fc'
The
ews
No. 16 Vol. 93
Visit us at
our nev/ web location
www.thenews-joumal.com
This week
Teen court gives
youthful offenders
second chance
page 1B
Two Raeford men
charged with theft
of vehicles
page 4A
Confetti, balloons
make first day of
school fun
page 8A
Index
Births...
3B
Calendar...
2B
Classifieds...
...10-12B
Deaths...
5A
Editorials...
2A
Legals...
8-9B
Public Record...
4A
Religion...
.... 6A,2B
Socials...
3B
TV Listings...
6-7B
Weddings...
3B
Around Town
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
We had a few days when
the thermometer reached a
high of 80 or so degrees. Then
the mercury moved back into
the 90s. We have been getting
some rain and it seems to keep
the grass growing and it still
has a green color. I asked a
farmer Sunday about the rain
and the crop situation, and he
said that most of the crops in
the area were good. Let’s hope
that it will continue this way
until harvest time.
The forecast for the remain
der of the week, Thursday
through Saturday, calls for the
highs to be in the low 90s or
high 80s. The lows for the
period will be in the 60s. As
usual, there is a chance of thun
der storms almost any after
noon.
*****
Becky Jones left a note and
an obituary on my desk last
week. The note said that Pam
Frederick had called to inform
her of the death of Cassie
Wasko of Pittsboro.
This was a shock to me as
Cassie had worked as a re
porter for The News-Journal
in the late 1970s. She left here
and returned to Pittsboro,
where she was born, to work
for the Chatham County
News-Record. At the time of
her death she was the director
of the Chatham County Coun
cil on Aging. Cassie was also
on the town board of commis
sioners and mayor pro tern.
I will never forget that
Cassie was the first person to
(See AROUND, page 5A)
Journal
IjS
ppened, it's news
50 cents
Wednesday, July 19, 2000
Schools take risk to fund teacher pay
By Kristin Guthrie
Staff writer
After the Hoke County Commission
ers agreed to fund only two-and-a-half
percent of the proposed four percent
supplement increase for Hoke County
teachers, the board of education voted offer higher teacher supplements if they
unanimously to dip into the fund balance wish to recruit and retain higher quality
and pay the remaining one-and-a-half teachers. “We normally would never touch
percent. fund balance,” Hoke County Finance
Board members initially were hesitant. Officer Carolyn Olivarez said, “but we
about such drastic measures, but in the know we need to have quality teachers in
end they all agreed that the county must our classrooms.” She said that a four
percent raise is a “good way along,” but
that they still need to do a little better.
Last year, neighboring Cumberland
County paid $2,978 for teacher supple
ments, while Moore paid $ 1,765, Robeson
spent $1,250 and Scotland County allot-
(See SUPPLEMENTS, page 9A)
1i I
1 r
t f
IT
Hardaway’s petition
qualifies her for ballot
V
f y
If:
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Betty L. Hardaway, a tele-evangelist
and owner of Hardaway’s Herb Garden in
Raeford, has qualified to compete in the
Hoke County Commissioners’ race in the
November general election. She will be
making dual history in Hoke — all in
2000. According to Hoke’s Board of Elec
tions officials, Hardaway will become the
first African American female on the bal
lot in the election for the commissioners’
race, and has successfully petitioned as
the first Unaffiliated candidate to vie for a
commissioners’ position.
“1 want to thank all my supporters who
helped make this all possible,” Hardaway
said. “1’ m very excited about running in
the November election.”
“I do give all the praise to the Lord for
this accomplishment.”
Hardaway expressed her intentions to
be nominated
by petition in
a letter to the
elections
board on May
8. She de
voted seven
weeks to ob
taining signa
tures from
voters in sup
port of her
campaign for
c 0 m m i s - Betty L. Hardaway
sioner. “It took a lot of work for Mrs.
Hardaway to gather enough signatures,” I
election boards director Caroline Shook
said. “It also required a lot of work for the
board of elections to verify the authentic
ity of all of the names. There were stacks
of pages.
“We verified there were enough regis-
(See HARDAWAY, page 8A)
$,
4^
Health board wants county
to reconsider director’s pay
Eager to start
Gage Lowery is about to begin his education and awaits further instructions at West
Hoke Elementary School Monday. His mother, Betty, fills out paperwork in the
background. All schools in Hoke, except Hoke High School, began the new year
Monday. Hoke High's year begins the first week of August.
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Disgruntled board of health members
voted last week to present a resolution to
county commissioners requesting the
county fund the full salary requested for
Health Department Director Don Womble
for FY year 2000-2001.
A health board budget committee had
requested $61,581 for Womble, a request
that was approved unanimously by other
members of the board, including Chair
man Tony Hunt, who signed a change
order required by the state, and Commis
sioner Cleo Bratcher.
However, wearing another hat as
county commissioner vice chairman. Hunt
recommended that a merit raise of $5,608
be cut in half, bringing Womble’s salary
down to $58,777.
Both Bratcher and Hunt voted to pass
the county budget that included the re
duced merit raise for Womble, but it was
Hunt who was credited with reducing
Womble’s salary.
Womble told health board members
(See HEALTH, page 7A)
Owner of The Haven clashes
with state over wounded fawn
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Linden Spear has a passion
for caring for the helpless ani
mals that share this planet with
us. Sometimes it seems she tries
to save every animal that crosses
r-
'k
her path. Spear and her husband
operate The Haven, a no-kill ani
mal shelter located on Fulford
McMillian Road.
It was only natural that Spear
try to save a fawn brought to The
Haven on July 5. A couple had
the 10-pound, speckled animal
on the floor of their van. It had
evidently been hit by a car, and
an injured hind leg “was Just
hanging by skin and fur,” ac
cording to Spear.
“The couple was “very nice
and desperate to get some help,”
(See DEER, page)
1#’.
Home destroyed by flames
A home located at 351 Creech Road (off South Old Wire Road) in Antioch was destroyed by fire yesterday
at about 10 a.m. The dwelling was almost entirely engulfed In flames when firefighters arrived. No one was
at home when the fire started and no injuries were reported. (Photo by Pat Allen Wilson)
County employees net
$750 each increase in pay
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
The ways and means of salary increases for all county employ
ees were debated by Hoke County Commissioners until the last
day before the 2000-2001 budget was sealed. Commissioner Cleo
Bratcher Jr. challenged the board on June 30 during a recessed
meeting from June 22. With one day left until the July 1 deadline,
he urged reconsidering the final budget already adopted that gave
only a$750costoflivingadjustmenttoevery employee. Bratcher
swayed the opinion of Vice Commission Chairman Tony Hunt,
who re-evaluated giving equal COLAs to all employees for one
year.
Upon Bratcher’s suggestion. Hunt moved to offer a three
percent salary increase to employees who would be entitled to
(See SALARIES, page 8A)
County gradually tuning
salaries to study’s results
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
County employees’ salaries are being boosted gradually in a
procedure that’s based on a May 1999 survey from DMG-
Maximus consulting firm in Raleigh. DMG was hired by Hoke in
an effort to “achieve certain objectives.” According to DMG’s
final report, its scope of study included developing a pay system
for Hoke, which “would enable the county to recruit, retain and
motivate employees.” DMG’s mission also defined job duties,
responsibilities and expectations, as well as developing job clas
sifications.
AccordingtoDMG’sbackground information, this compensa
tion and classification plan was formulated through “interviews
with county officials, department heads and selected employees,”
(See MAXIMUS, page 9A)