15 i
<?u e <~Vl&w6 - journal
1u
The Hoke County News- Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME 1.XVI1 NO. 5 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA S5 PER YEAR THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 1972
Around Town
By SAM C. MORRIS
Until the general election most of us
can forget politics for a few months The
primary battles are over and everyone
seems to be in a friendly mood. I know
from talking with my candidate for
governor Monday that he requests all his
supporters to back the Democratic
winncr and forget about the primary.
I will do this and hope others will do
the same.
I attended the Senior Breakfast
Monday at Hoke High and once again
came away feeling pride in our school
system. Of course everything is not
perfect but our school system does not
(rave the problems that some have.
The speeches by students, teachers and
the prinicpal were very good and all seem
to be trying to get the same idea acruss ?
working together.
I also would like to thank Mrs. B. B.
Cole, who is retiring for the work she has
done in our schools. I had two children to
be in her classes and also worked with her
in the Democratic Party. Thanks again,
Mrs. Cole for a job well done and may
you have many years ahead to enjoy life
to the fullest.
Attorney H. D. Harrison, Jr. sent the
following to me and I think most of the
readers of this column will enjoy it.
The article follows:
Small details were extremely important
to newspaper editors of the 1900's.
Economics were often mingled with
social affairs in news reporting during
those years. For instance, this wedding
write - up appeared in one of the state
weekly newspapers:
"Miss Jennie Jones and Bob Henry
were married at the Jones mansion last
night. The bride is the daughter of
Constable Jones, who has made a good
officer and will doubtless be re-elected
this spring. He offers a fine horse for sale
in another column of this issue. The
groom runs a grocery store on Main
Street and is a steady patron of our
advertising columns. He has a fine line of
bargains in his ad this week. All summer
he paid two cents more for butter than
any other store in town. They were
married by Rev. Josiah Butterworth, who
last week called at this office and gave a
nice order for printing. He is also going
into business, and will write fire
insurance. So say the business cards we
printed for him last week. Jennie and Bob
left on the 10 o'dock train for
Charleston to visit with the bride's uncle,
who, we understand, has lots of money
and cancer."
Someone left a pair of children's shoes
on the counter at the News-Journal last
week and owner can have them by
coming by and picking them up.
Hoke Votes Along State Lines
In Saturday's Primary Runoff
I fl n1' 11 n r n on tm?mi ?<?
City Council Sets
Tentative Budget
The Raeford City Council set a
tentative budget Tor the fiscal year
1972-73 at their regular monthly meeting
Monday night.
As of right now, the tax rate remains at
$1.45 per hundred dollars of assessed
value, but city manager John Gaddy said
that the rates would go down to Sl.lOor
less if Burlington Industries is annexed
into the city.
Annexation hinges on passage of a
water bond vote on July II. Following
the vote the final budget will be set and
the new, lower rate incorporated into the
budget if the bonds pass.
Gaddy said that annexation of
Burlington will add approximately
$55,000 revenue to the total tax base,
thus making the lower tax rates possible.
The General Fund budget estimates
show a substantial increase of
approximately $100,000 above the 1971
- 72 budget. This revenue comes from
several sources: first, the increase of
property tax as a result of new industry
and increased building, and also the one
cent sales tax which was imposed in Hoke
County in October, 1971. The tax
increased from one ? half to one cent
share of gasoline taxes, to be distributed
to all municipalities, which gives the city
approximately $20,000 additional
revenue.
These revenues, plus the unexpended
revenues Trom the 1971-72 fiscal year
reflect the 1972-73 budget increase.
The expenditures of the projected
increased revenues will be disbursed
about evenly within all departments,
which include the Airport and Garbage
Disposal Departments, which are new and
will require additional revenues to
operate and maintain.
The 1972-73 budget estimates of the
water and sewer fund show a revenue
increase of approximately $42,000 over
last year's totals. This added revenue is a
result of added water consumption,
mostly by Knit - Away. Funds are to be
distributed evenly throughout the water
and sewer budget to provide increased
service to ail customers.
A breakdown of the budget estimates,
which dues not include the addition of
Burlington Industries, follows:
General Fund Revenues, $336,356.23
Water & Sewer Revenues, $329,112.30
Total Revenue Fstimatcs: $695,468.53,
General Fund Expenditure Estimates:
General Government, $95,396.34,
General Purpose (Town Hall
maintenance, etc.), $4,500.00. Police
Dept., $60,706.00. Fire Dept.
$30,129.45. Street Dept., 96,787.02.
Sanitation Dept., $41,397.02, Garbage
Disposal, $24,690.40, Airport,
$3,750.00, Other (cemetery, etc.),
$9,000. Total G. F. Exp nditure
Estimates: $366,356.23.
Water-Sewer Fund Expenditure
Estimates:
General Operations (Debt Service,
etc.), $ 188,311.01. Water Supply,
Pumping & Filtering, $50,525.04. Line
Maintenance & Repair, $36,337.10.
Sewer Plant Operation, $53,939.15. Total
W. & S. Expenditure Estimates:
$329,112.30.
Several other actions were taken at
Monday's City Council meeting.
A bid from Raeford Auto for the
purchase of a police car was accepted by
the council. The figure quoted by tlie car
dealer was $3,442.70 for a 1972 model
car, to replace an old one.
The council passed a motion to apply
to the Governor s Committee on Highway
Safety for communications equipment to
aid the Raeford Police Dept. and the
Hoke County Sheriffs Dept. The new
communications equipment, to be
installed both in patrol cars and offices
will help the two law enforcement
departments be more aware of the
workings of each other.
Cost of the equipment is estimated at
$4,000, but half of this would come from
state matching funds. Hopefully, the new
equipment will be in use sometime this
year, according to Gaddy.
The council also agreed that surplus
equipment, including a police car,
dumptruck and tractor, will be put up for
sale in the near future. Sale of the items
will be advertised.
The council also signed an agreement
with the Federal Aviation Administration
about maintenance of lights for the
Raeford Airport. The council hopes to
advertise for bids on the lights and
runway pavings later this month. The city
will be responsible for making sure all
lights are in correct operating condition.
County commissioners John Balfour,
Ralph Barnhart and Tom McBryde were
present at Monday's City Council meeting
to discuss operations of the s sanitary
landfdl with the city. No definite actions
were taken, however.
All councilmcn except Hestel Garrison
were present at the meeting.
Hoke Begins
Food Stamps
Hoke County will inaugurate the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's food stamp
program on July 3.
In making the announcement, county
Social Services Director Miss Mabel
McDonald points out that Hoke County
low - income families may apply now for
food stamp help. If qualified, they will be
certified in time to start getting food
assistance when the program opens.
Food stamp applications are taken
daily, Monday through Friday, between
the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Miss McDonald noted that any family
living on a small income may apply for
food stamp assistance, and urged all
persons who feel they are eligible to
apply as soon as possible.
There is no deadline for applying,"
Miss McDonald emphasi?ed, "but we urge
families to phone for an appointment
now so they can be interviewed in time to
take part in the program as soon as it
opens."
Among those often eligible for food
assistance are persons getting social
security or some form of retirement
pension, aid to dependent children, aid to
Ihe blind, aid to the physically disabled,
aid age assistance, veterans checks or
pensions, and otliers forced to live on
reduced incomes.
Welfare recipients are especially urged
lo apply for food stamp help, Miss
McDonald noted. Takingpnrt in tire food
it amp program will NOT affect welfare
;hecks in any way, Miss McDonald said.
At Ihe same lime, officials of lISDA's
See STAMPS P?o
Health Department
Director Resigns
Hoke County health director Gilbert
Hettich will resign his job as of June 30,
according to chairman of the joint health
boards of Scotland and Hoke Counties,
D. D. Abemethy.
Hettich has served as director of the
joint boards of Scotland and Hoke since
November, 1971. He cited personal
reasons for resigning his position with the
health department here.
Before accepting the directorship in
Hoke and Scotland Counties, Hettich, a
Kentucky native, worked in Eastern
Kentucky in an Office of Economic
Opportunity program which was used as a
model tor the Comprehensive Health
Planning Act later passed by Congress.
He also spent four years in Kentucky
as an administrative assistant in a mental
health program and two years with an
additional OF.O program in Appalachia.
He first came to North Carolina in
1968 when he entered the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a
doctorate student in Public Health.
Abernethy said he regretted that
Hettich had to leave his position in the
county. A search committee to find a
new director for the joint boards will be
appointed soon. Abernethv said
Break-Ins Reported
.im>c vuumy oner in s Dept. is
investigating a break-in which occurred
May 30 at West Hoke School.
Sheriff D.M. Barrington said that
access to the building was gained through
a rear window. The incident was reported
by the school principal, who discovered
the break-in at 8:00 a.m.
Two television sets, an air conditioner
units and a film strip viewer, total value
set at J500, were reported missing.
Summer Reading
The summer reading program at the
Hoke County Library begins today. June
8.
The "See. Hear and Read" hour for
children through the fifth grade and pre .
schoolers will be held on Mondays and
Thursdays from 10 to II a.m.. ending
August 24.
TheTirst film to be presented as part of
the program will be ' Lisa, the Lioness."
In conjunction with the showing, children
will be told a story about lions and books
concerning the topic will be displayed.
The Ifcrary staff plans the summer
reading program for recreation only, so
no renorts or list* wilt he mmte
The Sheriffs Dept. is also investigating
a break-in reported June 3 at the home of
Lois Padgett on Rt. I. Raeford.
No one was at home at tire time, and
apparently the building was entered
through the rear door.
Items stolen included a television,
radio, German clock, $25 bond and an
electric can opener. Total value of tlie
items was $210.
Judge Imposes
Check Fines
Judge Joseph Dupree said anyone
coming to District Court on charges of
writing worthless checks will be fined
$10, in addition to having to pay court
costsand restitution for the checks.
Dupree said that persons charged with
the offense may make restitution to the
magistrates and pay for the court costs in
the clerk's office. No fine will be imposed
by the magistrates.
Dupree said the measure was necessary
because "too many people are wasting
my time and taking up valuable court
time with these worthless checks."
FIRH DAMA CE - Interior of the burned out trailer belonging to Betty Young, of the
Oakwood Trailer Park. Authorities suspect arson as the cause of the Monday night
blaze which caused $2,500 damages.
Arson Suspected
In T railer F ire
Fire damaged the interior of a mobile
home in the Oakwood Trailor Park
Monday night in an apparent case of
arson.
The call was placed about 11:20 p.m.
to the Raeford Fire Dept. by residents of
the area who saw the flames in a trailer
belonging to Betty Young, who liad been
out of town for a few days.
An investigation by Fire Chief
Crawford Thomas and the Raeford Police
Dept. turned up five empty cans of
lighter fluid down the road from the
trailer. Thomas said a trail of fluid could
be seen from the back door of the trailer
all the way to the front. The back door
had apparently been unlocked at the
time.
Damages to the inside of the trailer
were estimated to be in excess of $2,500.
Flames destroyed the furniture and
clothes in one of the bedrooms and most
of the bathroom. There was heavy smoke
damage throughout the trailer.
City police are investigating the
incident.
A fire early last Friday morning in the
Robbins Heights area caused about $150
damage to the home of Bertha Leslie at
522 6th St.
Faulty heating wires were believed to
be the cause of the blaze, which damaged
wiring and some of the moulding in the
cefling.
The call to the Raeford Fire Dept. was
placed by Juanita McLean, who was in
the house at the time. There were no
injuries.
Commissioners Discuss
Trash Pick-Uo In Hoke
The Hoke County Board of
Commissioners began action Monday for
solid waste pick ? up throughout the
county.
The commissioners agreed to ask for a
formal 9ontract from Clyde Leach's firm,
[he same company that handles the waste
lisposal in Robeson County, so the trash
containers that are needed can be
purchased and pick - ups can begin as
soon as possible.
Chairman of the board T. C. Jones said
lhat the board "has waited about as long
is we can - it's time for us to move." He
vas in favor of approving a bid already
iubmitted to the board from Leach's
~irm. but the board decided a formal
?ntract would be necessary before
urther actions could be taken. The
iommissioners also plan to discuss landfill
>perations and pick ? ups with the city
tefore making final plans.
Russel Mills, chairman of the
nvironmenlal health programs in the
:ounty told the commitsionert he had
ibserved the landfill operation in Bladen
County, and on the basis of the program
there, made some suggestions as to what
facilities were needed for Hoke County.
Mills said that he estimated about 50
containers, at a cost of S250 each would
be necessary in the county. Pick - ups
would be twice a week. Mills said that
right now the amount of trash being
brought to the landfill "is not what it
should be." He said notices were being
sent out informing people about the
landfill and hours of operation. The
landfill "is improving every day," he
added.
One improvement Mills suggested is an
addition of a cab to the bulldoze; in
operation at the landfill, so the operator
could work on compacting the trash in all
kinds of weather. "The key to a
successful operation of a landfill," he
explained, "is compacting of the trash as
it arrives."
The board hopes to take further
actions and have the contract reviewed by
their attorney within the next few days.
In other actions taken by the board at
their regular monthly meeting, the
commissioenrs agreed to let the firm of
A.K. Lovin & Co. handle the auditing of
the county. The firm handled the job last
year, and quoted the same price to the
board for their services for this fiscal
year.
The commissioners discussed the salary
of the food stamp eligibility specialist to
be hired when the county changes to the
use of food stamps in July. No definite
actions taken. Applications are now being
taken for the stamps it the county office,
office.
The commissioners also authorized
obtaining bids for the purchase of an air
conditioning unit for the Food Stamp
Office.
The board also approved payment of
tax dues by June 25 to the National
Association of Counties,
Chairiian of the board T. C. Jones told
the commiasionere a suggestion had beec
made that the county change from the
See TKASH. Page 9
Voting in Hoke County followed along
state lines in the second primary last
Saturday. Voter turnout was light, with
only about one third of the county's
6,376 voters showing up at the polls.
The cloKst race in the Democratic
slate was between Gtarles Rose and
Hector McGeachy for the nomination for
the Seventl District Congressional seat.
Rose led it' Hoke, as he did in every
county n the district, by finishing 68
votes anead of McGeachy. The totals in
Hoke were 1156 for Rose and 1088 for
McGeachy.
Many Hoke voters who had supported
Doran Berry in the first primary on May
6, evidently turned their support to
McGeachy in the second primary, because
Rose finished with a much smaller margin
Saturday than he had in the first vote.
Across the state, however, Rose scored
heavy and piled up SS.SS percent of votes
to McGeacny's 44.44 percent.
Rose called his victory Saturday a
"hard fought" one that started three
years and three races ago. He said that he
wanted to get right to work in the "job of
building in the Seventh District. We've
got a lot of fences to mend."
In the Democratic state ballot, business
Hargrove "Skipper" Bowles scored a
victory over Lt. Gov. Pat Taylor. Bowles
finished in Hoke with 1,339 to Taylor's
894.
Across the state Bowles swept to an
easy victory by compiling 54.4 percent of
the total. He went on television shortly
after 11 p.m. to claim the nomination. He
said it was "a time not for boasting but
for pulling together." He promised he
would "not rub salt in any wounds"
created by his costly runoff with Taylor.
Taylor, appearing on the television
program with Bowles, promised support
to the Greensboro businessman in the fall
election.
The Taylor - Bowles race developed
iftto the most costly campaign in the
state's history, in the second ruiiufT in the
Democratic party in 24 yean.
Bowles used an extensive television
campaign and reported expenses in excess
of >800,000. Taylor also turned to the
television medium during the runoff and
used an extensive outdoor advertising
campaign which totaled over $600,000.
Bowles also finished first in Hoke in
the six ? man field of the first primary.
After announcing that he was calling for a
runoff with Bowles, Taylor picked up the
endorsements of two of his opponents,
labor leader Wilbur Hobby and black
Charlotte Dentist Reginald Hawkins.
On the Republican side, Jim
Holshouser came from behind in the first
See PRIMARY, Page 9
Softball
Tournament
A Softball tournament is scheduled for
June 10 at Armory Field.
Games will begin at 5:30 with Pepsi
Cola of Fayetteville facing the top
Raeford team (House of Raeford or
A&P). Then at 6:30 Scottish Packing of
Lumberton will face Chavis Plumbing of
Laurinburg.
The tournament is a double
elimination affair and trophies will be
given to the most outstanding player and
the champion team.
Admission for children under six will
be 25 cents; all others will be 50 cents.
Proceeds will be used to help pay for the
fence that has been installed at the
Armory Field this year.