; ROBESON COUNTY, N.C.
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ACQUISITIOHS department
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CHAFEE FIEF. / .■
THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE
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'^ C- THURSDAY, MAY 12. 1977 15t PER COPY 'S
PEMBROKE POSTMASTER
RESIGNS IN FOOD STAMP
FUNDS CAPER
MORE ON TICKET FIXING'
IN LUMDERTON
Confuming rumors flitting about the town
[[of Pembroke, Jimmy McVicker has
''resigned as postmaster of Pembroke.
According to postal authorities, McVicker
resigned “for personal reasons.” Postal
authorities would not confirm the reason
for McVickers’ resignation although
rumors have been rampant for a number of
days concerning “the misuse of food stamp
monies.” McVicker himself cited the
‘‘food stamp monies” as the reason for his
resignation.
Marvin Shooter. Rowland Postmaster,
jias been sworn in as the temporary “officer
in charge’' of the Pembroke office although
(le will continue to supervise the Rowland
office also.
Postal officials would not comment on the
! matter except to say that McVicker had
Tsigned for personal reasons.
^ Gene Hoge, the sectional center manager
Fayetteville, was unavailable for
cornment. His office said that he was out on
an inspection tour of some of the offices
that report to the Fayetteville office of the
U.S. Postal Service.
Bobby Byrd, sectional center director of
customer services in the Fayetteville area
would not comment on the matter although
he did say that the Postal Inspection Service
was conducting an investigation of the
matter. He would not confirm that the
resignation by McVicker was because of
unaccounted funds concerning food stamps
although McVicker did allude to it in a
telephone conversation.
Young Glenn Maynorhas found him.self
, , . once again in the eve of the storm in
Ihas a hiscorv .,t d.sxT.mmation agaiM Lumberton politics. He tebecn accu.sed.
Indians and Blacks m Robeson Counts. To g g
this reporter s knowledge. Pembroke ,s the ^ Clifford Bullard, wilh
onlvposlofhceinRobesiinCountvthalhas ^ Lumberton
Indians einploved in the postal service. p„|icemen who have given affidavi.s to the
... r.. 1 Fayetteville Times newspaper. News
The criticism of McVicker as postmastei Patterson, in a series of
came from the fact that he was picked over.p Fayetteville Times, has
Elen Sampson and Mrs. Bve in seen,|pg[y pppovgred pp ippp.i|ppte amount
Cummings, two long lime Indian postal pf ,|pket fixing in Lumberton.
employees in the Pembroke post office.
McVickers was recommended by outgoing Lumberton policemen , according to
Indianpostmaster.JohnH.Sampson. Elery Patterson, have voided .*5.8 percent of all
Sampson now has one of the routes on the tickets written bv the force in 1975 and
Pembroke circuit & Mrs. Cummings has 1976. Patterson claims that most of the
since retired. tickets have been voided because of
free hand to the policemen to talk to the
press. In my opinion, the city manager is
giving the policemen the signal to get
certain city councilmcn.”
Turner also requested a report on the
accusations by the policemen and all
pertinant information, including dates,
names, and the city councilmen who
supposedly fixed the tickets.
Said Turner. “All I’m asking is that the
city manager give to me a list of the
accusations made by the policemen. He has
placed myreputation at public scrutiny and I
have a right to know my accusers.”
Although Mayor Clifford Bullard was
people
and places
and things
Me Vickers’ Appointment as postmaster in
1974 precipitated a storm of protest from
-Pembroke residents because he was chosen
over two Indians who. on the face of it,
seemed to be belter qualified. Too. the
postmaster at Pembroke, traditionally, has
alwavs been Indian because the post office
Circus Comes to Pembroke
It was a real live circus that traveled to
Pembroke last Friday evening, May 6th.
‘‘Complete with elephants, clowns, trapeze
■ ladies, strange animals, clowns, jugglers
and the big tent.
i..»
'1 The circus was sponsored by the
“■Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department. It
^was Hoxie’s Great American Circus. They
had two shows, both to capacity audiences
■who came to be beguiled by the circus.
11 The Big Event, hopefully an annual affair.
Was terrhed a success in spite of, as some of
rihe firemen saw it, harassment by county
./and state officials. The circus was stopped
early Friday morning in Pembroke by
officials of the Weight Station on 1-95 and
ll^sessed some S600.00 for over loading.
inThe firemen questioned why employees of
Iflhe weight station would travel to
embroke at dawn to weigh the trucks of the
circus. Also, health department officials
l^nsisted that the firemen provide temporary
’ sanitary privys although, as one firemen
itput it, “no one used them.”
/
' They were assessed privilege taxes by the
/.Town of Pembroke and the County of
/Robeson. Pembroke agreed to waive their
/fee because the volunteer firemen are a non
;4>rofit organization. Commissioner Herman
i'Oial promised the firemen, in a meeting
Monday night, to offer a motion that the
»)unty privilege license be waived. Ai
press time, no one had been able to contact why they would harrass Pembroke when all
the proper officials of the weight station we are trying to do is raise money for a
which is a department of the N.C. worthv cause-fire protection for the
Department of Transportation. citizens of our town.. It might not have been
but it sure seemed like it was’harrassmeni
Said one fireman. “1 can’t understand against the Town of Pembroke."
of the Lumberton City Council through
McVicker since his appointment, had Police Chief H. C. Britt,
developed a good relationship with the
townspeople. The storm eventually blew Mavnor. according to the report in the
overandhe was well likedbythecitizensof Fayetteville Times, was quoted as saving
Pembroke, Few probably will applaud his when queried about the matter.“Mv
leaving his office under a cloud of philosohy has always been to help people in
my area any way I can...this help.s me
politically because people will say. ‘I know
who to go to to get a ticket fixed’...”
Tuesday Ma vnor denied that he said what
he was quoted as saying..but the Times
countered that they had transcripts of the
conversation.
pressurebroughttobearbycenain members charged ' in affadavits by the
suspicion.
policemen.' with having fixed tickets, the
Mavor affirmed that he had only interferred
with a policemen who was writing tickets
parked around the First Baptist Church
where he is a deacon.
Most of the accusations have been lodged
against Rev. E. B. Turner. Mavnor, the
onlv Indian on the board, and Frank Benton
who has aligned himself with the two on
numerous issues facing the board in recent
months.
OXENDINE COMPLETES INFANTRY
TRAINING SCHOOL AT MARINE CORPS
Marine Private Ricky Oxendine. son of
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Oxendine of Route
L Rowland. NC has completed Infanirs
Training School at Marine Corps Ba.se.
Camp Pendleton, Ca.
During the four week school Ricky
underwent training in helicopter and
amphibious operations, crew-served
weapons, tactics of the small infantrv unit,
field communications, and combat in
built-up areas.
Ricky has been transferred to Marine
Barracks, U.S. Naval Station. Brunswick
Marine. While there Ricky will be a part of
the security force which guards the planes,
ground equipment, and the station itself
This is just one of the demanding and
rewarding iobs of the United States Marine
Corps.
Rickv is a 1975 graduate of Pembroke
High School and enlisted into the Marine
Corps in November. 1976.
Rev. E. B. Turner, the Black councilman
from the sixth precinct was incensed by the
series of articles and the attitude of city
officials, including city manager. Timothy
Woods. Said Turner. ‘Tam shocked by the
city manager's approval of policemen
bypassing the chain of command and
reporting grievances directly to the press
instead of him.” Turner added, ‘‘He has
been quoted as saying he would not
reprimand anv officers for talking to the
press and in mv judgmJi'ii he is giving a
Other councilmen have denied
involvement in the matter and two of REVIVAL PLANNED AT BEULAH BAPTIST
them- Hugh Hines and Mrs. Joan
Bacot-have called for an outside A revival will be held at Beulah Baptist
investigation. Church beginning Sunday, May 15 and
running nightly thru Friday. May 20.
Services will begin each night at 7:30 p.m.
Glenn Mavnor was out of town on a trip to Guest speakers will be Rev. Ton\
Asheville at press time in his capacity as Brewington and Rev. Simmie Barton.
Robeson County Housing Authority Special music will be provided bv Ton v and
Executive Director and has been Pegg\ Brewington. The pastor of Beulah
unavailable for comment since issuing his Baptist, Rev. .Manford Locklear, extends a
denial of the earlier statements alleged to cordial invitation to evervone to attend
him.
these services.
Indian Education And Other Items Topics
of Concern at _Board of Education Meeting
A pretty girl and o trained seal ore
port of the dreus performers.
The Robeson County Board of Education
met fora lengthy session on Tuesday. Mav
10. Much of the time was spent in
executive session discussion personnel.
Mr. George Faircloth, teacher at Parkton
School, will be sent a letter of reprimand
for “language unbecoming a teacher.”
On motion by Laymon P. Loclear the
board agreed to give the approximately 7.2
acres of land on the southside of the unused
Oak Ridge School to the Robeson Countv
Recreation Commission with the
stipulation that the Recreation Commission
pay for all legal fees and expenses incurred
by surveying. Mr, Locklear who is also a
member of the Robeson County Recreation
Commission, said in his comments, ”1
feel we should recreate as well as educate.”
The motion was seconded by Mr. David
Green and carried unanimously. The board
also authorized the attorney to put the
adjoining three acres of that land up for
public auction.
410 Graduate from PSU ★★★★★★★★★
p'LUMBERTON — Pembroke State University’s
no graduating seniors Sunday were given an
iptimistic iMCture fix’ tbeif futures by a naturalized
J.S. citizen who said this country is “the best hope of
he wcvld.’*
Dr. George Curry, a native of England, cautioned
;:iis audience, however, that the court's political
‘welTbeing may be threatened by trade unions.
“Trade unitms in England constitute a second
’aritameitt,’’ Curry, who holds fot^ top-level posts
it the University of South Carolina, said
“They have the country at their mercy,” he
idded, yet they do not represent the public's
Merest as a irtiole.
He said that despite its internal power struggles
. and the ongoing battles M minorities for representa-
'’tion.the U.S. remains the greatest country in the
^'world
“The U.S. is still, with all of its problems, all
.[things left to be done, the best hope of the world,”
iisaid Curry, who came to this country in 1946.
“This is a country in which more people are
.getting on, where barriers are still going down...too
' slowly, I know, in some areas, some situations, but
■'going down they are,” he told the PSU Performing
:f Arts Center audience of nearly 1.700.
Curry serves as univeg^ty secretary, executive
sssistant to the presidem, secretary of the USC
Board of Trustees and professor emeritus of
lisiory.
V‘ Of the 410 graduating seniors Sunday. 148 exited
he university with honors, having earned at least a
1.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
^ There were 16 graduating Summa Cum Laude.
■Yith grade point averages of 3.8 or higher; 42
: dagna Cum Laude. with at least a 3.5; and 90 Cum
rg^ude with a 3.0 or better.
I Seventeen honor graduates were from Lumber-
15 from Fayetteville. 13 from Pembr(Ae and 12
^m Rodcingham.
As a result of the recent audit and
concem,s of the Governmental Accounting
Office the Office of Indian Education in
Washington is taking a close look at Indian depicting the
Education programs across the countrv. measurement
Robeson County received the second
largest Indian Education grant in the nation
and one of the few school systems in the
nation which operates a de-ceniralized
program. In past years individual schools
have done needs assessments for each
individual school. Now the Office ofindian
Education is requiring the county to do a
county-wide needs assessment. Mr. Llovd
Elm. Education Program Specialist from
the Office of Indian Education, appeared
before the board to answer questions
relative to recommendations sent from the
Office of Indian Education which the
county unit must comply with in order to
obtain funding for another year.
DEEP BRANCH SCHOOL OBSERVES
N.C. METRIC WEEK
Governor James Hunt has proclaimed the
week of Mav 9-13 as North Carolina Metric
Week. In accordance with this, students
and teachers at Deep Branch School are
participating in meaningful learning
experiences relating to the Metric Svsiem.
All grade levels are conducting metric
activities in a varietv of subject areas,
comparing the Metric System with our
present system of measurement. Posters
basic units of metric
displaved throughout the
hool.
L.R.D.A. RECEIVES GRANT FROM
U.S. DEPT. OF LABOR
Lumbee Regional Development
Association has received a grant from the
U.S. Department of Labor for SI 39,600.00
to sponsor a summer youth program for 200
youths, in addition. 150 summer jobs will
be provided with regular CETA funds for a
total of 350 summer jobs.
Pembroke Store Universiry groudotes
march into Performing Arts Center for
commencement exerdses. 410
students groduoted from PSU Sunday
afternoon.
Morshols for Pembroke Store
University's commencement Sunday
were (left to right) bock row-chi^
morshoi Giendo Arnette, Foyerreviiie;
Debbie Hammonds, Roeford: Deborah
Olson, Lumberton; Shoron Stephens,
Omim; Wondo Sampson, Lumberton;
Undy Jones, Cloymont. Dei.; Woyne
Broodheod, Goldsboro; Ken Core,
Fayetteville: front row-ossistont
marshal Letress Jocobs, Bolton: Wondo
Burns, Pembroke; Elvero Locklear,
Pembroke; Mory Jacobs. Lumberton;
Darlene Nader, Foyetteville: Willlom
Sanderson. Fairmont; ond Richard
Regon, Pembroke.
Said Elm. “...this board is the legal
grantee....you are fiscally responsible for
the money. In light of the audit, the legality
of administrative function is in question.”
And he continued, ” In talking with
principals and teachers I found that they
didn’t know about the rules and
regulations. They had not read the
approved application. I know because .some
principals did the same thing 1 would have
done in their position. 1 can educationally
iustifv everything that has been done, but
that doesn’t make it legal.” Elm stressed
the fact that academic needs were not
always the special needs ofindian children.
And the special needs of Indian children
was the reason for Indian Education
monies. He talked about inherent talents
of Indian children. And he quoted, “if we
can groom those inherent talents, the child
will perform in the classroom as he
should.” He stated that thinking well of
oneself was a special need of Indian
children.
The Office ofindian Education found that
over one-half of the needs assessments
done by the individual schools were
academic needs rather than special needs of
Indian children. Mrs, Linda Oxendine,
Mrs. Ruth Woods, and Mrs. Rose Mary
Christensen will be called in to help with
the county-wide needs assessment. Then
the 40-member parent committee will set
priorities in light of this needs assessment.
A Committee was appointed by the
chairman to look into ethnic studies in the
schools. This was done in-response to Rev.
Charles McDowell's request at the
last hoard meeting that Black studies
become a mandatory part of the curriculum
in the counfv schiKvIs.
The purpose of the program is to provide
work experience and supportive services to
economically disadvantaged American
Indian youth residing in Robeson.
Scotland, Hoke and Bladen counties.
Eligible are students from low-income
families who are 14 to 2! years old and who
are in need of earnings to permit them to
resume or maintain attendance in school.
For further information contact Mr.
William E. Locklear. Lumbee Regional
Development Association, at 521-9761.
SOUTHEASTERN GENERAL HOSPITAL
TO SPONSOR CANDYSTRIPER
PROGRAM
Southeastern General Hospital will again
sponsor its candystriper program beginning
June 13, 1977. Young men and women
entering the summer program must be at
least 15 yearsoldorentering the tenth grade
in school. Volunteers will be able to work
in a variety of hospital areas including
X-ray, the Emergency Room, Pediatrics, as
well as medical-surgical floors. Interested
persons may receive applications bv
writing to Mrs. Fran Thrower. R.N..
Assistant Director of Nursing.
Southeastern General Hospital, P.O. Box
1408. Lumberton. N.C. 28358, Completed
applications must be received bv Mav 25.
1977.
SEARCH FOR CONTESTANTS FOR
MISS LUMBEE PAGEANT
PBMBROKE-Every young girl dreams
of becoming Miss American. The girl who
i,s selected Miss Lumbee Pageant queen
could be the next Miss America.
Now is the time to decide for any young
woman in the stale area who qualifies, Ms.
Florence Ransom, chairperson, said in
calling for candidates to enter the pageant.
Ms. Ransom also announced that the
Pageant will be conducted the Friday night
of July I from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Pembroke
State University Performing Arts Center.
She called for civic and social
organizations in the area to sponsor
candidates, and she requested that
individual young women submit their own
nams as entries.
Applications can be obtained at the
LRDA-Annex Building. All applications
must be in by May 23. 1977.
To qualify, a young woman must be
between the ages of 17 and 26 on the Labor
Day immediately- preceding the National
Finals in which she will compete, must be a
high school graduate, and must never have
been married.
Talent will be considered in the judging
and each contestant should possess some
quality of talent, either trained or potential.
In discussing the talent qualification. Ms.
Ransom stressed that the range is varied
and that no young woman must necessariK.
be trained in any specific field.
She pointed out that manv entrants in
previous pageants did not realize they
possessed a quality of talent until they
considered entering the contest.
She also pointed out that in almost every
national Miss America Pageant conducted
at Atlantic City, New Jersey, there have
been state queens who have presented
dramatic readings or comedy monologues
as their talent presentations before a panel
of nationally prominent judges.
"Any potential entrant may also have a
talent unrealized.” Ms. Ransom
commented, adding that a young woman
might be a delightful singer, for example,
without ever having exhibited her singing
ability before an audience.
In urging civic and social organizations to
sponsor candidates, she said each member
of the organization should consider the
young women they know personally,
relatives or daughters of friends, and
should encourage the girls to enter the
pageant.
Judging candidates will be based on the
same values as considered at the Miss
North Carolina Pageant and at the national
Miss America Pageant.
Personality, poise, beauty and talent are
the major requirements. Each contestant
will be judged in Private Interview, in
Evening Gown, in Swimsuit, and in the
presentation of her Talent.
REVIVAL PLANNED AT
WEST END BAPTIST CHURCH
West End Baptist Church is planning a
revival May_ 15 through May 22 at their
church located on West Drive in Lumberton.
Everyone is cordially invited to come out
and worship in the spirit of the Lord with
West End Baptist Chureh.
JAYCEES SPONSOR GOLF
TOURNAMENT FOR CANCER FUND
The Pembroke Jaycees are sponsoring a
golf tournament Saturday, May 28 at the
Riverside Country Club in the Red Banks
Community near Pembroke. Entry fees are
si2.00 (includes cart and green fees).
The toumy will feature a shotgun start at 9
a.m. wilh the proceeds logo to the Robeson
County Cancer Fund.
Everyone is invited to come out and play a
little golf for a worthy cause. Those
wishing to participate should contact any
member of the Pembroke Jaycees for
further information.
AN OPEN LEHER TO SHAREHOLDERS
OF LUMBEE BANK
Dear Shareholders:
You w ill be pleased to know that on April
28, 1977 yourBoardofDirectorsdeclareda
s. 10 per share dividend to stockholders of
record April 28. 1977. That dividend is
being paid today.
We appreciate your patience and
continued support.
W.R. Ules
President
Lumbee Bonk