#The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXX1 NUMBER 22 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
- journal
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 27. 1979
* Around
j^The weather Monday was about
5% bad as anyone would ever see.
The rain was slow and steadv and
with the temperatures in the 60s it
[was a miserable day.
The f all weather is expected to be
with us for the entire week. We can
: Jtfect some hot days ahead but
> ffcy may be few and far between.
The item last week about Don
Prince, a former teacher and
saach, left some false impressions
ffth a few of our readers. Don does
i not work or owns an Exxon station,
but was at the station getting his
I car worked on at the time 1 stopped
there.
From all reports he is in the
jjuurance business and doing real
The grand opening of The Bank
of Raeford's new main office
brought forth a large crowd Sun
Ay- Someone said that over 1000
people dropped in during the
afternoon. The comments concern
ing the new building were all
favorable and some people who
hadn't been inside were talking
about how the new building has
Aflped the looks of South Main
Street.
Now if the other merchants in the
city will see what they can do to
improve the looks of their build
ings, may be the entire main street
will receive a favorable report.
J^Of course everyone can't do what
"e bank has done, but every little
bit will help.
The trip back from Chapel Hill
last Saturday was a nicer ride than
?iany we made last football season.
Even though the trafic was heavy,
we didn't seem to mind it.
The daily papers Monday morn
ing were writing about the Carolina
kicking game and how it had kept
Pitt in the hole most of the
^kernoon. This is not the first time
that a Pitt team has been kept in
the hole all afternoon in North
Carolina. Duke did the same thing
to Pitt in the late 30s and went on to
win a bid to the Rose Bowl.
Eric Tipton was kicking for
Upke that afternoon and kicked
out-of-bounds over ten tries inside
the 20-vard line. Pitt and Duke
were both undefeated when they
played.
The Pitt baektield gained about
400 yards that afternoon but Duke
*|uiid hold them when they came
car the goal line and Tipton would
then use his toe to get Duke out of
trouble.
So maybe the secret of beating
Pitt in North Carolina is to use the
kicking game.
?
BY SAMC. MORRIS
* * *
* * *
Cliff Blue in his column this
week states that one of the mem
bers of congress who is a statesman
should stand up and quote the
famous lines of the late John F.
fennedy when all these "gimma"
lis before them.
Now 1 agree with Cliff 100%. but
when I start thinking it is hard to
single out any member of congress
that could be labeled a statesman
in the way I was taught what a
?itesman stood for many years
o.
* * *
The Hoke High Bucks went over
to Seventy-First last Friday night
?d came back with another victory
der their belts. They won by a
score of 13-6. This was the third
straight win for the Bucks since the
opening loss to Douglas Byrd.
Sanford's Lee County Yellow
Jackets come to the local stadium
Etiday night to face the Bucks.
Wiis is the first conference game for
the local team and they need your
support. So go out and be a Buck
Booster.
? ? ?
LETTERS
??ar Mr. Morris:
I attended the 27th North Caro
lina Register of Deeds Convention
held at Fontana Dam. N.C. Sept.
j 15-19. It was very educational and
entertaining.
The Register of Deeds were
Inquired to bring a door prize. I
went arouj^J to some of the
(See AROUND TOWN, page 1 4)
)
Bank, of Raeford's NewMain Office
1,100 At Bank Building's Opening
FORMAL OPENING - Miss Raeford ?? Jane Sellars ?? cuts the ceremonial ribbon at the front entrance of The
Hank oj Raeford's new building at 207 S. Main St.. Raeford. Sunday afternoon, formally opening the hunk s new
main office. L-R- flanking Miss Sellars are members of the bank's Building Committee for the new structure
William Moses, bank President W.E. Carter. J.L. McNeill, chairman of the bank's Board of Directors. Neill A.
McDonald. III. and Robert L. Conoly. The other members of the committee T.F. McBryde and James H.
McLeod ?? were unable to attend the ceremony.
REFRESHMENTS FOR VISITORS ?? Visitors at the grand opening of The Bank of Raeford's new building are
.served refreshments in the lobby during the tour of the offices Sunday afternoon.
Public Session On Raeford Business District
Downtown Revitalization Meeting Mon
A public meeting on the revi
tali/ation of downtown Raeford will
be held at 8 p.m. Monday in the
council chambers in Raeford City
Hall.
The announcement was made in
a letter written Friday to "Fellow
Citizen" and signed by Raeford
Mayor John K. McNeill. Jr.; Earl
Fowler, manager of the Raeford
Hoke County Chamber of Com
merce: and Raeford City Manager
Ronald L. Matthews. It was written
on City of Raeford stationery.
Though the meeting concerns
downtown Raeford. the letter says.
"The future of the downtown area
of our City should be of vital
concern to all citizens of Raeford
and Hoke County.
"We need your support, ideas,
comments, and suggestions as to
the proper approach in revitalizing
downtown Raeford.
"We encourage and solicit your
participation in a meeting (the
Monday meeting in City Hall)..."
The letter also says the following.
All property owners, merchants
and business people who have a
vital interest in downtown Raeford
have been invited.
The city, the Chamber of Com
merce. and the Downtown Revi
tali/ation. Committee have been
working for several months on a
plan to revitalize the Central
Business District.
A study made by Peter Batchlor
views Raeford as it is and as it
could be in the future was complet
ed recently. Batchlor is on the staffs
of Townscape, Inc., and North
Carolina State University, both in
Raleigh.
"Everyone who has been working
on the Revitalization Plan is very
enthusiastic and eager to begin."
the jattcr says in closing. "This
meeting can be a big step in kicking
off the Downtown Revitalization
Effort."
The revitalization meeting will
Mental Health Center
Serves More, Cuts Costs
The Sandhills Mental Health
Center has continued to experience
increased requests for services.
The center, according to Dr. Jere
DinRfelder, area director, noted
that all units of the center have seen
more individuals during the past
year than they had during the
previous year.
Two thousand seven hundred
fifty-six persons were helped. He
noted that the trend toward more
individuals becoming aware of
benefits received from mental
health center services can be at
tributed both to community sup
port and the high quality of
professionals providing the services
in the center.
Philip Diehl of Raeford, area
board chairman, noted that he and
other board members are extremely
pleased with the reduction in
administrative costs. He noted that
administrative costs have been cut
in half. Three years ago the center's
administrative overhead was ap
proximately 34%. It is now 1 7,,'o of
the total budget. Diehl also noted
that in addition to more client
services, more and varied types ot
services are being offered in each
person's home county.
The center serves Anson. Hoke.
Montgomery. Moore. and Rich
mond counties.
A clinic is located in each county.
Each clinic is staffed by profes
sionals. Services are available dur
ing normal office hours and
through the after-hours emergencv
network.
For treatment sen ices or other
assistance from the center, county
residents should call 87S-hl5b.
George Barbour is the unit manag
er of Hoke County's local clinic.
Barbour directs all clinical services
in our county.
Additional information is avail
able from Barbour or Dingfelder.
The Bank of Raeford's new main office building at 207 S. Main
St. was opened formally Sunday afternoon, and about 1,100 people
toured it before it closed for the day at 6 p.m.. after the ceremonial
red ribbon across the front entrance was cut about 2'/i hours before.
The ribbon symbolizing the opening was cut by Miss Raeford,
Miss Jane Sellars.
Participating in the ceremony were members of the bank's
Building Committee -- bank Board Chairman J.L. McNeill; bank
President W.E. Carter; R.L. Conoly, a vice president and a member
of the board; and William Moses, and Neill McDonald, members of
the board. The other members of the committee. T.F. McBryde and
James B. McLeod. both members of the board also, were unable to
attend.
Before the ribbon was cut. the spectators heard talks by Raeford
Mayor John K. McNeill. Jr., John Balfour, chairman of the Board of
Hoke County Commissioners. Tom Cameron, a vice president and a
member of the board of the bank, and Carter, who presided over the
program. The Rev. Kelly Wilson, pastor of Raeford United
Methodist Church, gave the invocation.
During the program also. Mrs. Joyce Monroe, the bank's cashier,
presented to Miss Alma Ferguson a copy of the history of the bank,
in honor of the memory of Miss Ferguson's sister, the late Miss Jessie
Bright Ferguson, cashier and a vice president for many years till she
retired.
The older offices at 138 N. Main St., which the new building
replaces, will remain in use for teller services.
The new building actually opened Sept. 10 for its first day of
business.
A total of 900 people, meanwhile, had registered up to early this
week for "Be A Millionaire for a Day." The person chosen will
receive one day's interest on $1 million at the bank's interest rate of
5'/? percent.
The drawing will be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday in the lobby of the
new building, and people are eligible to register up to the moment
just before the drawing is held.
The Bank of Raeford was organized at a public meeting on May
12. 1903. and opened for business the following Oct. 6 in a building
on a site on the approximate location of Howell Drug Co. on Main.
Employees of the bank served as hosts and hostesses for the
visitors, who also were served refreshments in the lobby.
He Remains In Hospital
Tim McKenzie Found;
Investigation Continuing
John Timothy McKenzie. 19. of
Rt. I. Shannon, remained in
Moore Memorial Hospital at Pine
hurst early this week but apparent
ly in good condition physically as
the investigation into his reported
kidnaping and armed robbery con
tinued.
Meanwhile also, a member of his
family said his memory was re
turning.
McKenzie appeared the after
noon of Sept. 19 in the emergency
room of Betsy Johnson Memorial
Hospital in Dunn after having been
missing since the previous Sunday
afternoon.
He was quoted by members of
the emergency room staff as saying
he could not recall anything that
had happened to him between
Sunday and then. The Hoke
follow the regular meeting of the
Kaelord C it % C ouncil tor October,
which will start at 7.
I he public meeting was suggest
ed by (he mayor during the
council's September session.
County Sheriffs Department said
McKenzie told Dunn police he had
been robbed and kidnapped.
Another source said two men
forced their way into the 1975 white
Mustang McKenzie was driving as
McKenzie had it stopped for a
traffic light.
McKenzie was treated for what
were described as minor head
injuries at the Dunn hospital, then
discharged but later was admitted
to Moore Memorial Hospital at
Pinehurst at the request of his
family, for further observation.
Hoke County Sheriff Dave
Barrington said last week Mc
Kenzie was last seen about 5:15
p.m. Sept. lb driving toward
Raeft rd on Gold Hill Road.
McXcnzie. a sophomore at the
University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, planned to pick up a
friend. Ann MacDonald of Rae
ford. aUNC-Chapel Hill freshman,
to give her a ride back to Chapel
Hill Sept. lb.
A search by air and on the
ground was started later that day
when Miss MacDonald reported
McKenzie had not met her. The
Mustang he was driving to Rob
McNeill, also a UNC-Chapel Hill
student and son of Mrs. Man,
league McNeill of Raeford. the
(Sec MCKl.N7.ll-., page 14)
Sunday Night At Short Stop
Armed Robber
Gets $127 Here
A masked, armed man got SI 2"
Sunday night from the "6 Short
Stop and tied in a large, late ?
model car. Racford Police Chief
Leonard Wiggins reported this
week.
He quoted Scott Bowers. 21.
who was working in the store at the
time, as saying a man wearing a
paper bag over his head and
carrying an old - model single -
barrel 12 - or 20 ? gauge shotgun
entered the store at 8:25 o'clock
and ordered Bowers to give him
money. Bowers said he opened the
cash register and handed the man
all the bills in it.
Then, he said, the man ordered
him to turn around, and when he
did the gunman left the store. He
said the man got into the car when
it came into the driveway, then the
car was driven toward Raeford.
Bowers was alone in the store at
the time, and Sunday was just the
third day he had been working
there. The 76 Short Stop is on the
U.S. 401 South bypass at the U.S.
401 Business intersection.
Bowers described the robber as
being black, about 5 feet 10 inches
tall and weighing about I3S
pounds.