<~Vleiv<!> - journal
The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXVIII NO. 8 RAEFORD. HOKE COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA SS PER YEAR THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 197S
Around
Town
BY SAM C. MORRIS
Foi the past two years during the
school session Terri Tucker has been
writing the Hoke Highlights for the
paper. She was in the 1975
graduating class and will not be with
us next year. Terri has done a fine
job and we appreciate the work she
did.
1 don't know what Terri's future
plans are but all at the paper wish for
her the very best in the years ahead.
Thanks Terri.
A couple of weeks ago we wrote in
this column about the tomatoes
growing in a potato vine. This past
week Linda Scott brought in a vine
with a potato as the roots and what
looks like tomatoes growing on the
vine.
The plant was grown on the farm
of Metrah Spencer of Ashley Heights.
Both Scott and Spencer are
employees of Raeford Plumbing &
Heating Co.
The picture below shows the
potato and tomatoes.
! asked Wendell Young, farm
agent, about this and he stated that it
was seeds growing on the vine and
not tomatoes. Ken McNeill, local
front porch farmer, concurs with
what Young says.
Now Robert Gatlin, gentleman
gardener and Clayton Buoyer, local
expert, stale that they haven't ever
seen anything like this in all their
years of gardening.
I don't have anything to add to
the above, but would be glad for
someone to clear up the matter.
Stranger things titan this have
happened.
The following letter was left on
my desk last week by Robert Gatlin.
Read the letter and if you have any
information be sure to send it to
Gatlin.
Dear Sam,
I just wanted to say thank you to
Mrs. Flora Johnson Lee, a resident of
New York, but spending the summer
with her brother, Pat Johnson, in
Montana. I had written Mr. Pat
Johnson, who, with his sister Mrs.
-Lee were Hoke County citizens,
about a history of the Johnson
family and Philippi Church, This
week I received a complete history of
both and it will make a contribution
to our documents on file for the
heritage room in the new
bicentennial library.
This sort of information is very
desirable and anyone having an
authentic history of a Hoke County
family, business, church, etc. should
forward a copy of the same to me for
permanent recordation.
Thanks also to the Philippi
Homemakers Club for inviting me to
talk to them last Monday night about
heritage during the bicentennial. I
was impressed with the devotional
opening of their meeting presided
over by Mrs. Rogers.
Robert Gatlin
* ? *
This letter is self-explanatory:
Dear Sam:
This is late, but 1 think you
already known how much we, here at
Raeford Elementary School,
appreciate you and your staffs
cooperation when we call upon you.
As ever you all have been most
See AROUND TOWN, page 11
DIDNT IT HAlL?-Johnny Boyles points out hail damage estimated at
$12,000 caused during last week's storm. This field off N.C. 211 was
one of the most heavily damaged in the county, farm agent Wendell
Young reported. Most fields that were struck suffered about three to
five per cent damage. Young said. Some losses in corn were caused by
the storm, he said.
Council Ups Sewer Rate To 100%,
Wrestles With Salaries Hike Bid
The city council raised the water
and sewer rate to 100 per cent in an
effort to increase revenues in next
year's budget, and then spent most
of their public hearing Thursday
wrestling with a request from city
employees for restoration of the five
per cent cost of living raises.
The move to increase the sewer
rate was carried unanimously by tire
council. City manager John Gaddy
calculated the increase would
generate $80,000, including surplus,
to next year's fund.
The action is a boost from tire
present 75% rate city customers have
been paying as sewer charges, and
next year's bills for sewer and water
will be identical.
Gaddy announced the city had
received approval of a federal grant
for street and drainage repairs. About
$60,000 in federal funds and
$21,000 from the state is to be spent
with the city's share of $15,000.
The announcement of the grant
award sparked criticism by
councilman Sam C. Morris, who told
Gaddy "You can find money for
that, but not for raising salaries."
The bid for a five per cent pay
hike for city employees was
presented to the council in a letter
signed by city tax collector Hetty
Smith, finance officer Helen
Huffman, and personnel and
purchasing clerk Rhonda Cameron.
The employees claimed a five per
Inflation Hits
Court, Jails
As the cost of living increases, so
will the cost of going to court and
going to jail, as fees go up effective
July 1.
There is no change in Superior
court criminal cases, but costs for
district court cases will go from SI6
to $25 under the new law ratified by
the legislature last Friday.
The daily jail fee has been raised,
from $3 to $5.
New citation forms listing the
higher fees will not be available
before Sept. I. and court officials
acknowledged "there are bound to
be mix - ups and irate citizens" when
officers change the S16 to $25 on
the forms.
cent pay hike would amount to a
little less than SI3,000, and that the
fund balance left over from this
year's budget could absorb tire cost.
Caddy disputed the claim, telling
council members tire fund balance
has already been appropriated for
next year, and pay raises would have
to raise the tax rate. Caddy put the
total cost of pay increases at
SI 6.000
Mayor John K. McNeill asked
what the increase in the lax rate
would be if salary increases were
made, but Gaddy said he would have
to calculate it and report the figure
later.
Opposition to a tax hike was
voiced by councilman Graham Clark.
"We've raised the sewer rate and
I'm not raising the tax rate," Clark
said.
The hoard discussed possible
budget cuts which could be made to
fund the salary request, but Caddy
disagreed.
"It's (the budget) set as close as I
can do it. If we're going to build
Raeford and get in on these federal
projects and all, we've got to have
the money and we won't have it if
we cut here, and cut there," Gaddy
declared.
Police chief Leonard Wiggins
argued for a raise in his department
for patrolmen and dispatchers.
"I've got dispatchers trying to
support a family on $2.50 an hour," ?
Wiggins told the council.
Wiggins followed the recent lead
of Sheriff D.M. Barrington and
suggested the amount of any pay
raise for police chief be distributed
among the department.
A proposal for a three per cent
increase in city salaries was discussed,
but no formal motion was made.
Gaddy was requested to study the
budget to see if a 3 per cent increase
could be put in, and report his
findings at the next council meeting,
set for June 26 at 8 p.m.
A three-member group supporting
the Bicentennial library project was
successful ip a bid to shift $5,000 of
the city's appropriation for next year
out of the building fund and into
operating expenses.
The council voted to split the
$10,000 earmarked for the library
after hearing the views of Mrs. Lee
Cameron, Mrs. Charles Hostetler, and
Mrs. J.L. McNeill, but members
issued a warning the city would fund
no more of the library after next
year.
D.A., SBI Making
City Garage Check
An investigation by the district
attorney's office into operations at
the municipal garage was begun
Monday following allegations that
city manager John Caddy had
misused city property.
Assistant district attorney Duncan
McFadyen confirmed Tuesday that
the investigation by SB) agents was
continuing. Already severj persons
have been questioned.
The city council decided to look
into charges by a former city
employee made last week to The
News-Journal. Councilman Sam
Morris, who is also general manager
of The News-Journal, and
Councilman Benny McLeod began
the inquiry Friday after reporters
started checking claims of losses at
the garage.
On Thursday, Billy Barefoot, who
worked at the city maintenance
garage from February, 1970 until
April of this year, accused Caddy of
billing the city for an automobile
engine and having work done on his
personal vehicle that was billed to
the city. Barefoot said he knew of
other losses that had occurred at the
garage.
Gaddy said Tuesday that he was
not i nvolved in any
misappropriations. "I don't know
why he is saying these things to hurt
me and my family" Gaddy said.
"What he's doing is accusing me of
the same things that he has been
doing."
Gaddy said that Barefoot resigned
in April after garage supervisor David
Scull uncovered evidence that
Barefoot had bought parts for his
personal vehicle and had charged the
costs to a city water truck. The parts
amounted to about S87,Gaddy said.
"Everybody who works for the
city knows what's going on, but
nobody will talk.". Barefoot said.
Barefoot said Bullard's charge that
six large truck tires disappeared from
the garage in March was correct.
"(City manager) Gaddy said they
were put on a truck, but I was there
and they were not put on a truck.
They were stolen", Barefoot said.
"One of the workers noticed the
tires were gone, and he wanted to
call the police. 1 told him before you
do that, check with John Gaddy,
he knows where they are", Barefoot
said.
"He came back and said 'You were
right, Gaddy bought them for a
friend? 1 told him there'd be a lot of
things you'll find out if you work
here".
'Makes Me Mad'
"This is what makes me so mad. I
spent five years working for the city
of Raeford, and my only fault was
finding out what was going on. I
couldn't help it, because 1 handled
the maintenance bills and 1 saw it".
"I'll go down there to "city hall
with anybody and pull the bills if
they'll let me. I can show you
exactly what is what, and the
numbers of the trucks."
"I can prove it, if city hall doesn't
bum down, or he doesn't destroy the
records".
Barefoot said the first thing he
noticed was about four years ago.
"They've got it listed down there
for a 327 Chevrolet engine going into
a Ford truck. That truck has the
same engine it always had. That
engine went into a red '67 Chevy
Nomad, which was Caddy's son's
car."
Barefoot said about six months
ago there was a maintenance order
for work from the Red Springs
Motors Co. and he said the work was
not for a city vehicle, but it was done
on a pickup truck Caddy's son
drives.
Referring to the same pickup.
Barefoot estimated about $550 ot
city money was used to fix the
vehicle before its sale.
"I remember one order for $399,
then it went about another $25 or so
for miscellaneous stuff. I'd say labor
would come to about SI25."
"1 was just finishing it up when
Chris (Gaddy) came in and put the
tags on it. I looked at the registration
and it was 'John Caddy'
"About a week after that, Gaddy
says to me, I sold it to Gene Thacker,
and Chris bought it from him".
"It's not true. The very day we
backed it out of there, the name on
the registration was John Gaddy".
Barefoot said he was told to do
work on Caddy's own truck.
"Gaddy paid for tlie parts as far as
1 know, but he told me 'when you
have time', do the work. I overhauled
the engine, I'd say me and David
(Lunsford) spent about eight hours
on that".
Barefoot said Gaddy had city
workers use one of the city trucks to
do personal work for Giddy.
"1 was letting him keep his rabbit
dogs at my place, and Gaddy wanted
his pen moved from William Grace's
to my place. He had a street
department truck came in, and me,
David (Lunsford) Dewey Inman,
there was about six of us, we had to
stop what we were doing, go out
there, dig it up, load it on the truck
and carry it out to my place and set
it up.", Barefoot related.
"That took about half a day of
city time".
"After I quit, I told him to come
and get it. I wasn't home, but the
people that were there told me it was
a city truck that came and got it."
Barefoot claimed Gaddy had
charged the city expenses for a trip
to the Institute of Government at
Chapel Hill, but Gaddy never made
the trip.
"Along in January, something like
the 14th, 15th, or 16th, you can
check, Gaddy got the money from
the girl in the office. I heard it was
$100." Barefoot said.
"They, Gaddy and some others,
spent the time going hunting. 1 know
he was not at Chapel Hill", Barefoot
said.
Disgusted
Barefoot said he left the job
because he had become disgusted,
and he said Gaddy wanted "to get rid
of me".
"What it all boils down to, I knew
so much sluff on him. he had to get
rid of me. He made it so tough for
me. I just quit".
Barefoot related the
circumstances.
"I was already peeved about the
tires, and I just up and quit."
Continued on page 11
A&R Depot To Close
Plans to close the A&R depot in
Raeford have been announced by
Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad
president Willard Formyduval.
In a notice posted on the station
door. Formyduval said the railroad
would apply to the state utilities
commission sometime between June
26 and July 6 to close the agency in
Raeford.
Hoke customers would then be
served by a mobile agent.
Formyduval explained, using a radio
equipped car to call at the user's
firms.
The station itself will be
maintained, he said, for other train
service.
"We certainly aren't going to
abandon the facility," Formyduval
said. "We're going to keep it in line
with the rest of the community."
The recently planted flower
garden would also be maintained,
although, he said, many of the plants
have already died.
Formyduval said he called
personally on railroad users in
Raeford and that no one had
objected to the elimination of the
agent here.
"We hate to take this economic
step," he said. "Bui our business in
the Raeford area has deteriorated to
about one car per day."
Mrs. Truman Austin. A&R agent
since 1965, is presently on vacation.
Sidewalk Sale
Set July 5
Raeford merchants will hold their
third annual sidewalk sale on July 5.
Most stores will be closed for the
Fourth of July, Raeford Merchants'
Association announced.
James Wood, formerly
vice-president, was appointed acting
president upon the resignation of
Paul Solomon, whose store is moving
to another city.
IJBRAK Y IN USh'.-Construction of the new library at Hoke High is moving ahead of schedule, although it is not quite
as far along as student Dave Barrington seems to be indicating. The building is now scheduled for completion Jan. I,
and will serve 1,500 students with 30,000 volumes. Costs are $301,139.01.