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The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
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Around
Town
BY SAM C.MORRIS
Billy Colson, girl track coach at
Hoke High School, was by the office
last Saturday morning with a
newspaper sent to him from Mexico
by Kathy McMillan who is there
competing in the Pan-Am track meet.
The name of the paper was Excelsior
and had a series of pictures showing
Kathy doing the long jump. It had
under the pictures that she had
jumped 6.51 meters (21 feet 5V4
inches).
poison said that Kathy said site
had been jumping around 22 feet in
practice and would jump Tuesday in
the meet.
* Of course, we all wish for her the
best and will be awaiting the results.
*****
Rebecca Childress was by the
office Tuesday morning and had
some old tobacco sales slips which
she had found in cleaning up around
the house. They were sales made by
her father, C.W. Childress, in 1912
and 1913. The sales were made in
Winston, N.C. and Pilot Mountain,
N.C. The highest price paid on any of
the three tickets was 31 cents per
pound and the lowest was four cents.
Some people might ask how he
could afford to grow tobacco at such
prices. The labor costs or the costs of
materials were on the same level. Ask
any farmer today and he will give
you the facts. Thanks Rebecca for
the tickets.
A letter from any old friend not
heard from or seen in a number of
years brought back memories of
many football arguments. The letter
will follow and is from J.G. "Chops"
McLeod of Dillon. S.C. Chops has
been living in Florence for a number
of years and wrote to have his
' address changed to Dillion.
When I mentioned football and
Chops it always brings to mind the
time Duke played U.S.C. in the Rose
Bowl, lie was running the station
?where Crumpler's Handy-Mart is now
located and was a strong Duke
supporter. The day of the game
Chops closed down the station and
fixed benches and crates for die
crowd to listen to die game. Nodiing
was sold except during a time out or
at die half. The gas pumps were
locked and die selling consisted of
crackers, candy, drinks, etc. It is hard
to write about diat crowd and the
game. Duke lost 7-3 to die best of
my knowledge.
The letter follows:
Dear Sam:
Please notice the change of
address.
I enjoy The News-Journal so
much. I don't want to miss a single
copy.
Best wishes to you.
Regards,
JohnG. "Chops" McLeod
Another visitor by the office
recently was Mrs. C.B. Randall nee
Irma Jordan of Kinston. Irma was
unable to attend the 40th Class
Reunion last June and it was a
pleasure to talk about it widi her and
also odier diings diat have happened
since we finished school in 1935. She
was one drat I started and finished
with here at Racford High School.
Gaddy's Two Pleas: 4No Contest*
Barefoot Plea ?
Guilty, Judge:
Commendable
Billy H. Barefoot, the ex-city
employee whose accusations about
corrupt practices at the city garage
led to an SBI investigation and
climaxed with city manager John
Gaddy resigning^ pleaded guilty to a
reduced charge of misdemeanor
larceny Monday and received a
suspended 18 month sentence.
"Your honesty and cooperation is
commendable", Superior Court
Judge Henry A. McKinnon remarked
before sentencing.
"The tendency of some is to try to
put the blame on others but you
have not done this."
Barefoot, employed from 1970 to
April, 1975 as foreman of the
municipal garage, was indicted in
August on one count of misuse of
city funds involving $137 worth of
parts placed in his personal Mustang
automobile in March of 1975. He
could have received up to ten years
in prison on the charge.
Barefoot, 32, was ordered to pay
restitution to the city and his
sentence was ordered suspended for
three years. He was not placed on
probation.
Barefoot's key role in the probe
which resulted in felony charges
being brought against Gaddy was
outlined by assistant district attorney
Randy Gregory to the court Monday.
"The state had no case against
John Gaddy up until a couple of
weeks ago without Billy Barefoot's
testimony", Gregory said. Barefoot
was promised a suspended sentence
would be recommended as part of
the negotiated plea, Gregory said.
Barefoot's attorney, Carl
Barrington, Jr. of Fayetteville, told
the court Barefoot "made his
decision to cooperate a long time
ago". "He made his decision to plead
guilty, not nolo contendre",
Barrington declared. "He got caught
up in the merty-go-round allowed by
the powers that be in this city. He
was doing his part in cleaning up a
sorry situation".
Barefoot, now employed as a
mechanic with a Fayetteville auto
dealership, was the second of two
ex-garage workers who publicly made
accusations last spring about alleged
thefts occurring at the city garage.
Barefoot contacted The
News-Journal after fired garage
worker Jimmy Bullard accused
Gaddy of discharging him for talking
about losses at the garage.
Barefoot backed up Bullard's
claims and at the same time detailed
new and serious allegations against
Gaddy which prompted city
councilmen to ask for an official
inquiry by the district attorney.
Councilman Sam C. Morris,
general manager of The
News-Journal, notified councilman
Benny McLeod after N-J reporters
interviewed more sources and were
shown files described to be falsified
to conceal repair work done on
privately owned vehicles.
Morris and McLeod persuaded
other councdmen to ask for the
official probe and the State Bureau
of Investigation entered the case on
June 23.
Commission Pushing Plans -
County Recreation Director
Plans are being pushed to hire a
full-time recreation director by the
parks and recreation Commission,
according to minutes of the regular
meeting Wednesday, Oct. 8
Commission Secretary Iris Davis
said that a meeting was held with
state officials to discuss what it
would take to get an active
recreation program underway and
the commission was told that a
full-lime director was needed.
"We've had several meetings on
this, and we're hoping to set up a
special meeting with the county
commissioners since they don't have
another one set up this month," she
said.
"We were told that the person we
should hire should have at least two
to four years experience in the parks
and recreation field. We also learned
thai we could probably get a person
who would be suitable for about
SI3,000 a year.
"We have been granted enough
money for the first year's salary, but
we need to get the commissioners'
blessings on a continued salary
because it would be hard to get
someone here if we could only
promise him one year's work," she
said.
Mrs. Davis indicated that the
person would need to know how to
work with grants that oould be
obtained.
"The person will have to be
familiar with grant money, because
that will be what he will do at first to
get money to build the department."
she said.
"The work is being done and it is
just a matter of getting people
together and assuring him a salary."
she said.
A comntiltee consisting of
Younger Snead, Mrs. Billie Postel,
Mrs. Davis, Frank Bundy, Julian H.
(Buddy) Blue, and Dick Lovett was
appointed to appear before die
commissioners in the meeting.
In other business. Kay Thomas.
Younger Snead. Warren Pate. John
McNeill, and Robert Taylor were
welcomed as new members by Billie
Postel, George Wood. Ellen Willis,
Winston McRae, Benny McLeod, Ins
Davis, and new commission
chairman. Dick Lovett.
The new members were given a
quick rundown of the recreation
program for the past summer, budget
Figures and plans for the winter
See RECREATION, page IS
Kathy McMillan
Kathy Shatters Record,
Bronze Medal For U.S.
Hoke High athlete Kathy McMillan
captured a bronze medal for the
United States and broke the women's
record twice at the Pan American
games in Mexico City Tuesday.
Miss McMillan. 18, jumped 21
feet, two and three quarters inches
early in the day, beating the record
of 21-1V4 set in 1971 by Canada's
Brenda Eisler.
In tiie finals competition Tuesday
night, sire jumped 21 -3'/i. beating her
old record.
Ana Alexander of Cuba took first
place in the long jump, with a 21-''
effort. Martha Watson of Long
Beach. Calif., Miss McMillan's
teammate and longtime rival,
received the silver medal for a 21-6
jump.
A strong contender for a berth on
the 1976 Olympics team. Miss
McMillan's performance Tuesday
marked the fifth straight time site has
jumped more than 21 feet in
competition.
She recorded a jump of 21-7 in
Prague, Czechoslovakia after being
named to the National Amateur
\thlctic Union team and traveling to
two important international meets in
Hurope in July.
Since the Prague meet, she made a
21 toot jump in Durham; 21-4'A in
Montreal, Canada, the longest jump
ever by a woman in Canada: and
21 -3Va in Los Angeles during tryouts
for the U.S. Pan Am Games team.
liill Colston, Miss McMillan's
coach, said that site was hoping to
come home Friday, Oct. 17, but site
didn't know if she would be able to
oi not since she was scheduled to
return on Oct. 23.
"Kathy sounded a little
disappointed because site didn't hit
the wood all day," said Colston.
"The jump is measured from the
board at the beginning of the pit," he
added.
"I'm really pleased and we're all
really proud of her and her
performance," he said.
Three Die In Wreck
A late Friday night collision on
the Old Maxton Road south of
Raeford claimed the lives of a
woman and two men in the worst
single recorded traffic fatality this
year in the county.
Killed in the 11:30 P.M. accident
were Roy Neill Jacobs, 19, of Rt. 3.
Raeford, Mrs. Verlane Singletary, 34.
and James T. Harrington, 51, both of
Rt. 3, Red Springs.
Listed as injured were Marion
Singletary, 28, Rt. 3. Red Springs.
Annie Mae Harrington, 44, of Rt. 3,
Red Springs. Redell Clark. 18. and
Charles Clark, 15, both of Rt. 2,
Max ton.
All of die injured were transported
to Scotland Memorial Hospital in
Laurinburg, according to trooper
C.A. Bennett.
Bennett gave litis account of the
accident:
A car driven by Marion Singletary
failed to stop for a sign at the
intersection of rural paved routes
1113 and 1116. about three miles
west of South Hoke school.
A car driven by Jacobs struck the
Singletary auto on the driver's side
and the impact threw Mrs.
Harrington from Singletary's car.
The vehicle then left the road and
went into a 15 foot deep canal
containing about two feet of water.
The bodies of Mrs. Singletary and
Harrington were recovered by rescue
workers under the water, but it is
believed the pair died from injuries in
the collision.
The Clark youths were passengers
in Jacobs' car.
Mrs. Harrington was reported to
be in serious condition.
Resignation Turned In,
Prison Term Lifted,
$2,000 Fines Levied
City manager John D. Gaddy received a suspended tour year
prison term and was placed on probation lor three years after
pleading nolo contendere (no contest) to two felony charges of
misappropriating city funds Monday before Superior Court Judge
Henry A. McKinnon.
Gaddy, represented by Raeford attorney Philip Diehl, was fined
51,500 and ordered to pay S500 in restitution to the city of
Raeford. He turned in his resignation as city manager Monday
morning before proceedings began.
A third felony charge of misappropriating city funds was
dismissed by the state as part of the plea bargaining, assistant
district attorney Randy Gregory disclosed to the court.
Gaddy, 51. and the father of four children, could have received
up to 20 years in prison on the charges.
A plea of nolo contendere is a legal term in which the defendant
does not admit guilt, but does not wish to contest the state's
evidence. Such a plea counts the same as a conviction, but it may
not be used against the defendant and entered in the record in any
future criminal actions.
Before sentencing. Judge McKinnon hinted closer scrutiny should
be given to a city manager by a city council because of the broad
powers a city manager possesses under this form of municipal
government. "It appears officials placed too much trust in one
person and too much temptation ... some people might call it petty
misappropriations, but any misappropriation by a public official is
serious", McKinnon said.
"All public officials should take a serious look at the total
situation and make a close check to see a situation like this does not
happen again", he continued.
The charges Gaddy pleaded to Monday grew out of the nearly
four months-long probe by the State Bureau of Investigation begun
after The News-Journal published allegations of thefts and
misappropriations involving operations at the city garage.
Gaddy was convicted of authorizing a 5333 payment out of the
city treasury in Feb. 1974 to Auto Parts and Equipment, Inc., of
Raeford and McKoy Maxwell Garage to pay for parts to rebuild a
15)63 Chevrolet pickup truck. The pickup truck was sold to Gaddy's
son, Chris, immediately after the repairs were made, according to
Gregory.
Gregory told the court the state's evidence showed that the city
council on Oct. I, 1973 approved a list of property to be declared
surplus, but that the Chevrolet pickup was not listed.
Gregory displayed the book containing the minutes of city
council meetings and told the court sometime after Jan. 22, 1974,
new minutes were typed and the Chevrolet pickup was included on
those lo reflect it had been declared surplus the previous October.
Gregory continued that on Jan. 25, 1974, the title to the vehicle
was transferred from the city of Raeford directly to James
Christopher Gaddy. The vehicle was never advertised for sale as
surplus, according to records of advertisements appearing in The
News-Journal.
McKinnon inquired about any payment made for the sale, and
Gregory said the city received S400. Diehl told the court the
payment came from Gene Thacker, (owner of Raeford Aviation).
The second charge Gaddy pleaded to Monday involved a 327
Chevrolet engine paid for by city funds and installed in a 1957
Chevrolet station wagon described as Gaddy's personal vehicle.
According to Gregory's testimony. Gaddy bought the car in 1961
in Gastonia and it was still titled to him on Aug. 25. 1970, when
the engine was delivered to the city from Shepard Auto Parts of
Rockingham. The cost of the engine was S327.
The engine was put into Gaddy's car and tire file at city hall was
falsified to indicate the motor went into a 1965 Ford truck, a
city-owned vehicle, Gregory told the court.
The identifying numbers had been ground down, Gregory said,
but SB I agents were able to use a special heat process treatment to
raise them and make the identification on the engine.
The third charge, dropped by the state in return for the pleas,
centered on the '63 pickup sold to Gaddy's son. Gaddy authorized
a 546 payment out of city funds to Red Springs Motor Co. in Red
Springs in Nov. 1974 lor repair work, according to the indictment.
Gaddy's defense counsel did not refute any ol the charges or
offer any evidence but asked the court to consider Gaddy's
accomplishments.
"He has been here nearly eight years and under his guidance the
city budget has developed to three times its size. He's seen it
(Raeford) grow from a town to a city and experienced the growing
problems. In the beginning, there were only one or two people in
the administrative end. and very few in maintenance", Diehl told
the court.
"He faced his responsibility and accomplished much", Diehl said.
Gaddy paid 5500 of his fine to the clerk's office Monday and the
remainder is to be paid under the direction of his probation officer.
Cynthia Ficklin. women's probation supervisor and the only
available officer in court Monday, conducted a preliminary
interview with Gaddy at McKinnon's direction Monday but she will
not be permanently in charge of probation.
Council Huddles Monday
City manager John Caddy's letter of resignation was
officially accepted by the city council at a closed door
session hastily called following Monday's court
proceedings.
Mayor John k. McNeill opened the meeting at 7:30
Monday night and immediately announced that the
council would go into executive session.
At 8:15,\the meeting was re-opened to tiie public and
Mayor McNeill reported that a motion made by
councilman Robert Weaver and seconded by councilman
Sam Morris carried unanimously. The motion was to
accept Gaddy's resignation, effective Nov. 1 1975, and to
pay Ciaddy his saJary for the month of November 1975.
He will be granted all benefits due him.
Gaddy was die highest paid city employee, drawing a
SI7.000 ? plus yearly salary, as he held the city manager
position and the water and sewer administrator post.
The salary set for the city manager position is
$8,599.89, and the salary for water and sewer
administrator is S8.599.89. A three percent Christmas
bonus is also added to this figure.