15*
<o. e <~Vlew4 - journal
The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXVIII NO. 1 RAEFORD. HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA SS PER YEAR THURSDAY. MAY 6. 1976
Around
Town
By Sam C. Morris
The much needed rain came to
Raeford and Hoke County last
Friday and Saturday. From all
reports anywhere from 1.5 to 2
inches of rain fell here. This helped
crops and gardens very much out
some more is needed.
^ The weather forecast doesn't
predict any rain for the next several
days but this could change.
Robert Gatlin, treasurer for the
Hoke Bicentennial Commission,
was by the office last week and
showed me a check that was turned
in to him by a committee worker for
the Commission. It is hard to
believe but the check was for
$17.76. Stranger things have
happened.
Ashwell Howard of the Raeford
Lions Club said Monday that they
had to yield to the rain the past
weekend. The Lions golf
tournament was postponed
Saturday morning when the
welcomed rain came and some
golfers were ready to tee off.
The tournament will be played
Saturday and Sunday. May 22 and
23. The tee times that were
designated for last weekend will be
respected according to Harward.
There are still openings for
players who could not play last
weekend. So if you want to play
May 22 and 23 in the Lions
Tournament get in touch with Raz
Autry or Ashwell Harward.
Jesse Gulledge came by the office
?last week with a Postmaster's
Account and Record Book for the
Raeford Post Office for 1909-1910.
The office was listed as Cumber
land County, this being before
'Hoke was formed. The postmaster
was D.J. Currie and the clerk was
J.C. Currie.
Jesse wanted to know who these
people were related to and where
did they live in the county. I would
like to know where the post office
building was located in 1909.
Someone said the Postmaster
Currie could be related to Mrs.
Scott McFadyen, Nee Hattie
Currie, now of Fayetteville. I
believe Mrs. McFadyen takes the
paper and I would appreciate
hearing from her about this matter.
The book is in good shape and
gives the number of stamps sold
each day, names of people who had
mail returned, etc. It is very
interesting and history buffs will
enjoy looking at it.
Anyone who can answer the
questions concerning the office and
postmaster, please write or call..
?
Bicentennial Week was very
successful and the following letter
is from the co-chairman. The letter
follows:
ftear Sam.
The Bicentennial Commission
would like to thank all those who
participated in making the Hoke
County Festival week a success.
When one reflects on the week
and estimates the hours and efforts
so many individuals, organizations,
businesses and schools put into
making the festival possible, it
fives us the real meaning of
iicentennial.
For the past several months we
have seen people of different races,
different religions, different ages,
men, women and children working
together to honor our Country and
the people who made it possible for
us to be one of the 100 counties in
North Carolina.
The Commission encourages
each citizen to join in the final
celebra^n on Sunday, July 4th.
1976 through church services, the
dedication of the new Hoke County
?Library and the county-wide
celebration on Sunday night.
Most sincerely,
Carson and Iris Davis
The Bicentennial Committee still
has tiles left and they can be
purchased at the library or by
contacting Mr. or Mrs. Carson
Davis, Jr.
New Firehouse, Offices
$200,000 Bond Issue Looms
PRIZES - Canon and Iris Davis (center), co-chairmen of the Bicentennial commission, presented certificates to winners Friday night. On left are Dale Hart
(second place mustache) and Jerry Goza (first place mustache). On right are Danny DeVane (second place beard) and Jessie Lee (first place beard).
Young And Old Enjoy Festival Da vs
Rain showers Friday lessened the
number of visitors to the Armory
grounds for an agricultural fair but
failed to dampen the week-long
Bicentennial spirit of young and old
alike as Hoke County Festival
Week wound up with old-fashioned
music and entertainment Friday
night.
An estimated 500-600 persons
gathered at the Armory in the
evening, the highlight of which was
the long-awaited beard and
mustache judging.
Jesse Lee and Danny DeVane
won first and second place honors,
respectively, for best looking Bicen
tennial beards, and Jerry Goza and
Dale Hart received first and second
place prizes for their mustaches.
Industries, local government,
schools, senior citizens and agricul
ture all received special focus
during the week, which was
organized through the combined
efforts of the Hoke County Bicen
tennial Commission and the
Raeford Woman's Club.
Joining local officials for the
Citizenship and Government
evening program Tuesday were
State Representatives Joy Johnson,
David Parnell and Henry Ward
Oxendine. who delivered brief
remarks to a crowd of about 150
people.
A special Citizenship Award was
presented posthumously to R.B.
See FESTIVAL, page 11
Monthly Agendas 'Too Long'
County Board Opts For Two Sessions
County commissioners agreed
agendas for their monthly meetings
are becoming too long and decided
to begin holding regular meetings
twice a month during their Monday
meeting.
The five member board agreed to
continue with 9 A.M. meetings on
the first Monday of every month
and also hold an evening meeting
on the third Monday of every
month.
"Most of the other counties have
gone to it," county manager T.B.
Lester told the group. The change
in schedule is to go into effect
beginning this month.
In other business, the operator of
a city rest home requested payment
from the county of the special
assistance for adults funds which
were increased twice by the state
but have not been paid.
Open Arms owner John Leandro
appeared and requested payment
of a $30 per resident increase and a
second increase of $14 per resident,
monthly hikes approved by the
state last year, and distributed
copies of an opinion from the
Attorney General s office regarding
counties' obligation to pay this
increases.
"Other counties are trying to
hold it back, but it can't be done,"
Leandro said. He requested $1,008
retroactive from six months ago to
cover his eligible patients.
Director of Social Services Ben
jamin Niblock disputed Leandro's
claims.
"The important thing is, Mr.
Webb, the man in the Attorney
General's office, didn't go into it
deeply enough. It is not mandatory
(to pay)," Niblock told the commis
sioners.
"The Attorney General's opin
ions are just that, opinions, they're
not legally binding...I'm not argu
ing about the merits of the in
crease, but I got the word along
with other departments to hold the
line on expenditures. This would be
more like $1,200 to implement," he
said.
"How do you arrive at that?"
Leandro asked.
"Administrative costs, people
taking time to do it," he re
sponded.
Another increase in the as
sistance program, whiph are or
dered due to cost-of-living in
creases, is slated for next Jan. 1,
and Niblock acknowledged he had
provided for that expenditure in
preparing his coming year budget.
"They should have been planned
in the present budget," Leandro
said.
"The legislature likes to sneak in
the last day and give an increase
which has nothing to do with
minimum wage increases. I'm not
here to argue, I still contend it's
optional," Niblock said.
Commissioners took no action on
the matter Monday. County at
torney Charles Hostetler, who ar
rived late, was not present during
the discussion.
Also during the meeting, com
missioners voted to appropriate
$2,500 to each of the rural volun
teer fire departments out of the
coming year's federal revenue shar
ing funds allotment of $163,651.
In other action, the commli
?lonen:
Approved a $11.75 per hour
contract with A.K. Lovin Co.,
Band Concert
May 11,8 PM
The Hoke High band will
present their spring concert
Tuesday, May 11 at 8 P.M. in
the Hoke gymnasium.
Admission is free and the
public is invited.
accounting firm, for a yearly audit :
Rejected a proposed contract
with Terminix Co. for termite
inspection at the new county office
building because the building did
not contain enough wood in their
view;
Agreed to pay a $311 penalty to
the Internal Revenue Service for
failing to deposit witholding pay
ments within the three day require
ment, instead of the ten day period
the county had been doing regular
ly;
Authorized the rental of a dif
See BOARD, pa^e 11
C of C Ousts Manager
Chamber of Commerce manager
J.H. (Buddy) Blue Jr. turned in his
resignation as manager at the
request of the Chamber's board of
directors following their meeting
last Thursday night.
Blue's termination as manager
was ordered effective last Friday,
an action which Chamber President
Dick Lovett termed "in the best
interests of all concerned".
"He was requested by the board
to resign", Lovett said Tuesday.
The reason given by Lovett was
"incompatibility with the job".
"At the time he was hired, it was
understood to be probationary
employment. Buddy had varied
and diversified interests in t(ie
community that could result in a
conflict of interest with the overall
objective of the Chamber of
Commerce," Lovett said.
"Credit should be given to him
for his fact-finding work on the
extended area telephone service,
medical health care services for the
county, and his assistance and
interest in the community develop
ment funds application", Lovett
added.
"The major shortcoming, in my
opinion, was promotion of
Chamber membership. He devoted
time to big projects and the board's
feelings were this year's efforts
should be directed toward image
building and communication
among the members. Not enough
was done", Lovett said.
Lovett also announced ex
Chamber manager Harold Gillis,
who left the job last year, has been
called in to assist with Chamber
affairs and help with the annual
banquet planned for May 17, until
June 1.
"Under no circumstances is he to
be considered a temporary
manager, or anything. He is
definitely not a replacement, he
doesn't want the job ', Lovett said.
Contacted Tuesday, Blue
declined to be quoted in remarks
concerning the firing.
A $200,000 bond issue to finance
a new fire station and re modeling
of city hall offices on Main St. will
be put to the voters, the full city
council unanimously agreed during
their Monday night meeting.
A proposed sketch of the city hall
expansion prepared by Austin As
sociates of Southern Pines was
shown to councilmen with cost
estimates given as: $144,000 for
new fire station, $12,000 for tearing
down present fire station. $131,000
for remodeling and enlarging police
department and municipal offices.
$25,000 for parking area and
landscaping, and $29,000 archi
tect's fee.
City manager Robert Drum
wright estimated the costs to the
city on $200,000 worth of bonds at
a five per cent interest rate on a 20
year FHA loan at about $16,000
per year, principal and interest.
Yearly cost on a 25 year loan would
be about $14,000.
For a municipality to incur debt,
the issue must be voted upon by the
people, and Drumwright explained
if the amount of debt exceeds
$150,000 both proposals, the new
fire station and new city hall
offices, would have to be approved
separately.
"i a say you can get S200.000
passed just as easy as $150,000."
councilman Graham Clark said.
Next step for the city is to notify
the Local Government Commission
about proceeding with the pro
posed bond issue.
In other matters, the council
heard a report from city attorney
Palmer Willcox on procedures for
condemnation and removal of sub
standard dwellings, and then gave
verbal approval to Drumwright and
building inspector Bill Sellars to go
ahead with plans, sincc the city
council is not directlv involved
except in cases issuing an order to
demolish a structure.
Under the city code, the building
inspector may give notice to an
owner of condemnation and then
schedule a date for a hearing before
the board of appeals, or five
citizens may petition for condem
nation.
"If you don't have any objec
tions, we're going to start looking
around," Drumwright told the
council.
'All you got to do is start getting
cussed, the council doesn't have to
act." councilman Sam C. Morris
told Sellars.
"Don't come hollering to us."
Clark said.
"If we get into this, and apply it
equally, we'll tear down about 15 to
2? per cent of Raeford. I'm talking
about everything, buildings, busi
nesses, warehouses," councilman
David Lovette said.
"There's a whole block that's
going to be decimated." council
man Benny McLeod said.
In other business, the council
heard a report from Drumwright
on the estimated costs of beginning
commercial garbage service with a
dumpster system and then agreed
See BOND ISSll- raw 11
Board Approves
Tri-diploma System
A high school tri-diploma system
thai would divide the school
curriculum into three areas, was
approved by the Hoke County
Board of Education at their
regular meeting Monday night.
According to Hoke High
Principal Allen Edwards, begin
ning in 1978, graduating seniors
will receive either an honor, career,
or general diploma.
He said the honor diploma will
require 12 honor courses (college
prep English, chemistry, etc.) in
1978 and 14 honor courses in 1979.
He said about fifteen percent of the
seniors would probably receive this
diploma.
He said the second diploma
would be called a career diploma
and would require ten career
courses in 1978 (bricklaying,
electricity, textiles, etc.) and 12 in
1979.
Edwards said the general
diploma will be the same as it is
now with 18 units required to
graduate.
He stressed that the ultimate
de -.ion would be left up to the
student as to which course he would
like to take.
The board also passed the use of
a quality point system to begin at
Hoke High next year.
Edwards said this would be used
to "equally compare students in the
senior class for rank purposes".
In other action, the board
approved the 1976-77 school
calendar, which has school starting
for students Sept. 7, and finishing
June 10.
The board accepted a low bid of
$29,602 for replacing the windows
at Raeford Elementary School.
The board also approved a policy
that would not allow a person to
become a bus driver until he has
had his drivers license for a full
year. A provision was made for the
present drivers who would not
quality under the policy.
Jane Brookshire, Ellen Harris,
Eva Mae Carpenter, Rhenda
Cameron, and Shirley Gibson were
approved by the board as teachers
for the 1976-77 school year.
In final action, twenty-two
teachers were approved for career
status.