Fairmont nets $12,500 ROAR grant to assist community youth

FAIRMONT – The town of Red Springs has received a $12,500 ROAR grant that would provide assistance to youth.

ROAR is short for Robeson Overcoming Adversity Through Resilience.

As described on its Facebook page, ROAR is a local collaborative group of stakeholders in Robeson County who are committed to educating the community about adverse childhood experience, resiliency and such in the efforts to prevent child abuse.

That bit of news was announced Tuesday evening during the regular monthly meeting of the Fairmont Board of Commissioners.

Commissioner Heather Seibles was not present for the meeting.

“This is to help organizations and groups around town that assist young people,” Mayor Charles Kemp said in recapping the meeting and discussion on the grant funding. “For example, monies can be given to the Youth Team that I started recently — the Fairmont Youth Team — for purposes in improving their lives and improving their recreational outlook. Could be given to the police for activities to improve youths’ behavior. Could be for parks, recreational purposes.

“It’s a $12,500 grant,” he added.

In other board business:

– The boys and girls varsity basketball teams at Fairmont High School were honored for their noteworthy seasons. Kemp and other town leaders presented the athletes and their coaches with certificates.

– Vicky Tate was appointed to a position on the town’s planning board. She succeeds Timmy Bass, who resigned his post a couple of weeks ago, according to Kemp.

– “We had a general discussion – nothing specific, nothing with any bullet points – on the contract that is coming up with the town of Fairmont in waste management sanitation pickup service,” Kemp said.

“Just some general discussion,” he added, “Mr. Chestnut (Town Manager Jerome Chestnut) shared with the board about a conversation he’s going to have with waste management about the next contract year that starts Aug. 1.

– Under the commissioners and mayor input portion of the meeting, Kemp read a proclamation naming April 13-27 “Spring Forward Fairmont.”

“It’s my cleanup initiative for the town of Fairmont,” he said. “It’s a written document that explains the five points of my plan.”

“It is simple, straightforward and will be successful if we all endorse it,” the mayor read from the proclamation. “We all want a beautiful town so I am sure we all will.”