Viewpoints Recruiter should attend to county improvements Hoke County officials are getting close to implementing a plan to hire an industry recruiter who will scour the countryside for new firms to locate here. However, the present scheme may require the new county salesman to hit the streets with an almost empty display case and lit tle to show his prospective customers. Under the plan, resources of the Chamber of Commerce, the City of Raeford and Hoke County would be combined to hire the in dustry hunter and provide him with a budget to bring back what this community needs: more jobs, more residents and more tax dollars. With a new industry or two, we could have better schools and continue to keep up with the spiraling cost of providing services, county officials reason. Even a trained professional, no matter how good he is at his job, would have a difficult time selling the "promise" of this county to national firms, considering the competition we have from other North Carolina counties and from other states. Here is the scenario: ?The Hoke County recruiter sits in the waiting room of a Fortune 500 company, when, in walk salesmen from: ?Scotland County offering an airport large enough to land com mercial jets surrounded by an industrial park with sewer and water, a college in Laurinburg, good highway access, rail service, motels, good schools, adequate restaurants and friendly residents. ?Cumberland County touting countywide telephone service, a top technical school, easy access to 1-95, good shopping, restaurants, hotels, a new industrial park with sewer and water, a commercial airport, a revitalized downtown and two colleges. ?Moore County showing off numerous golf courses, hotels and restaurants, a commercial airport, good highway and rail access, good schools, a community college, abundant shopping and plush residential areas. ?The Triangle area, Lee County, the Greenville-Spartanburg area of South Carolina, the Dekalb-Peachtree Industrial area near Atlanta, Dallas and Houston, all with slick presentation and bags bulging with amenities. -The Hoke County representative opens his display case, and in side tie finds inexpensive land prices, high unemployment, a sewer system which is under the suspicious eye of the state, and friendly system on tire way- up, beset by problems, "no countywide telephone system; no accom-" ' modations for visitors, limited places to eat, no theatres, no bowl ing alleys, limited shopping, no countywide zoning and no in dustrial park with full utilities. -The Fortune 500 company peeks in the Hoke County bag, laughs and goes off for lunch in the Triangle area, for cocktails in Atlanta and dinner in Dallas. We are not suggesting that Hoke County could one day compete with the Triangle, Greenville-Spartanburg or Atlanta for industry, nor are we suggesting that this county should not make an effort to obtain new businesses. Our league of competition is with the surrounding counties and with comparable rural areas in other states. If we are prepared, we will be able to land a few new firms. We must first give our salesman reasonably obtained amenities to sell, like a good school system, a community college, four lane highway access, zoning, sewer, water and a higher standard of liv ing. In the past few years, Hoke County has suffered from a lack of leadership. Currently, elected officials seem to barely have enough time to conduct the duties of office and to still maintain personal livelihoods. What this county now needs is an aggressive leader with time. Although citizen groups are beginning to emerge and to take positive steps to improve this county's bag of lures, their efforts are not unified. Before we send a recruiter on the road to sell Hoke County, we should make it that person's responsibility to spearhead the home improvement effort. It should be the industrial recruiter's job to motivate and coor dinate citizen groups to work on revitalizing downtown, obtaining a college, fourlaning US Highway 401 and establishing countywide telephone service. At the same time, a recruiter should also be working to obtain a site for an industrial park and to find funds to provide adequate sewage and water service to the location. The recruiter's office could also keep tabs on a county planner and could campaign for countywide zoning. In addition, the industry hunter could motivate the Board of Education to implement school improvements and to see that our schools compare favorably with those in surrounding counties. Industry hunting is a difficult business, but once we begin show ing signs of meeting the needs of this community, Hoke County's positive assets, like having pleasant surroundings, low crime, inex pensive real estate prices and friendly neighbors, will put us ahead of our competition. In the business of industry hunting, Hoke County has got the steak; we just neti| to add the sizzle and a rich aroma. The News-Journal D>... IN W. Dimi Awn, FjO. In S? I, NX. 2*37* hriljhrYwr IIIJI <1 01 if c?? ?j rw Yw-nm ? mi?i> m.w - . ."V LOUIS H. IOGLEMAN, JR. W AMEN N. JOHNSTON .. . HENRY L. BLUE MBS. PAULtMCUON MMr ic.r * nmmm -- NX. ? ? I I Y knou eoery year aboMi ihit> V\?v?e il Uncontrollable, urge io <^o back to Plorid^,. X UJoridcr UoV\ Cau^tft) \V\ai ^ ^ h] a A \ \ y f\ School days evoke old time memories The sight of children wending their way home after a hard day at the neighborhood brain factory sen^s me on a nostalgia trip. * My thoughts go skittering back ^where-4 embarked oil ... tional pilgrimage 47 years ago. Everybody called it "the school." Not "high school," or "middle school," or "elementary school." No need to make such fine distinctions. There was only one school. Scared first-graders and high-and-mighty seniors went through the same portals every day. The official title for the teachers, among us young scholars, was "Old Lady." Even if Miss Smith happened to be just 27 years old, she was still "Old Lady Smith" to us. The only male teacher I can remember was the school coach, who handled basket ball, track, baseball, and taught square dancing on the side. The principal was a man, too. A pretty scary one. Being sent to see the principal was the ultimate punishment for offenders whose sinful natures couldn't be cured any other way. It was common knowledge among us grade schoolers that you got killed, or worse, if you ever had to go to the principal's office. We had two recesses, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This was the favorite time of day, for teachers and pupils. ' The playground surrounding the school was sort of a giant dust bowl, since no grass grew there. It was really much better that way. Much more fun. For example, a good soaking rain would always leave a huge mudhole on the east side of the school ground; and it was great sport to see who could ride a bicy cle all the way through the mud without falling over. We didn't always succeed. We didn't have computers, videorecorders, or electronic calculators. But we also didn't have drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes on the school grounds. And we did learn to spell pretty good. Letters To The Editor , v. ?? , Parents would support a better school system To the Editor: In response to the recent article written by Ed Miller titled ??PUPIL ATTENDANCE BOTHERS COUNTY SCHOOL OFFICIALS." I find it difficult to believe our Superintendent was really surpris ed by the number of students who did not show up for school on Wednesday August 29. I do want my children in school for the re quired 180 days but with a little more thought, school could have been postponed until after Labor Day as it was in Cumberland County and St. Pauls schools. I feel sure this would have eliminated a lot of the problems this county had with children not reporting on the first day of school. As for our students crossing county lines to attend school. Maybe most of the parents of these children saw the report on WRAL TV 5. According to this report, Hoke County spends only $250 per student per year. This was com pared to other counties that spend over $800. Can you realistically blame parents for wanting to send their children to another county? I am not sure what the solution to this problem is, but I would think a person who would qualify for the position of Superintendent of Hoke County Schools would be able to provide us with some answers. I feel sure the parents would stand behind any im provements that could be sug gested. Hoke student's talent should be recognized To the Editor: Most all of us are familiar with the maxim: "A mind is a terrible thing to waste.** That is tratf But? What is "mind?" In short: a "mind" is that which develops in to love, understanding, spiritual, and intellectual capabilities. But! Talent also develops from "mind." So! Let us say: "A talent is a ter rible thing to waste." 1 do sincerely congratulate Charles Andrews, of the Hollywood- Robbin Heights area of Raeford, for his great talented ability for break-dancing, "rap ping" and other intellectual artistic abilities. Mr. Andrews has great potential and talent. Mr. Andrews, better known as "Cool C," a black high school stu dent of Raeford, is a great example of some fine, black talented youth in the Hoke area. School officials, parents or senior guardians should recognize, take notice of such good potential among today's youth, and en courage them. Charles Andrews, an ROTC stu dent, is a potential leader and a fine young man. I say to the elders and to the young: when you see good talent, please encourage it. Your young "Saturday Night Breakers" of today may very well be the nation's "Michael Jacksons" of tomorrow. Remember: "A talent is a terri ble thing to waste." Thank you sincerely, Daniel Edwards Pine Ridge, Box 301 Bladenboro, N.C. Foreign policy can be compared to throwing dice Dear Editor: One of the issues in the Presidential race, if there are any other than who can get televised the oftenest with the biggest crowds with the most flags, is sup posed to be foreign policy ? which candidate is better equipped to handle it. I have never understood foreign policy or what it's for. For the most part it looks like trying to set tle a family squabble next door, something most people had rather dodge if they know what's good for them. Some prospective candidates, looking ahead to a race, visit a lot handle fctreigiuaf fairs. Also, it's hard for countries to understand each other's foreign policy when th