EDITOR'S TAKE
Unconventional love BY VALERIA CLOËS
The month of love is here. And Cupid himself aimed his arrow right at CityView’s heart. But instead of just thinking about feelings for a romantic partner, Cupid has inspired us to reimagine how we think about love. Love is found through discovering your family’s roots. Love is found through regaining health and a newfound appreciation of life. Love is found through the historical impacts of an individual. And, of course, love is found through a long life lived with a soulmate. Our first feature in this February magazine honors Black History Month, where Fayetteville State University hosted the North Carolina Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Black History Month Genealogy Conference from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. The conference highlighted the benefits of tracing your genealogy for those whose history was purposely kept from records. The president of its Sandhills Chapter, Desi L. Campbell, shared the impact of tracing his own roots, uncovering long-lost relatives and history. Senior Columnist Bill Kirby Jr. returns to the magazine this month by sharing the story of love between the late Evelyn Fay Spicer and her husband Bob Spicer. February is also American Heart Month, and Cape Fear Valley Health emphasizes the importance of women’s heart health by highlighting the differences in symptoms of heart attacks in women. Read about heart attack survivor Sondra Bemesderfer’s story in the sponsored feature, starting on page 18. Fayetteville trailblazer Pat Timmons-Goodson was honored with a portrait unveiling in the North Carolina Supreme Court in an initiative by its Historical Society to honor the justices who served on the state’s Supreme Court. Timmons-Goodson, an Alpha Kappa Alpha member, is the first Black woman to serve on its court. And in military news, Fort Liberty is updating its Spears Ready Warrior Restaurant to make it into a campus-style dining hall. Dig into what that means for the dining facility and service members starting on page 24. Thanks to our publishing partnership with The Assembly, we’re also throwing it back on page 30 to a profile on Fayetteville State University’s Chancellor Darrell Allison and the impact his work has had on the university. 4 | FEBRUARY 2025
Army Sgt. 1st Class Markes Johnson and his daughter Xahara, threw axes and played a game of cornhole during an impromptu dad/daughter date night at Axes and Armour on Raeford Road. Photo by Tony Wooten
Our columnists this month explore love in diverse ways: our first celebrates Freelance Writers Appreciation Week with her confessions as a freelance writer, the second discusses how children navigate Valentine’s Day, the third explores marital love and the last highlights looking for love through books. The main event on our To-Do List this month is CityView’s Power of Giving Community Impact Awards luncheon presented by the Public Works Commission from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 11 to honor the award winners. Scan the page’s QR code to buy tickets. There are other events this month you can add to your calendar with this month’s To-Do List on page 44. We were at the scene of An Affair to Remember’s 2025 A Girl to Remember Runway Extravaganza Fashion Show on Saturday, Jan. 11, at The Crown Complex. If you strutted down the pink carpet that day, you may be in this month’s magazine. Go to page 30 to find out. We hope this issue will fill your heart with all kinds of love. Thank you for reading!
Valeria Cloës Magazine Editor For comments, questions, feedback, or to submit story ideas, email vcloes@cityviewnc.com.