Downtown commission
has tough job ahead
i ? ?
Members of the Raeford City Council got the push started again
for downtown revitalization last week when they authorized the
naming of a policy-making commission to oversee a new sustained
? fix-updrive.
The task of the commission will be to establish guidelines for
restoring the downtown business district and to give the area the
vitality it once enjoyed.
To be successful, the commissioners must exhibit strong leader
ship and must have a firm resolve. Those qualities were lacking in
earlier efforts and contributed to their failure.
; In the* past, the city has attempted to lead the fight to make
.downtown more attractive to shoppers. Those efforts fell short of
the mark because of poor participation by the merchants and prop
erty owners.
? This time, city officials are appointing residents with a stake in
the community, who have a better chance of keeping enthusiasm
high.
Downtown Raeford represents, not just a group of businesses on
Main Street, but the district is the heart of Hoke County, and em
bodies much of this community's heritage.
Before Hoke County was formed in 1911, farmers and their
families were making a day out of shopping in Raeford *s
downtown. The area housed the offices of doctors, lawyers and
dentists. Banks, mule traders and barber shops were located there.
Stories still abound about the gatherings at the depot and the many
travelers who stayed at the old Bluemont Hotel.
Although its influence has deminished, the downtown area is still
a vital financial part of the community. In addition to generating
sales taxes, the area's property owners and merchants contribute
about $41,000 per year to county tax coffers. and about $27,000
towards the maintenance of the city.
Economic developers are the first to admit a viable downtown is a
reflection of civic attitudes. A thriving, refurbished commercial
district is an unmistakable sign for a prospective industry that a
community is on the way up and is a good place to locate a plant.
Downtown revitalizers believe a commercial district should be
packaged together and sold as one would market a shopping center.
Part of the marketing technique is to create events which will bring
residents and shoppers back to the area.
Raeford has started the marketing with the first North Carolina
Turkey Festival, which is expected to draw thousands of local and
state residents to the downtown area for a day of fun and fond feel
ings.
Many of those attending the festival may return and shop.
Visitors may discover Hoke County is a friendly and improving
community and may want to make a permanent home here.
The festival will also give Hoke County a chance to show off the
almost completed restoration of the old Aberdeen-Rockfish Depot,
which is expected to be the cornerstone of the downtown revitaliza
tion effort.
Both the festival and the depot restoration are products of the
labors of hundreds of residents and should bode well for Hoke
County's community spirit.
The groundwork for downtown revitalization is laid, and now the
burden of leadership for the drive will fall on the newly appointed
commission.
Their job will be a thankless one, but essential if Hoke County is
going to remain a good place to live, work and shop. We wish the
new commission well.
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September is historic month
One hundred and seventy one
years ago (1814) the United States
was at war with Great Britain for
the second time in three decades.
The British had captured
Washington and burned many of
its public buildings, forcing the
government to flee.
A British admiral with a large
fleet, guarding transports with
many thousands of British troops,
threatened to burn Baltimore.
On the 11th of September, 1814,
the fleet sailed up Chesapeake Bay.
Next day 9,000 troops were landed
at North Point, twelve miles from
Baltimore.
The British troops advanced
against some 3,500 American
troops. American sharpshooters
killed their commander as the
engagement began. After two
hours the British won the Field,
and camped for the night.
American forces were reinforced.
Meanwhile the British fleet
opened a bombardment of Fort
McHenry, which guarded the sea
aproached and was garrisoned by
1,000 men. When the bombard
ment was halted at 3 a.m. those
watching it (including Francis
Scott Key on a ship in Patapsco
Cliff
Blue
People and Issues
Bay) didn't know whether Fort
McHenry had surrendered or the
British had called off the bom
bardment.
At dawn, however, they could
see the Stars and Stripes still fly
ing. The British had decided to
abandon their attack and
Baltimore was saved. Francis Scott
Key wrote "The Star Spangled
Banner" that morning when he
saw the nations flag still flying.
The 12th is still remembered to
this day in Maryland as Defenders
Day.
WIVES AND MOTHERS . . .
One of the good feature stories of
late is the success of a group of
wives and mothers in Washington,
D.C. who formed an organization
known as the parents Music
Resource Center.
Their aim was to force the music
industry to label pornographic
music for what it was. The wives
were shocked at the detailed
relating of acts such as incest,
sadomasochism, thrill killing, oral
sex with a gun, etc., being peddled
to anyone of any age.
This of course, is the end result
of the permissive sixties, when a
riot began to take hold among
many well meaning but misguided
and mislead young people.
The PMRC recently warned sta
tions across the country to ban
such porno on the air. Hundreds
of stations have done so and more
are doing so. And most of the big
ger records and tape recorders
have agreed to print a warning on
porno rock-including the words
"parental guidance."
Some think the warning should
be more specific? the labels should
tell prospective buyers if the music
promotes drug use, violence or sex
ual activity. The music industry,
for the most part, is now hiding
behind the free speech and anticen
sorship argument.
Frahm helped build an industry
It is only fitting that the man
who is synonymous with the turkey
industry be mention on this first
turkey festival. To the credit of
Southern National Bank the direc
tors recently honored Leonard
Frahm for his services on the
board of directors. Some in
dividuals never receive the due
respect from a community or else
they receive it late. My friend
Leonard is receiving it late.
Coming to Hoke County from
the state of Iowa to help develope
The House of Raeford enabled the
task to be accomplished because of
his keen mind. His ability coupled
with his great concern for people
proved to be a moving force in
making the products of The House
of Raeford known worldwide. His
concern for those with leadership
ability who had never been given
the chance to prove themselves,
got the chance under his leader
ship. They responded to his belief
in them by becoming a total effi
cient working unit. Many got a
chance to achieve because of the
total commitment of this man.
My first involvement with the
^rahm family came in 1967 wh^i
my family became their neighbor. I
was not familiar with a couple who
had nine children. It wasn't long
before I realized Pa and Ma Frahm
were a team. Pa kept the family's
prospective on the right track. Ma
kept them straight including me.
Ma Frahm didn't believe in
deviating from the expected. She is
one fine tough lady. The Autrys
enjoyed seven great years as their
neighbors.
Leonard is a man who doesn't
waste time on a lot of foolish talk.
Before his illness he and I played a
lot of golf together. Going to
Arabia on one of our golf outings
gave us a chance to talk and it gave
me an opportunity to fall into one
of his devious traps. Leonard
would always take his time before
he asked a question or answered
one. He explored all avenues.
Generally I just asked the question
without thinking. More than once
I lived to regret it.
One such incidence occurred on
this particular venture to the golf
course. Approaching the crossroad
going into Arabia is a cemetery. As
we came to a stop I noticed some
men were constructing a block wall
around the cemetery. Not noticing
the grin on Leonard's face because
Looking On
Raz Autry
he was anticipating my question
and I would suspect he had guessed
the answer was forth coming. I
asked one of the men if the wall
was being built to keep people
from going into the cemetery.
Without cracking a grin he replied,
"No, it is to keep those buried
here from getting out."
My friend couldn't play golf for
laughing. He was delighted I had
been suckered.
Being careful about singling out
any individual who helps one is
wise. However, I have no qualm in
saying Leonard Frahm was my
number one source of help in ac
complishing the fulfillment of
dreams.
Building the stadium, the track,
furnishing materials for school
events and pushing the booster
clubs was a foregone conclusion
when I needed help.
When Leonard was approached
for help 1 soon learned my ducks
had better be in order. He believed
in doing things in a first class man
ner. On many occasions he had
told me he was not interested in be
ing associated with shoddy work.
Illness which robbed him of his
drive, didn't slow his desire for
perfection. He has never quit. For
years after he was officially retired
he has gone to the plant. His ad
vice was sought by people who
were smart enough to realize it was
there for the asking.
I am proud to call him friend.
For being allowed to pass his way I
am truely thankful.
When the record of mankind is
recorded for all generations, no
record will stand taller than the
man from Iowa. -
The News-Journal
M?ik
Published Every Thursday by
Dkksoa Pros, lac., Paal Mcfcsoa, Pres.
119 W. Elwood Aveaae, P.O. Box 550
Raeford, N.C. 28376
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WARREN N.JOHNSTON .
Publisher
Editor
. . . . Production Supervisor
Contributing Editor
Advertising Representative
HENRY L. BLUE
SAM C. MORRIS
ANN N.WEBB..
Secoad Claw Postage at Raeford, N.C.
(USPS 399-260)
Turkeys turn down Hoke County sweat festival idea
There were a bunch of us sitting around in the local library a year
or two ago with nothing to do.
It was one of those muggy days that settle in on Hoke County
during July. The library is air conditioned, and it seemed like a plea
sant place to sit, so there we were.
"We need a little excitement around this place," one of the group
members, who was originally from a big city, suggested after about
an-hour of listening to us hum tunes quietly to ourselves.
"Why don't we have a festival," somebody else said.
"Naah. We've been having arts and crafts shows for years and
nobody comes," another said, as we sat around the big oak table,
>twiddlhig our thumbs and rapping our fingers.
"Sure ts hot out tft??," a fourth member, who was used to
if spending his summers in Alaska, said. "We could have a Sweat
Festival."
Wed, we tossed around the idea of asweat festival for some time.
Several recommended we have events like egg
: the Main Street pavement, and others were coming up with the rules
for the "Great Sandhills Sweatoff."
Finally the idea of a sweat festival was rejected. It's a good thing
of the proposed events were becoming a little
a nOGOGUi IKirOCIt ? jJUh*K i ISO ,
who ftvas downtown were also
PWWvi bj the group.
Warren Johnston
The Puppy Papers
"Turkeys," Somebody said. -
"Nad). It'll never work. Nobody will support a bunch of turkeys
running around on Main Street/' another said.
Well, Somebody had not been suggrtrtng a kind of festival. He
had only been calling the rest of us a bunch of gobblers because we
wefe being so indecisive.
However, when everybody else thought the idea of a turkey
festival was pretty food, he gladly took credit for the suggestion.
Before long, the ball was rolling towards the first North Carolina
Turkey Festival, and people from Quefrhiffie to Rock fish were get
ting excited.
were chaBcngtfg turkey growers all over the nation to com
pete against the champion North Carolina trotters in the first;
Turkey Olympics, when Somebody figured out we didn't know
anytning aoout i uncey Olympics.
So, we called Dick Combs at The Inn on Lake Waramaug in New
PrestOn, Connecticut. He had been having birds run, jump and
gobble for years as a kick off to the New England Thanksgiving
feast. He told us how to do it.
Help also came in from Alamance County. They have one of the
most successful arts and crafts shows in the state, and they shared
their hints.
Members of the Turkey Federation got involved and moved the
statewide cooking finals from Raleigh to Raeford.
Money began to pour in from across the state and the southeast,
mostly from turkey industrymen, turkey suppliers and the North
Carolina Legislature.
Jean Hodges and Hodges and Associates of Fayetteville took
oyer our gtfvertising campaign, which we kicked off with the "Strut
Your Stuffin" logo on bripKyetiow shirts donated by Faberge Inc.
Even Carolina Power add Light, Ft. Bragg and Carolina
Telephone chipped in heavily with labor and funds. Who would
have thought those big guys would get involved. Certainly not that
gtofap cooBttg off at the library. * ; c: $ ?? '* " -
The word about Hoke County has been spread over the state on
television, radio, newspaper* and billboards.
- ft U the eve of the festival. The weather is holding. Nobody
ail fown is sleeping-HDortnc^he day,** county is aMaae with bright .
yellow T-shirts. We're all acting like kids before Christmas.
All we can do now is wait for the sun to come up on Saturday, so
we can opin OwfpNiAits. ? :