The News-Journal
The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
Volume LXXV1 Number 4
RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
$10 PER YEAR 25 CENTS
Thursday, May 17, 1984
A.M. shopper
apprehended
on Main St.
By Ed Miller
A Raeford man was arrested
around 3:30 Tuesday morning
after he was allegedly apprehended
inside of a Main Street store.
John Bradley Gordon, 22, was
arrested after a Raeford Police of
ficer on routine patrol allegedly
found him inside Fashions
Unlimited, Police Chief Leonard
Wiggins said.
Sgt. Michael Dial was on patrol
when he found the back door of
the old Shoe Chest store was open,
as well as the rear door of Fashions
Unlimited.
Gordon was arrested and charg
ed with two counts of breaking and
entering, Wiggins said.
The suspect was released Tues
day morning after he posted a
$5,000 secured bond, court records
show.
"It was a good job on Sgt.
Dial's part," Wiggins said.
Around Town
By Sam Morris
The weather for the past week
has been about normal for this
time of year and it should suit
about everyone. Of course some
farmers cannot get into certain
fields because of the heavy rains in
April but most of them are catch
ing up fast.
The forecast for the remainder
of the week is for fair weather and
the temperatures in the 80s during
the day. This is ideal!
Steve Parker, president of the
Raeford-Hoke Chamber of Com
merce was by the office Monday
and asked that I remind people of
the Annual Meeting of the
Chamber which will be held on
Tuesday, May 29 at the Gibson
Cafeteria. The meeting will start at
6:30 p.m. Tickets are S6.00 per
person. Tickets can be obtained
from the chamber office or you
can contact Parker at the Southern
National Bank. We don't know the
deadline for the purchase of
tickets, but will inform you next
week.
The new directors and officers
will be installed at this meeting and
the annual report for the chamber
will be given.
The speaker for the evening will
be Hal Siler, Executive Director of
the Sanford Chamber of Com
merce. We understand that he has
been in the county before and was
well received.
So be sure to purchase your
tickets at once, so you won't forget
and join everyone for a super even
ing.
? ? ?
In a conversation Monday with
a member of the Hoke Heritage
Hobnob Committee, it was good
to hear that the event cleared ap
proximately $3000. It seems that
the event that fell short of expecta
tions was The Embers that per
formed on a Saturday afternoon at
Armory Park. This event was in
the hole about $1200. The dinner
at the MacDonald Cafeteria and
the auction in the gym after the
meal netted a profit for the Hob
nob.
The committee will meet in the
near future and they hope to get
more of the community involved in
the Hobnob next year. It is also
some of the committee members'
wishes that the time of the Hobnob
be ihortened.
Congratulations to everyone for
a job well done.
? ? ?
The graduation section that has
been appearing in The News
Journal for many yean will do so
again this year. It is appearing this
year in the issue of June 7. The
deadline for ads will be Thursday,
May 31.
If you haven't been contacted in
the next few days and would like to
be in the section, call the office,
(See AROUND, page 2A)
s>
Someone lived here
At about 1:30 Tuesday morning, the North Raeford
and City of Raeford fire departments responded to
this house fire. The owners, reportedly at work at
the House of Raeford, were not at home when the
blaze broke out. Sources say that the trailer was
totally engulfed when the fire departments arrived
at the Vass Road residence. i\o one was hurt in the
fire. (Photo by Pam Frederick)
More school funds asked
By Ed Miller
During the next few weeks,
members of the Hoke County
Commission will be attempting to
balance a 26.9% hike in the school
budget for the coming year.
Commission members heard the
proposed budget, which includes a
15% pay raise for all school per
sonnel, from members of the
County Board of Education during
a mid-month meeting Monday
night.
Commissioners were told that
the board is seeking an overall
total increase of $265,169 in coun
ty funds over last year.
The majority of the hike is in an
ticipation of passage of a pay raise
for teachers by the North Carolina
General Assembly.
A "summary" by Hoke
Superintendent Dr. Robert
Nelson, included in the budget,
said a 15% increase in teachers'
salaries has been calculated into
the budget as well as $75,000 for
building maintenence recommend
ed by the "Blue Ribbon" Facilities
Study Committee.
With the $99,277 for pay raises
and maintenence costs subtracted,
the total increase is cut to 8.77% or
$86,392.
Of that figure, the report says
that $23,000 are "promised" to
the ROTC program and without
that, the increase is only 6.4% over
last year.
The summary report ends by
saying that the bottom line figure
of $265,169 is not changed but that
Nelson feels it "helpful to know
the full picture of where the in
creases are coming from."
The total state, federal and local
budget is set at $10 million for
1984-85.
From the County of Hoke, the
board is seeking a total of $1.3
million.
Most of the Hoke County school
funds will come from the state.
Those revenues are budgeted at
$6.8 million and the federal
revenue is budgeted at $1.9
million.
Nelson presented the revenue
sharing part of the proposed
budget, noting that the school
system needs such things as new
electric typewriters, a new school
bus, a new travel van and repair on
old audiovisual equipment.
A total of $371,100 is being ask
ed for in revenue sharing funds.
At the end of the presentation,
Commissioner James Albert Hunt
asked school board Chairman Bill
Cameron: "How much fat can you
cut out?"
"We are not willing to cut
anything at this time," Cameron
said.
In other business, the commis
sioners once again tabled action on
the First Responder Program.
Insurance matters remain the
concern. It will cost $100 per
volunteer to obtain mal-practice
coverage, County Manager James
Martin said in a report.
City Manager sworn in
Notary and Tax Supervisor, Betty Smith gives the oath of office to
Tom Phillips, Roe ford's new City Manager. The ceremony was held at
9 a.m. Monday in the council chambers at City Hall. "I'm going to
spend the day and the next couple of weeks getting to know my way
around," PhUUps said.
Dr. Robert Sclson
For all of the projected
volunteers to be covered, it will
cost the county $4,500, the report
said.
It was suggested by Commis
sioner Wyatt Upchurch that
perhaps some of these costs could
be cut by not having fire depart
ments close to the city involved in
the service.
North Racford, Hillcrest and
Tylerlown were targeted as being
close enough to the city services
not to require First Responder
volunteers.
"I am for coverage out (in the
far reaches of the county)," Up
church said.
(See SCHOOL, page 3A)
Chamber
position
on hold
No interim replacement will be
employed to fill vacancy created by
the death of Hoke-Raeford
Chamber of Commerce Director
Earl N. Fowler, the group's presi
dent said this week.
Before a new director is selected,
members of the Chamber Board of
Directors will assess the county's
"needs" and determine the type of
qualifications required to fill the
position, President Steve Parker
said.
"Basically the Chamber's posi
tion is that we're not going to
make any quick decisions," Parker
said.
The determination of the
"needs" is expected to take 30 to
45 days, and then the selection pro
cess will begin, Parker said.
Until a new director is hired the
(See CHAMBER, page 2A)
College in bank
'not practical'
By Ed Miller
A recently conducted study by a
Southern Pines architectural firm
recommends the use of the old Na
tional Guard Armory over a sug
gested downtown Raeford site to
house the proposed Hoke County
branch of Sandhills Community
College.
In addition, the report points
out that the costs of renovating
either structure for college use
could run more than $700,000.
Initial costs could run between
$180,000 and $200,000 to begin to
make the United Carolina Bank
building in Raeford suitable for
classrooms and instruction and
between $150,000 and $200,000 to
do the same to the old National
Guard Armory, says the report
from architects Hayes, Howell and
Associates.
According to the report, the
total cost for the needed renova
tions could be around $800,000 for
the bank building and $700,000 for
the armory.
In a letter to County Manager
James Martin, Sandhills President
Dr. Raymond A. Stone said that
the armory would be most
"preferable for college use."
Stone said that "interior space,
access and parking are all
favorable considerations" to the
the armory.
Stone also said that there are a
number of avenues that could be
pursued to obtain the funds needed
to get construction under way.
"As I remember, under the
Community College Act, the coun
ty is responsible for obtaining the
funds," Stone said Tuesday iirtm
interview.
One way this can be done is for
the Hoke County Board of Com
missioners to appropriate the
funds outright, Stone said.
Another way would be for the
commissioners to "float a bond
issue" if they feel the public will
support it, he said.
A third possibility would be for
the county to take the "special bill
route" whereby commissioners
will ask the county's Legislative
Delegation to try and obtain the
funds directly from the State
Legislature.
This approach is not a popu'.ar
one with state law makers, the col
lege president added.
As a final alternative, if some
funds are obtained from any local
source, commissioners could try
and get state matching funds at a
rate of 50-50, Stone said.
To be able to get matching
funds, the county would have to
have its money up front, he added.
James Martin could not be
reached for comment Tuesday.
In the report from Hayes,
Howell and Associates, the strong
and weak points of both proposed
sites for the satellite were outlined.
According to the report some of
the weaknesses of the bank
building are: *No enclosed stairs
for fire escape purposes.
?There is a vault in the center of
the ground floor.
?The upper two floors are not
suitable for classroom occupancy
because they are constructed of
highly combustible material.
?There is an inadequate number
of plumbing fixtures on the ground
floor.
(See SANDHILLS, page 3A)
'Friends' bail out
jump school owner,
court reduces bond
Raeford parachute school owner
Gene Paul Thacker, who is charg
ed in connection with the smug
gling of $14 million in cocaine
allegedly brought into the Raeford
Airport last summer, had been
reporting to local authorities on
time following his release from jail
last week, a spokesman for the
Hoke County Sheriff's office said
Tuesday.
As part of the condition for
reducing the bond from 5500,000
to $250,000, 12th Judicial District
Superior Court Judge E. Lynn
Johnson required Thacker to
report to local authorities prior to
9 a.m. daily.
The jump school owner is charg
ed in an indictment by a statewide
Florida grand jury with one count
of trafficking in cocaine and one
count of conspiracy to traffic co
caine.
Florida authorities have said
earlier that the alleged smuggling
occurred last June and involved
about 700 kilograms of the drug.
If convicted, Thacker could face
up to 30 years in jail without
chance of parole, assistant District
Attorney John Dickson said dur
ing a bond reduction hearing on
Friday.
Thacker was released from the
Hoke County Jail Friday, after
about 20 "friends" pledged their
homes, cash and property to raise
the required $250,000 bond.
Most of those pledging assets
were Cumberland County
residents and have worked with
Thacker through his parachute
school.
During the ^Friday hearing,
about 70 supporters, including a
number of prominent Hoke Coun
ty residents, jammed Courtroom
3-A in the Cumberland County
Courthouse on Thacker's behalf.
After hearing testimony from
seven witnesses, including former
Hoke County Superintendent Raz
Autry, Raeford City Councilman
Bob Gentry, Raeford Heating and
Plumbing owner Mack Se&soms
and Hoke Auto owner Younger
Snead Jr., Johnson ruled in favor
of reducing Thacker's bond.
As part of the ruling, Thacker
was also to have surrendered his
passport and was required to re
main in Hoke and Cumberland
counties.
"Gene Paul Thacker's character
is excellent," Autry said, testifying
that he had known the jump school
owner about 17 years.
Autry noted later that he did not
condone the use of cocaine, and
that he believed Thacker to be in
nocent of the charges.
"I am willing to go on his bond.
I'm satisfied that he will be where
he is supposed to be," the former
superintendent added.
(See THACKER, page 3A)
Inside Today
Among wire
McCain Hospital correction
officers cure maintaining the
spirit and dedication of the
facility's 70-year tradition. We
take a look at the prison
hospital and some recently
honored officers on page one
of section R in today's N?w?
Joarml.