School building should
get started in Hoke Co.
Now that Hoke County school officials are beginning to realize
that the construction of ne>V classrooms is unavoidable, the time has
come to get started on a building program.
For the past year, officials have been wrestling with a redistricting
plan which will fit too many students into too few desks and
classrooms.
A year ago, a citizen's advisory group recommended a $6 million
10-year facilities building plan. The money to implement the plan
was set aside by the county commission. All that is needed now is a
set of blueprints and for the public to give its OK to a bond issue,
which is not designed to raise taxes.
Currently the inflation rate is running about 3^o per year, which
means that taxpayers will be facing costs increases of about
$180,000 each year the construction is delayed.
We encourage the school board to get going and iron out the final
details of a solid building program.
Hoke County needs more school facilities; the taxpayers cannot
afford to wait.
Combined dispatching
is priority for 1986
A suggestion now being kicked around to merge the county's
emergency dispatching systems is a good one. Efforts should be
made to bring the plan to fruition during the upcoming fiscal year.
Currently dual dispatching systems are being operated by the City
of Raeford and Hoke County at a high cost, and as of July, both
governments will pay separate $3,000 dues to be members of the
Police Information Network (PIN).
To hold down costs, county dispatchers, whose job it is to keep
up with the ambulance service, the rescue squad, rural fire depart
mcnts and sheriff's deputies, are also required to work as jailers
while on duty.
The system has worked well in the past, but as the demand for
services is increasing, the dual dispatching is beginning to show
signs of wear.
Sheriff Dave Barrington estimates it would cost an additional
$59,000 per year to hire the personnel needed to maintain a separate
central dispatching service.
At present the city is paying over $45,000 a year for dispatchers'
salaries and $3,000 to be members of PIN. Because of the city's
need for extra police service from a central dispatching system, it
would be fair for some of those municipal funds to be paid to the
county to help defray the higher costs.
City taxpayers, who pay about 40% of the county ad valorem
taxes, would save money, and all county residents would receive a
better vital service. '
The central dispatching unit would be more efficient and could
save lives and property. We endorse the concept of a unified service,
and encourage city and county officials to put their heads together
and to implement the plan during the next fiscal year.
The News-Journal
AgM
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119 W. Elwood Avenue, P.O. Box 550
Raeford, N.C. 28376
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Wilderness is pushing
farm interests to limit
By W.B. Jenkins
N.C. Farm Bureau Federation
The word "wilderness" tends to
warm the heart of even the most
callous city dweller, but add the
federal government to the equation
and you have an entirely different
animal.
The Bureau of Land Manage
ment is now studying the possibili
ty of adding millions of new acres
to the federal wilderness system in
a number of states, and while all
this sounds rosy on the surface the
ramifications of this action have
many people worried.
What a lot of folks don't realize
is that once Congress designates an
area "wilderness", that land is
locked up tor all but a few hearty
hikers, since vehicles are banned
from such areas. In addition, no
new energy or mineral develop
ment is allowed, shutting down a
major source of revenue. Cat
tlemen running animals in a
wilderness area are allowed no new
range improvements such as wells,
windmills or water tanks.
Currently in the U.S. over 217
million acres of land are being
managed as wilderness. That's an
area larger than the present size of
the original 13 states plus Ken
tucky and West Virginia.
So while many Americans think
of wilderness as a place away from
city noise where they can relax in a
campground, reality reveals
something entirely different. In
other words, what you see is not
always what you get.
As this wilderness area study
process continues, our elected
representatives ought to be asked
the question, "how much is
enough?"
Letters T o The Editor
Modern Klan myth
given new meaning
To the Editor:
Since hatred is its same old ugly
self since time began, many sane,
intelligent people are at a loss on
why the Ku Klux Klan terms itself
a "Modern Movement." After all,
even a school kid knows that the
cowardly bullies have always
'.'preached" their rotten "ser
mons" Of hate under the protec
tion of 'white sheets.'
Thus, clarification on this sub
ject is badly needed. Please, dear
reader, now therefore, let's get
some some enlightment. Perhaps
some revolutionary changes in the
Klan has 'modernized' it
somewhat. Reason number one:
women can join! The Klan could
not hide its "faggotty-queerish"
image (men only) any longer, so a
few women now and then helped
save some face, so to speak.
Speaking of saving some face is
aaric onve-drab military array in
preference over rubber white
sheets, which of course, was too
heavy, too expensive, and melted
too easily, at cross-lighting
ceremonies.
Dark olive-drabs can be tossed
into washing machines after each
meeting, and no one will ever
notice the stains. Wonderful! An
embarrassing situation, thus
solved, a breakthrough, indeed!
Now dear sane, intelligent
reader: You no longer have to suf
fer puzzlement over the term
"modern klan." We've been "to
class," honey, and now you know!
Thank you, Sincerely
Daniel Edwards
Pine Ridge, Box 301
Bladenboro, N.C. 28320
Spaying program
needs more help
To the Editor:
As most residents of Hoke
County are now aware, the Hoke
Raeford Humane Society has im
plemented a subsidized low cost
spaying program for residents of
Hoke County.
There has been some confusion
as to the particulars of this pro
gram as evidenced by phone calls I
have received.
I would like to explain that the
Humane Society set this program
up to help residents, who would
not otherwise be able to afford the
entire fee to have their female cats
and dogs spayed, to have this
operation, performed at a reduced
cost to them.
In effect, this program should
only be used by people who are on
a fixed income, unemployed, or
generally cannot afford to pay the
full veterinarians fees, due to lack
of money.
If you are financially able to pay
the regular price of a spaying
operation, we encourage you to do
so. The Humane Society's funds
are limited and this program will
only continue as long as we have
the money.
For the past two years we have
been actively fund raising so that
we could get this program started.
Many of you have bought cakes
and pies and hand-made crafts
from us at our various fund
raisers. We thank all of you who
JwcJadccd jis tnhrlp rmikr this
program possible. We are now able
to turn some of this money back to
the people of Hoke County who
have so generously donated to our
cause.
As I mentioned earlier, however,
our funds are limited and we need
continuing support from the com
munity in order to keep this impor
tant program viable. If you would
like to donate any amount of
money, please send it to me at the
address listed below. No contribu
tion would be considered too
small. If everyone in Hoke County
just contributed one dollar, think
of how much we could accomplish
with that!
Again, we thank you for your
support and we urge you to have
your pets spayed, whether on our
program or not. With about a 95%
mortality rate in our local pound,
we need to take serious measures in
order to reduce the unwanted pet
population.
Please be kind: Stop Litter-Spay
and Neuter.
Sincererly,
Sheryl McGinnis, Sec.
Hoke-Raeford Humane Society
Spinal research
helping victims
To the Editor:
I wrote last year regarding a
worthwhile organization, SPINAL
CORD SOCIETY (SCS) for public
awareness.
I feel there are many we have not
reached and, too, new injuries
have occurred since that time.
This is a non-profit Interna
tional organization that is moving
fast towards its goal of CURE for
paralysis due to spinal cord injury.
SCS opened a SPINAL
CENTER at the University of Min
nesota Hospitals and Clinics, Min
neapolis, Minnesota, November
20, 1984.
It is the first and only one in the
world specializing in advanced
treatment for chronic spinal cord
injury and related neural problems
(MS, stroke, palsy, head injury,
spina bifida, etc.)
The new SPINAL CENTER is
very successful and with new
research in various locations, we
are excited and have high hopes
that it will be beneficial to the
'many chronic spinal cord injured
victims and those with other-neural
related problems who have suf
fered and been handicapped for so
many years.
The CENTER program is the
beginning of the end of lifetime
paralysis.
Several cure research con
ferences have been held and the
1985 International Convention in
which there will be at least nineteen
(19) research participants will be
held in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
September 19-20, in the new
Radisson University Hotel which is
across the street from the SPINAL
CENTER.
I feel we have many people who
are either a victim, a relative, a
friend, or just plain interested that
may not be aware of this very
worthwhile organization.
I believe the paralyzed need to
know of the advances being made
in cure research. If you fall in this
category, please write Spinal Cord
Society, P.O. Box 69, Min
neapolis, Minnesota 55445. Also,
they have a toll free number,
1-800-328-8253.
Thank you sincerely for printing
this letter.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Calvin W. Howard,
President,
Piedmont Chatper
Snake hunt fails to
turn up anything but bottle
As part of the summer enrichment program, the Hoke County
Culture Club held a snake hunt.
The event had been suggested in the state arts council's brochure
as a "recommended summer fund raising activity for rural culture
clubs."
Since we fall into the club category, and had been scraping the
barrel for things to do lately, a snake hunt seemed like a wonderful
idea.
"I'm tired of barrel scraping. Let's get us a fat rattler," Sadie
Louise said. "Besides, we need the money."
We hired a local magistrate for a guide. He didn't know much
about snake hunting, but he worked cheap and was being con
sidered for future membership in the club.
"You can get him for a song and few sips of my homemade
wine," Sadie Louise said, noting that the judge's favorite tune was
"Home, Home on the Range."
The time came for the hunt. Everybody piled into the old Blue
Bird at just about dusk dark. We headed out for the roundup,
thinking that before long we would have the bus brimming with rep
tiles.
According to the plan, which never made much sense to me, one
is supposed to spot a snake as it crawls out onto the road to get
"mn. r
Instead of running over it with the Blue Bird, which, as far as I
concerned, to the proper way to dispatch a rattlesnake, we were
r Warren Johnston
[The Puppy Papers
supposed to jump out, surround it and chasc it into a Styrofoam
cooler.
Once the viper was in the cooler, the magistrate said he would put
the snake in his home freezer.
"What are you going to do, make snakesicles out of it?" Sadie
Louise asked.
The magistrate assured us the snake did not suffer from the ex
perience in the freezer. "He'll just sort of hibernate until he is stiff
as a board."
Frozen rattlesnakes are highly prized by big city taxidermists.
"They make a killing on them," the magistrate said, pointing out
that the club coffers would also benefit.
Once stuffed, the snakes are sold for a whopping sum to
psychiatrists, who sleep with them instead of Teddy Bears for
therapy.
Well, we rode around the back roads of Hoke County, and
everybody had their eyes peeled for snakes. We didn't see any.
A huge snake that stretched across half the highway had been
spotted by a school board member in the very area we were hunting.
"You know you can always trust a school board member," the
magistrate said, and we nodded our heads in agreement.
However, the snake was not to be seen that night. There was
some loose conversation and a great deal of speculation that the ser
pent might have gone to Florida for the summer.
The search drug on. Sadie Louise passed around a bottle of her
fortified homemade huckleberry wine, and we all took a drink, just
to ease the tension. The magistrate had two slugs as part of his pay
ment for being the guide.
"Have you ever done this before?" Sadie Louise slurred, begin
ning to question the credentials of the judge and to feel the effects
of the wine.
"I think the only way to catch a snake is to go out there and get
him," she grunted, reaching for the door of the Blue Bird.
As it turned out, the magistrate had never captured snakes by
riding around the countryside, but he had talked to several people
who said they "did it all the time."
Well, we didn't see a thing that night. Finallv, it got dark and we
went home with nothing but a bad taste in our mouths from Sadie
Louise's wine and an empty Styrofoam cooler.
The Culture Club still needs money. Some members have sug
gested that we catch low-flying bats, remove their tiny radar units
and sell the devices to NASA.
Some of us are looking forward to the beginning of opera season.