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4The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LX1X NUMBER 34 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
- journal
25
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
$8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1977
Around
Town
BY SAM C.MORRIS
The weather was kind of a
* mixture last weekend but the
afternoons were nice enough for
? most people to get out and enjoy a
$ little recreation.
w The forecast is of course for rain
t Tuesday night and Wednesday, but
> it should be nice again for the
J weekend holiday.
The chorus from Upchurch
Junior High School gave a program
at the Thursday night meeting of
* the Raeford Kiwanis Club. Ralph
f Huff was program chairman for the
r night and this could be why the
Kiwanians were able to have such
an outstanding group perform for
them. To come straight to the
point, it so happens that Linda
Huff, Ralph's wife, is the director
I of the chorus.
I must say that the minor league
is certainly providing talent for the
majors if the high school chorus
and chorale can be so called. One
Kiwanian stated that he was sure
now that the kids learned some
thing in school.
This group did real well and
certainly represented the schools in
an excellent way.
Thanks, Linda and group for a
job well done.
* * ?
By the time this column reaches
most of the readers, schools will be
closed for the holiday season.
Students will be out and about, and
we should be on the lookout for
them as we drive for the next few
days.
Many will receive wheeled toys
and will be out on the streets with
them and we would not want to
# spoil anyone's Christmas this year
by hurting a small child. So be
extra careful as you drive.
* Also remember if you are
celebrating at this time of year, let
the last one for the road be black
coffee. The life you save, may be
your own.
* * *
I understand that some people
from Hoke County saw Mrs. Carter
and Amy at Cross Creek Mall doing
some shopping over the weekend.
Someone said that a woman would
take time off to come 300 to 400
miles for a wedding, but she also
would have to get in a few hours of
shopping. Amen!
* * *
Christmas closings for most
\ businesses will be on Monday,
; December 26, but others will also
close Friday and Monday, opening
for business on T uesday, December
27. So to be sure about when a
place you do business with will be
closed, maybe you should check
with them.
The newspaper office will be
closed on Monday, December 26
, and will be closed Saturday,
December 24 as usual.
? * *
The following item was sent to
I ? me by Mrs. Bob (Eleanor) Gentry
i and we think we will pass it along to
! the readers.
A Mother1* Letter
To Santa
Dear Santa: As I have been
(working on the toys and doll clothes
(See AROUND TOWN. Page 11)
r T
Christmas means many things: laughing children, smiling Santas,
the color of poinsettias and pines. It's a time for warmth and gentleness,
kindness and good feeling. May all of the season's finest joys be yours
this yuletide. We're hoping just the nicest kinds of things come your way!
A very happy Christmas to all our Friends ! r-jn *f n r
_//2? ^XEUJl y.OUXnCLL
Injuries Reported In Area Accidents
A Wagram man was hospitalized
and damages estimated at $1 1,000
were sustained in a wreck that
occured Dec. 11, according to
Trooper R.V. Lee. The accident
was one of five investigated by the
Highway Patrol here in the last two
weeks.
Curtis McNeil, 53, Box 235,
Wagram, was taken to Scotland
Memorial Hospital in Laurinburg
following the Sunday afternoon
collision. He was transferred to
Moore Memorial in Southern Pines
where he remained in intensive care
for two days. He was expected to be
released this week.
According to witnesses, Evelyn
Hill Thomas, 33, Rt. 1 Box 61.
Wagram, stopped at the inter
section of Harris and Highway 401 ,
checked for traffic, and turned
onto Highway 401 headed south.
The 1976 Oldsmobile driven by
Mrs. Thomas then struck the
McNeil vehicle, the report said.
Damage was estimated at $7,000
to McNeil's 1978 Ford truck and
$4,000 to the Thomas vehicle. Mrs.
Thomas and her daughter, Bilvetta
Romona Thomas, 14, were treated
at Scotland Memorial and released.
Mrs. Thomas was charged with
failing to yield the right of way.
On Dec. 17, another accident
occurred involving one vehicle,
according to Trooper Lee. Pamela
Rose Harris, 16, Rt. 3 Box 55B,
Raeford. ran off rural paved road
1403 down the right shoulder and
hit a guard rail and an em
bankment before stopping. She was
traveling at approximately 60
m.p.h. at the time of the accident.
according to the trooper.
The driver and a passenger.
Susan Caulder, 507 W. 6th St..
Raeford, were admitted to Cape
Fear Valley Hospital. Each suf
fered a broken leg, according to
reports.
Charges are pending, according
to the Highway Patrol. Damage to
the Harris vehicle was estimated at
$800.
Trooper R.V. Lee reported that a
1964 Ford driven by Edward Lee
Key, Jr., 327 Central Ave., Rae
ford. hit a bridge abutment on
Highway 211 East the morning of
Dec. 19.
Key and a passenger, Gerry
Pate, 17, Rt, 1, Box 72, Red
Springs, were taken to South
eastern General Hospital in Lum
(Sce INJURIES. Page II)
Hoke Board Of Education Places
Teacher On Probationary Status
A South Hoke Elementary
School teacher charged earlier this
year with driving under the
influence was returned to pro
bationary status in Monday night's
special meeting of the Hoke County
Board of Education.
Arlicia T. Raye, 46, was charged
* on the morning of Oct. 19 with
driving under the influence of
alcohol by the State Highway
patrol. She was reported stopped
while driving to school. Her
Bteathalyzer reading was .18 per
[ cent, according to the warrant,
k Raye has been with the school
I system for 15 years, and, according
? to Superintendent of Schools Raz
? Autry, she has never been on school
grounds in an intoxicated condition
nor has she ever been convicted of
any offense.
"She has worked for three
principals and received a good
evaluation from each of them,"
Autry said. "She has no record
whatsoever, and has never been in
or charged in this condition
before."
Raye had requested a profes
sional review panel, but the hearing
wai cancelled after her attorney,
James Fuller of Charlotte, met with
Board attorney Bill Moses Monday
morning. Moses drew up a reso
lution that was acceptable to Raye
and her attorney.
Autry explained that under the
Teacher Tenure Act, the Board
could "sort of pat a teacher on the
back and say don't do it again, or
recommend that the teacher be
fired." He said he thought the
Board was looking for some middle
ground. The resolution takes away
a tenure and reduces her to
probationary status.
It stated that "the policy of the
Board is that no educator employed
by the Board shall appear on school
grounds after having consumed
intoxicants."
The resolution further stated
that the teacher would be retained
in her present position and the
prior administrative action would
be withdrawn; that the teacher
would be removed from tenure and
placed on probation until the end
of the 1978 - 1979 school year.
The final provision stated that
she may be immediately terminated
for a violation of the Board's policy
regarding consumption of intoxi
cants. Autry refused to renew the
contract of any teacher on pro
bationary status for any reason at
the end of a school year.
The resolution was approved by
the Board. It reads as follows:
This Memorandum and Agree
ment is entered into between
ARLICIA T. RAYE (hereafter,
Teacher), RAZ AUTRY (hereafter.
Superintendent), and HOKE
(See TEACHER. Page 1 1)
COLLISION A wreck at the intersection of Harris Ave. and Highway 401
Dec. II resulted in damages estimated at SII.OOO. Curtis McNeil of
Wagram was hospitalized after the wreck, but is expected to he released
this week.
County Seeks More
Bids On Patrol Car
The Hoke County Board of
Commissioners decided Monday
night to seek out of town bids for a
new patrol car for the Sheriff s
Department.
The decision came after only one
bid was received locally for the car.
That bid came from Raeford Auto
Co. It was not opened at the
meeting. Board members said they
felt they might get a better price if
they asked for bids from companies
in Red Springs.
In other business at the board's
regular meeting, Lillie Bratcher
and Elga Langdon were appointed
to the Hoke County Parks and
Recreation Commission on the
recommendation of commission
head Don Slaughter, who appeared
at the meeting representing chair
man W.K. Morgan.
The board gave approval for the
state to accept for maintenance a
road in the Rockfish community.
The road, named Kirkland Place,
is in a subdivision on the Townsend
estate in Rockfish, the board was
told. As board chairman John
Balfour explained, the state high
way department must have the
county's stamp of approval before
it will accept a road. All property
owners, along the street signed a
petition requesting the action.
The board voted last night to
(See COUNTY. Page II)