The Hoke County News - Established 1 928
VOLUME LXVIll NO. 21 RAEFORD. HOKE COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA
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- journal
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The Hoke County Journal - Established 1 905
S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23. 1976
Around
Town
BY SAM C. MORRIS
It was 36 years ago this week that
the two North Carolina National
Guard units of Raeford left for
service before World War II. The
units were called to active duty
September 16, 1940. One week was
spent at the local armory where
physicals were given and each unit
was given time to enlist men to fill
up their units.
It was on September 23 that
Battery *F\ the unit this writer was
a member of, and 1st Battalion
Headquarters Battery left Raeford.
1 Battery 'F' went to Fort Moultrie,
S.C. and the Hq. Battery to Fort
Scriven, Ga. We were called in for
one year of active duty but it was
almost six years before most of the
men returned.
When these units left Raeford
approximately 200 men left Rae
ford and Hoke County. Almost
every family in the county had folks
that left with the group.
Most of the officers that were
with these units and many that
were in other headquarters are
dead and the men have found
homes in other parts of the country
or have also passed away.
In the old Battery 'F' outfit
Younger Snead and T.B. Lester are
still around. Paul Dickson was an
officer in another unit at that time.
Those who are not around now are
R.B. Lewis, W.L. Poole, William
Lamont, John Walker, John
McPhaul, J.H. Blue, Graham
Dickson and others that don't come
to mind as this is being written.
Of course you can't write any
thing about the old national guard
units without mentioning our old
First Sergeant Alfred Cole, who has
also passed on.
The units that formed the 252nd
Coast Artillery were all from North
Carolina and came from Raeford,
Wilmington, Whiteville, High
Point, Lumberton, and Greens
boro.
The men that were in the units
from Hoke County after 36 years
^ have only memories left for those
days.
* * ?
The following letter is self -
explanatory:
Dear Mr. Morris:
If possible, I would appreciate
you printing the following:
Last week, the Raeford Jaycees
made it possible for two classes of
exceptional children to visit their
annual carnival here in Raeford
without cost to the children. Not
only is such a trip sheer fun for the
children, but they profit so much
from interacting as a group outside
the classroom.
It is my understanding that this
is the main fund - raising project of
the Raeford Jaycees and that most
of the money is channelled directly
back into Hoke County. In view of
this, I particularly appreciate the
club arranging this trip with the
carnival personnel since this meant
approximately fifty tickets used
that could have been sold.
Hoke County individuals, busi
nesses. and civic groups such as the
Jaycees have and continue to
express their interest in exceptional
children. We need this type of
support. From the children, their
teachers, (Mrs. Larry Phillips and
Miss Phyllis Jones), and myself we
extend our sincere appreciation for
this type of community involve
ment.
Sincerely,
Rhenda Cameron. Coordinator
Programs for Exceptional Children
? * *
The fall weather is still with us
and the nights are fine for sleeping.
Some rain has fallen over the state
and the water problem for a
number of places has eased some,
but more rain is needed for the
problem to the solved?
* * *
Voters stayed away from the
i polls in the September 14th
primary and less than 40 percent
voted. This is not good for
government.
Next Tuesday. September 28 the
voters of Raeford go to the polls to
vote on a $200,000 bond referen
dum. This money, if approved, will
be for a new fire station.
Vote or be satisfied with the
results of those that do vote.
Federal Census To Examine
Minorities Voting Pattern
MM* M wwwwwwww^ww..
? T ? V
Library
To Move
The Hoke County Library will be
closed to the public the week of
Oct. 4-10 in order to move into the
new building, head librarian Doro
thy Cameron announced.
The new library is expected to be
ready for business on Monday. Oct.
1 1 . The S350.000 building with its
furnishings has more than triple
the amount of space. It contains a
study lounge with tables and chairs
and a separate reading lounge, a 75
seat capacity conference room with
adjacent kitchen and two sound
proof listening rooms.
Carrels for private listening will
be available, along with use of a
16mm film projector and a slide
projector. A microfilm library is
planned.
The new library, the county's
official Bicentennial project, was
dedicated in ceremonies July 4, but
the building was not completely
finished until this month. A special
"open house" will be held later this
year after plaques are hung in
appreciation of donors of memorial
gifts, Mrs. Cameron said.
The Hoke County Library cur
rently has about 26,000 volumes.
Since joining the Sandhills Re
gional Library System a year ago.
the library has doubled the amount
of books shipped.
Bloodmobile
Is Monday
The Red Cross Bloodmobile will
visit Raeford next Monday. Sept.
27 from noon to 5:30 p.m. at the
United Methodist Church.
This is the first time the regular
quarterly visit of the Bloodmobile
has been scheduled on a Monday,
which has caused concern about
turnout.
"We'll just have to hope, we have
never tried a Monday before. As
usual, we are below our quota and
we need a good many donors,"
county Red Cross chairman Clyde
Upchurch said.
According to Red Cross figures,
27 pints of blood have been taken
from the county's reserve in just a
little over a week. 22 pints were
needed at Moore Memorial Hospi
tal, two at Duke Hospital and three
at N.C. Memorial Hospital.
Hoke County needs at least 100
pints at each quarterly Bloodmo
bile visit in order to keep up with its
needs.
Medical personnel from McCain
Hospital, along with local volun
teers. will man the Bloodmobile set
up in the basement of the church.
New Officer
$200, 000 Fire Station
City Dwellers Vote Tuesday
City residents will go to the polls
next Tuesday. Sept. 28 to decide
the fate of the $200,000 bond issue
proposed for construction of a new
fire station.
The bonds, if approved, will
enable the city to tear down its 50
year-old fire station and construct a
new facility large enough to meet its
present needs. A site on E.
Prospect St., used as a lot by the
city, has been chosen.
In order for a municipality to
incur debt, voters must approve. A
tax increase to finance a new fire
station would be excessive, requir
ing a 35 cents increase in the
present $.55 per $100 valuation
rate, city manager Robert Drum
wright estimated.
If the measure wins passage
Tuesday, the city expects to put out
construction bids as soon as possi
ble.
The actual cost of the firehouse
may not be $200,000. Bids will be
received before the Local Govern
ment Commission sells the bonds
so the exact cost will be known.
Drumwright estimated the cost
more in the range of $175,000.
The present fire station was
termed inadequate by the League
of Municipalities earlier this year.
The cramped space, along with
hazards in the electrical wiring,
were noted.
Architectural plans for the new
facility show a building 88 feet
wide, with three doorways for exit
of the fire trucks. The present
station is approximately 18 by 70
feet with only one truck able to
exit at a time.
The $200,000 bond referendum
is for the fire station only; however,
the project is tied to the proposed
SAMPLE
OFFICIAL BALLOT
SPECIAL BOND REFERENDUM
City of Raeford, North Carolina
September 28, 1976
INSTRUCTIONS
1. To vote in favor of the order make a crow IX I mark in the square to the
right of the word "YES".
2. To vote against the order make a cross (XI mark in the square to the right
of the word "NO".
3. If you tear or deface or wrongly mark this ballot, return it and get another.
Shall the order adopted on June 23, 1976, authorizing not
tl exceeding $200,000 Fire Station Bonds of the City of
| Raeford, North Carolina, for the purpose of providing
funds, with any other available funds, for erecting and
equipping a new fire station to replace the existing fire
T I station in said City, and authorizing the levy of taxes in
II an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and the
interest on said bonds, be approved?
St
Chairman of County Board of Elections
of Hoke County
remodeling of the municipal build
ing.
The city council approved plans
to renovate sections of the building
and construct an addition to give
the police department and water
and sewer department more room
and create a larger meeting room
for the council. The total cost of the
re-modeling is estimated at
$140,000.
Under the plan, the old fire
station would be torn down and a
parking lot put in.
If the bond measure is passed,
bids for both projects may be put
out at the same time, Drumwright
said.
The last bond vote, several years
ago, was water improvement
bonds, which were approved.
Commissioners 3-2
Sunday Beer Defeated
With all members present Friday
morning, county commissioners
rejected any plan to allow
county-wide sale of beer on Sun
days on a 3-2 vote.
Chairman Ralph Barnhart, vice
chairman Tom McBryde and Rev.
Neil W. McPhatter voted 'no' on
the motion introduced by James A.
Hunt and seconded by John
Balfour to rescind the ordinance
which bans the sale of beer or wine
on Sundays. The action was the
first time that all five commis
sioners were present to vote on the
matter, which has been an issue for
! nearly three months.
About nine spectators in favor of
beer on Sunday, less than the
number present at the Aug. 16
meeting when the board split 2 - 2
on the question, showed up for the
Friday morning meeting, some of
them jeering as they left.
"1 voted no the last time and I'm
Troopers'
Hearing
Postponed
A District Court hearing for two
ex-state troopers charged with kid
napping. rape and crime against
nature last month has been post
poned to today (Thursday) at 9:30
a.m. in Raeford.
The preliminary hearing for
Jimmy 6. Thigpen and Wiley W.
Snow, who are accused in the
alleged assault of Mrs. Bobbie R.
Magee on Aug. 19, was originally
{* set for last Friday.
Thigpen, 24. of Raeford. and
Snow, 24, resigned from the High
* way Patrol following their arrests.
Both are free on bond.
voting no^today", McBryde said.
Neither Barnhart or McPhatter
gave their reasons.
Chamber of Commerce manager
Dayna Pate distributed a report of
a recent poll made by the Chamber
on the beer question. Out of 400
questionaires. 35 responses were
received, with 21 opposed to
allowing Sunday beer sales and 14
in favor.
Hunt and Balfour shared the
opinion that it wasn't fair for a few
places to be able to sell beer on
Sundays under the state brown
bagging law, and said they felt
either everyone should have the
privilege or no one.
"1 don't like it, I understand
some of them are selling a six -
pack for S2.75. or more". Balfour
said.
Under the state law, a grocery
w ith a Class A cafe may sell beer for
take - out on Sundays. Currently,
there are three such establishments
in the county doing so.
Mobile Homes
In other business Friday, the
board adopted a "get tough"
attitude toward mobile home
owners who don't list the homes
with the tax supervisor. The board
agreed to order plastic decals which
will be displayed on the outside of
the mobile homes to identify those
which are listed for tax purposes.
The sale of the parking lot at the
highway department office off W.
Prospect St. to Raeford Oil Co. was
approved. Raeford Oil Co. sub
mitted a 54,500 bid.
The board also approved an
application to the Law and Order
Division, a state agency, for the
purchase of seven portable radios
for the sheriff s department. Local
cost, if the application is approved,
would be approximately S455 for
each unit.
In a related matter, an amend
ment to the budget to authorize the
purchase of electronic sirens for
sheriff s patrol cars was approved.
The cost, which will come out of a
surplus in the salaries budget, is
S210.
The board approved the in
surance coverage amounts on all
eight county - owned buildings
after ordering an increase in the
amount on the new library. The
total coverage for all buildings and
their contents is $1.66 million.
A request from the Chamber of
Commerce for funds to pay for a
tourist's brochure was approved.
The Chamber plans to order 5.000
brochures at a total cost of about
$2,000. Commissioners agreed to
have the county pay half of the cost
after hearing that the city of
Raeford will pay the other half.
With little enthusiasm, com
missioners authorized an increase
in the cost of garbage collection
(Sec BfcER, Page 13)
Hoke County is among seven
North Carolina counties scheduled
for a special federal census in
November under the provisions of
the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to
determine the number of eligible
voters.
Announcement of the special
count was made last week by
Joseph R. Norwood, regional di
rector of the Charlotte U.S. Census
Bureau. It will start immediately
after the Nov. 2 election and should
be completed by the first week of
December, he said.
The purpose of the census is to
determine the number of eligible
voters, the number registered, and
the number who voted in each
political sub-division. Sub-divisions
under the jurisdiction of the Char
lotte office included in the an
nouncement are Camden, Gates,
Greene, Jackson, Perquimans, and
Washington Counties, and Charles
City County, Va.
Unlike the regular census every
ten years, questions on the special
census are brief. Each household
member will be asked name, sex,
relationship to household head,
race, date of birth, marital status
and national origin. For household
members 18 years or older, ques
tions will be asked on: U.S.
citizenship, whether or not the
person voted in the November,
1976 election, (if 'no', was the
person registered to vote?) and if
the person either voted or was
registered to vote in the named
jurisdiction.
No questions will be asked on
how a person voted, his or her
political affiliation, or like matters.
Norwood emphasized.
As required by federal law, no
information identifying any indivi
dual will be released and only
statistical totals will be published.
A Census Bureau supervisor,
assigned by the Charlotte office,
will hire, train and supervise the
census takers, who will be local
residents. Each census taker will be
assigned to a relatively small area,
called an "enumeration district".
Requirements for census takers,
in general, only require: U.S.
citizenship, 18 years of age or
older, high school education, car
available full time during the
census period (15 cents mileage
paid), able to work day and evening
hours and able to pass a written
examination.
According to Norwood, about 28
people will be hired locally as
census takers at a wage of S3. 41 per
hour. A local census office will be
opened in early October.
Norwood pointed out the ad
vantage to local jurisdictions in
having a special census done.
"The county will have, at no
cost, an up-to-date official popula
tion count, which otherwise would
not be available until after the 1980
U.S. census. The last official
population count is over six years
old", he said.
Ordinarily, between national
censuses, a special federal census is
taken only at the request and
expense of local government and
local costs would run into several
thousands of dollars.
The census supervisor will re
lease a preliminary population
count to county officials, as well as
for any incorporated places, on
completion of the census. The final
and official count will follow some
time later.
Out For A Nice Stroll?
Fine - Splatter! Splash
BY MARTY VEGA
When police detective Harvey
Young mounted the steps at the
front entrance to the county court
house on a recent morning, he
removed his hat before entering the
building. Like any courteous gen
tleman. And. an unthinking one.
For as Young doffed his hat. he
lingered too long at the door -?
splat! splash! oozy, gooey, ugh!
A naughty schoolboy having a
lark with water balloons? Or rotten
tomatoes or eggs? Hardly. As
Young said later, or rather the only
thing that Young said that could be
quoted in a family newspaper,
"there were so many of them" he
couldn't spot his assailant.
Young had become the latest
victim to what courthouse workers
and regular visitors have been
keenly alert to-step lively as you
enter or exit the courthouse or you
may be the unlucky recipient of a
pigeon's scorn. Airborne.
Quite a sizeable pigeon popu
lation has taken over the stately
courthouse, setting up housekeep
ing on the roof and finding
comfortable resting spots on the
window ledges, which prove to be
handy locations for bombing tar
gets below, and it has become
too much for county manager T. B.
Lester.
"We've got a terrible pigeon
problem". Lester told county com
missioners at their most recent
(See SPLASH, Page 13)