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The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXXII NUMBER 31 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
- journal
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
$8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1980
Around
Town
BY SAM C. MORRIS
The weather over the weekend
has been on the cold side. Late
Sunday afternoon the rains came,
and from the forecast it seems the
rain will be around for a couple of
dayi.
As of today, I haven't com
plained about the cooler weather,
but maybe after the furnace runs
for a month and I receive the oil
bill, it will be another story. With
the price of fuel oil almost one
dollar per gallon the heating bill
can become expensive. Let's hope
that the winter will not be so severe
that people will suffer who can't
pay for mel oil. Many people will
keep the thermostats too low
because of the price of fuel.
While on the subject of the
weather, it was colder at the
football games last Saturday than
had been forecast.
At the Duke ? Carolina game,
which 1 attended, many people
caome into the stadium with a light
sweater or no sweater at all. When
the sun went behind the trees on
the south side of the stadium, it was
1 not the 60 degrees forecast by the
weatherman.
Do we pay too much attention to
the weather forecast, rather then as
in the old days, when winter came
we dressed for it. Twice this year at
football games, the weatherman
has been wrong and once I got wet
and last Saturday I didn't take the
heavy jacket like my wife told me to
I take.
Well, the football season is over,
so I can forget about the rain and
cold as far as football is concerned.
* * ?
The street department of the City
of Raeford has about finished
putting up the Christmas deco
rations for the coming season.
I As of this time I don't know
when they will turn the lights on,
but hope they will wait until it is
nearer Christmas.
Dr. John Ropp said Sunday that
Christmas was becoming so com
mercial, or having other meanings,
that Thanksgiving now had more of
his thoughts than ever before.
In other words, let's put the
Christ back in Christmas.
I
* * ?
The annual Pancake Supper of
the Raeford Kiwanis Club will be
held Thursday night, December
4th in the Gibson Cafeteria. Serv
ing will begin at 5 o'clock.
The Kiwanians will use this
money for a good cause, so go out
and enjoy the fellowship along with
all you can eat for $2.00. Tickets
can be purchased from any
member of the Kiwanis Club.
? * *
Several calls have come to the
office asking if the newspaper knew
anything about the government
paying a dividend or interest on the
insurance soldiers had during the
war. We haven't received any news
releases from any source on this
subject.
We did find out that Mrs.
Graham Clark, Veterans Service
officer for Hoke County, called VA
headquarters and was told they
they had not heard anything about
the payment.
Maybe someone is trying to
obtain a mailing list and when you
answer the address being circu
lated, it will help the person or
persons to write you back to sell you
something.
There are all sorts of gimmicks
people work these days for their
own benefit, not yours.
If we receive any information, we
will pass it along to you.
* ? ?
If you will have a pretty Christ
mas door this year, let us know at
the newspaper office and we will
run a picture of h in our Christmas
issue.
Watch the paper for the dates
that the photographer will be out
taking pictures.
We will Uke Thanksgiving Day
at the newspaper and we hope you
have a happy one.
7a
Happy
-x x Thanksgiving
Long ago on a brisk clear dag in a sheltered,
wooded clearing, a harvest feast, a humble meal of
wild turkey and Indian corn, was shared by notice
and newcomer.
With this act of sharing of the harvest of a bounti
ful land, began the tradition of a feast of Thanks
giving, a tradition carried on through the years.
Today, in observation of this commemorative
day of Thanksgiving, we shall be gathered together
again in thanks for the blessings of a land bestowed
upon a people and shared by a people, as it once was
and is now.
We will be closed Thursday, November
27th, in observance of Thanksgiving. The
Staff of The News-Journal wishes all of you
an enjoyable Thanksgiving Day.
it,
UM
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Energy Aid For Low-Income People
The Low Income Energy Assis
tance Program will provide a
one-time cash benefit to help with
fuel costs.
This program was provided
through legislation of Congress to
ease the impact of the deregulation
of gas and oil. Ken Witherspoon,
director of Hoke County Social
Services Department, indicated to
day that even with this limited
assistance the burden of rising fuel
costs on the poor or elderly will be
quite severe.
The department will automati
cally process the applications of
those individuals receiving food
stamps and/or checks from Sup
plemental Security Income or the
Aid to Families with Dependent
Children program. Unlike pro
blems encountered in last year's
program, only one energy allotment
per household will be issued.
Individuals residing in institutions
will not receive allotments even
though they could receive SSI.
All other individuals who do not
receive benefits of the type just
discussed should make plans to
apply on December 1 beginning at
8:30 a.m. at the T.B. Lester, Jr.,
Office Building.
Witherspoon urged early appli
cations even though Hoke County
does not have a specific allocation.
He said that he encourages indivi
duals to make extra efforts to seek
ways to keep warm. Utilizing
plastic to cover windows, improved
insulation and multiple living ar
rangements. are all suggested.
Schools , Offices Closed
Hoke Observing
Thanks giving
Most Hoke County people will be
starting their Thanksgiving holiday
late Wednesday after their offices
and schools close.
The News-Journal went to press a
day earlier than usual this week so
the men and women on the
newspaper's staff could have
Thanksgiving day for a holiday.
Federal employers and em
ployees of most private businesses
and industries will have Thursday
off and return to work Friday
morning, Raeford city, Hoke
County and state government em
ployees will have a four - day
Holiday, as will the county schools'
students, and the employees, in
cluding teachers, educators, ad
ministrators and service people.
The landfill will reopen Saturday
after being closed Thursday and
Friday.
The Raeford Post Office will be
on a holiday schedule Thursday: no
rural or city deliveries except
"specials," and no window service
in the post office building.
The exceptions will be state,
county and city law enforcement
officers, firemen and others in the
public - safety and emergency
organizations assigned to duty for
Thanksgiving day.
Special public church services
also were scheduled for Wednesday
night. The annual Community
Pre-Thanksgiving Service was to be
held at First Baptist Church of
Raeford with the Rev. Fred
Sharrai, pastor of Four Square
Gospel Church, preaching the
Thanksgiving sermon. The service
will start at 7:30 p.m.
A Pre-Thanksgiving Service was
to be held at Mt. Pisgah Missionary
Baptist Church, also starting at
7:30 p.m. conducted by the Rev.
W.K. Mitchell, pastor of Silver
Grove Baptist Church.
Hoke County school students
were having special Thanksgiving
programs during the days pre
ceding the start of the holiday.
Hoke County law enforcement
officers are warning drivers to be
especailly careful traveling to and
from the places where they will be
spending the holidays. The most
dangerous times during a holiday
period are the evenings before the
holidays start and those of the last
day, since those are the times when
the volume of traffic is the largest.
The North Carolina State Motor
Club in Charlotte has estimated 20
people could be killed in traffic
accidents in the state during the
holiday weekend. During last year's
Thanksgiving holiday period, 17
people were killed and 1,081 others
injured, though less seriously, in
North Carolina traffic accidents.
Traffic accidents during the 1978
holiday took 29 lives.
Exceeding safe speed continues
to be the number one cause of fatal
accidents, along with driving under
the influence of Alcohol. Dr. John
G. Frazier III, president of the
statewide motor club, urges all
motorists to take a deeper interest
in highway safety by actively sup
porting the 55-mph speed limit,
refraining from driving while
drinking, and always using their
safety belts.
To date 1,288 North Carolinians
have lost their lives in traffic
accidents, and with the growth of
the small - car population to
conserve fuel, motor vehicle
fatalities show every indication of
continuing a relentless climb. In a
collision between a sub-compact
and a full - sized car, occupants in
the smaller car are eight times more
likely to be killed; however, lower
speeds clearly reduce the risk and
severity of injuries.
A weekend holiday takes 200 or
more lives nationwide on highways,
and yet little concern is shown,
when an airliner goes down with
200 passengers, however, Ameri
cans are shocked.
Thanksgiving traditionally is a
time for families and friends to
gather and give thanks for their
many blessings. Help keep this a
happy and blessed holiday by
keeping you and your loved ones
out of the collision statistics. Make
it your personal responsibility to
drive safely and encourage others to
do so.
Intended For Emergencies ; Fee Charged
Ambulance Service Purpose Explained
The Hoke County Ambulance
Service is set up to provide emer
gency medical transportation for
Hoke County people.
It is not intended for use as a fast
ride to a routine appointment with
a physician. The emphasis in the
purpose of the service is on
"emergency."
The Ambulance Service also is a
private business providing a public
service under a county government
contract. Under the contract it
receives an annual subsidy whose
amount is subject to change when
the national Consumer Price Index
changes, (the CPI is the "cost-of
living measure). The reason is an
ambulance service cannot operate
in the county if it must depend
entirely on the income it receives
directly from its operations. The
subsidy is intended to pay the
portion of the Ambulance Service's
expenses the service's income can
not pay.
Essentially these points were
brought out from the record by
County Manager James Martin in
an interview with a reporter Friday
morning.
The role and the fees charged by
the Ambulance Service are ex
plained here in response to reports
showing some, if not many, Hoke
people are under the impression
that the services of the Ambulance
Service are free of charge, because
the Ambulance Service receives a
subsidy each year under a five-year
contract from the county govern
ment..
The fees charged the people
using the Ambulance Service also
are subject to being increased or
decreased according to the way the
CPI changes.
The Ambulance Service is set up
to serve in emergencies only:
injuries or the sudden occurrence
of illness, such as a heart attack or
stroke, that require immediate
medical treatment. The Emergency
Medical Technicians who serve on
the ambulance calls can administer
first aid at the scene and en route to
a doctor's office or hospital. As for
costs to the patients, the contract
between the Ambulance Service
and the county government specifi
cally states that the Ambulance
Service "will charge" every patient
it services, per mile from the point
where the patient is put on the
ambulance to the destination (hos
pital or doctor's office).
The exception to this charge is no
mileage fee will be charged for
ambulance trips amounting to less
than one mile from the loading
point to the destination.
And if an ambulance must
remain at the destination with a
patient, the Ambulance Service
may charge a fee of not more than
S10 per hour, according to a term
of the contract. The service, how
ever agrees in the contract that it
will make no charge for waiting for
any part of an hour. In other
words, if the wait for a patient at
the destination is anything less than
an hour, the patient is not charged
any waiting fee. Neither is the pas
senger charged for any fraction of
an hour beyond a wait of one or
more full hours. If the wait runs
2Vi hours, for example, the pas
senger is charged only for two
hours.
As for collecting from ambulance
passengers, the contract says: "All
collections of fees will be the sole
responsibility of the Ambulance
Service which will pursue collec
tions diligently by all legal means
available.
The service is available for
emergencies for Hoke County
le 24 hours a day, seven days a
. The contract puts it this way:
"The Ambulance Service will keep
qualified operators on duty 24
hours a day, seven days a week to
respond to calls for ambulance
service."
It also specifies, "two ambu
lances will be available at all times
to provide ambulance services for
the people of the County."
The Hoke County Ambulance
Service was awarded the contract
after submitting the lowest bid.
The contract is in its second fiscal
year. The first year started July 1,
1979, with the subsidy set at
550,000 for the year. TTiis fiscal
year, which will end next June 30, it
is $54,650, under the contract's
provision which made the agree
ment subject to change according
to the CPI. The first increase from
S50.000 was based on the CPI
index increase which occurred dur
ing the first nine months of the
1979-80 contract year, but the next
change if necessary will be based on
any CPI change occurring in the
full 12 months of the 1981-82 fiscal
year.
The change in the amount of
subsidy works both ways, under the
contract: if the CPI drops, then the
subsidy is reduced accordingly.
But under the contract also,
when the subsidy had to be
changed, the amount of the Ambu
lance Service's fees also have to be
charged accordingly: an increase in
the subsidy brings an increase in
the fees.
The Hoke County people also are
served in emergencies by the Hoke
County Rescue Squad, an organi
zation of qualified volunteers.
The Rescue Squad helps stabilize
patients at scenes of accidents or in
other medical emergencies. It does
not normally provide ambulance
transportation to hospitals, how
ever, unless there are more patients
than the Ambulance Service can
handle in an emergency.
The members of the Rescue
Squad also provide services that the
Ambulance Service isn't intended
safety, help at scenes of accidents,
m
if
the traffic and pedestrians not
involved in the accidents.
for. Rescue Squad people, for
example, remove people pinned in
wrecked vehicles and for public
SIGNS OF THE TIMES ?- These large Christmas ornaments are
decorating the streets in downtown Raeford now, signs that the Christmas
season of 1980 is here. The decorations were put up eartv in the week of
November 16. This picture was taken on the west side of North Main Street
at West Elwood Avenue, looking north on Main. [Staff photo by Bill
Lindau. 1