Board Serves Tennis Light Pact,
Recreation Department To Volley
By Mike Steadman
"The lights are fixed now, but if
they are broken again, they will not
be fixed by the Board of Education,"
said G. Raz Autry, Superintendent of
Hoke County Schools in an interview
concerning the constant vandalism of
the lights at the tennis courts in
Raeford.
Autry said that about eight years
ago two tennis courts were built by a
group of concerned citizens who
wanted to add to the recreational
facilities in Raeford.
"These two courts were lighted,
and since then the Board of
Education has added three more that
are not lighted and has toyed with
the idea of lighting them," said
Autry.
Autry said the limiting of these
courts is not the responability of the
Board of Education because the only
time that the school system uses
them in a formal capacity is for
competitive tennis on the high school
level or for physical education
courses and this type of activity
takes place during daylight hours
only.
"The charge for the lights is set up
with a coin operated machine in
which a quarter is inserted and the
lights stay on for a certain amount of
time, and this has worked fine until
about two or three years ago when
we started to have trouble with a
tremendous amount of vandalism,"
said Autry.
"People have been tearing into the
fuse box and have found out that if
they put a stick or an object of that
nature beneath the switch, it will
make them stay on indefinitely, but
doing this usually causes damage to
the box and a large repair bill results
from this," said Autry.
"The Board of Education has not
only found this to be very expensive
since they have been paying to get
the box fixed about six or seven
times a year, but have found that it
can be extremely dangerous," said
Autry.
Autry said that the Board has tried
various methods in trying to keep the
vandals out of the box, but none
have worked up to this point.
"We've tried everything but
welding the box shut, but we can't
do that because we have to get into
box from time to time for minor
repairs," said Autry.
Autry said that the tennis courts
never really paid for themselves
before the vandalisn started because
they always lost about $50 a year.
He said the bill for repairing the
broken fuse box for the first six
months of this year was already
$215.02, and the electricity bill was
$277.12, and the revenue collected
from the coin box was $183.21. This
means the Board has already lost
$308.93, since January.
Autry said that the Board is
drawing up an agreement for the
recreation department to sign, which
would make the Department liable
for any accident and responsible for
the electric bill. If signed, the Board
would put a box around the fuse box
and give the Department the key.
"We are certainly willing to work
with the recreation department, but
if they are not willing to do this, the
lights will not be fixed. We are
waiting for an answer," said Autry.
Autry pointed out that the Board
has always tried to work with the
recreation department as they lease
the ballpark to them for one dollar
per year, and provide the school
CP&L
Earnings
Carolina Power & Light Company
reported its earnings for the 12
months ending June 30 were $2.44
per share of common stock.
Although a slight increase from
die S2.25 earned for the same period
in 1974, it was down from die $2.83
earned for the corresponding 1973
period.
Net income for the 12-month
period totaled $84.5 million, up
from $66.4 million for the
corresponding period one year
earlier.
At the same time. Harris noted
that after paying dividends the
company had only $21 million of
retained earnings to apply to a $350
million annual construction program.
Commenting further on the
inadequacy of the company's
earnings, Harris said that the last
issue of bonds sold by CP&L pays 11
percent interest while earnings for
common shareholders who provide
the risk capital represented a return
on book value of only 10.7 percent
for the year just ended.
This is a major reason, Harris
believes, that common stock of
CP&L is selling for about 75 percent
of book value.
Earnings simply have to be
improved by raising rates as CP&L
has petitioned the North Carolina
Utilities Commission to do, he
declared.
CP&L now has over 83,000
shareholders, almost half of whom
are residents of tht Carolines.
VANDAL'S TARGHT-This fuse box and coin-operated light machine is the
target for vandals as they attempt to by-pass it in order to obtain more time to
play tennis at night. "The Board of Education has fixed it for the last time."
saysC. Ra2 Autry, Superintendent of Hoke County Schools.
gyms for the summer recreation
program. He added that die purpose
of the Board of Education is to
provide a program for the youngsters
of Hoke County in a school type
perspective, and that the Board is
liable for injury and feels that dtey
should not place themselves in a
position for a law suit.
"We've fixed them, just exactly
like they've been for the last eight
years with the addition of a new box
with a lock over the fuse box, but
this is the last time we'll do it," said
Autry.
Dick Lovette, co-chairman of die
recreation commission, said that
Autry had contacted him concerning
die subject.
"He proposed diis to me three
weeks ago. I took it to die recrcadon
commission and it was decided we
would request a letter. I will request
a letter from Raz with his proposal,"
said Lovette.
"The matter is out of our hands.
We arc not a negotiating committee.
We have no authority except to work
within our budget." Lovette said.
"The money for die tennis courts
was raised through solicitation and
contributions. For diem to relinquish
what they went out and solicited for.
I can't go along widi." said Lovette.
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County Board
Meets Aug. 7
The Hoke county board of
commissioners will hold their
regular monthly meeting
Thursday. August 7. instead of
Monday August 4, T.B. Lester.
Jr., announced.
The meeting is at 9 a.m. in
the courthouse annex.
Two Jailed
In Rape
Two suspects were jailed and
charged with rape in connection with
an attack on a Rt. 1 woman early
Sunday morning.
Jerry Randolph Watson, 28. and
Frank Anthony King, 16, are being
held without bond on charges of
raping Joan McNair McRae, Rt. 1.
Raeford, according to a report filed
with the sheriffs office.
The rape occurred on Lake
Elizabeth Road sometime after
midnight.
The pair was also charged with
possession of marijuana.
A preliminary hearing is set for
August 1.
No Ruling
In Air Crash
Last Week
The cause of the crash of a small
plane here last week has not yet been
determined, according to Andrew
Abernathy, an FAA official.
The plane, a Cessna 182. crashed
in a corn field near the Raeford
Airport early last week.
Abernathy said that FAA
investigators did find water in the
fuel system. He said a report would
be sent to the National
Transportation Safety Board and the
cause would be determined then. It
would probably take several months,
he said.
Pilot Don Beach and passenger Bill
Wilkinson, both of Fayettevillc.werc
not hurt in the crash, but the plane
was heavily damaged.
DA Checks Stores Here
On Advertising Claims
The consumer protection division
of tite District attorney's office has
begun a check of groceries here and
in Cumberland county after receiving
complaints about advertising
practices, it was announced Monday.
Assistant district attorney Randy
Gregory, who heads die special unit,
said die check was prompted by a
complaint about a Fayetteville
store's advertisement of a "Loss
leader", a term for a low-priced item
which is advertised in an effort to
attract customers.
Gregory said the complaint
concerned a limitation on quantities
of the item which were not specified
in die advertisement.
He also said investigators were
checking reports of advertised items
which were not available.
"At this point we have checked six
different stores in die two counties
and have found diree discrepancies
which we felt could be unfair and
deceptive trade practices",he said.
Gregory declined to identify die
stores involved by name.
"We have requested them to cease
and diey are voluntardy complying",
he added.
Gregory said one store is being
checked to determine why items are
advertised at a certain price but some
are marked at another price in the
store.
"We're attempting to determine if
die problem is just carelessness. If it
cannot be rectified, we will take
whatever action is necessary to
correct it".
No criminal actions have been
filed as yet against any of the stores,
Gregory said, but he did not rule out
the oossibilitv.
"We will continue to monitor," he
said.
Gregory said if a consumer feels an
advertisement is misleading or false,
the individual should contact die
store management first.
Complaints about deceptive
advertising should be made to die
consumer protection division of die
district attorney's office in
Fayetteville, Gregory said.
Booster Club
Meets Aug. 4
The tegular monthly meeting of
the Athletic Booster Club will be
Monday at 7 p.m. at the Hoke High
school library, chairman Noah
Hendrix announced.
Topics of the meeting will be the
membership drive and plans for a
community calender of events.
Everyone is urged to attend.
Hendrix said.
Join the Payroll Savings Plan.
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