The Cumberland Community Foundation offers a reminder that its GivingTuesday campaign is back for a fifth consecutive year on Dec. 3 in support of 78 local nonprofits, according to a news release, but those wishing to donate can do so online beginning Nov. 25 and until 5 p.m. on Dec. 4. “Coordinating and amplifying the impact of local giving is the core mission of Cumberland Community Foundation,” says Maddie Kellogg, coordinator for the CCF GivingTuesday campaign. “In 2023, we raised and distributed $2.5 million in the 10-day GivingTuesday campaign. That represents 1,496 donors and 3,709 gifts. Gifts ranged from $10 to $100,000. Together, we can make a difference.” All financial benevolence, the foundation says, will be amplified with $525,000 in matching funds, thanks to the generosity of the Fayetteville New Car Dealers Association, Elizabeth “Beth” Keeney, Daphne and Ray Manning, Carol and Sammy Short, Will Gillis, three anonymous donors, unrestricted endowments of CCF and the CCF board of directors. For more information, send email inquiries to Gifts@CumberlandCF.Org or call (910) 483-4449.
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“Lee Warren’s unwavering dedication to Cumberland County has made a lasting impact on our community,” says Cumberland Board of County Commissioners Chair Glenn Adams in a news release about Warren, who was recognized Tuesday at a retirement ceremony at the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse. A former chair of the commission board, Warren was appointed to the office of Register of Deeds in May 2003 while serving as a commissioner. He was elected as register of deeds in 2008 and held that post for 26 years. He served as president of the North Carolina Register of Deeds Association in 2012. “His leadership and innovative contributions to the Board of Commissioners and the Register of Deeds office have set a standard of excellence that will be felt for years to come.” Senior Assistant Register of Deeds Andra Brewington filed for the office when Warren earlier this year said he would not seek another term. Brewington is scheduled to be sworn in on Dec. 2.
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Haymount residents from Hillside Avenue, Hale Street and Athens Drive say they plan to be at the Fayetteville City Council meeting Monday in objection to a management company asking for a special use permit at an evidentiary hearing for a large group home, which some residents say is already operating at 709 Hay St. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sounds like somebody didn’t do some due diligence in the first place, and residents are right to be concerned.
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A word to the wise at the Thanksgiving dinner table: don’t talk politics.
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North Carolina highway intersections can be dangerous, and the N.C. Department of Transportation is doing something about alleviating the danger for motorists by converting statewide roadway intersections to all-way stops, according to a news release. All-way stops, the NCDOT says, reduce fatalities and injuries by 77%, and are more predictable than traffic signals.
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“I’ll miss him coming in the door every morning,” Jonathan Cribb says about Eddie Maynor, the longtime co-owner of Highland Barber Shop at Highland Shopping Center. A barber for 58 years and a former Hope Mills Town Board commissioner, Edward Earl Maynor died at age 80 on Nov. 2.
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“Bill, thank you for the article on Eddie Maynor,” Drew Ziegler writes in an email about the Nov. 17 column on the late Eddie Maynor. “I knew some of the things you wrote about, but I learned a lot more about him from your piece. I saw Eddie every two weeks, usually on Thursday or Friday. Frank (Williams) or Gene (Ivey) cut my hair, but I always [talked] to Eddie a bit, either about Hope Mills or his next cruise. I think he and his wife took over 80 cruises. I remember seeing Moose Butler (late Cumberland County sheriff) and Billy Richardson (former N.C. House member) in his chair. I didn’t learn about Eddie until I went into the shop Nov 14. Frank says he wants to keep the shop open. I hope he can. Thanks again for writing about Eddie.”
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Wilhelmena Sapp is the newest member of the Cumberland Community Foundation Board of Directors, according to a news release. A retired music teacher, Sapp previously served on CCF’s education scholarship committee and with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. Along with her husband, Sapp established the Sapp Family Endowment at CCF.
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Sad and heartbreaking to learn about the death of Donna Gregory, the talented television news anchor for WWAY-TV in Wilmington and former news anchor from 1988-1996 with WRAL-TV in Raleigh. Gregory, 61, was the consummate TV news anchor, and one of the better ones in the business. Diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in April, according to published reports, Donna Gregory died Tuesday after a courageous battle with the disease.
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You can be assured the late Connie Canady was looking down with pride on Nov. 15, when her daughter, Mary Katherine Stiles, was honored as the 2024-25 School Psychologist of the Year at the William “Bill” Harrison Resource Center as part of the Cumberland County Schools recognition of National School Psychology Week. “Mary Katherine is passionate about her job and dedicated to helping children,” says Lisa Craver, coordinator for psychological services for the school system, in a news release. “She goes above and beyond to assist teams in making the best decisions for students. She’s not only a strong advocate for her schools but also a supportive colleague to the entire psychological services team.” Stiles earned her B.A. in psychology from UNC-Wilmington and her master’s and specialist in school psychology degrees from Appalachian State University. Stiles, as did older sister Jessica Canaday, followed in her mother’s footsteps as an educator for the school system, where Connie Canaday worked more than 30 years before retiring in 2004 as principal at E.E. Miller Elementary School. Connie Cook Canaday was 60 when she died June 7, 2013.
Bill Kirby Jr. can be reached at billkirby49@gmail.com or 910-624-1961.
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Love love love the article about Connie’s daughter Mary Katherine! Her mama would be so proud! As a volunteer at Margaret Willis Elementary, I often see the results of her good works w/ kids!