Editorials
'Glad it's over'
It seems we've heard more people, candidates and noncandklates
alike, saying before the November 2 general election, than any
election before, saying, "I'll be so glad when it's over."
The footwork and driving alone is hard on any candidate, even
aside from button holing voters and making speeches and answering
questions at public rallies and other meetings. But then there is the
task of reading and listening to what the opponent is saying or being
said for him.
The prospective voter, in trying to arrive at a decision and
unwilling merely to vote a straight ticket of his party, also has to
listen and read what the candidates not for just one office but for all
the offices the voter eligible to vote for, are saying and doing.
And it seems that in this and the 1980 campaign with its special
volume from presidential candidates the news media, particularly
television, in political advertising has smothered the voters far more
than ever with statements about the candidates, and the candidates
opposing their candidates.
Thus, more than ever before, it becomes necessary for the
responsible voter to try to reach the truth in the welter of statements;
Diogenes-like, the voter has the job of finding the honest man. and
he or she doesn't even have Diogenese's advantage of being equipped
with a lantern.
But this the voter must do to vote intelligently, not merely on his or
her emotions.
So now's the time for the voter to start checking out the
candidates, or at least the ones who seem certain to be candidates, in
the primaries and general election of 1984.
--BL
Important job ahead
As this is being written before the election, we haven't the foggiest
notion who will be on the Hoke County Board of Education other
than the two incumbents who weren't involved in the November 2
general election.
What we and everybody else connected with the schools,
professionals and nonpros alike, is that one of the most important
j jobs the school board of 1982 faces is picking a new county schools
; superintendent.
Raz Autry is leaving the job this year by retirement, and. by his
own statement, wants another superintendent to come in who can
work amicably with the county commissioners, who control the
school system's money supply. This, of course, isn't the only reason
Autry is retiring. Another is his career in public education spans
more than a generation in time. But he has mentioned his conflicts
with commissioners, and this is obviously an important reason.
Speaking of money supply, the school board people know that,
besides being a true diplomat, the new superintendent should have a
thorough knowledge of the jungle of public school financing. Hidden
quicksands, deadfalls and other traps fill the financing picture. It
seems to the layman who becomes aware of the business that every
source of money, from federal, state and county government, or all
? three, has its special rules, and even these nUas,Jiave rules. . ?
So. with a look at the children in the classes, we wish the school
board all the best and pray that it picks a superintendent who is
capable of dealing with the confusing technicalities and the varying
and sometimes hypersensitive sometimes conflicting personalities in
and out of the classroom and administration, on the board of county
commissioners, on the school board and among the parents.
--BL
Service of volunteers
The Hoke County Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses was
dedicated formally Saturday.
It is an attractive and not very large building on Turnpike Road.
The printed program of the dedication explains that "Kingdom
Hall is the name that identifies the places where over 34,500
congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses assemble for study and
worship in 207 countries around the globe....
"The Bible uses the word 'church' to refer to a group of
Christians, not to a building. So the name 'Kingdom Hall' puts the
emphasis on the main purpose of Jehovah's Witnesses to advertise
God's Kingdom as the only hope of the world."
What the printed program does not mention is what few people
outside a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation know: that the Kingdom
Hall in Hoke County was built by members of the congregation as
volunteers and with no compensation in money asked or given,
though in compensation of a service to a good cause.
This Hoke County Kingdom Hall, however, is not different in that
respect than the other such Jehovah's Witnesses buildings built
elsewhere. The unselfish service of these volunteers means that the
only burden of expense the Witnesses must bear is the cost of the
materials that go into the building.
But what the Witnesses are doing in these modern times by their
giving of their time, labor and talent is continuing an old tradition.
It recalls the times when people got together and built for a neighbor
a home or replaced a home or a barn destroyed by fire or other
cause, asking nothing in return.
In these times of widespread public and private selfishness, it is
cheering and inspiring to see this spirit of selfless service to others
flourishing.
--BL
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PRESS
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PAUL DICKSON Editor
HENRY L. BLUE Production Snprrvtnor
WARREN N.JOHNSTON N?wi EJRor
BILL LINDAU
MRS. PAUL DICKSON
SAMC. MORRIS.
-Sacicty Editor
C?nMMi|EdNw
AdvCTllatof RcprtacMativ
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It's a Small World
byMIMn
Darrell Porter, who recovered
from alcoholism and drug addition,
was named the Most Valuable
Player in the 1982 World Series.
He's the starting catcher for St.
Louis.
Like the cannibal said when he
got sick to his stomach after eating
the preacher: "You can't keep a
good man down."
* * ?
Sometimes I feel like Fred. Fred
ran into an old friend he hadn't
seen for m:\ny year* After the
opening remarks we-f made, Old
Friend asked Fred what he was
doing now.
"I'm working for a newspaper, '
Fred replied.
"Oh," Old Friend said. What
kind."
"A tri-weekly," Fred said,
i "Vou mean a paper that comes
out three times a week?"
"No." Fred said. "I mean a
paper that tries to come out once a
week."
* * ?
Some news managers can't tell
time. For example, there was my
old managing editor on the Ashe
ville Citizen way back, rest his soul.
He used to type out a daily
assignment slip for each reporter.
One reporter's slip one day, for
example, read something like this:
"Cover murder trial.
"Get public record (birth certifi
cates, marriage licenses issued, law
suits Filed, General County Court
judgments, and a few other things
that took a lot of time).
"Check Sheriff's Department."
Then, the final item; "Cover
conference at Lake Junaluska."
Lake Junaluska is 30 miles west
of Asheville.
The conference started that
morning.
I don't know whether the re
porter ever completed all the
assignments on the list. I was afraid
to ask.
? * *
But this managing editor had a
lot of good in him. For example,
Thomas Wolfe, the novelist who
was born and reared in Asheville,
got himself in the dog house with
practically every devout resident of
the town after his second novel,
"Look Homeward Angel." went
on sale.
To put it briefly, it didn't make
Asheville or some of its people look
terrific.
So Wolfe got himself greeted
with great resentment scorn.
hatred and plain ordinary dislike
by piacticdliy ?? srybody. in
thought it not in actual contact
But one man who kept his friend
ship with Wolfe was our old
managing editor and Wolfe r.evsr
forgot it
? ?
There's ihe Hd saying " Discre
tion is the better part of valor." and
it is only 1 and others in this
business wholeheartedly believe iti
For instance, there was a rather
explosive woman living in Asheville
who was prone to express herv*
resentment in physical violence
and. consequently was a familiar
if not welcome, figure to the Police
Department.
One night the Ashivilie Citizen s
veteran police reporter (not me)
was leunging at the "cop shop"' as
was his wont when ar. emergency
call came in Almost by reflex, the
reporter got up out of his chair, put
his hat and jacket on
"It's Delia.' a policeman, or. ins
way to a squad car informed him
Delia was the wild one
The reporter immediately
stopped, turned around, slowly
took off his hat and jacket, and
resumed lounging.
? ? *
I hate taking pictures. What I
hate even more is not taking
pictures when 1 think I'm taking
pictures.
I'm no good at taking pictures.
I'm even worse at not taking
pictures that I think I'm taking.
That includes the irritation with the
fringe "benefits" of taking pic
tures.
Take last Wednesday morning
(October 27). I got word some
TMH kids were going to give "The
Little Red Hen" in "the library." 1
thought that meant the Upchurch
Junior High library.
So I drove out there. The
librarian said she hadn't been told.
So 1 said I guessed it was some
where else.
I walked to the TMH class.
Nobody was there except a
teacher. She said it was at the
public library, downtown
Sure enough, there were the kids
and their audience and their
teacher and teacher aides in the
Hoke County library downtown.
So 1 took a bunch of pictures.
I also stopped to get pictures of
*>he First Baptist Church steeple on
the ground where it was awaiting
ti asportation elsewhere after be
ing taken down the day before.
1 went back to the office, rolled
the film winder backward, then
opened the camera.
There was no film in it.
Another picture I didn't take,
which was on the same roll of film
that wasn't in the camera, was one
. of two plaques being presented to
, &urlingtqffig)dustries the aftemooa
before. . ~*
Fortunately, another picture 1
didn't take the day before also was
not on the roll that wasn't in the
camera
A Ftre report had it that an old.
unoccupied service station building
on U.S. 401 south near Bethel
Presbyterian Church was burning.
So I dashed post haste out 401
south with the camera without the
film in it.
1 didn't take the picture that
wouldn't have been taken, though.
I couldn't find the burning
building.
Then there was the better part of
a day 1 spent taking pictures with a
Speed Graphic (used 4x5 inch
film) all around the back reaches of
the Cherokee Indian Reservation,
to illustrate a story 1 was doing on
poverty there.
When the lab man ran them
through the developer, he an
nounced the results,
My negatives were perfectly clear
?? clear as glass. Nothing on them.
The camera was equipped with a
focal plane shutter, which was used
for taking fast action shots. It was
supposed to be "off" wlien you
were taking other kinds of pictures,
like I was trying to take.
It turned out that the focal plane
shutter on the camera was "on" all
the time I was taking what I
thought were pictures.
CUFF Hi*.. .
PtofU & litiii
NOVEMBER ... November
means many things to many peo- I
pie. But before we start on
November, let's say a few words
about October, which in the last
week has driven many people to
the closet for old but good warmer
clothes, which, with a good dry
cleaning, can and may, serve well
lor another year
The Economy, generally speak
ing, has been up and down.
Sometimes, you think it is going '
to be good, -- you see it go up, but
then suddenly slide back down.
You don't know where it's goina
to settle. 6
The stock market is up and
down. The bull market has af
fected the stock market day in and
day out. One factor for investor's
optimism may be the growing con
viction that high unemployment
figures and a high rate of <
bankruptcies, are not the whole
picture.
A recent statistic that opened
many eyes was the Dunn &
Bradstreet report that while
businesses are failing this year a
high number, 500,000 new ones
arc opening their doors.
It's suggested that while business
failures are higher than they've
been in years, this reflects in part a ?'
changing society.
HALLOWEEN. ..Since the
'deadly-T ylenol-cyanide' ' tragedy
and scare has become household
conversation in recent weeks, peo
ple across the nation, fathers and
mothers in particular, weie no
doubt more careful this year than
in past years in supervising their
children's "trick or treats."
Customs and superstitions
gathered through the ages went in
to our celebration of "Halloween,
or Holy Eve" on October 31
This year, Halloween was on
Sunday, October 3!. Howeve, it
was more guarded or. Friday oi
Saturday evening, but with some
areas choosing Sunday .
Speaking of "Halloween." iht
ancient Druids had a thicc-da>
celebration at the oeginning of
November. On the eve before, they '
believed, spirits of the dead roam
ed abroad, and they lighted bon
fires to drive them away.
In ancient Rome the festival of
Pomona, goddess of fruit and
gardens, occurred at about this
time of yeai . It was an occasion of
rejoicing associated with the
harvest; and nuts and apples, as
symbols of the winter store of
roas":d M?" huee<
FUN MAKING... Even after
November 1 became a Christian
least day, honoring all saints, the
peasants clung to the old pagan
beliefs and customs that had
grown up about Halloween. It
became a night of mystery and
lun-making, with many pictures
que superstitions. f
BROYHILL...On Thursday"
evening last week I watched over
C hannel 4 television several people
discussing national affairs.
representing
ine 10th Congressional district was
?I!f, the sPeakers. The 55-year
old legislator caught my attention
as he discussed issues in a very
modest way. He is in his 19th vear
in the Congress and this year he <
has no opposition by the
Democrats which speaks well to
>erve in Congress without opposi
tion and coming from a political
county.
He is the ranking minority
member of the Energy and Com
merce Committee and exofficio
member of all its sub Subcommit
tees.
Letters To The Editor
Bazaar Successful
To: The Editor,
On behalf of the Hoke'Raeford
Humane Society I would like to
thank everyone who helped make
our recent fund raiser a success.
We participated in a charity ba/.aar
at the Cross Creek Mall where we
raised over $300.
The money raised will be used to
subsidize needy, low income fami
lies who, otherwise couldn't afford
the cost of spaying or neutering
their pets.
We spent three days at the Mall
from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. It was a lot
of work and we couldn't have done
it without the help of volunteers.
We are especially thankful to Iris
Letzgua who, vt only donated
about 80% of the handcrafts, but
who also donated many hours
manning the booth from early
morning to late at night.
The following ? people also con
tributed greatly to our success
either by don Sting handcrafts or
money, and/or their valuable time:
Margaret Thaggard, Sam and Jean
Bell, H.L. and Frances Gatlin,
Helen Monroe, Deon Cole, Eliza
beth Jones, of Chick's Ceramics,
Glendia Davis, Jack Letzgus and
Jack, Dale and Scott McGinnis.
Without their help, we wouldn't
have been as successful.
In order to raise more money for
this program, the society is raffling
a beautiful ceramic Christmas tree.
Tickets are 2 for SI and can be
purchased from us by calling the
phone numbers listed below, or by
coming by McGinnis Plumbing any
morning, or by stopping by the
Home Pood Market this Saturday,
November sixth 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The tree will be on display at the
Home Food Market, on Saturday,
so please come by and lend your
support.
Remember, pet litter is every
one's problem.
The move pets that we have
spayed and neutered, the less that
wind up in the pound.
Thank you for your support,
Sheryl McGinnis.
Sheryl McGinnis, Director
Hoke/Raeford Humane Society
Halloween Date Wrong
Dear editor:
We hear so much about the bad
things that go on in and around
Fayetteville.
Well, at least someone thought
about Halloween falling on Sun
day and asked their children to go
trick or treating on Saturday night.
Fayetteville, you are to be com
mended along with all the other
towns that chose Saturday instead
of Sunday night.
A number of folks in Hoke
County missed treating their little
friends and neighbors because a
few churches in our County still
have services on Sunday night.
I don't know who makes the
decisions on matters like this, but 1
trust in the future you will consider
the children and adults if we con
tinue to let our children be on the
streets on Halloween.
Thank you, t
Lib Webb
Letters Policy
Letters to the editor are
encouraged and welcomed.
Writers should keep letters as
short as possible. Names, ad
dresses and telephone numbers
should be included and all
letters must be signed. Names
will be printed, however, other
information will be kept confi
dential. We retwe the right to
edh letten tor good taste and
brevity. Letten should be re
ceived by the Nim-Jomrml by
S p.m. op the Monday of the
publication week.