CityView May 2024

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CityView WWW.CITYVIEWNC.COM

MAY 2024

THE

Home & Garden ISSUE

COUNTRY ELEGANCE

ALLEY GARDEN PROJECT

A FIELD OF DREAMS

FINDING 'HOME' IN ROUTINES

LaVonne Sprague

Registered Client Associate

(910) 758-7122

lsprague@dadco.com

David Dries, CRPC®

Kim Flanagan

(910) 758-7124

kflanagan@dadco.com

Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor

Client Associate

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ddries@dadco.com

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Event Services & Professionals

22

Alley Garden Project Capitol Encore Academy teacher beautifies downtown Fayetteville, cultivates passion for planting in students.

On the cover: Country elegance Take a photographic journey through the breathtaking beauty of Big Valley Ranch, where country charm meets rustic elegance. From its 4,000-square-foot main house, charming barn, and serene 16-acre lake, each image of Ralph and Linda Huff's 350-acre ranch tells a story of luxurious country living that defines this idyllic property.

Photography by Tony Wooten.

COLUMNS Editor’s Take: Bill Horner III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Someday You’ll Thank Me: Mary Zahran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Family Matters: Claire Mullen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 HomeFront: Finding "home" in routines — Aria Spears . . . . . 42 The To-Do List: Your go-to spot for local events . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Seen @ the Scene: A look at who was out and about . . . . . . 46

2 May 2024

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Home-based to storefront The Pink Petunia blossoms on Morganton Road with home decor, gifts and more.

32

A field of dreams Alpha Jones’ work with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers’ Segra Stadium is an award-winning beauty.

38

Stroke rehab road to recovery How one man’s survival story demonstrates the importance of awareness and time when having a stroke.

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THE LOCATION YOU WILL LOVE. THE HOME OF YOUR DREAMS. Diverse communities to choose from in the most desirable areas featuring unique floor plans to fit every lifestyle. Discover why the Fayetteville area is the perfect place to build your Dream Home.

For area and community information, homebuyer and broker incentives, and availability, please contact us today!

910-415-9677 DREAMFINDERSHOMES.COM

CityViewNC.com | 3

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4 May 2024

Patty Collie Named to MASTER'S CLUB at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) announced that Patty Collie, Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor, Portfolio Management Director, Family Wealth Advisor, and Lending Specialist has been named Club an elite to the Firm’s prestigious Master’s Club, group composed of the Firm’s top Financial Advisors. The appointment recognizes Patty’s consistent creativity and excellence in providing a wide range of investment products and wealth management services to her clients.

In addition, Patty was named to the 2024 Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State Ranking. Patty and her team, Cardinal Point Ranking East Group at Morgan Stanley, also received recognition as a 2024 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams.

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, a global leader, provides access to a wide range of products and services to individuals, businesses, and institutions, including brokerage and investment advisory services, financial and wealth planning, cash management and lending products and services, annuities and insurance, retirement, and trust services.

Patricia E. Collie Senior Vice President Financial Advisor Portfolio Management Director Family Wealth Advisor Lending Specialist NMLS#1316469

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 42 countries, the Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions, and individuals. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

Source: Forbes.com (Jan 2024) 2024 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams ranking awarded in 2024. This ranking was determined based on an evaluation process conducted by SHOOK Research LLC (the research company) in partnership with Forbes (the publisher) for the period from 3/31/22–3/31/23.

Source: Forbes.com (February 2024) 2024 Forbes America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors & Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In- State rankings awarded in 2024. This ranking was determined based on an evaluation process conducted by SHOOK Research LLC (the research company) in partnership with Forbes (the publisher) for the period from 9/30/22-9/30/23.

Neither Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC nor its Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors paid a fee to SHOOK Research LLC for placement on its rankings.

These rankings are based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each Financial Advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations, and quantitative criteria, including assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research LLC and may not be representative of any one client’s experience; investors must carefully choose the right Financial Advisor or team for their own situation and perform their own due diligence. These rankings are not indicative of the Financial Advisor’s future performance. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is not affiliated with SHOOK Research LLC or Forbes. For more information, see www.SHOOKresearch.com.

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Master’s Club members must meet a number of criteria including performance, conduct and compliance standards, revenue, length of experience and assets under supervision. Master’s Club membership is no guarantee of future performance.

Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a business of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. ©2024 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC CRC #6398668 2/2024

EDITOR’S TAKE

Lyman Baum, ‘The Book of Failure,’ and a prairie disaster

W

BY BILL HORNER III, EXECUTIVE EDITOR

6 May 2024

PHOTO BY BILL HORNER III

henever spring, and particularly the occasional dark clouds of May, roll around, I think about Lyman Baum.

You might be familiar with him. This is the story of the thin but sturdy thread connecting him to me.

Lyman Baum was something of a daydreamer. Born just before the Civil War, he had a restless spirit, especially when it came to seeking the fortune that always seemed to elude him. In turns he pursued stamp-collecting, poultry breeding, door-to-door sales, the theater and even owning a retail store — Baum’s Bazaar, which sold novelties from Japan and glassware made by Native Americans. He was known to be generous with store credit, though, which helped bankrupt that establishment.

A serial entrepreneur who once published a trade magazine for retailers, Baum next got into the newspaper business in South Dakota and, when that failed, worked as a reporter and freelance writer in Chicago.

All along, he kept a private notebook of ideas for stories that newspapers and magazines rejected. He called it “The Book of Failure.”

Where Lyman Baum most wanted to succeed, though, was in writing books. Children’s books were becoming commercially viable, thanks to the enormous success of a series of tales about a place called “Wonderland” by an author named Lewis Carroll. So in the summer of 1899, Baum got the idea to write a story about a Wonderland of his own.

For inspiration, he turned to a story he remembered from a newspaper. It was about a Kansas farm town decimated by a tornado.

In a particularly gruesome detail, he recalled reading about one of the storm victims — a young girl found buried face down in the mud.

Her name was Dorothy Gale.

As his book took shape in his mind and on paper, Baum needed a name for his own Wonderland. Looking around his basement den for ideas, his eyes fell upon his two-drawer filing cabinet.

The upper drawer was labeled A-N. The other was labeled O-Z. “Oz,” then, was it. The book that would bring Baum his fortune would be called “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” He published it not under his given name of Lyman — he was named for an uncle, his father’s brother — but the name he preferred, his middle name.

It was thus that L. Frank Baum finally found success and fortune and literary immortality.

Baum went on to write another 13 books in the “Oz” series. Oz wasn’t real, of course, but the town in which the real Dorothy Gale lived and died was — which is where Baum and I connect.

Decimated by tornados in 1879, the town of Irving was the inspiration for Lyman Baum's “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” That town was Irving, Kansas, located a scant five miles down the Blue River from my adopted hometown of Blue Rapids, in northeast Kansas, where I moved from North Carolina when I was 8 and lived until going off to college.

I relocated to Kansas in 1972, but it was a long time before that — on May 30, 1879 — when two massive tornadoes struck Irving, then a town of about 300 souls, an hour apart. More than 60 people were killed by the twisters, including six members of the Gale family. Poor Dorothy, according to one newspaper report, was driven into the mud by the winds with such ferocity that she was buried past her shoulders.

Some Irving residents were never found, whisked away by the winds to places unknown. A letter written by Irving resident Annis Minerva Crawford two weeks after the storm to a woman who lost her husband and son to the twisters describes the aftermath.

“I learn from the men who found them, that your husband was found on his back about the middle of the lot,” Crawford wrote. “What hurts he received I cannot say, nor could they as he was so covered by mud … and I think his face was not hurt. Your son had a large

gash over his right eye. Both were easily recognized. When found they were close together. Mrs. Keeney was carried somewhat farther than they were, and was driven headfirst into the ground almost to her breast. We suppose that death in each case was instantaneous, that they did not suffer, for all the wounded give the same story, that consciousness was lost.”

Named for author Washington Irving, the Irving near where I lived was founded in 1859. The town rebuilt after the tornadoes, which marked the first time in history a single town was struck by two tornadoes on the same day. (It happened again in Xenia, Ohio, in 1974.) Irving was flooded by the Big Blue River in 1908, and again in subsequent years. Fires were also a plague, including four in a devastating 11-year period — the last in 1916.

It’d be nice to say the town lived happily ever after, and that it flourishes today. But Irving clearly had its own Book of Failures.

The last was a man-made event — the construction of a dam in the Blue River Valley resulted in a government-mandated closing of the town, one of several in the valley adjacent to the river. Residents were all forced to move away.

Most of the abandoned towns were submerged by waters created by the dam, but the resilient Irving, as it turns out, ended up not flooded. Ultimately, the town got the last word in the matter: the town site is still visible, and you can even walk its streets, partially overgrown with grasses and weeds. A stone monument with the word “IRVING” sits there, with a simple mailbox behind it.

I’ve visited this ghost town several times over the years, and it’s a haunting place.

Tornado chasers who know its history like to stop by to visit, leaving messages for fellow chasers in the mailbox.

In Baum’s book — and in the movie that helped make it, and him, famous — the fictional Dorothy returns home to Kansas.

In the abandoned town of Irving, and in my mind each May, the real Dorothy’s memory still lives.

Bill

Save on a Rainy Day And More Tips to Lower Your Bills this Summer • Make sure you turn outside faucets all the way off after watering outdoors.

• Install a rain sensor on your sprinkler system to keep it from turning on when it’s raining.

• Check your backflow/sprinkler system for leaks before turning it on for the season.

• Conserve all the power you can during summer Time-of-Use Peak Hours – 3PM to 7PM weekdays, April-October.

• Set your A/C at 78º during the summer months.

• Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for maintaining your A/C system.

• Use the interactive Energy Resource Center on our website to take charge of your savings.

Visit PWC’s website for lots more ways to save water and power.

Bill Horner III is the executive editor of CityView.

Contact him at bhorner@cityviewnc.com.

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CityViewNC.com | 7

SOMEDAY YOU’LL THANK ME

If my walls could talk TOS

8 May 2024

CON TRI BUT ED PHO

D

o you ever wonder if your walls can talk? If they could, what would they say?

Would they praise you for your decorating style, for selecting colors and patterns that make them beautiful? Would they thank you for allowing them to smell the perfume on the scarves hanging in the bedroom closet? Would they express their gratitude for the opportunity to enjoy the aroma of a delicious meal being prepared each evening?

While my walls might not share the opinion that this is an accurate description of the house we have inhabited since 1993, one thing they do share is a talent for finding things they can all criticize.

Nothing escapes their scrutiny.

Most of our walls are made of plaster, and they tend to crack easily.

Every time I hear sounds coming from Fort Liberty (formerly known as Fort Bragg), I immediately picture new cracks forming in the walls. While I understand the necessity for these military exercises, my walls do not.

I can almost hear them groaning as they endure this treatment.

At moments like this, I am glad my walls cannot talk, for I can only imagine what they would say. After all, they have had thirty years of exposure to colorful language that provides them with an enormous vocabulary for swearing at anyone or anything that offends them. How they can be inanimate objects and yet display such sensitivity to their surroundings is a mystery to me.

If these cracks are not enough of an indignity to my walls, they must also suffer what they probably regard as bad taste in my choice of much of the artwork on display throughout my home.

Let’s begin with a drawing done by my younger daughter when she was in preschool.

BY MARY ZAHRAN

Although she was only 4 at the time, she somehow managed to channel her inner Salvador Dalí to create a bizarre portrait of her family, one that even now alternates between being amusing and frightening.

I am convinced the walls must look at our faces in this drawing and conclude the inhabitants of this house are strange. My face is probably the oddest of all. My eyes are crossed in a way that makes me look like I have just consumed several bottles of vodka.

I love this picture as only a mother can, not in spite of its peculiarities but because of them. I don’t care what the walls think.

I don’t know what our walls gazed at every day before we bought this house, but having to look at Vincent van Gogh’s vibrant colors and surreal landscapes along with Gustav Klimt’s display of men and women kissing and embracing at odd angles has probably been quite an adjustment for them.

If our walls are grateful for the opportunity to look at anything in our

house, they will thank us for allowing them to spend their days gazing at our photographs. We may have given them the impression that we are weirdos trapped in a preschool painting or lovers of art that is both baffling and unorthodox, but the family history residing in our photos redeems us.

We have a gallery of family pictures in our kitchen that we put up several years ago. It is a combination of photos from my family and my husband’s family, and it serves as a constant reminder of those who have greatly influenced our lives. It also reminds our daughters of their unique pedigree.

My husband’s maternal and paternal families came to America from Sicily and Lebanon in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Of all the pictures of his family, there is one picture in particular that I love. It is a photo of my mother-in-law and father-in-law holding hands and walking down a street in Brooklyn, looking back at the camera as they were being photographed. They share the look of young lovers confident their future would be filled with many blessings.

And it was.

My parents, whose ancestors came from Wales and England more than four hundred years ago, have a similar picture. It was taken on the eve of their wedding as they cut a cake.

They also look very hopeful for the future.

Theirs was a long and happy marriage.

If our walls really could talk, I hope they would say that life in our house is many things, but it is never boring.

Mary Zahran, who likes vodka but doesn’t drink it by the gallon, can be reached at maryzahran@gmail.com.

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FAMILY MATTERS

The tale of the kitchen trash can snake

I

BY CLAIRE MULLEN

like to think that I’m not afraid of snakes. Am I a snake enthusiast? Absolutely not. But, I have hiked enough off-thebeaten-path trails, cooled off in enough rocky creeks, and camped in enough wooded areas in the summer months across our great, snaky state to know that occasional encounters with reptiles of the serpentine variety are pretty much inevitable.

I’ve studied and just about memorized the “Snakes of North Carolina” identification chart that I’ve saved to my phone, and know to avoid, at all costs, limbless species with diamond-shaped heads, a single row of belly scales, elliptical pupils, or rattly tails.

I’m pretty proud of the fact that in the handful of too-close-for-comfort instances that a snake has snuck up on me (or, more accurately, I’ve snuck up on it), I’ve been able to maintain my composure relatively well, and handled the situation as experts instruct you, backing slowly away from the snake with no sudden movements while never averting your eyes from it.

But nothing, and I mean NOTHING, prepares you for a chance meeting with a snake inside your home. There is no identification chart on the whole World Wide Web, no laundry list of tips from a well-trained wildlife specialist, or past OUTDOOR experience with any species of snake on God’s green Earth that could adequately equip a mother of two young children for the moment that she flips the lid of her kitchen trash can to discard a protein bar wrapper, only to come face to scaly face with a snake, curled up snug as a bug between crumpled paper towels and empty applesauce pouches.

That is not a theoretical situation, but rather, a very real thing that happened to me last summer. And, if you’re curious to know how someone who likes to think she is not afraid of snakes handled this situation, I will tell you.

First, as any strong and independent woman would do, I slammed the lid of the can shut, called my husband at work, and spent the first 30 or so seconds after he answered on a very impressive display of hysterics. I was eventually able to compose myself enough to utter the words, “There is a SNAKE in our KITCHEN trash can!”

When I began to realize that the offending serpent was going nowhere fast, and with my wits finally about me, I began to brainstorm my own spur-of-the-moment, panic-inspired snake removal plan.

First, I flung open the lid once again and darted to the opposite corner of the kitchen. I zoomed my camera phone as far as it could possibly zoom, snapped a photo of the eerily unbothered imposter, and texted it to my husband to confirm that it was, most likely, a relatively harmless red-bellied snake.

My husband calmly told me that we could not risk the snake

10 May 2024

getting loose indoors. He asked me if I could find a way to get the snake out of the house. I asked him if I could, instead, find a way to burn the house down.

After he reminded me that our house was not insured against arson by the homeowner, I realized that the safety of the four human inhabitants of our household rested on my shoulders alone. I put the phone on speaker so that I could maintain communication with my husband in the event that the snake struck me down mid-removal.

I sheathed my trembling hands in my thickest pair of oven mitts and used my longest tongs to slam the lid of the trash can shut.

I weighed the top of the can down with the heaviest bowl I could find, took a few deep breaths, and grabbed the heavy aluminum can by its handles.

Carrying it at arm’s length, I sprinted out our back door, across our backyard, and launched the whole daggone trash can, snake and all, into our big green rolling trash can, and slammed the lid shut. For good measure, I pulled a concrete cinder block from our toolshed and heaved it on top of that trash can. There would be no escaping for Mr. Snake.

When I told my husband what I’d done, rather than congratulate me on my bravery, he chuckled at my unique snake-handling tactics and even dared to mention under his breath something about “poor snake” and “expensive simplehuman trash can.”

And apparently, he’s not the only Mullen man with a soft spot in his heart for snakes, even ones that induce trauma into an otherwise peaceful July day for an unassuming mother and two innocent children.

Not even 30 minutes after I texted my father-in-law my zoomed-in photo and extraction story, his truck pulled into our driveway. The kind-hearted, critter-loving man dug through our trash until he found the snake, alive and well, at the bottom of the pile.

He used gardening gloves to gently relocate it to a zip-close bag that would offer safe passage on the truck ride from my house to his ultimate release in a remote field, which my father-in-law assured me would be many, many miles from my kitchen.

To this day, we still do not know how that darn snake ended up in our trash can. I’m still grateful for a father-in-law who saved me the lifelong guilt of causing one of God’s creatures a slow and agonizing demise, trapped inside a double wall of trash cans sealed with a cement slab.

And, I am still quite ungrateful for my younger brother, who, after hearing the tale of the kitchen trash can snake, said to me, “You know what? I bet that snake was after the big ol’ rat who got in first …”

Claire Mullen can be reached at clairejlmullen @gmail.com.

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CityViewNC.com | 11

COVER STORY

Country elegance A visit to Ralph and Linda Huff's 350-acre Big Valley Ranch PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY WOOTEN

R

alph and Linda Huff's 350-acre ranch features a 4,000-square-foot main house with four bedrooms and guest quarters. The property sits midway between Ralph and Linda's childhood farms and a mile from the Shiloh Presbyterian Church, which Ralph attended as a child. The barn has five stalls, where Ralph and Linda's horses, Bugsy and Susie, reside.

In addition, there's a pony and two tiny horses named Lollly and Poppy. Juan and Ceasar are the handlers of the horses. A 16-acre lake sits behind the main house where the family fishes for bass and brim. A bald eagle can be seen at the lake regularly. The vast property allows room for hunting deer and turkeys and provides ample space for recreational activities.

12 May 2024

CityViewNC.com | 13

The Huff family enjoys the modern living room and kitchen space in the main residence on the ranch.

14 May 2024

Built in 2021, the ranch provides a variety of spaces to enjoy throughout the year. The patio and outdoor kitchen attached to the main residence are fabulous for family time and entertaining.

The stable houses a comfortable living space to rest after caring for the horses. It conveniently leads to the stalls through the glass double doors past the wooden table.

CityViewNC.com | 15

The five-stall barn is the first structure encountered when accessing the property.

Ralph and Linda spend up to three days a week at the ranch and take time to ride their horses Bugsy and Susie.

16 May 2024

CityViewNC.com | 17

P R O FE S S I O N A L P R O FI L E S

Event Services & Professionals

UPCOMING PROFESSIONAL PROFILES June The Downtown Issue

Turn to the outstanding and experienced event

Men in Business

professionals profiled on the following pages to help your wedding day and other of life’s

July

biggest events turn out to be as beautiful and joyous as you always dreamed.

The Military Issue

Veteran-Owned Businesses

CityView will be profiling Men in Business in our

August

June issue. Call us at 910-423-6500 or email sales@cityviewnc.com to reserve your spot in this special promotional section.

Back to School

Family-Owned Businesses September

CityView

Fall in Fayetteville

Restaurant & Bar Owners

Five Star Entertainment Five Star Entertainment owner Mark Pezzella is well known in the community for his and his team’s ability to bring the “wow” factor to special events. He is a military veteran originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, who decided to make Fayetteville his home after his Army service.

As the owner of the largest and most successful entertainment company in the area, he prides himself on his ability to give back to nonprofit organizations and is passionate about helping plan and coordinate nonprofit events. Pezzella has succeeded in sustaining his nationally award-winning company for over 30 years by being innovative, reliable and exceeding customer expectations.

Five Star Entertainment Inc. is an event production company that can handle every aspect of a large or small function. Among the services offered are DJs, dynamic room lighting, photo booths, dance floors, planning and event coordination. Contact Five Star Entertainment today to help create an outstanding and memorable event.

910-323-2409 2556 Mount Haven Lake Drive Fayetteville, NC 28306 www.FSENC.com

18 May 2024

S P EC I A L P R O M OT I O N A L S ECT I O N

P R O FE S S I O N A L P R O FI L E S

Cape Fear Botanical Garden

Cape Fear Botanical Garden is an oasis of peace, nature, and beauty just minutes from downtown Fayetteville.

The operation revolves around providing a diverse array of botanical collections, educational programs, and events for the community to enjoy. The Garden hosts hundreds of private events each year that take advantage of the garden’s natural setting, rich biodiversity of plant species, and stunning indoor spaces.

Year after year, Cape Fear Botanical Garden is the area’s favorite event venue for weddings, balls, business meetings, galas, and more because of its picturesque and versatile spaces, and the dedicated event team that helps guide you through each decision from idea to execution. With options available for events hosting 10 to 400-plus people, Cape Fear Botanical Garden is equipped to make your event stunning, unique, memorable, and as easy on you as possible.

Throughout the year, there’s always something new and engaging to discover at the garden, from a guided tour highlighting native plant species to a hands-on educational workshop.

Get a glimpse of the grounds at the Garden Gathering limited-ticket event May 15, hosted by the Friends of Cape Fear Botanical Garden to raise awareness and support for the Cape Fear Botanical Garden’s mission. Enjoy an al fresco dinner prepared by Elliott’s on Linden on the beautiful grounds, featuring locally sourced fare and live music.

And on June 8, kids are taking over the Cape Fear Botanical Garden at Pondamania 2024 – A Children’s Art Explosion, which celebrates six years of combining art with nature. It’s a day filled with art activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., including visual arts, dancing, garden exploration, animals, food, and fun.

910-486-0221 | 536 N. Eastern Blvd., Fayetteville NC 28301 | info@capefearbg.org | capefearbg.org S P EC I A L P R O M OT I O N A L S ECT I O N

CityViewNC.com | 19

P R O FE S S I O N A L P R O FI L E S

The Carolina Barn Wedding & Event Venue

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Aikeem Leigh started the Alley Garden Project in 2021 and uses it to teach students about gardening.

URBAN GARDENING

Alley Garden Project Capitol Encore Academy teacher beautifies downtown Fayetteville, cultivates passion for planting in students

M

BY GARY MANGUM | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY WOOTEN

ost people see an alley as a pathway to get from one place to another.

Or a dead end that leads nowhere. A place that is stark, with little beauty, atmosphere, and personality.

22 May 2024

But Aikeem Leigh saw so much more, and has made an alley off Anderson Street in downtown Fayetteville into something special.

Aikeem is a 2nd-grade teacher at the Capitol Encore Academy located on Hay Street. He has been teaching at the school for five years, four of which he has spent

instructing 3rd-grade math, and is a longtime gardener who envisioned the alley as a spot to grow flowers and vegetables.

“I enjoy planting. I enjoy teaching others how to plant,” said Aikeem, 35. “There’s something therapeutic about putting your hands in the dirt.”

He wanted to teach the students, and anyone else who was interested, the art of gardening.

When he started the garden in 2021, “it was just a blank slate, absolutely nothing,” Aikeem said. “Mr. [Gerard] Falls, who is our superintendent, came and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this space and we want you to come and do something with it.’ And I said, ‘Let’s go for it.’

“I said, ‘I really want to turn this space into a garden.’ And so I named it the Alley Garden Project.”

The beginning Helping Aikeem get the garden started was Fredalene DeNoble, a 3rd-grade teacher at Capitol Encore Academy.

“She was like my partner-in-crime when we first got this thing going,” Aikeem said.

“She was my right-hand woman.”

The two shared the same plan for the space, Fredalene said.

“We had a vision of an outside teaching space/garden,” she said. “We were thinking of the garden and making it an area where teachers can go and just sit with their students, or the students can be read to.”

So the two filled up planters and boxes.

“We took a day and built and constructed the garden,” Fredalene said. “I painted the garden boxes and made sure that the colors were bright and cheerful. We successfully opened the garden with benches for people to sit.”

And they added a lot of enthusiasm.

“I’m the person that everybody’s going to for advice,” Aikeem said. “Everybody wants to know like, ‘Hey, if I want to plant this … what do I need to do?’”

The alley is located just off the Capitol Encore Academy, which shares the passage with a building owned by Eric Lindstrom, the owner and director of design at SfL+a Architects. “[Eric] had originally contacted us and he wanted to improve that space,” said Gerard Falls, Capitol Encore Academy superintendent. “A lot of the alleyways get very neglected and trash accumulates, things like that. So he had offered that side of the building for our students to create a mural.”

So the school’s visual arts middle school students designed a mural for the alley, Falls said, and stemming from that came Aikeem’s idea to start the garden. Aikeem put together

Visual arts middle school students designed a mural for the alley,

'There's something therapeutic about putting your hands in the dirt,' says Aikeem.

CityViewNC.com | 23

Now, he’s taking lessons that he learned while working on farmland in Halifax County and is teaching his students how to incorporate those concepts in a concrete alley in downtown Fayetteville.

“The thing that I like about gardening is there’s no one specific way to garden,” Aikeem said. “Everyone has their own different way.

And you can garden in any space.”

He also said showing students how plants grow teaches them lessons that can be used for a lifetime.

“Sometimes we want things to happen instantly. We want them to happen then and there,” Aikeem said. “[Gardening] teaches you how to be patient, how to tend to something. It teaches them responsibility and how to take care of something. It teaches a lot of life skills as well.”

Aikeem calls himself a country boy and said he has been gardening since he was about 3 years old.

a crowdfunding campaign to get all the supplies needed to complete the project, Falls said, after which students and vo lunteers helped get an initial garden started.

“It’s nice to have someone dedicated to the space, and anyone can tell you it’s a huge improvement from what it was before,” Falls said.

It’s been a natural fit Aikeem expressed a lot of interest in gardening, Falls said, adding that Aikeem shared his enthusiasm about the plants he was growing.

“We try to encourage teachers to take a thing that they enjoy and bring that into the classroom to share with the students,” Falls said.

Eric said the mural and plants have turned the alley into a beauty instead of a beast.

“It’s really nice now that they’ve been taking care of it,” Eric said. “I think everybody respects what they’re trying to do and appreciates the little pocket park they’ve created here.”

Aikeem said he was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of people interested in his garden project. He received a grant through DonorsChoose, a nonprofit geared at connecting public school teachers with donations, for $3,250 to help get things started.

24 May 2024

“It [the grant] is a platform for schools who want to get funded for things like projects in the classroom,” Aikeem said. “ …

We had small donations from parents and other donors to help with getting things like soil and other plants.”

Lowe’s also gave them a $100 gift card to spend in Lowe’s garden section, while Walmart gave them a $50 gift card to buy sealer, paint, and soil, Aikeem added.

How his interest in gardening started Aikeem calls himself a country boy and said he has been gardening since he was about 3 years old.

He said he learned farming from his grandmother, Vera E. Hardy, who lived in the small, unincorporated community of Hollister located in Halifax County, with a population of 847, according to the 2022 census data.

“My grandmother was known for farming in Halifax County,” Aikeem said. “She did it for a living. She raised chickens, pigs … . She had her own smokehouse.”

Aikeem came to Fayetteville and earned his undergraduate degree at Fayetteville State University in 2011 and is now seeking his Master of Art in Teaching from the same university. He plans to graduate in May. “I’m counting the days to that,” he said.

The Capitol Encore Academy Capitol Encore Academy is a public charter school that is tuition free and any student in North Carolina can attend, Superintendent Falls said. The school was first established in 2014 with grades K-5, but has since expanded to serve students in grades K-12. It is housed in the historic Capitol Department Store building that was established in 1921. The department store, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, closed in 1990.

“In order to get a charter you have to have a specific mission and focus. Ours is arts integration,” Falls said. “What that means is that arts are treated as an equal to math and science and reading. In addition to having a lot of arts classes that our students take, the arts are also co-taught along with the core academic subjects.”

The Capitol Encore Academy is not all about test scores, Aikeem said.

“We incorporate the arts into a mainstream curriculum,” he said. “We want to make sure that our students are being assessed not just based on their ability to take a test, but they’re being assessed on their overall knowledge of the concept so that requires a real-life application.”

For instance, Aikeem said he incorporates math into his garden, teaching multiplication to his 3rd-grade students by planting seeds in the garden, which serves as hands-on visual learning.

“They were able to come out and say, ‘OK, I need three rows with five plants in each

row. You know that’s five times three. So, how many plants do I need altogether?’ … They were able to count all of them and say, ‘I need 15 seeds to fill these holes.’”

The garden is his classroom.

“They’re not experiencing it through paper and the computers,” Aikeem said. “They actually have a hands-on experience of growing things out here in the middle of the city.”

Reaction to the Alley Garden Project The citizens of Fayetteville appear to be responding to the alley garden.

“We have 4th Friday downtown. People come through here all the time when the garden is in full bloom, and they come and take pictures,” Aikeem said. “People come and they take pictures and hashtag it alley garden and things like that.”

Vibe Gastropub is a vegan restaurant located across the street from Capitol Encore Academy at 131 Hay St., Suite 101. As one of Capitol Encore Academy’s neighbors, Vibe Gastropub appreciates the core themes of the garden.

“I think it’s great especially with people moving towards sustainability, growing their own food, and, as someone who lived in the city and didn’t have a yard, I like the idea of learning how to grow things in the city,” said Val Humphrey, the restaurant’s assistant manager who lives in Lumberton.

“I think it’s kind of symbolic to downtown as well.

You know things that are growing, downtown is growing,” Val continued. “I think the plant life brings kind of a fresh element to it.”

On a Saturday back in March, Aikeem spent a few hours refreshing his garden for the new growing season. He filled about 20 planter boxes with “75% flowers and 25% food,” he said.

Along with the students, Aikeem said he has 25 to 30 volunteers help with the garden.

Now that the garden is up and running, Aikeem said it doesn’t cost that much to keep it flourishing.

“Since we are planting perennials this year, our maintenance each year should be minimal,” he said. “We only have to refresh/fertilize the soil and prune back what has died off. We will still keep our two food beds but they require very little as we are growing those plants from seed.”

Those seeds have produced a flourishing garden in what used to be a “fire exit,” as Lindstrom said.

Fredalene, Aikeem’s partner in starting the garden, used the space to teach her science students about plants. She also hopes that others will cherish the view.

“This brought me so much joy to see the joy the children had watching their plants grow,” Fredalene said. “This is a great project for all to enjoy.”

A flourishing garden now grows in what used to be a 'fire exit' at Capitol Encore Academy.

Aikeem’s other garden projects Tending to the garden at Capitol Encore Academy is just one of Aikeem Leigh’s projects.

He and his spouse, Khiry Leigh, also own a gardening business called The Plant Plug & Vibes.

“We have a business where we sell plants. We start plants from seed and sell those plants and stuff to people,” Aikeem said. “It’s not brick and mortar. We sell out of the house. We do a lot of farmers markets, pop-up shops, things like that.”

Khiry also has written a pair of books about gardening that can be found on Amazon: “Garden Logbook & Planner: Plan Your Own At Home Garden” and “Wildflower Stress Relief Coloring Book.” Both books list Plant Plug Vibes as the author.

“My spouse wrote the book,” Aikeem said. “That’s all his. That was his idea. Believe it or not, he gardens more than me.”

The coloring book was meant to relieve stress, Aikeem said.

“Everybody doesn’t necessarily want to go out and grow a garden,” he said. “A lot of times people do like to color. So we wanted to release the wildflower coloring book to give people another outlet to be able to relieve stress.”

The logbook is a “gardener’s best friend designed to cultivate success from seed to harvest,” according to a description of the book on Amazon.

“So the goal for that was just to give people a way to execute their garden,” Aikeem said. “Gardening is a plan. You’ve got to have a plan where everything is going to go.”

Aikeem’s enthusiasm for gardening is contagious, said Fredalene DeNoble, a 3rd-grade teacher at Capitol Encore Academy who helped Aikeem start the garden.

“I love working with Aikeem,” she said. “He is a go-getter. When he sets his goals, he starts working on them immediately.

“He is a good leader and he makes sure that he encourages people to volunteer without making it seem like a chore.”

CityViewNC.com | 25

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The Pink Petunia aims to be a one-stop shop for visitors in pursuit of gifts, decor, and more.

HOME DECOR

Home-based to storefront The Pink Petunia blossoms on Morganton Road with home decor, gifts and more

H

BY EMILY BROWN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHARILYN WELLS

istory and charm define many of the stops along the thoroughfare to downtown Fayetteville. Churches with unique architecture and ornate details. A theater whose old-school marquee calls out to passersby looking for entertainment.

Restaurants with ties to the past and those that beckon visitors in search of updated dining experiences.

In the last few months, another storefront has joined its ranks.

Through the vision and work of Jen Britt, a local entrepreneur, the former foster agency on Morganton Road has transformed from thoroughly ordinary into a hard-tomiss destination. The bright awning is just

28 May 2024

a taste of what patrons can find inside the business, the place that aims to be a one-stop shop for visitors in pursuit of gifts, decor, and more — The Pink Petunia.

Six years into her venture as an entrepreneur, Jen has moved her once small, home-based business into the new space at 1325 Morganton Road, a few paces away from Haymount Truck Stop, rounding out a “full-circle” journey marked by nerves, hard work, and anticipation.

“This has not been an overnight process,” Jen said of the newest iteration of The Pink Petunia, which opened to the public April 24. “I’ve spent months now on this. So I am excited to finally see the fruits of my labor.”

Now, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday, young, old, and everyone in between can stop in to peruse the home decor; jewelry and accessories; home entertaining items; local, gourmet food items; or The Pink Petunia’s newest line — children’s clothing (for preemies to 4-year-olds) and accessories under the name “Little Petunias.”

The shop also now serves as Jen’s home base for the other aspects of her business — interior design and holiday home decorating services (including wreath and silk floral creations), monogramming, and custom art.

Each facet has its own space within the new storefront — Jen’s “dream come true” and the culmination of a quest marked by “a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get here.”

How The Pink Petunia bloomed It was 2018 when Jen and her husband, Gary, decided they’d map out a different path, despite the straight, successful trek Jen had traveled to that point.

Once a communications major with the dream of being a news broadcaster, the Fayetteville native saw new doors open when a woman she’d nannied for in college suggested she pursue a job as a sales representative for a gift company. Within six months, she’d risen to the rank of national sales manager. Jen worked at four other companies after that, putting to use her ability to connect with customers and her creativity in developing products and stores across the country.

Jen, now 46, loved those jobs, she said. But personally, something was missing.

Gary and Jen wanted a child, but struggled with infertility. So in 2018, she explained, they began in vitro fertilization.

The process itself, including administering medications and undergoing procedures and attending appointments, forced a change in lifestyle for Jen. She could no longer travel as was required in her previous job, so she and her husband sought out another income option for Jen. The couple invested in an industrial monogramming machine and embarked on opening their business, the original Pink Petunia.

Monogramming, along with the decorating and custom artwork services, started drawing customers.

“It was a big transition. It was a lot of unknown, of, ‘Is this gonna be successful?’

But I believe in hard work and I have a very serious work ethic,” Jen said. “And nothing is impossible to me.”

Creating other custom decor also became part of The Pink Petunia, which used the Britts’ living room as its showcase space.

Visitors filtered in and out of their home on weekdays for six years, and to open house events, which enticed shoppers from across the state three times a year throughout that span.

“It was really like entertaining friends as they came in to shop,” Jen said.

Jen and her mom, Rene Soffe King, visited customers’ homes to undertake interior design and decorating projects, as well, with Jen juggling the responsibilities of becoming a mom herself along the way.

CityViewNC.com | 29

Discussions and prayers with her family and supporters ensued. Then, alongside them, she took a leap of faith, believing “this was — from God above, this literally fell into my life — this was my time to do this.”

On Christmas Eve of last year, she signed a lease. Then she set about making her vision, her dream, reality.

Rene Soffe King (left) and Jen Britt get ready for the grand opening of The Pink Petunia on Wednesday, April 24.

“Now looking back, six years in,” said Jen, mom to now-4-year-old Walker, “it was the best decision I ever made.”

From dream to reality “We walked in here that first day to look at the space and I knew she could see it and she had a vision for it,” Rene said. “And it has turned out [to be] everything we thought it would be.”

The space that once looked entirely uninspiring was anything but to Jen. That Morganton Road storefront, she believed, could be the perfect canvas.

The Pink Petunia “had overtaken my home,” Jen said. She had been told as much by close friends and family on several occasions, though she knew that well herself, too. But whether it was the right time to pursue opening a storefront remained a question for her last year.

That’s when she received unexpected news. Jen’s close friend and hairstylist at The Split End Salon and Boutique, Natalie Cain, told Jen about the vacancy next door to the storefront she owned. With a foster agency

30 May 2024

moving out, Natalie believed this could be the next home for the blossoming Pink Petunia.

Choosing to trust Natalie, Jen took a look.

“When I came in the space, I could close my eyes and visualize what I wanted to see,” Jen said.

Family in the store’s fabric Jen doesn’t often slow down.

“It’s like a million things at once, and she just finds a way to make all of it happen,” said Kate Reames, a friend Jen has trusted both with aspects of her business and her life (as a babysitter for her daughter). “If she has to stay up until whatever hour to paint something, she’ll do it and then have it at your doorstep the next morning.”

Jen’s work ethic — perhaps learned from family, including her maternal grandfather, M.J. Soffe, who built the athletic apparel business originally named for him (now called Soffe) out of his basement and the trunk of his car, Jen said — is central to her success thus far.

The new Pink Petunia storefront has required similar commitment. Since signing the lease, Jen has worked methodically to check off items on her long to-do list.

“This has been a lot because I’ve been pulled a lot of different directions to get this set up,” Jen said. “... But I really think we have worked very hard in a very short period of time. … This has been a big, what I like to call, labor of love.”

An overhaul of the basics of the building, including electrical changes, some structural work (like opening doorways and walls), and installing flooring, took place first. Then Jen set about executing her vision for each area of the shop.

A decor showcase area is featured in the front window, while a room farther back features home decor, entertaining items, and a gourmet food selection. Another space focuses on the Little Petunias children’s items, and there also is a ribbon room, with bright green shelves on which hundreds of spools of ribbons live. There, customers can see the entire stock of ribbon options for custom centerpieces and bows created by Jen, who said when it comes to what a customer wants, “anything’s possible.”

The new store also includes meeting space for consultations about monogramming, customer artwork, and interior and holiday decorating. Up front in the general gift area, Jen’s abilities are on display on the decorated mantle, the pink armoire and even the walls — on which bright pink brushstrokes have been painted by Jen. “I wanted it to be that someone could come in and it be a little bit of everything,” Jen said. “... It’s family and it’s fun and it’s lively. It makes you want to come back and hang out with us.”

And by “us,” Jen means those who’ve supported her along the way.

Those like Rene, who represents one of four generations showcased in the Morganton Road shop.

Rene plans to be in the store with her daughter, Jen, almost every day.

Walker, Jen’s daughter, will make appearances in the afternoons to reconnect with some of her favorite customers and make friends with new ones.

And Jen’s grandmother, Dorothy Soffe, is represented in one specific piece of furniture in the shop — a chair in the home area — and in the store’s name itself. Pink was Dorothy’s favorite color (and is Jen’s), and petunias were her favorite flower.

Dorothy probably would agree, then, with Jen’s philosophy — a philosophy that customers won’t be able to miss in The Pink Petunia’s new home.

“I’m ready for Fayetteville to really get to know The Pink Petunia,” Jen said, “and everyone needs a little pink in their life.”

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A

visitor to Segra Stadium in downtown Fayetteville will note a lot of things. The seats, for example, or the big yellow poles down each baseline.

Everything inside the walls — the infield, the outfield, the warning track around the field — it’s all the domain of Alpha Jones, the director of field operations for the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Impressed?

You should be, and players, coaches, and officials across minor league baseball were as well. Alpha was honored in November 2023 as the Carolina League and Single-A Groundskeeper of the Year.

For context, Segra Stadium is one of 12 ballparks across the Carolina League (which also has teams in Zebulon, Kannapolis, and Kinston), and there are 30 in all of the Single-A league.

“When I first heard about it, I couldn’t believe it,” Alpha says. “It’s something I knew about and wanted to achieve, but I was not thinking ‘23 was my year. I’m very much a person that we come in every day and we try to be successful every day, but we don’t really think of being successful for the whole year to win the award.”

But what is a story about a baseball field doing in the “Home & Garden” issue? In short, it’s the home of the Woodpeckers, and it’s landscaping on a high level, led by an award-winning, veteran, dedicated groundskeeper named Alpha.

Alpha Jones was honored in November 2023 as the Carolina League and Single-A Groundskeeper of the Year.

GROUNDSKEEPING

A field of dreams Alpha Jones’ work with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers’ Segra Stadium is an award-winning beauty

BY ZACHARY HORNER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY WOOTEN

32 May 2024

All about Alpha Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alpha grew up in a family that gardened.

His grandfather grew veggies and other food in the yard for both his family and others in their area, and his dad had a small garden for fresh vegetables. But Alpha didn’t really have a green thumb.

He did like sports. Unsurprisingly, he grew up a fan of the Steelers and the Pirates — football was his favorite sport to watch, and baseball was his favorite to play. After getting a degree in political science from the University of Pittsburgh, he moved to North Carolina with his wife and worked for an insurance company. A coworker asked him if he’d be interested in mowing the grass at their church.

“After talking with her for a few minutes, I said, ‘I’ll go take a look at it,’” he says. “I looked at it and it took 30 minutes. By the

Segra Stadium is one of 12 ballparks across the Carolina League and there are 30 in all of the Single-A league.

end of that summer, I had six customers.”

That church lawn turned into a landscaping business — “We were kind of the kings of the fast food chains in the Raleigh/Durham area,” Alpha says — and his time in the grass and dirt grew from there. Stints at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary and a private school followed, during which he started working part-time in groundskeeping at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, home of the Triple-A Durham Bulls.

“I grew up wanting to play pro ball, had a couple tryouts that went nowhere,” he said.

“It really dawned on me one day that this was a way to stay around baseball.”

In 2019, after working for the Bulls and then at Longwood University in Virginia as the assistant athletic director for athletic facilities, Alpha joined the Woodpeckers when Segra Stadium opened.

Safe, playable, pleasing Taking care of a baseball field is a team job, as Alpha will be the first to tell you. And it’s quite a job. Explaining the whole process would take more words than there is room

for in this space.

Alpha says there are three keys to all sports field managers, whether working with a baseball field, soccer field, or any field that hosts athletics. It needs to be safe for players, it needs to be predictable and reliable as a playing surface, and it needs to look good.

“If you really are doing those three things, before the game starts, everybody notices how beautiful the field is,” he says.

“When the game starts, nobody is thinking about the field because the players are able to do what they have to do in order to play the game the right way. The field’s not interfering.”

Most baseball fields are built with three pieces, more or less: the infield, the outfield, and the warning track. The infield is part grass, part dirt (Alpha says they call it the “skin”). 90% of a baseball game is played on the infield, Alpha says, so it’s an important part to keep in good condition. The outfield is all grass, the warning track is a mixture of harder substances like dirt and sand.

The infield “skin,” Alpha says, is made of 60%-80% clay, with the rest a mixture of

silt and sand. Alpha and the rest of the field operations staff work throughout game week to keep the “skin” not too firm but not too wet. That includes repairing holes and patches made by players standing and running through the infield dirt and raking it with the goal of a consistently smooth surface.

A key piece is watering the dirt, but not too much. They don’t want a puddle, but they don’t want brick.

“If it’s too wet, then of course it gets too soft,” Alpha says. “If it’s too dry, it’s as hard as a rock. So we actually manipulate how much moisture is in the infield clay or skin.”

Like any lawn or garden, it’s the goal of the Segra Stadium staff to keep the grass healthy. That includes watering, mowing, getting dirt out of the grass — your typical lawn maintenance. But to maintain a quality playing surface, there are a few more things they do.

“What we really focus on that really makes the surface good is the root zone,” Alpha says. “The roots are where all the energy is stored for the plants, the nutrients.

On non-game days, we’re doing things to CityViewNC.com | 33

build an asphalt parking lot — to finish the compacting process.

Finally, the warning track is checked for bumps or dips. Alpha says they seek to avoid tripping hazards and reach a firmness that, for the players, is like going from carpet to a hardwood floor.

“You want it to be noisy but firm so it warns the player,” he says, referencing why it’s called a “warning track.” “It gives them stability to make a play on the ball but at the same time it gives them that warning.”

The grounds crew will make adjustments throughout the year with feedback from players, managers, and umpires, a group that plays a role in who wins the award that Alpha took home.

Like any lawn or garden, it’s the goal of the Segra Stadium staff to keep the grass healthy. That includes watering, mowing, getting dirt out of the grass — your typical lawn maintenance. But to maintain a quality playing surface, there are a few more things Alpha and his team do.

“You want it to be noisy but firm so it warns the player,” he says, referencing why it’s called a “warning track.”

“It gives them stability to make a play on the ball but at the same time it gives them that warning.” – Alpha Jones make sure nutrients are getting to the roots.

On game days, we’re doing everything we can to that grass to make the ball roll as good on that as well.”

There are two processes staff undergo on weeks when the Woodpeckers are on the road: aerifying and verticutting. Lawn care aficionados may be familiar with aerifying, poking holes in the grass to allow air to cycle through the plant to encourage re-growth.

This will often be seen on golf courses prior to the busy summer season.

34 May 2024

In verticutting, the grass is sliced in vertical lines to force the rhizomes and stolons (the building blocks of the Bermuda grass that covers the Segra Stadium field) to re-tighten.

In the course of play, player cleats pull up bits of grass and dirt from the field. Verticutting allows the grass to regrow in a way that forms a tight, compact playing surface.

Throughout both aerifying and verticutting, staff also lays down fertilizer and does the normal watering. Finally, they will use a roller — like one used to

A baseball field at your home?

Can the Segra Stadium grass, for example, get replicated at home? Yes, Alpha says, but you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you.

“The biggest difference between our yard here and the average yard in Fayetteville is what’s underneath the grass,” he says. “Ours is 100% sand. There is no dirt. We don’t have any clay, things like that. Unless you build it like ours, you’re not going to be able to duplicate it the same.”

Two more important parts: Alpha has a whole team, and, relatively, a lot of time and resources. The Segra Stadium grounds crew is made up of Alpha, Coordinator of Field Operations Eli Laney, and five part-time staff each season. They’ve also got a whole storeroom of fertilizer and equipment to take care of that field. If you want to make your own baseball field that lasts a whole year, it’s going to take a year-round effort.

“You’re going to have to be like us,” he says. “You’re going to have to stay on it, you’re going to have to maintain it. It takes a lot of effort. It is not, ‘Oh, I think I’ll mow on Saturday morning,’ and then not think about it again until next Saturday. It’s a daily thing, it’s ‘a pay attention to it thing.’”

That dedication to the job — long days before and after games, hours spent at the field on weeks when the team is away — is part of the reason Alpha was honored.

“We are very thankful for the hard work Alpha and the entire field staff put in throughout the season to make the diamond at Segra Stadium one of the best in the Minor Leagues,” said Woodpeckers General Manager Michelle Skinner. “The field has

received compliments from fans and players since the first days of the ballpark in 2019, and that’s a credit to the pride Alpha takes in his work.”

Peter Woodford, the senior vice president of minor league operations and development, said in a November 2023 press release honoring Jones and other award recipients that groundskeeper “efforts are appreciated and do not go unnoticed by players and coaches throughout the Minor Leagues.”

After all, the field is for those players and coaches. The players who come through Segra Stadium are often at or near the beginning of their professional baseball journey, on the way to what they hope is a long and successful career at the highest level of their profession. That includes Houston Astros stars like 2022 World Series MVP Jeremy Peña and fellow World Series winners Cristian Javier and Jake Meyers. If the infield is not smooth or the grass is too wet, that could lead to an unnecessary error that reflects badly on a prospect or a torn ligament that puts a player on the shelf for a significant length of time.

The field is also part of an investment from the Astros themselves, a team that has cultivated a lot of recent success and championship-caliber baseball. (Side note: Alpha and all Astros’ major and minor league field operations staff were given replica championship rings from the Astros’ American League Championship Series wins in 2019 and 2022 and their World Series triumph in the latter year.) When Alpha says, “You have to be like us,” it means you have to be like the best.

Any advice for those of us who don’t have the time, resources, and support Alpha and the Woodpeckers do?

“The main thing I tell people is to not necessarily try to duplicate what we have but try to get close,” he says. “Do a soil test.

Find out what the pH is. The local extension agency will give you feedback on what’s in your yard based on the soil test. If you follow what’s in there and make the adjustments to get it to a better pH level, then you can get a little bit closer.”

In the meantime, take in a game at Segra Stadium and enjoy, if not the baseball, the work of an award winner.

“It is not my award, it’s a team award,” Alpha says.

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DOWNTOWN VISIONARIES LUNCHEON

Join us June 13, 11:30 a.m. to 1:3O p.m., at Segra Stadium for the 2024 CityView Downtown Visionaries Luncheon recognizing our fourth class of those who had the foresight to help lead revitalization efforts of our downtown.

The event will include recognition of our 2024 honorees, a CSDD State of the District report by Bianca Shoneman, and an update from Cumberland County on the Crown Event Center.

2024 HONOREES: • Eric Lindstrom. As an architect and a resident of downtown, Eric’s fingerprints are reflected throughout Fayetteville’s historic city center. He is largely responsible for the protection of the unique look and feel of the downtown area.

• John Malzone. John’s military service brought him to Fayetteville; his postservice career in real estate kept him here. A mover and shaker in downtown for a half century, John’s history of providing leadership to numerous board and organizations is unmatched.

• Hank Parfitt. Now retired from medical practice, Hank has actively helped lead civic engagement and development in downtown Fayetteville for more than a quarter century. He and his wife Diane own City Center Gallery & Books.

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT WWW.CITYVIEWNC.COM CityViewNC.com | 35

Spoil Mom

THIS MOTHER'S DAY

Wrap up a smile for Mom with Cursive’s hilarious, pun-believable gifts! From witty mugs to snarky socks, we’ve got the perfect presents to make her LOL. Shop local, shop Cursive! 910-482-0005, 223 Franklin St.

High Cotton Consignment is the place to shop for “Fayetteville’s Cream of the Crop,” offering luxury fashion and home decor at deep discounts. 910-483-4296, 2800-4 Raeford Road f !

36 May 2024

Get glowing with Skin Specialists of Fayetteville’s Motherly Glow Facial, featuring LED light therapy and a rejuvenating jelly mask, only $100. Or completely transform with the Total Mom Makeover for $1,000. 910-500-5941, 209 Fairway Drive, Suite C, bestskinoffayetteville.com

This Mother’s Day, skip the burnt toast and soggy cereal. Give Mom the royal treatment with breakfast in bed featuring Duck Donuts — because nothing says love like deliciousness! 2132 Skibo Road (next to Home Depot), 910-487-0386, 5155 Ramsey St. (across from Methodist University), 910-482-0096

Give Mom a one-of-a-kind treasure from MetalWorx this Mother’s Day! Our handmade, customized metal decor pieces are as unique as she is. Show her your love with a gift from MetalWorx! 910-438-0353, metalworxinc.net

For the jewel she is! Find a gorgeous gift at Hinkamp Jewelers to celebrate Mom for Mother’s Day — or any special occasion. Visit us in Fayetteville’s McPherson Square, 201 S. McPherson Church Road, or at HinkampJewelers.com, 910-864-2965.

Mother’s Day means FLOWERS! Pick up a gorgeous Mother’s Day arrangement or really spoil her (and earn favorite child status) by subscribing to monthly, local flower deliveries straight to her door!

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Physical therapist Rachel Farnham treats Kenneth Merritts as he recovers from the effects of having a stroke.

HEALTH

Stroke rehab road to recovery How one man’s survival story demonstrates the importance of awareness and time when having a stroke

K

BY JAMI MCLAUGHLIN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY WOOTEN

enneth Merritts didn’t know he was having a stroke until it was almost too late.

“I was out with my brotherin-law when my right leg just felt a little weird,” Kenneth said. “It was just a little funny. A few hours later it was my arm, too, but I still didn’t think too much about it.”

The retired auto mechanic, who’s 62, went home that night and tried to sleep, but by 3 a.m., he called his brother-in-law saying that he needed to go to the hospital.

Kenneth was experiencing one of the signs of having a stroke — arm and leg weakness — although he did not realize it at the time. Other symptoms include feeling

38 May 2024

off-balance, having blurry vision, a drooping face and/or smile, or slurred speech.

“By that time, it was getting hard to get around and I knew something was wrong,” he said.

When they got to the hospital, Kenneth could still move his hand and legs, albeit very slowly. The next day, though, he said he couldn’t move his limbs at all.

This is where timing meant all of the difference.

Rachel Farnham, a physical therapist at Cape Fear Valley Physical Rehabilitation Services, said according to the Mayo Clinic, “time is brain,” a commonly used phrase meaning time is ticking to get the blood flow

restored to the brain. The longer it takes, the higher the risk of complications and danger.

Therefore, blood flow must be restored to the brain as quickly as possible.

“The faster treatment is received, the better the outcome,” she said.

In many cases, stroke victims can receive a Thrombolytic drug, often called a clot buster or tPa, to help minimize the longterm effects of a stroke, according to the Cape Fear Valley Health staff.

Kenneth had missed the window by not recognizing that he was having a stroke.

“I was not aware of what a stroke is,” he said. “I don’t smoke and my tests were only slightly elevated. First they tried to get my

numbers in normal range with diet and blood pressure meds.”

Doctors soon confirmed he had a blockage to his brain causing his stroke.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two types of strokes, including ischemic when a blood vessel that carries blood to the brain is blocked, which is most common.

Another type is a hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by blood leaking into the brain or the bursting of an artery leading to the brain.

As soon as he could, Kenneth said he was working with therapists to get his function back.

Kevin Kohler is a doctor of physical therapy and the physical and occupational therapy acute care supervisor of rehab services at Cape Fear Valley Health. Kohler said stroke rehabilitation begins the moment a patient with a potential stroke has been identified.

A stroke can be thought of as a brain attack.

“Oftentimes, EMS will alert the hospital that they have a stroke patient on the way so the neurologist can be present as soon as the patient arrives,” Kohler said.

He said as the patient is triaged, the neurologist conducts a baseline exam called the NIH Stroke Scale, which helps determine the severity of the stroke. The rehab team uses this scale to get a picture of what kind of help the patient will need.

“We have physical therapists that will see the patient wherever they are in the hospital, even in the ICU,” Kohler said. “While in the hospital, we are trying to help maximize independence while determining what kind of rehab the patient may need when they are medically ready to discharge.”

In Kenneth’s case, he was in the hospital from Jan. 16 to Feb. 16 working with physical therapists.

“When I was able to stand the first week [after his stroke], I realized I could get back on my feet, but could not move my leg,” Kenneth said. “I would try to move small things and everything was a victory.”

He began with inpatient therapy until staff determined he had developed enough function to go home and continue on an outpatient basis.

Kohler said rehab therapists will work with patients and their families to prepare the patients to return home with as much functional independence as possible.

Kenneth demonstrates a strengthening exercise with physical therapist Farnham.

Kevin Kohler is a doctor of physical therapy and the physical and occupational therapy acute care supervisor of rehab services at Cape Fear Valley Health.

CityViewNC.com | 39

Vicky Parker, a senior certified occupational therapy assistant at Cape Fear Valley Health, works with her patient Mary Lou Scgroggins as she pots a plant at the Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center.

Vicky Parker hosts a monthly stroke support group called “Life after Stroke,” which she encourages stroke survivors to attend for shared information and encouragement.

“If a patient is ready to return home, or has already completed their inpatient rehab stay, we also have outpatient PT [physical therapy] services for those patients that just need a little more fine-tuning to get back to 100%,” Kohler said.

Kenneth graduated from Douglas Byrd High School in 1979 and from Fayetteville Technical Community College, then Fayetteville Technical Institute, a couple of years later. He worked for more than 40 years in the automobile industry before retiring last year at the end of July.

“I made a good life out of it,” Kenneth said.

After his stroke, he had a slower recovery with his dominant right hand. However, relearning how to do things — like brushing

40 May 2024

his teeth, getting dressed, and making a meal — with his left hand was easier for him since he played baseball his whole life, especially as a child in Little League.

“I’m right-handed, but I could also use my left hand,” he said. “I felt more confident than I think most would.”

Kenneth said that part of his recovery includes walking, working on balance, strengthening limbs, and stretching muscles.

“Some of the equipment they use will allow a patient to walk without the risk of falling by supporting their body weight in a sling, allowing them to focus on their legs in a safe manner,” he said. “They will also use electrical stimulation to help ‘wake up’

affected muscles that are having difficulty communicating with the brain.”

Kenneth said the equipment they have is “really cool stuff.”

“They put pads on a sitting bike to shock the muscles so they can see which muscle is working harder than the other,” he said.

He’s come a long way from where he started, and credits the staff, as well as his friends and family, for their support.

“I’ve gone from not being able to do nothing for myself to being able to live on my own again,” Kenneth said. “It is important to get as much therapy as early on as possible after a stroke. Not everyone who has had a stroke will recover to 100%, but most patients can see at least some improvement is possible with hard work.”

Farnham says that in rehab, the staff really get to know the patients, including learning what activities are meaningful to them like dancing, cooking, or gardening, which she can incorporate into their rehab sessions.

Kohler said that understanding what is

important in the patients’ lives and helping them get back to that is his favorite part of his job. He said it drives patients to do more.

“Hearing stories of helping patients getting back to walking their dog, or being able to go to church again without needing a wheelchair are extremely rewarding,” Kohler said. “Therapy needs to be personalized to each individual in order for it to be meaningful and successful.”

Kenneth said he is looking forward to getting back on the golf course where he used to spend every weekend. He is working on getting his arm over his head so he can make a complete backswing.

“One thing I’ve learned is that gravity is my friend,” Kenneth said. “Raising my arm goes against gravity so it might be a while, but I’m working on it.”

He loves going to rehab because even the little victories are celebrated as he works to get back as close to normal as he can. He said he feels cared for with every single therapy session.

“The staff in rehab really care about you,” Kenneth said. “They are cheery and it’s almost like it’s not a job for them. It’s like their reward is your progress.”

Vicky Parker, a senior certified occupational therapy assistant at Cape Fear Valley Health, said her favorite part of her job is seeing people be able to do things for themselves again and be able to face their new normal with hope and courage.

She also hosts a monthly stroke support group called “Life After Stroke,” which she encourages stroke survivors to attend for shared information and encouragement.

“I’m working hard at this,” Kenneth said.

“On days that I’m not in rehab, I’m doing everything from home. You have to stay motivated and celebrate the small victories.”

Kenneth said he is looking forward to making as complete a recovery as he can and gives credit to the Cape Fear Valley staff for helping him in his journey.

The Cape Fear Valley Rehabilitation Center provides comprehensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy services for a variety of ailments including rehabilitation after a stroke. Stroke survivors and caregivers of stroke survivors can get more information about the Life After Stroke Team from Meghan Dornan, R.N., stroke program coordinator at 910-615-7077. For more information, visit capefearvalley.com/rehab.

Kenneth said he is looking forward to making as complete a recovery as he can and gives credit to the Cape Fear Valley staff for helping him in his journey.

If you suspect a stroke, get to the hospital immediately.

KNOW THE SIGNS

B E F A S T

BALANCE

Eyes

Face

Arms

speech

time

Dizziness/ Unsteady

Blurry Vision

Facial Droop

Arm Weakness

Slurred Speech

To Call 911

CityViewNC.com | 41

HOMEFRONT

Finding ‘home’ in routines

W

BY ARIA SPEARS

hen it comes to creating a beautiful and peaceful home, rituals can help create a sense of stability in the midst of a mobile life. Instead of identifying “home” as a place, I’ve adapted it into more of a practice. These “rituals” or routines can look like a daily steaming coffee on the porch, a weekly quiet hour on a garden bench, or any practice that promotes a feeling of rootedness. Many military individuals and families adopt a similar approach.

The budding dogwoods, lush green grass, and toasty-sunny days mean spring in Fayetteville is in full swing. And this means it is the perfect weather for walking outside — my personal “homemaking” ritual.

Luckily, there are quite a few places in the area that are filled with trees, flowers, birds, and other natural beauties. Some also include lakes!

The Cape Fear River Trail is probably the most popular trail for a reason. It is a 7-mile paved trail that is easy to access and covered by a canopy of trees. And of course, the Cape Fear Botanical Garden is perfect for both springtime walking and garden relaxation.

enjoy both water and spring views in the Fayetteville region.

Mazarick Park is nestled just north of the Haymount area. Though adjacent to an active neighborhood, I was pleasantly surprised by the quiet trail. There is plenty of parking available and the trails were very visibly marked.

The one-mile loop trail runs along the serene, pine-lined Glenville Lake for part of the distance. The golden green foliage and clear sky reflect onto the still water, serving as a great centerpiece for spring-inspired photos.

Along this section, you will find a dock that can be used for fishing or observation, as well as other water access points. Benches are strategically placed around the path perfect for outdoor reading. The rest of the trail weaves in and out of the trees and along the winding frisbee golf course and well-kempt children’s playground.

Sometimes feeling grounded in military life starts with literally exploring the grounds on which we live.

But there are many other lesser-known places perfect for spring walking, too.

I want to highlight three walking trails that I think fit the criteria for a perfect walking place: a loop trail, water views, easy to access, easy to navigate, and filled with trees, creatures, and all things nature.

Whether you like a daily power walk or prefer an occasional family stroll, here are reviews of my favorite walking places to

42 May 2024

There is more to explore at Mazarick Park, but I will certainly return to this trail for the stunning water views and sparsely populated, peaceful walking trail.

The Lake Rim Park in West Fayetteville offers not only walking trails but an aqua park, tennis courts, a volleyball court, a story walk, and sports fields, too. Upon arriving at the park, you pass the aqua park on your left and find the main park

building. Next to this building, you can begin the 0.7-mile walk down the Border Trail. On this tree-lined walk, you slowly descend the hill, eventually ending up at a creekside boardwalk inlet. Here, you can stop to hear Carolina chickadees and cardinals chirping amongst the dense foliage. Though you can hear some of the traffic from distant roads, the cascading leaves and wetland scenes still create a peaceful environment in which to recharge.

Initially, you think this path is only a down-and-back trail, but while walking, you soon discover there are many alternate paths that can form a number of loops through the park for walking or running.

Down the road, you can find a paradise of geese, ducks, and more birds at the Lake Rim Boating & Fishing Access dock and the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center right across the fence. Though the walking paths do not coincide with these places, it is easy to walk or drive to these locations before or after you head home to get a water view.

Reservoir Park far exceeded my expectations. The 165-acre park is nestled in the woods almost an hour north of Fayetteville in Southern Pines, Moore County. Winding through the entry road,

one can catch glimpses of the serene lake spread within the pines. Upon arriving at the parking area, you can see a wider view of the sprawling 95-acre lake. Though there are over 12 miles of biking and walking trails, the most easily visible trail runs along the perimeter of the lake to make a 2-mile loop.

The trail is partially paved, partially sandy ground, complete with water access points, docks, and waterside benches along the way. Depending on the time you go, it may be quite busy as people frequent the park for running, biking, disc golf, walking, kayaking, and more. This park has the benefits of a hike, with densely forested trails, but with the convenience of an urban greenway — easy parking, easy-to-follow trails, public safety, and a central location.

Friends and families can make an afternoon of the visit by packing a picnic lunch and enjoying the lovely pavilion areas available for reservation.

I’ll return to Reservoir Park for the longer loop and expansive water views.

Conclusion Creating a home amid military life doesn’t have to be limited to the four walls of your house. Sometimes feeling grounded in military life starts with literally exploring the grounds on which we live.

You are invited to explore the many blooming landscapes of the Cape Fear region in your pursuit of creating a home here. Claim them as part of your own rituals, your own homemaking routines. From the simple beauty of a dogwood tree to the vivid colors of daffodils, this region offers many opportunities to find a sense of rootedness through nature. As you walk their grounds, these outdoor trails invite you to take a cozy, familiar front-row seat to the seasonal beauty of the region all throughout the year.

Aria Spears is a writer, communications professional, and civic leadership enthusiast.

With a master’s degree in nonprofit and civic leadership, Aria can be found exploring cities, persuading people to join local civic boards, and sharing her book “The Community Mapping Journal.” When it comes to active-duty military family life, she ng Lake, Northbelieves Carolinathat joy makes us strong.

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CityViewNC.com | 43

THE TO-DO LIST

Here are just some of the things happening in and around Fayetteville this month. For more events and additional information, visit www.cityviewnc.com/calendar. Email cityview@cityviewnc.com to share your event with us!

MAY 1-12

Fort Liberty Fair Fort Liberty Fairgrounds 1500 Howell St. liberty.armymwr.com

MAY 2-26

Sister Act Cape Fear Regional Theatre 1209 Hay St. cfrt.org

MAY 4

The Derby Run Terry Sanford High School 2301 Fort Bragg Road runsignup.com

MAY 7-12

Fayetteville Woodpeckers Segra Stadium 460 Hay St. milb.com

MAY 10

Mother’s Day Celebration Crown Arena 1960 Coliseum Drive crowncomplexnc.com

MAY 11

Mother’s Day Carriage Rides Cool Spring Downtown District 222 Hay St. eventeny.com

MAY 11

Bucking 4 The Belt Round 2 Dreamvile Dance Company 3200 Ramsey St. eventbrite.com

MAY 11

Bad to the Bones with the Joseph Alessi Arts Council of Fayetteville/ Cumberland County Seabrook Auditorium Martin Luther King Drive wearethearts.com

MAY 13

Beginner Mondays Salsa & Bachata Classes Fayetteville Latin Dance 809 Hope Mills Road facebook.com

44 May 2024

MAY 18

Bloom Spring Fling Market ServiceSource North Carolina Friendship House 200 Highland Ave. facebook.com

MAY 18

Colors!

Cumberland Choral Arts E.E. Smith High School 1800 Seabrook Road wearethearts.com

MAY 18

Run, Honor, Remember 5K Fort Liberty 1500 Howell St. liberty.armymwr.com

MAY 18

Lori’s Ace BBQ Battle Ace Home & Hardware 2800 Raeford Road, Suite 24A facebook.com

MAY 18

King’s Grant Golf & Country Club 2nd Annual Spring Fling King’s Grant Golf Club 347 Shawcroft Road distinctlyfayettevillenc.com

MAY 19

Cape Fear Rebellion VI Paintball Black Ops Paintball 2112 River Road distinctlyfayettevillenc.com

MAY 19

KidsPeace 4th Annual Art Gallery of Hope 226 Donaldson St. facebook.com

MAY 24

4th Friday Cool Spring Downtown District 222 Hay St. eventeny.com

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW! CFRT.org | 910.323.4233

CityViewNC.com | 45

SEEN @ THE SCENE

>> FIND MORE EVENT PHOTOS AT CITYVIEWNC.COM

Ladies’ Night Out PHOTOS BY TONY WOOTEN

CityView's fourth annual Ladies’ Night Out, presented by Cape Fear Valley Health, was held on April 18 at the Carolina Barn at McCormick Farms.

Jenna Grace and Janae Johnson

Carolyn McMillon, Kathy Jensen, and Rhonda Sloan

Erica Morgan and Willie Pomeroy

46 May 2024

Aida Algarin, Sarah Collins, Taylor Cutter, and Anna Lucia

Kati Langston, Meagan Kramer, and Liza Hondros

Chariffe Brown, her daughter Miraya Brown, and grandbaby Essence

Helen Devone, Yulanda Levy, and Evelyn Keene

Nycole Autry, her daughter Sunny, and Bridgette Beaupierre

Cape Fear Botanical Garden - a natural escape Embrace the beauty of nature with 3+ miles of walking trails, both natural and manicured

Step back in me to the 1800s in the Hazel McCauley Heritage Garden

Immerse yourself in play and wonder in the Eleanor & Ray Manning Children’s Garden

Learn with us - programs and classes for all ages

Experience community events, music and more

Sunset Series begins - June 21 with Riggsbee Road - an all female “new-grass” band 536 N. Eastern Blvd., Fayeeeville, NC 28301 - capefearbg.org Call or text at: 910-486-0221 CityViewNC.com | 47

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▶ Lower extremity Infections/Wound care

▶ Pulmonary Embolism

▶ Foot Infections/Wounds/Necrosis

▶ Vascular Trauma

1251 Oliver Street, Fayetteville For an appointment, call

(910) 822-6587