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The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXVII NO. 43 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA S5 PER YEAR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1975
Around
Town
BY SAM C. MORRIS
The article last week in this column
asking for the whereabouts of two
members of the class of 1935 at
Kaeford High School paid ofT.
Thursday, I had received phone calls
that would put me in touch either with
the person or someone who could give
me the information.
I now have the addresses of all
members or some way to find out what
the addresses are at this time.
1 want to thank all who have aided in
this project and hope the reunion will
be as successful as acquiring the names.
I received a letter from James H.
Morgan, Jr.. recently, which will follow.
He is also trying to contact shipmates
during World War II so that they can
have a reunion. If anyone can be of aid
to him, please write so he can complete
his list.
The letter:
I am seeking men and officers who
served aboard the mighty aircraft carrier
U.S.S. Ticonderoga - particularly those
of WW2 - while there is time left!! Every
man who served on this fine ship is
entitled to join our group. We will be
having our 4th Annual Reunion this
coming May. at Atlantic City, New
Jersey.
If interested, and for more details,
write me, giving your rate/rank.
Division, and year on board.
James H. Morgan, Jr.
Big "T" Veterans' Assn.
Waterside Lane
So. Berwick. Maine 03908
P.S. If Veterans Post Commanders were
to post this letter on their bulletin
boards, it would be greatly appreciated.
The basketball team at Hoke High
School was defeated in the tournament
last Thursday night by one point and
was eliminated. The team that defeated
them went on to win the tournament
and will play in the State finals at
Durham this week.
The Bucks had a great year with a
19-2 season record. So. everyone should
feel proud of the performance this team
showed during the year. They placed
the name of Hoke-Raeford across the
State and everyone should offer
congratulations to players and coaches
for a job well done.
It is said that anyone can find an
excuse to stay away from church. In
observing this over the years I would say
that the saying is true.
Now the Raeford Presbyterian
Church has eliminated the excuse that it
is impossible for me to climb the steps
to reach the sanctuary and attend
service. An elevator has been installed
and you can ride up and down to the
sanctuary without climbing steps. So, if
you have been using this excuse, forget
it and come on back to church. If you
have been away using another excuse,
come by some Sunday morning and see
the elevator in operation and maybe
you could stay for service that day. It
could get to be a habit ? a good habit,
too.
John Caddy, city manager, stated
Tuesday that the State Highway
Department would assist in the posting
of signs and markings on Elwood
Avenue before it becomes a one - way
street March 15. Caddy said the the
Department maintained Main Street and
that the city would underwrite the
other intersections at Magnolia and
Stewart Street.
Health Worker Off 'Guarded List9
r+ + + + + -i
Hiring
Funds
Boosted
Hoke County received an additional
grant of $89,000 to expand hiring under
the emergency public service
employment program, county manager
T.B. Lester announced.
The latest increase in the federally
funded project brings the total
allocation thus far to $141,000, Lester
said. The money was unexpectedly
released through the state Manpower
Commission and the county was
officially notified Monday.
Lester was uncertain how much of
the money could be put to use
immediately, since many jobs have been
filled since the start of hiring, began
Jan. 22.
Lester said there are present plans to
hire about 12 more workers in the
schools, and possibly five jobs in the
county government. The jobs are mainly
maintenance and related work, he said.
The funds, which may only be used
to pay salaries, must be utilized by
March 1, a deadline established by the
Manpower Commission which
administers the program.
Lester indicated it was unlikely the
county's present requirements would
make it possible to create enough jobs
to spend the full amount allotted.
"Well spread it around as best we
can." he said.
City Manager John Gaddy said
Tuesday he has begun screening
applicants for outside maintenance
workers in the streets and sanitation
department. Gaddy said the additional
hiring may now make it possible to do
some needed cleanup in the city's
ditches.
A filing clerk to assist in the billing
office is also under consideration, he
said.
Schoolmen
Meeting
Craig Phillips named leading and
programs for exceptional children as the
top priorities in education at a District
Eight meeting of school boards.
Phillips, state superintendent of
schools, spoke at the banquet following
the meeting. He also discussed the
budget for the next year.
D.R. Huff of Hoke County
completed his three year term as district
president, turning over his duties to
Hoke Smith of Harnett county. Ralph
Lassiter of Montgomery County was
chosen vice - president and Alton Grey,
superintendent of Harnett County, was
elected secretary.
Approximately 100 persons from
eight counties attended the meeting.
Discussion topics included the Equal
Opportunities Act, Title Nine and
school records. Fiscal Control Act and
school board policy.
The Hoke High dance band and
choral entertained at the banquet.
Tax Report In
Net proceeds from sales and use taxes
in the county for the quarter ended
Dec. 31 amounted to $54,804.80,
according to state revenue officials.
The statewide total was reported as
$29,364,326.04.
Collections in the county for January
were listed as $20,958.60. Total for the
stele is $11,630,522.84.
A tentative budget baaed on an
estimated giant of $36,291.94 for the
Indian Education Act program was
adop.ted at a public meeting held last
week.
The program will be similar to the
one last year, according to J.D.
McAllister and is based on guidance
counseling and home school visits.
Some cultural activities will also be
sponsored, he said.
Robert Taylor was re-elected
chairman of the county advisory
committee, which is composed of ten
parents and ten students.
Elected vice-chairman was Harold
Brewer and secretary was Betty Rogers.
The budget includes salaries of
$13,816 for counseling and $4,9S0 for
the home-school visitor. Travel expenses
for the two are budgeted at $2,000.
Consultants and other contractual
fees are set at $3,315.59 and supplies
are budgeted at $1,000. Fringe benefits
for salaried workers are set at
Budget Set For Indian Act
S3,120.70.
Other transportation costs are
planned for $4,000 and community
services are allotted $1,000. The
indirect cost of administering the
program is set at $2,939.65, which will
be returned to the county school system
by the federal government.
In commenting on the majority of
the grant being spent on salaries,
McAllister said, "You must convert
salaries to service. You can't get service
without salaries."
"Danford (Danford Dial, guidance
counselor) counsels groups and
individuals. We've used home-school
visitors before in both ESEA and ESAA
programs and had good experiences.
'The goal of a home-school visitor is
to try to establish and keep good
rapport between the home and the
school. We think we've done this."
A mini-bus was purchased last year to
See INDIAN ACT, page 11
PATCHED - The two-room house, built about twenty years ago, has been repaired and patched to keep out wind and rain. A
wood stove heats the home now owned by Mrs. Estelle Shaw and there is no running water or indoor plumbing.
Leaky Roof, No Plumbing
That's Home F or Some
The long, grey concrete block
structure is one of the statistics on
housing in Hoke County.
Built originally as a motel, according
to one of the occupants, the block
building now contains two apartments.
Mrs. Hallie Mae Good occupies one of
the three-room apartments. It has no
running water, no plumbing, no closets
or cabinets. Mrs. Good says she pays
$30 a month rent.
A thin rug covers the concrete floor
inside. The block walls are bare and
unpainted. A hole in the thin ceiling
discloses no insulation.
The rooms are heated with a wood
burning stove. Mrs. Good said she had
to supply the heater since there was
none when she moved in.
She lives in the apartment to be close
to her mother. She said there aren't any
other rental homes nearby.
Mrs. Mary Baker and her two small
children rent the other apartment but
for the last several months they have
been staying in Mrs. Good's home. Mrs.
Baker's apartment leaks and she has no
heat.
Her rent is $32, said Mrs. Baker.
These apartments are among the
1,294 rental units in the county,
according to 1970 census information,
the latest available.
There are 4,305 housing units in the
county, of which 1,018 are located in
Raeford.
Plumbing is lacking in more than a
third of the homes, on 1,530. This is
considerably higher than the average of
15.6 per cent for the state.
More homes here are heated by coal
or wood. A total of 7.6 per cent of
homes in Hoke County heat with coal
or wood, compared to 4.1 per cent in
the state. Slightly more than five per
cent of the homes use coal or wood for
cooking, compared to three per cent in
the state.
Housing was a topic at the last city
council meeting when a group of
Raeford residents asked the council to
reactivate the Raeford Housing
Authority.
A public meeting is being planned to
discuss housing further.
Four years ago, the city formed the
housing authority and an application for
100 low income rental units was filed
with the Department of Housing and
Urban Development. Federal funds for
the housing program dried up, according
to Raeford mayor John K. McNeill, and
the application was never acted on.
Joe Upchurch was appointed
chairman of the housing authority, with
a term of office to run through January,
1976. Other members were the late
W.T. McAllister, Bobby Carter, Henry
Dial and Ken W. McNeill. Their terms
have expired and no appointments have
been made to fill the vacancies.
Dayna Pate, a case worker for the
county Department of Social Services
who is Interested in obtaisting better
housing sees low income housing us
basic to the development of the county.
"Children can't develop properly in
these surroundings," she said. "Is it any
wonder that they fail at school and then
stay on the tax roles the rest of their
lives?"
Ben Niblock, director of the county
department of social services, has had
considerable experience with public
housing in other counties.
"1 would certainly like to see the
county get some public housing," he
said. "Many people see the housing
problem as primarily a social services
client related problem, but it's not.
Sure, a lot of our people need public
houang, but there are a lot of others in
the same boat who aren't on public
assistance."
The lack of adequate rental housing
often hinders attempts to relocate
families into better living facilities.
Some of the rental units available are
owned by Hoke Oil and Concrete and
located near the plant just off Main
Street.
The unpainted wooden houses were
built for mill workers more than 50
years ago, according to Clyde Upchurch.
Generally rundown, they are, however
equipped with water, plumbing and
lights. They rent for S3 a week to plant
workers and S5 a week to others.
"I'd love to tear them down," said
Clyde Upchurch. "The tenants always
move out before they pay the rent and
there is nothing I can do to get the cost
out of the houses for repairs."
Upchurch has made a study of public
housing, partly in connection with his
business. He has visited public housing
authorities in Richmond, Atlanta,
Maxton, Laurinburg and Rockingham
among others.
He is convinced that private
ownership of homes is the only answer.
"I was interested for awhile in trying
to get some kind of public housing here
but I would rather see low cost loans
made to individuals so that they can
have a pride in ownership. That's the
only way they'll take care of things."
Many of the substandard units are
occupied by the elderly.
Mrs. Estelle Shaw of McCain, is 63
and lives on a small social security
check. Her tiny home, which she shares
with her brother, once belonged to her
father. Other members of her family live
nearby.
She cooks on a tiny oil stove and
heats with a wood stove. She has
electricity but no indoor water. The
floor is patched with plywood, as are
the walls. She would, she said, welcome
a home in a housing project.
Mrs. Ruthie Willis. 77, pays no rent
for the three room wooden house she
lives in near the Cumberland County
line. Her son and grandson share the
home with Iter.
Hie house has electricity and an
outdoor pump and privy serve for
plumbing. Mrs. Willis lives on social
security payments. She has lived in the
house about ten years.
Many of the houses in the county
that were once available have been torn
down. Most were tenant houses on
farms.
"We used to have 20 families living
on the farm," Upchurch said. "Now we
don't have a single family."
At the meeting, the city council
asked if there was a need for public
housing. The five families-all either
elderly living on social security or on
public assistance-answered yes.
Mrs. Pate, who has been working on
housing for several months, would like
to hear from anyone who is interested
in the project.
The housing meeting is tentatively
scheduled for March 20 in the court
room.
City Sued-Water Squabble
A Raeford woman who has been
battling city hall in an effort to have a
water line extended to her home has
filed a lawsuit against the city, in
District Court it was learned Tuesday
Mrs. Agnes M Campbell, a St. Pauls
Drive resident, states in a petition Hied
Tuesday that the city has denied her
water service for a period of over
twenty years and wilfully and
wrongfully refused to construct a water
line to her property.
Mrs. Campbell is represented by
Raeford attorney Philip Diehl, who said
the city has thirty days to Tile a written
response to the allegations.
Mrs. Campbell's suit requests the city
be ordered to provide water service,
and a fire hydrant a reasonable distance
away. The suit also requests Mrs.
Campbell be refunded that portion of
her taxes and assessments which are
used to finance the municipal water
system.
Mrs. Campbell's last go around in the
long standing disagreement was before
the city council in January. At that time
she requested her property, located just
inside the city limits, be removed Irom
the city. The request would not be
possible, she was told.
Estimates of the cost to the city to
extend a water line to Mrs. Campbell's
property range from S7.000-SI 1,000.
Diehl declined to estimate the amount
of money in taxes which the city could
be ordered to repay.
Diehl said the case may be heard as
early as May
jessie Nicnoison. tne health worker
shot and left for dead at an isolated
cabin near McCain after tltwarting a
breakin. was removed from the intensive
care unit Tuesday at Cape Fear Valley
Hospital, a spokesman said.
Mrs. Nicholson's condition is now
listed as fair, and she is out of danger,
the spokesman added.
Mrs. Nicholson had been termed in a
"guarded" condition, after undergoing
surgery to remove a bullet in the head.
Four suspects were arrested and are
being held under S50.000 bond in
connection with the attack on the 46
year old woman. Several others are
being sought. Sheriff Dave Barrington
said.
Sheriff Barrington said Mrs. Nicholson
was able to give a statement to deputies
Wednesday in the emergency room.
Mrs. Nicholson had driven to an area
about five miles from McCain, looking
for an address where she was to pick up
children for a dental appointment.
Apparently lost, she turned onto an
unimproved road and drove up to a
cabin.
According to the sheriff, three or
four men ran from the cabin and fled
into nearby woods. Another man went
to a 1966 white Chevrolet parked in the
driveway and brought out a gun and
advanced toward Mrs. Nicholson.
Mrs. Nicholson rolled up the window
and locked herself in. and the man
pointed the gun at her and threatened
to kill her if she did not open the door.
Mrs. Nicholson complied and the man
forced her into the cabin where he
attempted to rape her. The woman
resisted, and was pistol whipped in the
face. The man then placed a pillow over
her face and fired several shots in the
room before firing a shot which struck
the woman in the right side of the head.
The assailant drove off in Mrs.
Nicholson's car, and the woman
managed to walk to Highway 211,
about a half a mile away, and fagged
down an unidentified (ruck driver who
picked her up.
Trooper C.A. Bennett, who was
patrolling the highway, was stopped by
the truck driver. Bennett transported
her to Raeford Medical Clinic and she
was taken from there to Cape Fear
Valley Hospital in Fayet teville.
Barrington said the white Chevrolet
left at the scene was filled with property
removed from the cabin. The vehicle has
been impounded and SBI agents
conducted an examination for
fingerprints and other evidence.
Charged with felonious breaking and
entering and larceny are James F.
McNair, 28, Bruce Leonard King. 19.
Curtis A. Hills. 21. and Dwight Graham.
2.', all of Rt. 3. Raeford. The sheriff
said an investigation is underway for
possible other charges.
More arrests are imminent in the case,
the sheriff added.
Bids Opened
Bids were opened Tuesday by the
Board of Education for the work on
some of the additions planned at Hoke
High and Scurlock and West Hoke
Schools and officials were pleased with
a total cost figure lower than estimated
Superintendent Raz Autry said the
low bids on actual costs of media center
for each of the three schools and
another nine classrooms at Scurlock
were SI.054.126. Fees and other
contingencies will add another
$105,000. bringing the total to
SI. 151.526.
Autry said these improvements are to
be financed by state funds channelled to
the county, and are not related to the
revenue from the upcoming sale of the
SI .25 million school bonds.
Because of the reduction in the
anticipated costs, the shcool will have
an extra S89.000 left over of the state
money for use on the next project, he
said.
Autry noted the timing of these
expenditures is resulting in considerable
savings.
"A year ago. this would have cost
S250.000 more", he said
The bids accepted by the school
board were announced as general
Sec BIDS, page 11
Council Meets
Monday Night
The next regular meeting of the city
council will be Monday at 7:30 P.M.
Bids for the roofing of the city hall
building are scheduled to be opened.
The council members are expected to
pass a resolution recommending a
merger of regions H, M, and N to
support the formation of a joint health
region.
Also on the order of business is a
discussion of the Powell Bill allocation.