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The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXVHINO. 11 RAEFORD. HOKE COUNTY. NORTH C AROLIN A SS PER YE VR THURSDAY. JULY 17. 1975
Around
Town
BY SAM C MORRIS
Last week I stated in this column
about some much needed rain having
fallen a few days before the paper
came out. This much needed rain has
now turned the state almost into a
flood area. I don't know how bad
crops are damaged, but a story
should appear elsewhere in the paper.
I do know that every year during
the Softball tournament play, that it
has been very wet during the time.
hk>w this district tournament play
sftrts next Monday night at Armory
Park. So, if things go as usual, the
rain is not over yet.
Twice in this column I have
commented about a plant that had
both potatoes and tomatoes on it.
There was some disagreement about
what the fruit called tomatoes was.
Some said they were seeds and not
tomatoes.
This week Eunice Roper of
Raeford settled the tomato-potato
controversy with true evidence.
A magazine advertising a plant
that grew tomatoes and potatoes on
the same vine invited you to amaze
your friends by growing them
together. Anyone may order the
seeds from a nursery.
Now, if this doesn't convince you,
then come by the office and I will
show you the advertisement and a
picture of the plant.
I know the readers of this paper
will miss Laurie Telfair and will hope
for her much success in whatever
crosses her path in die years ahead.
Laurie will move with her family to
Texas to join her husband who will
be stationed there. Major Telfair has
been on a tour of duty in Thailand
for the past year. Laurie will leave
from Fayetteville the first of August.
This is the second farewell to
Laurie and. who knows, she might
turn back up in this area again. If so,
a desk seems to be open anytime she
returns.
Dayna Pate, publicity chairmai
for tjie groundbreaking for the nev
library, was by the office recentl;
and stated that the big day would b
Friday, August 8. Plans are underwa;
to make this a big event. Man;
political leaders and other dignitarie
have been invited.
A brief ceremony will be held a
the courthouse at I I o'clock tha
morning before going to die library
site for the groundbreaking.
Everyone in the county is invited
and the Bicentennial chairmen. Mr
and Mrs. Carson Davis, are hoping fo
a large crowd.
Aberdeen Coca-Cola Bottling Co
will give free Cokes to everyone dia
attends the groundbreaking.
The date is not too far off. si
mark it on your calendar. Thn
newspaper will keep you informed a:
the plans are finalized.
WELCOMED - Farm agent Wendell Young (left) welcomes new assistant agent
Fred O 'Neal, who assumed his duties Monday.
Extension Agent Named
Fred O'Neal joined the county
extension service Monday as assistant
farm agent.
A native of Hyde County, O'Neal
was graduated from Mattamuskeet
High School and attended the
College of Albemarle for two years
He transferred to North Carolina
State University in Raleigh and will
receive his degree in agricultural
education this year.
O'Neal. 22. will specialize in
livestock work here and direct the
4-H programs.
A bachelor, he is re-locating in
Raeford.
Social Services Hit
With Two Lawsuits
The Hoke county department of
social services and its director.
Benjamin O. Niblock. have been sued
in federal court by a woman who
claims public assistance benefits for
herself and five children were
illegally terminated and the
department denied her a hearing to
appeal the termination.
Two suits were filed last week in
U.S. District Court in Greensboro by
Mrs. Pearlie O. Locklear, Rt. 1. Red
Springs, for herself and on behalf of
her grandchildren by Iter attorney
Philip Diehl.
In her petition, Mrs. Locklear
requests benefits for herself and her
two children, and for three
grandchildren placed in her care, be
re-instated. No punitive damages are
requested.
The family was receiving about
$250 monthly in benefits through
AFDC (Aid to Families with
Dependent Children), food stamps,
and Medicaid programs.
Niblock declined any comment on
the action, saying it would be
inappropriate to discuss it at this
time.
Mrs. Locklear contends her
grandchildren, placed in her care by
the Robeson county department of
social services following their
mother's death, received a S1.444
lump sum payment from the Social
Security Administration after
approval of their father's disability
claim award in May. The same
month, the Hoke social services
office notified her that her aid would
be terminated May 31.
The suits contend the Social
Security payment was for the use
and benefit of Mrs. Locklear's
grandchildren only, and termination
of benefits to the woman and her
children was unlawful.
Sole income for the household
now is $80 in monthly payments for
die grandchildren from the disability
award, according to the petition
Mrs. Locklear is unemployed.
The petition furthct alleges that
Mrs. Locklear gave verbal and written
notice ol her desire to appeal ii .
decision, but that no hearing was
afforded her.
According to the petition. Mrs.
Locklear was unaware of the
application tor the disability claim,
and when she reported the payment
to the social services department,
caseworker C. Mckoy subjected her
to "demeaning and derogatory
accusations."
The agency has 20 days under the
law to file a response to the
allegations in the suits, which were
filed July H.
Leave Policy Okayed,
Then Nixed By HEW
The board of education adopted a
.maternity leave policy for school
faculty at their July 7 meeting and
Superintendent of Schools G. Raz
Autry later said the policy would not
be permitted and recommended the
board rescind it.
The board had adopted a policy
which requires a teacher on
maternity leave remain on leave the
entire semester, but Thursday Autry
said Title IX amendments to the Civil
Rights Act which are going into
effect would prohibit such a
stipulation.
"I asked Bill Moses (school board
attorney) if it would be all right and
he said yes," Autry said.
"On Wednesday it comes in the
mail, and it's not all right at all", he
said, referring to Health, Education
and Welfare (HEW) guidelines.
Autry said the purpose of the
policy was designed to protect
youngsters from having to adjust to a
teacher returning at the very end of a
t semester just before exams.
He cited an example of a teacher
who was on leave at the beginning of
a term and returned after Christmas
for the final two weeks.
The text of the policy the board
adopted is:
It shall be the responsibility of the
teacher to make written request for
such leave to their principal. The
principal will give the request to the
superintendent who shall grant or
reject the request. If the request
seems unreasonable, the
superintendent shall bring the
request to the attention of the Hoke
County Board of Education for
action.
A teacher on a maternity leave
shall be required to take leave for the
entire semester, a period of four and
one half months. If a teacher
requests a maternity leave during a
semester that would run into the
second semester, she shall be
required to remain out the entire
semester
Autry said he has already
recommended to the board the
second paragraph be deleted, and the
board is expected to do so. he said.
In other business, the board
approved hiring two additional
teachers.
Dan McLeod will leach a special
education class at Hoke High, and
Karen Crumpton was approved as
librarian at Scurlock Elementary,
Autry said.
\lii had Steadman
Reporter
Joins N-J
Michael Steadman has joined the
staff of The News-Journal as a
reporter-photographer.
Steadman is a Raeford native and
attended Hoke County High School
He received a B.A. degree with a
major in English and a minor in
journalism from East Carolina
University. While there he was a
feature writer for the Kountainhcad.
the school paper of ECU.
Rose's Office
Here Saturday
The mobile office of Congressman
Charlie Rose will be al the Raeford
post office Saturday from 10 A M to
3 P.M.
Rip Collins. Rose's administrative
assistant, will be on hand.
"Worsl It Has Been'
Rain Threatens Crop
Bicentennial Day Aug. 8
U.S. Senator Robert Morgan and
Congressman Charles G. Rose 111
have been invited to the special
Bicentennial observance here next
month, in recognition of Hoke
County as a Bicentennial community
and to break the first ground at the
site of the Bicentennial Library.
August 8 is the date, Bicentennial
co-chairman Mrs. Carson Davis, Jr..
announced.
State Senator Luther Britt and
Representatives Joy Johnson, David
Viet Refugees
Apply For Aid
Two Vietnamese refugee families
living here have applied for aid with
the department of social services,
director Benjamin O. Niblock
disclosed Friday.
Niblock said the two families, who
he refused to identify, have applied
for food stamps and also for AFDC
benefits (Aid to Families with
Dependent Children).
"Need is the only criteria for
establishing eligibility," Niblock said,
referring to the refugees. One food
stamp application has already been
processed, he said.
One Vietnamese family is
reportedly sponsored by a
Lieutenant Colonel at Ft. Bragg, who
located housing for the family here.
Niblock said that the federal
government will be re-imbursing
localities, at least for the nest 12
months, to1 public 0 h
pa' , to Vietnamese refugee
Library Bids
Opening Today
Construe!ion bids on the new
library building will be opened at .>
P.M. today (Thursday) in the
conference room of the courthouse
annex.
The bids will be announced b>
Hayes and Howell Associates.
Southern Pines architectural firm.
August S is set as the date for a
ground breaking ceremony at the
Main Street and Donaldson Avenue
sue. v
Two Deputy
Jobs Vacant
Another opening for a deputy in
the sheriffs department was made
last week after a job shift. Sheriff
D M. Barrington announced.
Deputy Henry Bowcn resigned Ins
post to he assigned as jailer, filling an
existing vacancy for a jailer.
Barrington said.
The hiring of one more depni\
was approved for the 1975-76
budget, and Bowen'saction results m
two vacancies for deputy.
Starting salary for Hoke county
deputies is $7,000.
Parnell and Henry Oxendine have
also been asked to attend.
Hector McLean, a Bicentennial
state chairman, is expected.
A ceremony is scheduled on tire
courthouse lawn where the official
Hag designating the county as a
Bicentennial community will be
unfurled. Mayor John K. McNeill will
deliver the welcome, and chairman of
the county commissioners. Ralph
Barnhart, will formally accept the
Hag for the county.
Rev, John C. Ropp of the Raeford
Presbyterian Church will conduct a
prayer.
At II a.m.. the Bicentennial
library committee will preside over
the groundbreaking ceremony at the
Main Street and Donaldson Avenue
site of the future library.
The Raeford Woman's Club will
host an old fashioned luncheon,
following the ceremony, at the
Raeford Presbyterian Church. About
150 people, representing churches,
civic and community organizations,
and elected officials and their wives,
will be guests.
Airport Panel
Eyeing County
Tax Dollars
In their regular meeting
Wednesday night last week, the
airport committee made several
suggestions, including a proposal the
countv rc-imburse the utv taxes paid
by piiuc wi'c-s. ..*i v' unsg o
minutes of the meeting.
J he county's lack of paiticipation
in operations at the airport was cited
for the idea. Airport manager John
(iaddy made no estimate ol the
amount of taxes involved, nut
calculated the tuxes on some planes
to be m the Slol)-17u range. About
50 planes are at the airport.
The committee reported the
misuse of the transient area on the
apron. An airciaft bad been on the
transient area for three weeks, (.adds
said he did not know who owned the
plane, but he discussed it with Gene
Thacker and the plane was later
moved.
It was recommended that Raeford
Aviation use their leased property for
jump plane loading
I he airport committee also
recommended tic-downs be installed
on the dirt area and a fee of $5 per
month be charged !<>i tie-down in
this area.
The committee requested the city
council make an effort to obtain a
new lease tor the Raeford Aviation
operation.
The uirpoit committee also
recommended the possibility of
lengthening the landing strip with
necessary iightmg be looked into.
Also the possibility of the
installations ol a non-direciional
beacon should be checked.
The i ceo mine nd at ions are
expected to be brought up at the city
council's next tegular meeting.
The heavy rainfall whieh h-,.
battered Raeford in ihe past week
may threaten the county's tobacco
tow?tlf.rTCrS.are faC'ng sizeable
-rft & Sf'?
"iKlniphi Tuesday, bu, ,hr i?,? ?f
cloudy'skies! ?f "? -* ^
?/^yl,,oZnpobu; TfUi3
brou^anofhr^fcoU-?
y .m"re Precipitation Monday.
A heavy downnour began Tuesdav
aMernoon about 1:30, and bv4 pjn
farm agent Wendell Young said
,'! 11 continues," Young said "it
and ofhe,'0 lhe P?im thal tobacco,
? OIhe' crops, could drown or
suffocate because of the water
around the roots. In essence it iraini
actually cuts off the oxygen supply "
Another two or three inches and
shape, he saiif* CT?PS "re"y bad
rbe |Th,'S ls "ie Worsl " has been in
h-e^las, year, and.t couidge, worse."
townships and some growers^
townsliip m the Allendale
some^r'^-h-cco with
^^ab-a^?r
wa^nm " ?'\ Tuesday- 'here
figure yet. ' *"* a;' J tual dol>a<
,j|Par''cularly hard h,t could be the
o an aT ^ck
an jtJcquaic drainage system
Noting pointed out. system,
Tlie record rainfall followed i
prolonged dry period from June "
Jhrough last Thursday, in which only
IXZSZS """ -
Youth Dies
Of Injuries
A fifteen year - old hadlv hurt in a
s? miming accident ai ' Rockfilh
Jacobs, an Upchurch school
.tudent last year, was swimming with
lac"bs WJS 'hC S,>" ?f Mrs Nellie
The creek, which is often used for
iwimming. is no, regarded as safe
tecause of hiter and debris
W.K Morgan .ecreat,on director
vale, " ,hC 'h'ctuation of the
asr"** ????*?-??
MAIL CALL? - This mailbox appeared last week next to the A A R tracks, two weeks after the closing of the depot,
although it is not entirely clear just what bctx number, or what route, for that matter, is here.