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"Die <n ew? - journal
The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXVll NO. 41 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA S5 PER YEAR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1975
Around
Town
BY SAM C MORRIS
The golf courses were crowded the
past weekend as fair weather prevailed
Saturday and Sunday. For the past 10
weekends it has been raining either on
Saturday or Sunday. Maybe the string
will start the other way and it will be
fair for a few weekends.
The goal for the United Fund drive
was reached last week when Knit-Away
1 reported. I think everyone that had a
hand in the drive should come in for a
big "Thank You". The drive started just
as the recession staited, and many
people were laid off during this time. It
is certainly hard to ask for money when
most people don't know if they will
have a job or not next week. Anyway,
the people of Hoke came through once
again.
Being chairman of the Selective Service
Board, I have had many calls concerning
where young men would register. The
guidance department of Hoke High
School is registering for the selective
service and any student can register any
day with them.
For non-students, the guidance
department will register them on
Wednesday or Thursday between the
hours of three and four p.m.
If you have other business with the
Selective Service you should go to the
area office located in the Cardinal
Building at 111 l-amon Street in
Fayetteville.
I have had many inquiries about what
is the comment on one-waying Elwood
Avenue. The answer is that all so far has
been very favorable, but maybe the ones
against it haven't had an opportunity to
get in touch with me.
Southern National Bank opened its
new drive-in window last week, and to
? get to. the window one must enter from
Main Street and exit on Elwood
Avenue. This should fit in with the
one-way street.
Anyway, in about two months we
will all have seen what will happen on
this street.
A call Monday from Leonard Miller,
who lives on W. Prospect Avenue,
wanted to know why the flag wasn't
flying in front of the courthouse. I told
him it was a mystery to me, but if he
would call the county manager that he
could get an answer. He said he already
had done so, and that the answer didn't
satify him
I don't know how many other people
observed that the llag wasn't flying at
the courthouse, but I for one didn't
notice it. It seems that it is always
something like this that is observed and
brought to the attention of someone.
But keen observance will more than apt
have the 'lag on the pole in the future.
President Gerald Ford stated Monday
that the only way that we would have
gas rationing in this country was "ever
his dead body". I guess no rationing!
Home Destroyed
Fire Hospitalizes Three In Family
Legislators
Here Monday
Hoke County's three
representatives to the state
legislature will be in Raeford
Monday to meet with residents.
Reps. Joy Johnson, Henry Ward
Oxendine and David Parnell will be
at the Family Restaurant from I -
2:30 p.m. to answer questions and
discuss issues before the legislature.
United Fund
Tops Goal
The county United Fund finally
topped the goal this week with a
contribution from Knit-Away.
The textile workers donated $4,615
to bring the county total to $19,665.34.
The goal this year was $19,441.21.
Ashwell Harward, UF president,
praised campaign workers and
contiibutors for surpassing the goal.
Campaign co - chairmen were Mrs. Joan
Balfour and Mrs. Sarah Leach.
Major contributions came from
Burlington with more than $8,000;
Raeford Turkey Farms with $1,035; the
schools with nearly SI,500; McCain
with more than $600 and Tex-Elastic
with S450.
Contributions from the communities
out in the county were the key to
topping the goal, according to UF
treasurer Sam Morris. There were more
donations from the communities than
there have been in previous years, he
said.
Eight organizations share the fund.
They are Girl Scouts, S4.000; Boy
Scouts, S5.500; Red Cross, $4,531;
White Cane, $750; 4-H, $1,085; rescue
squad, $1,500; senior citizens, $150;
Carolina United (all national agencies),
$1,925.21.
St'ARCH - Equipped with protective gear to ward off the dense smoke and heat, a Raeford fireman enters the burning Walters'
home to search for occupants of the house. However, the family had escaped before firemen arrived.
Income Too Much
Food Stamp Cut Off Draws Anger
A lather and his small daughter, both
overcome by smoke, were pulled from
their burning home Monday by a
motorist who spotted the fire.
Three persons were hospitalized when
their split ? level home on South Main
Street was destroyed by fire.
Alton G. Walters was listed in
satisfactory condition in the intensive
care unit of Moore County Hospital late
Tuesday afternoon. He was reported to
have been overcome by smoke and to be
suffering from burns.
Mrs. Doris Walters, reportedly
admitted with a back injury suffered
when she jumped from an upper story
bedroom window, was listed as
discharged Tuesday.
Melissa Walters, 3, was listed in
satisfactory condition. She reportedly
was burned and suffered smoke
inhalation.
The fire was reported to a Raeford
policeman about 8:30 Monday morning
and a report was phoned to the fire
department by a neighbor about the
same time.
The Walters family, however,
escapted from the burning house before
firemen arrived.
Walters and the child were rescued by
Hoke County farmer. Bobby Gibson,
who was passing the home when he saw
the fire. Raeford fire chief Crawford
Thomas reported.
Teenaged Lawrence Walters had
crawled to the roof and was spotted by
Gibson, according to Thomas Gibson
found Mrs. Walters on the ground
beneath the window and she told him
that her family was still inside. Thomas
said Gibson opened the front door and
found Walters lying on the floor,
covering the child with his body. Gibson
carried them outside and took them to
Raeford Medical Clinic where they were
transferred to the hospital. Mrs. Walters
returned to her house in search of her
purse. Thomas said, and one of the
firemen look her back to the doctor's
office. Lawrence, who climbed from the
roof to the ground down the television
antenna, was not injured.
According to Thomas, the fire
appears to have begun in the kitchen.
Mrs. Walters left breakfast cooking and
went back upstairs, where she lay down
across the bed and fell asleep, Thomas
said he was told.
The house was equipped with a fire
alarm that sounded when a critical
tempcraiure is reached, Thomas said.
The alarm woke lawrence, who ran
upstairs to wake his mother and sister,
according to the chief.
Walters, who apparently was in the
basement area, where a beauty shop is
located, went upstairs and got his
daughter, then tried to get to the front
See F1RL. page 11
C Of C Reports
Sales Are Up
Sales and bank deposits are running
slightly ahead of last year, despite the
high unemployment rate in the area,
directors of the Chamber of Commerce
reported Tuesday.
According to Harold Gillis, C of C
manager, several merchants reported
that sales have increased over the same
period last year.
Directors agreed that the full impact
of the recession has not been felt here,
Gillis said. He also pointed out that the
sale of license tags here drew shoppers
from Red Springs, St. Pauls, Sandhills
and Fayetteville.
License tag sales were down slightly,
See SA LES. page 11
An elderly woman living on social
security checks has been cut off the
food stamp program and her family
claims she was hospitalized after that
suffering from malnutrition.
Food stamp officials reply that she is
no longer entitled to the subsidy
because her income now exceeds the
limit.
Mrs. Thelma Guin, 69, who lives near
Scurlock School, was dropped from the
county food stamp program Jan. 7.
Until then, she had been receiving S4o
worth of food stamps for S.JO.
Mrs. Guin was admitted to Moore
County Hospital later that month, Mrs.
Mary Ann Guin. her daughter-in-law,
said. The family was told by the doctor
that the eider Mrs. Guin needed more
food, the daughter-in-law reported.
The controversy centers on the status
of a grandson, William Johnson, who is
present in lire Guin home.
W.G. Maxwell, food stamp
administrator, said that according to
information given him in December
when Mrs. Guin applied for
recertification, the 17-year-old lives in
the home with her. Since he receives a
social security check himself from his
late father's account, the combined
income of the two is S337, Maxwell
says. This is well above the $380 limit
for two persons.
According to Mrs. Mary Ann Guin,
Johnson, who she says is 16. stays at the
home at night only to care for his
grandmother, who must have someone
with her at all times. He pays for his
own groceries and lives primarily with
his mother, Mrs. Rosa lee Gilbert. Mis
Guin said Johnson, who is unemployed,
is unable to contribute financially to his
grandmother's care, nor can the other
members of her family.
"All us kids got together and talked
about buying groceries for her, but
we're hardly making it out ourselves,"
the younger Mrs. Guin said.
Mrs. Guin said her mother-in-law last
month paid bills in excess of her SI47
social security. She listed expenses as
electricity, S22.35; water, SI 1.25: life
insurance, $16; banker's insurance
S4.40; medical prescriptions, S30, taxes,
SI 5.60; house insurance $43
"She only had S4.40 left for groceries
and that was before a SI00hospital hill
that she had to pay beyond what the
insurance paid and a $39 kerosene bill,"
Mrs. Mary Ann Guin said.
Maxwell said that when Mrs. Guin
applied for recertification, she had
verified shelter costs, for housing,
utilities and heat of $52.52. This could
not be deducted from her allowable
income because it was not in excess of
the shelter cost standard of $99,
Maxwell explained.
He said that when Mrs. Guin applied
for recertification, she did not explain
that Johnson was living with her to care
for her.
"The only information we had was
thai he was living with her." Maxwell
said. "We have no control over the
process after they give us the
information. Once we get the
information, we work it up with the
formulas and however it comes out is
what we have to go by."
Maxwell said the only legal way he
could see for Mrs. Ciutn to requalify for
good stamps is for Johnson to pay her
S46 a month as board. No food stamps
would then be issued for him but he
could continue to live there and Mrs.
Ciuin would again qualify.
"Many times young people living at
home are actually hurting their
parents," he said. "They get
ovcrcommitted for cars and clothes and
don't contribute to the basic living
essentials but their income must be
included in the family income."
"This boy is possibly causing a
hardship," Maxwell said. "He should be
paying lor half the food if he's eating
there ."
"He is just there to help her. If
someone hadn't been with her last
weekend, site might have died. A vein
broke in her leg and she bled so much."
Mrs Mary Ann C.uin said.
Maxwell said Mrs. C.uin could
reapply.
"Anyone can come back and we'll
review the situation at any time," he
sard.
"But based on the information we
had at the time. Mrs. Guin's income was
more than can be allowed."
"So many people come in here with
food stamps, the younger Mrs. Gtun,
who works at a convenience food store,
said. "It seems a shame that someone
who really needs them can't get them."
Iiy Com rn issiotiers
Bond Sale Okayed
The county commissioners voted
Monday night to sell $500,000 in school
bonds and add $250,000 to that from
revenue sharing funds.
This will provide the $750,000 that
school officials estimate will be needed
to finance construction projects for the
county schools. County voters approved
a $1.25 .million bond referendum this
fall, but estimates on construction costs
have fallen rapidly since them.
Schools Gain
Night Guards
Nightwatchmcn went on duty this
week at most county schools.
# The guards were hired to help stop
the breakins and thefts occurring
primarily at school lunchrooms,
superintendent Raz Autry said.
Last month, one watchman was hired
* to patrol all the schools but it was soon
apparent that this would hot be enough,
Autry said.
Superintendent Raz Autry has told
the commissioners that the projects
planned with bond money can now be
constructed with about a $500,000
savings.
Improvements include the addition of
an auditorium to one of the gyms at
Hoke High, renovation of the school
lunchroom at Raeford Elementary, and
construction of two new shops at Hoke
High.
Additional money is also included for
the library al West Hoke in case the cost
of construction is not financed from
state bond money, Autry told
commissioners.
Sale of the bond is tentatively set for
July 15.
County manager T.B. Lester said the
$250,000 to be added from revenue
sharing money will obligate the federal
funds for approximately a year.
He estimated that the county will
receive about $550,000 before the
program ends in December, 1976.
At the special meeting, the board also
approved an additional $100 for
renovation of the court hour annex
and approved additional jobs under the
public employment program.
Area Incidents
5 Charged In Armed Robbery
Five men were arrested Sunday in
connection with an armed robbery at a
grocery near the Robeson County line
late Saturday night.
Part of the money taken in the
robbery was recovered, according to
Sheriff D.M. Barrington
Charged with armed robbery are
YDC Formed
In County
A Young Democrats Club was
organized Thursday in a meeting at the
courthouse.
Warren Pate was elected president
and Willie McCaskill was chosen vice ?
preadent. Secretary ? treasurer is Mrs.
Kay Thomas.
Pate said the group was now applying
for a state charter and would be
recruiting additional members. A second
meeting is planned later this month.
One of the primary interests
discussed at the first meeting was
obtaining low . rent housing in the
county, he said.
Plant Returns
To Full Work
Knit-Away will be back on a
seven-day operation by Feb. 23,
according to personnel manager Dick
Lovett.
There are no employees now on
layoff, he reported.
James Allen Lambert, 18. of Ht. 2, Red
Springs, living in Hoke County; James
Mitchell locklear. 18, of 112 Graham
St.. Red Springs; Harvey Lee Jacobs. 22.
of 112 Graham St., Red Springs and
Carl Rogers Jr., alias Buckwheat, of Rt.
2. Red Springs, located in Hoke County.
Charged with receiving stolen goods is
Lambert's lather. Joseph Nick Hunt. 5(>.
of Rt. 4. Red Springs, also in Hoke
County.
Bond was set at $5,000 each and a
preliminary hearing is scheduled Feb.
21.
According to the sheriff, the operator
of the store. Mrs. Faye Riddle, was held
up outside after closing the grocery by
two men wearing masks. One man
carried a shotgun and ordered her to
throw the money to him, the sheriff
said. Several other store employees were
present with Mrs. Riddle.
Mrs. Riddle tossed the money bag
containing several thousand dollars in
cash and checks, the sheriff said, and
the two men ran.
Deputies Harvey Young, James
Peterkin and H.t. Bo wen responded to
the call and weie joined by Highway
Patrol troopers anil latei by Deputies
James Lamunt and James Riley.
Rogers. Jacobs and Locklear were
picked up in l.umberton Sunday
afternoon and returned to lloke County
See ARt A INCIDENTS, page I I
Hearing Called To Plan
Indian Fund Expenditures
Raz Aulry. Superintendent of Moke
County Schools, announced that a
public hearing on the Indian Education
Act (IEA) will be held 7:30 p.m.,
Wednesday. February 19, in the court
room of the Hoke County Courthouse.
Members of the IEA advisory parent
committee, recently selected at three
area meetings, will be on hand to discuss
use of IEA funds for the year I97S-76.
The committee and officers will be
officially elected at this meeting.
The Hoke County School System
received $56,140.00 in IEA funds for
the 1974-75 school year and may
qualify for $36,292.00 in IF.A funds for
the 1975-76 school year if they meet
federal requirements by February 28.
The public hearing required by the
Indian Education Act. will provide an
opportunity for discussion of the
adequacy of current programs in
meeting special educational needs of
Indian children enrolled in the local
educational agency, and the manner in
which the program or project for which
application is made will be coordinated
with other programs to meet
educational needs for Indian children.
All people of the Indian community
will be welcome.