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fThe Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXVlll NUMBER 35 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
- journal
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1976
Around
Town
BY SAM C.MORRIS
The only thing you can write
about the weather this week is that
it has been cold. The temperature
has been from SO degrees down for
the past week. We didn't have a
White Christmas, but there was
plenty of ice around. The ground
was frozen early in the morning and
the wind has made the chill factor
^ almost unbelievable.
The oil companies should have
plenty of customers these days. It
seems that the heaters are running
all the time. Even if you leave it on
68 it is almost impossible to catch
the furnace not running.
We only hope that we didn't get
any freezing rains that will cause
the power lines to break. It is too
cold to be without heat for any
length of time.
* ? *
With Christmas falling on Satur
day this year it has brought forth
different times for the businesses of
the community to close.
Some started closing Thursday
and others were closed Monday, so
it was almost impossible to know
exactly who was open and when.
Most of the closings were for the
businesses' conveniences with
Christmas Day either at beginning
or end.
Now we have another weekend
the same, with New Year's as the
holiday. So if you find a place
closed Friday, Saturday or Monday
of the coming weekend, you will
know what it is for.
* * *
While on the subject of the
holidays; from all reports in the city
it was quiet over the holidays. Our
local police report that it was about
as usual. Just the same minor
incidents.
* * *
0 The New Year, 1977, will start
Saturday and if you haven't
thought about your resolutions,
now is a good time to start. Of
course if you don't plan to keep
them, forget about making any.
This will begin the 300th year of
our nation and what we do will have
a bearing on the celebration in
2076. Think about this as you move
forward into the new year and for
many years to come.
* ? ?
We received the following letter
Monday and will pass it along to
you.
Mr. Morris:
Reading your column of 12-16-76
concerning Murray O'Hair, sub
ject, Religion From the Air Waves.
The way 1 feel, that was a waste
of time and paper, because it was
stated by the Lord as he was leaving
this world saying to his disciples, go
into all the world and preach my
gospel, says the Lord, to Every
nation.
1 enjoy reading the Journal.
Yours truly,
Archie C. Davis, Jr.
? ? ?
1 would like to say Congratula
tions to Billy Colston for being
named "Coach of the Year" in
North Carolina High Schools. It is
very seldom this honor goes to
anyone outside of baseball, basket
ball or football. He has done a
tremendous job here in Hoke
County and his teams speak for
this. They would -have to, because
Billy never toots his horn.
Congratulations, Coach!
? * *
The United Fund Drive is still
{going on and from some reports, it
is not doing too well. This is a pity
because when the time comes to
meet the requirements, the agen
cies will come up short.
We don't know what the cause
for the slow response is, but we do
know that the people of Hoke
County will come through when
needed, and now you are needed.
? So if you have been holding
nRck, write your check today and
,jHiiil to Danny DeVane, Campaign
w Chairman, Raeford, N.C.
Thank you.
? * ?
To all the readers of this column,
a Happy and Safe New Year.
Four Projects Eyed
County Seeking HUD Funds
Killers
Sought
Sheriff's deputies and the State
Bureau of Investigation are seeking
three black males who robbed a
Rockfish grocery and killed the
proprietor Thursday night.
The victim was identified by
Hoke Sheriff D.M. Barrington as
Robert Leslie Brooks. 58, operator
of the Rockfish Store, and a retired
serviceman.
Brooks sustained a gunshot
wound in the left chest and was
pronounced dead at the scene,
according to Barrington. Two
women in the store at the time of
the holdup were unharmed.
The sheriff said three black
males in their early to mid-20's
entered the store between 7:30 and
7:45 p.m. One wore a white
handkerchief or cloth over his face
and the other two wore toboggans.
Wanda Sue Stevens, a teenaged
employee, was ordered to lie on the
floor while one of the men pushed
Brooks' wife to the cash register
and said. "Give me the money".
Mrs. Brooks opened the register
and the man reached in and took
an undetermined amount of cash.
Brooks, who apparently was
unseen by the trio while sitting on a
chair near the counter, advanced
on one of the men when he picked
up a broom and began threatening
(See KILLERS, Page 13)
UPCHURCH MILL ?? Feed manufacturing, the last active operation at the
Upchurch Milling and Storage Co. plant downtown, will be moved out of
the city. The process of dismantling the mill buildings has already begun.
County commissioners met in special session Monday night at the
close of the planning board's meeting and agreed to apply for
$500,000 in federal community development funds for fiscal year
1977 from the U.S. Deaprtment of Housing and Urban
Development for four separate projects.
T.B. Lester, county manager, said four of the five commissioners
present unanimously acceptcd the recommendations of the
seven- member planning board, which were culled from the list of
suggestons made by citizens at public hearings Dec. 16 and Dec. 21.
Commissioner Ralph Barnhart was absent.
Turkey
House
Burns
Approximately 350 breeder Tom
turkeys were caught in an early
morning fire Dec. 22 that swept
through a steel truss turkey house
belonging to Tarheel Turkey
Hatchery of Raeford.
According to Wyatt Upchurch,
hatchery owner, the short - lived
fire ran through the shavings used
tor turkey bedding so rapidly that
workers were able to save only one
pen of turkeys (about 46 turkeys
per pen).
Damage to the 4.000 sq. ft.
turkey house was estimated at
S8.800. The turkeys, valued at S22
each, added up to a $5,487 loss.
Upchurch said, "This doesn't
really put the hatchery in a bind
since it was breeder stock. We
artificially inseminate, so we'll just
haul semen in from another farm
until we get this flock built back
up."
The cause ot the fire, which
started on the north side of the
house, was not determined. Hill
crest Fire Department answered
the call.
The projects to be applied
for, and the amount needed for
each, are: construction of a
multi-purpose neighborhood
center for the Rockfish area,
$100, OCX); extension of city
sewer lines to Shawtown, a
predominately black neighbor
hood east of the city limits,
$50,000; rehabilitation of sub -
standard homes in Tylertown
and the North Raeford area,
$250,000; and repair of the
county - owned community
house located in seven town
ships, $70,000.
The last project was not named
during the two public hearings.
The idea originated with the plan
ning board, Lester said.
The $500,000 requested also
includes a $30,000 contingency
fund.
Planners with the N.C. Depart
ment of Natural and Economic
Resources, the state agency prepar
ing the county's application, told
officials here that housing rehabili
tation carries the highest number of
"points" with HUD when applica
tions are reviewed and stands a
good chance of approval.
Hoke County is now in the
process of implementing a $90,000
grant awarded this year from HUD
for repair of low-income homes in
North Raeford.
Funds were also approved in the
same grant for sewer extension
work in the North Raeford neigh
borhoods.
The Rockfish center project was
included in the package at the
urging of groups in the community
who turned out for both public
meetings to express a need for a
neighborhood meeting place. The
county-owned community house
was sold last year to a textile
manufacturer.
"They felt that since Rockfish
doesn't have a center at all HUD
would recognize the need out
there," Lester said. He added that
it was a rapidly growing area, with
a high concentration of mobile
home parks and a subdivision of
nearly 100 homes nearby.
"As far as the rest of the
community houses, we haven't
really done anything in the last 20
years. They all are in need of some
renovation," he said.
Purpose of the community de
velopment funds, also called dis
(See HUD, Page 13)
1977 License Renewal Begins Jan. 3
The 1977 red and white North
Carolina vehicle plates and vali
dation stickers will go on sale Jan. 3
at the Raeford Division of Motor
Vehicles Office on W. Edinbo
rough Ave.
Office hours will be 9 a.m. to 5
.m. Monday through Friday. The
aeford office will be closed Sat
urdays. Nearby offices which are
scheduled to remain open on
Saturdays are in Rockingham and
Elizabethtown.
1976 plates expire Dec. 31 and
their use beyond that date is
permissable only if they are duly
registered by the Division to the
vehicles on which display is made.
Owners who have their vehicles
properly registered have through
Feb. 15 to obtain new plates or
validation stickers.
Again next year the renewal of
private passenger license will be by
the sticker, with the exception of
special classifications. The renewal
of all other classifications, in
cluding trucks, will continue to be
by an annual license plate.
The validation sticker is to be
affixed to the upper right hand
corner of your current license plate
in the designated indenture over
the 1976 sticker.
For newly acquired private
passenger vehicles, a license plate
as well as a validation sticker will
be issued unless a plate is to be
transferred.
Care should be taken to place the
sticker in the correct position as
once it is affixed it cannot be
removed.
The Raeford license agent,
Frances W. Greene, points out that
"to renew a plate you must have a
renewal card" and cautions against
losing it when it is received. She
asks that you complete the ap
plication according to the instruc
tions on it before presenting it for a
new plate or sticker. This will
expedite the procedure and keep
lines from forming.
The application cards necessary
for obtaining plates or stickers were
placed in the mail on Dec. 10 and
Dec. 20. The Division of Motor
Vehicles expect this huge mailing,
estimated at more than four million
cards, to be delivered by Jan. 1.
City, County Denied
Public Works Grant
Both the city of Raeford and
the county government lost out
in last week's allocation of
federal public works funds,
dooming the proposed annexa
tion of College Drive and the
planned expansion of the public
health center.
Cumberland, Bladen, Robe
son and Columbus Counties
were among the state's counties
which shared in more than $28
million in grants, but both the
city and the county's applica
tions seeking a total of $889,000
were denied.
The city had sought $469,000
for sewer construction work
west of the city limits which
would lead to the annexation of
some 100 homes along College
Drive, and later, the Thomas
field subdivision.
The county had applied for
5420,000 to be used to build
additional space and relieve
overcrowding at the health
center on Central Ave. and also
for enlarging the Hoke County
Rescue Squad building on
(See GRANT, Page 13)
Overruled By Chairman
DSS Director Under Fire On Needy Handouts
department of Social Services
Director Benjamin O. Niblock
clashed with an ex-caseworker over
the Department's halt to the
clothing handouts to needy families
and also the refusal of Christmas
goods collected by Ft. Bragg in a
verbal volley during the Board of
Social Services' regular monthly
meeting Monday.
Dayna Pate, who resigned her
caseworker job earlier this year,
appeared at the meeting at the
request of Chairman J. H. Blythe to
discuss the two decisions. Last
week Niblock announced the DSS
would not accept the articles
collected by the Main Post N.C.O.
Wives Club and the 35th Signal
Group for Christmas distribution
because 28 out of 30 remaining
families on the DSS needy list had
already been taken care of by local
contributions.
Blythe said that he realized that
the lack of space for storage of
clothing and other items made it
necessary to discontinue the
service, but that he had changed
his mind talking to "numerous"
people.
"I'm afraid that we're getting a
lot of flak from many people. One
thing that disturbs me is people
don't have a place to leave some
nice things that other people could
make use of. It is our duty - that is
the work of this organization to be
a central distribution point for
needy families," Blythe said.
Mrs. Pate said she had become
concerned about the problem in
September when she began
receiving phone calls from people
seeking assistance and told the
board that she didn't discuss the
matter with Niblock because she
"knew how he felt about it".
"A lot of families depended on
that clothes closet, particularly at
the beginning of the school year,"
Mrs. Pate said, but Niblock
disagreed.
"First thing, back when we
operated it, we kept a daily log on
everybody who asked for anything.
I checked the log and we averaged
only four persons a week during the
winter months. In the summer only
two a week," Niblock said.
"That's not true, I was there and
there were more than that," Mrs.
Pate interrupted.
"This is indisputable, Mrs. Pate,
I have gone over the log and it is
correct, Niblock said.
Niblock said there were other
resources in the community and
named the Attic, a second - hand
clothing store operated by the
Raeford Woman's Club, as a place
where clothing could be bought at
thrift prices, but Mrs. Pate
disagreed, claiming that many
families cannot afford that option if
there are many children.
"I know what's going on at the
Attic, it's no use trying to hide it,
Mrs. Pate. They send us all the
clothes that are no good - junk -
and they keep the good stuff."
Niblock said.
"That's another mistake in
premise, that these people don't
have fifty cents or so to spend," he
added.
"Are you denying that a need
exists?" Mrs. Pate asked.
"I'm tired of you telling me that
I'm denying a need exists," he shot
back.
Blythe said that since the
controversy surfaced over the Ft.
Bragg articles last week, he had
done some checking and learned
that the North Raeford volunteer
firemen kept a supply of clothing
and whatever else they found space
for to give to victims of fires who
were in need. Blythe said he was
told that firemen would help
manage the DSS clothes closet if
room could be found for it.
Discussing the matter of the Ft.
Bragg Christmas drive, Niblock
told the board that it was correct
that nearly all of the families
requesting help from DSS had been
provided for, and furthermore that
he was notified too late to handle
any Christmas deliveries, a
statement hotly contested by Mrs.
Pate.
"They (the military group) made
a very conditional offer. I know the
paper had a big headline about it.
but it was a matter of only two
families left. They didn't let us
know until the last minute they
would have anything for us,"
Niblock said.
"Mr. Niblock, it was in the
papers weeks before. 1 made
contacts about it." Mrs. Pate said.
"On Dec. 6 I called and they said
no plans had been formulated. Ft.
Bragg comes in at the last hour, on
Dec. 20, as we are geting ready to
close, and says they will take care of
any leftovers on our list," Niblock
responded.
"Well, who put it in the paper
then?" Mrs. Pate said.
"1 don't know. That's immater
ial. Last year, for the record, if my
memory serves me, that stuff was
certainly not a prize package. The
toys were used and most had to be
put together. 1 don't want Ft.
Bragg being pictured as the great
benefactor of Hoke County," Nib
lock said.
Niblock told Mrs. Pate that she
acted "irresponsibly" by making
contacts without checking with the
DSS office first, but Blythe inter
rupted to halt the sparring between
the two.
"You let it be known that you
don't have a closet anymore, so you
can expect that people will call
her," Blythe interjected. "Your
record is not as clean as you think.
Some of your people (staff) are
afraid to speak to you. Some of
them are smuggling these things
out to these people, and personally,
I think it is commendable of
them,"
"To set the record straight. 1
know the one you're speaking of
who smuggles clothes - it's just a
very few items," Niblock respond
ed.
"It seems that you and Mr.
Niblock have a little personality
conflict." Blythe said, speaking to
Mrs. Pate, "but anyone has a right
to come in here and state their
views. And I'll have to agree with
Mrs. Pate on this".
Niblock said that most people in
the community who had usable
(See DIRECTOR, Page 13)