s journal The Hoke County News- Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905 VOLUME LXII NUMBER 2 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROUNA 14 PER YEAR 10« PER COPY THURSDAY. MAY 2S, i9*7 SEVEIS TO 15 Police Report Thefts By Young Shoplifters SINGERS — Raeford Elementary School’s mixed chorus, under the direction of Mrs. Neill A. McNeill, scored a big hit when it performed at the school at the final PTA meeting of the year. Musical groups at other schools will have a major part in graduation exercises at Hoke County’s three high schools, beginning this week end. J Jaycees Lambast Softball League TEACHER--A. Smith Mclnnls, former employe of Raeford Auto Company, has Joined the staff of Sampson Technical institute. He will be director of instruc tion of automotive maintenance on a recently approved Man power Development Training Act program, administered by the Department of Labor. The classes over which Mclnnls will have charge will be held in Hoke County for Hoke students. It is a school designed to make skilled workers out of those who are not able to earn good wages because of unpreparedness. CAP Boar«i ' in Is Elected sixteen persons were elected to the Hoke County board of directors for the Community Action program in a public election held Monday. Board members were chosen from the various communities in the county. They are: Leonard Training School and N. C. Sanatorium — Ben Da vis, Walter Green and Wilbur F, Tinder. Upchurch and Silver City Community — Mrs. Carrie H. Fisher, Allen Blac, Mrs. Ann J, Kemp, Timothy McPhatter. McLauchlln Chapel and “The Cut" Area Community — Mrs. Nellie Flowers, Mrs. Ruth Mc Nair, Willie McNeill. Hawk Eye Community — Ja mes A. Hunt, Mrs. Eva Ja cobs, Gerald Dial. West Hoke School Community — Willie David, Paul Hurst, Mrs. Annie McKlnnoa The board will serve with James R. Fout as chairman. •on Raeford Jaycees complained this week that they were ex cluded from entering a soft- ball team in the church soft- ball league and that three other teams were denied access to the United Fund supported pro gram. In an open letter to The News- Journal, Jaycees said official requests were made to the re creation commission by Jay cees and Rock fish Baptist Church and that Hoke County Rescue Squad and the local Na tional Guard unit contacted in dividual members of the re creation board, and that all were turi'ed dowa The league has operated for several years with four teams— one from Raeford Presbyterian Church, one from Raeford Me thodist Church, one from First Baptist Church of Raeford, and an ‘‘Allied" team composed of members of other churches. "Requests that the league be expanded to include additional teams were rejected in that the church teams wanted to be able to play two games each week, and additional teams would mean one or more teams ’’ Id not play twice in the same week," Jaycees contend ed. "Requests that additional ^lams be added and that more than one game be played in the Armory Park at the same time by setting up an addition al diamond were also reject ed by the recreation board." Jaycees said the league should be open to all as long as it is supported by United Fund, which this year l^dgeted $2,600 for the summer recreation pro gram. ' "The recreation board states that the cost of the church lea gue is but a small portion of the $2,600 recreation budget. But as long as the funds are obtained in total or in part from the contributions of the public in general for the sup port of a community activity, no individual or group within that community should be de nied the rl^t to participate," the letter states. "Such a program, support ed by monies of ^e United Fund, should provide facili ties fpr all within the county who wish to participate in the leawe. There are many peo ple, in fact the majority of the people around Hoke County who contribute their ’fair share’ to the United Fund who do not belong to the three downtown churches," the letter charges. "If it is deemed best to have a church league and only cer tain churches may field teams, then the program should be supported financially by those churches. If it is a community program, as this is, and is supported by money of the United Fund, as this is, the league should be open to all, and mis should Include the three church es if they desire to enter a team..." The league opened its sche dule this week. The four teams play two games each and every week on Tuesday and Thursday nights. The season ends in July. The league is supported by United Fund in that ^e direc tor of the summer recreation program, paid by United Fund money, supervises the league. ‘Zeke’ Takes Police Job Leonard (Zeke) Wiggins, 28, has been employed by Raeford Police Department and will be gin his duties there June 1, according to Chief L. W. Stan ton. Wiggins, a native of Raeford, is a graduate of Hoke High School and for the past several years has been employed by Burlington Industries here. He once worked for about a year with the Laurlnburg police force. Chief Stanton said. He will fill a vacancy on the police force created earlier this month by the resignation of J. C. Barrington, assistant chief, who left the force after three years of service to take a Job in Ramseur, Chief Stan ton said. Sam Motley, veteran officer of the local force, has been moved to the second shift, chief Stanton said. Officer James West is assigned to third shift and Chief Stanton is on duty during the day. Wiggins, son of Vance Wig gins of Raeford, is married to the former Sandra Floyd. Raeford Teacher Is Stricken Mrs. Willie Peele McPhaul, teacher at Raeford Elementary School for the past 17 years, died of a heart attack W^nes- day morning around 3 a. m. Funeral arrangements were not complete late Wednesday. Mrs. McPhaul became critically ill around 1 a. m. and a doctor was called to her bed side. She was the widow of James L. McPhaul who was killed in a car wreck in 1957. A native of Scotland County, she was the daughter of the late Wil liam and Fairley Peele, She was a member of Antioch Presbyterian Church, Surviving is one son, Joe McPhaul. The body is at a Red Springs funeral home. Draft Board To Call 11 Hoke County draft board has received a call for 11 men to be delivered for induction at Raleigh on June 26, according to Mrs. Mary L. Donnellon, clerk. The board met Monday to se lect the 11, but made no im mediate announcement as to who they were. An Army major connected with the selective service system met with the board. Miss Byrae To Show Art Miss Ann Byrne will hold an art showing Sunday, June 4, in her new studio at 705 N. Main St. The public is invited to come between die hours of 2 and 5 p. m. and view the works she has accomplished during the past four years. Miss Byrne received her BS degree in art education from Pembroke State College this spring. Her minor is in art history. At Pembroke she studied under Howard Woody, head of the PSC art department, presi dent of the Southern Sculptors Association, and holder of many other prominent titles in the field of art: Nelson Dudly, ceramlclst, Robert Jolly, paint er and are historian, and Leon Welsner, painter. Crackdown Promised By Chief Several youthful gangs of shoplifters ranging In age from seven to 15 have been operating in Raeford on Saturdays, according to Police Chief L. W. Stanton. He said six youngsters — four white and two Negro — have been apprehended and turned over to Juvenile authori ties. There are more youngsters involved, he said, and the police department and store owners are keeping a sharp lookout for them. "We have recovered about $20 worth of merchandise, mostly toys, taken from down town stores," Chief Stanton said. "The thefts were sense less, since the four white chil dren did not need die toys." Part of the loot was found under the unoccupied Maultsby house on Central Avenue, he said, and another lot was taken from a residence in South Rae ford. The two groups of culprits Included both boys and ^rls, the chief said. One group of youngsters ranged in age from seven to nine and the other up to 16. ’It',3 partly a matter of parents lettingthesevounnters come totownunanenaed,'^Chlef Stanton said. "They ought to have an older personwlthachild seven or eight years old." He said both downtown 6 & 10 stores and a drug store were victims of the young shoplifters. The chief did not speculate as to how extensive the theft operations were, but did say he believes other youngsters have been involved. There is no evidence that the thefts were ai^lng^ther than petty shop- llfwg, he said. ' Chief Stanton called on parents to inform their children of the practice and to tell them that police and store-owners are keeping a sharp lookout for further ^efts. "It’s mostly a problem of a few of our young people nttlng out of hand," Stanton saio. "We are going to put a stop to it, and we call on all parents and school officials to give us a hand." Names ofthe youngsters were not revealed, since all areunder 16 years of age and come under authority of the Juvenile court. Training Donnie R. Braswell, Earle Q. Bowers, Chlrstopher P. David, Floyd L. Douglas, Jr., Steven R. Evans, John E. Hinson, Mal colm D. Glllls, John A. Lindsay, Norris J. McNair, Martin L. Webb, Jr., Gary A. Webster, and Donald C. Harris left last week lor six months active duty training from Hq. Co. 2nd Bn. 252nd Armor, local National Guard Unit for Fort Lewis, Washington. Report On Sewage Expected In June HAWK EYE — Carolyn Rogers highest scorer through her four high school years on an average basis has won the honor of valedictorian at Hawk Eye High School. She will give her address at graduation exercises Wednesday night. Coming in second was Otell Jacobs. He will give the salutatorlan address. Luther Britt Jr. of Lumberton will be main speaker of the day. Report of a three-way study of Raeford's allegedly pressing sewer problem is expected to be presented to the town board when it meets the first Mon day in June, Town Manager Ed Williams said this week. The survey was conducted here last month by laboratory technicians from the State Health Department, the Town of Raeford, and Southern Test ing Laboratory of Wilson, a private firm hired by the town. Purpose of the seven-day test was to determine how much sewage Is being poured into the system by local Industriel plants. Samples were taken ^ all local factories every IS min utes, 24 hours a day, for seven days. Consulting englnners contend that the town’s sewage treat ment plant, completed three years ago, already is overload ed and that no new customers can be added to the system. Capacity of the plant is a million and a half gallons each day. Currently, the dally load is only a million gallons; how ever, the B.OJ). capacity of the plant is being exceeded by more than three times the max imum, engineers say. For more than a year, the town board has been studying means of solving the problem. At one point, it appeared that a bond issue of aome $900, 000 would be needed to cure the ailment. Town commlsslonara moved cautiously In that direction, however, and when the deadline for setting tg) a bond issue this year passed, they ordered the survey, which waa recommend ed by coQsultants, to determine if the need might be less than estimated. STUDENT BODY HEADS—Officers of Hoke High School student body for the school year 1967- 68 are. right to left: Leslie Ramsey, president; Ronnie Huff, vice president; Diane Upchurch, secreury, and John Morris, treasurer. Election was held last Thursday following campaign speeches. Fout Chairman Of Boiird For Development Division James R. Fout of Raeford has been named chairman of the board of directors of South eastern Economic Development Commission, a 10-county or ganization including Hoke County. It is one of five divisions In North Carolina of Atlantic Coastal Plain Regional Com mission. Three of the five divisions have received ap propriations to organize and set up offices. The three-state commission, set up under the U.S, Depart ment of Commerce, Includes North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, Elected to serve with Fout were Mason Hicks of Fayette ville, vice chairman, and Mrs, A.P. Henry Jr. of Wlnnabow, secretary-treasurer, Hoke County representatives to the 10-county commission In clude Fout, Jake Austin and Dr. R. G, Townsend. Other counties in the set-tg) Include Bladen, Brunswick, Co lumbus, Cumberland, NewHan- Louise Blue In Hospital Louise Blue, office manager of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (AS- CS), is in Moore Memorial Hospital, reportedly In serious condition, following a seizure Sunday afternoon at the home of a friend. Miss Blue and Mrs. Hubert Wooten were making plans to attend Expo 67 In Montreal, Canada, when she became ill. She was rushed to the hospital and has been partially para lyzed, according to reports. A visitor to her hospital room Tuesday evening reported Miss Blue seemed to be Improved. She recognized visitors and spoke for the first time since the attack, she said. Miss Blue, a native of St. Pauls, has been employed by the ASCS here for 33 years, according to other employes in the office here. over, Pender, Robeson, Samp son and Scotland. Fout said a district office will be established in the near future. It probably will be cen trally located and will be staff ed by a full-time executive director and staff. Two other districts in North Carolina have received funds to organize and establish simi lar offices, while two more are awaiting federal appropria tions. Purposes and objectives of the commission are: Business and Industry development; ag ricultural development; fores try development; fish and game development; individual and overall economic improvement; human resources development; flood control, particularly as it relates to area develtgment; abatement of water and air pollution, and water supply for domestic and industrial use. Fout Is executive director of Hoke Coun^ Planning and Development Commission and manager of Raeford-Hoke Chamber of Commerce. Finals For 175 Hoke Seniors Will Begin With Baccalaureate Graduation exercises will be gin Sunday night for the some 175 seniors of Hoke County, Upchurch and Hawk Eye high schools. First function of the several commencement programs will be the baccalaureate services at each of the three schools. The Rev. R. E. L. Moser, pastor of Raeford Methodist Church, will deliver the bac calaureate for the graduating seniors of Hoke High School. The program will be Sunday night at 8 o'clock in the audi torium of Raeford Elementary School. At Upchurch, the baccalau reate speaker will be the Rev. Milton Wllliame, pastor of Nc- Lauchlln Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church in Raeford. The pro gram will be in the school auditorium at 4 p, m. Sunday. The Hawk Eye baccalaureate will be Sunday at 4 p. m. at the school. The Rev, Venus Brooks will be the speaker. Commencement exercises and award of diplomas will be conducted at the three schools next week. Graduation night at Hoke High School will be Thursday at 8 p. m. in the high school gym nasium. Dr. Raymond F. Stone, president of Sandhills Commun ity College, will be the speaker. REV. R. E. L. MOSER Diplomas will be presented by D. D. Abernethy, Principal, to 105 members of the senior class. At Upchurch High School, the commencement address will be given by Dr. Layfatte Parker, dean of instruction at Hinstoo- Salem State College, Diplomas will be awarded by G. A. Page Jr., principal. The program will be held in the school audi torium at 8 p. m. Sixty seniors are scheduled to be graduated. Earl Oxendlee, principal, wUi present diplomas to 18 mem bers of the senior class at Hawk Eye Sciwel at commence ment exercises Wednesday at 8 o'clock. Lvdher iritt Jr. of Lumberton, sute Jaycee president, will be the speaker. Class night will be held tor Hoke High seniors Tueeday at Raeford Elementary Sds—1 auditorium. The Hoke Kl^ Schooi efeoma will provide music for c®m- mencement progFasia. At Upchurch High School, special muBlc will be gtvee by the high echool choral clWh.