Jhe Hoke County News - Established 1 928
VOLUME LX1X NUMBER 27 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
- journal
25
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1977
Around
Town
BY SAM t MORRIS
;? The weather is still to my way of
doing things. It was perfect last
weekend for both golf and football.
Maybe it will hold up for another
weekend.
Of course here at the office when
we think of weather during work
days, we think of what it will be like
, on Wednesday. This is the day that
The Paraglide is delivered to Fort
Bragg and it seems that if rain is
around that we get it that day. Of
course we tease each other as to
how our behavior is for the week,
but it seems that it will rain on
Wednesday anyway we live.
What will it do this week?
I
* * *
Last week in this paper some
thing was printed which we don't
t like to let happen if it is within our
control. This time the facts as we
received them were published, but
due to an error of someone else, a
story published was not completely
true. We regret this mistake, but
until the public demands that
public business be open to them
this will continue to happen.
A story elsewhere in this issue of
the paper corrects the article and
? .puts the blame for the error where.
it belongs, but still it does not help
the persoh the error was m&de
against.
This newspaper and most news
papers in this country feel that all
' meetings that deal with public
business should be open to the
press and to the public. So many
say that a person should be
protected from the press or public,
but when it deals with taxpayer's
money, it is the business of these
people^ From what happened last
week, we wondered if a person is
? protected more by closed meetings
or by meetings that are open where
everyone can hear what ?oes on or
0 must depend upon the minutes of a
meeting taken by one person.
Think about this and place yourself
in a similar position.
The paper regrets the error, but
must place the blame where it
belongs.
* * *
As this item is being written T.B.
Lester, county manager, lies at the
point of death in a Fayetteville
hospital. He has been in a critical
condition tor several weeks. 1 he
amount of blood that has been used
during his stay at the hospital is
large and it is impossible to say how
much more will be needed.
Raz Autry told this writer Sun
day that 30 pints were needed as of
now to replace what had been used
so far. He asks that anyone who
would like to give blood for T.B. to
contact him at the Board of
Education office. So if you haven't
been a donor lately get in touch
with Raz and 1 know that the
family will appreciate this.
, seem
Marty Vega is moving up the
ladder. This is her last week with
- us. So to Marty, best wishes in her
new venture and we hope to see her
over the years ahead.
* ? *
Tuesday, November 8. 1977 is
.? once again a time that we as
American citizens can exercise
(See AROUND TOWN. Page 1 5)
L :k
Voters Go T o Polls T uesday
Suspended Teacher
Returns To Classroom
Arlicia Raye. a South Hoke
schoolteacher who was charged
with driving under the influence
Oct. 19, was suspended from her
job for five days only, not inde
finitely as The News-Journal re
ported last week.
School Supt. G. Raz Autry said
the minutes of the Board of
Hducation meeting of Oct. 19 were
in error when shown to a reporter.
The minutes of that meeting, which
was a closed session, reflected only
that Mrs. Raye was ordered sus
pended by unanimous vote of the
four members present when the
meeting was re-opened.
However. Autry said Friday that
the minutes should have read
"suspended until Monday (Oct. 24)
night." He said the information
was inadvertently left out by Asst.
Supt. Ernest Sutton.
Mrs. Rave returned to her iob
Oct. 25.
Under North Carolina law.
elected bodies may hold closed
meetings to discuss personnel mat
ters. Minutes of all meetings are
open to public inspection, however,
and all official actions must be
taken in open session.
MacDonald Dedication
Sunday At 3 PM
Ceremonies to officially- dedicate
the' main section of . Hoke- High
School as the K.A. MacDonald
Memorial Building will be held
Sunday at 3 p.m. at the school.
The Hoke Couftty Board of
Education voted to re-name the
building in honor of the late school
superintendent who worked here
from 1935 to 1959.
James Turlington, principal of
Raeford Elementaiy School, will
preside. Floyd Caldwell, principal
of Scurlock Elementary School, will
give the invocation. Former school
teacher Jessie Bell Chavis will
introduce the guests. Neill Mc
Fadyen will give a talk on
MacDonald's life.
Anne MacDonald, his grand
daughter, will unveil the plaque.
Special guest will be Mrs. James E.
Ingram of Belvedere, Cal., Mae
Donald's daughter.
In case of rain, the ceremony will
be moved indoors. The Hoke High
Band will provide music.
Following the dedication, an
open house for the public will be
held at the restored one - room
Glen Echo schoolhouse located
next to the Board of Education
building.
Mrs. Marshall Newton, the last
schoolteacher at Glen Echo, will
give a history of the school.
Puppy Creek Area
Neighborhood Watch
Group To Organize
A public meeting for residents in
the Puppy Creek area to organize a
Neighborhood Watch program to
combat break-ins and other crimes
will be held Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. at the
Puppy Creek Fire Station.
Neighborhood Watch, a national
program endorsed by law enforce
ment agencies, is a citizens' vol
unteer effort involving patrols and
surveillance of a community.
A meeting was held Oct. 25
which drew about 125 residents.
President of the Neighborhood
Watch group is Charles Helbling.
Members of the board are Ralph
Plummer, Jimmy N. Conoly. Doug
Monroe, Stacy Hobson and Archie
Clark.
Helbling said that already
citizens are patrolling the area
during the day and night.
"We're banning together to try
and stop the rash outbreak of
burglaries in the area." Helbling
(See WATCH, Page 15)
PROPOSED ZONING MAP
HOKE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
SAMPLE BALLOT
OFFICIAL BALLOT
FOR MAYOR and
CITY COUNCIL
(If you tear or deface or wrongly mark this ballot, return it and get another )
FOR MAYOR
I 1JOHNK McNEILL, JR.
( ]
FOR CITY COUNCIL
(V ou may vote for five)
[ 1 LONN1E BALDWIN
| ] GILBERT (Gib) BERNHARDT
[ ] HARRY CARTER
[ ] GRAHAM CLARK
1 ] BOBBY (Bob) GENTRY
[ J VARDELL HEDGPETH, JR.
[ ] JAMES B McLEOD
( ISAM C.MORRIS
[ ) ROBERT W WEAVER
I 1
' I ] ?
State of North Carolina
Municipal Election, November 8. 1977
City of Raeford
Chairman. Hoke County Board of Elections Manager, City of Raeford
Park Owners Protest
Mobile Home Ordinance
Nearly a dozen mobile home
park operators turned out at the
courthouse Thursday night to pro
test stiffer regulations contained in
the proposed mobile home park
zoning ordinance for the county.
About 40 persons showed up for
the two public hearings held before
the county commissioners and
three members of the county
planning board. By law, separate
LEGEND ?
'TTK
" 1 1) TRANSITION IT)
o
?
RURAL (Rl
CONSERVATION iCNI
COMMUNITY (C
INDUSTRIAL ill
COMMERCIAL BUSINESS B
ZONING MAP " Some revisions have been made to the proposed zoning map prepared by the N.C. Department
of Natural Resources and Community Development since this illustration was submitted to county commissioners
last month. Six distinct zoning categories are contained in the 45- page proposed zoning ordinance which spells out
permitted uses and conditional uses of land. [N.J. graphics by Robert Gatlin J
hearings must be held on the
general zoning ordinance and the
mobile home park ordinance before
they can be adopted.
The proposed park ordinance
requires that all parks now in
operation meet the standards of the
ordinance within five years of
adoption, a measure that met with
opposition from several owners who
spoke out.
There are about 32 mobile home
parks now operating in Hoke
County, some of them small busi
nesses with only a few spaces.
Paul Johnson, operator of Green
Pines MHP, along with Davis
Parker, operator of Carolina Coun
try MHP, presented a draft of their
own which included a provision to
allow existing parks to operate
indefinitely, however, any new
expansion would have to meet the
code requirements.
Johnson's draft contained some
requests that are stiffer than what
the county planners outlined in the
official draft. The county plan
requires a minimum lot of 4,500
square feet and Johnson urged that
the minimum be increased to 7,000
square feet. A mobile home park is
defined under the county plan as
anything two acres or larger.
Johnson requested that it be raised
to four acres.
Of the four commissioners pre
sent. (Ralph Barnhart was absent),
Danny DeVane expressed agree
ment that existing parks should be
allowed to operate under a "grand
father clause."
"I think the board is in agree
ment about deleting that part
about the five years. I don't think
you can do it legally, anyway,"
DeVane told the group.
Earlier, during the public hear
ing held for the general zoning
ordinance, objections were raised
by Neill McFayden and Reid
Childress, among others.
Childress, a farmer, argued that
under the zoning law, a citizen who
wanted to erect a building that was
not within the permitted uses of the
district could be "tied up" for six
months trying to get a variance.
McFayden said that in his
opinion nearly everything contain
ed in the proposed ordinance was
already covered by state law and he
saw no necessity for the adoption of
(See ZONING, Page 15)
Polls will open at 6:30 a.m.
1 uesday as county residents will
cast ballots for five constitu
tional amendments and two
bond issues and city voters will
also choose a mayor and five citv
council members.
^ewin be three separate
state ballots -- one for the $300
million state highway bonds and
one for the S230 million clean
water bonds. The five proposed
constitutional amendments will
be presented on a third ballot.
In the municipal race, in
cumbent J. K. McNeill Jr. 57. is
running unopposed for a fifth
term as mayor. Four incum
bents on the council. Graham
wf' Bo5 Gentry, Bennv
McLeod and Sam C. Morris
are seeking re-election.
Clark, 61, is seeking a fifth
term McLeod, 41, is seeking a
fourth term and Morris, 59 is
running for a third term.
Oentry, 46, appointed to the
council last year, is running for
first 'tim" h'S OW" "ght f?r thc
Former councilman Robert
Weaver, 59, is attempting to
regain his seat lost in the 1975
election to David Lovette.
Newcomers in the race arc
Lonnie Baldwin, 25, a taxi
operator. Harry Carter. 27, a
funeral director. Gilbert (Gib)
JS J'V35, plant manager
of the Raeford Burlington Dve
Plant, and Vardell Hedgpet'h.
34, an insurance agent.
The mayor and city council
members are elected to two -
year terms.
,, RfsP'te state measures on
the ballot, only a light turnout is
expected among the county's
?.913 registered voters. Rose
Murgeon. executive secretary of
the Hoke County Board of
Elections, said that results from
an 1J precincts should be
counted by 10 p.m.
Polls close at 7:30 p.m.
Mrs. Sturgeon reminded
voters that if tHev have moved
within the last 30 days or more
without notifying the elections
office of the change of address
they will not be allowed to vote
Tuesday.
All applications for absentee
ballots must be received by 5
p.m. on Nov. 2 at the countv
elections office. Completed bal
lots must be received by 5 o m
on Monday. Nov. 7.
Of the five constitutional
amendments on the ballot, the
gubernatorial succession ques
tion appears to be generating
the most interest. However
senior citizens are expected to
go to the polls in large numbers
?n support of the homestead
exemption for surviving
spouses.
Reporter
Joins N-J
I ' ' ?H -
Cassie H. Wasko has joined The
News-Journal staff as reporter
photographer. replacing Suzanne
Aplin. Mrs. Aplin left the news
paper to devote more time to the
Paraglide, the Ft. Bragg newspaper
also published by Dickson Press.
Inc.
Mrs. Wasko came to Raeford
from Wilson several months ago.
She attended Campbell College and
Wilson County Technical Institute.
She is a native of Pittsboro.
N.C., and worked for The Chat
ham Record as a general assign
ment reporter.
Mrs. Wasko is married and has
two children.