March/April CityView

Kelly:
Did you know that former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor graduated third in her class at Stanford Law School in 1953 and the only job she was offered was as a legal secretary? Women in various professions have proven their mettle and have shattered gender stereotypes. In this issue, we feature three of our local female attorneys recognized across the state in 2013 for the Women of Justice Awards, with our very own, Judge A. Elizabeth Keever grabbing the coveted Woman of the Year award. It was wonderful sitting down with these path breakers who make such a difference and continue to raise the bar… literally. 

Another success story is our food story featuring NC CEED's latest endeavor, The Training Station. The professional grade kitchen stations and banquet facility will be able to be booked for events. The blueprints include a space for another community garden and outdoor venues as well. This is a win to local caterers and those baking inside their homes, as it will equip more people for jobs and the licensing needed to operate within state laws. I love it when old buildings are repurposed for the greater good and CEED is counting on this to be a community effort in helping to fund part of the cost.

Food is a sure way to unite a community. 

Miriam:
“Women in Business” is nothing new to me or those in my generation,..“the millennials.” We look up to female moguls like Marissa Meyer of Yahoo!, fashion editor icon Anna Wintour and of course.. Oprah. We look up to political powerhouses like German Prime Minister Angela Merkel. And we admire child activists like Malala Yousafzai, who has led a one-girl fight against the Taliban to promote and achieve education for women in Pakistan, Afghanistan and across the Middle East.
   
Being a “woman in business,” doesn’t mean you wear a suit and carry a briefcase to work everyday.  Read about Suzy Hrabovsky and Sylvia Ray, the beacons behind NC CEED’s kitchen incubator for those wanting to launch their own culinary brand. In our fashion feature, Regina White, winner of Belk’s Southern Designer Showcase is a wife, mother of three and high-end handbag designer who manages to have all those roles “in the bag.” Also, read about the Junior League of Fayetteville’s history and mission. This organization is one of the many ways career oriented women give back to their community through charity and advocacy.
   
I am lucky to be surrounded by women who balance family, church, social life and business. Here’s to you, Sandee, Kelly, Ashlee, Jen, Ginna, Suzanne, Jules, Ann, Robin and Annette.

I am one millennial who looks up to all of you, my own personal team of “women in business.”

Marshall:
By the time you read this, the snowstorms of January and February will be a distant memory. Your thoughts will be on the first day of spring (March 20^th), ACC basketball, March Madness and the Dogwood Festival, as you read our lovely “Women in Business” issue.

However, as I write this column I am snow bound at home. My memories go back to other snowstorm anomalies. The first one I remember happened when I was in the fourth grade at Westlawn Elementary (now Alma Eason, whom was our principal) in the winter of 1960. We lived on Pilot Avenue in Haymount and had the best hill in town for sledding.  This made for great sledding because numerous kids could go down the hill at once. Back then, people didn’t park on the street like they do now, probably because most people had only one car. Can you imagine? People from all around town came to ride their sled down the steep hill. Like today, the other go-to spots are the high slopes at Highland Country Club and Rowan Park... but our street was the best.

While I’ve weathered many storms, none were better than the one in the winter of 1960. We were out of school for many days, just as the kids are now. The child in all of us looks forward to these brief pauses of the reality of life; time spent catching up on our reading and our Netflix library. Everything seems to stop for a few days. As I look through the Facebook feed and see all the families “unplugged” out building snowmen and sledding at Highland CC, it brings back good memories. The truth is, inclement weather stops commerce almost completely. Businesses close, which no one likes, but the salaries, rent and utility bills still accrue.  People recognize this is a bad storm when the Haymount Grill closes for two days (which never happens).

I believe these little anomalies (which they are in the South) are God’s way of telling us He is still in charge. Of course man has assigned the name “Mother Nature” for these occurrences, not God. But I won’t get on my soapbox about that now. While writing this, I look out my office window at home and see a City of Fayetteville truck plowing my street of snow and ice and dropping a brine mixture, much to my pleasure. Our tax dollars are hard at work when we need them. Bundling up to face the world, I’ll head over to the post office and collect the bills that didn’t stop during Winter Storm Pax. As my mother used to always tell us: “You be careful out there!"

Where the Blooms Are
Keith Clayton cultivates beauty in The Orchid Habitat Read more

 

CEED is serving up new dishes
Culinary Incubator Coming to Downtown Fayetteville Read more

 

In the Business of Dance
Fayetteville State University’s 
Modern Dance program lands on its feet Read more

 

Storytelling by Moonlight
Jan Johnson and Pat Wright set the standard for innovative videography and exquisite event spaces in downtown Fayetteville Read more

 

Remembering Jarred
Elementary school teacher moves forward despite her pain Read more

 

It’s in
the Bag!
Local girl designs high-end purses Read more

 

The Verdict is In: Guilty, Women Attorneys Excel
Meet three local lawyers recognized for the professional 
and community accolades Read more

  A League of Their Own

The Junior League of Fayetteville’s time-honored service to Cumberland County rings true Read more