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'VOLUME 10 'NUMBER 19**' " ' \MY&~1982
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C OST CUTTING MEASURES UNDERWAY AT
LUMBEE RIVER ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION
*
Red Spriags-Seldom has one man had
the positive effect on an organization that
Rev. Bias Rogers has had on the
direction of Lumbee River Electric
Membership Corporation, the member
owned electric cooperative based in Red
, Springs.
Once denied membership on the board
of directors because of his race as an
Indian, Rogers recently presented a
number of cost cutting measures to the
board of directors of LREMC. After a
number of special called meetings, the
board did, in fact, adopt a number of
measures designed to cut expenses.
Rogers, who had to sue for the right to
be seated on the board of directors in the
early '70's, at a meeting in February
called for the board to eliminate
committee meetings except on the day of
regular board meetings in order to save
per diem costs paid to board members
for each meeting they attend.
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He also asked that the general
manager be pot on a limited expense
account of $1,000. monthly. Until his
request, the general manager, Deri
Hinson, had an unlimited expense
account without any accountability to the
board.
Rogers also asked management to cut
their salaries by 10% and cut all other
employees by 5%. He also asked that all
merit increases and cost of living
increases be frozen immediately.
And he asked that all vehicles be
parked after regular work hours except
those used by the general manager,
assistant manager, engineer and super
intendent. Until his request employees
drove a number of company owned
vehicles home after regular work hours.
Rogers also requested that all uses of
credit cards be monitored by the board
on a regular basis.
He called for all hiring to be
suspended and asked that labor be
doubled up where ever possible to save
Rogerr said; "I sin cbncerned about ~
high utility bills like everyone else, it is
timfc that we did something about run
away spending by Lumbee River."
Lumbee River, in the past few years,
has been split badly in its voting. Rogers
and Deri Hinson, the general manager,
seem to be the focal points of disagree
ment. Hinson has survived a 7-5 vote at
least one time calling for his ouster.
Rogers, who is considered almost a
legendary figure because of his civil
rights law suit against the cooperative a
few years ago, seems to be a lightening
rod of contention. Some like him; some
do not.
After an extended legal battle, Rogers
won an out of court settlement from
LREMC in 1973 in excess of $10,000 for
discriminating against him in attempting
to deny him a seat on the board of
directors. At the same time, as part of
the settlement, the cooperative agreed to
add three at large board members, and
the use of proxies was outlawed. Rogers
has served on the board since then, even
serving a number of years as president of
the board before being ousted at last
year's annual meeting by J.W. Hunt.
Rogers was the first Indian or Black
ever elected to the board of directors of
LREMC and is given the lion's share of
credit for opening up the cooperative to
Indians and Blacks and others denied the
right to serve on the board because of
their race and status in life.
Since Rogers was elected, Indians
have become the dominant force on the
board. 10 of the 12 members presently
serving on the board are Indians, with
one Black and one white. The preside*!
of the board, J.W. Hunt, is also an
Indian. Employment has also being
extended to Indians since Rogers was
elected to the board. An Indian, Ronnie
Hunt, is the assistant manager of
Lumbee River. Indians also serve as
service manager, comptroller and other
key positions.
Coat catting measures at LREMC
forerunner of public cries for ways to cat
coots of public (utilities.
Recently the North Carolina Utilities
Commission, stung by public criticism of
escalating utility costs, has ordered the
state's nine largest utilities to come qp
with ways to trim costs.
A two day hearing was held this week
in Raleigh in which the^ublic utilities
were told to appear before the commis
sion and explain what they were doing to
hold down high electric and other utilmi
bills. "Really, it's put them on notice,
Koger. commission chairman. '
-What the LREMC Board of Directors
agreed to do to cat costs.
After a number of special called
meetings, the board of directors took the
following action in response to Roger's
proposals. They agreed, at a special
March 13 meeting, to "schedule commit
tee meetings whenever possible, on the
day of the regularly scheduled monthly
meeting." And "...have management's
expense account reviewed quarterly by
the finance committee and have finance
committee report to the full board."
The general manager, Deri Hinson,.
was also instructed to "review the status
and expenditure of any and all credit
cards used by the cooperative and report
to the board on a regular basis. '
The board also "postponed further
action on merit increases and cost of
living increases for employees and staff
members pending review and action by
the policy committee."
And they decided "to park four
vehicles previously driven home after
regular work hours by the foreman of the
crew line, the foreman of the under
ground crew, the load management
representative, and the communications
specialist."
A freeze on hiring was instituted
through 1982 and it was "further
resolved that vacancies might be fiiled
only where employees leave or resign
and where absolutely necessary to fill
(said) vacancies."
Il
General Manager Hinson also agreed
to continue reviewing telephone bills,
deployment of on call vehicles, overtime,
merit increases, inventories and training
of employees and cash flow.
Utilities, politicians feel public rage on
rate laws and Ugh bills
Said Rogers, "I am proud that LREMC
had the good sense to get busy in this ?
area of concern to our consumers. High
light bills are killing all of us. We need to
do everything we can to cut costs now
and in the future."
Locally, a district-wide meeting on fair
electric rates has been set by the
Robeson County Clergy and Laity
Concerned May 24 at the Sandy Grove
Baptist Church in Lumberton. The
meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Leaflets distributed locally ask the
question: "Your electric bills crushing
you? Come and find out...why our
electric bills are so high...who sets our
electric rates...how our rates are set...
what we can do to stop higher
rates...what is unfair about rate setting
today."
The heat is on. Consumers are raising
cain about their rapidly escalating
electric bills, and the outcry soon could
result in the first significant changes in
utlity laws since the 1970s.
"h's the number one thing we've been
hearing about in this office for the last
month," said Joseph Pell, chief political
aide to Governor Jim Hunt. "They (the
public) are saying 'we can't stand this
any more. It's hard times."*
Rev. Rogers agrees, 'it's up to us to
do everything we can to cut costs. The
consumers we represent deserve nothing
less."
Said a typical consumer, "My light bill
is ridiculously high. I'm glad some thing
is being done about it. even if its too little
too late."
DeVane
for the
House
D?miy DeVaae
Hoke County Commissioner Danny
DeVane of Raeford announced recently
he would run for state representative this
year.
He stated that he was "not represent
ing any special-interest group. I'm
running on my own. Nobody asked me to
run. I want to serve die people."
DeVane is aiming for one of the three
seats of the 21st District in the House.
The district is composed of Hoke,
Robeson and Scotland counties. The
incumbents are David Parnell, William
Gay and Horace Locklear, all Democrats
and all Robeson County residents.
ParneH has announced he would run
for the State Senate seat held currently
fby Sam Noble.
DeVane, 36, is a native of Bladen
County and a graduate of White Oak
High School. He came to Raeford in 1969
as manager of Raeford Department
Store, and in 1970 opened DeVane's, a
clothing store, in Raeford. He is now in
die real estate and auction business and
is an. auctioneer. Last year he sold
DeVane's to John Howard while he also
was in real estate and auctions.
DeVane served as a Fayettevllle
policeman for 2*4 years and also eras In
, the clothing business before moving to
Raeford. He is married to the former
Alice * Cumberland County
RapHat
Huel Locklear
captured
Hue] Locklear, 37, of Pembroke, whom
the FBI had described as "armed and
extremely dangerous," was arrested
without a struggle Monday, an FBI
spokesman said.
The search for Locklear involved more
than 100 agents and was a high priority,
said Special Agent Robert L. Pence,
because Locklear allegedly had fired
armor-piercing bullets at federal agents
May 7.
In that shootout, Panoe said, Locklear
apparently was shot kn the left buttock.
When picked up Monday, he was taken
to St. Eugene Hospital, where he was
placed under observation.
Locklear wis indicted May 4 by a
federal grant jury In Charleston, S.C., far
the Jan. 31 robbery of a Southern Bank
and Trust Co. branch in Hollywood, SC.
When agents tried to arrest Locklear
May 7 at the home of a relative, he fled
V , q
. rl
three armor-piercing bullets before
disappearing into nearby woods.
Locklear was indicted again May 11 on
three charges of assaulting a federal
officer. If convicted, he could be jailed
for up to 10 years on each count.
Investigators learned Monday thai
Locklear would be driven by a friend
from Pembroke to Dillon. Tailing the car*
they saw it pull to the side of the road in a
rural area just before 3 p.m., Pence said.
The driver surrendered upon seeing the.
law enforcement agents, but Lodcleat
remained in the car, hiding in the trunk.
"No effort was made to assault the
vehicle," Pence said, "but if was over 90
degrees and it was feit that H was the
tactically best move to wait"
dn C f?
' 9 it aw.* ;,'j f
CAPACITY CROWD TURNS OUT FOR
PEMBROKE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
ATHLETIC BANQUET
Anthony Lodtlear la shown receiving the
Tommy Martin Awaitl. Ralph Ward,
football coach Is shown making the
presentation.
?jar.- .tmiwi '
Rjraa Tack Is abown above iiilsitog Hw
la shown naUnj the preseetatioe.
. I
by David Malcolm
A standing room only crowd packed
the Pembroke Ssnioc High School
Cafeteria Saturday night for the school's
annual athletic awards banquet.
Dr. Dudley Hood, Assistant Superin
tendent of the N.C. Department of Public
Instruction, humored the audience made
up of PSHS athletes, their parents and
friends, and other well wishers, but
never went far from the main point of his
speech on the importance of setting goals
and followino through on them. ,
Bill James Brewington, assistant
princpal of PSHS, introduced the coaches
who in turn presented awards in their
respective sports. Varsity certificates
were given to underclassmen participat
ing in all sports, while seniors received
plaques.
The 1981-82 coaching staff at Pem
broke includes: Ralph Ward (varsity
football), Charles Graham (junior varsity
football and basketball), James H.
Locklear, Sr. (varsity basketball-boys),
Jenny Carmichael (girls' basketball,
volleyball and Softball), A1 Parnefl (boys'
and girls' tennis), Ronnie Chavis (base
ball), Aaron Cotten (track), MSG Richard
Knox, Ret. (rifle team) and Rita Locklear
(cheerieading).
Au- three Rivers Conference selec
tions: Felecia Carter, Sheila Regan
(voDeyball) Sissy Revels (cheerteading);
Sheila Regan (girls' basketball); Ryan
Tuck. Roscoe Charles (boys' basketball);
Anthony Locklear, Eric G. Locklear,
Ryan Tuck, Randall Jacobs (football);
Lee McRae, Ryan Tuck (track).
Football> MVP-Anthony Locklear.
Most Improved-Chris Graham, Beat ?
Offensive Player-Michael McCartney,
Defensive Player of the Year-Randall
Jacobs, Mr. Gutty Award (JV)?Mark
Jacob*
Basketball! MVP-Koscoe Charles, Moat
Improved-Ryan Tack , Best Hustle (JV)
Pstrick Ballard
BsshiftiaB [ghTsJi MVP-Sheila Re
gan, Most Improved-Daphne Rnss.
VeBeybaBt MVP-Michelle Urban Ay,
Most Improved?Felecia Carter.
SefdMfli MVP-SMrleeu Smiling.
Tamrisi MVP-John Wayne Locklear,
Most Improved?Jimmy Locklear.
Taenia (gM*n)t MVP-Trick Carter.
Moat Improved?Snaan Lowry.
BeaofanR. Mont Improved-Eric Lock
Tmcfci MVP-Lee McRna, Moat fan
I.yna LocM^,^
Ii?fc.