Viewpoints
Hoke Co, is addressing its problems
There is little question that poverty exists in
Hoke County. It is a disease that affects the lives
of about a fifth of this county's residents, of
whom almost half are under the age of 17.
However, Hoke County is not unique and by
no means has cornered the market on being poor.
Despite the Reagan Administration's pronounce
ment to the contrary, poverty is a national prob
lem.
The disease is common throughout the rural
south, where, like in Hoke County, most of its
victims are able to endure it. In more urban areas,
the poor, many of whom are visible sleeping in
doorways and on manhole covers, are not as
lucky and life is perhaps harder.
Although problems exist in Hoke County, there
are strong signs that efforts are being made to
find solutions and to improve the quality of life
here.
Because of the recent negative press about
Hoke in a Cumberland County newspaper, we
feel it is appropriate to note some of the bright
improvements which are underway:
?In the last few months, a group of citizens
has been meeting weekly to help upgrade the
county's already good schools. As part of this 20
member committee's study.it was noted recently
that one county school needs replacing in the next
five years and another should be remodeled.
Neither school is considered "unsafe," and com
mittee members are outlining a financial plan for
the improvements, which will more than likely be
made within the time frame.
?Under the leadership of Superintendent Dr.
Robert Nelson, a program has been launched to
emphasize what's good about the Hoke County
schools and to make weak points better. Current
ly college prep students have little problem
attending the institution of their choice. Once in
college, Hoke students also seem to hold their
own academically. New equipment is being pur
chased and improvements are being made to the
county's vocational program which is already
superior to many in the state. Special emphasis is
being placed on preparing pupils for achievement
testing, and as a result, scores are expected to go
up. Hoke schools also have a cultural arts pro
gram which is better than most in the state, in
cluding ones offered by much larger districts.
?A satellite branch of Sandhills Community
College appears likely to occupy the old Bank of
Raeford building on Main Street. Chamber of
Commerce members and others see the college as
a shot in the arm for downtown and a first step in
revitalizing the area.
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Editorials
?Following the recent lifting of a state ban on
industrial use of the Raeford sewer system, coun
ty leaders have begun to address the question of
expanding the tax base by cranking up industry
search efforts. In addition, existing manufac
turers, like Burlington Industries and Faberge
Inc., have announced multi-million dollar expan
sion plans.
?First steps have been taken to improve rela
tions with Fort Bragg in hopes of attracting
retired military personnel to settle in Hoke Coun
ty. In conjunction with the campaign, Chamber
leaders are seeking to establish direct telephone
communication with Fayetteville.
?During the last year, retail sales have increas
ed dramatically in the county, indicating that
more residents are shopping at home. Unemploy
ment has also dropped. Although some old
businesses have failed, many new businesses have
opened.
?A need still exists for improved housing here,
but 78 new apartments opened in 1983 and addi
tional units have been announced for construc
tion in the coming months.
?A campaign is underway to allow mixed
drinks in the county. The issue is expected to
come up for a vote this summer. Backers see the
change in the law as necessary for continuing
commercial growth and improving living condi
tions. Supporters also say a motel is waiting in the
wings if the mixed drink bill is passed.
?Also, a spring festival has been organized
and scheduled for the first weekend in May. The
event, which will include a performance by a na
tionally known musical group, is expected to
draw visitors from other areas of the state and will
help promote the image of Hoke County.
No one is denying that Hoke County has prob
lems, but it is clear that the maladies are not being
ignored.
The current activity in Hoke County has given
rise to a feeling of optimism among residents, and
those who are watching can see that changes are
beginning to happen.
There is little need to dwell on the advantages
offered by Hoke County like: beautiful
homesites, good land and real estate prices, clean
air, a lower cost of living, no traffic congestion,
limited crime and friendly neighbors.
It is sufficient to say that Hoke County is a
good place to live and to work, and with what's
afoot to improve it, life here can only get better.
Truth must be faced by county
By Raz Autry
One statement which is univer
sally accepted is that people are
afraid of the truth.
A husband or wife does not
want to hear it said by one or the
other "I don't love you anymore."
The Russian people did not want
to hear that their fighter pilots shot
down an unarmed civilian
airplane. Americans are not in
terested in hearing we are a second
class power or our standard of liv
ing is not the highest in the world.
The conversation which has
taken place concerning the front
page story in the Fayetteville Times
on Saturday, March 10 entitled
Hoke Outlook Upbeat Despite
Recurring Poverty would fill The
News-Journal for an entire month.
It was a well written story. Quotes
from several citizens were frank,
honest and optimistic. Conversa
tions, opinions and well intended
statements are good; if the inten
tion behind the rhetoric is to do
something about the situation.
Failure to face the truth and the
facts which accompany it destroys
individuals and counties. Hoke
will be no exception. Why let it
happen? The solution to any prob
lem lies within each of us. A simple
fact which accompanies the truth is
that we are poor in comparison
with other counties. Why should
we be compared with other coun
ties? We are going to always be
poor when we are compared with
other counties. We have more poor
people than most of the counties.
This has always been true and
unless the poor move to another
county this is not going to change.
We should compare Hoke with no
one. It all boils down to what are
we willing to do to improve
ourselves.
The improvement should not be
in relation to other counties, but in
relation to where are we now and
what we want to become.
We talk about improvements in
test scores in the school system.
Sure our lest scores will improve,
but not when they are compared
Looking On
with other school systems. While
we are improving so will the other
school systems.
The important thing is that we
improve.
Every citizen in this county that
is truly interested in the school
system must have gone through a
period of depression and
hopelessness when the engineers
from Raleigh gave their report.
They knew Hoke County did not
have $20 million to spend on their
schools.
The Board of Education knows
it is not necessary to spend S20
million on the schools. County
Commissioners have no intention
of trying to find $20 million to
spend on the schools. Both boards
know what the schools need and
know where to find the money. It
is a simple matter of which board
is going to make the first move and
how honest they are going to be
with each other. Politics, personal
egotism and failure to place all
hangups on top of the table will
only result in more of the same.
Many of our citizens want Hoke
to progress yet remain as a small
peaceful place to live. 1 can relate
to their feeling as long as those
citizens are willing to face the sim
ple truth. If those in control are
satisfied with Hoke County as it is,
they simply must be willing to ac
cept and defend poor physical
school plants, a soon-to-be
deserted Main Street, and a whole
lot of poor people.
However, if they want the at
mosphere for living and the im
provement for progress they must
be willing to:
?Pay more property tax.
?Select their industry.
?Become interested in the
downtown area.
?Provide good physical plants
for their children.
?Attract and keep gQod
teachers.
?Most of all, step aside and let
some of the young men and
women have a chance at the
political affairs of the county.
Every move for change requires
some individuals or complete
boards to have enough nerve, in
dividually or collectively, to stand
tall and suggest change. The in
dividual or board* know their sug
gestions will not be accepted
favorably by all who pretend to
listen.
It can be compared to living in
the city or living in the country.
When one convinces the spouse to
accept country life by selling the
wide open spaces living he had bet
ter be prepared to give the other
side of the story. Mosquitoes must
be endured. Carrying the garbage
to the dumpster is a daily chore.
Water systems knocking off is a
weekly event. Paying for fire pro
tection and being blessed with a
surplus of gnats is a great fringe
benefit. It was a privilege this lover
of the country was prepared to
face before he moved.
If the truth and the facts that ac
company it are faced and decisions
are made on the truth and those
facts, then those making the deci
sions owe no citizen an apology.
The News-Journal
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A good meal will always clear a bad head
By Warren Johnston
The Marines had landed at Fort Bragg. They had cranked up the
big guns.
After days of listening to the chandelier rattle and the plaster
crack, my wife began to complain.
"We need to get out of town. All this target practice has given me
a headache, and I'm tired of your Groucho Marx jokes about
military spending," she said.
For several days, each time a shell exploded, 1 would act like I was
smoking a cigar, raise my eyebrows and say something like: "Is that
a thunderstorm I hear, or is it just our tax dollars at work?"
I'll admit that after the fifteenth time, the routine may have lost
some of it humorous edge, but that was no reason for her to hurl the
cat across the room at me.
"You think that you are tired of the jokes, what about the cat?"
1 asked, removing the unnerved feline from the window curtain
where he was hanging .
It was at this juncture, and just as 1 was launching into a
discourse on the devasting effect "die spring shelling and the Sand
hills pollens had on the rinut cavities, that the telephone rang.
??We've been invited to spend an evening in a room full of food
fdkott," I told my wife as I hung up the telephone.
The Puppy Papers
Someone, who was not looking for any excuse to get out of town
and away from the distant thunder and the eye-watering pollens,
might have questioned the planned agenda, but not my wife. She
was packed and in the car within moments.
"What's a food editor and where are we going?" she asked, after
we had been driving for about an hour.
I had also been anxious to escape the effects of the mock war
zone, and had failed to get all the details.
All I knew was that the event would be held at the Pawleys Island
Inn and would be the beginning of a long series of celebrations
scheduled to commemorate the first harvest of crawfish from South
Carolina's coastal rice fields.
Most food editors that I know take their work very seriously, and
it shows. So being in a room full of them might be a little like, being
cooped up with a bunch of overweight life-size Tweedledum and
Tweedledee dolls, 1 told my wife on the drive down.
A? it turned out, we had foolishly underestimated our hosts Louis
and Marlene Osteen.
We knew the Osteens had a long history of throwing pretty good
crawfish celebrations, and we had expected a fine time. But what we
got was one of those evenings seen in few places outside of Camelot
or the pages of magazines with French names.
The affair kicked off with cocktails accompanied by platters of
mussels, mounds of crabmeat and an assortment of fine cheeses.
We moved to a private dining room. Some of the food editors
were already beginning to glow with anticipation. By the end of the
evening they would be overcome with exuberance, the fine Califor
nia wines served with each course and the after-dinner brandy.
The feast began with Bulls Bay oysters on the half-shell, which
were topped with local caviar. Then came a light broth with Winyah
Bay sturgeon, which was followed by an exceptional salad, shad roe
garnished with grits and finally breasts of squab served on
homemade pasta. For dessert there was a choice of apples baked in
pastry or napoleons.
It was one of those rare and special evenings.
The next day, on the drive back to Raeford, instead of counting
cows, my wife and I fondly remembered each course, noted that our
sinus headaches had disappeared and wondered if the food editors
had had a good time.