Mary Holmes, president of the Cumberland Community Foundation, always has said this is a giving and generous community. The recent GivingTuesday campaign, according to the foundation's newsletter, received 3,700 donations during its 10-day span, and combined with $560,000 in matching funds, the total distributed to support 79 nonprofits and local charities is $2.5 million. Those matching donors were Will Gillis, Elizabeth “Beth” Keeney, Daphne and Ray Manning, Carol and Sammy Short, the Fayetteville New Car Dealers Association, Healy Wholesale, three anonymous donors and the Unrestricted Community Endowments of the Cumberland Community Foundation. Mary Holmes is so right about the giving and generous ways of the many good people of this community.
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When C. Wayne Collier, chairman of the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors, recognized outgoing board member Clifton McNeill Jr. on Dec. 14 for McNeill’s long service on the board, the honor could not have been more fitting. McNeill is a second-generation farmer out of Gray’s Creek, where he followed in his late father’s footsteps growing tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage and those famous strawberries. How proud Clifton McNeill Sr. would be of his son, who never lost his passion, as Collier says, for promoting soil, clean water and protecting and preserving the farmlands. And never let it be forgotten that Clifton McNeill Jr. was the leader of that unbelievable Gray’s Creek High School basketball team that won the Cumberland County tournament championship.
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“Now, more than ever, we need leaders solely focused on strengthening our community, not dividing it, and ensuring that everyone has opportunities for a better life,” former state Sen. Kirk deViere, 53, says in a statement declaring his bid for one of two Cumberland County Board of Commissioners seats in Dist. 2 in the March primary. “I have always believed in deeds, not words, and I hope my consistent actions over my time as both a city councilman and state senator have proven that I am the leader who will continue to put the people of this community first over the political games we many times see play out. I will deliver results, not promises.”
You can be assured deViere will deliver on any promise. And it was deViere, as a state senator, who joined with the Cumberland County legislative delegation of Rep. Billy Richardson, Rep. John Szoka, Rep. Marvin Lucas, Rep. Diane Wheatley and Sen. Ben Clark to bring more than $400 million back to this county from the $25.9 billion state budget signed by Gov. Roy Cooper in 2022.
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City police responded to a shooting Tuesday to learn that a 5-month old female at a home of the 2200 block of Nicky Avenue was suffering from a gunshot wound and on Wednesday afternoon along the 3400 block of Rose Hill Road to find two women suffering from gunshot wounds. The infant, according to the Fayetteville Police Department, as well as one of the women, have died as a result of their wounds. The woman, by my count, is the 47th homicide victim in the city for 2023. Should murder charges be filed in the case of the infant, you can do the math.
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“Thank you, Mr. Kirby, for such a wonderful article,” Alex Spearman writes about our Dec. 19 column of her mother, Betsy Abbott, receiving The Order of the Long Leaf Pine before Abbott retires as director of the National League of Junior Cotillions Cumberland Chapter. “What a continuous smile it has brought to my mom.”
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Our City View Today Executive Editor Bill Horner III mentioned in our Wednesday newsletter about Buc-ee’s, the “Walmart-sized” convenience businesses he has seen in Texas, as well as the one down by Florence, S.C., and he also mentioned the “spotless restrooms.” No question about Horner’s take. My stop at Buc-ee’s just outside of Florence was similar — like being in an oversized Walmart where the restrooms are pristine. If you find yourself at a Buc-ee’s, so help me, you’ll say the same about those restrooms.
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Some of our City View subscribers and readers have been asking if I’ll be publishing a compilation of those from the community who have passed on in 2023. Indeed, we will. It’s a lot of work, but we always should remember those in this community who walked among us and made a difference in our lives and the community.
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Always leave it to Mary Catherine Burke and the creative folks at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre to come up with outstanding plays, musicals and special events on Haymount Hill, and you can add to “The Last Midnight” to the theatre creativity. “The Last Midnight” is scheduled from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on the night of Dec. 31, replete with hors d’oeuvres and dancing to live entertainment by Another Level, to ring in 2024. It’s the last midnight at the theatre before a capital campaign enhances and remodels the theater in 2024. Visit CFRT.org or call (910) 323-4233 for tickets to the black-tie evening.
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Friday is your last chance to visit Holiday Lights in the Garden, a tour of thousands of Christmas lights at Cape Fear Botanical Garden located at 536 N. Eastern Blvd. You’ll have an opportunity to visit the gift shop for ornaments or you can make your own. You can visit with Santa and have your photo taken with the jolly St. Nick, too. And there will be food trucks. Shows are scheduled for 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Call (910) 486-0221 for ticket information.
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OK, fellows, if you have procrastinated on your Christmas shopping, you better snap to it. Christmas almost is here.
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When you hide a Christmas present for someone for safekeeping, it might be a good idea, Bill, to remember where you hid the gift.
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Bryan Lake always goes all out for Christmas with his holiday light and sound front yard at his VanStory Hills home down in the cul-de-sac, and this year is bigger and better than ever, including the nativity scene that overlooks Mirror Lake. Suffice it to say, Bryan Lake loves Christmas. And suffice it to say, so does our hometown utility love Bryan Lake.
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Old St. Nick has been in town for about a month and giving a listen to your Christmas wish list, and now he’s preparing for his annual midnight ride. He dropped me an email this week to say that Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph are itching at the bit. St. Nick says he’ll be leaving Fayetteville late Sunday for a stop at the elves’ workshop at the North Pole, a kiss for Mrs. Santa and then Santa says he’ll be on his way. “Tell all my young friends to get to bed early,” Santa says. “We’re heading your way, and Fayetteville and Cumberland County will be among our first stops.” Never stop believing in Santa Claus.
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Gotta run. There’s some Christmas shopping still to do. From those of us in the workshop at our City View offices along Breezewood Avenue, a Merry Christmas and safe, healthy and Happy New Year from the oldest elf of us all. God bless.
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Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
