Cumberland County Schools is mourning the passing of C. Fletcher Womble Jr., the former Fayetteville City Schools superintendent who played a pivotal role in the 1985 merger of the city and county school systems.
"His tireless efforts to enhance educational opportunities and community engagement have profoundly shaped Cumberland County Schools,” Superintendent Marvin Connelly Jr. said in a news release. “His legacy is a beacon of exemplary service and heartfelt dedication that continues to inspire us all.”
And former County Schools superintendent Bill Harrison is sharing in the loss. “Dr. Womble was the definition of a gentleman,” Harrison said. “I was blessed to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from him. He took a chance on a young kid back in 1983 and appointed me principal of Terry Sanford High School. He was a great model and played a major role in any success I may have had.”
C. Fletcher Womble died at age 94 on April 18. A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. on June 7 at the Glenaire Retirement Community Auditorium in Cary.
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“We were freshmen after attending Long Hill Elementary School,” the Rev. Bill Altman said Monday at the funeral of the late John Daskal held at Flat Branch Covenant Presbyterian Church in Bunnlevel. “I sort of gravitated to Coach Daskal and Coach Jim Farthing (at Pine Forest High School). They were role models. They wanted to help struggling students. It was a community of people who loved and cared for one another,” Altman said about the early 1960s, and how times have changed. And the good preacher is right about how times have changed.
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“My daddy sold fun,” Donna Clayton Lloyd told those who gathered on April 25 for the Greater Fayetteville Chamber’s Business After Hours at the Putt-Putt Fun Center in Hope Mills in celebration of the 70th anniversary of June 21, 1954. That year the late Don Clayton founded the Putt-Putt Golf Courses of America franchise at the apex of Bragg Boulevard and Fort Bragg Road under the pecan trees.
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Joshua Dawson of Ashley Elementary School is the 2023-24 Teacher Assistant of the Year for Cumberland County Schools. “Mr. Dawson demonstrates a commitment to ongoing professional development, staying informed about current educational practices and seeking growth opportunities," Sherrill W. Haley, the school principal, said in a news release. "He is a true asset to his school.”
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Jenni Clark is the media coordinator at Ben Martin Elementary School, and Clark outdid herself this week filling the school cafeteria for the Free Book Fair that included more than 4,000 new and gently used books she collected from businesses, friends, family and school personnel. “The Free Book Fair was a complete surprise to my students,” Clark said. “I had three community partners in Fayetteville: Ben Stout Construction, Jumpin' Java Coffee Shop and Miller's Brew Coffee Shop. We collected 4,190 books. Every student at Ben Martin was able to choose five free books to take home and keep forever.”
The cafeteria on Wednesday during the sale could have passed for the public library.
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A downtown parking lot between Winslow and Russell streets will be expanding from 34 to 86 spaces, according to a city news release. Construction for the $575,000 project is anticipated for completion in October. Can’t ever have enough parking areas downtown.
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Frank Simpson was the kind of employee every city or county should be fortunate enough to have on staff. He was a no-nonsense fellow who retired after 41 years, beginning as a firefighter and spending from 1986 until May of 2008 as superintendent of the city Inspections Department. “I thoroughly enjoy working with the employees,” he said when retiring. “I am going to miss them the most. The inspections department is on good track and it will stay that way. I have enjoyed my career here and all the roles I have had. I found it to be challenging.”
A 1965 Seventy-First High School graduate, every city should have someone like a Frank Simpson. Frank George Simpson was 77 when he died Wednesday. A Celebration of Life is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at the Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home chapel.
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A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 11 a.m. today at the $9.2 million Senior Center East at 917 Washington Drive, a city news release said. It opens on May 6 for those 55 and older. The center includes a warm water pool, a fitness and exercise room, two racquetball courts, a multi-purpose room, a library, indoor and outdoor lounge areas, locker rooms, a billiards room, a card room and a kitchen.
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A final reminder the 40th Annual Springfest at Westminster Presbyterian Church is scheduled from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday at the church at 2505 Village Drive. Bring your shopping bags and carts. Folks say there are bargains galore.
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The annual Days of Caring are scheduled May 9-11 throughout the community. “We're excited to see the community come together once again for Days of Caring,” Crystal Moore Williams, community impact director for United Way of Cumberland County, said in a news release. “This event not only allows us to address pressing needs in our community but also fosters a sense of unity and camaraderie among volunteers.”
Volunteers will have an opportunity to participate in a number of community projects from assisting the American Red Cross with preparedness training to organizing food drives or assisting the elderly with yard work. A highlight is National Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive scheduled for May 11, where you may help unload food donations for Second Harvest Food Bank. For more information, visit https://www.unitedway-cc.org/.
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Coming Sunday: A Gold Star Memorial for Freedom Memorial Park
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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