Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Sept. 12, 1974, edition 1 / Page 1
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Raeford Growth Lags, But Income Zooms The rale of growth in the Raeford area slowed during the last decade to the lowest level since 1920 and the blighted areas of the city remain in the same or in worse condition than they were thirteen years ago. A land development plan prepared for the city in I960 has been virtually ignored since then. On the other hand, the median income for Raeford families is 510,470, considerably higher than the median income in other urban areas in the state. These were among statistics contained in a new land development plan update, presented in a preliminary draft at the public hearing on zoning held recently. The survey was made in 1973. The plan, presented by Jim Kier of the state department of natural and economic resources , sets out regulated growth goals for the city and one-mile zoning area from 1973 to 1990. According to the report, the slowdown in growth rate from 1960 to 1970 was significant, indicating a declining birth rate and some out-migration. In the ten years from 1960 to 1970, the Raeford population climbed 273 persons, from 3,057 to 3,330. This was only a nine per cent rise. In (he previous decade, the population increased 56.3 per cent. The smallest rate of growth covered in the report was during 1920 and 1930 when the city added 68 residents, or a 3.7 per cent growth. Based on previous growth, the population is projected to be 3,749 in 1980 and 4,168 in 1990. In reviewing the plan made for the city in I960, the report criticized city and county governments for failing to deal with inadequate housing: "Conditions of blight still exist in the Cockman Hill and Silver City areas. Essential steps necessary to alleviate this problem lie with the city of Raeford and Hoke County governments. Although the city of Raeford has recently established zoning and subdivision regulations covering the areas, as recommended in the original plan, the necessary steps of enforcing the housing code and condemnation action have not been initiated. "Therefore, conditions remain the same, if not worse, within those blighted areas identified more than thirteen years ago." According to the 1960 plan, new businesses should have been built in an east-west direction to keep the central business district compact. Additional recommendations called tor more parking areas and improving the appearance of the town. 'The lecommendations of the I960 land development plan have been virtually ignored," the report stated. 'The central business district area has been expanded to the south with the addition of the shopping center and not in an east-west duection. No new parking areas have been provided nor have the downtown business men improved the aesthetic of the area." In reviewing the plan at the public hearing on zoning, Kiei noted tliat the higher median income in Kacford was a surprise. In the decade from 1960 to 1970, the median income climbed from S5.4IO a family to S 10.470. According to census figures, 54.8 per cent of Raeford families, or moie iluin half, make over SI0,000 a yeai. The median income lor ihc county as a whole is S6.X44 and lot oilier North C'aiolina ui hail aieas is Sb.5Xb. hot the futuie.the planners urged: ?Adoption of the revised zoning ordinances. ? Adoption of subdivision regulations. ?Review of the city policy of using Powell Bill funds to pay lor improvements in new subdivisions. ---Enforcement of regulations requiiing builders to make street improvements in new subdivisions. ?Involvement of citizens' groups in the development of the city. ?Development, together with the Hoke County Recreation Commission, of more recieation facilities and programs. 15< e <=~VlewA - journal 15' The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905 Around Town By Sam C. Morris This week has brought forth sunny p weather for the first time this month. ( The mornings are coot, but it warms up by the middle of the day. I hope the rain is over for the time being, and that fall weather will be with us. Lud Hales came into the office last week with a brass door plate he had just gotten in the mail from Edwin McDuffie, an old friend and former neighbor here. Ed is now a patient at the VA Hospital in Mountain Home, Tenn. Lud was pleased with the gift and happy to hear from his friend. I received the following letter from Julian McKeithan of Leland, a former neighbor of mine on Jackson Street. He is passing on some information to the old and new county commissioners of the county. Julian also sent a clipping from a Southport paper. 4 Dear Sam: This was in the State Pilot paper from 4 Southport week before last. About a month and a half ago all of our county commissioners were tried in recorder's court and found guilty of holding secret meetings. No one gave notice of appeal and the time has run out. Our two newspapers caught them in the county attorney's office holding a secret meeting. Sam, this is to notify your old and new county commissioners it is against the law to hold a meeting without letting the public know. Sincerely, Julian B. McKeithan The clipping stated that an injunction was signed by Judge Maurice Braswell against holding secret meetings. The article also slated that the commissioners had to pay the cost of court. The football team of 1924 is pictured elsewhere in the paper. The picture was brought in by Robert Gatlin and he said pthis was the 50th anniversary for the team. Some of the scores that year are as follows: Raeford 19, Fayettcville 6; Raeford 20, Concord 0; Wilmington 3, Raeford 0; Laurinburg 0, Raeford 48: and Rockingham 20, Raeford 6. In championship play it was Raeford 6, Fayetteville 0; and Wilmington 7, Raeford 6. According to Gatlin, Rockingham went on to win the state championship. There were no 4A or 3A in 1924. Every school was on the same level. The Raeford-Hoke Chamber of Commerce is compiling a current list of all the churches in Raeford and Hoke County. They would appreciate if each church would have someone to call the Chamber and give the name, address, and minister. The number is 875-2179. Tennis Players If you drive to lite tennis courts at the high school, please park in the , school parking lot, Hoke High principal Allen Edwards has requested this week. Edwards said it created a safety hazard to park on the shoulder of the road. Also, the shoulders are being reseeded, he said. Buck Is Passed On Magistrate Gap Four Lanes For U.S. 401 Gets Tentative Nod--Asain The four-laning of U.S. 401 between Raeford and Fayettevillc was given tentative approval at a meeting Thursday in Morehead City of the planning and projects committee. Department of Transportation secretary Troy Doby announced Monday. While Doby cautioned that this does not mean the project will receive final approval when the full transportation board meeets Oct. 7. If approved the project will be placed on the seven-year highway construction plan. However, Doby did say that the proposal was viewed favorably at the committee meeting. 'This project was first brought up at the August meeting of the planning and projects committee in Charlotte by Rex Harris, the board member from Fayetteville," Doby said. "At that time, it was one of three projects he brought UP" "It was put on the agenda for the meeting held Thursday in Morehead City. "After discussion in the committee, it was decided that this would be top priority of the ones he (Harris) had proposed. Of course, several of his others had to be dropped. "The committee took a straw vote after it was all over and indicated that they were satisfied with the projects left on the program," Doby said. "And that included 401." Assuming that the project is approved by the transportation board in October, Doby said it would then definitely be funded. "We do not over-program on our seven-year highway construction plan," he said. "If a project is placed on the program, then the funds will -be available to build the project on schedule." This is not the first time widening of U.S. 401 between Raeford and Fayetteville will have been approved. In August, 1970, the then Highway Commissioner Charles Dawkins of Fayetteville announced a S3.8 million project to widen 10.5 miles of the highway fiom Seventy-First High School to just north of the 401 by-pass. Then in July. 1471, a letter wriiten in May of that year, by then highway administrator George S. Willoughby to Gov. Bob Scott was made public. In it. Willoughby said he believed the project had been approved only to give the governor and commissioner something to tell the county commissioners. See FOUR LANES. Page 13 City Council Passes Leash Law And Approves Zoning Ordinance Alter about twenty minutes of discussion, in which approximately a dozen supporters of the proposed leash law took part, the city council Monday night passed the ordiannce requiring dogs to be confined or under control. The law is to be implemented "by the first of the year or as soon as possible." The leash law will require all dogs in the city to be registered with city hall and wear a collar bearing city and county tags and a state rabies vaccination tag. It will also forbid owners to allow a dog to run at large oft* the owner's property. Owners will be required to keep dogs confined by a fence or under control on a leash or by voice control. The council made no definite plans to implement the law, however they discussed hiring a part-time dog catcher as a trial. No opponents of the leash law attended the council meeting. The council also adopted the revised zoning ordinance, with one opposing vote from councilman Sam Morris. Morris first asked to abstain, because he had once before opposed rezoning of a portion of land along business 401 that would be affected by the new ordinance. One request for a street light was approved and a second request was tabled for further investigation. The council agreed to have a street light installed near the driveway entrance of Mrs. John Campbell on St. Pauls Orive and they asked for further study on a request for a light by Mrs. Benny Kelly on Central Avenue. The council also agreed to a request by the board of education to go on record as approving the use of McLauclilirt Park by students at McLauchlin School during the day. The park is used as a play area by the school See LI ASH LAW. Page 13 First Matheson Award Given To Cheryl Walker Cheryl Walker, a freshman at Sandhills Community College, is the recipient of the first annual scholarship given in memory of Dr. R.A. Matheson, a Raeford physician. This year's grant was made anonymously and will pay the costs of books and tuition. The scholarship was established for Hoke County residents studying nursing. Mrs. Walker has maintained a siraight-A average during her first year. She lives at 208 N. Wright Street. Tractor Rig And Auto Smash-Up Claims Life Of Young Hoke Native A Raeford mother of three was killed instantly in one of two automobile crashes occuring last Thursday evening. Judy Carter Lowery, 25, of Rt. 2, Raeford, apparently crossed the center line while driving north on U.S. 401 about a mile north of the Big Star Truck Stop and struck a tractor-trailer, Trooper C.A. Bennett said. The driver of the trailer, Lewis Reese Gallimore, 32, of 4945 Redwood Drive, Fayettevillc, was admitted to Cape Fear Valley Hospital with a broken leg and other injuries. The collision spun the Lowery car around and it then struck a car driven by Judith Current Castle, 21, of Bellevuc, Neb., driving behind Mrs. Lowery. Mrs. Castle was not injured. Her husband, Michael, was treated at Womack Army Hospital. Damages in the 7:45 p.m. wreck were put at SI 2,000 to the truck and SI ,500 to the Lowery car. S900 was the estimate to the Castle car. Mrs. Lowery's death was the 11 th road fatality this year in the county. The Rescue Squad and Hoke County Sheriffs Dept. assisted at the scene. At about 5:45 p.m. on Thursday two cars were involved in a smashup at the Main Street Extension turn-off from the 401 bypass. John Stewart Bybee, 38, Parkton, was traveling north on the bypass when he struck an auto attempting to turn left onto the N Main St. Ext. The driver of the auto, Hilton J. Kelly, 48, of Trenton, N.J., was charged with unsafe movement. Trooper Bennett said. Bybce and a passenger, Maj. Ronald Lukuvics, 35, of Pope AFB, were taken to Womack Army Ikispital with facial lacerations. A passenger in Kelly's car, Wanda Kelly, 12, of Rt. 1, Raelord, was transported to Cape Fear Valley Hospital with unknown injuries. The Kelly car was totalled and damage to Bybee's vehicle placed at SI,200. The Raeford Police Dept. and the Hoke County Rescue Squad were at the scene. Three magistrates each man eight-hour shifts this week in Hoke County but the charges and denials still echo from last week when a vacationing magistrate left an eight hour gap in the legal process each evening. B.H. Thornberg, who normally is on duty at the jail from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.. went on vacation Aug. 31 and returned Sept. 7. Mrs. Helen Barrington continued to work her nine to five day shift and Steve Hedgepeth was on-call on his normal 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. shift that week, but no magistrate filled the gap from 5 p.m. to I a.m. The unavailability of a magistrate during the evening hours created a serious problem, county law enforcement officers said. The gap should have been covered, either by the magistrates here or by a magistrate being assigned from Cumberland County, they said. Chief District Court Judge Derb Carter, who under North Carolina law is responsible for assigning magistrates and also lor providing substitute magistrates on a temporary basis, said he didn't know a magistrate was going on vacation until Aug. 29 when it was too late to rearrange schedules of any Cumberland County magistrates. The Administrative Office of the Courts frowns on the assignment of magistrates from Cumberland to Hoke anyway, he said. Bert Montague, director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, said that Hoke magistrates would have to fill in when one was off and that if they were unwilling to do so. they could be replaced. Laical magistrates countered that they were not told when they were appointed that they would be expected to work a 16 hour shift in order to have a day off and that such a requirement was unreasonable, especially for the salary involved. The controversy came to a head last week through the complaints of tiighway Patrol Sergeant D.l- Minshew. It hampers our operations tremendously." Sgt. Minshew said. "We can't get bonds for out-of-state people. We can't put anybody in jail and nobody can get out of jail without a magistrate." "I investigated a wreck last Thursday that involved a New Jersey resident " Trooper C.A. Bennett said. "1 needed a magistrate and I couldn't get one." Sgt. Minshew said the Highway Patrol was issuing citations to out-of-state motorists involved in accidents or traffic violations. It is very difficult to enforce See MAGISTRATES, Page 13 Ed Smith, Clerk Of Court Since '62. Died Tuesday H.II. (L?J) Smith, clerk of superior court here since ll>62. died Tuesday night at Moore Memorial Hospital. He had been admitted Sept. 4 to the intensive care unit. An acting clerk of court, Mrs. Juamtu F f. Smith Ldmund. was appointed Wednesday by Superior Court Judge Maurice Braswell. County political leaders were uncertain early Wednesday morning if a successor to Smith would have to appear on the November ballot and exactly how the successor would be chosen. Smith had won reelection lor a fourth term in the Democratic primary in May. He was unopposed in the general election. Funeral arrangements at press time weie incomplete but tentatively. funeral services were planned for 3 p.m. Thursday, at Racford United Methodist Church. The Rev. Kelly Wilson will officiate. Burial with Masonic rites will be in Raefoid Cemetery. The family requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the chapel lund at the Morganton School for the Deal. Smith, a native of Fairmont, had lived in Racford since l(>22. lie was a member of the Racford United Methodist Church, the Raeford Masonic Lodge. Woodmen of the World and was active in county Democratic politics. Bloodmobile Here Sept. 18 The Bloodmobile will be at Racford United Methodist Church Sept. 18 from noon to 5 p.m. for the first visit of the fiscal year. The goal this visit is 100 pints. Clyde Upchurch, Bloodmobile chairman said. The quota for this year, based on actual usage, is 308 pints. The mobile Red Cross unit will visit the county again on Jan. 17, May 2. Aug. h of next year. "Since 1960. the Hoke County chapter has tried to fill blood needs of its people." Upchurch said. We've collected over 4,800 pints and have met the yearly quota almost every year, he went on. "Please help get this year off to a gix>d start by rolling up your sleeve and giving a pint of your life-saving blood."
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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Sept. 12, 1974, edition 1
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