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? THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE
post office box 1075 PUBLISHED EACH THURSDAY^ 4 J pembroke, n.c. *37t
DR FRANK WORIAX TAKES OVER
PEMBROKE MEDICAL SERVICES,
INC. FACILITY
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Ousted Staff Shops for new Quarters
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Pembroke-Although rumors had swept
the community. It was still a shock to
Carolyn Emanuel, executive director; Dr.
Emma Balaquer, the staff physician; and
the rest of the staff of Pembroke Medical
Services, Inc. when they were given
termination notices on December 29,
1961 demanding they vacate the pre
mises by 5 p.m. the next day. The reason
given..."the facility is being taken over
by a private physician." The letter was
signed by Hubert Oxcndine, chairman of
the board at directors of the non-profit
facility. The only response from
Oxendine has been an emphatic "no
comment." The notice gave them two
weeks severance pay.
Pembroke Medical Services was
established as a community based
medical center to meet the health care
needs of Pembroke and the surrounding
area. The modern and spacious facility,
located off Union Chapel Road, has been
in operation since August of 1979.
The facility recently received a $35,854
grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Health
Care Trust located in Winston- Salem.
Dr. Frank Woriax began his practice in
the faciity Monday morning. Dr. Woriax
initially had been expected to be the staff
physician when die center opened but
backed out at die time because of
differences in bow the facility was to be
operated.
Larry Brooks Announces Candidacy
for Maxton County Commissioner Seat
V
Larry T. Brooks
Larry T. Brooks of Pembroke has
announced his candidacy for county
commissioner of the MaxtomPembroke
Smiths District. Brooks is no newcomer
to politics, having conducted two highly
successful campaigns for the Pembroke
Town Council; he is currently serving his
second term on that governing body.
Brooks is a 1971 graduate of Pembroke
State University with a Bachelor of
Science in Mathematics and also earned
his Masters in Administration from
Appalachian State University in 1976.
For the past six years, he has been
employed as a counselor with Pembroke
State University. Prior to accepting his
present position. Brooks taught mathe
matics for four years at Town send
Middle School with the Maxton City
School System. While there, he served as
vice president of their local chapter of the
North Carolina Association of Educators
and is currently a member of various
professional orgranizatkms affiliated
with education. He is also a veteran at
the U.S. Army.
Brooks is also a past president of
Pembroke Jaycees and has further
served on the Executive Committee of
the North Carolina State Jaycees. Other
civic involvement includes being a
member of the Robeson Historical
Drama Association and a charter
member of the PSU Braves Qub.
The candidate's business related
activities include being a member of the
Board of Directors of Lumbee Bank and
Quick Finance. He and his wife,
Elizabeth, are also the owners and
operators of Lela Anne's Learning
Center, a child care facility in Pembroke.
In making his announcement, he made
the following statement: "I'm committed
in my desire to serve the people of our
commissioner district. With the experi
ence and knowledge I've gained these
past four years working in municipal
government, coupled with my educa
tional background, I feel I can be
effective as a county commissioner."
"I believe that our citizens want and
deserve honesty and credibility in their
elected officials. I've dealt in 'politics'
for more than five years and have
learned through experience that you can
be effective and get things done without'
compromising your integrity.
"Robeson County is next to the bottom
among the state's counties as far as the
percentage of local monies currently
being budgeted for public education. The
physical facilities at many of oar county
schools are sadly outmoded while the use
of mobile classroom units is far too
widespread. Our children are our most
precious resource and our only hope for .
tomorrow; they deserve a much higher"
f-'udir" -vioffty from our county com
missioners than they are currently
getting. Are not the lagging test scores
in our local schools a necessary result of
such funding policies? If elected, I
pledge to work towards better educa
tional opportunities for all our youth; we
simply cannot afford to continue the
policies of the past. The vote and support
of each citizen of our district will be
sincerely appreciated."'
Brooks is die son of Lela H. Brooks of
Cherokee Street and the late John J.
Brooks, long-time educator of Robeson
County. He and his wife, Elizabeth, are
members of Harpers Ferry Baptist
Church. They are the proud parents of
four children: Devy, 17; Lela Anne, 8;
and John Avery and Xarry Trent n, 6
(twins).
OXENDINE CONSI DERI NG
A RUN FOR
BOARD OF EDUCATION
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William L. Osendlne of TBS Service
Co., Inc. of Pembroke, is seriously
considering seeking a seat on the
Robeson County Board of Education.
Osendine would aeek one of two
available seats in May 19R2. Presently
serving on the board from District IV are
I ilhfts f-ocklear Lavmon LockJe^r 1
Jerry Lowry. District JV U composed f
Raft Swamp, Pembroke and Union
Precincts.
Oxendine owns and operates TBS
Services co., Inc. which operates food
services contracts and custodial contracts
on military installations. After a career in
the military service. U.S. Army, he has
operated TBS Service Co., Inc. for'six
years.
He has been a resident of Pembroke
for 25 years. He is married to the former
Lou Henry Lowry. They have two
children: Barbara Cummings and Will
iam L? Jr.
Never having ran for election before.
Oxendine has been Interested in
the educational process for many years.
He has always been a supporter of the
local schools. His wife is a teacher at
Southslde/Ashpole School and has
taught in the county system for more
than 20 years.
Oxeqrfine was charter president of the
PTA at Pembroke Senior High in 1%9.
He has served as president of the PSHS
has"also served M a member pf the
TktelV. Part A 'ndion Education Project
Laymon roe
bids for
Term on County Board
of Education
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Laymon P. Locklear announces his
candidacy for re-election to the Kobe son
County Board of Education. Ha has
represented i/isinct iy composed ov
Pembroke. Raft Swamp, Burnt Swatnp
and Union Piednctf lor the past ah
years.
Loeklear is employed by Acme Blec-tric
where he serves as a production |
foreman. He has been employed there
Since March. t%9.
He is a graduate of Pembroke Senior
High School. After four years in the Air
Force which indnded catensive travdfi fat
While attending PSTJ he was a
member of the Special Forces Reserve at
Fort Bragg. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy
in 1965 and completed Electronics A
School in Great Lakes, 111. He was
assigned to the submarine repair ship,
USS Fulton in New London, Connecticut.
Various travels included Guatonomo
Bay, Cuba. He was honorable discharged
from the Navy in Feb. 1969 and begap
his employment with Acme Electric,
Lumberton. N.C.
He is married to the former Evelyn
Locklear and they have three children
who attend the county schools: Dwight,
15 who attends Pembroke Junior High;
Kimberiy, 7 and Neal, 6, both students at
Union Chapel School.
Being in an industrial environment,
Locklear sees a need for more classroom
training which would enable studepts
to be better assets to themselves, their
community and the world of work.
Locklear's record of perfect attendance
during six years to all regular and special
called meetings demonstrates his comm
ittment and concern for quality education
for all students. His voting record
enphasixee his belief thai (fee education
of boys and giris should not he left to any
politic?! hH6y*. *.*.
Locklear said, "l am running on the
L COUPLE THREATENED WITH
EVICTION FROM HOME
THE CHAVISES STAND NEAR SEPTIC TANK IN
FRONT YARD WHERE SEWAGE FREELY RUNS.
Lumberton-Harold Pittman and Patricia
Ann Chavis, both in tjieir early 30s, were
understandably excited about the new
home they decided to build in 1977. They
made plans and eventually chose Sam R.
? Noble, now the State Senator from this
area, as the builder.
But the excitement soon changed to
dismay and dispair as they found
themselves in bureaucratic quagmire
^between themselves. Noble, Farmers
fiome Administration and the county
.health department.
?'?Recording to the Chavis couple, Frank
Beaton, a former Lumberton City
Councilman, actually built the home
although Noble was listed as the
contractor of record.
In June of 1977 the Chavis family
moved into their new home in the Deep
Branch Community, approximately 5
miles west of Lumberton.
The couple, and their four small
children, had barely moved into their
three bedroom brick home when their
troubles began. Sewage seepage fouled
the air, and began backing up in their
front yard and trailing into their carport.
The Chavis family, since that time, have
had to haul drinking water from
neighbors. The septic tank actually is
built in the front yard.
Here the snafu begins. Who's to
blame? The Chavises contend that if a
percolation test (a test to see if a site is
suitable for building a septic tank) had
been done by the health department the
site would never have been approved as
a site for a home. According to an
independent test the the Chavises had
done, the land the home was built on was
not able to absorb the waste from the
Septic tank.
Records show that the improvements
and septic tank permit for the home site
was issued July 16, 1976 by the Robeson
County Health Department, Environ
mental Health Section. The permit was
signed by Vernon McKenzie, sanitation
technician. According to ton Chavises,
no percolation (perk) test has ever
been done officially by any of the parties
involved.
THE BUREAUCRATIC QUAGMIRE
THICKENS...
On January 1, 1978 Mrs. Chavis
wrote Noble, the Farmers Home Ad
ministration from whom the Chavises
had acquired a $24,000 loan to build their
dream home, and the county health
department. Mrs. Chavis noted in her
letter, "We are having trouble with our
septic tank running over. The septic tank
is in the front of our house at the door. It
is very embarassing; we want something
done about it, and the sooner the
better." Mrs. Chavis continued, *f'We
also want the inspector to come out and
check our well, ft is too dose to our
neighbor's septic tank drain line on the
right side of our home..."
Mrs. Chavis wrote the same parties
again on March 8, 1978 "...you sent us a
letter saying you would be out in a few
days to correct our problem...it is
running over (the septic tank) so bad that
it is running under out carport right at
our kitchen door..."
The Chavis couple continued to press
far the problem with the septic tank to be
corrected. They agree that their relation
ship with Noble had soured by this time.
Noble was assessed a penalty of S500
because the home was not completed
within the prescribed time. Too, Noble
did install a 50' drain line to the sewage
system.
On May 1, 1979 Hugh Cole, Sanitation
Supervisor from the Health Department,
admitted in a letter to Dariene E.
Buckman, a staffer from the N.C.
Attorney General's Consumer Protection
Section, that "This lot was approved on
July 14, 76. This was done in a summer
month when the water table is consider
ably lower and we felt if the tank was put
in die front on high land, then it would
work property..." It didn't.
Cole then seemingly passed the buck
back to Noble, "....Before the installa
tion of the tank, construction crews had
scooped 12-18" of top soil off the lot,
thereby leaving a very high water table
and no high land in the front..." But
continued Cole, "...Through the efforts
and expenses of the contractor. Mr. Sam
Noble on May 3, 1978 another 50' drain
line was added to the system."
And Cole ended his letter by saying,
"As you can see by the enclosed letter
we have recommended a mound type
septic tank system far the Chavis lot..."
Said Mrs. Chavis, "And that (the
mound type system) was to be at our
expense..."
Mr. Chavis recalls, "They (FHA)
the problem but it would have had to be
a new loan at higher interest."
WHO'S TO BLAME...
AND WHO WILL PAY?
As noted earlier, the Chavises by
this time had contacted the attorney
general for help. The health department
admitted, in a letter to Billy Batchelor,
then head of the county farmers home
administration that "Several homes in
Robeson County financed through your
agency, .(have) had a history of septic
tank problems..."
Ana the bcal i department confirmed
that the Ch "is te was one of the homes
with a "sepir Ank problem." The letter
(secured from the files of the attorney
general's consumer protection section)
noted "...These homes are located in the
John's soil type and*..have a high water
table. During construction, 12 to 18
^ A Statement from \
Jesse Britt,
Candidate for Sheriff
As sheriff of Robeson Coun- I
ty, I feel that my first duty end
allegiance is to the citizens of
Robeson. I relinquished my
job to seek this important I
office because total dedication
is needed to create a sheriff's
department that is more clo
sely in-tune with the citizens I
of this great county.
My wife, the fonner Anne
Gore of Lumberton, my, two
daughters Gina and Jill, and
my son Kevin have aB encou
raged me to run for sheriff. I
am proud to announce to the
public that they are the first
on my Hst of supporters for
the race for sheriff.
Our fondly attends Beutah
Baptist Church, here in Rob
eson. I have, enjoyed a life
long relationship with the
amileet and also'lkoftingj
wjgh Johnson Cotton Compa
ny.
SettCHIS (sw Cf'i?OfOCfT!>f*I DfOt>
(tiesoaf ?4rv>o fovwC tm/ln !
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" 1 * C?TU^^% 'wR
of illegal drugs. It. is our
responsibility to teach our
children these irrepairable
dangers. Aftftr all, they are
the future citizens of our
county.
Approximately 1500 fires
occured in 1961 in Robeson
County and well over half of
these are considered to be
arson. We must get our law
enforcement personnel well
trained in arson investigation.
I would like to express a
deep personal feeling as to
the future of law enforcement
in Robeson County.
"1 feel that a law enforce
ment officer's first duty is to
serve mankind, to protect
Uvea and property, to prelect
the innocent against decep
iL. t - . M n
irom violence ?no to respect !
the constitutional rights of all
citizens. I also feel that a law
enforcement officer's private
example to an.
IM Ivl** I '
. -*mt 1960V W.