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The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXVlll NUMBER 49 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA
- journal M
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY. APRIL 7, 1977
Around
Town
BY SAM C.MORRIS
The May flowers should be
beautiful because we are certainly
having the April Showers. The
temperature has been above 70
degrees, but from all forecasts it
will become cooler for the next few
days. This must be the "cold snap"
that is associated with Easter.
While on the subject of weather,
Mrs. Ed (Evelyn) Manning who
now lives in Missouri and wrote
about the cold weather there this
past winter, was in the office this
week. She came to North Carolina
last week and said that the thermo
meter registered a high of 32
? degrees when she left Missouri. She
stated that things were not like they
are here as far as blooms, buds,
etc. are concerned.
It makes you feel good to live in
North Carolina after talking to
someone that has moved away.
* ? *
The following letter was brought
into the office this week and it is
always good to run this type of
letter. Most of the time letters are
written to complain about the way
public officials work and it is just
the opposite for this one.
Dear Sam:
On behalf of the Chamber of
Commerce and as a citizen of
Raeford, I would like to express my
gratitude to our City Manager Bob
Drumwright for his willingness to
serve and the efforts he has given in
his work. I passed by 401 Business,
just below the Turkey Plant, when
the water main burst Friday even
ing. This was after 7:00 p.m., and
Bob was working, sleeves rolled up
and perspiration flowing, alongside
pother personnel. This kind of
teamwork proves to me and our city
that we have here a man who cares
and is willing to "go the extra
mile." This special service deserves
our Special Thanks.
Sincerely,
Gib Bernhardt
In this column last week when
writing about a letter from a person
who had left Raeford and now lives
in Springfield. Pa. 1 used the term
"Brer Rabbit." This term came
home to roost again at the regular
meeting of the Raeford Kiwanis
Club last Thursday night.
The program for the evening was
given by Frank Crumpler and he
introduced Earl Yarborough. a
native of this county, who now lives
in Charlotte.
Now to the "Brer Rabbit" part.
When Earl stood up to talk he
made the following statement or
words to this effect. This is the
"greatest thrill to me since I left
Raeford 35 years ago." He said that
being able to come back before a
civic club and speak gave him an
opportunity to express to local
people what Hoke County and its
people had done for him. Then he
gave credit to his years here and the
lessons taught to him by many
"people of this community as lead
ing to his success in life.
For you that don't know Earl, he
was raised on what is known as the
Covington Farm in Blue Springs
township. The son of the late Mr.
and Mrs. D.H. Yarborough. he
was one of six children, five boys
and one girl. As he stated, being
brought up during the depression
of the 1930s, he never knew what
money was in his younger days, but
he did have plenty to eat. He
graduated from Hoke High School
in the early 1940s.
He went to Charlotte and has
lived there since that time. Some of
the things that have befell him
during his life in Charlotte are as
follows:
He is vice-president and part
owner of the Harry and Bryant
Funeral Home.
A Deacon in the Trinity Presby
terian Church.
Founder of the Youth Apprecia
tion Week in Charlotte and this day
is now recognized annually by the
President of the United States.
President-Elect of the N.C. Fun
, eral Directors Association and he
takes office on May 1st.
A hard worker in the Boy Scouts
and has received the "Silver Bea
ver" award in 1970.
t He was listed at age 35 as one of
the 10 "Outstanding Young Men
In The United States."
These are just a few of the
accomplishments that Earl Yar
borough has attained since leaving
Hoke County 35 years ago. But last
Thursday night he said the "great
(See AROUND TOWN. Page 1 5)
Easter Service
The annual Easter "sunrise" worship service will be held at the
Raeford United Methodist Church Sunday morning at 7.
The Rev. Kenny Mills, associate pastor of the First Baptist
Church, will deliver the Easter sermon. Featured soloist will be
Miss Jane Sellars, accompanied by Ken Koonce.
The Rev. B.V. Childress will lead the Easter prayer.
The sunrise service is sponsored annually by the Raeford
Ministerial Association. All faiths are invited to join.
One- Way Avenue
To Be Changed Back
Several downtown merchants
armed with a petition requested
that a two-block stretch of Elwood
Avenue which is one-way be
changed back to two-way traffic
and the city council agreed to make
the change on a 4-1 vote Monday
night.
Theresa McBryde, James Wood,
Ed McNeill and James Conoly
argued for the change, telling
councilmen that the one-way traffic
inconvenienced downtown shop
pers and was not necessary. They
brought a petition with about 60
signatures.
Mrs. Eleanor Scull, operator of a
nursery school on E. Elwood Ave.,
argued against making the street
two-way, saying that it posed a
hazard to children being dropped
off and picked up at her school.
Councilmen voted to reopen the
stretch from Magnolia St. to
Stewart St. with one member. Sam
C. Morris, dissenting.
The street had been changed to
one-way by vote of the council two
years ago.
In other business, the council
City Offices
Close Monday
All city offices will be closed
Monday, April 1 1 in observance of
the Easter holiday, city manager
Robert Drumwright announced.
Regular hours will resume April
l ^
agreed to pay more money for the
city's share of the cost of the new
Chamber of Commerce tourist
brochure after Chamber president
Gib Bernhardt and Chamber man
ager Dayna Pate explained the final
total on the project is $3,845. The
city and county governments each
agreed to pay half. Last month, the
city council was told the total was
S3. 300.
The council awarded bids on the
construction of the new fire station
which is being financed by a bond
issue.
DWC Contractors. Inc. of Fay
etteville received the general con
tract ($149,439). Raeford Plumb
ing and Heating received both the
plumbing and heating and air
conditioning contracts ($1 1 . 150
and $8,300 respectively) and Town
send Electrical Service of Lumber
ton got the electrical contract
($14,700).
The council agreed to go ahead
and purchase the land for the
planned airport expansion after
city manager Robert Drumwright
said the state grant funds would not
be released before July 1. Since the
appraisal report would be outdat
ed, the decision was made to go
ahead immediately with the
$23,000 purchase.
In other business, the council:
Appointed Neil A. McDonald 111
to the city planning board, replac
ing Bobby Gentry;
Agreed to renew a lease with
Rose Aviation at the municipal
(See CITY COUNCIL. Page 1 5)
Satellite Experiment To Link
Raeford With Congressman
Congressman Charlie Rose will
participate in a unique satellite
videoconference with citizens in
Raeford next Friday, April 15, to
kick off a series of demonstrations
of how new technology can help
improve communication between
representatives and the electorate.
Rep. Rose will speak to Hoke
High students and then discuss
pending legislation with the county
commissioners over the communi
cations technology satellite (CTS)
of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration.
The students and elected officials
will use a classroom which will be
connected to NASA's new portable
earth terminal (PET) which can be
stationed in a lot adjacent to the
school. The PET unit provides the
ground station for the CTS link to
Washington, D.C.
Rep. Rose will be in the video
conference studio at NASA head
quarters in Washington. He is
scheduled to speak to the students
from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and will
meet with the county commission
ers from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
The congressional videoconfer
ence project, of which the Raeford
demonstration will be the first in a
series, is jointly sponsored by
George Washington University and
NASA. The project is one of 25
experiments currently using the
CTS system.
Rep. Rose is chairman of the
Information and Policy Group of
the House Administration Commit
tee and is one of the leaders in
Congress working for the use of
new information and communica
tions technology.
For The Lundys, It's Off To Hawaii
A throng of well - wishers turned
out at the civic center for Lundy
Sunday in honor of the couple's
50th wedding anniversary and the
presentation of the tickets for their
"dream vacation".
The afternoon affair, which was
put on by their children, Mrs.
James (Louise) Nichols and Bobby
Lundy and Allen Lundy Jr., was the
climax to the community's cam
paign to raise S2.000 to send
Wimzy and Allen Lundy on their
first vacation.
Response to the drive was so
great that more than $2,500 poured
in.
The Rev. Kelly Wilson gave the
invocation and Mayor John K.
McNeill Jr. presented a plaque on
behalf of the city for the Lundys'
continued service since 1929.
On behalf of the county, John
Balfour, chairman of the board of
commissioners, presented them
with a golden anniversary volume
containing mementos of the
occasion. The Chamber of Com
merce presented a plaque and a
bouquet of flowers.
Leonard Miller, one of the
organizers of the drive to recognize
the Lundys, explained the details of
the vacation which will be April 25 -
May 7. The Lundys will fly to.
Honolulu for a week in the islands
and then go to San Francisco on
May 2. In California, they will be
the guests of Vera and Wayne
Morgan of San Jose, Cal. Mrs.
Morgan is the sister of Grady Ellis
of Raeford.
The couple will fly home on May
7.
The Rev. John Ropp gave the
closing remarks.
Out of town friends and relatives
attending the reception were Jeff
Quick of Cheraw, S.C., Mr. and
Mrs. Olin Graham of Cheraw,
S.C., Mrs. Miller Graham of
Cheraw, S.C., Mr. and Mrs.
William Graham of Cheraw, S.C.,
Mr. and Mrs. Lavon Graham of
Cheraw, S.C., and Mrs. Clemon
Kimrey of Bennettsville, S.C., Mrs.
Elaine Walker and children of
Wallace, S.C., Mrs. Patsy Driggers
and daughter of Wallace. S.C.,
Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Gilbert of
Orangeburg, S.C., Mr. and Mrs.
Willie Camron of Camden, S.C.
Also, Mr. and Mrs. Maxie
Gilbert and children of Mt.
Rainier. Md., Mr. and Mrs. R.L.
Lunday and family of Pinehurst.
Mr. and Mrs, Chris Rice of
Virginia Beach. Va., Miss Alice
Lundyof Chapel Hill, Bill Worrells
of San Antonio. Tex., Mr. and
Mrs. W.M. Worrells of Hillsboro.
Mrs. Megan Wilson of Clifton
Springs. N.Y., Mr. and Mrs. Reid
(See LUNDYS, Page 15)
$2 Million Suit
Filed In Air Crash
A $2 million suit has been filed against the
estate of a Raeford man who piloted a plane
which crashed killing five people in 1975. The
owner of the aircraft is also named.
The suit charges negligence on the part of
Hillman Parnell Edens who was piloting a Cessna
320 B Aircraft when it crashed July 25. 1975, in
Mcintosh County, Ga., killing Edens, his wife
Geneva, daughter Cynthia, Julius O. Melton and
his wife Sadie.
The suit was filed by Michael R. Melton,
administrator of the Melton estate, against
Pamela E. Collins, administratrix of the Edens
estate, and against Paul R. Trudeau, owner of
the aircraft.
The suit alleges that Edens was negligent by
ignoring weather reports issued to him indicating
thunderstorm activity along his proposed route to
Daytona Beach, Fla., and once aloft, by
disregarding warnings to change his route. Edens
was also allegedly negligent by attempting to
operate the multi - engine aircraft without proper
instruction and certification.
The negligence was then inputed to Trudeau
bv permitting Edens to operate the Cessna when
he should have known that Edens was
inexperienced and without proper training, the
suit continued. He was also cited for failure to
warn potential passengers as to hazards when the
aircraft was to be operated by a person without
proper training, and of the hazards of operating
in adverse weather.
The plaintiff requested $1 million damages for
each decedent to be paid to the Melton
children, Michael Ray Melton, Judy Ruth
Melton Pittman, and John Delbert Melton.
No answer has been filed in response to the
charges. The case will be heard in Superior
Court.
The Eden - Melton flight left Raeford about 3
p.m. July 25 and was reported over Florence,
S.C., around 3:45 p.m. The Savannah, Ga.,
approach control was contacted at approximately
4:28 p.m. and they tracked the plane on radar
until it passed a point 32 miles south of
Savannah. The aircraft subsequently crashed
into the Mud River. Mcintosh County, Ga.,
killing all passengers.
Rescue workers were able to locate only the
body of Mrs. Edens.
Board Of Education Approves
Modest Hike In New Budget
The Board of Education passed
its 1977-78 school budget Monday
night to be sent to county commis
sioners for review later this month
with only a modest increase -
$35,000 -- in the local cost.
The total budget request for local
money is 5730, 24.1 which makes up
the operating expense and capital
outlay funds. During the current
year, those funds were budgeted at
$695,461.
The proposed new construction
of a bus garage and maintenance
shop is not included in the tentative
capital outlay budget. School Supt.
G. Raz Autry said. Cost of that
project will be entered later, if it is
approved by county commissioners.
Autry estimates only a S35.000
surplus next June 30 at the end of
the current school year which can
be re-budgeted into the coming
year. Last year, on June 30. the
surplus fund amounted to $79,789.
The increase in the local tax costs
in the proposed budget is attri
buted to an eight per cent salary
increase for the teachers who are
100 per cent locally paid. This cost
isS13.000. Also, the cost of utilities
is budgeted at $21,000 more than
in the current year.
The budget proposals are only
tentative. Exact amounts of federal
and state revenue will not be known
until later in the summer, Autry
said. However, based on the
amount of federal and state aid
received during the current year,
next year's total school budget
would be $4,330,772, a decrease of
about one-half million dollars.
Part of that decrease represents a
drop in federal awards. Autry said,
affecting the Indian education
program and Title 1 appropria
tions.
However, the superintendent
said he believes the cutback in
federal aid will be offset by
additional state funds which may
be approved for reading and other
instruction.
Autry noted that if the school
system had the fund balance it had
on June 30 of last year, the request
for local tax money for the next
year would be $ 1 0.000 less than the
amount requested in the current
year budget.
"It is our desire to practice
'preventive medicine' and by doing
so. hold the budget in line, except
for normal increase." he said.
In other business, the board
agreed to continue the summer
Comprehensive Employment
Training Act (CETA) program and
approved the $32,000 driver educa
tion budget. Driver education is
100 per cent state-paid.
The board approved numerous
personnel matters.
Three new teachers were hired
tor the 1977-78 year: Wendy Riggs
(first grade). Deborah F. Davis
(home economics) and Pete Pie
strak (vocational education).
The following transfers were
approved: Faye Jordan from high
school guidance to junior high
guidance: Emma Minis from Hoke
High to Scurlock elementary as
assistant principal; John K.
McNeill Jr. from Upchurch Junior
High to Raeford elementary guid
ance department; Sarah McCollum
from Upchurch Junior High to
Hoke High: Calvin Pope from Hoke
High to Raeford elementary; David
Locklear from Hoke High to Up
church Junior High; Darlene Clark
from Raeford elementary to South
Hoke elementary; and Arlicia Ray
from McLauchlin elementary to
South Hoke elementary.
Three interim teachers were
appointed to replace teachers on
(See BD. OF EDUCATION Pace I M
BON VOYAdh ' .. Ionise Nichols and Leonard Miller admte the flight bags which Allen and Wimzy l.undy will be
packing soon. The Lundvs will be off to Hawaii for a week and then another week In California, their anniversary
present from a very grateful community.