer Breakfast and the 2014 MLK Challenge Day future, wanting to become somebody and leaving their mark on of Service. This year's prayer breakfast is hosted by The society, when violence comes their way, they're going to stray New Life Bible Church and as in years past, is slated at the away from it, and so we need to give these kids something to Crown Exposition Center. The Honorable Judge, Ed Pone look forward to." (Fayetteville-Cumberland County) is the keynote speaker. The 2014 MLK Challenge Day of service is a day in which "Every year, the night before the actual prayer breakfast, the faculty, staff and students of Fayetteville State University, the churches of the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Methodist University and Fayetteville Technical Community Ministerial Council get together in a local church and have College invite the residents of Fayetteville and Cumberland a worship service to worship the Lord," said Dr. Allen County to come out and help serve the community in McLauchlin, pastor of The New Life Bible Church. "Last celebration and honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by making year, it was held at Northwood Temple. This year, it is at this annual day of service "a day on, not a day off." Initiated The New Life Bible Church Center." by Congress in 1994, it is a nationwide effort to transform McLauchlin said that a good turn out includes anywhere The community is set to honor Dr. Martin the federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. into Luther King Jr. with a breakfast and day of a day of community service and continued elaboration on his between 800 to 1,000 people. service. "The prayer breakfast itself is to highlight Martin Luther teachings that help solve problems. An adult must accompany King Jr.'s birthday," said McLauchlin. "It is open to the anyone under the age of 18. community whether they are people of many different faiths or people of no Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the opening ceremony commences at 9:15 faith." a.m. The event takes place at Fayetteville State University's Lilly Gymnasium. Local and national recording artists, Pastor Rodney Raines and Emmanuel, For pre-registration, visit www.2014MLKDay.Eventbrite.com. Everyone is will provide entertainment at the event. encouraged to bring nonperishable foods for the Second Harvest Food Bank. "We do this in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because he's an icon," said The 21st Annual Prayer Breakfast is sponsored by The Fayetteville/Cumberland McLauchlin. "He sacrificed his life and he represents a struggle. You normally County Ministerial Council, Inc.. The prayer breakfast will last from 7:30 to 10 a.m. tend to pick out people who are trailblazers, and he definitely was that. He left a with a donation of $18 or $20 at the door. trail for us to follow and blazed a trail for us to get through. He was a visionary For more information, contact Reverend Mary Owens: 910-670who believed that all people are created equal and his message is timeless." 5662, Dr. Maxie Dobson: 910-624-7785, or Dr. Allen McLauchlin: Immediately following the breakfast, the public is invited to attend a citywide 910-818-1228 or visit the website at www.ministerscouncil.net. conversation on working together for Fayetteville's success. JOSE´GREEN, Intern, COM"After the breakfast, we will have a public-policy forum where we will sit MENTS? Editor@upandcomindown and speak to teenagers with the hope of inspiring them to do something gweekly.com. for the public," said McLauchlin. "One of the greatest needs, among other things, Outgoing County Commish: We've Come a Long Way, Baby! by STEPHANIE CRIDER While politics is definitely not for everyone, when concerned to move forward with a smooth transition. All indications are citizens step up and invest in making the community better, it is to that the level of service, promotion and the events at the Crown the benefit of the community. For outgoing Cumberland County Coliseum are enhanced by the move. Commissioner Chairman of the Board Jimmy Keefe, serving The Detention Center is near completion and should be open in the next 30 days. Each level of government has a responsibility to comes naturally. "For years I was on the city council. There was a lot happening make a commitment to solving the crime issue in the community. on Ramsey Street (where I grew up) at the time and I wanted to The current detention center is not adequate and constantly help be a part of the planning that went on," said Keefe. "I found over capacity. The board of commissioners made a financial that public service is a good fit for me. A natural progression after commitment to build the expanded detention center to help make the city was to move to county level. It is a good board to work the community a safer place. Last year, the county suffered greatly from the financial storm of with; we were able to come together and work as a group to get positive changes going. It was a good, busy year." sequestration and the shutdown of federal government programs Keefe listed some of the highlights of the past year including on which so many county citizens rely. Early preparation for this Outgoing Cumberland County Chairthe Mental Health merger with The Alliance Health Care of crisis, enabled the county to continue services to clients without man of the Board of Commissioners Durham. The state legislature directed counties to become a any delay during the shutdown. Jimmy Keefe. part of a Managed Care Organization instead of at individual The board of commissioners and all nine of the municipalities county levels. After much research and negotiation, Cumberland were able to agree on a sales-tax distribution formula for the next County merged with Alliance Health Care along with Wake, Durham and Johnston 10 years; allowing the county and each of the municipalities to plan long-term. counties. This is one of the largest and most professionally run MCOs in the The county opened the new Veterans Services Office, which gives veterans a state. Since the merger, Cumberland County has received a higher level of service, place to get services with ample parking and more accessibility for disabled vets. oversight and savings. Cumberland County Commissioner Kenneth Edge serves as Hiring new County Finance Officer, Melissa Cardinali, and a new assistant a member on The Alliance board. County Manager, Quinton McPhatter, added stability to the management staff. In conjunction with the merger, the board of commissioners instituted a first For the first time in its history, the county now has a countywide animal Crisis Intervention Team drop-off center. This allows specially trained law control ordinance that applies to the municipalities and the unincorporated areas. enforcement and EMS personnel to deliver non-violent mental-health patients to According to Keefe, the Animal Control Office and its leadership have done an incredible job at increasing the adoption rate and reducing euthanasia of animals in this center for treatment instead of the previous alternative of the detention center Cumberland County. or the emergency room. Not only will this save money, it gets these citizens the assistance they require. Most importantly,while many N.C. counties reduced their The Crown Coliseum Board and the commissioners took a bold step in initiating funding to the local schools systems, a shift to a private-management company to manage the operations and promotion Cumberland County was able to fund STEPHANIE CRIDER, Editor COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly. of The Crown Coliseum. For many years, the Crown Coliseum's expenses were the school system at its previous com. exceeding its income. The board of commissioners worked with the Crown Board budget without any loss in revenue. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM JANUARY 8-14, 2014 UCW 9