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The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXXIII NUMBER 2 RAF.FORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
journal
25
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER YEAR
THURSDAY, MAY 7. 1981
For Federal Rent Subsidy Project
Multifamily Housing Variance Denied
Around
Town
W BY SAM C.MORRIS
The weather was like spring over
the weekend but the forecast is for
fhe temperature to rise and for the
*ummer-like weather to be with us
Again.
There has been very little rainfall
in Raeford for the past month as
' you can notice in an article
elsewhere in the paper. As stated
?ere before, I don't remember an
April being this dry, when you get
less than an inch of rain in the
shower month that is bad for all
concerned.
? You can read in magazines and
i. newspapers about the pattern
changing for our weather. Some of
this is too deep for me, but maybe
you can understand what the
1 writers are talking about in these
.articles.
Robert Gatlin was by the office
Monday and was telling me about
his trip to Raleigh last week to
?ttend his 50th Anniversary for the
1931 graduating class at State
College. He stated that between 55
^ and 60 members were present for
the event and that about 125
embers and their families at
tended the final banquet at the
1 faculty club.
L* Gatlin said that his wife was with
$him for the entire affair and that
| llis daughters and their husbands,
Mr. and Mrs. George Wilson and
f Major and Mrs. Martin Beach,
. attended the banquet.
a I didn't get to ask him how far
Ethe people had traveled to attend
[ the function along with many other
ttiings that people want to know
"bout a 50-year event.
Robert did say that he had a
wonderful time during the celebra
tion and had to check the mirror
three times to be sure a man of his
age and youthful looks was at the
correct place.
The following letter was received
Mhis week.
Dear Publisher,
I regret that 1 do not know your
name and am unable to refer to
I you personally. However 1 did want
to share my most reccnt promotion
with you. Being a Hoke High
School graduate 1 felt it might be
newsworthy for your paper. 1 leave
this to your discretion.
1 can't believe they managed to
spell my last name wrong. Also, 1
Jvas misquoted in the last sentence.
I never played with the Nantucket
but I did play in a band with several
of their current members. Speaking
of my music, do you remember in
1%7-1%8 our band in Raeford.
"The Soul Set"? Ah. those were the
days.
If you decide to print any of this
personal propaganda, please drop
me a note. 1 hope to meet you on
?riy next visit.
W Sincerely.
Jim Cribbs
City Circulation Mgr.
The article Jim is writing about
follows:
Cribbs named manager
James L. Cribbs Jr. was named
j city circulation manager for The
Durham Sun, Neal Tackney, circu
lation director, reported today.
Cribbs joined the Circulation
Department as a district manager
in March 1980. He was promoted
to Sun assistant city circulation
manager in September.
He served as band director at
Carrington Junior High School and
Northern High School in the 1975
76 school year after being county
band director for Greensville Coun
ty schools in Emporia. Va. during
||972 and 1975.
He also served as store manager
for The Ranch in six cities in North
Carolina and Virginia during 1977
1980.
Cribbs, son of James L. Cribbs
nd the late Mrs. Cribbs of
!aeford, graduated from East
arolina University with a bache
>r's degree in music education in
1972.
As a hobbv. he has played and
[See AROUND TOWN, page 13)
The Raeford Planning Board
Thursday night voted 6-0 to re
commend that a variance requested
in zoning to allow construction of
eight four family two-story build
ings be denied. The Raeford City
Council is to act on the recom
mendation at its June meeting.
The board's action, on a motion
made by Neill McDonald, following
a two-hour public hearing on the
request filed by Brown-Loving of
High Point, attended by nearly 100
people. Most of the audience
expressed opposition individually
to establish the planned federal
government rent subsidy housing in
the area, which is on an acre
tract on the south side of the U.S.
401 north bypass and lying between
North Fulton and North Magnolia
Streets. The application for the
variance had been Filed by realtor
Avery Connell, who has contracted
for the land sale.
John Loving of the development
company told a reporter after the
meeting, replying to questions, that
if the Raeford City Council ac
cepted the planning board's re
commendation, the company
would have to build 15 two-family
duplexes instead of the planned
eight four-family units, which
would mean it would have to buy
more land for the site and extend
the construction into open areas
and closer to North Fulton Street
than the four-family units' plan
called for. Instead of a 401 project,
Loving said, it would be a 401 -Ful
ton Street project.
Though eight buildings are
planned, they would contain 30
units.
He had told the planning board
during the hearing that his com
pany planned to concentrate the
four family buildings on 3.7 acres
at the north end of the tract.
About a dozen people raised
their hands in favor and most of the
audience by their show of hands
expressed opposition to recom
mending the variance, after plan
ning board chairman Stanley
Koonce asked for the show of
sentiment.
About a dozen people also spoke
in favor of the project, saying the
housing was needed for low-income
Hoke County families, particularly
the elderly poor.
Ralph Barnhart, a former Hoke
County commissioners' chairman,
who lives on North Fulton Street,
gave Koonce a petition bearing the
signatures, he said, of people who
live in the affected area, not merely
owners of property.
After Loving explained that if the
variance were denied, his company
/
yfc, ry?- . .. V>
??? &
Some of the visitors to the Planning Board s public hearing on the requested variance in residential zoninv.
i
Autry Given Discretion On Hiring, Firing
Turley Accepts
Invitation To Talk
Brady Turley, fired April 3 as
custodian of Scurlock School by
Hoke County Schools Supt. Raz
Autry, was to meet with Autry
Wednesday on Autry's invitation to
discuss the situation.
Turley told a reporter Tuesday
night after the Hoke County Board
of Education decided to leave
hiring and firing of custodians to
the discretion of the superintendent
that he would meet with Autry.
But I do not intend to weaken
my position." Turley added. "If
these conditions are met I will be
happy to go back to work."
The board adopted a motion by
unanimous vote at about 10:15
p.m. after meeting in executive
session first with Turley for about
40 minutes, then without him
present on Turley's conditions stat
ed in a letter written by a
Fayetteville attorney for Turley:
that Turley be reinstated without
loss of pay and that his personnel
record with the school system be
cleared of certain statements made
by Autry in writing of reasons for
Turley's firing.
Nearly immediately after the
board adopted the motion, Autry
told Turley he wanted "to sit down
and talk."
Copies of the letter, written by
Joseph McLeod of the law firm of
McLeod & Senter. had been mailed
to Autry and to the Board of
Education last week.
Turley said that after talking
with Autry Wednesday "1 will
make a decision at that time" as to
what course of action he would
take. "It depends on what he says."
Turley was tired after a copy of
The News-Journal containing a
letter Turlev had written comment
ing on a Board of Education action
transferring Scurlock Principal
Floyd Caldwell to McLauchlin
School as principal effective with
the beginning of the next school
year was published earlier in the
week.
Autry's statements of the reasons
(See TURLF.Y, page 13)
6.7 Acres To County For Recreation Use
Burlington Giving
Land For Hoke Park
Burlington Industries is donating
to Hoke County a 6.7-acre tract of
land near its Raeford plants, for
use by the county to develop a
recreational park.
Plant managers Gib Bernhardt
and Cecil Bond noted Monday that
the land donation is made on
behalf of the company's employees
and their families "as a means of
furthering Hoke County's positive
efforts to improve its recreational
facilities."
John G. Balfour, chairman of the
Board of Hoke County Commis
sioners, said, "on behalf of the
Hoke County Board of Commis
sioners and the citizens of Hoke
County I am most pleased and
appreciative of the donation of land
by Burlington Industries.
"These 6.7 acres will be used as a
Community Park and will be made
available to all citizens of Hoke
County for a variety of recreational
activities. We here in Hoke County
are certainly grateful for all the
many contributions made by Bur
lington Industries."
Ann Pate, director of the Hoke
County Parks and Recreation Com
mission, said she was "very pleased
over the land donated by Burling
ton Industries. This land will be
developed into a Community Park.
"Included in this park will be a
multipurpose athletic field with all
the support facilities such as fenc
ing, bleachers, restrooms, conces
sion stand and parking areas.
"We are looking forward to the
development of these 6.7 acres and
we feel the Park will be a very
valuable and enjoyable addition to
our County and City."
Burlington's local plants are
Scotland-Hoke
State House District
Scotland County joined Hoke
County Monday in requesting they
be placed in a State House of
Representatives district.
They are in the 21st District with
Robeson County now. The district's
three members of the State House
are Robeson residents.
The Scotland County commis
sioners voted Monday to join Hoke
in a two-county district but added
the alternative that Scotland, Hoke
and Moore counties be put in a
single district. Moore is now in a
district by itself.
The letter also was an alternative
suggested by the Hoke County
commissioners last month.
April Rainfall Here
Totaled .7 Inch
Rainfall in all of April in Raeford
totaled seven-tenths of an inch,
Robert Gatlin, National Weather
Service observer here, reported this
week.
The rainfall for the same month
in previous years totaled 4.5 inches
in 1980, 5.1 in 1979, 8.9 in 1978,
and 1.6 in 1977.
units of the Burlington Menswear
division and employ over 1.500 per
sons, making the company Hoke
County's largest employer. A large
percentage of the employees and
their families reside in Hoke Coun
ty
The site being donated by Burl
ington is located on U.S. 401 east
of the two manufacturing plants.
MBBumk' t ?
? -. A:-.:. ??:. ?:$.*'.!%.$&. <*. ,xj . ;
BURLINGTON'S GIFT ?? Ashwell Harward symbolically turns over symbolic title to to. 7 acres of Burlington
Industries land on N.C. 21 1 -West Prospect Avenue to John Balfour, chairman of the Board of Hoke County
Commissioners Monday morning for the Hoke County Parks and Recreation Commission. It will be developed
into a public park when funds become available. The properly is at the southern edge of the U.S. 401 overpass and
across the road from Raeford Oil Co. L-R ?? Harry Williamson. Burlington Menswear Kaejord Plant personnel
manager; Bob Garrett, personnel manager of the Burlington Menswear Dyeing Plant: Gib Bernhardt. Dyeing
Plant manager. Harward. manager of employment and community relations for the Burlington Mensweur plants;
Balfour; W.K. Morgan, chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission; Anne Howell Pate, director of the
Parks and Recreation Department: Cecil Bond. Raeford Plant manager: and Raeford Mayor W. K. McNeill. Jr.
[Staff photo].
would have to use more land to
build duplexes. Barnhart said.
"We're against the variance. If
we're going to be covered up, we're
going to be covered up." Koonce
said he would pass the petitions on
to the City Council.
Raeford City Manager Ronald
Matthews, saying he was giving an
explanation on request of Mc
Donald. told the audience that the
present zoning of the area -- R-8 -
allows one-family a duplex (two
family) residences.
If the variance is denied, how
ever, he said. Loving can buy more
from Connell and build duplexes,
and he could not be denied
approval of a planned subdivision.
If he were. Matthews added, he
could bring the matter to court.
Area residents in addition to
Barnhart expressed opposition in
dividually, saying tht the proposed
development would increase the
flow of traffic creating hazards
especially for small children; that it
would lower property values; bring
an increase in noise; and that such
housing hadn't worked in other
communities; Lumberton and
Laurinburg.
Sheriff David Barrington, saying
he was attending as a private
citizen, recommended that the
low-income housing in those two
communities be looked at by local
housing officials. He said, however,
that if the north Raeford project
would be like the Countryside
Apartments, alo rent-subsidy hous
ing, "I have no objection." The
question is, he said, what condition
the proposed housing be in three
years from now.
A woman who was not identified
by name told the board she was
against the project because she
owns property in Robeson County
that adjoins one and "the traffic is
terrible."
Barnhart also said similar hous
ing projects in other communities
should be looked at.
Ken Witherspoon. director of the
Hoke County Department of Social
Services, said "housing is a pro
blem" in Hoke County. In refer
ence to criticism of other low
income housing projects elsewhere,
he said that "for every project that
has not worked two have." He
mentioned Gastonia and Fuquay
Varina as communities in which
such projects have worked.
Witherspoon said that he has
contacted 40 percent of the people
in Hoke County in the course of his
work and that "the working poor
can't buy a home." He said the
population contains a "high inci
dence of usage of" public assis
tance programs.
Witherspoon said. "I am speak
ing of people who have worked."
not the lazy. He also mentioned
small children living in p<xirly
(See Pl'BLIC HOUSING, page 14)
i'.