The financially struggling Fayetteville Dogwood Festival is looking ahead to the annual spring event with 17 board members leading the way.
“Our board members aren’t simply names on a roster or votes around a table,” Kaylynn Suarez, the festival’s executive director, said Monday in a news release announcing its 2026-27 board of directors. “They show up. They sweat. They work long hours alongside our volunteers because they believe in what Dogwood means to this community. Every person brings a different perspective, skill set and connection to Fayetteville, but they are united by a shared commitment to serving our community.”
Heading the executive board are Isabella DePietro, chair; Amber Little, vice chair; Tara Long, treasurer; Brad Johnson, secretary; and Jackie Tuckey, immediate past chair. Other board members are Jenny Schleusener, Brent Underwood, Darrell Purcell, Cameron Carlotti, Jackie DeJesus-McGill, Anthony Peterson, Randy Scott, Shelli Shaver, Ashley Salas, Sara Ballard, Travis Lowry and Mark Wilderman.
The three-day festival in April was hampered by inclement weather, Suarez said on Tuesday, and drew about 60,000 festivalgoers downtown. After the event, the Fayetteville City Council approved $75,000 for the festival. In July, the festival received a $30,000 operations grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County.
“The next chapter of Dogwood is about honoring the tradition that got us here while continuing to grow what this organization can do for Fayetteville,” Suarez said. “With this board beside us, we’re excited about what’s ahead. We are looking forward to the 45th and have some really amazing things in the pipeline, with a big announcement at our Battle for the Mainstage in October.”
The 2027 festival is scheduled for April 23-25.
Call it a red-letter for the Gray’s Creek community, where on August 14 the Gray’s Creek Water Main Extension Project was completed to connect Alderman Road Elementary and Gray’s Creek Elementary schools to the Fayetteville Public Works Commission water system for safe and reliable drinking water. “This project represents far more than the installation of new water lines, it reflects our shared commitment to protecting public health, investing in critical infrastructure and improving the quality of life for the Gray’s Creek community,” Timothy Bryant, chief executive officer and general manager for the utility, said in a news release. The project, according to the release, exceeds state and federal water quality standards.
Credit: Matthew Wonderly / CityView
Mayor Pro Tem Fredricka Sutherland and commissioners Jackie Jackson and Tony Burgess believe Dennis English is the right man as the Spring Lake town manager and gave him their votes Tuesday at a special board meeting. “I’m truly honored to be selected as town manager for the Town of Spring Lake,” English said Thursday. “Serving as interim town manager has been one of the greatest honors of my career, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in strengthening our financial position, addressing critical infrastructure needs, and building stronger partnerships throughout the region. I’m grateful to the mayor and board of commissioners for their confidence in me, and I look forward to continuing to serve our employees and citizens with integrity, accountability and a clear vision for Spring Lake’s future. I truly believe our greatest days are ahead of us.”
Voting against English were commissioners Soña Cooper and Adrian Jones Thompson. Residents attending the meeting believe Sutherland, Jackson and Burgess got it right and gave a rousing applause when the votes were cast. English , according to the town, will receive an annual salary of $149,750.
Spring Lake is in search of a new finance director. “I have accepted a job as finance director for my hometown, the City of Oxford, beginning September 8,” James Overton said Wednesday. Overton has been with Spring Lake since July 2024. His final day with Spring Lake is September 4. They say you can’t go home. Apparently, you can.
Locating a downtown parking place has been a pain for Fayetteville Woodpeckers fans since the minor league baseball team came to town in 2019. Now, the city is doing something about it by offering ParkWhiz, which is a prepay parking program to allow fans to reserve parking spaces in advance of the weekday games at Segra Stadium. Reservations, according to the city, are available at parkfayettevillenc.com by selecting the “Event Parking” tab. Game day rates are $5, with a $1.50 convenience fee. The city should have thought of this seven years ago, but better late than never.
The old Belmont House is headed for the wrecking ball to make room for additional parking for the construction underway for Cape Fear Regional Theatre on Haymount Hill. “We are gearing up to clear the lot in order for it to become a parking lot,” Mary Kate Burke, artistic director at the theatre, said Wednesday. “Construction on that piece of the project will start in a few weeks. It will be able to accommodate 72 cars. We own the house and the property. This lot will help with a great deal of the parking congestion in our area and was part of the plans submitted as a part of the project, which will increase our square footage from 20,000 to 40,000 square feet. We tried to give it away and have it moved but were not successful given the poor conditions of the house, so it will need to come down. But pieces of it will live on, because we reclaimed some of it so you may see it in [theatre production] sets.” The two-story home was built in 1848.
You’ve probably by now received your 2026 Cumberland County property tax notice with a deadline of January 5 to pay. You know what they say about death and taxes.
Kelly Van Fossen, program director of Cape Fear Valley Health’s General Surgery Residency Program, has received the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons’ 2026 Guy D. Beaumont Jr. Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons Award of Academic Excellence. “Dr. Kelly Van Fossen is an extraordinary physician, educator and leader whose impact on Graduate Medical Education at Cape Fear Valley has been remarkable,” Donald Maharty, vice president of Medical Education at CFVH, said in a news release. “As the inaugural program director of our General Surgery Residency Program, she built the program from the ground up, establishing a culture of clinical excellence, mentorship and service to our community. This award is a well-deserved recognition of her commitment to surgical education and developing the next generation of surgeons.” Van Fossen said she never expected an award for “doing the work I so deeply care about.”
Carolyn “Cece” Carter was that gracious woman who enjoyed gardening, decorating and cooking, and baking her apple raisin muffins for her family. She carried herself with a refined elegance. When you were down and out in life, she was there to lift you up and assure you tomorrow would be a better day. She lived all of her life at the foot of the Christian cross, and never wavered in her faith. Carolyn “Cece” Edward Carter died at age 87 on August 7.
Shelton Shearon was a woman of talent as a math and science teacher for 41 years for Fort Bragg schools, a proud supporter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and served three years as president of the Cross Creek Briarwood Garden Club. She was a leader the garden club could count on at Veterans Day and Memorial Day celebrations at Freedom Memorial Park. Shelton Hunter Shearon died at age 82 on July 23.
Cumberland County Extension Director Lisa Childers sends along a reminder that registration for the Cumberland County Fair Youth Livestock Show closes at 5 p.m. today. You can register online or call Reagan Bustabad at 910-321-6862 or Childers at 910-321-6880 if you need assistance registering. The fair is scheduled September 4–13 at the Crown Complex.
You’ll find numerous nonprofits and organizations offering gratitude to the Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County for financial support:
- Cape Fear Regional Theatre, recipient of a $250,000 Community Organization Resource Grant to support its 2026-27 season, educational classes, and outreach;
- Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, recipient of a $160,000 Mission Based Grant for its 2027 season;
- Cape Fear Botanical Garden, a $120,000 Mission Based Grant to assist in operations for environmental education and cultural arts;
- Sweet Tea Shakespeare, a $30,000 Mission Based Grant to support the theatre company’s 2026-2027 season;
- Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex, recipient of a $15,000 grant to support its upcoming “History Live” season;
- Fascinate-U Children’s Museum, recipient of a $15,000 Grassroots Arts Project Grant to expand arts education for new interactive exhibits, enhanced educational programming, and community events that inspire creativity in children of all ages;
- Cumberland County Public Library, recipient of a $13,500 Grassroots Art Project Grant to support the 18th Storytelling Festival, which is scheduled for March 1-31;
- Artist Village Community Theatre, recipient of a $12,500 Grassroots Arts Grant for its 2026-2027 season;
- Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation, recipient of a $12,000 Residential Artist–Arts Education Workshops for Patients grant for those fighting cancer and neurological issues;
- Employment Source, a $11,300 Grassroots Arts Program Grant supporting weekly arts education workshops for adults with disabilities in the Bloom self-employment program;
- Cape Fear Ballroom Dancers, recipient of a $5,000 Grassroots Art Project Grant to support its 2026–2027 dance program.
Coming Sunday: State of the Community: “Where we are headed tomorrow.”
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
