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% The Hoke County News - Established 1 928
VOLUME LXVlll NUMBER SO RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
- journal
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1977
Around
Town
BY SAM C. MORRIS
The weather for the past few days
has been like summer with the
temperature in the high 80s. The
forecast is for the same kind of
weather for the remainder of the
week. I can't remember any Easter
Sunday that was any nicer than last
Sunday.
At church Sunday morning
someone said that he thought he
would be there by himself after
seeing all the traffic that went down
NC 20 last Friday.
From the news it would seem
that it was a sane and happy Easter
holiday for everyone.
? ? *
Robert Gatlin brought a pro
gram by the office recently and was
commenting about the number of
businesses that were advertising in
the program that were not in Hoke
County any more. The program
was of the March of Dimes Benefit
Concert given at Hoke County High
School in the 1950s.
There were 33 businesses that
advertised in the program and 16 of
them are no longer around. So in
20 years even in a city as small as
Raeford things change and most of
us don't think about the changes
that take place.
? * *
A letter that was received by Mr.
and Mrs. A.J. Lundy recently is
typical of the many that have
touched their hands in recent
weeks. It also tells about the
experiences of a Hoke County man
since leaving here. We will publish
it in this column because we think
it will be of interest to many friends
of the writer. ~
The letter follows:
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lundy,
I have been reading with interest
the recent articles about you in The
News Journal, to which I am still
subscribing after all of these years
away from Hoke County. In today's
Charlotte Observer there is a Fine
article about you and your upcom
ing trip to San Francisco and
Hawaii. I am sure you will enjoy
your long-deserved vacation from
repairing shoes. I was stationed
briefly on Treasure Island in San
Francisco Bay while in the Navy
back in 1945. There was a lot to be
seen out there back then and I am
sure there is even more today.
You may have trouble remem
bering me. I am Zane Grey Norton,
a son of the late Manley Norton of
Bowmore and a brother of Alex
Norton a Deputy Sheriff in Hoke
County. I am in my 25th year as a
Methodist minister in the Western
North Carolina Conference. I was
in school with Kelly Wilson, the
present pastor of the Raeford
Methodist Church. I have served
churches at Shelby, Lincolnton,
Hickory, Winston- Salem, Hunters
ville, Gastonia, and I am now in my
fifth year in Mooresville.
I remember well the many visits I
made to your shop as a boy. I also
remember that you had a son and
daughter younger than I. I believe
the boy's name was 'A.J.' and the
girl's name was 'Louise.' I have
often wondered where they are now
and what they are doing.
May God continue to richly bless
both of you and to give you a safe
and happy journey. You are living
Eroof that 'those who cast their
read upon the waters find it after
many days.' (Ecclesiastes 11:1).
Sincerely yours,
Rev. Zane G. Norton
The 'Cat catchers'
To The Rescue
Eight year-old Sue Bennett and her mother are very
grateful to the Hoke County Rescue Squad for tracking
down the stray cat which bit the child two weeks ago.
Sue was playing outside her home in Ponderosa Mobile
Home Park when she got the bite. Her mother. Mrs. Ann
Bennett, was unable to find the cat and it looked as though
Sue would have to undergo the painful series of rabies
shots.
Although it is a little out of their line, three members of
the rescue squad searched the area the next day until they
spotted the cat and captured it. The cat was placed under
observation and Sue needn't worry about having to get the
shots now.
"I didn't get the names of the three squadsmen so I don't
know who tney are. But I want them to know that we are
very appreciative," Mrs. Bennett said.
The three squadsmen were Jim Wade. Sammy Ferguson
and Chris Gaddy.
City T ax Dollars
In CofC Queried
School Board Undecided
On Principal's Slot
No decision has been made yet by
the Board of Education on whether
Allen Edwards will continue as
principal of the high school next
year, board members said last
Thursday.
Edwards' name was not included
in the list of faculty members
approved for tenure, or career
status, passed by the board during
its April 4 meeting. By law, a
teacher or principal automatically
receives tenure at the beginning of
the fourth year unless the board
acts otherwise.
Superintendent G. Raz Autry
said a special meeting of the board
is scheduled tonight. (Thursday),
at 7:30 p.m., but ne refused to say
what the agenda for the meeting
was.
Autry made no mention of the
matter last week when discussing
the business at the April 4 meeting.
Board chairman Bobby Gibson
said Edwards' position was dis
cussed, although the board did not
vote to go into executive session
RABBITS This happy trio spent a sunny afternoon playing with a hoppy
duo of Easter rabbits. The girls are Elizabeth Ragsdale. Dorcus Hosteller,
and Kim McNeill. \Photo byS.H. Alpin ]
Antique Aircraft
Old Fleet Finch To Fly Again
By Suzanne H. Aplln
'The only thing we need now is *
an exhaust system since the last one
was almost demolished when the
lane crashed,' the man said as fye *
eld the piece of mangled metal tn
his hand.
The speaker is no aircraft me
chanic. but a local businessman,
William Poole. Along with his
family and friends, A. J. Furches,
Jim Williamson, and Bill Niven,
Poole is building, or rather rebuild
ing, an antiaue plane.
The crew has been hard at work
every Saturday, Sunday and most
Friday nights since Christmas fit
ting together the parts of a Model
16 B, Fleet Finch.
Powered by a Kinner five cylin
der horsepower radial engine, the
aircraft is actually two fuselages
welded together. Poole noted that
one wing carries a date of 1937, one
1943 and one 1947. Designed in
1928 by Rueben Fleet, the father of
Consolidated Aircraft Co., the
Model 16 B is being constructed
according to an old instruction
manual copy.
Consolidated Aircraft originally
built 600 of this model plane and
less than 50 models are now known
to be in existence.
Poole found the Fleet plane
through an advertisement in an
airplane trade magazine. 'A man
named Walter Schiebe of Warwich,
R.I., brought it down here in a
pick-up truck. Schiebe also rebuilt
the engine on it,' Poole said.
'I first heard about the Fleet
back in 1951,' he continued. 'Its a
good plane.' The 16 B was used by
Canadians from 1940-43 as a
training unit for cadets. We are
going to paint it like the Canadians
did,' he said.
Poole contacted Consolidated,
which now produces only airplane
parts, the Fleet Club in California
and Schiebe to authenticate the
plane. 'Of all the sources I
checked,' he said, 'I got my best
information here locally. A lady in
Aberdeen, Page Shamburger, who
has written many aviation articles
gave me more information on the
Fleet than all the others combined.'
The work has progressed slowly
fince many of the ribs in the wing
were badly damaged when the
plane's former owner crashed it.
The crew has painstakingly
straightened the twisted metal and
reinforced where necessary. 'We've
done everything according to FAA
regulations, but when it comes
right down to it, we all want it done
right if we're going to be flying in
it.' Poole said.
The tubular steel body and the
wings are covered with long staple
grade A fabric. The fabric is
attached to the frame then treated
with four coats of clear dope,
sanded, then painted with four
coats of dope containing aluminum
powder and. last of all, sprayed
with four coats of yellow color.
The plane and parts take up
almost half of the Carolina Turf
workshop area. The engine and
body are surrounded by wings
stretched across saw horses, wind
shields on a work table and a hand
carved propeller from California
boxed on the floor.
'We'll have to take the plane
outside to do the final assembly. I
may have to build a special shed for
it since the fabric is susceptible to
sun rot,' he said. Poole estimated
that between S8.000 and $10,000
has been invested in the project,
not counting labor costs.
'I also should mention that we've
had help with the ailerons from Dr.
(See AIRCRAFT, Page 15)
"We did discuss his situation but
I would hate to get into that, out of
courtesy to Mr. Edwards," Gibson
said. "We directed the superinten
dent to have a conversation with
Mr. Edwards but it was of a
personal nature."
Edwards said Tuesday that it
would be inappropriate to make
any statement about the matter at
this time.
Under the law, schoolteachers
must receive notice at least 30 days
prior to the end of the employment
period if a contract will not be
renewed.
Jobless Rate
Shows Dip
The unemployment rate in Hoke
County dipped to 7.8 per cent in
February, according to the latest
figures released by the Employment
Security Commission.
The January rate was put at 8.5
per cent.
The number of persons actively
seeking work was estimated as 600
during February. Estimated num
ber of employed persons was 7,070.
Hoke Gets
Road Funds
Hoke County has been awarded
$14,866 for repairs to roads dam
aged by this winter's severe wea
ther, the North Carolina Board of
Transportation announced last
week.
The state allocated nearly $6.1
million in funds which had been
marked for emergencies and held
in reserve contingency funds for
primary, secondary and urban
roads across the state.
Estimated damage to county
roads was put at $84,490.
Chamber Orders Study
Of Licensing Office
Chamber of Commerce directors
agreed to delay any decision on
closing down the Division of Motor
Vehicles licensing office and in
stead appointed a fact finding
committee to study the matter.
Frank Teal, Frank Baker, Ivery
McNair, Younger Snead, Jr. and
William McDonald were named to
the committee, Chamber manager
Dayna Pate reported. The commit
tee expects to complete its study
and report back a recommendation
within a month to either close the
office or continue it.
The action came during the
board or director's regular monthly
meeting Tuesday morning. A group
of local businessmen, led by Snead,
an automobile dealer, argued
against closing down the office, a
recommendation made earlier by
Mrs. Pate.
In other business, the directors
approved a ten per cent dues
increase to become effective June 1
and agreed to ask the county
government to increase its annual
contribution from $5,000 to
57,000, Mrs. Pate said.
The new dues, which were put
into the bylaws, range from $14 for
an individual membership to $53
for a major business firm. Some
(See CHAMBER. Page 15)
MODEL ?? Using a cop\' of an old instruction manual for the Model 16 B
Fleet aircraft and old photographs, a crew of local aviation buffs is helping
William Poole restore the project to its original form when it was used hy
the Canadians as a training craft in the early 1940 s. \Photo hy S. H. Aplin \
An opinion from the Attorney
General s office in Raleigh received
end th^ ?y-the dty manager may
end the city s annual contribution
of taxpayer s dollars to the Rae
ford-Hoke Chamber of Commerce.
R?i5!J,p,ni?? written by James F
Seni?r depUty att?mey
genera! . was turned over to city
ttorney Palmer Willcox for study
Uty manager Robert Drumwright
requested the opinion last month
r v* 3 ? * counci1 member. Sam
v. Morns, requested it.
unahi?fU8h BUIIOCk Stated he wa*
unable to make a definite deter
lar" tfth thCaUSe he Was unfamil
iar with the particular circum
SuZZL r thl North Ca?>lina
Supreme Court has ruled that
municipal corporations may not
enterprise"0"3" *?
Cities may use funds other than
ad valorem tax revenue for the
of ..""""acting industry if
certain conditions are met.
The opinion reads. "A municipal
?nbI5 hn haS th?Se powers Pre
scribed by statutes and those
othJ?Sain tKmp,led b> law and no
rw A kiSpn case of HORNER v
235' NT 77 COMMERCE,
cw a u ' e Supreme Court
stated that the Burlington City
ouncil made an absolute gift of
the tax moneys to the Chamber of
Commerce without specifying how
they were to be spent and without
commT^th "ght to direct or
control their use and that the
Chamber of Commerce comingled
the tax moneys and all its other
revenues and indiscriminately used
slfariS and thdS t0 Pay rents*
?ther exPenses in
curred by it in carrying out its
corporate functions."
"The Court further stated in the
NCe4flODtKNNtS V 253
NC 400. that that State Legislature
can neither compel nor authorize a
municipal corporation to expend
any of its funds for a ffi!
purpose and since practically even
undertaking of a municipality does
or may require the expenditure^
money, a municipal corporation
cannot, even with express legisTa
e sanction, embark in any pri
X?" or assume an,
function which is not in a legal
?nse public. If there is any
restnction implied and inherent in
he spint of the American constiti
its suhrf 'S * tHif 8overnment and
selves ?nV'tSh0nlShal1 COnfme them"
selves to the business of govern -
ISrt, WhicJh they were created,
and the expenditure of money by a
municipality for private purposes
does or may result in the taking of
property of individuals under 8the
nnhr taxation for other than
public uses.
cmlT** C?Un Stated that a muni
cipal corporation, when authorized
by statute, has power to approp"
sirnh.r,afPUH ? purPosc- available
surplus funds not derived from
th?r ?k3 P uge of its credit- and
that where the statutory power
exists, courts have permitted muni
cipalities to advertise advantages to
attract trade and industry to the
community."
n?3C T?U,d su8?est tha' your
question be presented to the town
he ?y eonsideTi"
m the light of DENNIS v RAL
EGH. since your letter does not
permit us to make a definitive
t~UOn a1d the city attorney
would be in a better position to
w?,you ,n this matter."
illcox declined comment last
Mr ?' ,?ay,n8 he had not yet been
fficially asked by the council to
review the matter.
,n the city council in
creased the annual allotment to the
(See QUERIED. Page 15)
Elections Board Closes
Registration On May 4
Voter registration books will
close Wednesday, May 4, 30 days
prior to the special election in
Antioch township for the creation
of a fire tax district, the county
board of elections announced.
The fire tax election for residents
of Antioch township will be Satur
day, June 4. Voters will decide on a
tax levy not to exceed 15 cents per
$100 valuation for rural fire protec
tion.
Rose Sturgeon, secretary of the
board of elections, announced that
the registration rolls have been
purged since the last general
election so persons who have not
voted in recent years should call or
visit the elections office to check
their names.
Also, anyone who has moved
since the last election is required to
report the new address in order to
be able to vote.