Opinions
Letters T o The Editor
Cemetery board
| not doing job
To the Editor:
What has happened to the so
called cemetery board, or its presi
dent, in charge of Highland Bibical
Gardens?
We came from Indiana for the
services of my grandson, and being
a board member of a cemetery in
' "Indiana of similiar size, I was
fc nauseated at the condition of what
could be made into the most
beautiful cemeteries in the Raeford
area.
J? To make the picture complete, a
tafeay baler should have been at the
UPdge of the cemetery. 1 was told by
-?*he Crumplers that the person in
charge was notified three days
before the funeral to mow the
cemetery.
^ If the persons contracted to
mow the cemetery could not be
contacted, the Crumplers would
mow the section.
Their offer was turned down by
the so called president of the
cemetery board. He in turn relied
on an answering machine to
resolve the problem instead of
direct contact with the contracted
lawn keepers.
P So my grandson was laid to rest
in a hay field of fesuce.
The cemetery hay field was
mowed in the dark the evening
after the funeral.
Thoroughly disgusted
Charles A. Johnson
Indianapolis, Indiana
Loose gravel causes
damage to vehicles
To the Editor:
We, the citizens of Hoke Coun
ty, are concerned about the way
our highways are being prepared,
particularly in the Stonewall Com
munity.
There is loose gravel that has
caused paint to be peeled from our
cars and windows to be broken or
chipped. More importanatly, ac
cidents are more likely to occur
with this inadequate type of pav
ing.
On Highway 1003, which was
completed approximately two
weeks ago, there are large holes in
the road.
Many citizens? all over Hoke
County are working together to
alleviate this major problem. We
need your help and support.
Thank you,
Hosea Baldwin
The Johnson Company
INSURANCE
AUTO ? FIRE
HOMEOWNERS ? COMMERCIAL
1 10 1. Central Avenv* PHone 875-3550
Helping hands eases momentary crisis
No one is ready for panic at 7:30
a.m.
For a fact, I wasn't and perhaps
never will be.
Nothing really terrible happened
that morning coming from Fayet
teville, but many have felt the
shiver of dispair (oh, what a drag!)
that runs through the body when
your car sputters its last sput and
the engine dies.
Immediately I looked at the gas
gauge. The needle had a death grip
on EMPTY.
"That's what I get for trying to
get to work early," I said aloud,
adding in a few other choice
remarks.
Never for a moment forgetting
to thank my lucky stars that 1 have
a manual transmission, 1 pushed in
the clutch and coasted as far as
momentum would carry me.
I came to rest in tne drive of a
small store on the outskirts of
Raeford that had gas pumps in
front.
Once again, my lucky stars were
getting their just rewards when 1
noticed a sign on the door saying
"closed."
The stars were forgotten, and
the choice remarks returned.
1 got out of the car to survey the
situation, always a clever if not an
effective thing to do in the midst of
a crisis.
There were four or five older
black men (not real old, but older
than I) sitting on oil drums and
things at the rear of the store.
Thinking maybe one of them
worked there, I got out of the car
and approached.
"What time does the store
open?" I asked.
"Eight-thirty," one of the men
replied.
My brain really went into
hysterics then.
No gas in the'car and about a 25
minute walk from work, where I
needed to be in 10 minutes at the
most.
I told the guys my situation.
Quick as a flash, one of the men,
I think I heard him called
Philadelphia, jumped up, grabbed
a gas can that he said he had
brought for a friend, and motion
ed me to follow him.
"Where are we going?"
"To another store."
Now, I knew that the nearest
store was about a 10 or IS minute
walk down the road from where we
were, but 1 really didn't have a
world of choices staring me in the
face so I followed.
We crossed the street to a field
where there was a little foot path.
Down the path we walked, not
at a fast pace nor a slow one.
One of the other men fell in line
behind us. I never did catch his
name, but that's OK. They never
caught mine.
In about three minutes, we had
arrived at the station.
Bubba
Tails
Ed Miller
"Short cuts are a wonderful
thing," I said, and Philadelphia
told me they were especially good
when the police were chasing you.
1 could not disagree with that
reasoning for an instant
remembering my childhood and
some of the times I had moved at
least the speed of light to escape a
policeman who had seen me throw
an egg at the home of the
neighborhood grouchy, blue
haired old lady. I later came to
realize that she was one of the
dearest old souls on earth, but at
the time I had no feel for her soul.
She had just run me out of her
yard and her precious begonias
where some friends and I had been
doing something really important
like playing army that afternoon.
Anyway, we were standing in
front of the store, looking at the
petrol pumps and the one full of
unleaded had a piece of cardboard
on it saying "empty."
My luck was running true to
form.
"My car uses unleaded...," 1
said as 1 looked at Philadelphia.
His face dropped.
Here was a man who had gone
well out of his way to help me, and
I was complaining because of what
tetraethyl lead might do to my little
Japanese engine.
"My car uses unleaded... but this
will be just fine," I said hoping for
a brightening of his face.
I went into tht store and paid for
the gas, then went back out and
pumped it.
I picked up the can, borrowed a
funnel from the store manager,
and we all went back to my car.
After putting the gas in the tank,
I tried to think of a way to repay
the kindness of the two men.
1 did, but somehow it did not
seem like enough.
They had taken my panic away
and put me back on the road all in
under 10 minutes. Not a par
ticularly amazing feat, but awfully
nice.
I have a list. A list of people who
I will reward somehow, someday.
Some of these people I have paid
back with a good turn, some will
have to wait until I'm rich and
famous.
Philadelphia and his friend are
definitely near the top of my list.
Chivalry is not dead and kind
ness knows no boundaries when
one's heart is in the right place.
Thanks guys.
Women's group leaders refused seating
We read that the National
Women's Political Caucus,
meeting recently in Atlanta,
refused to seat a Louisiana delega
tion because that state unit had not
ratified a by-law supporting sexual
and reproductive freedom for
women.
Sexual ffeeabrti "refers to les-*
bians "and the decision to refuse to
seat the Louisiana delegation was
made on the recommendation of
the national group's "Lesbian
Caucus."
No male political caucus claims
to represent men, and none could
do so. Neither can any organized
group of women represent
American women en masse.
One would suspect, from such
actions as encouragepient of les
bianism, that much of the leader
ship in active female political
groups is pretty far removed from
the thinking of the average
American woman.
Cliff
Blue
People and Issues
FIRE TRUCKS ... Virgils
"Fire" Trucks, a talented pitcher
for the Detroit Tigers in the fifties
(he pitched two no-hitters), fired a
pitch at the Major League players'
union recently.
Players now average earning
$360,000 a year. They're threaten- ?
ing to strike again (they did in
1981) if clubs limit total salary ex
penditures to balance competition,
ax "ih'othet pro sports.
Players now averaging $360,000 .
for nine months of game-play
would come down to earth for a
living, twelve months a year.
PUBLIC NOTICE
The City of Raeford Water Department will be con
ducting smoke tests on the sewer lines in the Jones
Hill and High School Road areas. Do not be edarmed if
smoke is noticed from drains. These tests will be per
formed during the months of August, September and
November.
ATTENTION
Teachers - Coaches
School Administrators
Soles and servict position is now avail obit in Hoke County far the teocher morket. Storting
salary $20,000 per year, plus bonus and commissions based on production. Training program in
our established educator market. A career position which provides automatic increases in group
benefits and compensation based on performance and time with company. Multi-line portfolio of
extremely competitive products. Full benefit pockoge including group life, major medical,
disability, and super retirement program. College degree and teaching or school administration
background required.
Sand mm? ??: C. Stavan Motley, Educators and Exacuthraa Insurance, Inc.
P.O. Boa 124?, Monro*, N.C. 2S110
Georgia International Ufa Insurance Company ? A Member of the Capital Holding Family
Sponsored by the Raeford Jaycees
to benefit the
Hoke Couijly Girl Scouts
Saturday, August 3, 1985
10 a.m. until
New National Guard Armory
Ceiling Fan
20" Ceiling Fan
Electric Curlers
Electric Iron
Cases of Oil
News Journal Subscriptions
Door Knockers
NEW ITEMS
Country Crafts
Cleaners Gift Cert.
Auto Parts Gift Cert.
Toys & Games
Interior Paint
VCR Rentals & Movies
Car Stereo
Many more used & new items!
Raz Autry
Auctioneer
Sewing Machine
Man's Sweater
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Local Restaurant Dinners
Wheel Balance & Rotation
Wood Duck