c72eu?^ - journal
PRESS
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER association
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THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1982
New shopping center
The start of construction of the new shopping center in Raeford is
good news and bad news.
It's good news for Hoke County shoppers, particularly those who
have been going -- or have to go -- to Lumberton, Red Springs,
Fayetteville and Aberdeen; and bad news to some downtown
merchants.
Some of the stores which will be established in the new shopping
center -- expected to be ready for occupancy in mid-November -- will
be competitors of downtown Raeford stores. But this should provide
a healthy atmosphere, especially for shoppers.
This is the American free enterprise system in action.
--BL
Too many law suits
From The Boston Herald American
Forty years ago, hardly anybody thought about going to court to
sue somebody.
A person could bump a pedestrian with his Chrysler Airflow and
the victim would say something like, "No, harm done," and walk
away. Ipso facto. No filing of codicils, taking of depositions or
polling the jury. Attorneys need not apply.
Unfortunately, times have changed.
Witness the case handled by San Diego, Calif., Superior Court
Judge Edward T. Butler recently.
Standing before the judge was a man who has filed more than SO
Superior Court lawsuits in two years. .
"The courts of the land are and ought to be open to all citizens,"
the judge told the hyperactive litigant, "but the courts have an
obligation to protect persons from continued attacks."
Then Judge Butler declared the man before him a "vexatious
litigant" ? a person who files cases chiefly to cause annoyance ?
and ruled hereafter he would have to post a $5,000 bond for each
defendant named in his lawsuits.
Good for Judge Butler.
Israel in Lebanon
From The Christian Science Monitor
The peacemakers were racing the warmakers as the once-flourish
ing land of Lebanon continued to be sacrificed to others' battles this
week. As the tragedy mounted, the need for widespread prayerful
support of the cease-fire efforts was poignantly clear. Indeed, in view
of Israel's central role ? and its leaders' frequent invocation of the
Bible ? a prayer of David's could be seen in a 20th-century light:
"Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles."
For today's Israel is the political result of an international process
to meet the long-accumulated troubles of the Jews. Its redemption,
according to many Israelis as well as outsiders, lies in maintaining
the moral force of its beginnings as a haven, a refuge, a land of
freedom.
Israel cannot be blamed for being supersensitive to security ?
having seen the security of the Jews violated so often throughout
history. But when it appears to be less a haven than an expansive
power, it risks its underlying strength. It undertakes that risk when
it invades Lebanon in the name of self-defense and then goes beyond
its own stated goals to strike farther and farther with greater and
greater loss of life.
At this writing, Israel remained defiant of the United Nations'
Security Council Resolution calling on it to withdraw its forces and
return to the internationally recognized boundaries of Lebanon. It
remained defiant, too, of the similar call by its main friend, the
United States. Many voices were raised for the US to use leverage
beyond exhortation, such as holding up the massive military and
economic aid Israel has come to expect no matter what it does. But a
land with Israel's basic traditions should not have to be pressured
into showing the mercy of a cease-fire until more fundamental peace
can be gained.
Israel joined in such a cease-fire last year under US auspices. The
longer its current violation of that cease-fire lasts, the more
threatening the possible consequences. By broadening the war
beyond deterring Palestinian attacks across the border, it
embarrasses and alienates its Camp David partner, Egypt. And the
Soviet Union, always ready to exploit an opportunity, may see ways
to use the whole disturbed situation.
The root causes of Israeli-Arab strife require long-term solutions:
the Israelis' conviction that they are at last secure in their
independence; the Palestinians, conviction that they have at last
received justice. The Lebanon war cruelly dramatizes the need for
these solutions. But it cannot be allowed to run on by Itself in their
abacace. A great burden falls on those Palestinians and other Arabs
who have refused to accept the fact of Israel in their midst. But right
now the onus is on Israel to help the peacemakers and prove it b not
?a expansionist state bent on eradicating the Palestinians.
Operation 'Peace for GaMee'?
It's a Small W orld
by Bill Lindau
Being a Yankee sometimes
causes communications problems.
Like one day. a native and
lifelong resident of Hoke County
telephoned some information. I
asked him, in getting more, where
he lived. "Timmmn," he replieu.
"What?" 1 asked.
"Timmmn," he said again.
I asked again what it was, and he
replied the same way, sounding a
bit testy. Finally I got a bright idea.
"How do vou spell it?" 1 asked.
"T-I-M B E-R-L A N-D," he
said.
Then there was the mortician up
in Mitchell County giving me some
names of survivors. We did all right
till he got to "Hard," as he
pronounced it.
"Hard?" I asked in my pro
found stupidity. "H-A-R-D?"
"No," he said, "it's "HARD."
"Hart?" I asked.
-"No," he said nearly snarling
this time.
"HARD. H-O-W-A-R-D!"
Then there's a Yankee in Moore
County who must be just as baffling
to the natives. He says "NARK".
That's the way he says "New
York."
? * *
Speaking of names reminds me
of something funny I heard in the
Philippines in World War II.
A messenger from division head-,
quarters showed up at the division
artillery base looking for |he- com
manding officer. The officer was
Col. Massad. Of course, everybody
had a fox hole, which was the "in"
thing in a combat zone at the time,
and the colonel had one. of course.
So when the division manager
asked. "Where's Colonel Mas
sad?" one of the boys just couldn't
resist. Pointing a finger to a place a
few yards away, he replied in his
best bass voice: "Massad's in de
cole, cole groun."
To appreciate that you have to he
old enough to remember the folk
song of the 1920s that was going
around with a line resembling that
one.
Letter To The Editor
Editor. The News-Journal
As a career State employee now
in my 17th year of service to the
citizens of this State. 1 find it both
unfortunate and unforgivable that
other State Agencies and the news
media, by half-truths, untruths,
and the slanted reporting some
times referred to as "yellow journa
lism" have in a most insidious and
vicious manner continued to at
tack. harrass, and malign dedi
cated, hard-working State employ
ees in a constant political effort to
"get" John Ingram.
The dozens of hours that I have
personally spent responding to the
so-called "errors" publically re
ported by the State Auditor in his
most recent audit of the Depart
ment of Insurance, politically
fueled by certain legislators, is
appalling and should be resented
by the taxpaying public of this
State.
A vast majority of the errors were
computer errors, initiated by an
employee of the State Auditor's
Office.
The books and records per
taining to securities and cash
maintained in my Division of the
Department of Insurance have
always been balanced with the
Office of the State Treasurer and
the State Auditor knows this by
giving us his annual written certifi
cation.
During the ten years that Com
missioner Ingram has been in
Office I have personally supervised
the collection of, accounting for,
and placement for safekeeping of
over Six Hundred Thirty Million
Dollars (5630,000,000) in taxes and
fees collected for insurance com
panies. In handling all this money
not one penny was lost, short or any
books unbalanced as corroborated
by the Office of the State Treasurer
and the Office of State Auditor.
Anyone ? editors, auditors, re
porters or others ? who states that
my records are in shambles is
misrepresenting the truth. The
State Auditor, himself, said, "I
want to make it very clear that
we've not detected any improprie
ties, or any funds missing, or any
unlawful act." This direct quote
from the State Auditor should be
reported in every future story about
this audit.
This constant harrassment and
maligning frequently makes me
wonder if being a State employee is
worth it all - but, when I consider
how many taxpaying citizens count
on us everyday, then I know that it
is.
Respectfully yours,
Bobby W. Gray
Deputy Commissioner
Technical Operations Division
Puppy Creek Philosopher
Dear editor:
The difference between a big city
columnists and somebody like me is
that they have to write a column
three times a week even when they
don't have anything to say and I
have to do it only once a week.
For example, when President
Reagan left for his economic
conference with European leaders,
columnists began saying he was
going to be under an embarrassing
handicap because Congress hadn't
voted a budget. "It's going to be
difficult to explain to those lead
ers." one wrote.
Why would it be hard to explain
to a European leader that we don't
have a budget when he hasn't got
one?
Or if he's got one, how come he
doesn't live within it?
Unless it's Switzerland, which
does very well storing money in
undisctosable bank accounts for
people around the world who don'l
want their own government's tax
collectors knowing about it, I doubt
if you can find a major nation that
isn't deep in debt and operating on
borrowed money, whether they
have a budget or not.
A national budget, I understand,
is a basic economic tool, or would
be if it weren't amended every time
something unforeseen comes up.
It's like the national debt ceiling,
sternly passed in 1941 and raised
every time the government finds it
needs more money, which has
happened 43 times since 1955. If it
were as easy to get the votes to pass
a budget as it u to raise the debt
ceiling, we'd had on# a year ago.
As for a personal budget, most
people have lived for yean without
one, and a lot of those with one
haven't lived within it.
, Yours faithfully,
CLIFF BLUE . . .
People & Issues
STATES RIGHT'S.. .We can
remember some years ago when
States Right's was a campaign
issue. People felt that what suited
one state didn't suit all states.
Now, many states seem to favor
ERA and others do not. The fun
damental principle of "States
Rights" might better serve the
several states.
The 10th amendment to the U.S.
Constitution says: "The powers
not delegates to the United States
by the Constitution, nor pro
hibited by it to the States, are
reserved to the States respectively,
or to the people."
We feel like individual laws, or
amendments to the State Constitu
tion would do the same thing as
ERA in states which have been
asking for the ERA Amendment to
the Federal Constitution.
MENNON1TES...A day last
week a heading in the Charlotte
Observer caught my attention. It
was captioned: "Friends in Need,"
and was an interesting article by
Larry Green of the Los Angeles
Times. I had heard about how the
"Mennonites" worked quietly and
in an unpretentious way to help
people. In checking up on the
"Mennonites," 1 find in the World
Book Encyclopedia that they
belong to a protestant sect orga
nized in 152S at Zurich,
Switzerland. Mennonites base their
beliefs on the teachings of the New
Testament, especially the Sermon
on the Mount. They are loyal to
civil government, but will not bear
arms or take oaths. Each Men
nonite congregation elects its own
minister. Most congregations have
united in area conferences. Men
nonites dress and live simply. They
contribute heavily to relief work,
missions and schools.
There are about 400,000 Men
nonites scattered in various parts
of the world. More Mennonites
live in the United States than in
any other country. The work of the
Mennonites reminds me of how
farmers did things many years ago
during the horse and buggy days
when they were "work-horses" on
the farm.
Corn shuckings were common
back into the early 1930's. Hog
killings and "barn-raisings" were
quite common before World War
II.
These get-togethers created good
fellowship and brought neighbors
close together.
ILLINOIS. ..Now to get back to
the Mennonites in Marion, Illinois
where a tornado struck with
disastrous results on May 29.
"They came to the chaos like
angels in work clothes. Arriving
early, the quiet strangers began to
remove the mountain of debris
that covered the lawn and small
vegetable garden behind Bonnie
Newcomb's tornado battered
house.
They cut the giant trees the
powerful storm had ripped from
the ground. They gathered
splintered lumber, broken fur
niture, the twisted metal and
chunks of shattered roofs. They
raked jagged pieces of glass and
wind-torn shingles. They worked
continuously, spoke little and
rested only for lunch.
NORTH CAROLINA. ..In
North Carolina, and elsewhere,
where the unemployed rolls are
high, we don't think that taxes
should be raised unless it becomes
absolutely necessary. With a
number of industries running part
time, and othc.i closed down
altogether, we question whether
teachers or other government
employees should be given a salary
increase.
We should let things cool down
a little. People lose their jobs
because the wages are too high for
companies to make a profit or even
make ends meet.
If the U.S. Government had
followed this admonition, the
country would be in much better
shape today. The nation has long
been running in the red and now
the U.S. debt is more than a
trillion dollars. Our government
has to pay a very high rate of in
terest and that has much to do with
what private people have to pay.
Not many young people are able
to build or buy a house unless they
can find a house where somebody
is moving and manage to take over
the mortgage and interest which is
much lower than that of a house
built recently.
Browsing in the files
of The News-Journal
25 years ago
Thursday, June 13, 1957
The Hoke County Recreational
Program with its budget expenses
already raised, will begin Monday
morning and continue through
August 14. By Wednesday of this
week 52680 had been raised for the
budget.
* * *
Fifty-one Hoke County farmers
have entered the Farm Income
Contest sponsored by the Raleigh
News and Observer.
* * *
Company A, 130th Tank Bat
talion, Hoke County's National
Guard unit which went to Ft.
Stewart, Ga. Sunday for summer
camp is receiving many excellent
inspection reports on the various
types of training.
* * ?
Jimmy Riley, Tom Cameron, Jr..
Jimmy Guin, Dick Tickle and
Mack McBryde are attending the
Basketball School for Boys at
Campbell College this week. Coach
Bones McKinny is their instructor.
* * ?
W.C. Williford, county farm
agent, reported last week that
black shank is showing up in
tobacco fields in practically every
section of the county.
From Rockfish News:
Monday afternoon after all the
big rain Saturday and Sunday, the
Nail Keg group had an interesting
session outside the Wood's store.
? ? *
The Budget Estimates of the
Town of Raeford for the 1957-58
fiscal year show an increase of
S4.504 over the previous budget.
15 years ago
Thursday, June 15, 1967
Raeford town board met Monday
night to review requests totaling
5319,654 ? up some 520.000 from a
year ago.
* ? ?r
Donald D. Abernethy. principal
of Hoke County High School, has
resigned to accept an adminis
trative post at Pembroke State
College.
? * *
Hoke County families suffering
from low mentality and poverty and
consequently low morality have
shown marked improvement in
their living conditions, according to
J.R. Attaway, director of the Hoke
Community Action Program office.
? * *
Today is the deadline for cutting
weeds on vacant lots in town. Town
Manager Ed Williams announced
this week.
* * ?
A trio who allegedly took a
moonlight swim in the nude Tues
day night at Raeford Swimming
Pool will go before the judge next
Wednesday morning to answer to
charges of forcible trespass.
? ? *
Weather conditions have re
duced North Carolina's peach crop
but not to the extent that was
feared early in the season.
? ? ?
They're ready to roll again, anc
when the sun peeks above the pirn
trees on the morning of June 25. th<
annual Hoke Wagon Train wil
take to the trail.
Give a
hoot!
Don't
pollute!