Workshop attendees
Hoke Soil and Water Conservation District sponsored two students to
attend the Resource Conservation Workshop on June 23-28 at iV.C.
State University. Robert Strother (right) of Rt. 3 Raeford and Steven
Vanhoy of Rt. 7 Aberdeen attended classes and field trips on Soil and
Water Conservation, Wildlife Management, Forestry Management
and other related subjects.
Beach receives Peace College grant
Robann Ross Beach of Spring
field, Va. has been awarded a se
cond scholarship at Peace College.
She was recently awarded a $600
Valedictorian Scholarship for be
ing number one in her high school
class.
Miss Beach is the daughter of
Lt. Col. and Mrs. Martin H. Beach
of 6153 Green Hollow Court in
Springfield, Va.
She is the granddaughter of
Robert Gatlin of Raeford and Mrs.
Van G. Beach of Fayetteville.
Miss Beach's mother is the
former Ann Gatlin of Raeford.
Earlier this year she was award
ed an Honors Scholarship. Honors
Scholarships are among the top
academic awards at Peace, going
only to students in the top 10 per
cent of their high school classes.
Peace College is a two-year
women's college offering associate
degrees in liberal arts, music and
business.
Koonce takes acting to Raleigh theatre
In the next couple of weeks. Ken
Kooncc is probably going to wish
he had a private jet, or one of
Europe's super fast trains which
could transport him to Raleigh.
Currently starring in "I Do, I
Do", at Mannie's in Southern
Pines, Koonce, a Hoke County
native, and his co-star, Jeanne
Adams, will soon be taking that
show to the Raleigh Inn Dinner
Theatre.
Show times there will be Thurs
day, Friday, Saturday nights and
Sunday matinees. For Koonce, this
will mean leaving Burlington In
dustries immediately after work
and hitting the road for Raleigh.
Koonce grins when he talks of
the harried pattern this will create
in his lifestyle. He knows that this
dramatic commitment will mean
"a lot of hopping into the car and
driving to Raleigh," but the drama
bug bit long ago. He's not ready to
let a few miles keep him from per
forming.
"I really like to entertain people,
to see them laugh and enjoy
themselves," says Koonce.
A tall, slender dark-haired man,
Koonce and his rich, pure tenor
are well known to most local peo
ple. He admits that it was his vocal
ability that landed him his first ac
ting role, that of Lieutenant Cable
in "South Pacific."
He explains he simply accom
panied a girl friend to auditions for
"South Pacific", which was being
staged to open the Fine Arts
Center at Pembroke State Univer
sity.
"I was just sitting in the au
Hoke
Arts Scene
BySonymFatU
dience, and they needed someone
who could sing. My girl friend told
them I could sing, which was true,
but I didn't know anything about
acting!" Koonce remembers.
Later, when Raeford Junior
Woman's Club produced two
dramas in '79 and '80, Koonce was
a natural and rather seasoned
member of the cast.
From his performances in these
two plays, Koonce became rather
well known to those in the sur
rounding drama community. He
has since, performed in many pro
ductions in Fayetteville and
Southern Pines. Much of his acting
technique has therefore, been
learned "on the job".
He credits much of his singing
ability to the teachings of Mary
Archie McNeill. An early pupil of
hers from elementary school
through high school, he, like many
Hoke Countians, has nothing but
praise for Mrs. McNeill's expertise
and devotion to the arts.
"I've been in contact with -
various people in other parts of the
state, and many of these people
know Mary Archie and the work
that she has done," Koonce states.
Although he has been rather suc
cessful locally, Ken doesn't long
t
for a career of serious acting. He
knows how competitive that world
is. Besides, making acting a career
would spoil his hobby. He enjoys
acting too much to make it a job.
Fortunate people around the
area who have witnessed Koonce's
"hobby" know that Raleigh folks
have a treat in store when "I Do, I
Do" opens there.
"I Do, I Do" is a play that will
allow Koonce full rein with his
talents. Starring only he and Miss
Adams, the play follows the lives
of a married couple over a period
of 40 or 50 years.
Plan to catch this native son at
Mannie's through August 3, or
later in Raleigh.
Relaxing
Ken Koonce relaxes before resuming a hectic acting schedule in Raleigh.
Life changing for new Miss North Carolina
By Ed MlUcr
Although Joni Parker, the
recently crowned new Miss North
Carolina, has had a year to get
used to the idea of being famous,
"it takes some adjustment."
"People expect winning to
change you, but it's a humbling ex
perience. But it's different to go
somewhere and be recognized,"
Parker said.
The newly crowned queen said
the job of being Miss North
Carolina takes some of one's
private life away.
"You can't let it control your ~"
life," she said.
"It's your decision to
distinguish where the public life
ends and the private life takes
over," she said.
According to Parker, a Miss
North Carolina cannot let the job
consume her life, rather "become
a part of it."
There have been some changes
in the 24-year-old woman's life,
but the year she spent as Miss
Fayetteville, as "a preliminary
queen," prepared her for some of
what she will live with for the next
1 1 months.
Hoke County has never
parented a Miss North Carolina,
but came close when Joni Bennett
Parker was crowned.
She and her family live about
two miles across the line separating
Cumberland from Hoke.
The family has lived in the
house, built by her grandfather,
since early 1975 when her father,
originally from Raeford, was
transferred to Fort Bragg.
D.B. Parker is a retired officer
in the United States Air Force.
Joni has a B.A. in English from
Meredith College and plans to at
tend the Woodrow Wilson School
at Princeton University for their
four year graduate program in in
ternational affairs.
Her current education had a lot
to do with her winning the Miss
North Carolina Pageant.
Parker said the pageant is not a
beauty contest, but a scholarship
competition.
"When you go to the Miss
North Carolina Pageant, there are
many things you have to prepare
for," she said.
Preparation is the key, she said.
"You cannot be a perfect
human being, but you can make
yourself better," said Parker.
"When you make the final 10 (in
the competition), you get a sense
of relief because you finally did
something right," said Parker.
"If you win, it's like they're tell
ing you you did something right
and they're rewarding you."
Although very busy now, Parker
expects her life to return to norma!
soon.
The life of a pageant queen is
much like that of other people.
"My first love is reading," she
said, adding that she has just
started a book toy F. Scott Fitz
gerald.
She also water skis, enjoys
needlework and, like the rest of her
family, is a travel buff.
Miss North Carolina Joni Parker
during a recent interview.
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