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The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXVII NO. 16 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA SS PER YEAR THURSDAY. AUGUST 21. 1975
Around
Town
BY SAM C.MORRIS
Mrs. Bob Gentry called me last
week to say that she had received a
"thank you" note from Kathy
McMillan for a donation in helping
send her to the track meets in
Europe. Eleanor commented that it
really took her by surprise as it was
unlike the every day happenings.
Most people take things like a
donation as a matter of everyday
living. But not to Kathy.
She must have asked for the list of
cMitributors and then taken time to
write each of them. This speaks very
high of her and to the upcoming
generation.
? Those kind of deeds are very
seldom brought before tire public,
only the deeds that put a black eye
on the young generation.
She is not only a leader in track
but also for her generation.
Thanks Eleanor for bringing this
to my attention.
The Open Arms Rest Home that
operates here on Campus Avenue is
now getting ready to expand from 25,
beds to 75 beds. They have received
a grant from the Small Business
Administration for approximately
S354.000.
For the Rest Home to get this
grant they must be funded by a local
corporation for so much money. A
corporation has been formed known
as the Campus Avenue Development
Corp. They are selling stock and the
nrinimun share price is SI00. So far
the corporation has over $20,000 of
stock sold and need to sell $35,490
to meet the requirements of the
SBA.
This is a much needed facility for
Hoke County and from all reports is
doing an excellent service to the
community to aid the older people
of our county. As we well know
,some place must be provided for
these people and with good
management they arc well looked
after.
So if you can spare a few dollars,
drat will pay you interest of course,
'look into the project. For further
information contact Benny McLeod
or Walter Coley. They can give you
complete details.
Clarence Kooncc was by the office
this week and asked me to inform all
former members of the 252nd Coast'
Artillery and tire 530th Field
Artillery of a Reunion dial will be
held in Greensboro on August 28
through August 31. It will be held at
the Royal Villa Motel. The hosts for
the reunion will be Mr. and Mrs. Fred
S. Smith.
The units were made up of
National Guard units that were
inducted into the army on
September 16. 1940. The units were
from Greensboro, High Point,
Raeford, Lumberton, Whiteville and
Wilmington.
These units served as dre 252nd
CA in Fort Moultrie, S.C. and Fort
Scriven, Ga.
The regiment was split up later as
units went to Trinidad, Aruba and
Curacao in the West Indies. Later
they all returned to the United States
and the 530 FA was formed. This
unit went to Italy and other parts of
Europe and die war ended for them
there.
This is the 22nd Reunion of these
emits and Smith states he is looking
for former members from all over the
U.S. to attend.
If former members of these units
from Hoke County which are many,
wish to attend, contact Smith at the
following address.
Fred S. Smith
815 Wright St.
Greensboro, N.C. 27405
Phone 275-7526
UF Budget
Meet Tonight
The budget and admission
committee of the Hoke county
United Fund will meet tonight
(Thursday) at 7:30 pjn. in the
conference room of the
courthouse annex.
Anyone who plans to present
a budget to the fund must
attend, president Ashwell
Harward said.
TRASHY - Police are taking a dim view of beer cans and other litter thrown in a car lot on PI wood Avenue. Littcrers
are facing arrest.
Teens Blamed
Litter Draws Ire
"The kids say they have no place
to go, nothiiig to do, then you sec
something like this," police chief
Leonard Wiggins grumbled Thursday
as he eyed a collection of beer cans
tossed along Elwood Avenue
opposite a recreation center
patronized by teenagers.
Wiggins, under pressure from
businesses along the street, was
announcing a general crackdown on
beer can throwers.
"There's a state law against
putting litter on another's property
and starting immediately we will
begin making arrests," he said.
Although there are two city trash
barrels within a few feet of the
recreation center, Wiggins said cans,
bottles, and other trash are discarded
in tire lot of Hoke Auto Co. and the
customer parking lot tor Southern
National Bank.
"Wc get about two cases every
morning." Younger Snead. Jr., of
Hoke Auto said. "I am sick of it. I
don't want to prosecute anyone or
get anyone in trouble, but this has
got to stop."
Wiggins said he had asked the
manager of the center several times
to send someone out with a box at
night to clean up the trash
"It's only about ten percent that
are doing this, and it's hurting the
other 90 per cent." the chief
continued. "Somebody sees litis and
they say that's teenagers."
"I've got nothing against the
teenagers, but 99 per cent of tile
people sitting out on this lot at night
are teenagers."
School Begins
Monday
Classes will start Monday,
Aug. 25 in all of the county
schools with only a morning
session scheduled, the board of
education announced.
All schools will open at 8:10
a.m. Classes at Hoke High.
Dpchurch. and Raeford
elementary will dismiss at 11
a.m. Classes at McLauchhn
elementary, Scurlock, South
Hoke, and West Hoke will be
dismissed at 10:30 a.m.
The reg ar schedule of classes
lor the school term will begin
Tuesday. Aug. 26.
Scurlock, South Hoke, West
Hoke, and Mcl.auchlin
elementary schools will end
classes at 2:30 p.m. The high
school. Updiurch. and Raeford
elementary will dismiss classes at
3 p.m.
Widow Flim-Flammed
House Painters Speedy Workers
Her knitting basket put aside.
Hthel Mclver sal on the front porch
of her small, one story house gazing
over the once green lawn and
shrubbery now covered with white
spray paint. Her eyes rested on the
front windows, tightly closed against
the hot afternoon sun, the glass
ringed with white paint since last
week when four "painters"
reportedly conned the widow out of
S575.
Barefoot:
4No Regret'
Billy H. Barefoot, the ex-foreman
of the city garage indicted along with
city manager John Gaddy for
misapplication and misuse of city
monies, said Tuesday he does not
regret making the allegations which
prompted the investigation, even
though he faces a possible jail term if
convicted.
"Everything is about like I
thought it would be. If I had to do it
again, I would". Barefoot said.
"It was a big decision on my part,
but I couldn't sit back and be
responsible for what was going on. If
I hadn't brought it up, I'd be
responsible. Now I don't feel tit at I
am responsible anymore", he said.
Barefoot, who is free on personal
bond awaiting trial on a charge of
billing the city for SI37 worth of
repair work for his personal car, said
Fayetteville attorney Carl
Barrington, Jr. is representing him.
"I've cooperated in every way I
can with the SBI. I've been honest,
and I've answered every question. My
lawyer told me not to talk to them
without him being present, but I
went ahead anyway and told them
everything I knew." Barefoot said.
Barefoot said he has been under a
lot of pressure in the past ten weeks
and has had some unfavorable
reaction to his statements.
"I have lost a lot of so-called
See BAREFOOT, page 13
"The said they'd do it cheap",
Mrs. Mclver, 78, said, sitting quietly,
her folded hands moving from her
lap only to swish at an occasional fly.
Mrs. Mclver had her house painted
last summer and remembers the price
as S300.
"These fellows came and made out
they didn't do a good job last time,
they said they'd do a belter job. The
said they'd paint the whole house
and do the window sashes".
"They even asked what color do
you want the sashes. I said blue", she
continued,her voice rising.
She related how she began moving
the furniture off her back porch
while die four men got to work in
die front.
"The tall one, he said for me to go
ahead and fix the check now and
they'd finish up with the window
sashes, lie said they would trim the
hedges, too, and include it in die
price."
Mrs. Mclver gave the man a blank
check after he told her they never
cashed her check last year and they
would "figure it up" for the work.
"I was moving things out back.
and ilicy hopped in the truck and
left right quick", she said
disgustedly.
The "paint* job took less than one
hour
Mrs. Melver tried to have her bank
stop payment on the check, but it
was too late.
The sheriffs office investigated
and inspected the painting, but since
the name signed to the check was not
forgery the matter was referred to
the consumer protection division of
the district attorney's office.
Mrs. Mclver is not hopeful anyone
can get some of her money back.
"They oughta, but I don't know if
they can. If they come back next
year and try it out, I'm going to get
the law," she declared.
"I saw that truck going through
town. I was in the hardware store
and I saw one of them then. I said to
him 'Aren't you one of the men that
painted my house?', and he says 'No,
I haven't done any painting in a long
while'."
"That big fat fellow", site
continued, her eyes flashing, "he had
paint all over his cap!
THOROUGH SPRA YING - The windows, floor of the porch, and foliage
surrounding Mrs h'thei Mcher's house got a thorough spraying to the woman's
dismay.
Council Cuts
Gaddy's Duties
Judge Refuses Defense Bid
After meeting for more than two and one half hours behind
closed doors Thursday night, the city council voted to strip city
manager John Gaddy of all duties dealing with disbursement of city
finances until criminal charges pending against Gaddy are disposed
of.
The action came barely two days after the Hoke County grand
jury indicted Gaddy on two counts of misapplication and misuse of
city monies connected with about S385 worth of repair work said
to be done on a city-owned truck which was allegedly secretly sold
to Gaddy's son, Chris, in 1974.
On Monday, Superior Court Judge Henry A. McKinnon denied a
motion made by Gaddy's defense attorney last Thursday to quash
the indictments in a hearing held in Fayetteville.
The council, who went into executive session at 8:30 P.M.
Thursday and closed the meeting to the public and press, conferred
until shortly after 1 1 P.M., after meeting with Gaddy and his
attorney Philip Diehl for part of the time.
The resolution adopted by the council and carried unanimously
read "in view of indictments now pending against city manager
John Gaddy, all duties involved in disbursement of city funds shall
be delegated to the city's administrative assistant, Andrea Garrison,
who will in the interim co-sign all city checks with the finance
officer, Helen Huffman. The interim being until all indictments
against the city manager have been resolved".
Gaddy, who has denied he is guilty of any wrongdoing since
allegations were made in June against him by the ex-foreman of the
city garage, Billy Barefoot, said after the coundil meeting he "is
satisfied with the council's decision".
"1 think it's a fair thing, it's agreeable to me," he said..
Gaddy said council members questioned him about the charges.
"We discussed the matter thoroughly", he said, but declined to
elaborate further.
Diehl said Monday after Judge McKinnon's refusal to quash the
indictments he hoped the case would come to trial before
November, the next scheduled session of Superior Court here.
"1 understand the district attorney will request a special court
session", he said.
Assistant District Attorney Duncan McFadyen refused to
comment on the possibility of an earlier trial.
The unsuccessful bid to quash the indictments, which center on a
1963 Chevrolet pickup truck, was based on the contention the
vehicle .was not declared surplus property according to laws
governing city property. Diehl argued the subsequent sale of the
vehicle was therefore null and void, and the repair work done on it
was not unlawful, as the indictments charge.
Assistant district attorney Randy Gregory declined to comment
on the possibility more indictments will be forthcoming, but
confirmed the investigation by State Bureau of Investigation agents
is continuing.
"Right now, 1 don't know if there are going to be any further
indictments. I won't know until the SBI investigation is complete",
Gregory said Tuesday.
Commissioners Frown
On New Furniture
The county commissioners made
committee appointments, accepted a
letter of resignation, approved a
contract, and took a dim view of the
proposed furniture list submitted by
the Department of Social Services for
their offices in the new county office
building during a special meeting
Thursday.
Walter McAllister was appointed
to the city planning board to replace
J.D. McAllister, die latter having to
step down since he also serves on
another city body, county manager
T B. Lester said.
Ilallie Blythe and A.S. Mclnnis
were appointed to the board of
adjustments, with D.S. Curne and
Preston Moore selected as alternates.
Alfred Leach was dropped from his
seat on the board.
Minton McPhaul was re-appointed
to the jury commission.
Brenda Canady, assistant home
agent, submitted a letter of
resignation effective Sept. 15. Mrs.
Canady is moving with her husband
to Ldgecombc County.
The letter was accepted with
regret, and county attorney Charles
Hostetler also expressed his regrets at
her departure.
The board voted unanimously to
approve a contract at a cost of SI 75
per month for the police information
network (PIN) unit installed last year
at the jail under a grant award. The
city will pay half the costs, Lester
said.
The board examined lists of
furniture for the extension agent
office and the Department of Social
Services for use in the new office
building and the DSS list grew sharp
criticism as too costly.
T.B Lester said the 19 desks
requested cost $200 each, and
commissioner John Balfour
questioned the need for 25 new
wastcbaskets. 25 desk chairs and 100
chairs for waiting room areas are also
requested.
"I don't sec how we can afford all
this," chairman Ralph Barnhart said
and then requested commissioners
Tom McBryde and Balfour act as a
committee to inspect the agency's
furnishings and appraise their needs.
The board approved a $978 bid
from J.h. Odom Co. of Fayettcville
for renovations in the courthouse to
enlarge an office for the clerk of
court.
The board took the action after
hearing Hostetler's opinion the award
would be okay since it is under
Si ,000. Only two bids were received.
The recent Title IV child support
enactment which requires the
establishment of an enforcement
program at the county level was
discussed, but no decision was made
Sec COMMISSIONERS, page 13
CofC Names
Manager
The Chamber of Commerce met
Monday afternoon and selected
Julian H. (Buddy) Blue Jr. as the new
manager of the Racford-Hoke
Chamber of Commerce, according to
Chamber President Dick Lovctte.
Lovettc said that the members of
the Chamber of Commerce will
receive a letter stating that Blue has
been named. He will begin his duties
in the full time position Sept. 1
Lovette said Blue would primarily
be working in the areas of industrial
recruiting and would actively take
part in the drive to attract medical
and dental doctors to our
community.
"He will handle community,
industrial, and business affairs for the
Chamber." said Lovctte.
He said projects such as a new
county map and brochure will also
be on the new manager's agenda.
"He will also be needed to
revitalize the interest in Chamber
activities by asking about and
checking on new ideas the Chamber
might hdve," he said.