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The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXVII NO. 52 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA S5 PER YEAR THURSDAY, MAY 1. 1975
Around
Town
BY SAM C. MORRIS
The Hoke County Historical
Association met last Thursday night in
the Fellowship Hall of the Raeford
Presbyterian Church. The meeting was
well attended and the program was
presented by Mr. and Mrs. Carson Davis,
Jr., who are the Hoke County
Bicentennial co-chairmen.
They turned the program over to Mrs.
Ruth McEachern who presented slides
of historical homes in Hoke County.
Mrs. McEachern gave a description of
each house and other very timely
comments. Everyone seemed to enjoy
the program very much.
J.H. Blue, Jr., volunteered to look
into having historical markers placed at
a number of places in Hoke County.
In the business meeting before the
program, six directors were elected.
Also, it was brought out that the fall
meeting would be a tour over the
county of many historical places.
The one-way traffic for Elwood
Avenue has now been in effect for a
month and a half. I have heard very
little, if any, bad comments about the
change. At first the change gave the
policemen a hard time but now very few
cars are seen going the wrong way. As
soon as the lines are marked on the
street, I believe most of the problems
will be solved.
Sam Snead of Bonneau, S.C., was by
the office last week for a visit. He had
read in this column about needing some
addresses for the class of 1934 and was
good enough to supply same. He said
that he was looking forward to the
reunion and seeing all his old classmates.
The article in last week's paper about
attendance at the baseball games, when
the team is leading the conference, at
first leaves the impression that most
people don't care about baseball
anymore. This could be true, but the
major leagues, years ago, went to night
baseball to increase attendance, and I
believe that more people would attend
the games here if they were played at
night.
Of course, school officials must have
good reasons for wanting the park
moved to the high school grounds.
Anyway, most night sports like football
and basketball are well attended, so
don't condemn the fans until you are
sure they can get to the park at the time
games are played.
The flag now flying each day at City
Hall was sent to Chief of Police Leonard
Wiggins at the request of Congressman
Charlie Rose from the office of
maintenance of the Capitol in
Washington. This flag flew over the
Capitol on April 18, 1975, and was sent
to the chief a few days later. Also, there
was a certificate that tells of the date
that the flag flew. If you would like to
see it I know that Zeke would be glad to
show the certificate to you.
I will add a thank you to the
Congressman.
One thing you wait for after a paper
comes off the press is to see if anyone
finds any mistakes. At our office this
comes on Thursday and with a weekly
paper after that day you can expect that
everything is all right.
Now, on a daily paper, this comes
seven days a week, that is, if they get
calls like weekly papers.
I noticed in a paper this week that a
feature story concerning an old timer.
Moses Melvin, had a picture with the
story and the cutline read "Moses
Malone". Maybe the writer was a
basketball fan, as well as a feature
writer.
Anyway, mistakes are made by all.
BUILDING FUNDS - A $6,000 donation from Burlington to the Bicentennial library fund is accepted Tuesday by elated
library committee members. Mrs. Lee Cameron and Mrs. J.M. Andrews receive the check from Jack Bradford, plant manager of
Burlington Apparel Fabrics Raeford plant and Gilbert Bernhardt, plant manager of Burlington Apparel Fabrics Dyeing plant.
The money, the second remainder of a $12,000 pledge to the library, was donated now, Bradford said, because the community
has worked so hard to raise its portion. Work is expected to get underway soon.
J. D. Thigpen
New Trooper
Assigned Here
Highway Patrol Trooper J.D. Thigpen
has been assigned to duty in Hoke
County.
He is replacing Trooper E.W. Coen,
who was transferred recently to
Rockingham.
Thigpen, a native of Maxton, joined
the Patrol last April and has been
assigned for the past six months to the
Governor's mansion.
He is a graduate of Maxton High
School and attended Pembroke State
University.
Fund Drive
To Begin
A door-to-door canvass for the Hoke
County cancer drive will be held the
week of May 4 ? 10, sponsored by the
Raeford Junior Woman's Club.
Information pamphlets including the
warning signals of cancer will be left at
each home.
Kicking off the cancer campaign on
May 2 will be the benefit dinner at 6:30
at the high school cafeteria and gym.
Tickets for the turkey dinner are still
available at $3.50 for adults and $1.50
for students and may be purchased by
calling Mrs. Allen F.dwards at 875-4565
evenings.
Guest speaker will be Albert Long,
evangelist from Durham. The Hoke High
Otorale will perform following the
dinner.
Harrington Denies Allegations
In Prisoner's *300,000 Lawsuit
Allegations made by a Central Prison
inmate seeking $300,000 in damage
from Sheriff DX. Barrington in a
lawsuit were denied in a written
response filed last Thursday.
Barrington's attorney. Palmer
Will cox, also requested the court to
dismiss the suit on the grounds the
complaint fails to state a claim on which
damages can be awarded.
The lawsuit, filed by William F.
White, convicted of the June 6, 1974
robbery of the Hoke ABC store, also
names former District Attorney Jack
Thompson, Superior Court Judge
Donald L. Smith, and defense attorney
DoranJ.Berry as co-defendants.
In a handwritten petition filed in
federal district court in Raleigh earlier
this month, White alleges that
Barrington kidnapped him at gunpoint,
arrested him and searched him without
a warrant, and failed to advise him of
his legal rights, In addition to other
alleged violations of his civil rights.
New Fire Door
Well Broken In
The new, modern overhead door at
the city fire department got a thorough
breaking in Friday, barely a day after its
installation.
From piecing together information,
the scenario early Friday morning went
something like this when the fire alarm
sounded and the action began.
The new door failed to open
completely, an act apparently unnoticed
by the driver of the first truck out, and
the door was smartly banged by tire
truck as it roared out, jamming it.
Firefighters manning the second
truck fought the balky door alongside
Police chief Leonard Wiggins,
attempting to raise it with some
determined wrestling. The secong truck
then sped away, tearing the door as it
left.
City Manager John Gaddy put no
monetary estimate on the damage to the
door, saying simply "it bent h? out of
it".
The new door was a special size, he
said, and a replacement will have to
ordered from the factory.
New Number
For Sheriff
All calls to the sheriff's
department must be dialed through
875-51 1 1, Sheriff D.M. Barrington
reported.
Two additional lines were
installed recently that
automatically relay from 5-5111.
875-2844. which had been a
second number, is no longer in
service, he said.
Joseph Carver
Postmaster
Takes Over
Joseph D. Carver has been named
postmasler for the Raeford Post Office,
officials announced last week.
Carver assumed his new duties
effective April 25.
A career employee. Carver began as a
city carrier at Fayetteville in 1963. He
later was promoted to carrier technician
and acting foreman. From 1971-1973
he was postmaster at Vass, and then
returned to Fayetteville as manager of
the Futaw Postal Station.
Carver is currently studying at
Fayetteville State University and
expects to receive a degree in business
administration this fall.
Carver and his wife. Diana Victoria,
reside with their three children in Hope
Mills.
Superior Court Underway
Man Not Guilty In Driving Cases
A Rt. I man was found not guilty of
drunken driving and driving while
license permanently revoked in
Superior Court here Monday following a
long jury trial.
Ledbetter Jacobs Jr., Rt. I, Box
77-A. was appealing a December 1974
District Court conviction in which he
was sentenced to an active 18-month
term.
Members of the jury were Jack
Mansfield, Mary M. Ray, Effie E.
Purcell, Sandra A. Pittman, Louise S.
McDiarmid, Sally McKenzie, James
Best, Benny McLean, L.E. McLaughlin,
Jr., Evelyn Baker, Dorothy B.
McCallum, and William E. Pope. Jr.
Jacobs was represented by public
defender Mary Ann Tally.
A second case pending against Jacobs,
for driving while license revoked, had
been scheduled for trial on Monday, but
was continued to the next term of court
following the jury's acquittals.
In other action Monday, presiding
Judge Hamilton H. Hobgood ordered a
man convicted for armed robbery back
to prison after reviewing motion for a
post conviction hearing.
Billy Ray Collins, alias James Earl
Collins, had been convicted of armed
robbery and was sentenced to 20 - 30
years in prison by Superior Court Judge
James H. Pou Bailey.
Because of an incorrect entry on a
record in die clerk's office, which
showed the defendant was convicted of
common law robbery, Collins
apparendy thought he had heen
convicted of lesser crime and had
grounds to have his sentence reduced.
Also on Monday, Richard Lee Smith,
slated for final judgment for wordiless
checks, failed to appear and a capias was
issued. Smith was free on bond.
A capias was also issued for James E.
Bordeaux, charged with breaking and
entering and larceny, after Bordeaux's
Rape, Burglary
Charges Filed
A 17 - year ? old unemployed
Raeford man was arrested on a charge
of rape after a warrant was sworn out
by the alleged victim April 21.
Jerry Shaw. Rt. 3, Raeford, was also
charged with first degree burglary by
sheriffs deputies in connection with the
alleged assault on Estelle Rogers, 62,
April 20 at her home.
Shaw appeared in District Court
Friday for a preliminary hearing but the
case was continued until legal counsel
could be appointed.
Shaw's bond was set at SI0,000 on
each charge.
defense attorney told the court he
didn't know the whereabouts of the
defendant.
On Tuesday, more capiases were
ordered issued when defendants failed
to appear.
Failing to appear when called were
Rita Fayc Chavis, charged with forgery,
and uttering forged check; Harold Dean
James, scheduled to be tried for driving
under the influence and also
transporting alcoholic beverages with
broken seal in car; Dwight McLean,
charged with assault with a deadly
weapon with intent to kill (ADWITK);
and Thadious Jones, charged with
discharging firearms into occupied
property.
The state entered a nol pros, or
declined to prosecute, in the case of
Sec COURT, page 15
At Hoke High
Budget Time:
Costs Are Up
Budget requests totaling $1,140,042 have been received by the
county board of commissioners at budget hearings held recently.
In addition to these requests, which make up the general fund, the
school system has asked for $652,973.75 in county revenue.
Last year, the final budget, excluding school funds, amounted to
$1,063,851 and the schools received $712,084.20 from county taxes.
When the tentative budget is completed, probably next week, it will
be available for public inspection for 20 days and then a public hearing
will be held before the final budget is adopted. The tax rate is not set
until the final budget is approved.
However, County Auditor T.B. Lester said he isn't far enough along
in compiling the tentative budget to even speculate on the tax rate this
year.
First, he said, he must add in all the other revenue the county will
receive during the year.
"The difference between the other revenue and the budget
determines the tax rate," he explained.
Last year, the tax rate was 80 cents on every $100 valuation. This
was a reduction from the $1.47 cent rate of the previous year, but
comparisons are difficult because taxes were based on 100 per cent
valuations for the first time. Before the law changed last year, taxes
were based on 65 per cent valuation.
Lester said that 60.46 per cent of the tax rate goes to schools and
39.54 goes to the general fund.
Salaries Up
Contributing to the higher budget requests this year are increased
allocations for travel and utilities and a five per cent salary raise for
county employees.
Funds requested for the governing body this year are $18,226, up
from $16,090 last year. Most of the increase comes in travel expenses,
with $ 1,500 planned this year compared with the $400 in the budget for
travel last year.
Lester said that the expansion of Lumber River Council of
Governments, headquartered in Lumberton, has accounted for the
additional travel. Usually several trips a week to Lumberton are
necessary.
A raise in election board salaries accounts for the increase from
$14,030 last year to $17,670 this year, Lester said.
Finance department requests were up from $29,417 last year to
$32,792 this year. Salary raises and a maintenance contract on the new
computer account for the increase.
Tax listing requests are up from $31,895 last year to $34,080 this
year. Increased costs of travel and postage amount to nearly $1,000 of
the increase.
Several factors account for increases in the tax collector's budget
requests, from $24,106 last year to $27,750 this year. Professional
services, which previously have been listed elsewhere in the budget, will
amount to $1,800. Salary hikes amounting to about 11 percent are
also recommended. Lester said that salaries in that department have
been too low and that the raises were more of an adjustment than a
raise.
$10,000 For Utilities
Legal expenses are expected to remain the same as last year, $1,200
and the Register of Deeds office has requested $19,515 with increases
coming in salaries and supplies.
The request for public buildings of $57,541 includes a $10,000
increase in funds for utilities. "We don't know what is going to happen
there," Lester said.
Other increases include salary raises, provisions for hiring a new
janitor for the new building and repairs on the county's part of the
courthouse and at the health center.
The sheriff's department requests are up sharply this year from
$ 148,680 last year to $ 171,280 this year.
The requests include funds for another deputy and jailer and two
more patrol cars.
An LF.AA grant requst for a detective was turned down, Lester said,
but it has been resubmitted. Lester said he hoped the grant would be
approved this time so that county funds would not have to be
See BUDGET TIME, page 14
Bloodmobile
Tomorrow
The Bloodmobile will be al Raeford
United Methodist Church from noon to
5:30 Friday for donations.
The quarterly visit is being sponsored
by Knit-Away, however, county Red
Cross chairman Clyde Upchurch urged
support from other county residents
also.
We're trying for 120 pints, Upchurch
said, because use of blood has been
heavy.
EPA Check
The city has received a 541,500
reimbursement from the Environmental
Protection Agency for the water
treatment expansion completed in
1970.
The check received Monday is in
addition lo $140,000 reimbursement
See CHECK, page 15
Athletic Banquet May 12
The annual Hoke High School
Athletic Banquet will be held May 12
beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the high
school gym.
Awards will be given to Hoke High
men and women athletes and the Hoke
Booster Club is particularly urging
parents to attend.
Tickets, at $2.50 each, are on sale
now at Howell Drug, Hoke Drug,
Southern National Bank and Bank of
Raeford.