Ashanti Bennett is the new chief executive officer and president of the Cool Spring Downtown District, succeeding Bianca Shoneman, who resigned in January. “I started with Cool Spring Downtown District as a committee volunteer when it was being created back in 2017,” Bennett said Thursday. “It is a distinct pleasure and honor to now be leading an organization whose mission that I believe in wholeheartedly.” Bennett, who was selected out of 16 candidates, according to board president Michael Pennink, has served as interim CEO and president since Shoneman’s resignation. “This decision reflects our strong belief in her vision and leadership, which has already guided the organization through a time of transition,” according to a news release on behalf of the nonprofit’s board of directors. “We are confident that Ms. Bennett will continue to serve with integrity, transparency and purpose, marked with servant leadership and joy.”
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“I’m not promising utopia,” Fayetteville mayoral candidate Tisha Waddell writes on a Nextdoor social media post. “I’m committing to transparency, ethical leadership and common-sense solutions. No playing politics. I’m here to work.” Waddell is a former member of the Fayetteville City Council.
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Freddie de la Cruz also is taking to Nextdoor in his third bid for the mayoral gavel. “I am not running for mayor for personal gain, I am not an activist, I don’t feel entitled, and I am not a quitter,” says de la Cruz, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and Fayetteville businessman. “I will fight for the people. The bottom line this election is about leadership, accountability and trust.” De la Cruz has lost to Mayor Mitch Colvin by sizable margins in 2023 and 2021.
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“All have to be prepared for what politics is … a contact sport,” longtime Cumberland County politico George Breece said last week in his assessment of Fayetteville mayoral and city council races scheduled for the Oct. 7 primaries and Nov. 4 general election. Apparently, Breece is on target as the Cumberland County Board of Elections has scheduled a challenge hearing for 1 p.m. on Aug. 12 at the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse concerning Enrique R. Murillo, a candidate for the District 5 competition against incumbent Lynne Bissette Greene. Murillo failed to disclose “he was previously convicted of a felony at the time of filing,” according to Angie Amaro, director for the local board of elections. The challenge, according to board chair Linda Devore, was initiated by Melene Hatcher, an ardent campaign supporter for Greene. Murrillo claims it to be a misunderstanding.
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Frank R. Lopes Jr. is the new chair of the Cumberland Community Foundation, and his first order of business was recognizing his predecessor, Gail A. Riddle, who served in the position from 2023-2025, when foundation assets grew 23.2% from $123,605,050.74 to $152,315,434.08. “More importantly, all this growth has helped us achieve our impact goals and CCF awarded $16,843,519 in grants and scholarships during these two years,” Lopes said in the CCF newsletter for July. Elizabeth Keever will serve as vice chair; Melissa Short Smith, secretary; W.C. Powers, treasurer; and Vera Bell, assistant treasurer. Other board members reelected, according to the newsletter, are former chair Bruce Dantzler (2021-2023), Carol D. Dickey and Joseph J. Vonnegut. Riddle will chair the Governance Committee for the next two years.
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Cross Creek Linear Trail will be renamed Harry F. Shaw Linear Trail in a dedication ceremony scheduled at 10 a.m. on Aug. 4 in honor of the late Fayetteville native, who was the vision behind the trail. “Few people leave such a tangible, lasting impact on their community,” City Manager Doug Hewett said in a news release. “Harry Shaw’s vision has created a space where people can gather, where people can stay active and where our natural beauty is preserved. This naming ceremony ensures his legacy will inspire future generations.” Shaw helped raise more than $3.5 million and invested countless hours planning and working on the trail near his boyhood home. Construction began in 2004 and was completed in 2015. The dedication includes completion of an approximately half-mile connector trail, which links the Cape Fear River Trail to the Riverside Dog Park.
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“Thank you Bill Kirby for your kind comments about Bill Passick,” Judy Dawkins writes in an email about our July 25 remembrance of William “Bill” Michael Passick Jr., who died at age 94 on July 19. “We worked at the VA Medical Center at the same time. He was always very nice to me and always supportive of our veterans. I didn’t know he was ‘The Mayor of Massey Hill.’ He will be missed.” Mr. Passick loved calling Massey Hill home since 1953, Mrs. Dawkins said, and he had a compassionate heart for kids of the 1960s and 1970s growing up on “the hill.” He loved being a part of the Massey Hill Lions Club and the club’s annual oyster roast each January. Yes, Mr. Passick came to be known as the honorary “Mayor of Massey Hill” with good reason.
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Some welcome news for health care in Cumberland County as Cape Fear Valley Medical Center has been ranked No. 20 by U.S. News & World Report as one of the 2025-2026 Best Hospitals in the state. “We are pleased to receive this recognition from U.S. News & World Report,” Mike Nagowski, chief executive officer of Cape Fear Valley Health, said in a news release. “Providing exceptional health care for all our patients has always been our top priority. Our team of caregivers is committed to the highest standards for quality and safety, and this recognition is a result of that commitment.” The medical center also was recognized as a High Performing hospital for procedures and conditions related to abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, heart failure, hip fracture, kidney failure, pacemaker implantation and stroke.
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Mary Catherine Burke is the energetic artistic director at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre, and she can hardly contain herself about the 2025-2026 season, which kicks off in September with the 9 to 5: The Musical performances of the 1980 motion picture, which starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and the late Dabney Coleman. “This season celebrates powerful stories, beloved titles and artistic excellence,” Burke said in a news release. “From a Broadway legend to Emmy-winning talent and returning fan-favorites, we’re creating a season full of joy, heart and irresistible music.” Robert Newman of Guiding Light soap opera fame will portray Franklin Hart, the chauvinistic boss of the conniving 9 to 5 secretaries in the play that runs Sept. 4-28. Little Shop of Horrors is scheduled for Oct. 23-Nov. 16, with Burke directing and choreography by Emmy Award winner Tyce Diorio. Disney’s High School Musical is scheduled Jan. 29-Feb. 22, Driving Miss Daisy on March 19-April 4; and Crowns: A Gospel Musical to run May 7-31. All performances are at the old Holiday Inn Bordeaux at 1707 Owen Drive while remodeling of CFRT continues on Haymount Hill. Visit CFRT.org to learn more about season tickets and theatre information.
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Cumberland County Schools has pared its list to 10 finalists for 2026 Teacher of the Year and 2026 Beginning Teacher of the Year. Teacher of the Year finalists, according to a news release, are Elwanda McLaurin, Spring Lake Middle; Lydian Washington, E.E. Miller Elementary; Holley Hall, New Century International Elementary; Tanner Nygaard, South View High; Manzell Spencer Jr., Douglas Byrd Middle; Kelly Osornio, Cape Fear High; Lucas Lohr, Gray’s Creek Middle; Mary Cuevas, Westover Middle; Jennifer Guy, Terry Sanford High; and Sandra Melvin, Lucile Souders Elementary. Finalists for Beginning Teacher of the Year are Leia Hurst, Stoney Point Elementary; Cynthia Burks, Massey Hill Classical High; Amber Autry, Cape Fear High; Hannah Bobby, Beaver Dam Elementary; Emma Wright, Eastover-Central Elementary; Crystal Shields, Gray’s Creek Middle; Shameka Freeman, Ponderosa Elementary; Carl Douglas, Westover Middle; Brittany Walker, Warrenwood Elementary; and Maya Lucente, Westarea Elementary. Winners will be announced on Sept. 8 at the school system’s 2026 Premier Professionals Gala.
Coming Sunday: “Democracy works when people go to the polls and vote,” former Hope Mills commissioner weighs in on four-year staggered terms
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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