Band plays sour note
for Hoke Co. residents
On Friday, the residents of Red Springs showed appreciation for
the help which had been given to the community following the
devastation of the March 28 tornadoes. With the help of volunteers
from Hoke County and other parts of eastern North Carolina, the
small town fought back and got on its feet again.
Friday was Red Springs' day to say "thank you" with festivities
and a parade. It was a fine day for Red Springs and for the hun
dreds who helped. It was a commemoration of brotherly love.
However, there was a cloud over the Red Springs event, which
left a shadow on Hoke County and diminished the good deeds done
by many of this county's residents last spring.
All of Hoke County was injured by.the Hoke High School band's
refusal to march in the Red Springs parade without the payment of
a $600 fee.
The attitude of band leaders is particularly difficult to under
stand, in light of the way in which others in this community
responded to the needs of Red Springs following the storms.
Crews from the City of Raeford were on the scene in Red Springs
within hours of the storm, helping to restore power and clearing
debris. Some volunteers from Hoke County were on their feet for as
long as 48 hours without relief. Churches and civic organizations
gave tnoney, clothes and food to help their neighbors.
This fall Red Springs sent the City of Raeford a check for over
$9,200 to help defray the costs incurred by local crews with the
cleanup. Without hesitation, members of the Raeford City Council
voted unanimously to return the check.
We realize it costs the band to travel to events like the Red Spr
ings parade, but the manner in which the matter was handled is in
excusable and an embarrassment to all county residents.
School officials say they were not informed (and are not sure who
was) of the invitation, nor were they told about the fee or the
refusal. County board of education members say they also were not
consulted about the parade. In short, the band leaders apparently
made no effort to raise the funds needed to cover the costs except
for asking Red Springs to pay the fee. Red Springs has had its share
of expenses and a $600 band charge for an humanitarian event was
not in the budget.
By mishandling the invitation, the leaders denied band members
the right to participate in the parade and to be ambassadors for
Hoke County. In addition, those directors also handed the reputa
1
tion of this county a black eye and gave taxpayers, who support the
group, a reason to question the priorities being placed on band ex
penditures.
This year, as in past years, the Hoke High band has distinguished
itself in statewide competition to become rated as one of the best
marching groups in the state. This year the band participated in at
least five such events. The band also traveled to each Of the out-of
town Hoke High football games. The costs of those performances
were at least equal, if not greater, than what was needed to march in(
the Red Springs parade.
We recognize that the statewide competition was paid for in part
through fund raising efforts by the band booster club. We also
believe that booster club members and the band leadership should
understand if the band cannot march in events like the one in Red
Springs, as well as home town parades, then how the group is rank
ed among their peers in the state is meaningless.
The damage of the Red Springs incident will not be easily
repaired. It is hoped that in the future, the leadership of the Hoke
High band will change its thinking and will begin to consider the*
community as a top priority.
With a new perspective, perhaps the band leadership will find the
task of fund raising easier and Hoke County residents more suppor
tive.
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'Tis season for compassion
The holiday season. Time for
the annual spending spree. And,
along with it, our yearly orgy of
concern for "those less fortunate
than ourselves."
Turkey and dressing with all the
trimmings for the street people.
Food boxes for the poor. Toys for
orphan kids. Generous tips for
waitresses and paper carriers. "Get
the holiday spirit." "Be a good
neighbor." "Show a little good
will toward your fellow man."
And so it goes.
I'm not opposed to it, you
understand. Even a temporary
display of human kindness is better
than nothing.
It's just that human misery will
still be afound long after the
Christmas tree has shed its last
Lucie n
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/*
Things That Matter
needle on the living room carpet.
The street people will still be sleep
ing in doorways and under bridges,
children will still be neglected, ag
ing men and women will still hud
dle in unheated houses. And few
will notice, until the next holiday
season rolls around.
Dropping 67 cents into a Salva
tion Army kettle is a fairly
economical way to purchase a
good conscience. But it doesn't do
much to assuage the hunger pangs
of the 800 million persons in the
world who are living in absolute
poverty, each with an income of
less than $90 a year.
The World Bank defines "ab
solute poverty" as "a condition of
life so characterized by malnutri
tion, illiteracy and disease as to be
beneath any reasonable definition n
of human decency." "
Fully one-third of the Third
World population is living in that
condition as we jingle our bells and
deck our halls with boughs of hol
ly.
Even the $3.2 billion spent on
American dogs each year would do
a lot to extend the "holiday spirit"
to people who never take a holiday
from hunger.
Letters T o The Editor
Christmas help needed
To the Editor:
As Christmas comes around,
and everybody gets ready to do his
good deeds, yes we pass out our
gifts of love to one another. Our
hearts filled with love, it makes me
wonder. Will they forget Jesus?
After all, it is his birthday.
If we don't offer up a spiritual
gift to him, we will have failed
Him. The way the world is going,
it makes me wonder, where it is
headed to.
I am not much with a typewriter,
so forgive these mistakes I make, I
am just an old country boy and
don't no very much. Not very
much learning, but one day I
found Jesus, and that's enough for
me. Please read this editorial
before you throw it away. It might
help in some small way. I am not
much at meeting people. I have
always walked alone and I keep to
myself most of the time, but I love
people.
I am a minister of the gospel of
Christ.
My savior, he called me to teach
his soon coming and now my
friends.
I don't teach like a lot of people,
but I teach it like it is the truth. I
have had a hard life, I don't have
any money. I am retired not much
to go on.
But I will never teach to please
man, sometimes people give to us
at Christmas. I would like to thank
you all for your help, and may I
say thank you again.
This has helped to see us
through at Christmas time, and
any help you can give, we will
thank you in advance, if you do
send it.
Trouble is coming no one seems
to care. The great tribulation is
coming, and we teach our children
not to believe it. They say we are
going to fly away in the rapture. If
this is so, please explain it to me
because I do not believe it. The
Spirit of God tells me that it is An
tichrist to teach such junk to our
children, amen.
Matthew, Chapter -24- tells us
the tribulation is coming. I believe,
that it is very near to come if not
already here. My friends be sure
that you don't let no one tell you
anything else.
Jesus said and I quote im
mediately after the tribulations of
that time, the sun would not shine
and the moon nor the stars. The
stars shall fall from heaven, and
power of heaven shall be shaken,
then they shall see the Son of man
coming in the clouds and all the
tribes of the earth shall mourn,
amen. They teach everything in
school all the books are law you
have to teach them, but the. Bible
and Jesus and God. Is band from
the school no prayer is heard. In
school, don't you love your
children I do. 1 am going to teach
them the truth. That is why we
started the Tribal Mission School,
and we are going to go on by the
grace of God, amen.
We have been called names they
said were discriminating. You no
what I mean.
Ail of this is not true I am In
dian. I love white. I love black. I
love all. So my friends, please send
us a love offering this Christmas,
please. _
And help us, to win over all
them that wants to put us out of
business. We love you. Won't you
please return that love God will
bless you.
Send as much as you can and
may the Lord smile upon you.
Amen.
by Reverend Edgar Bryant
Three snows predicted
To the Editor:
With God's patience; our inven
tive engineering, can we win the
game or race?
Our little vehicle, body, pro
bably needs some modified extra
equipment. It is not like a squirrel
in a revolving cage, or a mile and a
half stock car race.
This is an endurance contest; he
who endures to the end; the same
shall be saved.
Are we so loaded down with all
our earthly possessions 'till we
miss the rapture?
The ruih young ruler did; as well
as others too numerous to
enumerate.
We seek knowledge, truth and
peace, and come out of the strug
gle too many times, void.
Like the afflicted woman who
had suffered much by the hands of
many physicians, had spent all,
and was none the better.
Can we believe all this? And can
we believe a winter time predic
tion? That is to say, in order to
help us offset our polluted air; the
good Lord will send us three
snows.
Amen ?
Earl Shannon
211 Prophet
High technology
ruining youth
Dear Editor:
A while back I was trying to pen
some calves out here and yelled to
a youngster trying to help by circl
ing around behind them: "Go
clockwise!"
He stopped. He didn't know
what I meant. He has a digital
watch. It flashes numbers. Has no
hands on it.
You can see what high
technology is doing to the youth of
the land.
And that's not all. It used to be
it was something of a milestone in
a child's life when he learned to tie
his shoes. Everybody bragged on
him and said "That boy's catching
on fast."
Nowadays they're making kid's
shoes that don't need tying. They
don't have any shoelaces. Instead
there are a couple of straps that
don't even need buckling. You just
press them down as tight as needed
and they stick. To take the shoes
off so you can throw them in the
middle of the floor, you pull on the
straps and they come un-stuck.
What kind of a milestone is it when
you've achieved that?
Of course some things haven't
changed. I've discovered that
school kids are still required to
learn the names of all the states
and their capitals, without learning
who the governor of any state is,
including their own. In some cases
however that isn't information
worth going to the trouble of
learning anyway. By next year a 1
landslide may have thrown half of *
them out.
On the other hand, kids have
mastered the hand calculator, they
can work a computer, they - can
fine-tune the color on a T.V. set,
and, if driven to it, probably could
explain the principle of the zipper.
Due to slip-on shirts, buttonholes
probably are beyond them.
We got those calves penned. _
Took an hour and a half, accord-*
ing to the youngster's digital
watch.
Yours faithfully,
J. A.
The News-Journal
PaWfabed Every Tbunday by .
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(USPS 3M-2M)
Mullet investigation
proves fruitless effort
I was commissioned to deliver the first State of the Mullet address
at the soon-to-be annual Hoke County Muttet Roast.
"We want to know all about mullets," they had said. After
several days of investigation, I'too wanted to know something
about mullet.
I tackled the job with a full head of steam, but every lead was a
dead end. Nobody would talk about mullet. Books told me nothing.
I contacted a local net fisherman. I knew he spent many a fall
night on the beach at Holden, pulling in a gill net.
"Mullet! We throw those darn things away," he said. "I fish for
spots."
Undaunted, I went to the local library. The helpful librarians
scurried about the room, pulling out hundreds of books and plop
ping them down on the table before toe. There was a wealth of in
formation about fish, but the coverage of mullet smelled. I came
away with little more than a fingerlings worth of technical informa
tion.
"Listen. These people are going to want to know what they are
eating," I told the librarian.
f I knew 1 couldn't just say there are at least two kinds of mullet
? 1
Warren Johnston
f The Puppy Papers
that, frequent the southeastern Atlantic coast waters. "Who cares
(other than the mullet) that fishermen spearing eels through the ice
often hit mullet by mistake."
' 'K- 0
I checked the history books. I knew that the Hot aad Hot Fish
Club once roasted mullet and other fish on the coast of South
Carolina but that was IMS. All of the members are now dead,
perhaps as a result of the convivial activities of the group. I didn't
want that to happen in Hoke County.
The minutes of the Hot ami Hot Fhh dab meetings are sketchy.
No one would ever know if the mullet killed the members, or if it
was the wine-soaked discussions of politics and rice.
Hope was restored by a cook book which described the "jumping
mullet" as tender, firmly textured meat with a sweet, nutty flavor.
"Now, that's something I can tell them," I said to the librarian,
who handed me another book which left my imagination wriggling.
.K i " ? ^1- . .
' \
"The goat fish, which is not a true mullet, was prized in antiquity
and fetched enormous prices. The ancient Greeks and Romans not
only enjoyed eating them, but often kept them alive for the pleasure'
of watchin^them die. It was an occasion to which one invited one's
friends," the book said.
Those Greeks and Romans really knew how ta throw a party.
After a few beers, somebody would go over to the goat fish tank,
pull out a three-pounder and everybody would watch it die. The
evening was lots of fun. ? .
"It was considered a highly aesthetic experience to observe the
subtle changes of color that took place as the fish expired. It was a .
bizarre diversion," the book said. *
"I think you would be better off just roasting the mullets around
an open fire," the librarian said.
The librarian was right, and after my research, I believe I would
be better off giving the first annual "State of the Trout" address at
the mullet roast.
"Oh, we have lots of books about trout," she said.
I left the library depressed, but looking forward to eating a^
roasted mullet on Wednesday night, and talking about trout.