Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Aug. 6, 2003, edition 1 / Page 1
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The ews Journal It it happened^ it's news to us 50(^ No. 20 Vol. 96 o & Hjke C tv»01 Wednesday, August 6, 2003 Officials say state is blackmailing Raeford $296,000 grant for water project approved if the city will change its vote on Fort Bragg plan By Victoriana Summers Staff writer A written ultimatum was sent to the City of Raeford by the state’s Clean Water Management Trust Fund board last week, awarding a grant for $296,000 “with strings attached,” according to Raeford City Manager Mike McNeill. “Receiving the grant is ‘contingent upon’ Raeford’s city council adopting the controversial Fort Bragg-Pope Air Force Base Joint Land use study,” McNeill said. “This is like blackmail. We are as serious about rejecting the Joint land use plan as the Clean Water board is at cramming it down our throats. “They have threatened to withdraw funds for this grant that would have benefited the Cape Fear River basin. It would help control flooding and water pollution,” he said. “If we do not agree to their stipula tion, we won’t get the money. One project has nothingtodo with the other.” The grant letter to McNeill was writ ten on July 22 by deputy director Francine Durso of CWMTF, but not received by McNeill until July 29. A deadlineof August I was set for Raeford officials to respond agreeing to endorse the military regional land use plan. McNeill requested an extension until September 8, and asked the trust fund board the rationale in adding the special condition. “Please note that the City (Raeford) must actually adopt the (land use) rec ommendations before the Clean Water Management Trust Fund will prepare a draft contract for this grant for execu tion by the city,” Durso wrote. “Please provide a letter to my attention confirm ing that the city will adopt the Fort Bragg-Pope Air Force Base Joint Land Use Study recommendations and a time frame for adoption.” Unrelated McNeill said CWMTF’s board did (See BLACKMAIL, page 6A) Rockfish project gets mixed reviews Development to cross county line, board tables decision on rezoning needed land B^ Victoriana Summers Staff writer A decision for approving a higher density zoning for a multi-million dol lar Rockfish residential development was postponed by county commission ers on Monday evening after opposition from property owners. Some Hoke residents urged support for their community to remain rural, submittinga petition signed by 95 people protesting the proposed project. The future development planned by Huff & Caviness of Fayetteville would be split, building homes in Cumberland and Hoke counties. “They would use separate schools and law enforcement protection on each side.” Commission Vice Chairman Charles V. Daniels said after the meeting. “1 think it would be very confusing.” The board voted to “table” the matter for further study after Com missioner Jean Powell, who did not vote initially, realized her not voting would count as an automatic yes against the project. She asked for her vote to be withdrawn. “Obviously, folks are divided on the board,” Powell said. “1 am in favor of development. I think devel opment is generally good in Hoke county. “In fairness, I would like tochange my vjote and ask that this matter be tabled to look at the land.” Wiffiout her vote, a 2-2 split vote (See ROCKFISH PROJECT, pageSA) i Young riders compete in honor of soldiers page IB Men sought in drive-by shootings pige BA Livestock agent joins Extension Service page 4A Hoke High graduates hooked on skydiving page (>A Births 3B Business/Farm 4A Calendar 2B Classifieds 6-7B Deaths 8A Editorials 2-3A Legals 4-5B Public Record 8A Religion 7A Schools 4A Socials 3B Sports 5A Weddings 3B Hoke’s top stories are on the web; send us stories, subscribe www.thenews-lournal.com Six to vie for council By Victoriana Summers Staff writer Filings for Raeford’s municipal election ended in the last-day registration of a new comer after more than three weeks without political activity. Ron Scurry, Hoke’s assis tant finance director, filed for city council at 9 a.m. last Friday. “I think that public service is a very high calling,” Scurry said. “We all should want to become involved in public service.” The race includes three incumbents and three aspiring candidates to fill three city council seats. A campaign period of slightly less than three months remains until the November 4 election. A flurry on opening day, July 6, resulted in three incumbents — John Jordan, Wayne (See CITY FILING, page 3A) !> I 3 % N ■ ♦ Y i3‘' Reba Galvan, a paralegal with National Data Access Service in South Carolina, uses the new computer software system at Hoke's Register of Deeds office. Register of Deed’s office revamped New computers installed; next, a possible move to bigger office By Victoriana Summers Staff writer Hoke’s Register of Deed’s office is becoming more user-friendly with new computer systems, and it may soon be relocated from the Hoke County Court house to its own building because of cramped conditions. “We have invested in new software and computers that we are leasing to make finding records more convenient for people,” Register of Deeds Onnie Dudley said. “There is also a lack of space in our courthouse office. I here is no place to store records. In two more months, we will be completely out of space,” she said. “The county has entered into an op tion to buy the former Purcell Funeral Home Building on Campus Avenue, and, hopefully, they will purchase it within the next few weeks for us to move.” Dudley, a 25-year employee in the I' Onnie Dudley, Register of Deeds, helps Raeford historian Locke MacDonald find a document. Deed’s office, said she is pleased with improvements at the Register of Deeds. She returned out of retirement as former assistant register of deeds to accept the top post vacated by Della Maynor- Bowen in January 2003. She is assisted by Hazel McLaughlin, assistant register of deeds, and Camille Hurst, deputy register of deeds. As of June 30, the Deed’s agency earned $316,799.96 for the county. Last month, alone, 900 documents were processed by Dudley and her staff. Logan System is providing software and consulting for the office’s six computers, charg ing $40,000 per year for the service. Innovations include cli ents having access to records on three new computers in the up stairs vault, and printing out documents directly instead of copying from the larger books of docu ments. Three computers and copiers in the front office add convenience for (See REGISTER OF DEEDS, page 6A) By Ken MacDonald General Manager “Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. ” — Ronald Reagan If Raeford wants $296,000 from the state for a water project, it’s going to have to - how shall we put this delicately? - put out. The Clean Water Management Trust Fund board has sent a let ter to the city saying. Hey, nice grant application! Great idea! Count us in for half! Oh wait. What’s this? We hear you didn’t go along with the buffers around Fort Bragg? Hmmm... [sneaky pause] We’ll give you the money you want IF you change your vote. Incredible, huh? Besides begging the connec tion of a water project to a land use issue not even geographi cally connected to the city, the trust fund board has taken to blackmail, and no, that’s not too strong a word. However, rather than begin a movement to secede from the state, let us take the high road and realize that the folks in Ra leigh do not yet understand our objections to the Fort Bragg- Pope Air Force Base Joint Land Use Study recommendations. Let’s go over them again. It is not that we’re against planning, or against Fort Bragg (See OTHER STUFF, page SA) Sprint ! r ^ \ I / Problems on the line Sprint repairmen jim Barton, left, and Mark Smith work at a location across from East Hoke Middle School Excessive rain and storms have caused problems for telephone users and kept employees busy.
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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