Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Oct. 4, 1984, edition 1 / Page 1
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The News-Journal The Hoke County News - Established 1928 ^ The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905 ? Volume LXXVI Number 24 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $10 PER YEAR 25 CENTS Thursday, October 4, 1984 Cabarrus County man hired as Hoke manager Few things need to be changed about the manner in which Hoke County is being fiscal ly run. However, the man named Tuesday night to head up the county government says he will work to improve communication. Cabarrus County Parks and Recreation Department Director William K. Cowan, who was named Tuesday night by the Hoke County Commissioners to replace former County Manager.James Martin, says he is go ing to examine the county's communication network and will meet with department heads "as soon as possible." The 32-year-old Winsor native will take over the reins of the county on November 1 , Commission Chairman John Balfour said Tuesday. Cowan will be paid an annual salary of $28,500 and will be given a travel allowance of $2,000. In Cabarrus County, which has a popula tion of about 90,000, Cowan is credited with turning around a dying recreation depart ment and making it one of the most viable in the state. During 1980, Cowan received a national parks and recreation award for his ac complishments. Cowan is married to the former Teresa Oliver and they have one son, Jonathan. Mrs. Cowan is a teacher and under con tract for the current year in Cabarrus Coun ty, but the family will be moving to Hoke County around Christmas time from their home in Concord, Balfour said. Cowan, who has a B.S. Degree from East Carolina University in Parks Management, has served in Cabarrus for eight years. One of his top priorities will be to review the county manager's role as controller of department heads to make sure that all areas of the county government are being run as ef ficiently and as effectively as possible, Cowan said. In addition, Cowan said he would also I " ~ meet with appointed committee members and with elected officials. The existing management system is running "pretty well" and there is no pressing need to change anything, the new manager said. Cowan was in the county last Wednesday and on Sunday, and has toured the area with his wife. In addition to the recitation award, Cowan was appointed to the North Carolina Out door Policy Panel by Governor Jim Hunt in 1982, and he is serving as the treasurer of the Cabarrus Arts Council Inc. Cowan has also served as a guest lecturer to the local Cabarrus area Council of Govern ments on budgets. Grades combined at Scurlock to accommodate more students By Ed Miller "The gain of a teacher" and lack of space has caused school of ficials to rework classes and to shift students at Scurlock School, Superintendent Robert Nelson said. Because of the overcrowding, teachers are now instructing two grades in one classroom; The system is a throwback to the JSC?* J* The state has given the school system 'another teacher for Scurlock as the result of "10-day adjustments" in enrollments, Nelson said. However, the school did not have an available classroom. EverVyWf JWfiiumwrr measured for the first 10 days of classes, and if more or fewer students than are anticipated show up for school, the state adjusts teacher allotments accordingly, said Nelson. Every space was in use, Nelson said. There have also been some changes made by combining two grades in one class. This combination class is taught much in the same fashion as the old one room schools were. Nelson said. While one grade level is getting direct instruction, the other is working on assigned material, said Nelson. There are four .combination According to Nelson, the grades are being put together to keep class sizes within state regulations. By law, grades K-3 can only have 26 students. Grades 4-6 can have 29 and grades 7 and up can have 33, Nelson said. "Tri terrris of dlfntulttw caused Vf" the combination classes, Nelson said: "I suspect that it causes more problems for teachers than for students." The teachers have to prepare lessons for two grade levels as well as having to contend with two totally different levels of achiev ment, Nelson said. Nelson could only think of one case in his 17 years as a superinten dent that there have been no 10-day adjustments. According to Nelson, there are still new students coming into the school almost everyday, and that has had an effect on the first 10-day totals. The transient nature of some of the population in that area has g^MSSdjnany^ of jthe adjustments . . ttcrpating.. numbers ?>f students, said NebOnf The state looks at the 10-day figure and adjusts, he said. After the first 10 days, the coun ty gained 3.5 new teachers because " of adjustments, said Nelson. Contending with adjustments antf-fl*!1 itWUUiiiUm-omipamry regulations has caused many changes at Scurlock. There should be no permanent damage to students because of the changes, he said. There will be a one or two-day adjustment period for students, but "normality" should return after that, the superintendent said. Main Street accident A three<ar wreck at the Main Street, Donaldson ? Avenue 'Intersection Tuesday afternoon lesufretfbt four people being only slightly injured, according to Raeford Police Chief Leonard Wiggins. Carry Wood, of Raeford, was driving his 1980 Fiat (center) west on Donaldson Avenue. He stopped at the sign crossing Main, but failed to see an oncoming car heading south on Main Street. When he pulled into the road, he was hit in the right side by a Volkswagon being driven by Elizabeth Baker. Wood's car then flew into the air, rolled over and hit Louise Sessoms who was sitting at the stop sign on West Donaldson - waiting tu g&i*3i: Sessornx wter driving a 1984 Pon tiac fright), Wiggins said. Wood was charged with a safe movement violation, said the chief. Damage to the Wood car was reported at $3,200. Baker's car reportedly had about $1,700 in damage, and the Sessoms car had about $175-200 damage, Wiggins said. The drivers and passengers of both the Wood and Baker vehicles were slightly injured, but none were believed to have entered the hospital, Wiggins cni/i Creek water flooding crushed Raeford sewer line By Ed Miller Thousands of gallons of ground water and sand are pouring into the Raeford sewer system through a crushed pipe which runs under Rockfish Creek, members of the Raeford City Council were told Monday night. A recent television camera in spection of an 18-inch sewer line in Raeford has shown that about 800 feet of that line is crushed allowing creek and ground water to pour in, City Manager Tom Phillips said. The line will be closed, he said. Around Town By San Morris There was a good rain Sunday night and it would seem that soy beans should not need any more before harvesting. Now the reason I make this statement is that a retired farmer told me this on Monday morning. The day (Mon day) is now sunny as this is being written. I can't say as much for last Saturday. While sitting in the foot ball stadium at Chapel Hill, the wind chill factor was in the forties and there was a light mist falling during most of the game. It could h^ve been worse if Kansas had defeated the Tar Heels. The forecast it for the temperatures to get near 80 by the end of the week. It seems now that we go from summer into winter and don't have any nice fall weather. ? ? ? Maybe you have noticed that I haven't mentioned anything about the weather coming from Robert Gatlin, observer for Hoke County for the National Weather Service. To thoee that don't know, Robert (See AROUND, page II) The line, that starts at Prospect Avenue and runs to the sewer plant, has a 24-inch line running parallel to it that will have to ser vice the area until the crushed line can be replaced, Phillips said. According to Phillips, he knew something was wrong with the line because the sewer plant was treating more water than the water department was pumping. Another 200 feet of the line can be repaired by the city, Phillips said. The 18-inch line will be out of service until at least next year when money can be budgeted for the replacement. Phillips stressed that use of the 24-inch line for the whole area can only be a temporary condition because if more line is needed, there is nothing to fall back on. The replacement of the 18-inch line must be a "high priority" item for next year, Phillips said. According to estimates from contractors, it will cost between $40,000 and $60,000 to replace the pipe, Phillips said. Much of the line is below the water table and a section of it runs under a creek so a lot of extra water and sand has been getting in to the system, said the Manager. Three or four dump truck loads of sand has had to be removed from one section of the pipe, Phillips said adding that this sand has also been ruining pumps at the sewer plant. The seriousness of the line's con dition was realized recently when video tape cameras were put into the line and the inside was actually Visit from the candidate In his second trip to Hoke County, gubernatorial candidal* Rufut Edmisten attended a " pig pkkin ' " fund raiser at the home of Hoke Representative Danny DeVane, Tuesday. Officials at the noon gathering say that about $5,00$ was raised. At the fund raiser, Edmisten said small counties like Hoke are the reason for his success. People keep saying t will win on coat tails but / have coat tads of my own. The working men and women of this state are my coal tails, " he mid. "/ plan to treat Hoke County fetrjy* I will be a gaver nor for the whole state, " he said. Edmlsten said he plans to build the ' infrastructure ' ' of small coun ties so they win be able to attract industry. Improv ing roads, schools, water and sewer systems will all help in getting counties like Hoke the Industry they badly need, said Edmlsten. "I'm going to be look ing at places tike Hoke County that don *t have a fouriane highway he said. Edmlsten said he beUeved In fairness to all people in all parts of the state, "The mechanic is Just as Important as the wmkhlest mm In the state. " filmed. "It was a real gutter movie," Mayor John K. McNeill said. The video tape is on record in the City Manager's office. TV hike axed After a lengthy discussion, council members voted to deny a rate increase requested by the city's cable television franchise holder Alert Cablevision. Alert is changing its basic chan nel line-up and wanted an increase in its basic service from $8.60 to $10, Alert area manager Harrison Daniels said. To be added to the basic service is the Christian Broadcasting Net work (CBN) and Channel 18 from Charlotte, Daniels said. The basic service will no longer include ESPN, the sports station or the CNN new station. Those channels will be offered, but subscribers will have to pay for an "expanded service" to get them, Daniels said. However, along with those two (See CABLE, page 11) Ambulance sponsorship moving to Moore County By Ed Miller A shift in ambulance sponsor ship, which is designed to improve the services, was given a green light by members of the Hoke County Commission Monday. As a result of the commission's action, the Hoke County Am bulance Service, which has been backed by Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, is changing spon sorship to Moore County Memorial Hospital. The switch will improve com munications with all area hospitals. Commission Chairman John Balfour said. "I feel this can only improve ser vice," Balfour said. This is only the first step in get ting the sponsorship changed, ac cording to State Office of Emergency Medical Service (OEMS) Area Supervisor Fred Hardy. Moore County must now submit a request to the state OEMS. The hospital must then be evaluated anda determination made whether the facility is eligible to sponsor an ambulance service. Hardy said, adding, however, that Moore has been approved earlier for other services. The request will then be examin ed by the OEMS Board for Hoke approval purposes, Hardy said. "We've already reviewed the proposals. I have looked at it, and I don't see any problems," Hardy said. In previous operations with Cape Fear, ambulance drivers could communicate by radio only with doctors at Cape Fear, even if patients were en route to Moore Memorial. Under the new sponsorship, drivers can talk to Moore Memorial, Cape Fear and all other area hospitals, Hardy said. Raises denied In a matter pending from the last commission meeting, board member* voted to deny raises for county deputies which had been re quested by Sheriff Dave Barr ington. Included in the motion was a recommendation that all budgeted salary money not used, be set aside for possible use as merit pay raises during the next fiscal year. (See DEPUTY, pace 10)
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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