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The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXVI1I NO. 4 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA S5 PER YEAR THURSDAY. MAY 27, 1976
Around
Town
By Sam C. Morris
The weather still hasn't become
normal as far as I am concerned.
These cool nights are not the best
for growing crops and it would
seem that the rain could let up for a
few days.
Of course this is wishful thinking
because Mark Twain said years ago
? "that everybody talks about the
weather but can't do anything
about it."
Enough said.
The once rained out Rasford
Lions Club Golf tournament was
played the past weekend and the
weather was perfect for it.
Ashwell Harward stated Monday
that the tournament was a big
success with 146 golfers playing in
the event. He thinks it is next to the
largest group to play in a Lions
tournament.
Pictures of the winners by flights
can be found elsewhere in the
paper.
Congratulations again to Kathy
McMillan for a successful track
meet. She placed first in the Martin
Luther King games in Atlanta, Ga.
over the weekend.
Kathy was also on television and
many here in Hoke County tuned in
and saw her talking to Herb Cross
the CBS announcer.
Now on to the Olympics, Kathyl
The new Hoke County library
will be dedicated on July 4, 1976
and a big day is planned for this
event. The library is the Bicenten
nial project for Hoke County and
many days of hard work by many
has made this project successful.
The News-Journal will print a
Bicentennial issue on July 1, 1976
and the history of Raeiford and
Hoke County along with history of
industrial plants and businesses
will be included.
Work has already begun on this
issue and someone will be calling
on you before long to give you a
chance to participate. We don't
want to leave anyone out so if you
haven't been contacted in a couple
of weeks give us a call.
This issue will take time, both
yours and the newspaper, but it
should be well worth the effort. So
be on the lookout for Ann Webb,
Marty Vega or Mike Steadman.
A telephone call last Sunday
night at home concerned the false
alarm that was called in to the fire
station. The caller was somewhat
irritated at being interrupted from
a program but was more peeved at
the number of non - firemen that
answered the call.
When the firemen arrived at the
house designated by the caller and
found it to be a false alarm it was
impossible to return home because
4 of the people who blocked traffic
between the house and the fire
station.
The hard way to stop this ever
happening is to give tickets to all
followers of the fire truck if they are
not firemen. This may seem harsh
but did you ever stop to think that
the firemen you get in the way of
could be going to save your house.
Think about this!
Sunday, of course, is a bad time
for a fire when about everyone is off
work but it is hard for the firemen
to do their job with onlookers being
in the way.
So next time the whistle blows
just run the TV up and forget about
it if you are not a member of the
fire department. If given a ticket it
could cost over $25.
Sr. Citizens
Meet June 1
The Raeford Senior Citizens
Friendship Club will meet at the
* Raeford United Methodist Church
on Tuesday, June 1 at 2:30 P.M.
senior citizens coordinator Jose
phine Hall announced.
t W.P. Phillips will give a demon
stration on rooting shrubs. Mem
bers are asked to bring plants to
exchange.
Members who have not yet
signed up for the dicount program
may do so at the meeting.
NEW CARPETING-Workmen labored over the weekend to install
carpeting in courtroom offices so business would not be disrupted. The
county accepted a $1,483 low bid from Heilig-Meyers for carpet for the
highway patrol's office, the probation and parole office, and the main area
of the clerk of court's office.
Harrington's Removal Sought,
Judge Hears Action Tuesday
A group of seven citizens,
including ex-deputy sheriff Elisha
Dial, has filed a civil action in
Superior Court here charging
Sheriff D.M. Barrington with
misconduct and seeking his
removal from office.
A special session of Superior
Court is calendered for next Tues
day, June 1, here with Judge James
H. Pou Bailey to hear the proceed
ing.
The action, entitled "State of
North Carolina vs. David M.
Barrington," was filed last
Wednesday with the Clerk of Court
under a law which allows any five
qualified voters of the county to
petition for removal from office
certain elected officials.
The document, with notarized
signatures, alleges "the under
signed . . . has a probable cause to
believe that on or about the 18th of
August, 1974, at 1 a.m. the
defendant did unlawfully and
willfully breach his oath of office,
to wit: the while in the duty of
Sheriff of Hoke County, the
defendant did order a traffic
citation issued by a deputy sheriff
to be reduced to a lesser offense,
that was from driving under the
influence to careless and reckless
driving, this being in violation of
G.S. 128-16(2)."
The petition filed is not a
criminal proceeding and there is no
criminal offense charged. Under
the law, it is the duty of the county
attorney or district attorney to
appear and prosecute the action in
the next scheduled term of Superior
Court. A Superior Court judge
may, upon presentation of the
petition and any affidavits
accompanying it, order the sheriff
suspended from office and appoint
a temporary replacement pending a
hearing, or he may dismiss the
action entirely. Dial, who was fired
as a deputy by Barrington last
January, signed the petition along
with Curtis Locklear, Bayburn
Maynor, Dannie Locklear, Jr., and
Mack Sandy. Two other names,
Plummer Locklear, Jr. and Donald
R. Oxendine, are also signed, but
Locklear apparently is not a Hoke
resident. In a divorce suit filed May
5, Locklear stated he was a
resident of Robeson County and
had been for the preceding six
months.
The allegation in the petition
filed against Barrington apparently
stems from accusations Dial made
last January after his firing.
During a special meeting of the
county commissioners Jan. 19 Dial
charged that he was fired because
he is an Indian. Dial also charged
that after he arrested Claudine K.
Hodgin, daughter of the late
Sheriff Dave Hodgin, for drunken
driving on Aug. 18, 1974, he was
told to release her and reduce the
charge to careless and reckless
driving.
When contacted Monday,
Barrington had no comment.
County attorney Charles Hostet
ler said Monday after conferring
with Dist. Atty. Ed Grannis Jr. that
he and Grannis wished to schedule
the hearing as soon as possible, and
the decision was made to request a
special session.
Barrington's attorneys, Phil
Diehl, Warren Pate, Palmer Will
cox and Duncan McFadyen filed a
response Monday and denied the
allegations in the petition and also
claimed G.S. 128 (2) was unconsti
tutional because it was vague and
failed to provide due process for the
defendant.
In the response, Barrington
states "no direct or suggested order
was issued by Sheriff Barrington
See BARRINGTON. page IS
Economic Growth 'Priority',
O'Herron Tells Lions Club
Declaring that the state can no
longer "sit on the sidelines".
Democratic candidate for Governor
Ed O'Herron pledged to establish a
special economic development of
fice which would be a top priority in
his administrationin an address to
the Raeford Lions Club Monday
night.
"North Carolina is now ranked
41st among the 50 states in per
capita income. Despite the fact that
less than a year ago the General
Assembly found 'there exists in the
state a critical condition of unem
ployment and a scarcity of employ
ment opportunities'. North Caro
lina's top leadership has responded
very poorly," O'Herron said.
"My administration will be dedi
cated and designed to lift North
Carolina from the economic dol
drums and elevate the quality of life
for people here," he said.
"There must be renewed empha
sis on sound economic develop
ment," he told the crowd of about
45.
O'Herron outlined a nine-point
program of economic development,
including creating a privately
financed Governor's Economic De
velopment Foundation to assist in
programs. He said he intended, if
elected, to find the best qualified
director to head up the develop
ment office and give the office top
priority.
O'Herron, a Charlotte business
man, announced his candidacy last
February and officially filed May
20 for the gubernatorial race.
He served three terms in the
General Assembly in the 1950's as a
representative of Mecklenburg
County. Later he was a member of
the State Advisory Budget Commis
sion and more recently was a
member of the North Carolina
Medical Care Commission.
O'Herron spent the day cam
paigning in Robeson County before
the Lions Club speech here.
17 Year-olds May Register
Seventeen year-olds who will
reach age 18 by the November
election may register to vote
beginning June 18, the board of
elections announced.
Seventeen year-olds may register
June 18-July 19 as long as the
birthday falls on or before Nov. 2.
1976. Proof of age is required to be
shown.
The elections office also
announced the filing period for
candidates for soil and water
conservation district supervisors
closes at noon on July 2.
Incumbent supervisor James R,
(Bobby) Strother finishes his two
year term this year. J. Woodrow
Hayes and Richard Neeley, the
other two supervisors, were elected
to four year terms in 1974.
Soil and water conservation
district supervisors are non
partisan posts. No salary is received
but the state allots per diem,
subsistence and travel aflowancak.
The elections board also reported
the state re-imbursed the county
$3,450.57 for costs of conducting
the Mar. 23 primary.
Armory Site Gets OK,
Land To Cost $40,000
GOP Challenger
In County Race
J.H. (Buddy) Blue, Jr., a real
estate broker and ex-Chamber of
Commerce manager, filed last week
as a Republican candidate for
county commissioner in the August
primary.
Blue, 44, is the only Republican
candidate so far in the contest for
two seats on the county board up
for re-election this year. Democrats
Neil McPhatter, an incumbent,
and challenger Charlie Pendergrass
have already filed as candidates.
Incumbent Tom McBryde is not
seeking another term.
Blue grew up in Hoke County
and graduated from Hoke High
School. He attended N.C. State
University and the University of
Georgia. He had been employed as
manger of the Raeford-Hoke
Chamber of Commerce from last
year until this month when the
Chamber directors requested his
resignation, citing differences of
opinion.
This is Blue's first bid for public
office. His father, the late J.H. Blue
Sr.. served as a Democratic county
commissioner in the 1950's and
'60's.
J.H.Btue
Blue expressed concern over the
county's financial future in an
nouncing his candidacy.
"Hoke County is entering a
financial crisis. The demand and
costs of services are rising much
faster than our tax base is expand
ing. For example, last year our tax
base was $152 million, this year it is
$150 million," Blue said.
"The increases requested in the
budget, if granted, would raise the
tax rate to $1.20 ? we're already in
the top 30 counties as far as tax
rate. In all probability, by the end
of this year, we'll be in the top 20,"
he said.
"We need to examine the budget
very carefully. We've got to expand
our tax base, essentially, we've got
to have more industry here," he
said.
Although no Republican can
didate has ever been elected a
county commissioner here, Blue
said he feels he has a good chance.
"In this day and time, people
don't make the judgment as much
on party as they do on candidates
themselves. I expect to win. I feel
the overwhelming majority of peo
ple here in Hoke County want a
progressive county commissioner.
Party is not that big a factor," he
continued.
Blue has been active in Republi
can party affairs for about 15 years.
His wife, Alice, is employed by the
Department of Human Resources
Division of Mental Health Services.
They have one daughter, age five.
Deadline for filing is noon on
Friday, May 28. If Blue has no
opposition, no Republican primary
will be necessary.
A ten acre site adjoining U.S.
401-bypass received tentative
approval from National Guard
officials as the location for the
proposed new Armory and officials
here are awaiting written notifica
tion so they may proceed with the
land purchase, said to be $40,000.
County manager T.B. Lester,
chairman of the five-member land
search committee formed earlier
this year, said last week Col. Elbert
McPhaul from the Adjutant
General's office in Raleigh
approved the location, which
stretches west from 401-bypass to
College Dr., opposite Clark's Gulf
Station.
Lester said the committee had
been negotiating with builder
Julian H. Wright, owner of the
land, and had reached an agree
ment to pay $6,000 per acre, or
$40,000 for the whole parcel.
Guard officials require a
minimum of five acres for any new
facility, and also city water and
sewer connections and main high
way accesibility, under the special
federal assistance program outlined
last January to replace outdated
Armories.
Local costs of the project are 12.5
per cent of the total, with the
balance paid out of state and
federal funds. The city agreed to
pay 25 per cent and the acounty
agreed to pay 75 per cent of the
local cost after county officials were
unsuccessful in reaching a 50-50
compromise.
The tentative arrangement
worked out by the committee,
subject to formal approval by the
city council and county commis
sioners, calls for the 25-75 split on
the first five acres, with the city
paying the full costs of the
additional five acres. A spokesman
for the city said the additional
space may be used as a park.
Raeibrd is one of 23 localities in
the state with sub-standard Armory
facilities, according to McPhaul.
Under the special assistance
program, the city would come up
for funding in fiscal year 1979 if a
suitable location has been
acquired.
The new Armory would contain
18,000 square feet. Estimated
construction costs were put at
$464,000.
Under a "reversion clause", the
old building on Central Ave. would
revert back to the county.
Although no option has yet been
obtained on the land, it is expected
the full committee will recommend
the purchase.
"My personal belief is to buy the
whole package", committeeman
Tom McBryde said last week.
Other committee members are
city manager Robert Drumwright,
city attorney Palmer Willeox, and
county commissioner John Balfour.
Field Now At Four
In School Race
The field of candidates vying for
two seats on the board of education
grew to four last week with the
filing of two incumbents and the
wife of a city councilman.
Incumbents D.R. Huff, Jr. and
A. Wilton Wood Jr. both officially
filed with the board of elections for
places on the November non
partisan ballot. Huff, board chair
man. has served 23 years. Wood
has served for 15 years.
Catherine (Kay) McNeill
Thomas, 30, a native of Hoke
County and a graduate of Hoke
County High School, said Monday
that she has "a point of view that
the Board of Education might
profit from".
"I'm the parent of a child just
leaving public kindergarten headed
for the first grade and I want her
school to be the best possible." she
said.
Mrs. Thomas attended East
Carolina University and received
her BS degree from Pembroke
State University in 1968. She
majored in psychology.
She previously worked as a social
worker with the Hoke County
Department of Social Services. She
is past president of the Raeford
Womans Club.
Mrs. Thomas presently is an
administrator on the board of the
Raeford United Methodist Church
and serves as conservation chair
Mrs. Crawford Thomas, Jr.
man for District 9 of the North
Carolina Federation of Womans
Clubs.
She is also on the Hoke County
Recreation Commission, chairman
of the Citizens United for Improve
ment of Reading, a member of the
Hoke County Literacy Council and
volunteers in the schools one day a
week as a reading tutor.
She has been an active Demo
cratic party member for the past
five years and is secretary-treasurer
of the Hoke County Young Demo
See RACK, page 15