Images Fayetteville, NC: 2007-08

2007-08 | IMAGESFAYETTEVILLE.COM | VIDEO TOUR ONLINE TM

OF FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

STRONG ON DEFENSE Security companies provide economic muscle

THE FRENCH CONNECTION Celebration links itself to Revolutionary War hero

Now That’s Entertainment Festival space, engaging venues stir renewed excitement downtown

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2007-08 EDITION | VOLUME 8 TM

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OF FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

CO NTE NT S F E AT U R E S 10

NOW THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT Residents are watching with excitement as the city brings in new festival spaces and entertainment venues.

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URBAN UPSWING The revitalization of downtown is creating demand for lofts and other urban living options.

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WELCOME TO BOOMTOWN Fayetteville was recently rated 70th on Inc. magazine’s list of the country’s busiest boomtowns.

FAYETTEVILLE BUSINESS 22 Strong On Defense More and more defense contractors are opening offices near Fort Bragg.

24 Biz Briefs 26 Chamber Report

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QUANTITY AND QUALITY

27 Economic Profile

Big changes are in the works for Cape Fear Valley Health System.

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THE FRENCH CONNECTION A French aristocrat who fought on behalf of American independence will be remembered during a 250th birthday celebration.

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MUSIC FOR THE MASSES The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra believes in ringing in a diverse repertoire.

D E PA R TM E NT S 8 Almanac: a colorful sampling of Fayetteville’s culture

29 Education 31 Health & Wellness 37 Community Profile: facts, stats and important numbers to know

35 SPORTS FANS WIN BY THREE Fayetteville has long been a hotbed for sports and recreation, both for fans and participating athletes.

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ON THE COVER Photo by Ian Curcio A statue of Marquis de Lafayette

I M AG E S FAY E T T E V I L L E . C O M

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ACTION! ADVENTURE! “IT KEPT ME ON THE EDGE OF MY LAPTOP!”

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OF FAYETTEVILLE SENIOR EDITOR RENEE ELDER COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES, SUSAN CHAPPELL, KIM MADLOM, ANITA WADHWANI ASSISTANT EDITOR REBECCA DENTON STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN, JESSICA MOZO DIRECTORIES EDITORS AMANDA KING, KRISTY WISE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS CRISTAL CODY, WARREN DENNEY, PAM GEORGE, BRIDGET HUCKABEE, DAN MARKHAM, VALERIE PASCOE, CINDY SANDERS, PAM SHERBORNE ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER TODD POTTER EXECUTIVE AD PROJECT MANAGER PHILIP JORDAN, SALES/MARKETING COORDINATOR SARA SARTIN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS WES ALDRIDGE, ANTONY BOSHIER, MICHAEL W. BUNCH, IAN CURCIO, BRIAN M CCORD PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT JESSY YANCEY

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR SHAWN DANIEL PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS ASST. PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN PRE-PRESS COORDINATOR HAZEL RISNER SENIOR PRODUCTION PROJECT MGR. TADARA SMITH SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER, BRITTANY SCHLEICHER, KRIS SEXTON, VIKKI WILLIAMS LEAD DESIGNER LINDA MOREIRAS GRAPHIC DESIGN JESSICA BRAGONIER, CANDICE HULSEY, DEREK MURRAY, AMY NELSON WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP WEB PRODUCTION JILL TOWNSEND DIGITAL ASSET MANAGER ALISON HUNTER COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN CORY MITCHELL AD TRAFFIC COORDINATOR JILL WYATT AD TRAFFIC SARAH MILLER, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN SR. V.P./PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART EXECUTIVE EDITOR TEREE CARUTHERS MANAGING EDITOR/BUSINESS MAURICE FLIESS PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA M CFARLAND, LISA OWENS, JACKIE YATES RECRUITING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH IT SYSTEMS DIRECTOR MATT LOCKE IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR NICOLE WILLIAMS CLIENT & SALES SERVICES MANAGER/ CUSTOM MAGAZINES PATTI CORNELIUS

MOVING PICTURES Take a video tour of Fayetteville at imagesfayetteville.com.

GET SMART ABOUT LOCAL SCHOOLS Find listings and links to schools, colleges and universities.

SEE HOW THE GARDENS GROW Get the dirt on growing seasons, soils and common challenges.

WHAT DO THE LOCALS EAT? Discover what makes cuisine in this region so deliciously different.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME Images of Fayetteville is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Cumberland County Business Council and its member businesses. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Cumberland County Business Council 201 Hay St. • Fayetteville, N.C. 28302 P: (910) 483-8133 • F: (910) 483-0263 www.ccbusinesscouncil.org VISIT IMAGES OF FAYETTEVILLE ONLINE AT IMAGESFAYETTEVILLE.COM ©Copyright 2007 Journal Communications Inc., 361 Mallory Station Road, Ste. 102, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved.

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A B O U T TH I S M AGA Z I N E Images of Fayetteville is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is sponsored by the Cumberland County Business Council. In print and online, Images gives readers a taste of what makes Fayetteville tick – from business and education to sports, health care and the arts.

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I M AG E S FAY E T T E V I L L E . C O M

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Several Spokes Persons On your mark, get set, go pedal.

Fayetteville is quickly becoming a destination for bike riding, with several two-wheel events scheduled each year. Perhaps the highest-profile event is a competitive bike race called the North Carolina Criterium Championship, which takes place each Memorial Day weekend along Hay Street.

Meanwhile, Bicycling Magazine has selected Fayetteville/Fort Bragg as one of six locations selected for its 2007 Bike Town program. In addition, USAToday. com has named Fayetteville as one of the top 10 places in the country to take kids on a bike ride.

Salute to Patriotism It was three years ago when Fayetteville officials decided to enhance their city’s image by coming up with a branding slogan. The result: “History, Heroes and a Hometown Feeling.”

“We went with a patriotism/love-ofAmerica theme because Fayetteville has been historically involved with defending our freedom, from the pre-Revolutionary War days to today’s men and women in the Middle East,” says John Meroski, executive director of the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “In addition, the U.S. Constitution was signed in Fayetteville, which means that our city was where the ideas for freedom of expression, freedom of religion and other freedoms first started.”

Raise Your Glass Go ahead and wine all you want at Lu Mil Vineyard in Dublin.

The winery that got its name from founders Lucille and Miller Taylor grows muscadine grapes for its varieties of muscadine, blackberry and blueberry wines. Visitors can also enjoy pond fishing, farm tours and an antique museum.

In October 2006, the business moved into a new 8,000-square-foot facility that houses a tasting room, gift shop and banquet/event hall that can accommodate 550 people. An outdoor deck also provides a relaxing spot to sip wine and relax.

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Almanac

Fast Facts Fido Feels Fabulous Has your dog run out of carob cookie snack treats? It might be time to go on a restocking trip to The Downtown Pup Pet Boutique and Barkery.

The unusual store on Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville offers a variety of gourmet treats and party bones, along with plenty of pooch fashion and accessory items. Those items include everything from personalized doggie food bowls to an assortment of spa grooming kits.

The Weather on WNUZ Everything is kid-sized at Fascinate-U Children’s Museum.

The facility on Green Street has several hands-on exhibits, and children are encouraged to touch and play with everything. Kids can shop at a Gro-Right Grocery & Deli, respond to calls at the 911 Emergency Dispatch Center, and give the weather report at television station WNUZ. Art classes also are available, including Make It, Take It sessions on Saturdays. The museum’s motto is: I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.

Fayetteville | At A Glance POPULATION (2005 ESTIMATE) Fayetteville: 174,364 Cumberland County: 299,060

Fayetteville

Q Cumberland County is home to Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base, with a combined total of more than 50,000 military personnel.

Q Cumberland County is in the geographic area known as the Sandhills, where beach dunes existed 20 million years ago.

Q Fayetteville’s diverse population includes residents representing 29 ethnicities.

Q The Cape Fear River that runs through Fayetteville was named for the rugged shoals that challenge sailors as the river enters the Atlantic.

Q Babe Ruth slugged his first home run as a professional baseball player in Fayetteville.

LOCATION Fayetteville is in south-central North Carolina, 110 miles east of Charlotte and 65 miles south of Raleigh.

BEGINNINGS Many cities have been named for Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette, but Fayetteville became the first in 1783.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Cumberland County Business Council 201 Hay St. 4th Floor, Box 9 Fayetteville, NC 28302 (910) 484-4242 Fax: (910) 483-0263 www.ccbusinesscouncil.org

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Linden Falcon

401 210

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CUMBERLAND SEE MORE ONLINE | For more Fast Facts about Fayetteville, visit imagesfayetteville.com.

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Now That’s

ENTERTAINMENT FESTIVAL SPACE AND ENTERTAINMENT VENUES STIR EXCITEMENT DOWNTOWN

STORY BY PAM SHERBORNE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

R

esidents of Fayetteville are watching with growing excitement as the city reinvents its downtown core.

Out of a plan formulated eight years ago has come a renaissance, and it is happening now.

On April 27, 2007, the city celebrated the annual Dogwood Festival in downtown’s new Festival Park. Although it is just one of three major components – as well as many smaller projects aimed at luring residents downtown – the new $11 million, 14-acre park is perhaps the most important piece of the picture.

The park adds green space where once there was a gas manufacturing company. It beckons audiences with

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entertainment on a 2,700-square-foot stage in an amphitheater setting.

Visitors are welcomed with patios and seating areas scattered throughout the park. Walkways are being installed to connect the park and all of downtown to outlying areas.

A second major component, Festival Park Plaza, is going in adjacent to the park. The $12 million project combines retail and office space in a 45,000square-foot area. The bottom floor of each building is designed to accommodate shops and restaurants, while the two top floors are geared toward office space.

The third major component, the $7.8 million Capitol project, involves

renovating a piece of Fayetteville’s history: the Capitol Department Store building, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Set to be completed in winter 2007, the Capitol will lure folks back downtown after 5 p.m., when traditionally they shutter their offices and leave as the sun goes down. The project’s anchor is a 32,000square-foot entertainment center called Docks, equipped with virtual games, simulators, a bowling alley and eateries.

“It is all about bringing people back to the city,” says Craig Hampton, Festival Park director.

So far, indications are that the plan is working.

“This year’s Dogwood Festival was, FAY E T T E V I L L E

hands down, the biggest and best event we have ever had,” says Carrie King, Dogwood Festival director. “It was very well received. I think just having this wide-open space really helped.”

The 2007 festival marked the 25th anniversary of the Dogwood celebration.

Traditionally, city streets are closed to allow festival-goers to gather downtown.

The festival drew nearly 140,000 people in its three-day, 2007 run. That’s some 20,000 more than in previous years.

For the concerts, patrons could sit in grassy areas instead of on the street. The kids’ area was located next to a carnival, exactly where it should be.

Bringing restaurants and office space downtown, adjacent to the park in the Festival Park Plaza, will enliven Festival Park and the entire downtown business district. The Capitol project will do its job, as well, King predicts.

Melvin Henderson, developer of the Capitol project and owner of its largest tenant, Docks, says already ESPN Talk Radio has leased space in the building for a company headquarters. The space will be on street level with large windows so passers-by can pause and watch the action. Shops are going in along the street leading to Docks, described by Henderson as “a full-scale family entertainment center.

“We will also have a banquet area that will seat between 175 and 200 people and will have separate smaller party rooms,” he adds.

While all this excitement is happening around Festival Park, other areas of the downtown district are not being overlooked, says Marshall Isler, executive vice president for Downtown Development at the Cumberland County Business Council.

A condominium project not far from the Capitol project will provide about 40 new living spaces.

“People are restoring smaller shops, with lofts on upper floors,” Isler says.

“We opened a transportation museum downtown last year. And, our walkways and bike trails are coming along.”

Indeed, downtown Fayetteville is looking up.

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Artist Mike Roig created a steel sculpture titled Portal in Festival Park.

Left: Cameo is a popular movie theater on Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville.

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Urban

Upswing THE RHYTHM OF CITY LIFE APPEALS TO HOMEBUYERS

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Kirk deViere’s loft apartment evokes a modern, upscale atmosphere. Right: Kirk deViere’s loft apartment overlooks Hay Street in downtown Fayetteville. Left: Haymount Historic District residents can walk to downtown.

STORY BY CRISTAL CODY PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

T

he revitalization of downtown Fayetteville, with new public spaces and historic building renovations, is creating an unprecedented demand for lofts and other urban living options.

The trend is helping fuel one of the hottest housing markets the region has seen, with countywide home vacancy rates at less than 2 percent.

“Fayetteville’s image has changed tremendously with the downtown revitalization,” says Mitchell Graham, an agent with Townsend Real Estate and a director of the Fayetteville Association of Realtors.

The upswing in renovation projects and public investments, such as the new Festival Park, has created an appealing neighborhood atmosphere with plenty of entertainment and shopping nearby. When living spaces downtown become available, they don’t stay on the market long.

“We actually need more existing home listings than we have on the market,” Graham says. “There’s a lot of new construction on the market, but it’s out in the county. There’s less in the city, and we need more.”

In June 2007, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine named Fayetteville as the second-best city in the country for young professionals, and affordability was cited as one of the crucial factors in making up the list. The average price for an existing home in Cumberland County was slightly more than $110,000 in 2006, Graham says.

“Home prices are much higher around the country,” he adds. “The cost of living is just less here.”

In fact, recent statistics show that Cumberland County home prices are nearly 20 percent below the national average, the Cumberland County Business Council reports. Yet the market remains strong.

“We don’t see any bubbles in Cumberland County and the Fayetteville area, probably because of Fort Bragg,” Graham says.

The massive military base helps stimulate the economy

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and spurs real estate transactions with its highly mobile workforce. Some 25,000 new residents will be added to the regional population of more than 550,000 when Forces Command at Fort McPherson, Ga., relocates personnel to Fort Bragg over the next four years.

“As one general put in, [the economic impact] would be like a Wal-Mart home office coming to Cumberland County,” Graham says.

Even with tight market conditions, home shoppers still have a lot to choose from. New downtown lofts are attracting single professionals, while families with children may opt for suburban developments or older neighborhoods near downtown, such as Haymount, where historical architecture mixes with new homes.

Kirk deViere, the former chairman of the Cumberland County Business Council, has lived in downtown Fayetteville since 2001.

“I had lived in downtown Savannah and saw the potential the downtown has, and I wanted to be a part of it in Fayetteville,” deViere says. “What better way to do that than to live there?” Downtown residents are a mix of young professionals, entrepreneurs, military personnel and families, he adds.

To date, about 30 loft living spaces are occupied downtown, and more are on the way.

“Slowly but surely, the footprint of residential living is expanding,” deViere says.

The 300 Block Project on Hay Street and adjacent streets will add about 40 more lofts and townhouses. They are expected to be available for sale in fall 2007. Other plans call for additional renovations to older buildings that would incorporate lofts, apartments and townhomes.

“You add in the arts and culture, places to eat, places to shop and entertainment that’s down there – it becomes a vibrant downtown, and people want to be a part of it and live down there,” deViere says.

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Welcome to

Boomtown INNOVATORS DRIVE A DYNAMIC ECONOMY

STORY BY PAM GEORGE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

A

Scott Dorney helps businesses find military customers.

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business owner in Pennsylvania was frustrated at his inability to secure government contracts.

“Why should I relocate to North Carolina?” he asked Scott Dorney, executive director of the North Carolina Military Business Center.

Dorney’s answer was simple: North Carolina is home to five military bases, including Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base, both in Fayetteville.

And Dorney’s agency is the only center in the country operated for the express purpose of helping businesses obtain military contracts.

Evidently, Dorney’s response was right on target. The Pennsylvania company recently relocated to North Carolina.

“A big part of [the reason for] that was the opportunity to get government contracting and our organization’s ability to help them,” Dorney says.

While the Military Business Center, founded in 2004, gives a boost to existing businesses, the Defense and Security Technology Accelerator helps get new enterprises off the ground. Founded in 2006, the accelerator is a business incubator that helps entrepreneurs develop defense technologies.

Both Fayetteville organizations are fueling growth in the area, which was recently rated 70th on Inc. magazine’s list of the country’s busiest boomtowns – up from 202nd place on previous Inc. lists.

With more than 10,000 jobs added between 2003 and 2006, Fayetteville’s economy is exploding, and these organizations aim to keep it that way.

Both groups had their origin in Greater Fayetteville Futures, a 1999-2000 community strategic planning effort. A goal of that effort was to find ways to leverage the military for economic development, says Bill Martin, president of the FAY E T T E V I L L E

Looks can be deceiving. The North Carolina Military Business Center is housed in this unassuming building.

Cumberland County Business Council.

“You’ve got this huge economic engine here with a payroll equal to that of the Research Triangle Park [between Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill], so let’s take advantage of it and create some jobs,” he says.

When approached for funding for the Military Business Center, the state legislature was so enthusiastic it adopted the center as a statewide initiative. Headquartered at Fayetteville Technical Community College, the center also has a presence on nine other community college campuses.

“The Department of Defense spends about $2.7 billion in North Carolina every year,” Dorney notes. “They can and do buy in a worldwide marketplace. We’re trying to make sure a fair portion comes from businesses in North Carolina.”

Retired or transitioned military personnel own many of the businesses winning military contracts, Dorney says.

Assisting new businesses is the aim of the Defense and Security Technology Accelerator, which mines the resources of the military in North Carolina and the research and innovation coming out of the Research Triangle Park.

“Our mission is to assist entrepreneurs and innovators with developing new businesses and dual uses of technologies in a rapid eight-to-18-month timeline,” says Scott Perry, general manager of the agency, which looks at both military and commercial needs in the areas of defense, security and intelligence.

The Defense and Security Technology Accelerator is in a 15,000-square-foot Class A facility that can accommodate 12 to 15 companies, Perry says. The businesses share certain amenities, such as the kitchen and conference room.

Between November 2006, when the accelerator debuted, and April 2007, the seven companies in residence created FAY E T T E V I L L E

48 jobs and managed more than 20 contracts.

The Defense and Security Technology Accelerator is helping the area realize its dream of attracting and creating technologyrelated businesses, Martin says. The trend is good for Fayetteville’s economy overall; studies show that 80 percent of businesses nurtured in an incubator remain within five miles of the startup site, Martin says.

“We see companies we deal with around the country that are interested in moving here to be close to the NCMBC and DSTA,” Martin says. “It’s a tremendous resource for us.”

Construction jobs add to the area’s rising employment.

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Quantity

&Quality CAPE FEAR VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER EXPANDS TO MEET REGION’S NEEDS STORY BY CINDY SANDERS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

T

o simply say there are big changes under way for Cape Fear Valley Health System might be the understatement of the decade.

Not only is a major construction project at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center adding a new six-story medical tower, emergency department and 500-space parking deck, there are also a new affiliation with the famed Cleveland Clinic and a systemic emphasis on process improvement.

As the region’s population base increases, so does the need for capacity and heightened technology to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction, hospital officials say.

“The amount of patients we’re serving has grown. They are coming from the region … not just Cumberland County,” says Kenneth Edge, chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and a member of the health system’s Board of Trustees. “Through this expansion, we hope we will become even more of a regional referral center for southeast North Carolina.”

In planning stages for more than five years, the tower and parking-deck project represents a $150 million investment and is scheduled to open in October 2008. A second phase is on the books for 2012, says Joyce Korzen, interim CEO for Cape Fear Valley Health System.

A major component of the current project is a new emergency department, designed to update existing facilities that were built to accommodate 36,000 patients per year.

“We’re experiencing close to 100,000 now,” Korzen adds.

The new Valley Pavilion Tower will increase the number of emergency beds from 57 to 76 and divides services into four tracks to expedite patient care. The tower also will contain inpatient imaging services and a new Heart and Vascular Center with procedural labs and observation beds.

Another section of the tower will provide 48 new patient beds, with one floor dedicated to cardiac ICU and stepdown units and the other for orthopedic surgical care and 16

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a women’s unit.

In addition to expanding capacity, the new tower allows the hospital to maximize efficiency by consolidating inpatient services to the south side of the campus. Once the tower is completed, the north end will be developed as an outpatient mall.

Along with physical additions to the campus, improvements are being made in the health system’s processes.

“We’re of the belief that no matter how big you build it, it will never be big enough,” Korzen says, adding that technology and process improvements are being adopted to increase efficiency and quality.

“We’re putting in new processes that really focus on the way we’ve always done things and overlaying them with information technology, so we’re computerizing a lot of tasks so that we can sustain the process improvements.”

All of the improvements are aimed toward a single target: better patient care.

“The people are the most important thing, but you have to have a certain amount of space and equipment so [medical caregivers] can do the good job they’re meant to do,” says Dr. James C. Hunter, chief medical officer for the health system.

The efforts are earning national attention. In 2007, Healthgrades, an independent health-care rating company, gave Cape Fear Valley Health System its Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence and its Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety. Only 86 hospitals across the country won both awards, each of which puts the system in the top 5 percent of American hospitals for quality and safety, Hunter says.

The affiliation with the world famous Cleveland Clinic will add yet another facet to the hospital’s reputation for quality.

“It brings to this region of North Carolina access to the protocols and procedures they use to get their terrific outcomes,” Hunter says.

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Cape Fear Valley Medical Center is expanding to enhance patient services.

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Portfolio

Lauding Lafayette CITY’S NAMESAKE MADE A STOP HERE IN 1825 TO CELEBRATE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

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PHOTOS BY IAN CURCIO

French aristocrat who fought on behalf of American independence was treated like a mega-star when he made a stop in Cumberland County.

The Marquis de Lafayette paid a visit to Fayetteville in 1825 during his nationwide tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the revolution.

“Crowds of 200,000 greeted him and his comrades in cities like New York. By the time he visited here, there were 30 or 40 towns in America that

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were named after him,” says Hank Parfitt, a physician helping coordinate 250th birthday celebrations honoring the marquis.

“He was here for only 24 hours or so, but the visit had a huge impact and is a great part of the reason that we have wanted to pay him tribute this year.”

The city named itself for the marquis in 1783, when the towns of Campbellton and Cross Creek joined together.

The postal service will re-name

itself Lafayette Station during the celebratory weekend that begins Sept. 6, 2007, with a series of events, including a children’s chorus performance at Market House, the site of Lafayette’s visit, and an appearance by re-enactor Mark Schneider of Historic Williamsburg, who will portray Lafayette. A birthday party will follow, complete with ice cream and large cakes in the shape of the United States and France. The event is free and open to the public.

On Sept. 7, patrons of the Metropolitan Room next to the market House will enjoy a Colonial Dinner Theatre presentation of 19th-century entertainment, including baroque dancers.

An Outdoor Festival of Yesteryear will take place on Sept. 8, featuring games and tours of the Lafayette Trail.

A concert will follow that night.

Some 25 groups and organizations joined the official Lafayette 250 organization in planning the festivities, Parfitt says. All Americans have reason to celebrate the 250th birthday of Lafayette, who arrived in this country in 1777 to join the struggle for independence, Parfitt explains.

“He fought with distinction and fearlessness. He was at New Orleans, took a bullet at Brandywine and, of course, was appointed by George Washington as the commander of the Virginia Army. He was in command when the British surrendered at Yorktown.

“By the time he left to return to France, he was a huge hero here – on the level we might think of in our time like the Beatles or John Glenn was in the 1960s.”

For more information on Lafayette 250 events, please visit www.lafayette250.com.

A statue of Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette stands in Fayetteville’s Lafayette Park.

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Southern Cooking at Georgia Brown’s

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on Brewington is familiar with the Fayetteville area and its tastes.

The owner of Georgia Brown’s Bar & Grill was just a teenager when he first roamed the neighborhood where his restaurant is today.

Brewington pays tribute to the great chefs of the South at his restaurant at 3138 Raeford Road, offering dishes that reflect the variety of the region – from the low-country fare of South Carolina to Cajun dishes, soul food and other favorites from rural North Carolina.

“We really try to offer the best in contemporary Southern cooking,” says Brewington, who has been in the restaurant business more 20 years.

“We try to bring a range of dishes that represent coastal cooking to dishes that are very much rooted in the country kitchen.

“A lot of people here come from different parts of the country, and we want to give out a variety of dishes that we hope are the best the South has to offer.”

Opened in 2006, the Georgia Brown’s Bar & Grill quickly filled a niche in the community, serving Christmas dinners to the homeless and needy and offering conveniences, such as group deliveries within the Cape Fear Medical Center area. The restaurant also has a banquet room that can be reserved for parties or meetings, as well as $6.79 lunches that make diners rethink their preconceptions about Southern cooking. A full bar is available as well.

“Fayetteville is a great market,” Brewington says. “Of course, it is a centralized location that serves not only a lot of local people but a lot of military people as well. I’m familiar and at home in the area and want to make people feel at home here, too.”

Georgia Brown’s menu features Charleston-inspired shrimp and grits, pan-fried pork chops, pecan-crusted grouper and Sterling Silver steaks. Side dishes include tomato pie, collard greens and honey-bourbon sweet potatoes. Customers rave over the fresh peach cobbler and fried Bananas Foster for dessert.

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Business started out strong and is still growing.

“We’re more excited now than when we first opened,” Brewington says.

“We’ve been received very well and are continuing to grow.”

Grilled salmon with lemon and herbs at Georgia Brown’s Bar & Grill.

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Portfolio

She Wants Her Patients To Talk It Out

P

sychologist Loleta Foster first hung out her shingle in Fayetteville in the winter of 1984. Since that time, she has worked hard – not only on behalf of her patients, but also for the betterment of the community as a whole.

Foster became a charter-class member in the Leadership America North Carolina organization, and she was selected as the chairwoman of the Cumberland County Business Council.

She is a past chairwoman of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and

continues to serve on the boards of the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research, the Cumberland Community Foundation and First Citizens Bank.

She has hosted the weekly television show, “Inside the CCBC (Cumberland County Business Council)” on local station CATV for the past six years.

As if that weren’t enough, Foster also teaches a parenting education class for people who are referred from the 12th District Court.

What makes her so driven?

“I think our actions lead to direct results of our personal situations,” Foster says. “People need support – women in particular need encouragement and support – but all people need direction.”

In her own practice, Foster uses a multi-disciplinary approach with clients, including adults, teenagers and children.

“Assessment, counseling and consulting is what we do, but I think where the practice might be unique is that we really focus on groups and group counseling,” Foster says.

“I see a lot of military families, and I see women’s groups, as well as men’s groups. A lot of these focus – especially with the women – on taking charge of their lives.”

Foster also is involved in vocational counseling and consulting within the business community. Her television show, while touching on a variety of interests, turns its lens on the local business community and its issues.

“I’m very happy to do what I’m doing,” Foster says. “Fayetteville is a wonderful place to live. It’s an extraordinary community with many opportunities.”

Cumberland County Schools

Fayetteville, NC • (910) 678-2300 • www.ccs.k12.nc.us

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PHOTOS BY IAN CURCIO

A world of opportunities

Loleta Foster is a licensed psychologist who has practiced in the area since 1984.

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A Center for Research and Reading

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ith seven locations throughout the area, the Cumberland County Library system has resources for casual readers and serious researchers.

The system includes a downtown branch and three locations in Fayetteville, including Cliffdale, East Regional and North Regional branches. There are also community branches in Bordeaux, Hope Mills and Spring Lake.

The library in Historic Downtown Fayetteville across from Festival Park is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The library is well known for its popular monthly series of author visits. For example, the September 2007 guest list includes Asheville writer Neal Thompson, author of Driving with the Devil – a history of NASCAR and moonshining in North Carolina, along with Charlotte humorist Margaret Biggers, known for her series, Churchgoers’ Chuckles.

“Our motto and mission is that the Cumberland

County Library is the ‘best place to start for learning and discovery,’” says Sally Shutt, the marketing and communications manager for the system. “We are here to offer education, entertainment and information services to residents throughout the area.”

Exclusive resources inside the downtown branch include the History Room, where individuals can research state and local history, along with an extensive Foreign Language Collection with more than 45,000 books. The downtown branch is also home to the county’s Law Library.

Children’s activities include Children’s Story Hours at various branches, while programs for teens include popular anime clubs that cater to youngsters with a keen interest in Japanese animation.

“We are a full-service library,” says Shutt. “We are here for the community – we’ll try to help over the phone or assist in person with your own research.”

Specially Designed by C.P. Ross D

on’t look now, but C.P. Ross Designs is leaving its visual thumbprint on the Fayetteville area.

The design experts oversee special events, such as weddings and receptions, throw galas and parties, organize conferences and fundraisers – and even help decorate Market Square and the Arts Council building for the holidays.

The company’s expertise draws on 50-plus years of the combined design and hospitality-business experience of owners Cynthia Ross and April Trew.

“I started the business in my house five years ago,” says Ross, who previously worked as a designer in the visual arts field, while Trew is experienced in hospitality management.

“April and I have known each other a long time and had been talking about doing this for a while. Our two backgrounds fit together well.”

Before entering into the special events production business, Ross attended a special-events convention in Las Vegas in 2002.

“It really opened my eyes,” she says.

“I became as active as I could in the community and became heavily involved in the Arts Council.”

Her first official event was sponsored by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, “and things have kind of FAY E T T E V I L L E

taken off from there,” Ross says.

A recent honor of national note was the appearance of a C.P. Ross Designs tabletop in Special Events Magazine, a Palisades, Calif.-based publication that focuses on the special-events industry.

The magazine’s annual Tabletop Gallery contest drew hundreds of entries. C.P. Ross was selected as one of the eight finalists whose designs were photographed for the issue.

“It is something we are especially proud of,” Ross says. “It represents our creativity and hard work. It is an extremely tough competition.”

Trew and Ross agree that their company’s long-term goal is to build a solid national reputation.

“We have produced events in Charleston, San Francisco, Wilmington and Pinehurst, so we are expanding outward,” Trew says. “One thing I bring is hospitality-business management experience, and we want to let people know we can be as involved in their event as they want us to be. We can plan the whole thing from scratch if we need to.”

The partners say they are looking to stay active in the business over the long term, for both economic and personal reasons.

“We have gone through some typical

growing pains,” Ross says. “I think people know us now, and we have built a good reputation within the community. We are here for whoever needs us, and we absolutely love our work!”

– Stories by Warren Denney

April A. Trew (left) and Cynthia P. Ross (right) show off a table-top design by C.P. Ross.

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Business

Strong on

Defense DEFENSE CONTRACTORS FIND PLENTY OF ACTION IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY STORY BY VALERIE PASCOE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAN CURCIO

T

o former U.S. Special Operations officer and businessman Paul Zeisman, Fayetteville might as well be the center of the universe.

As the principal adviser for Sierra Nevada Corp.’s tactical communications division, Zeisman is one of the growing number of defense contractors opening offices near Fort Bragg.

“Now more than ever, Fayetteville is the place to be,” says Zeisman, whose division recently was awarded a $29 million, five-year contract to provide integration, production, training and support on communications systems for the Space and Naval System Center.

Zeisman and his colleague, John Tuohey, another U.S. Special Operations retiree, opened Sierra Nevada Corp.’s Fayetteville office two years ago after the Base Realignment and Closure Commission approved the relocation of the headquarters of the U.S. Army Forces Command to Fort Bragg. In

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Above left: Joseph W. Adamczyck relocated to Fayetteville from Baghdad. Above right: The North Carolina Military Business Center supports defense-related startups. Opposite: Festival Park Plaza houses businesses downtown.

addition to its proximity to a variety of military commands, including Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, Camp Lejeune and Johnson Air Force Base, Tuohey says the company also liked the area’s workforce.

“You have a highly skilled labor pool of retired military who want to keep their families in Fayetteville,” Tuohey says. “These are people who have high security clearance and are apt and willing to travel to often undesirable places around the globe to teach, support and conduct business.”

Tuohey also applauds area organizations willing to team up with local companies like Sierra Nevada Corp. to cultivate and promote additional defense contracting opportunities. The North Carolina Military Business Center, which is based in Fayetteville, supports the recruitment and development of defense-related business and helps increase military business for local companies. The Defense and Security FAY E T T E V I L L E

Technology Accelerator in Fayetteville is another plus. This business incubator helps entrepreneurs create new security and defense technology solutions to meet the military’s technology needs and business demands.

For Joe Adamczyck, maintaining close contact with these organizations means more opportunities for growth.

“They’re very focused on attracting businesses similar to ours and helping them succeed,” says Adamczyck, project director for MPRI, an Alexandria, Va.-based company providing communications, simulation and other special products for military and police organizations.

Adamczyck moved back to Fayetteville to work for MPRI after 32 months of working in Baghdad as a contractor for the Coalition Provisional Authority and Bechtel Corp. MPRI, which generated approximately half a billion dollars in revenue last year, opened its Fayetteville office in February 2007 near downtown.

“In addition to defense opportunities, we also see Fayetteville as ripe for growth in business directed toward the private sector, which is an area where we expect to expand,” says Adamczyck.

Nearby on Hay Street, the recently opened offices of defense contractor RLM Communications Inc. also are growing by leaps and bounds.

“We have doubled our size in the past 18 months and continue to expand,” says Louis Huddleston, vice president of strategic planning and business development for the company.

Huddleston is a member of the board of directors for the Cumberland County Business Council, which manages the area’s economic development efforts.

“Fayetteville is a very businessfriendly community. For defense contractors looking to make a move here or for other businesses looking to get into the defense industry, being in Fayetteville is like a marriage made in heaven,” Huddleston says.

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Business | Biz Briefs

PHOTOS BY IAN CURCIO

displays for weddings and small dinner parties.

Francis has no formal training as a designer, though she attended art school and feels her current line of work “is what I should have been doing all along.”

And she can think of no better place to do it than Fayetteville.

Kindred Hearts on Franklin Street is full of furnishings and floral designs.

FOLLOWING HER HEART Elisabeth Francis had every intention of opening her own store in the fall of 2007. But something changed her mind.

“I walked into the store and immediately had a good feeling,” she says of the location at 225 Franklin St. in Fayetteville’s historic downtown. “I felt the overwhelming desire to jump on it.”

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Thus inspired, she pushed her timetable ahead and opened Kindred Hearts Inc. in early 2007.

Kindred Hearts is a design shop, featuring a mix of European style, Americana and primitive florals. She carries small antiques and collectibles, placing an emphasis on one-of-a-kind items, and provides custom-designed

AN ELECTRIFYING BIRTHDAY Holmes Electric Inc. was founded nearly a century ago, but this family business isn’t stuck in the past.

Oliver Wendell Holmes started the company as an electrical contracting business in 1908. He soon added a retail appliance store, which later morphed into a general department store.

In 1967, son-in-law Luke Wheeler developed Holmes Electrical Security Systems, providing burglar and fire alarm systems for residential and commercial use. Three years ago the department store was phased out in favor of a gift shop.

Today, Holmes Electrical Security Systems is one of the largest security companies in eastern North Carolina and is the only UL listed company in the region that operates its own central monitoring system. It employs 43 people in Fayetteville and another seven in Wilmington.

“The key to Holmes Electric is that no matter what we do, we try to maintain a service-minded company. We want to make sure our customers are satisfied,” says Stephen Wheeler, the third-generation operator of the business. “We’ve been around for 99 years because of it.”

MOONLIGHTING NO MORE When Pat Wright and Jan Johnson were working for Fayetteville Technical Community College, they also did a little off-hours work creating videos.

In short order, their moonlighting activities became official when Moonlight Communications was formed. Wright and Johnson formed the digital media production company in 1993, creating Web videos, DVDs and other digital productions, primarily for the business community.

The company’s first endeavor was for the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, crafting videos to support the community as a tourist destination. The CVB remains a loyal FAY E T T E V I L L E

client, with Moonlight producing a monthly television show for the agency.

The women take a great deal of pride in their work for the CVB and other community agencies.

“We have tried to portray the community we have grown to love as if we were born and raised here,” Graham says.

Throughout its 14 years, the company has evolved with technological changes.

“It’s a business that’s a constantly moving target,” Wright says. “We’ve got to make media that will play on sets that are five feet wide and cell phones where the screen is inches wide.”

GROWTH IS ONLY NATURAL AT NFI NFI Consumer Products was born in a guy’s garage.

Richard Guy opened Nutra Sport in 1988, selling nutritional supplements out of his parents’ garage. Capitalizing in the growing interest in health and fitness, Richard and his sister, Betsy, quickly developed and introduced a line of innovative products.

From its small garage beginnings, NFI Consumer Products has grown into and out of five subsequent buildings, and now occupies a 52,000-square-foot facility with 27,000 feet of warehouse space, five loading docks, 13,000 feet of office space and another 12,000 feet of rental property.

In 1998, the brother-sister duo was joined by retail-industry veteran Larry Chriscoe, now the company’s president and CEO. “Under Larry’s guidance, the business has experienced exponential growth,” says Mark Holman, vice president of marketing for NFI Consumer Products.

Today, the company researches, manufactures and markets more than 25 brands of health, nutrition and beauty supplements. Its products are distributed through more than 75 brick-and-mortar retailers and even more on the Web. ARCHITECTS GO GREEN When the Cumberland County School System wanted a prototype “green” building for a new elementary school

being constructed, officials turned to a firm that has experience in both school building and environmentally friendly architecture.

Fayetteville’s SfL+a Architects had already established its credentials as one of the state’s leading designers of school buildings, with work in 25 percent of North Carolina’s counties.

And though the new facility is the first specifically green school building it has designed, the firm already had the necessary design tools in place.

“Our buildings have historically tracked really well in terms of energy savings,” says Eric Lindstrom, design director for SfL+a’s main headquarters in Fayetteville. The firm also has offices in Charlotte and Raleigh.

SfL+a is a strong proponent of downtown Fayetteville. The company relocated its office to 214 Burgess St. in its early days and remains committed to assisting others in efforts to keep downtown’s rebirth flourishing.

“Any project downtown is a worthy one,” Lindstrom says. – Dan Markham

SfL+a Architects has been hired by the Cumberland County School System to design a “green” elementary school.

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MICHAEL W. BUNCH

Business | Chamber Report

The Cumberland County Business Council renews its commitment to serving small businesses.

In Touch With Small Business BUSINESS COUNCIL BRINGS ENHANCED OFFERINGS TO ITS MEMBERSHIP BASE

T

he Cumberland County Business Council needed to tap back into its lifeblood.

About 85 percent of the council’s membership is companies with five or fewer employees. Stretch the figure to 10 employees and it comprises 94 percent of the membership.

Yet not long ago, the council discovered many of its programs weren’t directly benefiting small businesses.

“Our organization was evolving, and maybe the program was a little stale and not as devoted to small business as it needed to be,” says Tim Holverson, executive vice president of business development for the Business Council. “We needed to get back in touch with our members.”

The Business Council convened a task force, guided by Wick Smith, to investigate how it could best address the concerns of small-business owners.

“We either need to improve the top line – driving more business to our members, or the bottom line – expenses,” says Smith. “And they’re not mutually exclusive.”

The task force studied small-business efforts at chambers of commerce in other cities and also examined its own list of programs to see what might be expendable.

“Anytime you are implementing new programs on a fixed budget, something’s got to go,” says Smith, a council board member and president of a small business, Biz Tools One Web Design.

The task force returned to the council with a series of proposals that the full board unanimously approved.

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Some of the proposed initiatives, those without big price tags or requiring major overhauls, were put into place immediately. These included a Members in the News program, improved tracking of referrals, and an initiative that links small-business owners to government purchasing agencies.

Other initiatives will take longer to get up and running, although the council is committed to making them happen.

These include a members-only section of the council Web site with an “Ask The Expert” feature, where members will be able to get answers to business-related questions. Also to come are educational programs on relevant topics, such as taxation and legal matters, and an affordable health insurance plan for members.

The task force also emphasized the need to better coordinate council efforts with those of other local agencies, such as the Women’s Business Center of Fayetteville.

“You may have duplicate efforts in one place and holes in another,” Smith says. “We want to consolidate information about those efforts and have a one-stop shop for all business needs.”

The council’s changes are already receiving rave reviews from its members.

“Nowhere in Fayetteville are you going to find the business connections you will at the business council,” says Adam Johnson of ARC Design, a production design company in Fayetteville.

– Dan Markham FAY E T T E V I L L E

Business | Economic Profile

FAYETTEVILLE BUSINESS CLIMATE Cumberland County has progressed from its beginnings as a riverfront distribution center to a highly commercialized business region.

TRANSPORTATION

HOUSING STATISTICS (2006) Average sales price of existing home, $117,504

Airports Fayette Regional Airport 433-1160 Raleigh-Durham International Airport, 840-2123 Rail Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad 944-2341 AMTRAK, 1-800-USA-RAIL

Average sales price of new home, $195,557

CSX Railroad, (877) 744-7279 Norfolk Southern Railroad (800) 635-5768, (757) 629-2600 Seaports Wilmington, N.C., 92 miles Charleston, S.C., 190 miles Morehead City, N.C., 144 miles Norfolk, Va., 208 miles

MAJOR PUBLIC EMPLOYERS

Total homes sold in Cumberland County, 8,410

Company Cumberland County Schools

6,500

INCOME

Cape Fear Valley Health System

5,000

Personal per capita income $29,425 (2004) Median household income $39,126 (2005) Median family, $45,457 (2005) Effective Buying Income Median Household EBI Cumberland County, $35,832

Employees

U.S. Department of Defense

4,431

U.S. Department of Defense (nonappropriated and contracts)

4,426

Cumberland County

2,500

City of Fayetteville

1,429

U.S. Postal Service

1,312

Fayetteville Technical Community College

1,250

Fayetteville, $35,330

AAFES (Army & Air Force Exchanges Services)

1,000

Cumberland County residents with EBI more than $50,000, 28.4%

VA Hospital

900

Fayetteville State University

819

Fayetteville residents with EBI more than $50,000, 27.1%

MAJOR PRIVATE EMPLOYERS

Cumberland County residents with EBI more than $35,000, 23.2%

Company The Goodyear Tire Co.

2,650

Fayetteville residents with EBI more than $35,000, 22.8%

Wal-Mart Distribution Center

1,200

Purolator Products Inc. FOR MORE INFORMATION Cumberland County Business Council 201 Hay St., 4th Floor Fayetteville, NC 28301 (910) 484-4242 Fax: (910) 483-0263 www.ccbusinesscouncil.org

Sources: www.faedcnc.com

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Employees

1,150

Cingular Wireless

750

M.J. Soffe

726

Eaton Electrical Corp.

650

Dupont

500

Maidenform Inc.

500

Wal-Mart Super Center #3595

500

Wal-Mart Super Center #1261

480

Fayetteville Publishing Co.

280

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Education

Applied Learning E. E. MILLER ELEMENTARY EMBRACES INNOVATIONS IN EDUCATION

E.

When the students advance to third grade, more English instruction is mixed in.

“By third grade, it may become more of a 60/40 model or a 50/50 model, so you’re adding English back in to prepare children for EOG (end of grade) testing,” she continues.

Research on immersion programming shows that students perform as well or better on standardized testing as their English-only counterparts. “There’s nearly 40 years of research, and it shows that students score at or better on standardized testing than non-immersion students,” Page says.

Data also confirms learning a different language utilizes parts of the brain not used when speaking your native tongue.

“You’re actually triggering a part of the brain that would not be challenged,” Page says.

Equally important, she adds, is the exposure to a different culture.

“Looking into the future, you’re creating an adult that’s going to be open to different cultures and diversity,” Page says. “You’re preparing kids to meet the challenges of a global society.”

Page says any new programming added at E.E. Miller reflects a dedication to offering top-notch education for all children. She says the school follows an educational philosophy summed up by the statement: “What I want for my child, I want for all children.”

“Let’s make them the best that they can be – that’s what I want for my children and what every parent wants for their child,” Page says. “That’s the guiding force for everything I do.”

– Cindy Sanders

IAN CURCIO

E. Miller Elementary School might have started out as a traditional center of learning in 1991, but it didn’t take long for the school to transform into a model of outside-the-box thinking.

By 2000, the school had adopted a year-round calendar, which Principal Tonya Page says helps maintain retention rates and keeps children on task.

Shorter breaks mean less lag time in getting back to the business of learning.

“Within 15 minutes, you would think we’ve been in school a month,” Page says. “They go right back to routines, and that consistency is very important.”

Over the years, the school has adopted other innovative programs and educational methods to enhance student experiences. Page stresses the fact that children have different learning styles.

“We are trying to offer a variety to meet the needs of every child,” she says.

As the new school year began in July, E.E. Miller launched yet another innovation in education: a Spanish immersion program.

The new program starts with two kindergarten classes of 22 children. For their first three years of school, approximately 90 percent of the instructional day is taught in Spanish. English is spoken only in art, music and other nonacademic classes.

“By the end of second grade, the children are bilingual,” Page says.

E.E. Miller Elementary School on Rim Street helps prepare students for a global society.

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David A. Goodman, MD FACS, FRCS (England)

Gregory R. Strauther, MD Surgical Critical Care Specialist Ravinder K. Annamaneni, MD FRCS (England) FRCS (Ireland) Colorectal Specialist

Elena T. Lujan Parker, PA-C

Our board-certified surgeons are trained and experienced in a wide variety of general surgical procedures including breast surgery, open and laparoscopic hernia repair, gastrointestinal and abdominal procedures including laparoscopic gall bladder and colorectal surgery, anorectal conditions, thyroid surgery, skin and soft tissue lesions, TEM (Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery)

4140 Ferncreek Dr. | Ste. 601 Fayetteville, NC 28314 (910) 485-3880 | fax (910) 485-5341

and trauma surgery. Appointments by referral.

Womack Army Medical Center The Army’s Medical Center of Excellence … the Choice of America’s Finest!

SERVE YOUR COUNTRY ONE PATIENT AT A TIME …

JOIN OUR TEAM AT WOMACK ARMY MEDICAL CENTER • • • •

State-of-the-art technology and equipment Four free-standing primary care clinics Robotic pharmacy Professional and caring staff (military, civilian and contractors) RECRUITING FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS Registered Nurses • Licensed Practical Nurses • Physicians (Family Practice, Aviation Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics) Physician Assistants • Pharmacists (full and part-time available)

BENEFITS Competitive Salaries • Recruitment Incentives (includes relocation assistance) • Excellent and Affordable Federal Employees Health and Life Insurance Plans • Thrift Savings Plan • Vacation Days (up to 26 paid days) Per Year • Sick Leave (up to 13 paid days) Per Year Government Sponsored Malpractice Insurance In-House Fitness Training Equipment YOU MUST BE A U S CITIZEN Please send copies of your resume, college transcripts and current licenses to wamcdbocpb@amedd.army.mil For more information, please call us at (910) 907- 6107.

FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA

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Health & Wellness

A Home for Doctors RESIDENCY PROGRAM IS A MAJOR COMPONENT AT EDUCATION CENTER

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the program.

“Out of that number, about half have stayed in the state,” says Karen Mantzouris, marketing and public relations director for SR-AHEC. “That is one of the main focuses of our program.”

The center is affiliated with Duke University Medical Center in Durham and is part of a statewide Area Health Education Center initiative, with nine locations in North Carolina.

In addition to training physicians through its residency program, the Fayetteville center provides educational

services throughout the nine-county region for employees of hospitals, public health departments, long-term care facilities, mental health centers and public and private medical practices.

Disciplines include allied/public health and interdisciplinary medicine, continuing medical education, dentistry, mental health, nursing and pharmacy.

The center also offers support for students in grade school and through college who have an interest in pursuing careers in health care. The center’s Health Careers Workforce Diversity Program provides outreach to students as young as second-graders.

In June 2007, the center had seven residents graduating from its family medical residency program.

At the same time, eight residents were coming in. At any given time, there are typically 17 residents and 10 medical professionals at the center.

These 27 doctors work as a team to provide a host of services to patients, including clinic and hospital care, wellness checkups, acute care visits, pediatric care, obstetrics, management of ongoing medical conditions and adult psychological services.

“Every doctor we have here in residency is going to be a general practitioner,” Mantzouris says. “That means they will do everything from delivering babies to taking care of grandma.”

The center attracts medical school graduates from around the world for the three-year residency program.

It was the first residency program in the state to be dually accredited by the American College of Graduate Medical Education and the American Osteopathic Association.

Despite its global reach, the SR-AHEC maintains a community orientation and a personal, friendly atmosphere that surrounds residents and patients alike, Mantzouris adds.

– Pam Sherborne

IAN CURCIO

he Southern Regional Area Health Education Center contributes greatly to the health of Fayetteville area residents by helping train dedicated medical professionals who work in a variety of settings.

In its dual role as a health-care provider and an educational facility, the center has been training top-notch family physicians for the past 30 years.

Chartered in 1974, the center brought “in its first set of family medical residents in 1977. Since that time, 145 physicians have graduated from

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Southern Regional Area Health Education Center trains professionals in a variety of medical specialties.

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Health & Wellness

School of Choice STUDENTS PREPARE FOR HEALTH-RELATED CAREERS

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or middle school students who want to be doctors, nurses or even equine veterinarians, Cumberland County’s Health and Life Sciences High School is the place to be. This innovative, health-themed “school of choice” is designed to prepare students for postsecondary education in health-related careers.

“Most students come here because they have an interest in a medically affiliated career,” says history and honors physics teacher Al Davies, who came to the high school after a 21-year career in the U.S Air Force.

“But not all of them want to go into the medical field. Some of them want to be lawyers.

There’s no obligation.”

The school began as the Health Science Academy within Douglas Byrd High School. The school was relocated to an existing building on the Douglas Byrd campus, and the Cumberland Health and Life Sciences High School was launched.

“My desire is for every one of our students to graduate college-ready,” says Katrenna Rich, who was named principal of the school in August 2005.

The high school, which started with 44 freshmen, is slated to grow progressively one grade level per year until the high school achieves a full complement of students in grades nine through 12. An enrollment cap has been set at 400 students.

In December 2006, the Cumberland County Board of Education approved a new home for the school on the former campus of Young Howard Elementary School on Camden Road. The high school is to begin operating at the new site in the fall of 2007 and will be renamed the Howard Health & Life Sciences High School.

– Bridget Huckabee

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Arts & Culture

Music for the Masses MUSICAL QUALITY AND ATTENDANCE FIGURES ATTAIN NEW HEIGHTS

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rom “Carmina Burana” with full chorus to a symphonic hoedown with guitars and fiddles, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra believes in ringing in a diverse repertoire.

The orchestra’s live performances cater to music lovers of all ages and tastes. The Fayetteville ensemble also sponsors a variety of educational programs that range from the innovative Instrument Petting Zoo to the competitive FSO Composition Contest, as well as workshop demonstrations and classes at local schools.

Perhaps the orchestra’s most innovative offering in recent memory was a Symphonic Hoedown on the banks of the Cape Fear River in fall 2006.

Highbrow truly met hillbilly, with actor Betsey Haulsey, known best as Gomer Pyle’s girl friend Lou-Ann Poovie on “The Andy Griffith Show,” stepping into the role as master of ceremonies.

“This fall (2007), we will take a different approach with a free concert in the new festival park,” says FSO Executive Director Linda Frenette. “Not quite a pops concert, but in keeping with the festival’s international theme, the orchestra will play music by Latin American and Cuban composers.”

The Sept. 29 concert will be staged in conjunction with the Fayetteville Arts Council’s fall festival. A highlight of the

event will be the performance of a work composed by the symphony’s music director and conductor, Fouad Fakhouri. The piece, titled “Lafayette,” honors the orchestra’s hometown of Fayetteville, which was named for the Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette.

The Instrument Petting Zoo is an annual program that sends members of the orchestra to third-grade classes to perform and allows students to see and touch the instruments. Students may also attend a performance featuring a piece they’ve heard excerpts from and talked about, such as “Peter and the Wolf” by Sergei Prokofiev, in which each character in the story is represented by a particular instrument or group of instruments. “‘Peter and the Wolf’ is always popular,” says Frenette. “They can relate the characters to the instruments’ sounds.”

The FSO Composition/Concerto Contest is open to Cumberland County high school students who attend free monthly master classes in composition at Fayetteville State University and Methodist College. The winning piece is performed by the FSO. “This year a female trumpet player won for her trumpet concerto,” Frenette says. “The orchestra will play it at the international festival in the fall. She also wins $1,000 cash scholarship.”

The symphony’s outreach program to the community admits children age 12 and younger free to all subscription season concerts and gives discounted tickets to full-time students, senior citizens, active-duty military, and groups of 20 or more.

The 60-member orchestra was founded in 1956 and performs several times a year, typically at Reeves Auditorium on the campus of Methodist College. Last year it celebrated its 50th season. The honored guest at the anniversary celebration in October was Queen Noor of Jordan.

Under maestro Fouad Fakhouri, 35, now in his third season, the orchestra has found new vigor and a higher level of excellence. Fakhouri is acclaimed for his ability to get the very best out of his musicians, bringing performances – and audience attendance figures – to ever-higher levels.

– Bridget Huckabee

The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 50th season in 2007. Top: Fouad Fakhouri is the music director/conductor of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.

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MPRI has over 20 years of experience providing groups of professionals that will dramatically improve your organization’s performance. MPRI’s services and products range across the broad spectrum of capabilities listed below.

Our experience, responsiveness, flexibility and diversity make MPRI a valuable resource for both civilian and military customers.

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For more information, contact our Fayetteville office: 225 Ray Avenue, Suite 105 • Fayetteville, NC 28301 • (910) 223-2360 Visit our Web site at www.mpri.com.

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Sports & Recreation

Sports Fans Win by Three HOCKEY, BASEBALL AND INDOOR FOOTBALL KEEP SPORTS FANS ENTERTAINED

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ayetteville has long been a hotbed for sports and recreation, both for fans and participating athletes.

The city has fielded some form of professional sports teams – typically baseball – since early in the 1900s.

But it was the FireAntz, a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League that recently brought home the city’s first professional championship since the Fayetteville Hilanders won the Carolina League championship in baseball back in 1956.

“Of course hockey is what’s called a nontraditional sport here in the South,” says Jason Fleming, the FireAntz vice president for communications. “We’ve been here six years, and we’ve had great support in Fayetteville. We’re so proud to bring the SPHL President’s Cup home. I’ve always said if you can get a person to watch a match live, then you’ve got them hooked.”

Fayetteville is also home to a professional indoor-football team, the Fayetteville Guard, part of the National Indoor Football League, as well as the SwampDogs, part of the 15team Coastal Plain League, the nation’s largest collegiate summer baseball program.

The FireAntz earned the President’s Cup in April 2007 by defeating the Jacksonville Barracudas three games to one in the best-of-seven SPHL Finals. They had previously gotten by the Huntsville Havoc and the Knoxville Ice Bears in the playoffs.

“It’s a bit overwhelming,” says Fleming, who along with the rest of the FireAntz fans look forward to next season under

new Head Coach John Marks. He inherits a team that went 3218-6 en route to the title. The 2007-08 season begins in October. For more information on the FireAntz, go online to www.fireantzhockey.com.

Baseball’s SwampDogs begin their season in May. “We have a tremendous relationship with the Fayetteville community,” says Bret Lasky, media director for the team. “We try and make the ballpark a place where members of the community can enjoy baseball and have fun at affordable prices.”

The team’s director of operations, Darrell Handelsman, is a league legend. Handelsman holds the record for the most wins as a coach in both the Northwoods League and the Coastal Plain League.

“Darrell just knows how to win, plain and simple,” Lasky says. “He has the uncanny ability to connect with his players and turn mediocre players into productive members of the team.”

For more information on the SwampDogs visit www. goswampdogs.com.

The Fayetteville Guard has been playing at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum as part of the National Indoor Football League since 2005. The team posted a 13-1 record in 2006 and are the 2007 Indoor Football Champons. For the most up-to-date information on the team and the league, visit www.oursportscentral.com and link to the Fayetteville Guard.

– Warren Denney

Rob Sich of the Fayetteville FireAntz was named the SPHL’s most valuable player in the regular season.

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questions

Š 2002 American Cancer Society, Inc.

answers 8 0 0 . A C S . 2 3 4 5 / c a n c e r. o r g

Community Profile

FAYETTEVILLE COMMUNITY SNAPSHOT Fayetteville’s Pro Body temperate climate lends itself to year-round golfing.

Thirty golf courses are located in the region. These include Pinehurst Country Club and Resort, which played host to the U.S. Men’s Open in June 2005.

CLIMATE Average January high, 51 F Average January low, 29 F

EDUCATION Cumberland County Schools, 678-2300 Cumberland County Board of Education, 678-2331

Average July high, 89 F Average July low, 69 F Average annual precipitation, 46.4 inches

POPULATION

Higher Education (in Fayetteville)

Fayetteville (2006), 174,000

Fayetteville State University, 672-1111

Cumberland County (2005), 304,525

Fayetteville Technical Community College, 678-8400

UTILITIES

Methodist University 630-7000

Cable Time Warner Cable, 864-3935

MEDICAL FACILITIES Cape Fear Valley Health System, 609-4000 Highsmith-Rainey Memorial Hospital, 609-1000 Veterans Affairs Medical Center 488-2120 or (800) 771-6106 Womack Army Medical Center (Fort Bragg), 907-6000

Electricity (county) Lumbee River Electric Corp., (800) 683-5571

Telephone Embarq, 864-9011 Water and Sewer City of Fayetteville Public Works Commission, 483-1401 Provides water, sewer and electric in city; water and sewer in county

MEDIA Newspapers & Magazines The Fayetteville Observer 323-4848 or (800) 682-3476 Acento Latino Newspaper (bi-weekly) 486-2760 or 323-4848 The Carolina Trader (weekly) 433-2229 or (800) 446-1717 The Fayetteville Press (monthly), 323-3120

Progress Energy (800) 452-2777

Kidsville News (monthly) 484-6200

South River Electric Corp., (800) 338-5530

Sandhills Business Times 692-2014

Natural Gas North Carolina Natural Gas Co. (800) 275-6264

Next Magazine, 609-0638 PrimeLife (monthly), 486-6200 The Carolina Flyer (weekly) Pope Air Force Base, 394-4185 THIS SECTION IS SPONSORED BY

CONSULTING | TRAINING | FACILITATING

LRJ Key Concepts INSPIRING LIFE CHANGES IN OUR COMMUNITY LRJ Key Concepts was born from the desire to help people improve relationships in our business community, school systems and in our homes.

We provide training and state-of-the-art personality assessment tools that result in more effective communication, higher morale, decreased employee turnover, organizational synergy and peaceful connections.

Our clients range from large companies, non-profit agencies, church organizations, recent graduates and youth who are seeking a positive direction and are in need of a clear path to higher productivity.

The a rea code for Fayet teville is 91 0.

We offer a variety of individualized programs that are catered to the needs of our clients. Our Path Elements Profile (PEP)™ uses the universally understood elements Fire, Wind, Water and Earth to help leaders, managers and CEOs recognize individual and team behavioral tendencies.

Our Path4Teens™ program is designed to challenge, inspire and equip youth for lives of purpose and achievement. All of our programs are designed to define strengths, build confidence and enhance our communication skills, resulting in a more fulfilling and productive life.

(910) 988-4318 www.lrjkeyconcepts.com

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Community Profile The Paraglide (weekly) Fort Bragg, 396-6817

City Attorney, 433-1985

Up & Coming Weekly 692-2014

City Manager, 433-1990

Radio Stations

City Clerk, 433-1989

Community Watch/ Crime Prevention, 433-1033

82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum 432-3443 Fayetteville Museum of Art, 485-5121 Fascinate U Children’s Museum, 433-1573

AM Stations WFNC 640, News/Talk

County Manager, 678-7723

WYRU 1160, Religious

Fire (non–emergency) 433-1725

SPORTS

Mayor’s Office, 433-1992

Planning/Zoning, 433-1612

Professional sports are a part of the area’s offerings.

Fayetteville supports these teams:

Police (non–emergency) Campbellton Police District 433-1529

Fayetteville Guard – NIFL (National Indoor Football League)

Police (non–emergency) Cross Creek Police District 433-1835

Fayetteville Ruff Riders – Mason-Dixon Football League

WFAY 1230, Sports WCIE 1450, Spanish WAZZ 1490, Adult standards WIDU 1600, Gospel FM Stations WFSS 91.9, Public radio WKML 95.7, Country WFLB 96.5, Oldies WQSM 98.1 Top 40

Crime Stoppers, 483-TIPS

Parks, 433-1547

WZFX 99.1, Urban contemporary

Property Value, 678-7507

WFNC 102.3, Country

Recreation, 433-1547

WRCQ 103.5, Rock

Recycling, 321-6830

WCCG 104.5, Hip hop

Tax Collection, 678-7507

WFVL 106.9, Country

Voter Information, 678-7733

WCLN 107.3, Contemporary Christian

RECREATION

WUKS 107.7, Urban AC

Arts/Culture

Source: Arbitron, Fall 2005

Airborne and Special Operations Museum, 483-3003

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Arts Council of Fayetteville/ Cumberland County, 323-1776

All Emergencies, 911

Property Tax, 678-7508

Fayetteville SwampDogs – CPL Baseball Fayetteville FireAntz – ACHL Hockey Cape Fear Thunder – Women’s Professional Football League

GOLF COURSES Anderson Creek Club 814-2115 Baywood Golf Club, 483-4330 Bayonet at Puppy Creek Golf Course, 904-1500 Cypress Lakes Golf Course, 483-0359

Animal Control, 483-9284

Cape Fear Botanical Gardens, 486-0221

Birth/Death/Marriage/ Divorce Certificates, 678-7767

Cape Fear Regional Theatre 323-4233

Golf Learning Center at Village Green, 483-0303

Building Permits, 433-1707

Crown Center Coliseum 438-4100

King’s Grant Golf Club 630-1114

Business Licenses, 433-1676

Gates Four Golf, 425-6667

Spa & Pool World Clayton Britt & Sons Inc.

FREE COMPUTERIZED WATER ANALYSIS FREE ENGINEERING & DESIGN SERVICE SWIMMING POOL & SPA SALES & SERVICE SAFETY & MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT PARTS, CHEMICALS & ACCESSORIES 3703 Bragg Blvd. • Fayetteville, NC (910) 868-8319 • Fax: (910) 868-1487 Toll-free: (800) 214-4658 E-mail: spapoolworld@earthlink.net www.spaandpoolworld.com

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903 Hay St. • Fayetteville, NC 28305 (910) 484-5193 • Fax: (910) 484-2036

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Military Base Courses Ryder Golf Course, 436-3390 Stryker Golf Course, 497-1752 Willow Lakes Golf Course 394-2325

ANNUAL EVENTS

JanuaryNovember FOURTH FRIDAY On the fourth Friday of every month, except December, downtown Fayetteville celebrates the arts, 7-10 p.m., free. For more information, call the Arts Council at 323-1776.

April

Does your insurance add up?

PERSONAL ATTENTION (to serve you locally) + ACCIDENT REPAIR GUARANTEE (through Blue Ribbon Service) + HOME AND AUTO DISCOUNTS (for your lifestyle)

REAL INSURANCE VALUE Tolar Agency Inc. SHARON TOLAR EATON 2823 Raeford Rd. Fayetteville, NC 28303 (910) 323-4613 eatons1@nationwide.com

Call me today and find out how real value adds up.

DOGWOOD FESTIVAL Two-day street fair with food, entertainment, crafts and children’s area, 323-1934

Auto Home Life Business Life insurance underwritten by Nationwide Life Insurance Company. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies.

Home Office: Columbus, OH 43215-2220. Nationwide and the Nationwide framemark are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. On Your Side is a service mark of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. VOA8 8/05

May FORT BRAGG FAIR Fort Bragg Fair is open to the public, 396-0056

Breathe A Sigh of Relief!

State-of-the-Art Quality Care for ALL your family’s needs.

July THE 4TH CELEBRATION

Our Board Certified Allergy and Asthma Specialists will listen to your concerns, providing you with an individualized treatment plan.

Fort Bragg Main Parade field; open to the public. 396-9126

August

Evaluations for: Asthma • Allergies • Sinuses Recurrent Infections • Hives Eczema • Food Allergy Drug Allergy • Insect Allergy Cough & Eye Irritations Most Insurances Accepted

AIRBORNE HERITAGE DAY Airborne & Special Operations Museum, 483-3003, ext. 228

GREEK FESTIVAL The Crown Center, 323-5088

September CUMBERLAND COUNTY FAIR The Crown Center, 323-5088

INTERNATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL Call the Arts Council at 323-1776 for more information.

The a rea code for Fayet teville is 91 0.

Joseph V. Follett, MD & John W. Georgitis, MD

LaFayette Clinic Allergy & Asthma 1756 Metromedical Dr. Fayetteville, NC 28304

(910) 323-1322

715 N. Horner Blvd.

Sanford, NC 27330

(919) 718-0216

www.lafayetteclinic.com

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October AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL The Crown Center, 483-8422

HERITAGE FESTIVAL Cape Fear Botanical Garden, 486-0221

OKTOBERFEST INTERNATIONALE Food, fun and games at the Fort Bragg Fairgrounds, 396-0056

November DICKENS HOLIDAY

The Choice is Clear!

Two locations to serve you.

Choice 3709 Raeford Rd. Fayetteville, NC 28304 (910) 483-7500 (800) 476-7851

Choice 222 Rowan St. Fayetteville, NC 28301 (910) 485-8326 (800) 476-7851

Downtown Fayetteville on the Friday after Thanksgiving, 323-1776

December FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS Hope Mills Lake, 424-4500

View area listings! www.remaxchoice.remax-carolina.com

Visit Our Advertisers Arts Council Fayetteville www.theartscouncil.com

Moonlight Communications www.moonlight1.com

Broadwell Land Company

MPRI www.mpri.com

Callahan & Rice www.callahanrice.com Carolina Mortgage Company www.carolina-mortgage.com Cumberland County Hospital www.capefearvalley.com Cumberland County Schools www.ccs.k12.nc.us Cumberland County Workforce Development Center www.ncjoblink.com Fayetteville State University www.uncfsu.edu Fayetteville Technical Community College www.faytechcc.edu Ferncreek General Surgery, PA www.ferncreekgeneral surgery.com LaFayette Clinic, PA www.lafayetteclinic.com

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Partnership for Children www.ccpfc.org Re/Max Choice www.rustyrussell.remaxcarolina.com Re/Max Homeowners, LTD www.homeowners-ltd.net Rick Hendrick Toyota www.rickhendricktoyota.com Snyder Memorial Baptist Church www.snydermbc.com Spa & Pool World www.spaandpoolworld.com Team Harris Inc. Real Estate www.teamharris.com Time Warner Cable/Digital www.twcnc.com Time Warner Cable/News 14 www.twcnc.com

Cumberland County Business Council 201 Hay St., 4th Floor Fayetteville, NC 28301 (910) 484-4242 (910) 483-0263 (fax) www.ccbusinesscouncil.org

Tolar Agency Incorporated

LRJ Key Concept www.lrjkeyconcepts.com

Townsend Real Estate www.townsendrealestate.com

Methodist University www.methodist.edu

Womack Army Medical Center www.wamc.amedd.army.mil

I M AG E S FAY E T T E V I L L E . C O M

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Sources: www.ccbusinesscouncil.org www.discoverfayetteville.com www.gofayetteville.com www.weather.com

FAY E T T E V I L L E

Interest Rates Are STILL Low Refinance or Purchase a Home Today!

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527-2370

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Wende Allar 23 Years of Experience in Real Estate & Mortgage Banking 876-0990

Alph Clark 35 Years of Experience in Business 257-4156

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We Are a Mortgage Banker – Not a Broker.

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Richard Kugelmann 5 Years of Experience in Mortgage Banking 978-6511

Locally Owned and Operated Since 1986.

Three Convenient Locations:

Melody Spaulding 26 Years of Experience in Mortgage Banking 391-1609

2915 Raeford Rd., Ste. 103 6920 Cliffdale Rd. 584 Executive Pl., Ste. 101

484-4300 868-4300 689-0418

Business Hours Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Mayon Weeks 36 Years of Experience in Sales Management & Building Development 476-5804

VA • FHA • CONVENTIONAL RURAL HOUSING Vance Knight Loan Officer 36 Years of Experience in Insurance

First Time Home Buyer Specialist In-House Underwriting

489-5064

Brooke Huff Johnson

Jordana Leggett

3 Years of Experience in Mortgage Banking

1 Year of Experience in Mortgage Banking – 2 Years of Experience in Accounting

237-7865

483-5353

Mary Ann Strickland 29 Years of Experience in Mortgage Banking 987-0801

Susan Rozier 8 Years of Experience Loan Officer (877) 661-7057

NOW OFFERING COMMERCIAL LOANS! Jackson Howard Commercial Division

484-4300

We offer long-term financing for purchase, refinance, rate reduction and construction loan programs for multi-family and commercial properties in the southeast ranging from $250,000-$50,000,000 2915 Raeford Rd., Ste. 103 • Fayetteville, NC 28303 • (910) 484-4300