The Hoke County News - Established 1 928 ? VOLUME LXV111 NUMBER 31 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA - journal The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905 S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1976 Around Town BY SAM C.MORRIS auSCH?anks?lvin8 holiday was a 1 et day in Raeford and Hokh< Wait and see! ? ? ? Bill Johnson and Cindy Johnson Senator Robert Morgan's office were ,n town Monday and talked^ all who came by City Hall Some dropped by that had business to t^em whi,e others, like yours truly, Just went by to sav memrnw U th? f,rst visit in my Sffa", S?meone from a Sena tor s office coming to the county to discuss matters wTth the people "?? to talk to Bill and agafn ^ they wiU rcturn ? ? * In August of 1946 a redhead Jrra?^H ?OCkfish c?mmunity Mrs A.A. (Mary) Mclnnis has worked longer for the paper than any of the present employees. mi' k?i?W 'ha| many readers will miss the Rockfish News because over the years many of our readers that are not from that community! have informed me of things that have appeared in the column. Mclnnis is 91 years younc and like Mr. D. Scott Poole! who also was writing for this paper after his ninety-first year, will be lone remembered. Comments are used now in the twenty-five years ago items and someone will be using it tor 25 more years. I won't say that it is easy to work with a redhead that is over 90 but I will say that Mrs. Mclnnis will be missed by this writer. She kept me on my toes if something was wrong with her column, and it has made mea better newspaper man. Thanks Mrs. Mclnnis for a job well done. ? * * * The shopping season for Christ mas is with us again and we want to call attention once again to people # not to leave packages in unlocked cars. It would be better for all concerned to lock your packages in your car trunk. By leaving them even in a locked car where they can be seen is a temptation for someone to break into the car and steal the packages. Don't give them the op hive someone remove them from your car. It will take only a few minutes more to lock them in the trunk. Another thing, traffic is heaviest during the Christmas shopping season and children are also out and around. Drive carefully and then everyone will have a happy holiday. The weather Monday night be came winter once more. Many record? have been broken this year and if it keeps on. many more will fall. This has been the coldest fOctober and November that I can remember. What I mean is. the most cold days during this time. Of course if this is like the 'go^ ? old days', they can go back to that time. much now to ? * ? ? ? * MAKING A SALE ? Vardell Hedgpeth \ott right], ticket chairman for the Kiwanis Club 's annual pancake supper Dec. 9. closes a sale of another ticket with Charles Davis. This year's supper will he a chance to eat and shop, as the Music Booster Cluh will have a bazaar with Christmas gift ideas in the cafeteria. Noel Fun To Aid Needy A children's Christmas party is scheduled Saturday, Dec. 11 in the Raeford National Guard Armory beginning at 3:30 p.m. Besides the fun for the youngsters, the party will give everyone a chance to help out some less-fortunate people at Christmastime. Admission to the party is a can of food. The canned goods will be given to needy families in Hoke County through the assistance of the Armory staff. Singing, prize drawings, and of course a visit from St. Nick will highlight the afternoon's festivities. Children of all ages are invited. For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation ^ Commission office at 875-5603. ^ Flu Immunization Campaign Ending The swine flu immunization campaign, which has fallen far short of its goal here as well as elsewhere, will end with a weekend clinic Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 4-5 at the public health center. The two clinics will be the last opportunity to get a free shot. Pnvate physicians are expected to have ample quantities of the vaccine for some time, but although the shot is free, physicians may charge for an office call. Susan McKenzie, acting health center director, said a full staff will be working both days so that as many people as possible can be immunized. The Saturday clinic is scheduled 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday's clinic is 1-4 p.m. Since the health center began giving swine flu shots nearly two months ago, less than 1,000 Hoke Countians have been vaccinated, a very disappointing number to local health workers. Mrs. McKenzie announced flyers have been made up to distribute to the public and posters will be placed in various businesses around the county in an effort to persuade more people to take the shot. Publicity last week concerning the first reported case of swine flu since last winter, which was found in a Missouri man, did prompt renewed interest. Mrs. McKenzie said the health center received more calls last Wednesday about the shot than in the past two weeks. Phone Merger Vote Reportedly 2-1 Against Results of the voting here on the proposed merger of the Raeford and Fayetteville telephone ex changes has not been announced but reportedly the idea was turned down bv a 2-1 margin. Fhe voting, which was done by mailed ballots, was completed Nov. 23. Fifty nine per cent of the subscribers eligible to vote did so. Carolina Telephone & Telegraph announced last week. Bob Marbert. business manager of the Fayetteville CT&T office, refused to comment on the outcome of the survey, however an informed source said Tuesday that the final tally showed the merger plan was opposed by customers 2-1. Adoption of the proposal which would end long - distance charges between Raeford and Fayetteville exchanges, would bring stiff The State Utilities Commission, which has the power to authorize the merger, is expected to an nounce action on the matter at its meeting scheduled next Monday in Raleigh. Physician Relocating Raeford physician R.G. Town send announced he is moving his otYices from Campus Avenue to a r Deck the halls and then call The News-Journal office. Between now and Christmas N-J photographers will he look ing for outstanding home dec orations to print. So, if yon think yoor decora tions or those of a friend are p noteworthy, please give us a * call at 875-2121. c new location in the city effective Dec. .11. Townsend. one ol" only two general practitioners in Raeford. has been in the Campus Ave. medical arts building since 1964. The reason for the move is that his lease has not been renewed, he said. Townsend said Monday that he is in the process of choosing a building in the downtown area to move into, but that no final agreements have been made. Dr. R.M. Jordan, who owns the Campus Ave. medical building, said Townsend s lease was termi nated "by mutual consent" and said he had no definite plans as yet for the space being vacated. "As of tins moment, there are several things under consideration and I really can't tell you anvthing now ." Jordan said. Airport Expansion Gets Go - Ahead Kiwanis Supper Dec. 9 The Kiwanis Club annual pan cake supper will be Dec. 9 in the Gibson cafeteria at the high school from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tickets, priced at SI. 75, may be purchased from any Kiwanis Club member or Key Club member. Proceeds from the supper, the biggest fundraising event of the year for the Kiwanians. will go to support youth activities. Fifty per cent of the proceeds will go to the Key Club, the Kiwanis Club of high school youths, and the remaining 50 per cent will be given to other local youth groups, such as the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts. The Kiwanis support of youth is keynoted this year by a quotation taken from Abraham Lincoln, club member Robert Gatlin said. "A child is a person who is going to carry on what you have started. He is going to sit where you are sitting, and when you are gone, attend to those things which you think are important. ..the fate of humanity is in his hands". The Raeford Kiwanis Club, whose motto is "We Build", is in its 52nd year of continuous service. Membership is in excess of 45 men. Ticket chairman for the pancake supper are Avery Connell and Vardell Hedgepeth. increases in basic monthly rates tor Kaetord customers which raised criticism when the plan was first outlined earlier this year. The planned expansion of the Raeford Municipal Airport got a green light from the state with the approval of the S 10.700 grant from the N.C. Department of Transportation, funds tied to a federal grant which is expected in excess of a quarter million dollars. The state money, part of the North Carolina State Airport Aid Program, will be matched by $10,700 in city funds. City manager Robert Drumwright said a decision should be made this week on the application to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the rest of the funds. FAA will pay 90 per cent of the project costs. Christmas Mail Dates Moved Up The deadline for mailing Christ mas packages within the United States is Friday. Dec. 3, for guaranteed delivery. The mailing date was moved up a week early by the U.S. Postal Service because of the continuing strike by United Parcel Service and the increased load on parcel post. The deadline for cards and letters was also moved up a week. TTiat date is now Dec. 10. Joseph Carver, Raeford post master. said this week that people seem to be cooperating with the situation and are mailing early. "We're not running too far behind. Right now, parcel post is only two days later than normal. And, of course, first class delivery has not been affected at all," Carver said. Carver said that parcel post handling is running 200 to 250 per cent more now than at the same time last year. For overseas packages, the dead line for surface mail has already passed, so customers will have to use air mail if they want gifts to arrive by Christmas. "According to all forecasts, we will have everything delivered by the close of business on Dec. 24. We are now getting into the heaviest period for parcels but that should peak about Dec. 20." he said. Music Boosters Set Bazaar The Hoke County Music Booster Club will sponsor a fund raising bazaar Dec. 9 from 5 until 9 p.m. at the Hoke High Gibson Building. The bazaar will be held in conjunction with the Kiwanis Pan cake Supper. Parents and friends of the Music Booster Club have donated a number of hand made items to be sold like applique pillows, crochet hats and mufflers, Christmas tree ornaments and stockings. Baked goods will also be offered and three hand made afghans will be raffled. A few items will be donated by local merchants. Proceeds from the sale will go for various projects like scholarships, band equipment, uniforms, music, trips, and a piano. Richard Coker, president of the Boosters, was the originator of the bazaar project. Betty Barnhart is in charge of gathering bazaar items. Upcoming musical programs will include the Upchurch Chorus pro gram Dec. 14 at Upchurch Junior High, under the direction of Linda Huff, and the Hoke High Chorus and Chorale Christmas program Dec. 16 in the gymtorium at Hoke High, directed by Mary Archie McNeill. Drumwright said the estimat ed cost of the entire expansion and improvements is $269, 000. The project calls for acquir ing some 15 acres to be used for additional aircraft parking ar eas.- Apron space would be doubled. Also, the dirt parallel taxiway will be paved and lighted. Drumwright said a tentative agreement has been reached for the purchase of the 15 acres. He described the price as "in the neighborhood of $20,000". Presently there are 41 planes based at the airport and because of the safety factor involved the FA A has given a priority to the Raeford project, the city manager said. An estimated ten million dollars in funds are expected to be distributed from the FA A for a total of 14 different grants. Pre sumably, the state would not award its share unless the FAA acts favorably. Drumwright also said that the city expects to receive $7,000, the last part of the federal grant awarded in 1972 for the original paving and lighting of the runway, shortly. The paving was completed in 1973, but the final installment of the FAA grant has been held up. UF Drive Near 75% The United Fund campaign for Hoke County has approached 75 per cent of its goal. Uh" co-chairman Danny DeVane an nounced Tuesday. Cash and pledges so far amount to S16.718. This year's goal is S22.8II. DeVane said he was "extremely pleased" with the succss ot the drive but added that many pledge cards have not vet been counted. "If you ha\e a card that hasn't been picked up. please send it through the mail or drop it by De Vane's on Main St. Wo do have a number of cards that w ere missed in the pickups, so not all businesses have been fully counted. And. of course, there are individuals who may have been missed." lie said. "I am confident that with the generosity of so many people here we can look forward to meeting that goal very soon", he said. t i BOOSTER S BAZAAR -? Displaying some of the many items to he sold Dec. 9 at the Music Booster Club Bazaar are Mrs. Ralph Barnhart. Mrs. Richard Coker and Mrs. Bill Niven. The bazaar will he held in conjunction with the Kiwanis Pancake Supper in the Hoke High Gibson Building from 5 until 9 p.m. Three afghans will be rallied during the event.