Published each Thursday in Pembroke, N'.C. I
Caro lina Indian voice
"Building Communicative Bridges In A Tri-Racial Setting"
Volume 27 Number 13 Thursday, March 30, 2000 ~ 25c
PatrickBullardannounces candidacy
for seat on Board of Education
Patrick Bullard
Patrick L. Bullard, former Robeson
County School Finance Officer,
filed fonschool board district 5 seat.
Mr. Bullard will challenge incumbent
Mr. Paul Brooks in the May 2nd
primary. He is the son of Lindbergh
and Barbara Bullard, and the grandson
of the late Mr. and Mrs. Hartford"
and Eula Jane Bullard, and the late
Mrs. Jannie Lucille Lowry.
Mr. Bullard attended Union El
ementary school and graduated from
Pumell Swett High in 1984. Upon
graduation from Pembroke State
University in 1988. Mr. Bullard was
commissioned as a second lieutenant
in the United States Air Force and
served four years as an accounting
and finance officer. He finished his
military career as the Accounting and
Finance Officer at Pope AFB, NC.
Prior to joining the board of education,
Mr. Bullard served as the plant
controller for a local business. He is
currently working in private industry
as a financial analyst.
Mr. Bullard released the following
statement:
"I will work to ensure that new
library books are placed in our elementary
schools. A child must first
be able to read before she/he is able to
operate a computer. I will also work
to secure new technology infrastructure
for our schools and implement
new technology programs for both
teachers and students. The current
administration has failed miserably
in its efforts to capitalize on the
opportunities created by the previous
administration. For example, a state
of the art computer and software
system was purchased approximately
three years ago to prevent outsiders
from being able to contact students
within our system. Dr. Barry Harding
publicly admitted a few weeks
ago that this system has been broken
for several months, and then turned
right around and proclaimed that
"Robeson County Schools were leading
the state in technology". I would
also like to explore the possibilities
of reducing our teacher/pupil ratios.
"I will fight to see that a freeze is
placed on board members' salaries.
The board chairman's salary has increased
from $300 three years ago to
S600 today. Last summer board
members "unknowingly" gave themselves
a $50 per month pay raise
while teacher assistants received a
S15 per month pay raise. Robeson
County is approximately the fourth
poorest school system in North Carolina.
With that said, there is simply
no room in Robeson County for one
more increase in board rriembers' salaries.
I will ensure that board members
travel expenses are itemized in the
local budget, which will allow the
voting public to see how much money
each and every board member spent
on travel, food, etc.
"As your next school board member
for district 5,1 promise to ensure
Responsible and Productive expenditures
of taxpayer monies. Children
will be priority number one in my
budget recommendations."
Pembroke first in county to have web site
Pembroke, NC--After months of
preparation, the much anticipated
Town of Pembroke website is no online.
On March 7, 2000 the Official
Website of the Town of Pembroke,
North Carolina was presented to the
Internet and global on-line community.
www.pembrokenc .com has the
distinction of being the first town in
Robeson County to have its own
website. ,
The site includes information about
the leadership of Pembroke, town history,
and links to local are websites
such as the Lumbee Tribe,. UNC-Pembroke,
and the Robeson County Board
ofEducation.
The Town of Pembroke website
has many outstanding features including
current event photos, a community
attractions page, and a page dedi
cated to the opportunities of life in
Pembroke.
MayorMiltonR. Huntstated, "Our,
town has so much to offer. If you are
a residents student, or visitor, we hope
this website provides the information
you need on our wonderful town."
The Internet site should help attract
business and new residents to
the town, Town Manger McDufTie
Cummingssaid.
"The Web is a good way to pro
mote the community and attract new
businesses and others to the area,"
Cummings said. "Anyone with access
to the Web is now our neighbor."
www.pembrokenc.com was designed
by Angel Lilly-Clark and Ben
Jacobs of Lumbee River Website Design
Services, a division of Lumbee
Regional Development Association.
For more information about this site
contact LRD A at (910) 521 -8602.
Kindergarten
Registration
Pembroke Elementary School
Pembroke Elementary School will
be having Kindergarten, Registration
on Wednesday, April 19, 2000 from
9:00 a.m. until 1:00.
Parents must bring:
--a certified birth certificate (not a
mother's copy)
--a current immunization record
-a Social Security Card
--a 911 address
--Tribal Enrollment Card (if applicable)
?Insurance Card
Please contact the school at 5214202
if you have questions.
Noah Woods to '
hold Public Forum
Robeson County Commissioner
for District 4, Mr. Noah Woods, will
hold Public Forums in Robeson
County Commissioner Distric 4 at
the following locations on dates and
at times listed: Commissioner
Raymond Cummings, District 5 will
join Mr. Woods at the Red Springs
location.
Maxton
April 4, 2000 - 7:00 PM
Maxton District Courtroom
105 N. Florence Street
Maxton, NC
' Pembroke
April 11, 2000 - 7:00 PM
Courthouse 210 Main Street
Pembroke, NC
Red Springs
April 13, 2000 - 6:00 PM
Community Center
218 S. Main Street
Red Springs, NC
Prospect
April 18, 2000 - 7:00 PM
Prospect School
4024 Missouri Road
Maxton, NC
The purpose of the Public Forums
is to receive comments, input, and to
answer questions from constituents
regarding matters of interest to citizens
of Robeson County.
Commissioners Woods & Cummings
welcome your attendance.
Mclntyre Co-Sponsors
Character Education Bill
Washington, DC - U.S. Representative Mike Mclntyre has co-sponsored
legislation in the U.S. House to promote character education in our schools. The
"Character Counts for the 2151 Century Act" would provide grants to state and
local educational agencies for the design and implementation of character
education initiatives that incorporate important elements of good character.
Congressman Mclntyre stated, "In addition to parents and family, our
schools have a role to play in promoting good citizenship and character. This
legislation would help our schools become safer and increase awareness among
students about the importance of rights, responsibility, and respect. Character
education has worked in many school systems in North Carolina, and we need
to provide the resources so all of our schools can participate. This legislation
puts us on a path toward that, and I am hopeful we can enact it soon."
The bill directs the U.S. Secretary of Education to work with schools to
identify model character education initiatives after which schools may pattern
their own character education efforts. Grant applications would be evaluated
based on: goals and objectives; activities designed to meet those goals and
objectives, plans for coordination among parents, students, school officials
and other community members; curriculum and instructional practices to be
developed and used; and methods of teacher training and parent education to
be developed and used.
The Character Counts for the 21" Century Act would incorporate the
following elements of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, caring,
fairness, citizenship, perseverance, courage, and self-discipline.
Congressman Mclntyre regularly volunteers in North Carolina schools to
teach our students about citizenship and our nation's government. He is CoChairman
of a task force on children and is a member of an education task force
onCapitolHill.
Congressman Mclntyre's North Carolina colleague. Bob Etheridge, is the
author of the "Character Counts for the 21" Century Act."
Mclntyre co-sponsors Bulletproof
Vests for Law Enforcement
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Representative
Mike Mclntyre has become an
original cosponsor of the Bulletproof
Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2000.
This legislation would reauthorize the
highly successful grant program which
Mclntyre supported in 1998 to help
law enforcement officers in the line of
duty.
Congressman Mclntyre stated,
"We need to do all that we can to
protect those who serve to protect us.
The goal ofthis legislation is simple: to
save the lives of police and corrections
officers. The FBI estimates that
the risk of fatality for an officer not
wearing body armor is 14 times higher
than for officers wearing vests. I encourage
my colleagues in both the
House and Senate to pass this legislation
immediately so that we can provide
a bulletproof vest for every state
and local law enforcement officer who
needs one."
The Bulletproof Vest Partnership
Act of2000 would provide $50 million
with up to 50% matching grants to
state and local law enforcement agencies
in order to purchase bulletproof
vests and body armor. The legislation
guarantees that all agencies serving
smaller jurisdictions, which often have
extremely limited budgets for vests,
are provided with full 50-50 matching
grants. In addition, the bill expands
the current program to include body
armor which meets the new stabproof
standard which will prove vital to corrections
officers and sheriffs departments
who face violent criminals in
close quarters.
In 1999, the grant program distributed
enough awards to fully match
funds for the purchase of87,000 vests
for 3,511 jurisdictions across the nation.
Congressman Mclntyre is a member
ofthe Congressional Law Enforcement
Caucus.
Delano Cummings
Local Author Share his
Experiences in Viet Nam
by Yvonne Barnes Dial
For the majority of authors, writing
serves as a healer and a chance to rid
pain and bitterness, not to forget to
appreciate the joys and blessings one
has encountered. For Delano Cummings,
writing his novel, Moon Dash
Warrior, definitely provided the opportunity
for the author to finally recover
and heal front some experiences
he encountered in the War in Viet Nam
as a Marine,
Mr. Cummings shared his engagement
in the war with students in
Yvonne Barnes Dial's junior English
classes March 20th at Purnell Swett
High School "I felt patriotic and I
wanted to defend my country," Cummings
stated as he began to share
about his experience. To allow the
students to capture a feel of his novel,
he read from his working involving an
ambush that he fought in against the
North VietNamese
As bullets rang out, Marines cried
out and some were injured," he read.
Other events he shared involved how
children were strapped with grenades
and walked among a group of Marines,
pulled the pin of the grenade to
kil I the soldiers as wel 1 and themse Ives,
and how a young boy approximately
eight years old, served as a spy for
North Viet Nam and visited a South
. Viet Namese village that Mr. Cummings
stayed in to protect the people.
Later, Mr. Cummings discovered that
the young boy was spying on him for
the North Viet Namese.
Considering the narrow escapes
-> from death in Viet Nam. Mr. Cummings
regards it as a mystery that he is alive
today. In his book he constantly
reefers to a "Higher Power" that always
guided him while he served in
Viet Nam. In one ambush encounter,
he revealed how a spirit instructed him
to "move over" as he fired at the enemy
and again he feels a spirit guiding
him to "move over." Minutes later,
bullets from the enemy were fired at
the very location he previously had
been. "Everyone has a voice, a higher
power that guides them," he stated to
the students.
"I constantly have flashbacks and
I hear the noises and can sense the
smells I experienced in Viet Nam,"
shared Cummings. "Some guys lost
their lives and they didn't get back.
Someone need to know." For twenty
years, he struggled with flashbacks of
the war and found it difficult to talk
about his experiences to anyone. Then _
he takes a trip to Washing ton, D.C. to "
the Pentagon to gather unclassified
documents of patrol reports that he
participated in during the Viet Nam
War. This valuable information provided
concrete evidence for his novel.
"I started feeling better about myself
after the book was published," responded
Mr. Cummings.
Since his book has been published,
Mr. Cummings has traveled to fourteen
states promoting his book. He
also attends Native American pow
wows across the United States.
Mr. Cummings encouraged the students
to write and express their feelings.
"1 never believed that I would
have ever written a book," he said.
" Writing helped me to heal,"he stated.
He left the students with the inspirational
statement to give their best in
life.
Weinstein calls on governorto help
save tobacco settlement funds
RALEIGH, /VC - - State Sen.
David Weinstein called on Gov. Jim
Hunt today to immediately order the
legislature into a special session to
save billions in tobacco settlement
funds that are now threatened by a
Florida lawsuit.
"Tobacco growers, especially
those in the counties I represent,
have already been hit hard by the
industry's instability - and they
stand to lose their livelihoods unless
we act now to protect them," said
Weinstein, D-Robeson. "Today, I
ask Gov. Hunt to take quick action to
protect the settlement funds that are
helping our farmers cope with
changes in the tobacco industry."
North Carolina - based R.J.
Reynolds. Phillip Morris and other
tobacco companies are facing a
judgment in a Florida class-action
lawsuit that could include punitive
damages worth hundreds of billions
of dollars. Virginia and other states
have approved or are considering
new laws limiting the amount of bond
money the companies would have to
post to appeal tne lawsuit.
Weinstein aid that without similar
legislation forNorth Carolina, the bill
for a bond on the lawsuit could drive
the companies into bankruptcy. That
means the companies could be
forced to lay off thousands of North
Carolina workers. It could also
prevent the companies from paying
the $6.5 billion they have agreed to
provide the state and to tobacco
farmers and quota holders under a
national legal settlement signed in
1998.
Under the first part of the
settlement, also known as Phase I,
North Carolina will receive $4.6
billion over 25 years to help tobaccodependcnt
communities, to provide
direct help for farmers and factory
workers, and to address public heajth
problems such as teen smoking and
cancer. The second part of the
settlement, Phase II, will provide
another $ 1.9 billion over 12 years in
direct assistance for tobacco farmers
and allotment holders.
So far, 10,831 tobacco farmers and
quota holders in Bladen, Cumberland,
Hoke, Robeson and Sampson counties
- which Weinstein represents have
received close to $ 14.7 million in
direct aid from the so-called Phase II
portion of the settlement. If the
companies files bankruptcy, those
farmers and quota holders could lose
future Phase II assistance, Weinstein
said.
"North Carolina tobacco farmers not
to mention our local economies cold
suffer irreparable harm if these
companies go under," Weinstein
said. "We simply cannot let that
happen."
County schools
plan cell phones
' An interesting item appeared on the
agenda of the county school board
meeting Monday night. Raymond
Cummings, Transportation Director,
outlined plans to put cell phones in
the 268 school busses. The cost will
be an estimated SI,800 a month. The
phones will be programmed so that
only outgoing calls can be made, and
then only to the central office, the bus
garage or schools on the bus route.
Cummings summed it up well when he
said, "We're always looking for ways
to increase safety for our children.
This will keep drivers from having to
leave the bus in case of a breakdown
or other emergency and leave students
unattended."
Cummings also said that he hopes
to receive an initial grant of $6,000 from
the SDPI to pay for hardware needed
to install the phones in the busses.
Social promotions on the way out
The board also got their first look
at a new policy which is intended to
end social promotions. The policy is
the state-mandated Student Accountability
Standards. Dr. Linda Emanuel,
assistant superintendent, explained
the program. The new standards will
be implemented for fifth grade students
during the 2000-2001 school year, for
third and eighth graders during the
2001 -2002 school year and for high
school students in 2002-2003.
Students will have to meet state
standards for reading, writing, math
and other subjects before they can be
promoted or graduate.
Dr. Barry Harding, Supt., does expect
an increase in student retention
at least for the first year. Good planning
seems to be the answer. Dr.
Harding said a system of checks and
balances will ensure that any child
having academic problems will be
quickly identified and given a remedial
plan.
Dr. Emanuel also said the plan has
tough standards for attendance too,
calling for k-8 students to attend 168
out of 180 days to be eligible for graduation,
while high schoolers will have
to attend 85 our of 90 days per semester.
As always, an appeals process
will be in place for those students who
miss days for unavoidable reasons.
-by Bruce Barton
NC Clean 2000
Project begins in During
the month of April, the Division
of Victim and Justice Services
will focus on cleaning the litter from
our highways. During the month of
April, 2000, the Community Service
Work Program will be participating in
the N.C. Clean 2000 Project that has
been initiated by Governor Hunt to
help clean up major highways and
thoroughfares in North Carolina of
litter and debris. Key thorough fares
will be identified in each of our one
hundred counties for clean up.
On Saturdays, April 1,8, 15, 29,
Community Service offenders will be
assigned to pick up trash and debris.
Staff in District 16A willbe working in
Hoke, Robeson and Scotland counties
on these days.
Seniors in Motion
Senior citizens and disabled people
now have assistance to live at home
and remain independent. A local program
is available to determine the need
for mobility equipment on an individual
basis.
In-home appointments are scheduled
to evaluate both the environment
and medical requirements of the disabled
senior.
The focus ofthis program is to help
individuals continue to stay in their
own home and care for themselves by
providing mobility equipment.
Equipment available at this time,
inc ludes both manual and power wheelchairs,
scooters, walkers and rollators.
For help and further information,
please call: The Seniors in Motion
Program toll free at: 1-800-594-1225.
Cape Fear Valley
Website Chats
Cape Fear Valley Health System
has scheduled additional health chats
on Cape Fear Valley's website,
www.capefearvallev.com. in the coming
weeks.
Upcoming chats and topics are:
--Tuesday, April 4 - Dr. Elizabeth
Gamboa, neuropsychologist, on the
topic of neuropsychology across the
lifespan.
--Tuesday, April 25 - Dr. Perry
Harmon, gynecologist, on the subject
of estrogen replacement therapy.
All cMhts are scheduled from 7 to
9 p.m. For more information, please
contact Clinton Weaver, Assistant
Administrator for Marketing & Outreach,
at (910) 609-6098.