25'
'he Hoke County News - Established 1928
fOLUME LXX NUMBER 15 R AEFORL). HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
^7 / 23'
- journal
The Hake County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1978
Around
Town
BY SAMC. MORRIS
The saying that it never rains on
1 golf course was not true Sunday
rternoon. The bottom dropped out
Ir a few minutes when the
ursome I was playing with reach -
i the fifth hole at Arabia. The sun
ime out in a few minutes and
ied us off, but for a few minutes
was a wet foursome.
[From the forecast it seems that
are in for more rain the
lainder of the week.
le city council met Monday
||ht in the new council room and
s certainly a nice meeting place.
T course a few more items must be
urchased to complete the job, but
is an improvement over the old
Meeting place.
l|jThe city manager said that an
sn house for the city hall would
> held in the near future, so this is
^mething for everyone to look
vard to.
will not say that the decisions
^ming from the new place will be
ny better, but at least the council
id citizens will be in a more
>mfortable place.
1 While gathering the information
t the column of 25 years ago, I
in across the article concerning a
.ittle League play off game be
een Raeford and Wilmington,
le game was played at Aberdeen
md the pitcher for Wilmington was
Ionian Gabriel. Of course most of
>you that keep up with sports know
that Gabriel went on to star in
football at N.C. State University
and then played pro ball at a
number of places. In fact I believe
that he is still playing.
Anyway it took 25 years to realize
\t the tall lanky boy that pitched
...at day, was the same Roman
Gabriel of today.
A letter j'rom John Pecora last
week had a season ticket to the high
school football games included. So
you will read elsewhere about
season tickets being on sale and
who and where you can purchase
them.
Also some member of the Boost
er Club should be by and touch you
up for a membership. Don't turn
him down, but invest in the
program at the schools. It will be
money well spent. Maybe they will
even come by the office and get a
buck or two out of me.
Ronnie Branch was by the office
Monday and asked that I express
his appreciation to the citizens and
merchants of Hoke County for all
the support they have given him
during his hours of trouble. He said
he would never forget the aid and
words of encouragement during
this time of trouble.
* * *
A call last week from Lois Autry
Strother was on the subject of Class
Reunions. She is planning a re
union with other members of the
class of 1948 of Hoke County High
School. They hope to have the
reunion on November 24. 1978.
This is the Friday after Thanks
giving and plans are just underway,
but they need addresses of the
groups.
So if you are a member of this
class or know anyone that is, please
get in touch with Lois. She can be
reached at 210 North Bethel Road.
Raeford. N.C. 28376.
So you 1948 graduates contact
Lois for an occasion you won't
forget .
* * *
This letter is advice for everyone
that has been on a trip:
Sam, you must talk about your
trip to Hawaii!!! Doris Collins and I
had a fantastic 4 island trip to
Hawaii in March 1977. Not want
ing to bore our friends, we said very
little about how we flew to the
different islands and were met by a
bus which carried us on long and
Rightful tours to volcanoes,
?tows, varied landscape, to see how
the people work and live and to
fabulous restaurants. Each island
is different in so many ways. About
one year later I mentioned that our
tour covered four of the islands and
flew us low over some of the smaller
(See AROUND TOWN, Page 14)
Test Scores Released
Hoke Students Below State Average
by Cassie Wtuko
.NEW COUNCIL CHAMBER - The meeting room at City Hall had that new car smell about it when the Raeford City
Council held its first meeting there on Monday. The new facility seats over 50 and is an impressive addition to the
town.
Raeford Council Convenes
In New City Hall Building
The Raeford City Council held
its first meeting in the new council
chambers at City Hall on Monday,
and the board was verv favorably
impressed with the facifity.
The new meeting room seats over
50 and seems larger inside than it
appears from the street. Octagonal
in shape, it has rust-red carpet,
beige vinyl wallpaper and orange
trim. A large picture window looks
out on Main Street and the
courthouse.
It is a well lighted room, and
those who arrived early couldn't
resist flipping on the various
switches. A series of spotlights in
the ceiling shine down on the
council table, which is on a raised
platform at the front of the room.
Renovations in the rest of city
hall are nearing completion. The
police department is settled into its
new quarters, and other city offices
are operating in the building. The
project cost 5250,000.
City Manager Ronald Matthews
said at the meeting Monday that a
date for an open house at City Hall
will be announced in the near
future.
Cable TV
At its business meeting Monday,
the board voted to transfer the
present cable television franchise in
Raeford from N.C. Cable T.V. to
Jones Intercable Inc.
The transfer will have to pass a
second reading at the board's
September meeting before it be
comes official.
A representative of Jones Inter
cable told the board his company
plans to add three new stations to
the local system by the end of the
year. One will be a movie channel,
another will be a 24-hour Christian
broadcast station, and the third
will be Channel 17 from Atlanta, a
24-hour independent station.
Doyle Graves, regional manager
for the company, said the addition
al channels will not require a rate
increase. He said the movie channel
will be optional, at a cost of
between S7.50 and $8 per month.
Graves said his company is
planning to operate cable television
in St. Pauls, Red Springs. Pem
broke, and Fairmont. Asked about
the possibility of a weather station
here, he said a channel would have
to be dropped from the system to
include it. He said he thought most
subscribers would rather have the
channel than the weather.
Apparently several members of
the board didn't realize it, but the
present system carries the FM radio
band and can be hooked up to a
receiver, according to Graves.
He said he will be moving to this
area once the franchise is trans
ferred.
Rev. John C. Ropp. who
said it appeared to him that Jones
Intercable is a more professional
company than the one which
presently holds the franchise.
"It seems to me like this com
pany is going to put in a first class
svstem." Ropp observed. "We have
Traffic Accident Claims
Life Of Local Child
A 3 - year - old Raeford youth
was struck and killed Sunday
afternoon after he ran into the
roadway, according to State Troop
er Joe Stanley.
Demont Fredell Melvin. age 3.
Rt. 2, Raeford. ran into the path of
a car operated by Henry Earl
Murchison, also of Rt. 2. Murchi
son was traveling from Raeford.
and as he passed the school, the
young Melvin ran across the road
way in front of the vehicle. Stanley
said. The child had been playing
with several other small children
beside the roadway.
Stanley said no charges were
filed in the accident. This marks
the seventh traffic facility of the
year in Hoke County.
Funeral services for young Mel
vin were conducted Tuesday at the
Laurel Hill Baptist Church by the
Rev. Sylvester Melvin. Burial was
in the church cemetery.
Surviving are his father. John
McNeill; mother, Sylvia Melvin,
both of Raeford; grandparents.
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Melvin and
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Currie. all of
Raeford. and two brothers. John
Vernon Melvin and Don Cornelius
Melvin, both of the home.
Also killed in traffic accidents
this year were Kevin Chavis. 2 -
year - old son of Linda Chavis, who
was killed instantly when he was
struck by a pick truck in the
driveway of the Cham home, Ma\
20.
June 22, Lennon Harris, 22. and
his two infant daughters, Shanna.
age two. and 7 - month - old
Christopher, were killed when he
lost control of his car and it
overtuned on a rural Hoke County
road about a mile and a half from
the Cumberland County line.
A head - on collision between a
truck and a car on Highway 401
North about eight miles from
Raeford claimed the life of Arian S.
Tesfamarian of Dayton, Ohio.
March 23.
Lawrence McCollum. 59, died
following a one - vehicle accident
on RPR 1409 six miles north of
Raeford July 5. Four young pas
sengers were thrown from the rear
of the pick ? up truck McCollum
was driving, but they sustained only
minor injuries.
had a second class system here up
to now."
Cemetery Entrance
Following a complaint made by
local citizens at the last council
meeting. City Mahager Matthews
said he had met with officials of the
House of Raeford turkey plant and
worked out an agreement that he
hopes will prevent further damage
in the city cemetery near the plant's
parking lot.
Citizens complained that turkey
plant employees who eat their
lunches in the parking lot leave
trash in the cemetery and have been
driving over some of the graves to
turn their cars around.
Matthews said the city plans to
clean up the area, straighten fence
posts and erect a barrier to keep
cars off the graves. Plant officials
agreed to tell their employees not to
eat in the parking lot.
Ditch Cleaned
Acting on another complaint, the
city manager informed the board
that a maintenance crew had
cleaned out a ditch on South Main
Street across from Raeford Lumber
Company that had been causing
drainage problems.
"If people will refrain from
throwing box springs and tires in
there. I think it will stay open for
some time," he said.
In other business. City Attorney
Palmer Wilcox said it won't be
necessary for the preachers in town
to decide the fate of several
diseased pine trees near the tennis
courts at McLauchlin Park. He
said the deed to the property, which
was donated to the city, allows city
authorities to cut the trees if they
think it's warranted.
A clause in the deed stipulates
that if the city council is undecided
about the necessity for cutting
trees, the problem is to be given to
the local clergy for solution.
Boards, Commissions
The city manager informed the
council that the city is having
trouble getting people to serve on
various boards and commissions.
"These boards are vital to local
government," Matthews said.
"They kindle an interest in govern
ment and get people involved in the
decision making process."
He said he thought if the city
advertised openings that are avail
able. interested citizens might res
pond. In the meantime, the board
re- appointed a number of people to
local boards.
Appointed to the Housing Board
of Appeals were: J.W. McPhaul,
Carson Davis, Jr., H.K. Brady,
Hestel E. Garrison, and Roger
Dixon.
Named to the Planning Board
were: (inside the city) Ken McNeill,
Stanley Koonce, Neill McDonald,
James Davis. J.H. Austin; (outside
the city) Jim Williamson. J.B.
McLeod, H.L. Gatlin, Jr., Walter
(See COUNCIL, Page 14)
Hoke County school students appear to be slipping farther behind
as they advance in grade levels, according to recently released scores
from the annual testing program.
In the lower grades, the scores indicate a variance of only one or
two months from the state and national norms. But as the grade level
progresses, the local students appear to be losing ground at a
quicker rate.
The scores reflect the grade level on which the student is working.
For example, the average first - grader in Hoke County had achieved
work considered normal for a first - grader in the fifth month of the
school year. The tests were administered in the seventh month of the
school year, therefore the children should have achieved a 1.7 score.
In comparison with surrounding counties, Hoke's scores ran
about average in the early grades, although they still fell behind in
most areas in the higher grades.
According to socioeconomic data estimated by school officials,
there are more minority children in Hoke County than whites, more
students whose family income falls between $5,000 and $15,000 than
low and high income families; more whose parents have finished
high school than families with less than or more than a high school
education; and more boys than girls.
Although most of the figures fall in line with the state - wide
averages for sex, income and educational levels, the only drastic
reversal in the figures appears in the white and non - white areas.
Between 60 and 70 percent of the Hoke students in the grades tested
are non - white, while between 30 and 32 percent of students state -
wide are non - white.
Raz Autry, superintendent of public schools, said that he
attributes the low test scores to the low income levels and lack of
parental education.
"We can expect no improvement in the test scores of the Hoke
students until the parents believe that education is the number one
priority in the home. Until our low income and disadvantaged
families put education first, we will see no improvement."
Two aids have been hired to work with high school students in the
area of remedial math and two reading teachers, one for the junior
high and one for high school students, have been added to the staff,
Autry said.
"We have carefully selected the gifted kids and put them with
average kids so the teacher won't have to teach on so many different
levels. We will continue to work with the below average students. But
the parent must realize that we have got to have help from the
home," Autry continued.
The annual testing was administered to students in the first,
second, third, sixth and ninth grades throughout North Carolina.
Results from the tests will be used to identify students' learning
strengths and weaknesses, to improve students' academic perform
ances, to inform parents and the general public of the progress of
their children and the educational programs, and to plan and
improve the educationl programs.
Gov. Jim Hunt said in a news conference last Thursday. "For the
first time, we have a means of accurately identifying our problems
and of measuring the progress we are making.
"I believe these results show us, for example, that we must
continue our emphasis on the early years, with our kindergarten
system and Primary Reading Program. We can see that we still have
a job to do in the elementary and upper grades."
(See CHART. Page 14)
MOA Plans Changed
Plans for the proposed Military
Operations Area (MOA) over Rae
tord have been altered as a result of
concerns voiced by the citizens
here, according to a letter sent to
city and county officials this week
by Congressman Charlie Rose.
Rose said that a letter he received
from Richard M. Robinson of the
Federal Aviation Administration in
Atlanta stated the new plan would
prohibit the operation of military
jets below 3.000 feet above the
ground within a one and a half mile
radius of Raeford Airport and the
City of Raeford. However, Rose
said, they also propose to lower the
floor of the Bragg South Bravo
MOA to 500 feet above the ground
level.
A second public meeting has
been scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
August 24 at the Hoke County
Court House. Rose expressed a
desire to see the meeting well -
attended by the residents of Rae
ford and Hoke County.
County Board Denies
Cost Of Living Raise
The Hoke County Board of
Commissioners voted Monday not
to give a cost of living increase to an
employee who transferred from
Scotland County to the Hoke
County Department of Social Ser
vices this year.
The board also denied a request
by the local Mental Health Center
for an additional S3. 000 to give
employees there with the cost of
living raise.
Social Services Director Ben
Niblock told the board he was
disappointed with its decision not
to give Herman Locklear the 7
percent raise that other county
employees are getting this year.
Board members maintained that
Special Meeting
The Hoke County Board of
Commissioners scheduled a special
meeting for 10 a.m. Wednesday
to discuss purchase of landfill
equipment.
At its regular meeting Monday,
the board rejected bids on one
machine because only two bids had
been submitted and one did not
meet specifications.
the increase for Locklear would be
incompatible with an earlier deci
sion not to give raises to those
employees hired by the county after
April 1 this year. Locklear came to
Hoke County after April 1 .
Niblock argued that, as a trans
fer employee with eight years
experience, Locklear should not be
considered a brand new worker. He
said such a policy would hamper
efforts by departments heads to
recruit qualified personnel from
other counties.
When Niblock expressed dis
pleasure over the board's decision,
an executive session was called to
continue the discussion.
In other busines. the board
reversed a previous decision to
withhold SI, 934 from Hayes.
Howell and Associates, architects
for the newly constructed South
Hoke Community Center. The
money was spent by the county to
correct a drainage problem at the
new building, a problem which the
board initially thought the archi
tects should have recognized and
avoided.
However, in a letter to the board,
(See COUNTY. Page 14)