Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Dec. 29, 1977, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
25 ?The Hoke County News - Established 1928 VOLUME LXIX NUMBER 35 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA - journal The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905 S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1977 Around Town BY SAM C MORRIS The weather over the long Christmas holidays should have been fine for everyone except the people that wanted snow. It was warm on Saturday and this made it possible for the outsiders to roam around, but Sunday the rains came for the ones that wanted to stay indoors and then Monday was sunny, but extremely cold. The wind came out of the north Sunday night and the temperature dropped into the twenties and I don't believe got out of the forties the entire day. 1 didn't go to the golf course, but if the greens ? thawed out maybe someone was playing. This is not the kind of weather for me to be outside. So it \yas rainy and cold, but it ; could have been icy and colder. So I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. * * * With Christmas on Sunday this year, to most people who don't work on Saturday, this was a long weekend. It seemed to me that Monday was the quietest after Christmas I have seen in Raeford for many a year. Main Street was really a ghost town for two days. So most folks stayed home and visited with relatives and watched television. As one commentator said either >unday or Monday, it was look at Id movies or football. The football games were dif -ent, but the movies were the .ne that have been playing for the jast several years. Guess most of us want to think about old times during the Christmas season. If ' people didn't like these programs 1 guess they would be changed. ? * * We have had right many calls at the office since the paper came out last week concerning the pictures of door fronts. It seems that some people have a misunderstanding about these pictures and the reason they are run in the paper. They are not picked because anyone thinks they are more at tractive than other doors, or because of who the doors belong to. For the past several years the pictures have been taken by the reporters at the paper and it seems that different people take the pictures each year. A lot of times they get the same doors as ap peared the year before and they sometimes get in a hurry and take a number of door pictures on the same street or in the same general area. Also when people call in and say a door should be in the paper, we make every effort to take this picture. These are not the best or the worst door fronts in the city, because 1 don't know anyone that works for the paper that is an expert on door fronts. So next year if you notice any doors you would like to see in the paper just call in and give the address a few days before the paper will come out. Thanks. * * * We here at the paper, when we write a story or a column, always sign our name to it. If it is a general news article we know who does the writing. We don't publish unsigned letters, so if we could someway know when the telephone rings, that a person that is making a complaint won't give their name, maybe we could someway cut this person off. If you want to make a complaint, please let us know who is calling. and we will try to help you. ? ? * Rose Sturgeon, clerk at the Board of Elections office, was by the office last week and said that the time for filing for the May primary would start January 2. ' 1978 and close February 6, 1978. We will have more on this later f% n. but this is something new and everyone that is going to file fpr office should get in touch with Rose ?nd be sure about the dates. ? ? ? To each and everyone a Happy New Year! \ Calls For State Study Board Rescinds Airport Action Officers Caution Holiday Revelers The North Carolina State Motor Club predicted that 38 people would die on state highways over the long Christmas and New Year's holidays. At least nine people perished in the first two days of the Christmas holiday weekend, bringing the toll to 1 ,339 for the year. Last year, 1,494 people died in traffic accidents with 44 persons being killed on Tar Heel highways during the holidays. The main causes for these fatalities were unsafe move ment, speeding, and following too closely. "Our holidays would be far less tragic if drivers would obey the 55 - mile - an ? hour speed limit and practice safe driving." said Peter Vasko, director of Public Relations for the statewide motor club. "In addition, the threat of inclement winter weather adds to traffic problems." Vasko advised drivers to check road conditions with the highway patrol in case of snow or rain, especially in the mountains. On the local scene, Police Chief Leonard Wiggins says he antici pates no problems in Raeford during the rest of the holidays other than intoxicated drivers and wrecks caused by them. Chief Wiggins says, "some people forget that they will have to drive home after the p^rty. Think about what you are going to do when you get there." If you are planning to drink, get someone else to drive." According to Wiggins, most complaints will probably come after midnight New Year's Eve from people being disturbed by fireworks. He says anyone caught with fireworks in their possession will be charged. Sheriff Dave Barrington offers this advice for the holidays: "If you intend to go to parties and you intend to imbide. don't drive." He also advises that people planning to drink should let someone else drive. He states that the best plan would be not to get on the highways at all during the holidays unless abso lutely necessary. Barrington said he anticipates traffice to be bad on Dec. 29, 30, 3 1 and Jan. 2 with the worst traffic problems coming New Year's Eve. "Pyrotechnics are out" Barring ton said. He explained that in the State of North Carolina, a special permit must be obtained to use them. Anyone caught with fire works in their possession will be charged, he said. The Sheriff's department is (See CAUTION, Page 13) Christmas Corrections In last week's Christmas edition of The News-Journal , which fea tured pictures of decorations on doors around town. 803 Fulton Street was incorrectly identified as the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Hollingsworth. when, in fact, it is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Red Hollingsworth. Two other homes were incorrect ly identified. Mr. and Mrs. Ran som Baucom reside at 31b W. Edinborough Ave., and Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Hubbard live at 31b N. El wood Ave. Congressman's Mobile Office Here Jan. 6 The mobile office of Congress man Charlie Rose will be in Raeford on Friday, Jan. b. from 10 a.m. till 3 p.m.. it was announced this week in a press release. Rip Collins. Congressman Rose's representative in the 7th Congres sional District, said the mobile office would be parked as close to the Post Office as possible. Miss Raeford The Raeford Jaycees will present the first annual Miss Raeford pageant, an official Miss America preliminary scholarship pageant, Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. in the Hoke High School Gymtorium. Amy Htmmem The Jaycees previously sponsored an annual pageant called the Miss Hoke County pageant. That pageant ended during the 60's. Contestants must be girls be tween the ages of 17 and 26 and * Joanne Hottel " * <X Debbie Minshew Further development of the Raeford Munici pal Airport was postponed by the city council at a special meeting last Thursday morning in order to ask the state to conduct a study of the facility. The action put to rest, at least temporarily, a 12 ? year lease between the city and airport operator Gene Thacker for facilities at the field. The proposed lease caused a good deal of controversy among local citizens in recent weeks. By a vote of 3 to 1 . all council action involving new airport leases was rescinded, and Mayor J.K. McNeill was instructed to contact the Division of Aeronautics, which is under the N.C. Department of Transportation. Board members expressed no opinions at the meeting on what they hoped this study to acccomplish, according to City Manager Robert Drumwright. Special Session Drumwright said the special session was called Wednesday night, after an open meeting of the board, to clarify a misunderstanding concerning action taken at a previous meeting regarding the lease. At a special meeting Nov. 30. Councilman Bob Gentry moved that the board rescind a previous motion concerning the airport. His request was approved. But confusion arose last Wednesday night over exactly which motion the board had erased, Drumwright said. Members of the board were under the impression that they had stricken a motion made by Gentry during the Nov. 10 meeting. But according to the minutes, which were sub sequently approved by the board, the council actually rescinded a motion made earlier in Nov. to lease airport facilities to Thacker. That meant that the board had wiped the slate clean as far as new airport leases were concerned. Thackcr's current lease with the city won't expire until April 1980, the city manager said. Wednesday's Session Operating under the assumption that the new lease was still valid, the board restated its support for it at last Wednesday's meeting. Drumwright said. He said the board also agreed to work up a temporary lease for Gene Vance, who has requested permission to run an aircraft sales business at the field and perform duties as the airport's second fixed base operator. Drumwright said that Councilman Benny McLeod noticed in the board's minutes that the new lease had been rescinded, but overlooked it until two councilmen, the mayor, and members of the public had left the meeting last Wednesday. The remaining members ot the board, confronted with this misunderstanding, requested that a meeting be scheduled for Thursday morning in order to get it straightened out. Drumwright said. Action Rescinded At that meeting, the board decided to table further development of the airport until a state study can be done. The motion to strike all previous action concerning new airport leases was made by Councilman Sam Morris, the city manager said. The dissenting vote was cast by Graham Clark. Councilman Gentry did not attend the meeting, according to reports. Drumwright said he contacted both Vance and Thacker after the meeting to inform them of the decision. Federal Grant It was not known this week whether or not the board's decision would affect a $20,000 Federal Aviation Administration grant earmarked for improvements at the local airport. Plans call for paving and lighting the parallel taxiways at the field. The lease with Thacker was designed to protect the federal grant, city officials said. The city must hold the deeds to both aircraft hangars at the field in order to meet requirements for the grant, they explained. With that in mind, the board agreed to lease both hangars to Thacker in return for the deed to his. The city owns the other hangar. The board also approved the purchase of additional land at the airport for expansion. The land is also needed to meet the federal grant requirements. The land purchase was part of a motion which included the Thacker lease. The lease with Thacker was written to be renewable at his option every three years for 12 years. Vance had requested that the city lease him one of the hangars, and a number of people in the community, through the Raeford - Hoke Chamber of Commerce, voiced their opposition to giving Thacker what they called a virtual monopoly on airport facilities. A special meeting of the council was held on Nov. 30 to hear public opinion concerning the airport. At that time, the board voted to make room at the field for a second fixed base operator, but, according to the minutes, it also rescinded the Thacker lease. Competition Set Friday must be at least a high school senior. She must be a resident of North Carolina or enrolled in an N.C. college. She must also be ot good health and have a certain amount of talent Jane Sellan in voice, dance, music, gymnastics or dramatic reading. The Miss Raeford pageant will be conducted by rules established by the local pageant directors as well as by rules set up by the executive committee of the Miss North Carolina pageant. Judges were chosen from a list of official judges for the Miss N.C. pageant. Judging will be in three divisions of competition: swimsuit, talent and evening gown. Response from local businesses and individuals was good, a Jaycee spokesman said. The Jaycees solicited scholarship money and sold advertising to support the pageant. Burnett Coleman, president of the Raeford Jaycees. said, "With out the people in and around Raeford this would not have been possible. The businesses and in dustries and other sponsors have been very kind and generous." Seven young ladies will compete for the Miss Raeford title. They are all local girls. Beth Wood Donna Scarboro, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Scarboro, will perform a jazz dance in the talent competition. A senior at Hoke High, she plans to pursue a career in orthodontics. She enjoys bike riding, skating, ballet, work ing with children and music. Also a senior at Hoke High. Samantha Burke, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Billy Burke, plans a future in cosmetology. Her hobbies include music, needle point, motorcycling and horseback riding. Samantha will sing in the talent competition. Deborah Minshew, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D.L. Minshew. enjoys skating, sewing, swimming and tennis. She is a senior at Hoke High and plans to enter college in the fall. She will study dental hygiene. Her talent will be piano music. A senior at Mars Hill College. Beth Wood, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilton Wood, plans a career in music education. A graduate of Hoke High, she plans to play the piano in talent competition. Beth enjoys reading, needlework, soft ball, swimming and tennis. Amy Hemmens. granddaughter of Mrs. R.S. Perry, is a senior at Hoke High. She enjoys music and working with elderly people and children. She plans a career in physical therapy. Amy plans to sing in the talent competition. A junior at the University of N.C. at Greensboro. Jane Sellars is studying speech and drama. Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Sellars, she enjoys music, reading, tennis and playing the guitar. She is a graduate of Hoke High and plans to sing in the talent com petition. Joanne Hottel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hottel, gradu (See MISS RAEFORD, Page 13)
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 29, 1977, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75