Jessie Bellflowers is a humble Hope Mills mayor-elect. “I am so thankful for everyone who voted on Tuesday,” said Bellflowers, 67, who upset Jackie Warner, a six-term mayor, with 52.57% of unofficial votes cast to Warner’s 46.87%. “Voters shared so many conversations with me from those who support me and from those who support Mayor Jackie Warner. These conversations continue into today, and I value all of them regardless of who they voted for.” Bellflowers will take his oath as mayor at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at Hope Mills Town Hall.
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There’s a lot of rhetoric about “mayor for life” in political circles. If you’re looking for a “mayor for life,” look nowhere beyond Eastover, where Mayor Charles McLaurin presides. “I am blessed,” said McLaurin, 79, the only mayor the town has known since it was incorporated in 2007. McLaurin earned his eighth mayoral term Tuesday with 159 unofficial votes, or 98.76% of the total, to two write-ins, or 1.24%. “I’ve got a lot of kinfolks out here.”
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A crestfallen Efrain “Freddie” de la Cruz is perplexed at the low turnout of registered city voters who failed to cast a vote in the Fayetteville mayoral race between himself and Mitch Colvin. The 61-year-old retired Army lieutenant colonel said he gave his all to give city residents an opportunity to change the direction of the city under Colvin, and with hopes of ending gun violence and the wave of city homicides. De la Cruz, who has made two runs at mayor, said he has neglected his businesses and employees in the past two and a half years and likely will not pursue the mayor’s office again. Despite coming up short by an unofficial 5,380 votes, Efrain “Freddie” de la Cruz is being too hard on himself. Other than Fayetteville City Council District 5 winner Lynne Bissette Greene, few candidates have worked harder or cared as much about this city than Efrain “Freddie” de la Cruz.
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Lynne Bissette Greene, the Fayetteville City councilwoman-elect for District 5, said the council’s vote to appoint former Councilman Chris Davis to the Fayetteville Public Works Commission board is what prompted her decision to run for the District 5 seat of Johnny Dawkins. “It was not about him voting for Davis but rather him voting against Josef Hallatschek, who was the most experienced,” said Greene, 61, who defeated Dawkins by an unofficial 59.96% to 39.69% in Tuesday’s general election. “As a former (PWC) commissioner, I understand the huge learning curve involved regarding the power industry. In my opinion, a former council member cannot serve in an unbiased manner on a commission, which was designed to be independent and autonomous.” Voting for Davis over Hallatschek in February was Mayor Mitch Colvin and council members Shakeyla Ingram, D.J. Haire, Derrick Thompson, Courtney Banks-McLaughlin and Dawkins. Hallatschek indeed brought far more utility experience, and Greene, a former PWC board member, could not have been more right then and just as right now.
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When Fayetteville City Councilman-elect Malik Davis is sworn in as the District 2 representative at 6 p.m. on Dec. 6, Davis says Cumberland County Chief District Court Judge Toni S. King will do the honors. “My former boss,” Davis, 28, says. The council inauguration is scheduled for Seabrook Auditorium at Fayetteville State University.
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“The turnout was a lot better than the 8.5% in the city of Fayetteville primary, but still a dismal turnout, especially with all nine municipalities having their local elections,” said George Breece, the local politico who knows politics and elections like no one else in this community. “The 2024 election filings begin Dec. 4 and end on the 15th. The 2024 primary is March 5, just around the corner.” A mere 13.30%, or 20,229 out of 152,096 registered residents countywide voted, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
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Forget all of these municipal elections. The most curious election Tuesday was held at Alma Easom Elementary School on Westlawn Avenue, where some 280 kindergarten and first-grade students cast ballots for the best cookie: the Oreo or chocolate chip. “It was the Oreo,” said Kasey Weaver, the school principal, who says the idea was to give students an early idea of the voting process. And the students’ choice? “It was the Oreo, and we were all in shock,” Weaver said. “We just knew the chocolate chip was going to win. But we had a good time doing the election.” What a grand idea. And what a grand little school in the heart of Haymount.
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Retired Col. Willie F. Wright will be the keynote speaker at Blue Star Memorial Veterans Day ceremony scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Freedom Memorial Park, according to a news release from Don Talbot, curator of the park. In the event of rain, the ceremony will take place at the N.C. Veterans Park
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A “Stop the Bleeding: Your Life: Easy Choices/Hard Consequences” workshop is scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday at Smith Recreation Center for discussion about gun violence and prevention. “Not a weekend goes by that we don’t have multiple gunshot victims coming through our emergency department,” Dr. Michael Zappa, chief clinical officer at participating Cape Fear Valley Health, said in a news release from the Fayetteville Police Department. “So, we really want to be part of this solution.” The workshop aims to show youths and their families the consequences of gun violence, from the moment police arrive on scene to a shooting incident, to the process the medical professionals see and experience. “Our goal is to bring reality to the children that we want to empower you to be able to handle situations with more than just the quick and easy choice to pick up a gun,” said Sgt. Alpha Caldwell with the Community Affairs Unit of the Police Department. The workshop is part of a federal Youth Empowerment and Safety grant awarded to the Police Department in partnership with Cape Fear Valley Health and the Group Theory organization.
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Amy Navejas is leaving United Way of Cumberland County as its executive director to fill the same position for the North Carolina Down's Syndrome Alliance in Raleigh. "I am thrilled to join the North Carolina Down's Syndrome Alliance in supporting families and individuals in our community,” Navejas said in a news release. “As a mother of three, I am a strong advocate of seeing all children reach their full potential and celebrating their unique talents and traits. Together, we can continue to educate our community and improve inclusion and support.” A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Navejas joins the North Carolina Down's Syndrome Alliance as executive director on Monday.
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Just four performances of “The Addams Family: A Musical Comedy” remain at Cape Fear Regional Theatre. Under the direction of Mary Kate Burke, artistic director of the theater, the remaining performances are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. In store for audiences: an incredibly talented cast, incredible music and a theater that is an incredible community treasure.
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Cumberland County Chief Resident Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons celebrated his 35th year on the bench Tuesday, sharing the day with his staff, wife, son and maintenance and custodial staff who daily take care of the Cumberland County Courthouse. “We expect this building to be ready for us” each day, “and you do that for us,” Ammons told the maintenance and custodial staff that numbered about 20 employees. “I want this to be about you,” Ammons said before treating the workers to a lunch of barbecue, chicken, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and cornbread. “I first walked up these steps on March 1, 1982,” Ammons said of his days first as a District Court judge for what has been almost 42 years, including his 35 years as a Superior Court judge.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
