Cf. e <~yi&w6 - journal
The Hoke County News- Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOL. LXVI NO. 40 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $4 PER YEAR 10c PER COPY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1971
Around Town
By SAM MORRIS
The Hoke High Booiter Club met
Monday and formulated plans for a night
of basketball "fun" according to a report
from Charlie Hottel, Booster president.
The event is scheduled for Friday night,
March 19. Hottel asks that everyone
mark the calendar now because this is
rated "GP" for all ages. We don't know
the complete details of this night, but
Hottel said that full details will be
forthcoming.
Dick Neeley, squire of Puppy Creek,
was by the office last week and brought
me a "hello" from the Rev. W.B.
Heyward of Dunedin, Fla. Of course we
know that Bill Heyward would send us a
"hello", but it is hard to realize that
Neeley would take time to come by and
deliver the message. Anyway while he was
here we questioned him about his trip.
He was out of the county for ten days
and his first stop was in Atlanta where he
saw President Nixon and his wife who
were attending the funeral of Senator
Richard Russell. Dick and his wife then
went by Dunedin to see the Heywards
and after a visit with them went on down
the coast of Florida until they arrived at
Key West.
On the return trip they stopped by
Cape Kennedy and watched the launching
of Apollo 14. Dick didn't go into much
detail about the moon shot because he
was in a hurry to get back to work.
Anyway he and his wife had a wonderful
time on their trip.
We heard that Eli Shankle commented
about Neeley's trip to Florida. Eli said
that Neeley should have gone by plane
Instead of by car. When asked why? he
uid! The Cubans could have hijacked the
plane with Neeley on it and when the
people in Cuba saw what was on the
filane that would have ended highjacking
orever.
Now we always thought Neeley and
Shankle were frniiJ<.
Bernard Bray, auto dealer and Wall
Street tycoon, was asking about the
picture of Lonnie Bledsoe and the
caption as "Boss of the Year." Bray said
that Lennie would have to get the award
in Pembroke because the judges there
didn't know his wife. Now what Bray
meant by this remark we don't know, but
he did say that the only time Lonnie
could leave home by himself was to go to
"Prayer Meeting."
Now these are Brays remarks. We
would like to say "Congratulations to
Lonnie Bledsoe."
[ Bill Andrews was by the office this
j-.eek and was telling me that he had
"eived a letter from someone in New
Jersey telling him that his brother,
William Staley Andrews, had died in Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida. We know that some
of the people in Hoke County that are
older than myself will remember Staley.
We can remember hearing his father talk
of Staley, but we can't remember ever
seeinR him. Bill said that Staley used to
drive a taxi here before he left the county
in 1916. Bill stated that the last
time he saw his brother was in 1933. He
hadn't heard from him since that time.
He said that the informers were going
to send him a copy of the death
certificate and that fcl would let us know
when it arrived. We will pass along the
information when we receive it.
Mrs. Martin Webb, advertising
aleswoman, told us last week that Neil
Senter had sent some news to us. We
can't get up with Senter to get the full
details but hope to before next week's
paper. The message was that Senter had
relieved Hugh Lowe at his job or was
assisting Hugh with his work. Also that
Crawford Tnomas, Jr. had accepted a
position and was now working.
We hope to have full facts about these
two Big news items next week.
Fire Destroys
Virgil Home
Fire that atarted underneath the house
in the heating system swept up between
the walla and destroyed a five ? room
frame house on Rockfish Road Feb. 4.
Flvt members of the Carl Virgil family
with just the clothing they were
Pressing rain and ice hampered
flmnsa from Hillcrest, Puppy Creek and
Rockfish fire departments as they fought
the blaze. Ice on the roof of the home
repelled wnter from fire hoses, Hillcrest
chief Ed McNeill uid. The fire, which
began about 2:30 a.m., bumed for about
two hours.
Two persons have died in home fires in
the county and five homes have been
destroyed since Christmas. Several more
home have been damaged by fires during
that period.
'??
\
Betty Wighart
Piano Concert
At Civic Center
On February 18
Financial Troubles May Stop
Summer Recreation Program
The summer recreation program may
be cancelled this year unless funds to
operate it are soon found.
W.K. Morgan, director of the program
for the past several years, said this week
that financing will have to be assured by
the end of April if the program is to
operate this year.
The recreation program, which
provides activities for about a thousand
persons a year, has been financed by the
United Fund. This year, fund officials
asked the city and county governments to
assume financial responsibility for the
program, as the United Fund anticipated
difficulties in meeting its goal. A
supplement of SI ,000 was included in the
Fund budget to help carry the program
until the local governments could take
over at the beginning of the fiscal year in
July. The United Fund failed by S700 to
meet its goal.
So far, the city council has approved
SI,500 for the program on the condition
that "funds sufficient to provide an
adequate program are secured from other
sources."
County commissioners promised that
part of the return from the one cent sales
tax would be spent on recreation if the
tax was approved in a special election set
for Feb. 9. However, the sales tax
election was cancelled when the State
Supreme Court ruled the local option tax
unconstitutional and county officials are
left with several projects dependent upon
the tax revenue now stranded.
"I don't know what to say about the
recreation," county manager T.B. Lester
commented. "Nobody really knows what
to do until the legislature does something
to get the counties some revenue."
The recreation program will be set for
discussion on the agenda of the
commissioner's meeting in March, Lester
said. However, he said it was doubtful
that anything definite would be decided
until the meetings on next year's budget
are held in April and May.
Kenneth Free, recreation consultant
for the State Department of Local
Affairs, has held several meetings with
city officials to discuss establishing a
recreation commission here.
According to a Local Affairs
spokesman, state tax funds are returned
to counties for recreation if the county
qualifies under the states master
recreation plan. Othff state and federal
funds are also available through a variety
of departments such as Housing and
Urban Development, land and water
conservation, natural resources.
Cities and counties may set aside tax
revenues for recreation the spokesman
said. North Carolina law states that "the
creation, establishment and operation of
a recreation system is a governmental
function and a necessary expense we
defined by Article VII, Section seven of
the Constitution of North Carolina." In
addition, a recreation enabling law
empowers local governments to call for a
special tax election for recreation.
John Gaddy, city manager, who helped
get a $225,000 recreation project to
develop 17 acres of land in Bessemer
City, this week discussed the recreation
program here.
Probably the first thing to do is to
appoint a recreation commission,
something on the order of the new
housing authority. But before we do that,
we have to get back to the basic question
who is going to run it? The city? The
county? A joint commission?
"I don't see much point in the city
having a program by itself", he said.
The Local Affairs department
recommends two or more governments
participate in establishing a recreation
district, he said. Suggested recreation by -
laws and a model ordinance or resolution
to create a recreation commission have
already been provided by the state and
are available at Caddy's office.
John K. McNeill, mayor of Raeford,
suggested that while the city might
possibly be able to provide a program for
city residents, many of the persons who
participate in the present recreation in
the program is about SO per cent city
residents and 50 per cent county.
"They come from all sections of the
county," he said. "And I'd say it was 50 ?
50 pparticipation from city and county."
Besides those on teams, the summer
program, especially the adult softball
league, draws many thousand spectators,
Morgan said.
About 75 to 100 boys are involved in
the Pee-Wee Baseball league for 7 to 9 ?
year - olds. There are six Little League
teams and one Junior Tar Heel League
team. A Senior Tar Heel team was not
fielded last year for lack of interest but
Morgan said he will attempt one this year
if players want it.
Eight adult teams play in the Slow
Pitch Softball League. Last year several
tournaments were also played at Raeford.
In addition to the organized sports,
there is a summer basketball program at
Upchurch gymnasium and organized play
at Raeford Elementary School
Paid workers in the program include
Morgan, Howard Barkley, assistant
recreation director; two PACE students
and four or five Neighborhood Youth
Corps workers. Volunteers act as coaches
and managers.
Last year the program cost
513,765.67, Morgan said. Funds included
approximately 54,800 from the United
Fund, 59,000 from Advancement, Inc.
and 52,216.44 made at the concession
stand. Money from the concession is used
to pay officials and concession workers.
About 540 a day must be earned to meet
expenses, Morgan said.
Included in the budget last year was
57222.81 for maintenance. New lighting
for Armory Park was financed from this.
Two new ball parks were also built last
year.
Salaries amounted to 52708.44 and
equipment totaled SI420.42. Insurance
and taxes amounted to 5197.56.
This year new equipment, such as
replacement of the 12 year old
trampoline at Raeford Elementary, is
needed and one mote ball park is
planned. Morgan said. He said he also
would like to resume the popular teen
dances if a place can be found to have
them. Other plans for the program
include an adult basketball league in the
winter, a 16 - inch Softball league and a
ladies league.
"There's a lot we could do here," he
said. "We could have a really good
program if we just had the money. Every
year, its been the same. I couldn't make
plans until I go before the United Fund
officials, then-I didn't know how much
money I'll have and now I can't even get
started planning."
Much of Morgan's work is done in the
early spring, after the end of basketball
season at Upchurch. He had planned to
start construction on a new ball park
soon. The Slow Pitch Softball league
begins in early May, he said, and planning
geu underway in April
"If I don't know something by the end
of April," he said, "I don't know what
we'll do. A recreation program doesn't
just start up without any work."
Betty Wishart, daughter of a former
Raeford resident, will be presented in a
piano concert Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. at the
Civic Center.
The program is sponsored by the
Kiwanis Club and the Chaminade Music
Club.
Miss Wishart is performing in a series of
seven concerts throughout the state this
spring prior to receiving her Masters
degree in piano performance from the
University of North Carolina. She is a
member of the piano staff at UNC as a
graduate assistant.
Miss Wishart is the daughter of Hallie
Freeman Wishart, formerly of Raeford
and the late Gen. Eli Wishart of
Lumberton. She is the granddaughter of
Mrs. W.E. Freeman of Raeford.
She received a Bachelor of Music in
piano performance at Queens College in
Charlotte in 1969. Miss Wishart has
presented original compositions at several
performances throughout the Southeast.
She will appear this spring in concerts at
Raeford. Queens College, Brevard
College, Lumberton, Rockingham,
Columbia, S.C. and the College of William
and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. before she is
presented in her formal recital for her
degree at UNC.
The concert will begin during the
Kiwanis hour. The public is invited to
come to the Civic Center at 7 p.m. There
will be an intermission at 7:30 to allow
Kiwanians who have other appointments
to leave. The Kiwanis meeting ends at
7:30.
Road Projects
Approved For
Hoke County
One new secondary road project for
Hoke County was approved this month
by the State Highway Commission and
bids were called for on resurfacing 21
miles of primary and secondary roads in
Hoke and Scotland counties.
The Commission has asked for bids on
30 projects containing 665 miles in 27
counties. The 21 miles approved for Hoke
and Scotland counties will include
resurfacing two sections of primary roads
and 14 sections of secondary roads on
U.S. 401 and NC 79.
An allocation of SI 1,700 for one
secondary road construction project was
approved at the February meeting of the
State Highway Commissioners in Raleigh.
This will include grading and draining
about four miles of roads on SR 1140,
1442, 1454 and 1127.
Other funds approved at the meeting
were Wake County, S50,000; Warren
County, $7,000; Cumberland County
$27,000; Moore County, $19,000;
Randolph County, $8,000; Davidson
County, $28,000 and Stokes County,
$25,000.
Churchmen
Meet Tues
The annual joint meeting of the Men of
the Church from Raeford Presbyterian,
Raeford United Methodist and First
Baptist Churches will be held next
Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Raeford
Presbyterian Church.
The program, sponsored by the First
Baptist Church, will include the Senior
High Choir.
Newton Resigns; Lewis Is
New Battalion Commander
Mayor Appoints
Joe Upchurch
T. Joe Upchurch was appointed
chairman of the Raeford ? Hoke Housing
Authority last week by Mayor John K.
McNeill.
Other members appointed to the
authority are Ken W. McNeill, for one
year; Henry Dial for two years; W.T.
McAllister for three years and Bobby
Carter for four years. Upchurch was
appointed to a five year term.
Terms will be five years each after the
first appointment.
The members will be sworn in on Feb.
23, McNeill said. Then they can apply to
the Secretary of State for a housing
authority charter.
When this is received. McNeill said, the
authority will be able to apply to the
Department of Housing and Urban
Development for a survey to determine
the number of low ? income housing units
needed in the county.
A housing authority was established by
the city about two years ago and plans
were made for low housing units then.
However, the authority had to be
disbanded because it had been established
without following proper procedures.
Four Arrested
For Break-Ins
Four arrests in two separate break - ins
were reported this week by the sheriffs
department.
Three men have been charged in
connection with a break - in and theft at
Robert Park's grocery store near McCain
last Thursday night.
They are Charles McRae, James B.
Harris and Johnny Lee Harris, all of Rt.
3, Raeford.
Deputy Sheriff Robert Locklear
discovered a window at the grocery
See BREAK INS, Page 11
LTC Edwin D. Newton resigned his
commission Jan. 31 after more than
thirty years of Army and National Guard
service.
He is succeeded as commander of the
Second Battalion, 252d Armor by Maj.
Charles E. Lewis, Jr. of Raleigh.
LTC Newton commanded the battalion
since December 1968. He enlisted in Co.
L, 120th Infantry in Parkton in January
1936. In May of 1938 he joined Battery
T 252d Coast Artillery in Raeford and
went into active duty with the battery in
September 1940. He served overseas in
LTC Newton
T eachers
Play Ball
The faculties of Hoke High and
Upchurch will battle it out on the
basketball court in a game to benefit the
athletic fund at Upchurch.
Game time is Tuesday night at 7:30
p.m. at the Upchurch gym. Admission is
SO cents for students and SI for adults.
City Sells
Water Notes
North Carolina National Bank has
purchased 1 20 day water notes totaling
S50.000 from the City of Raeford.
The notes, purchased on the first bid,
were bought at five per cent inierest
the West Indies and in Europe as a first
sergeant of combat engineers. He was
separated in June, 1945 with four
compaign stars and five overseas bars.
LTC Newton rejoined the National
Guard in May, 1948 as a second
lieutenant in the unit here, which was
then Battery A, 130th Anti ? Aircraft
Battalion. He became commander of this
unit in 1950 and later commanded it as a
tank company. He was promoted to
major in 1962 and served as executive
officer. LTC Newton attended the Armor
School at Ft. Knox, Ky. and is a graduate
of the Armor Officer Advanced Course
by extensipn.
LTC Newton is a resident of Seventy -
First Township in Cumberland County
and owns a trailer sales there. He is also a
member of the board of directors of the
Bank of Raeford.
Maj. Lewis is the first commander not
to serve in the old Battery F that left
from Raeford for overseas duty at the
start of World War II. The previous
battalion commanders from Battery F are
Younger Snead, William Lamont, T.B.
Lester. Paul Dickson and Newton.
The new commander is not a stranger
to the battalion; having served some years
ago as commander of the tank company
in Rockingham when it was part of the
unit. At that time, Maj. Lewis was a farm
extension agent in Richmond County and
upon his return to North Carolina State
University for more study, he joined
Headquarters 30th Infantry Division
where he has recently served as
Headquarters Commandant.
He is now a member of the faculty at
N.C. State.
The second battalion has headquarters
here and units in Red Springs,
Lumberton, Laurinburg, Sanford and
Southern Pines.
GOP To Meet
At Courthouse
Hoke County Republicans will meet
Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ui the county
courthouse, Mrs. Edith Nixon, county
Republican chairman announced.
John Thompson, 7th Congressional
District chairman from Whiteville, will
speak at the meeting, which has been
called to organize the GOP party in the
county.
Precinct meetings will be held
beginning at 7:30 and the county
convention will be held immediately after
them at the courthouse.
IVcm) Proposed Postal Rates Are Announced
Postmaster Charlie Morrison said today
proposed new postal rates increases will
place the nation's postal system on a
sound financial basis and shift more of
the costs from taxpayers generally to
those who uae the mails the most.
He explained that recent Postal Service
proposals submitted Feb. 1 to the Postal
Rate Commission would yield additional
revenue of SI .45 billion during fiscal year
1972, starting July I.
The proposals call for increases in
virtually all mail categories except parcel
post.
If the Rate Commission does not
present to the Governors of the Postal
Service a recommended decision of rate
changes within 90 days, it is anticipated
that a temporary rate increase will be put
into effect by the Postal Service, the
Postmaster said.
He pointed out that higher rates had
been sought by the Post Office
Department under both the current and
previous administrations, but no action
was taken.
In addition the long ? standing Postal
Service proposal for a 2 ? cent boost for
letters from 6 to 8 cents, advertising mail
(regular bulk rate third ? class) would be
increased to a minimum of 5 cents per
piece, plus additional Increases for heavier
weights.
Substantial increases also are proposed
for magazines, newspapers and other
categories of second ? class mail Mr.
Morrison said. These rather steep
increases will be phased in over five years
to soften the impact on the mailers.
Other highlights of the proposal:
Airmail rates would go up a penny,
from 10 to 11 cents, and airmail cards,
from 8 to 9 cents each.
If temporary rates are placed into
effect, post cards will go from 5 to 6
cents although the proposal provides for a
full increase to 7 cents each.
Concerning "Priority Mail" - packages
weighing more than 12 ounces and
receiving first ? class treatment -- higher
rates are proposed only for parcels
weighing less than S pounds. For a S -
pound priority mail package sent across
the U.S., the rates would remain S4.08,
under the proposal. However, for a 1 ?
pound package, an increase of from 80
cents to Si is proposed..
Regular second ? class publications --
those mailed for delivery outside the
publisher's county, excluding certain
categories - will be raised 1.9 cents per
piece plus higher advertising rates ranging
from 9.1 to 20.9 cents per pound. Non ?
advertising will be at a new rate of 7.2
cents per pound.
Controlled circulation publications -
usually periodicals without subscription
fees mailes to specific audiences or
markets - face an increase in only their
minimum per piece rate to 5 ? cents from
the existing 3.8 cents postage fee. The
pound rate remains the same.
In third ? class, the rates for single
pieces -? often a circular or small parcel ??
would raise to 8 cents for the first 2
ounces and the fee for each additional
ounce would be raised from 2 to 4 cents'
under the permanent ? rate proposal.
Mailers holding bulk third ? class
permits would find their rates per pound
raised from 16 and 22, to 22 and 28 cents
per pound, respectfully, when the
proposal is fully effected, and the
minimum ? per - piece charge would be
raised to S cents.
Special delivery and registered mail
feet would both be increased. The
minimum fee for a special delivery letter
would rite from 45 to 60 cents, while the
rate for registered mail valued up to $100
would increase from 80 to 95 cents under
the proposal. There would be
proportionate hikes in the fees for
shipments registered at higher values.
When the proposed domestic changes
go into effect, similar increases in letter
mail rates to Canada and Mexico are
planned.
The tola) yield under the proposal,
when fully effective, is estimated at
52,125.8 million, including all the rates
to be phased over a period of years.
In the first year S670 million of the
S2,125.8 million would be provided from
appropriations by Congress under the
Postal Reorganization Act.
About 80 per cent of the nation's mail
volume of nearly 90 billion pieces in
fiscal year 1972 will be business ? type
mail, and the bulk of the increase would
be borne by these users.