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^ THi CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE RifH
post office box i?7s PUBLISHED ?ACH THURSDAY Pembroke, n.c. 2sri jr " al
VOLUME ?, NUMBER 25 25f PER COPY Tbuiwtay, June IS, 1981
HENRY BERRY LOWRY WOULD BE
PROUD OF 'STRIKE AT THE WIND!'
Melton Low cry
During the 1800's, the Lumbee Indians
of Robeson County were very proud of
their outlaw--hero. Henry Berry Lowrie.
Their pride centered around Lowrie's
own pride in his heritage.
If he could return today. Lowrie would
be very proud of the much acclaimed
outdoor drama, 'Strike At The Wind!".
The production is now in its sixth
season at the Lakeside Amphitheatre at
the Riverside County Club near Pem
broke, North Carolina. Most people view
the drama as strictly entertainment, but
? to those deeply involved, the drama is
not just acting; it is business involving
advertising, fund raising, theatre tech
nology and more.
This summer will mark the fourth
season in which Melton Low cry of
Pembroke has played the leading role of
the famous Indian hero, Henry Berry
Lowrie, whose grandfather was Melton's
great-great-great grandfather.
The 30-year-old Lumbee Indian, a
professional Chimney Sweep, attended
the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro as a pre-engineering student
on scholarship. Each Thursday through
Saturday however, he brings to life the
saga of Lumbee folk hero, Henry Berry
Lowrie. Called outlaw by some and hero
by others, the Lumbee Robin Hood
figure roamed this large rural county in
Southeastern North Carolina from 1864
1874. Seeking revenge for the murders of
his father and brother by the Con
federacy, Lowrie and his tri-racial band
held Robeson County in a grip of terror.
Henry Berry Lowrie mysteriously dis
appeared in 1872, with over $60,000
worth of rewards unclaimed. His actions
however, had a profound effect on state
politicians, bringing the vote to all
citizens of North Carolina. His story and
the story of the Lumbee Indians are told
near Pembroke in Randolph Umberger's
outdoor drama, 'Strike At The Wind!".
Chosen from auditions of local and
state talent. Melton even physically
resembles his famed ancestor right down
to the heavy dark beard. The main
difference is that the modern day outlaw
does not carry the 100 pounds of
weaponry that his predecessor reputedly
carried over a century ago.
"Strike At The Wind!" plays Thurs
day. Friday, and Saturday nights. July 4
through August 29. Pre-show is at 8 p.m.
and showtime is at 8:30 p.m. D.S.T.
Follow the signs to the Lakeside
Amphitheatre at the Riverside Country
Club. 3 miles west of Pembroke, '/j mile
north of U.S. Highway 74 on state road
1354. Adult tickets are $4.00, children
?w ? . . ? m m *
under 12 are S2.00. and Senior citizens
are S3.50. For more information, write or
call "SATW!". Bo* 1059, Pembroke.
N.C.; (919) 521-3112.
?w 4
MISS LUMBEE GETTING
READY FOR 1981
MISS N.C. PAGEANT
iVilaa Lnmbe* -
BHglttc Bray boy
. Miss Lumbee. Brigitte Brayboy, and
her chaperone. Florence Ransom, are
currently busy making preparations to
attend the 1981 Miss North Carolina
Pageant to be held June 24-28. 1981 at
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in Ra
leigh. N.C.
During the past year Mias Lumbee
has participated in numerous events. She
has traveled the state attending pa
geants. parades and ribbon cuttings.
Brigitte hat also performed at various
pageants, as well as local functions and
rest homes.
Now that the big event is almost here.
Brigitte and Mrs. Ransom are working
on Miss North Carolina wardrobe,
make-up. Interview and walk.
The Miss Lumbee Send-Off will be
Sunday. JuneJI. 1*1 at J:J0p.m. In the
town park. Sponsors for the Send-Off
include the Town of Pembroke. Pern
broke Javceea. Pembroke Jaycettes.
Pembroke Housing Authority. Pembroke
Business and Professional Women's
Club. Pembroke VFW Post. Pembroke
Kiwanis Club. Pembroke Lion's Club.
'Strike At The Wind!', Lumbee Home
coming. and other local and civic
organizations.
In Raleigh. Miss Lumbee will be
staying at Peace College where all 49
Miss N.C. contestants will be housed.
Brigitte will compete in the evening
gown competition on Wednesday even
ing. in the awimsuit on Thursday
evening, and in talent competition on
Friday night at 8:90 p.m.
Tickets for the 1981 Mias North
Carolina Pageant may be purchased by
writing to the 1981 Miss N.C. Pageant.
P.O. Boa 17205. Raleigh. N.C.
A limited number of tickets are
available at Lumbee Regional Develop
ment Association in Pembroke,
Little Miss Lumoee
Pageant to open
Lumbee Homecoming 1981
The contestants and committee of the
Little Miss Lumbee Pageant cordially
invite you to attend the most heart
warming and fun-filled event of Lumbee
Homecoming.
The theme of the pageant this year is
"Little Lumbee Beauties." There are 27
contestants vying for the title of Little
Miss Lumbee 1981.
The pageant will be held Wednesday,
July 1, at Pembroke State University's
Performing Arts Center beginning at 7
p.m. Admission will be $3.00.
The contestants will perform their
array of talents and modeling casual
dresses. All areas of Robeson County
and parts of Cumberland County are
represented this year. The contestants
range in age from age 4 to 6 years.
See Contestants Page 9
Retires After
35 Years
Ms. Fannie Belle Loddear
Ms. "Fannie Belle," as she
is so affectionately referred
to. was honored on June II,
1981 with a special program at
Green Grove Elementary*
School. She has taught at
Green Grove for 30 years
(1951-1981) and an additional
five years at Pembroke Gra
ded School (1941-1946).
A host of associates,
friends, family, and.former
students, attended the aus
picious occasion with Howard
Davis. Principal of Green
Grove, acting as Master of
Ceremonies. Life testimonials
were given by; Jason Lowry.
Former Principal; Robert
Hunt. Former Principal; Al
bert Hammonds. Former As
sociate; Earl Hughes Oxen
dine. and James E. Jones,
Former Students. Mr. Oxen
dine was a student of Ms.
Fannie Bell's first class at
Pembroke Graded Schools.
He fondly remembers her as
his very best and most unique
teacher because she could fly
an airplane. He - said he
learned to love reading be
cause he loved M please Ms.
"Fannie Belle." Mr. Purnell
Board of Education, and also
a former student of Ms.
Fannie Belle was the keynote
speaker. He expressed grati
tude for her sincere dedi
cation to the profession of
teaching as well as her spon
taneous love for children.
Numerous gifts of love and
remembrance were presented
to the honoree on behalf of the
school, parents, family, and
friends. In addition, a beau
tiful plaque from Green Grove
was presented by Mr. David,
and also one by Mr. Swett, on
behalf of the Board of Edu
cation.
A career of education and
love for children has enriched
the life of Ms. Fannie Belle.
Her desire to work is not yet
extinguished, for she intends
to volunteers her services to
Green Grove School. She will
continue to be active with her
church (Reedy Branch Bap
tist). travel, and enjoy her
grandchildren. She has no
desire whatever to resume her
airplane escapades as some
have suggested.
Ms. Fannie Belle is the
mother of three children;
M/Sgt. Carson P. Locklear,
Jr.. U.S.A.F. of Korea; Lyn
neettah Locklear Jacobs, of
Lumberton; Gary Carlson
Locklear. of Chicago. Illinois.
She is also the grandmother of
seven grandchildren.
New Prospect
Pastor Honored
R?v. wnu. Seen, Jr. wu
Konoiv(i tl M Appreciation
Day Dinner at New Proepeci
Metkodiai Ctiurch in Pem
broke en Sanday, Jane 14.
IM1. Rev. Seen wee pre
vented e plaque and a RWI ef
metier freni hie congregation.
Several gnoele and relnllvoe
?tailed far die area elan. Rev.
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EtHalyana Locklaar. Tlwy
h?V? MM IMIt ChHl| and MM
daughlar, Domi d RaMghi
Mid mm graadaaa. Rav. Iaa??
haa aarvad Naw Piaapac* far t
year*. PalMar R. Bryaat
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Iniradaai. pmaafad dM gift.
PEOPLE
A ND PL A CES
AND THINGS
PEMBROKE OFFICIALS ATTEND
ATLANTA SEMINAR *
Pembroke officials returned home
after attending a seminar in Atlanta.
Georgia Wednesday through Sunday.
Attending the HUD sponsored Com
munity Development Seminar were
Mayor Pete Jacobs. Town Manager
McDuffie Cummings and Councilman
Larry T. Brooks.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
PURCHASE FORMER
INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER
BUILDING ONI-9S
The county commissioners finally
purchased the vacant International Har
vester Building on 1-95 for $230,000.
subject to approval by the owners. The
motion was made by Herman Dial,
chairman of the commission. The motion
was seconded by Carl Britt. The possible
purchase of the building had been
considered a number of times only to be
withdrawn at the last minute.
Commissioners H.T. Taylor and Bill
Herndon vigorously dissented, claiming
purchase of the building would facilitate
an increase in taxes.
The building, located on a 21 acre
tract of land is proposed for use by the
water department, the county school bus
garage, maintenance and recreation .
departments.
Dial scoffed at fears of added
renovation coats saying, "This building
was constructed to house heavy equip
ment...! wouldn't think it needs any
uno?ca<iiQ|t."
LIBRARY STILL IN THE NEWS...
The Lumberton City Council replac
ed one of the two members of the
Robeson County Board of Trustees
whose terms came up for appointment at
Monday's meeting of the council.
Mrs. O.L. Barnes. Jr. was replaced by
Mitchell Carter on a motion by Glenn
Maynor, the councilman from the pre
dominately Indian 7th Precinct.
The other appointment was left to be
decided until the next meeting. Seem
ingly the council demurred because
Roger Sessoms, the other member,
serves as budget officer for the library,
and heads the finance committee.
The library has been subjected to
heavy criticism during the budget
process, especially in regard to the libra
ry director's proposed salary of $24,735.
The library asked for $173,000 initially
but both the county and city who fund the
library on a 50/50 basis have offered
$108,000, mostly to save state funding
which would have been in jeopardy if the
operating budget of the library had been
cut below the previous year's funding
level.
Maynor. when asked if the two
members wished to remain as trustees,
said, "I'm not going to ask them if they
want to serve."
COUNTY ADOPTS FINAL BUDGET
The Robeson County Commission
ers, at Monday's meeting, officially
adopted the 1981-1982 budget for
Robeson County with a tax rate of 82
cents per $100 valuation and a general
fund of $17,118,736.
The total budget swells to $32.7
million which includes monies ticketed
for the remainder of the school bond
monies and the installation of the county
wide water system.
PEMBROKE JAYCEES ATTEND
LEADERSHIP COLLEGE
Pembroke Jaycee President Jimmy
Goins and three other chapter officers
attended the North Carolina Jaycee^
Local Officers Leadership College Junk
12th. 13th. and 14th at the University of
North Carolina at Charlotte.
The Local Officers Leadership College
is held annually to train incoming officers
in the management skills and pro
gramming responsibilities needed to
better serve the community.
Over 500 Jaycees from all across North
Carolina attended the three day session
according to Reich Welborn. President of
the North Carolina Jaycees. The officers
received instruction in effective com
munications, community development
programs, public relations, the training
of committee chairmen and the running
of effective meetings were but a few of
the topics covered. fry
"The Pembroke Jaycee officers and -
their president. Jimmy Goinsr are to be /
commended." said President Welborty'
"for showing the initiative to attend tills
year's Leadership College. I'm sure th<\
ideas and techniques they Iearne4 will
prove a real benefit to both the members
of their chapter and to the commnnity the
Pembroke Jaycees serve."
Other Pembroke Jaycee officers at
tending the Leadersip College were:
Larry Jacobs. Internal Vice President
and Bill Oxendine. External Vice Pre
sident. along with Gerald Strickland.
Chairman of the Board.
L. Harbert
Moore
Named
head of
Elections
Board
LUMBERTON--L. Herbert Moore, an
Indian from the Proapect community,
was namod Chairman of die Robeson
County Board of Electiona Tuesday at an
organlmttonal meeting of the board
following swearing In ceremonies at the
Robeson County Courthouse.
Also named to the board were Retry
Shaw, a Mack from the Fairmont area;
and Ray Ravels, a white, and the only
Incumbent retained.
Mrs. Elisabeth Morton is supervisor of
electiona.
1
521-2026 .
/
i
j^e"wanT^^w ^
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|/ While personals and short stories may be S|
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IftftUA.
JB I