The
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J oumal
No. 15 Vol. 96
ilfw-0:.n ft. Hoke CJouitrv w.r.
Wednesday, )uly 9, 2003
County board rejects joint land use plan twice
B'l Vi(TORi \NA Summers
Staff writer
Comm issioners rejected a pro
posal for the second time in two
months that would slow down
residential growth in Hoke
County within a one mile buffer
around Fort Bragg/Pope Air
Force Base, affecting 21,000
acres.
Commission Chairman Bobby
Wright said the joint land'use
plan could depreciate land value,
limit commercial development,
and reduce the tax base revenues
in Hoke.
“The main concern is the pro
posal does not come with fund
ing,” Wright said during a public
hearing attended by more than
250citizens. “I think they should
come up with compensation be
fore they take away development
rights because that would take
away substantial value from
property.
“People say we are poor, but
we are fortunate our land value is
going up.”
Daniels said he was not “brain
washed” by concessions that
were promised without the fi
nances to back them up from
state, military and conservation
agencies.
“1 have been against this pro
posal from day one,” Daniels
said.
Commissioner James Leach,
also in opposition, urged nego
tiations to continue to benefit
property owners and the county.
He said dialogue should also be
ongoing with Cumberland com
missioners, too.
“We will continue to talk to
opponents of this,” Leach said.
The majority of property own
ers opposed restrictions on their
(See IMD USE HEARING, page 7A)
Most landowners denounce plan
rN
Fourth fun
The skies lit up over Raeford at the annual Fourth of July fireworks show at Lafayette Ford Saturday night.
Lucy McMillian celebrated a quieter Fourth at Open Arms Retirement Center with hot dogs and
watermelon on Family Night Wednesday. More Fourth of July photos are on page 5A.
By Victorian \ Summers
Staff writer
In orderly, but frequently emo
tional orations, more than 25
Hoke County property owners in
the proposed land use one-mile,
military buffer explained their
opposition, approval or confu
sion about restrictions being rec
ommended for their land.
It was a standing-room-only
crowd at the public hearing for
the joint land use study proposal
for Fort Bragg/Pope Air Force
Base on Monday evening, but
everybody was given an oppor
tunity to speak by commission
ers.
In the 1920s, a portion of Fort
Bragg was formed from land re
linquished unwillingly by many
Hoke landowners. The attempt in
the 1950s for Fort Bragg officials
to obtain another 49,000 acres was
thwarted. However, if restrictions
are imposed on another 21,0(X)
acres of Hoke land now, hal f of t he
original county will either be a part
of Fort Bragg or fall under restric
tions by the state for the military,
according to Raeford attorney
William Moses.
A landholder in the critical
area, Moses noted the “conspicu
ous absence” of planner Jim
Daugherty of the N.C. Depart
ment of Commerce at the public
hearing, or rep
resentatives from
Fort Bragg.
Daugherty su
pervised the re
gional joint land
use study, ap
pearing at the
Cumberland
County public
hearing on the
proposed plan
held in June.
‘Hoke County
is worth more
than Fort Bragg,”
Moses said to
applause. “Thev
seem to forget we
had 225,000
acres in Hoke,
and they (Fort
Bragg) took 92,000 acres.
“Hoke County has given too
much to displace people again,”
he said.
“I am thankful and proud of
what our armed services are do
ing to protect our freedom, but
(See LANDOWNERS, page 7A)
7
s
Donald Louya, proprietor of Your Eyes Optical
and a former Hoke planning commission member,
says he is unsure whether he is in support or
opposition of the land use study.
-
- v."
Bethel Presbyterian
same age as U.S.A.
page 4 A
Museum solicits
membership
page 3 A
Three armed robbers
in Hoke, Raeford
I-age 3 A, 7 A
Births 2B
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 6-7B
Deaths 8A
Editorials 2A
Engagements 3B
I.egals 4-5B
Religion 4A
Socials 3B
Sports 6A
Weddings 3B
Hoke’s top stories
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www.thenews-journal.cotn
Girl Scouts brighten
Burlington Park
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Burlington Park is blossom
ing with almost 1,000 flowers
planted in beds around the park
—compliments of a transforma
tion by the Hoke County Girl
Scouts.
A colorful array of petunias,
impatiens, periwinkles and or
namental shrubs have brightened
up the park’s ordinary landscape
since their annual summer camp
was held on the grounds last
week, said troop leader Lisa
McPhee.
“The theme for the camp was
Art in the Park,” McPhee said.
“They really took pride in their
accomplishments. 1 think they
went beyond the call of duty with
this project.
“The flowers pulled every-
thingtogether. We hope the com
munity will enjoy the park more,
and our scouts enjoyed the friend-
ship with each other like sisters
while they worked oin the
(See GIR SCOUTS, page 7A)
c/
Even though the swing seats are still missing at county-owned
Burlington Park in Raeford, Hoke Girl Scouts (from left) Anasa
Dixon, Beckie Smith, and Siera McPhee play, on the support bars
during annual summer camp.
Five file for Raeford city council
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Opening day of filing for the
upcoming Raeford municipal
election started off slowly on
Monday morning, but by the end
of the day five candidates had
filed to fill three available city
council seats.
With the city election slated
for November 4, candidates w'ill
vie for the current seats held by
Raeford city councilmen John
Jordan, Earl McDuffie and
Wayne Mills.
“This is one of the best first
days 1 have ever seen for the City
of Raeford fi 1 ings,” said Caroline
Shook, Hoke’s board of elec
tions supervisor. “1 think this will
generate a lot of interest in the
community.
“I am very excited by this re
sponse.”
Raeford businessman Wayne
Mills, a former Hoke school
teacher, was the first incumbent
in the door on Monday morning
to file. It will be his second term
if he is reelected.
“1 enjoy what 1 am doing, and
1 am working to help the city,”
Mills said. The City of Raeford
is basically in good shape.
“We have some dedicated
employees workingforthe city.
The utilization of our moneys
is always utmost.”
Joining Mills in the council
race is incumbent Jordan, vice
president of Fidelity Bank, who
has served for one-and-a-half
terms on the council. Jordan
won in a special election when
city councilman Joe Upchurch
passed away six years ago and
kept his seat during a second
victory four years ago. Both
Jordan and incumbent
McDuffie, proprietor of
Edinborough Restaurant, filed
on Monday afternoon.
(See CITY RACE, page 8A)
Downtown group giving up on hotel
Revitalization continues with new grant, approval of funds
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Still attempting to save the
former Raeford Hotel, council-
men voted Monday night to seek
bids from some who have made
informal offers for the vacant
and dilapidated building at the
corner of Central and Main
streets.
Councilmen also agreed to
partially match a Rural Business
Enterprise Grant of $99,999 to
be used in the first phase of a
proposed downtown revitaliza
tion project. The city’s contribu
tion will be $55,501.
Steve Connell spoke with
councilmen about the hotel and
downtown revitalization plans.
A “streetscape” plan is still on
the drawing board that would
beautify the downtown area. It is
expected tocost $1.4 million and
includes putting utility lines un
derground and building new side
walks.
Connell, as chairman of the
Raeford Downtown Revitaliza
tion Committee, had written
County Manager Mike McNeill
(See DOWNTOWN, page 3A)
Major power outage stymies
traffic and communications
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
An act of nature caused a mas
sive power outage across Hoke
County yesterday after a large
tree toppled over onto a 65-foot,
wooden utility pole on Oakdale
Gin Road. The pole — one of
three — normally serviced the
Progress Energy and Lumbee
River Electric substations as a
major “feeder” line, accordingto
a Progress Energy spokesman.
A witness said the tip of the
utility pole instantly snapped,
resulting in a flare that enlarged
momentarily into a fireball. No
fire resulted in the field below,
however.
Traffic was temporarily
snarled in Raeford, no gas was
available at service stations, the
stores downtown cleared out of
shoppers, and most Hoke resi
dents were left without telephone
(See POWEROUTAGE, page 3A)