<*Ylew6
? The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXIX NUMBER 22 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
- journal
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. 1977
Around
Town
BY SAM C. MORRIS
The fall weather is still with us
with the morning nice and cool. Of
course it warms up during the day
and the first part of the evenings
are warm.
Anyway this will prepare us for
the winter that is sure to come in
the months ahead. Let's hope that
it will not be as cold as last winter.
* * ?
The new shows have started on
TV now and if you don't watch
them the first week or so they will
be gone and reruns will replace
them. I guess the show people are
just like most of us in business, if
you don't win with one show, then
come back with another until you
have a winner.
Of course after watching Daniel
Boone many years ago when my
kids were growing up, it doesn't
look right to see someone playing
Daniel that doesn't favor Fess
Parker. Looks and the sound of a
voice soon associate you with a
character.
If you are a fan that looks at
sports, you can't miss the voice of
Howard Cossell.
* * *
Politics will be with us for the
next few weeks; that is with the city
election and with the bonds and
amendments elections to be held
November 8.
At the present time, only the
mayor has filed for re-election and
not any council members have
come forth to file.
If you want to hear one side of
the state - wide bonds and
amendments presented, you can do
so by attending a seminar at the
Hoke County Courthouse on Sat
urday, October 15 at 10 a.m. A
group from Democratic Head
Starters in Raleigh will discuss all
e issues and a panel will also be
present to answer questions you
have about these issues.
If you want full details, your
county chairman. Ken W. McNeill
can fill you in and will be glad to do
so.
It is better to be informed and
vote no, rather than just go to the
polls and mark the ballot yes, and
then regret it later on.
? * *
Mrs. Martha C. Hollers of
Cando, district highway commis
sioner, or member of the DOT
board, was in the county last
Thursday. She was here as a guest
of Ken W. McNeill, party chair
man and Alfred K. Leach, who was
Governor Jim Hunt's county
campaign manager.
Mrs. Hollers was all ears, as she
talked to some of the county
commissioners and other political
leaders of the county.
As one person said, on being
introduced to her, you are by far
the best looking highway com
missioner Hoke County has ever
had. (This is true.)
It is almost impossible for a
commissioner to do anything for a
county as small as Hoke and
especially when the department is
under the political pressure that it
is.
Of course. Mrs. Hollers said she
would look into the things that were
presented to her. but this is what
she must tell all groups from the
many counties that she has under
her. It was nice for her to come and
show an interest in this county and
this is more than some have done
for the past several years.
Also ken and Alfred should be
thanked for asking, and getting her
to come here.
* * *
The Hoke High Bucks didn't fare
too well in the Conference game
against Sanford here last Friday
night. They will be playing at
Rockingham this Friday night and
will return for the next home game
Oct. 14 to meet Pinecrest.
Don't give up on the Bucks. They
are young and should improve as
the season progresses. Be a Booster
and follow the Bucks.
? ? *
National Newspaper Week is in
t October. We will have more in the
paper about it during the next
couple of weeks but we quote this
from Walter Lippman. "The theory
of ? free press ts that the truth will
emerge from free reporting and free
discussion, not that it will be
presented perfectly and instantly in
l any one account."
No One Wants To Be First
Needed - 5 Candidates F or Council
With the filing period for candidates in the city election open for nearly two weeks
now no one has yet filed for the city council race.
The only candidate to file thus far has been Mayor J.K. McNeill Jr. who is running
for a fifth term as mayor.
All five council seats will be open in the Nov. 8 general election. City council terms
are two years.
Veteran councilman Crawford Thomas Jr. announced last week that he will not
seek a fifth term.
Thomas 34, said he felt it was time "to give a new man a chance".
Thomas joined Sam C. Morris in rejecting another bid for re-election. Morris. 59,
was the first incumbent to announce he would not run again.
The other three incumbents, Graham Clark, Benny McLeod and Bob Gentry, all
said this week they haven't made up their minds yet about filing.
"I'll probably decide next week, ' Clark said. "When is the last day for filing,
anyway?" Clark, 61, was re-elected to a fourth term in 1975.
Gentry, who was appointed to his seat last year to fill out the term of David Lovette.
said he was "leaning toward" filing to run.
"I'm thinking seriously about running. I am interested in Raeford. But nobody's
beating my door down or anything," Gentry said.
"I've never held political office before, of course, and I'm not a real good politician.
I put my foot in my mouth too much. But I just throw my hat in the ring." he said.
McLeod, who polled the most votes of any candidate in 1975. also hedged when
asked if he would run again.
"I still haven't decided yet," McLeod said.
The filing period for hopefuls officially closes on Monday, Oct. 10. at noon.
Registration books will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7. Anyone who has not
registered by that time will not be permitted to vote in the Nov. 8 election.
Besides the mayoral and council races, voters will also decide five proposed
constitutional amendments and two state bond issues at the polls.
CLOSED -? The Uptown Restaurant, whose owner Paul Rose has been
entangled in a series of legal snarls with the city, closed Monday and left
this note for its customers.
Restaurateur Charges
City Harassment
The owners of the Uptown
Restaurant, who have been beset by
financial troubles for weeks, closed
the business for good Monday and
charged that "pressure" from the
city manager was partly responsible
for the failure of the business.
A note was tacked to the front
door of the restaurant which said
"We regret that we have to close
due to lack of capital and political
pressures from a few, it is neces
sary. Thank you so very much for
your patronage and support."
Mrs. Betty Rose, speaking for
her husband Paul Rose who has
been hospitalized for the past three
weeks, said she felt they had been
victims of "innuendoes" and
harassment.
"About a month ago. the city
came and shut the water off to the
restaurant right before lunch for an
Grant
Approved
The Economic Development
Administration has approved a
$285,000 federal grant to the
Hoke County Medical Complex
Inc. for the construction of a
medical arts building, It was
announced Wednesday.
The announcement was made
by Younger Snead Jr., chair
man of the non-profit group.
The planned facility, estimated
at $357,000, will house three
general practitioners and one
optometrist. The balance of the
coat will be paid from Farmer*
Home Administration funds.
Location for the planned
building Is S.Maln St.
unpaid bill of fifty some dollars,
which was for the business at the
airport. The restaurant's water bill
had been paid. I went and paid the
other bill and they came back and
turned the water back on. 1
checked with our attorney and he
said it was probably legal to do that
but it was really just a form of
harassment," Mrs. Rose said.
"When we were in business out
at the airport, we were the only
ones who had a meter for the water.
The other two businesses didn't pay
for city water. 1 understand." she
said.
Rose Aviation went out of busi
ness last spring after it failed to
meet monthly payments to the city
under its lease agreement.
Mrs. Rose said that her husband
was working out arrangements w ith
the city for the overdue payments
when Rose was arrested and
charged by Fayetteville police in
connection with a widely-publicized
alleged prostitution ring.
"The same day that story broke
in the papers. Mr. Drumwright met
us in the parking lot of our
attorney's office and said he wanted
to talk to Paul. The very next day
we got the letter informing us the
lease was broken." she said.
"1 have heard from reliable
sources that Mr. Drumwright was
making very caustic remarks in
front of others about Paul and that
prostitution business and 1 have
gotten innuendoes from other peo
ple in authority for the city. Paul
was innocent and the whole thing
was very damaging to our chil
dren." she said.
Rose was officially cleared earlier
this month when the District
Attorney dismissed the charge of
aiding and abetting prostitution
against him.
Shortly after Rose Aviation
closed for business. Rose filed a
S15.000 suit against the city. The
suit concerns a hangar which Rose
(Sec HARASSMENT. I'agc 13)
Gov. Hunt To Lend An Ear
To Local Economic Advice
Residents of Hoke County will
have a chance to say how they think
state government can help get
better, high-paying jobs into North
Carolina through an economic
development conference to be held
here Oct. 11.
At the request of Gov. Jim Hunt
each of the 100 counties in North
Carolina will hold a meeting during
the month of October to discuss
what citizens feel are the economic
problems in their own communities
and what local, state, and federal
government should do to help solve
those problems.
Reports coming out of these local
county conferences will feed into a
larger statewide gathering in Jan
uary 1978. and will be used by the
State Goals and Policy Board for
advising the Governor on North
Carolina's future economic policy.
Local chairman Earl Fowler
attended the regional planning
session for the governor's "Bal
anced Growth and Economic De
velopment Conference" Sept. 22
where these information gathering
conferences were explained. Fow
ler. as manager of the Chamber of
Commerce, will coordinate the
local conference. Location of the
meeting will be announced at a
later date.
Fowler indicated that Hunt will
attend 20 of the scheduled 100
conferences and may choose to visit
Hoke County. "I think it is very
important that the governor come
down here and I am in the process
of trying to contact him," Fowler
said. "This is vitally important to
everyone."
Other local citizens who will be
working with Fowler on the plan
ning committee include Mayor J.K.
McNeill, Extension Service Hous
ing Specialist Willie Featherstone,
Agriculture Extension Chairman
Wendell Young, County Commis
sioners' Chairman John Balfour,
Board of Education Chairman
Bobby Gibson and County Com
missioner Danny DeVane. More
committee members will be named
later.
Local resource persons will join
state government representatives in
leading panel discussions at the
Oct. 1 1 conference and those
attending will divide into sub
groups for roundtable discussions
on agriculture, the manufacturing
and processing industry and ser
vices industries, including trans
Ex-deputy Plans
Picket Line At Jail
Ex-deputy sherilT Elisha Dial,
who was fired by Sheriff D.M.
Barrington in 1976. announced
that he will lead a picket march in
front of the jail to protest the
transfer of a deputy-jailer to road
patrol duties.
The sheriff announced last week
that Deputy J. D. Thigpen, who has
been working as a jailer for
approximately one year, will be
replaced this month and will later
be assigned to road patrol.
Thigpen. 2b, is a former state
trooper who resigned from the
Highway Patrol in August of 1976
after he and another trooper were
charged with kidnapping, rape and
crime against nature involving a
19-year-old Hoke County woman.
Thigpen and the other trooper.
Wiley Snow of Raleigh, were
cleared when District Court Judge
Joe Dupree ruled no probable cause
was found to charge them on any of
the three counts.
Dial, who vigorously fought his
dismissal from his job. said he has
obtained an application from the
police department for the march. A
date has not yet been decided on
but the march will be limited to no
more than six persons.
Applications for holding picket
marches must be submitted to the
police for approval within 24 hours
of the planned demonstration by
law.
"I don't feel it's fair to the
citizens of Hoke County to put
Thigpen out on the road. It's not
safe for the women. It shows poor
judgment on the part of the
sheriff," Dial said.
Dial said the picketing would be
orderly and the group had no wish
to cause trouble, only to make their
opposition to the sheriff" s policies
known.
The last picket line to demon
strate in Raeford was last winter
when the letter carriers union
demonstrated in front of the Post
Office.
Sheriff Barrington had no com
ment to make.
Cystic Fibrosis
Drive Saturday
The annual Cystic Fibrosis Drive for Raeford will be conducted
all day Saturday. Oct. 1, Duncan McFadyen, city campaign
chairman, announced.
The door-to-door campaign will be conducted by Boy Scout
Troop 401 (George Ashley, scoutmaster. Dale Teal, assistant
scoutmaster) and other young people from the churches.
The CF canvassing volunteers will be wearing special name tags
to identify them.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation sponsors research, education,
teaching and patient care at more than 100 CF Centers in the
United States, including the Duke University Center. More than
six million children suffer with chronic lung-damaging diseases,
the most serious of which is cystic fibrosis. Although tne average
life expectancy of CF victims has increased from infancy 20 years
ago to 18 years of age today, no cure has been discovered for CF.
McFayden emphasized that despite rising costs, only 17 per
cent of the Foundation money goes to fund raising and
administrative expenses, with 83 per cent going to programs. He
urged people to give generously to help fight CF.
portation. finance, wholesale and
retail sales and tourism.
A report will be written on the
conference which in turn will be
incorporated into 17 regional re
ports, and then into reports from
the three geographic regions of the
state.
These regional reports will be
presented at the Governor's state
wide conference in January. Copies
will also be given to the State Goals
and Policy Board.
Discussion of North Carolina's
economic status comes at a time
when the state only recently moved
ahead of Mississippi as 49th in the
nation in average hourly manufac
turing wages. The state ranks 39th
in overall per capita income.
The conferences will hopefully
provide ideas on how the state can
best achieve quality growth.
T.B. Lester
In Hospital
County manager T.B. Lester has
been hospitalized at Cape Fear
Valley Hospital suffering from
stomach bleeding. John Balfour,
chairman of the board of commis
sioners. said Tuesday.
Lester. 65. was taken to the
hospital Sunday. Surgery is
planned.
The county manager had been
suffering from an ear infection and
complications from medication
prescribed for that condition for
the past several weeks. That ail
ment was clearing up when he was
stricken with internal bleeding.
Lester has had X-rays and a
series of tests since being admitted,
he said. He is being fed intraven
ously.
He is in Room b"3.
Symphony
Drive Tops
$1,000 Mark
Unofficially the Hoke Chapter ol
the North Carolina Symphony So
ciety membership drive has topped
the $1,000 mark. Membership
Chairman Anne Hostetler said
Tuesday.
"We have sold 214 member
ships." she said, "most of which
are for adults."
Sales for children's memberships
have been slow since children frnni
7 to 12 will attend a special free
performance of the symphony Nov.
1 at 10 a.m. in the Hoke High
Gymtorium. The adult concert is
scheduled for 8:15 p.m. that same
day in the Gvmtorium.
The 55 adult membership fee
and the S3 children's fee will admit
the ticket holder to concerts in any
community in the state having one
adult concert, and. with a SI
surcharge to concerts in cities
having two or more concerts.
Mrs. Hostetler also said that the
Chaminade Music Club and the
Bank of Raeford have made dona
tions qualifying them as patrons
and the Arts Council has qualified
as a donor.
Symphony Society board mem
bers will meet Thursday in the
Board of Education Building at 4
p.m. to discuss the progress of the
drive.