VOTE
Tuesday
Nov. 5
TheN
ews
The Hoke County News - Established 1928
Volume LXXVII Number 28
RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
$10 PER YEAR
25 CENTS
Thursday, October 31, 1985
Hoke citizens
say 'yes' at E AS meet
Extending local telephone call
ing between Raeford and Fayet
teville is essential to the economic
vitality of Hoke County, members
of the North Carolina Utilities
Commission were told Tuesday
night by more than 30 witnesses
testifying at a public hearing held
at J.W. Turlington School.
Over 800 persons packed the
school's auditorium in support of
extended area telephone service
(EAS) between the Raeford and
Cumberland County exchanges.
Although some questioned the
proposed cost of the service, all 31
witnesses spoke in favor of EAS in
testimony before the full commis
sion.
Prior to a break in the almost
three-hour hearing, Commission
Chairman Bob Wells polled the
capacity crowd on the issue.
All but about a dozen stood in
favor of the issue.
Two elections
slated Tuesday
Voters will go to the polls next
Tuesday to decide on a future
Raeford City Council and to deter
mine if a volunteer fire department
should be created in the Allendale
and Blue Springs township areas.
In Raeford, voters will have six
candidates from which to choose
five council members.
Because of a recent change in the
city's laws, this will be the last elec
tion all five incumbents will seek
office at the same time.
In the future, city council
members will hold staggered terms
of office.
Mayor John K. McNeill is run
ning unopposed for his ninth term
in office.
The 65-year-old McNeilF has
served the city since 1969.
Restaurant owner Earl McDuf
fie Jr., who has unsuccessfully
sought a seat on the council in past
elections, is hoping to knock off
one of the five incumbents in this
year's election.
McDuffie is 53.
Councilman Graham Clark, 69,
will also be seeking his ninth term
on the council, where he has served
since 1969.
Veteran Benny McLeod has
(See ELECTIONS, page 10)
Around Town
By Sam Morris
The weather early Tuesday mor
ning felt like winter had come to be
with us for awhile. It was still
about 50? at nine o'clock. The
wind was from the north and it felt
like it was going right through you.
The forecast is for rain to come
in on Wednesday and it could hang
around for the remainder of the
week. The temperature is to be in
the 60s most of the time during the
day and in the 50s during the night.
So maybe winter is here to stay.
? ? ?
Last Thursday I was invited by
the Vocational Class at Hoke High
School to attend a Textile Lun
cheon. Last week was Textile
(See AROUND, page 10)
Only one person stood when
Wells asked who was opposed.
Following the meeting, utility
commission members said the
gathering at Turlington was the
largest crowd they had seen at a
public hearing.
The hearing was scheduled to
resume on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
in Raleigh to hear "expert"
testimony from Carolina
Telephone and the North Carolina
Utilities Commission Public Staff,
who represent Hoke County.
"We need this thing," Raeford
Hoke Economic Development
Commission Chairman Tom
Howell said, noting that EAS was
just one of many things Hoke
leaders were doing to improve the
economic plight of the county.
Both the Development Commis
sion and the Raeford-Hoke
Chamber of Commerce are strong
ly behind EAS and see the service
as essential to expanding the local
economy, Howell, who chairs both
groups, said.
EAS would open Hoke County
to military personnel, who do not
want to live outside of Cum
berland County because of the cost
of long distance dialing, resident
Sally Lowery said.
"Economic growth could be
trippled, if Hoke County had
EAS," Lowery said to the ap
plause of the audience.
The way to keep the youth in
Hoke County out of the court
system and out of jail is by finding
them jobs, 12th Judicial District
Court Judge Warren Pate said.
'.'If the young people had jobs
they would not be in the court
system. EAS will help develop
jobs," Pate said.
Residential development is
mushrooming on the borders of
Hoke County, but few subdivi
sions are coming over the line,
Cumberland County Realtor
Ralph Huff said.
Within a mile of the Hoke
County border, dozens of homes
are selling for more than $100,000.
Not more than five or six
residences in Hoke have ever top
ped the $100,000 mark, Huff said.
EAS, widening of U.S. Highway
401 and a school in the Rock fish
area are the three things standing
in the way of future development
in Hoke County, Huff said.
If EAS were in place, land near
the Cumberland County border,
now worth $1,000 to $1,500 per
acre would be selling for more than
$3,000 per acre in the first year.
Huff said.
"EAS could open the flood
gates for development in Hoke
County and could help close the
flood gates of the county's youth
leaving to find work elsewhere,"
Downtown's future
Members of the newly appointed Raeford Downtown
Kevitalization Commission listen as MRCD
spokesman Jim Dougherty explains the need for im
proving the community's centra! business district.
Downtown group begins task
A newly appointed commission
got started on the job of returning
economic vitality to the downtown
Raeford business area Monday
night.
Unlike groups appointed in the
past, the new Downtown Raeford
Revitalization Commission has the
authority to get the job done,
Raeford-Hoke Economic Devel
oper John Howard said.
"This commission has bylaws
with teeth in them. You have the
authority to get downtown
revitali^ation going and keep it go
ing," Howard said.
The group was appointed by the
Raeford City Council and the
bylaws were drawn from those
used in several other cities. City
Manager Tom Phillips said.
The adopted bylaws are only a
starting point and can b.e expanded
by the commission with the city
council's approval.
"If the commission sees a need
to expand its authority, then the
group should petition the city
council to do so," Phillips said.
Downtown Raeford has a
character which is representative
of the entire Hoke County com
munity.
That character is the heritage of
the community, state Natural
Resouces and Community Devel
opment (NRCD) spokesman
James Dougherty said.
Dougherty, who is with NRCD's
Division of Community Assis
tance, said his department would
be available to assist the commis
sion on its task of revitalizing the
downtown.
"There is the potential here to
have a beautiful downtown
Raeford and make it economically
viable," Dougherty said.
Downtown buildings can be
restored to their original facades
for less money than remaking the
area to give it a new appearance,
Dougherty said, noting that chang
ing the look of the buildings would
destroy the heritage and character
of the community.
"Downtown Raeford is unique
ly Raeford. A mall can be
anywhere, in Illinois or at Cross
Creek in Fayetteville," Dougherty
said.
Raeford is fortunate that many
downtown buildings have retained
their original beauty and are in
good physical shape, although
many are in disrepair, Dougherty
said. .
Restoration of the original
facades is a part of the National
Heritage Trust Endowment's Main
Street program.
In order to be part of the pro
gram now, Raeford would have to
hire a fulltime downtown
manager.
Effotts are underway to change
the program to allow a circuit
manager to cover several down
towns in more than one communi
ty, Dougherty said.
The Downtown Revitalization
Commission will meet the second
Monday of each month at City
Hall.
Members of the commission are:
Larry Calloway, Eloise Carter,
Mary Neill King, Rev. Frank 1.
Lloyd Jr., Ivery McNair, Phillips,
Abdullah Shareff, Kay Thomas,
Joe Upchurch and Tommy
Wright.
Huff said.
Huff confirmed his Cumberland
County company would benefit
from having local calling to
Raeford during cross examination
from Carolina Telephone Com
pany attorney Dwight Allen.
Through questions to Huff and
other witnesses who own busi
nesses or work in Cumberland
County, Allen attempted to lay the
ground work for Wednesday's
arguments before the commission.
Carolina Telephone has main
tained the firm is not opposed to
EAS, but have said Fayetteville
customers should be charged $1 .22
per month to connect the service.
Charges to the Fayetteville
customers are opposed by Hoke
County supporters of EAS, and
the Utilities Commission Public
Staff members will argue the
Cumberland County fees would
generate SI. 2 million in additional
revenue for Carolina Telephone.
In a re-evaluation of a cost study
conducted by Carolina Telephone,
the public staff concluded a charge
of S4.S2 per month paid by
Raeford customers would generate
more revenue than the company is
currently charging for the service
between the two exchanges.
Currently more revenue is being
generated by long distance calling
between Raeford and Fayetteville
than is being charged for basic ser
vice on the Raeford exchange,
Hoke EAS supporter Bubby Blue
told the commissioners.
"EAS is not a supplemental ser
vice for Hoke County. It is an
essential service," Blue said.
The commission is expected to
make a decision before the first of
January on the EAS question,
Chairman Wells said.
Y outh gets 18 years
for June kidnapping
An 18-year-old Sandhills Youth
Center resident was sentenced in
Hoke County Superior Court last
week to 18 years in prison for a
June escape and the kidnapping of
an Ashley Heights resident.
Jonathon P. Venable, 18, plead
guilty to escaping on June 8,
larceny, second degree burglary
and to the June 11 kidnapping of
Ashley Heights residents Sidney
Allen Johnson.
Presiding Judge D.B. Herring
Jr. sentenced Venable to one year
at the expiration of his present
term for the escape, three years for
the larceny and burglary charges
and 14 years for the kidnapping.
Venable broke into Johnson's
home, stole a shotgun, which he
held on the Ashley Heights resi
dent as he forced him to drive to
Mt. Airy.
The escapee forced Johnson to
drive down a dirt road, and then
Venable fled into the woods.
Venable was apprehended later.
In an unrelated case, a 24-year
old Hoke County man plead guilty
last week to involuntary man
slaughter and was given a proba
tionary sentence for the beating
death of his father-in-law.
Carl George Brewer Jr. of the
Hillcrest Mobile Hoke Park, was
sentenced by Judge Herring to
three years in jail suspended with
five years supervised probation.
Brewer was originally charged
with voluntary manslaughter for
the death of Harvey Hilton Stocks
on March 29.
Stocks was 54 at the time of his
death. He died in Cape Fear Valley
Hospital of a brain hemorrhage,
which apparently resulted from
head injuries.
Brewer was given credit for 13
days- he spent in the Hoke County
Jail, and was ordered by the court
to pay restitution for medical ex
penses of $5,922.64.
In an unrelated case, John
Junior Clark, 24, plead guilty to
cutting his wife's throat and cut
ting the arm and hand of his sister
in-law.
Clark was sentenced to five
years in the North Carolina
Department of Correction for the
incident which occurred on July
13.
Both women required treatment
(See PROBATION, page 11)
Raeford man clubbed
in church thrift shop
A Raeford resident was clubbed
unconscious and robbed as he
worked in a church operated thrift
shop last Saturday.
James Wietz told investigating
Hoke County Sheriff's deputies he
was hit on the head and knocked
out Saturday around 2 p.m. as he
worked at the Church Thrift Store
across from the Fast Shop on NC
Highway 21 1 just west of Raeford.
When Wietz woke up, he was
bleeding and had been robbed, the
investigation report of Deputy
Weaver Patterson shows.
Wietz had been waiting on two
black men, w"hen he turned his
back on the customers and was hit.
A black woman waited in an
automobile parked outside the
store, reports show.
Oak bark was found on the floor
around the area where Wietz was
struck.
Wietz was transported to Cape
Fear VaJley Hospital for treat
ment.
The store is operated to raise
funds for the Church of God of
Prophecy on Highway 211.
In an unrelated incident, a
mobile home on a sales lot was
broken into last week and three ap
pliances were stolen.
A washer, dryer and hot water
heater were removed from the
doublewide home at Country Fair
(See BREAK-INS, page 11)
SBI to conclude hanging probe this week
By Lee Harris Poller
Agents for the State Bureau of
Investigation (SB1) were expected
to conclude a probe this week into
the death of a man found hanging
in the Hoke County Jail on Oc
tober 5.
Findings of the investigation in
to the death of Robert Chappelle
by three SB1 agents will be turned
over to District Attorney Ed Gran
nis for disposition, Hoke County
Sheriff Dave Barrington said Mon
day.
Barrington said he hoped the
results of the investigation, which
included interviews with about 20
witnesses, would be made public
immediately.
Chappelle, 28, was found hang
ing from the bars in a holding cell,
where he was the lone occupant,
about an hour after he was ar
rested for being drunk and
disorderly.
Family members and other
residents have questioned the
death.
The SBI entered the investiga
tion after a requests from Barr
ington and after a petition signed
by about 20 local residents was
sent to Gov. James Martin asking
the state to determine if
Chappelle's death was suicide.
An autopsy conducted by
pathologists in the North Carolina
Medical Examiner's office on Oc
tober 5, showed there was no
evidence which showed the death
was inconsistent with hanging.
There were no bruises on the
body, and "in my opinion hanging
was the cause of death,"
pathologist Dr. J. Michael Sullivan
said in the autopsy report.
"The autopsy showed an abrad
ed linear impression around the
neck. This is compatible with the
imprint of a noose and fits the
overall description and cir
cumstances in which he was
fcrand," the report says.
"I found no evidence of abuse,
beating or mayhem," Sullivan said
in the report.
By 4:45 p.m. last Thursday
almost 400 black residents had
assembled in front of Raeford City
Hall to attend a "prayer vigil for
Chappelle."
Thursday's prayer vigil was
organized by Alexander Edwards,
chairman of the Hoke County
Black Leadership Caucus, as a
gesture of respect and support for
the Chappelle family and for the
community.
Edwards described the vigil as a
"peaceful assembly, (not) a hate
campaign."
The assembly was scheduled for
4:45 p.m. because Chappelle had
been arrested for drunk and
disorderly conduct at 4:45 p.m. on
the day he died.
Sister Catherine McPhatter led
the crowd in singing "Sweet Hour
of Prayer," and then read from
Matthew.
The Rev. Dr. J.J. Johnson,
pastor of First Baptist Church of
Fairmount, prayed for the Chap
pelle family and for justice to the
black community.
Edwards began his speech by
thanking Raeford Police Chief
(See SBI, nage 10)
Here for the cause
Resident attending a " prayer vigil ** Thursday look on as speakers talk
about the recent death of Robert Chappeile.