Index
Books, 2-B; Church Calendar, 3-B;
Classified Ads, 8-lS^; Editorials, 1-B;
Entertainment, 4-8-C; Ohltuaries, 7-A;
PinehurstNews, 1-3-C; Sandhills Scene,
2-6-A; Sports, 12-15-A.
LOT
Weather
Clear skies and mild temperatures
were the order of the day, with Spring
weather forecast for week.
Vol. 58, Number 22
Pages
Southern Pines, North Carolina 28387
Wednesday, March 29, 1978
60 Pages
Price 15 Cents
Council Is Criticized
For Closing Crossing
BY ELLEN WEIXES
The Southern Pines Town
Council in special meeting
Tuesday night heard discussion
concerning its March 14
resolution to leave the New York
Avenue railroad crossing closed
temporarily rather than install
flashing lights and gates as
planned.
It was barricaded recently
because of several accidents,
which resulted in one death and
several critical injuries.
Two motions died for lack of a
second, requiring that the matter
be dropped until entered on the
agenda of a regular Council
meeting in the future.
Out of the approximately half-
tilled council chamber, not a
single citizen spoke on behalf of
the Council’s recent action.
Many spoke against it.
At the March 14 meeting, the
Council decided also to close the
New Hampshire Ave. crossing
for a six month trial period after
the new fire station is occiq>ied
and a count of the traffic load at
the crossings the length of Broad
St. is made.
Those speaking in favor of
opening the New York Ave.
crossing cited as reasons the fact
that this intersection is busy
because the Post Office is on one
comer, the police station on
another and two businesses on
the other comers.
C.A. McLaughlin, who owns a
business on the comer (rf Peim-
sylvania and Broad St., said
traffic is building tq) at Penn
sylvania because New York is
closed. Jack Carter, whose
(Continued on Page 16-A)
SEAGULLS IN SANDHILLS - It’s rare when
seagulls come this far inland, but a flock of
them were flying over the area this past
weekend. They were seen feeding at the Town
and Country Shopping Center on Monday.
Grant Under Study
For Mental Health
Grants totaling $489,218 for
Sandhills Mental Health Center
and new, sophisticated
diagnostic equiiunent for Moore
Memorial Hospital in Pinehhrst
are two of the five projects to be
reviewed by Cardinal Health
Agency at Lumberton today
(Wednesday)
The Cardinal Evaluation
Committee will conduct public
I hearings on the application at
1:30 p.m. in the agency’s offices
Mrs. McPhaiil Is Named
To NC Hospital Board
Jane H. McPhaul of Southern
Pines has been appointed by
Governor Jim Hunt to the North
Carolina Specialty Hospitals
Board of Directors.
The state specialty hospitals
includes the facility at nearby
McCain.
Mrs. McPhaul, a counselor in
the Division of Student
Development Services at San
dhills Community College and
wife of John McPhaul, was one of
four members appointed this
week to the board by Governor
Hunt.
Other new members are
James M. Hall, Jr., of Asheville,
who was designated to serve as
chairman, Mrs. Dorris R. Bryant
of Rocky Mount, and Dr. Edwin
A. Rasberry Jr., of Wilson.
The board is composed of 12
members who serve terms of six
years. The chairman serves at
the pleasure of the Governor.
Mrs. McPhaul is the Southern
Representative to the Com
mission on Occupational Status
(Continued on Page 16-A)
at 202 West 27th Street in Lum
berton. The full Board of
Directors will hear the com
mittee’s recommendations at 7
o’clock this evening in the
Southern National Bank Building
at 500 North Chestnut Street.
Fayetteville Neurodiagnostics,
Inc., is seeking aiq)rov^ under
Section 1122 of the Social
Security Act to install a com
puterized tomographic bqdy
scanner at Moore Memorial.
Leasing and operating costs for
one year are estimated at
$475; 159. Final approval by the
Department of Health,
Education and Welfare (HEW)
would make the service eligible
for reimbursement under
Medicare and Medicaid.
Sandhills Mental Health
Center is applying for the last of
eight annual grants from HEW to
operate clinics in Anson, Hoke,
Montgomery, Moore, and Rich
mond Counties. The total cost of
ix-oviding comprehensive mental
health services in the five
counties is projected to be $1.2
million.
Other projects to be reviewed
March 29 under Section 1122 are
$170,(KX) for X-^ay equipment and
(Continued on Page 16-A)
Following recommendations
from their staff and area
residents, the Environmental
Management Ckimmission voted
to continue with a water capacity
use study in Moore, Richmond
and Hoke Counties.
The study area includes the
towns of Pinehurst, Southern
Pines and Aberdeen, seeking a
new raw water suiq)ly.
The Environmental
Management Diyision staff
reported to the Commission on
the possible effects of proposed
municipal and regional water
suiq)ly projects on Drowning
Creek, Little River and other
streams on downstream con
ditions, especially during
drought period.
John Wray, head of the Water
Resources Planning Branch,
said, “The preliminary findings
indicate that each of the
proposed alternatives have
potentially severe impacts on the
water resources of the area,
unless proper safeguards are
taken.” Ilie staff will investigate
the effect of proposed with
drawals wider different con
ditions on water quality, fish and
wildlife habitat and downstream
water supply sources. A study of
the ground water resources of
the area will be included.
Formal public hearings will be
(Continued on Page 18-A)
■V‘
STONEYBROOK SCENE — Horses gather in
the shade of a pasture tree at Michael Walsh’s
Stoneybrook Farm, where the annual
Beer-Wine Move Is Halted At Vass
When Petition Is Short Of Names
A movement to hold a beer-
wine election in Vass was stalled
this week after a petition for a
referendum was found to be
short of the required number of
signatures of registered voters.
libs. L(hs Bullock, chainnan of
the Vass Board of Elections, said
the petition was submitted to her
on Friday.
She checked the signatures
with Johnsie Bridgers, the
registrar, and found that many
of those who signed were not
registered as voter’s or were not
Annexation, Dog Control
On Agenda At Pinebluff
Moore Tourism Up One-Fourth
In 1977, State Report Reveals
The tourist business grew by
more than one-fourth in Moore
County last year over 1976, ac
cording to a report this week by
the North Carolina Department
of Commerce.
Travel expenditures in Moore
County in 19/ / amounted to
$23,593,000, an increase of
^,371,000 over the 1976 figure of
$18,22,000.
Floyd Sayre of the Sandhills
Area Chamber of Commerce
said the expenditures were ac
tually considerably higher,
because the state figures do not
include golf course spending, as
well as other itenos which the
Chamber includes in its
estimates.
State figures show that tourism
represents 16.2 percent of the
retail business in Moore County.
Sayre says, however, that
Chamber estimates are 25
percwit of the total.
“The resort business is much
more important than the state
tigures indicate,” Sayre said.
According to the state report,
there are 261 resort firms in
Moore County, employing 2,460
(Continued on Page 16-A)
BY HERBERT C. TILLEY
A public hearing to annex 13
acres of town-owned land,
recommendations for
strengthening the town’s dog
ordinance and a consideration of
a [X'oposal to create a board of
architectural review to control
future residential and com
mercial development are ex
pected to highlit the regular
monthly meeting of the Pinelduff
Band To Parade
Three buses loaded with 121
marching band members, flag
bearers, majorettes and 17
chaperones will leave from
Pinecrest High School on
Thursday at 12 o’clock for their
long-awaited trip to Washington,
D.C.
The band will represent North
Carolina in the tivemile l(mg
Cherry Blossom Parade on April
2. Band members and Band
Boosters have worked hard for
several months to raise the
money for the trip. This, along
with donations from the parents
has made it possible for Uk band
to take part in this well-known
event.
Board of Commissioners
scheduled for Thursday, 6,
at 8 p.m. in Town Hall.
Although referred to by some
officials as “just a fonnality,”
the public hearing at which very
few persons if any are e3q>ected
to attend, is required by law and
is being held to comply with it.
The land already owned ny me
town which is to be annexed is
situated south of Pinebluff lake
and west of S.R. .1104. It is
bounded on the north by the
former corporate limit of the
town and on the east by S.R. 1104
and McCaskill and on the south
by a 13 acre tract now or for-
nierly owned by Byrd.
The purpose of the annexation
is to form^y place the land in
the corporate l^ts of the town
hereby permitting the town to
police the area and exercise
greater control over its future.
The board was advised by
Commissioner H.D. RusseU at a
former meeting that several
persons have indicated an in
terest in purchasing the
property.
Dog Ordinance
Commissioner Harlan Crab-
(Continued on Page 16-A)
residents of the town of Vass.
There were 90 names on the
petition, she said, but most of
them Were not qualified.
Under the law a petition for a
special referendum must carry
(he signatures of 20 percent of
the registered voters on the day
the petition is filed. In this case
69 names would have been
necessary.
Mrs. Bullock said that the
petition was submitted by Bobby
Ivey, who was accompanied by
Randy Cameron and J.P.
Richardson. All are Vass
residents.
They had wanted to hold the
referendum on the sal^ of off
premise consiunption of beer
and wine at the same time as the
party primaries on May 2.
Mrs. Bullock said that there is
no way this can be done now. An
election can be held 45 days
before or after a primary
election.
She said she informed Ivey
and the others that the petition
was short of qualified
signatures and they said they
would discuss it wjth their
lawyer. Presumably another
petition will be circulated, she
said. If they had secured a list of
tile r^stenkfvoters and wwked
with that in obtaining signature^
there would have been no
problem, she said.
Other members of the Vass
Board of Elections are Bobby
Hudson and Ruth Klingen-
sdunidt.
Whispering Pines Sets
Hearing On Annexation
Public hearings have been
called for April 13 at 9 a.m. by the
Whispering Pines Village
Council on annexing three new
areas.
The first tract is east of NC 22
and south of Rural Road 1841 and
the second starts at the in
tersection of the Vass-Carthage
Road and Niagara Road and
consists of about an acre owned
by W. H. Matthews and his wife.
Grade Mae.
Another tract near Camp
Easter is to be included in the
hearing.
A third amendment to the
zoning map starts near the
Wedgwood development at
Foxcroft Road.
Ckipies of the amended or
dinance and map are on file in
the office of the Village Clerk,
Doris H. Byrd, and may be seen
Monday through Friday from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Protests to the proposed
change must be in writing and in
the hands of the clerk two days
before the hearing.
$6 Million Is Paid To Hospital
But Claims Here Below Average
North Carolina Blue Cross-
Blue Shield Vice President Bill
Moffitt spoke to Moore Memorial
trustees last week, and reported
nearly $6 million in claims paid
by his company for Moore
Memorial patients in 1977.
In a free and open
conversational manner, Moffitt
praised North Carolina’s
insurance programs generally,
and fired some shots at
government health care
programs, including Medicare-
Medicaid, Champus, and
National Health Insurance plans.
“North Carolina has come a
long way from the fly-by-night
insurance companies of the 1950s
and 1960s,” he said, “and has
kept the lid on shoddy insurance
activity.”
During an informal board
meeting of Hospital trustees,
Moffitt said that nearly 36
percent of Moore County’s
population is covered by Blue
Cross or by programs
administered by Blue Cross for
the government. The company’s
largest N.C. government
program is Medicare, for which
Blue Cross is the fiscal
intermediary.
Forty-five percent of the
state’s population is covered by
Blue Cross, Moffitt said, and the
percentage is higher for the
state than for Moore County
because of many areas in the
state which have heavy
industrialization with large
insurance groups.
In Moore County, 10,237
(Continued on Page 16-A)
THE
PILOT LIGHT
GOLFING WEATHER — The first Spring days found the golf courses of
the Sandhills full of players. Here’s a scene at Whispering Pines this
week.
CANDIDATES-Predictions of
a light vote in the Denoocratic
primary on May 2 have caused
some of the candidates for the
U.S. Senate nomination to work
harder on organization.
The thinking is that the
candidate with the best
organization will get a better
turn-out of voters.
That is usually the case in
most elections.
DAVIS—State Senator
Lawrence Davis has appointed
Alan Butler of Southern Pines to
his statewide finance committee
in his campaign for the
Democratic nomination for the
U.S. Senate.
People from all parts of the
state are on the fund raising
committee. Among them are
Hargrove (Skipper) Bowles of
Greensboro, the 1972 Democratic
candidate for Governor.
HELMS-The interesting thing
about Tuesday afternoon’s
announcement of the
“Democrats for Jesse”
organization by the Helms for
S^te Committee is its timing.
Senator Jesse Helms has no
oiq>onent in the primary for the
Republican nomination for the
Senate, but his announcement
comes right in the midst of tiie
(Continued on Page 16-A)
4 .1 . c p. -Si-f;,;
■‘"p '’I- ’ ' ‘ -r;
ALONE AT ADDOR — A cow grazes aloof and alone, a single silhouette
against the sky, in a pasture near Addor as Spring days arrive.—(Photo
by Glenn M. Sides j.