~e lew A
The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXXIII NUMBER 8 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA
Tax Rate Stags 60 c
- journal
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER YEAH THURSDAY, JUNE 18. 1981
Raeford Budget $2,345,104 For 1981-82
Around
Town
\ BY SAM C.MORRIS
Last Friday afternoon I went
back into the files to sec when the
temperature reached 109 degrees in
Raeford. It was the first week of
: August. It seemed to me Sunday
that it must have been the same,
but someone in the office Monday
said that the weatherman for Hoke
-County said it got to 102 degrees.
P The thermometer has been above
90 for the past week and the nights
have also been hot. The forecast is
for cooler weather around the
weekend.
Just think what the weather will
be in August if we are in the 100s
? for June.
? ? *
^ Paul Dickson, publisher and
" ditor of The News-Journal , is a
man who likes to get in the
"do-it-yourself way of life. Last
. Friday at Topsail Beach he was
using a power saw fixing something
at his cottage there. Now Dickson
had gotten instructions from a local
carpenter, now deceased, but he
didn't follow his instructions very
well, because he cut the ends of two
1 fingers off. After a trip to the Holly
?Ridge Clinic, and a Wilmington
hospital, he is doing very well.
You can get full details by
talking to Dickson the next time he
is in Raeford.
* ? *
These days you can't tell what
will come to the office that will
make an item for this column. Bill
Lindau gave me an old newspaper
^he other day that was given to him
fty Everett Bowen of the Sheriffs
department. It was a page from an
old Fayetteville Observer dated
Thursday. May 24. 1962. The main
article on the page was about the
political races in Hoke County.
The paper was found under a
house in Fayetteville by Lin Webb
as he was doing electrical work a
couple of weeks ago. He is the son
of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Webb of
^^aeford and works for Carolina
?Telephone. His wife is the daughter
of the Bowens.
The paper was well preserved
and it just goes to show that when
you are working around this sec
tion, something of Hoke County
might show up.
? * ?
A letter from Lee Gillis was
jjreceived last week along with an
Article that appeared in the Sun
day, June 7 feature section of The
Tennessean. Lee is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Harold Gillis of Raeford
and is now a counselor and head of
the Outer Limits program at Webb
School at Bell Beckle. Tenn. He
worked for The News-Journal dur
ing his high school days at Raeford.
The article was about a two-night
' camping trip for the sepiors at the
School and gave what the reason the
I overnight camp was undertaken
and some of the comments of the
students.
Lee's letter it as follows:
Mr. Morris:
I thought you might find this of
interest. It has been our best
coverage so far of the two year
program. I certainly enjoy your
column - it helps me keep up with
^iome.
^ Thanks. Lee. for the feature
story and it was really interesting.
Keep up the good work, for it is
always a joy to see Hoke Countains
succeed in life.
? * ?
From all reports from Raleigh, it
now seems that Hoke County will
be in a new Congressional and
legislative district. We will go into
"he Eighth Congressional District
and will be put with Scotland
County to form a new legislative
; district.
* Of course this is the first time we
> have been changed, and you can
ji bet your bottom dollar that it won't
i be the last time.
I
B The baseball strike is now on and
At Public Hearing
Commissioners Hear Budget Requests
The Hoke County commissioners
Monday night heard Final requests
for 1981-82 budget requests at a
public hearing in the Courthouse.
John Balfour, chairman of the
board of county commissioners,
told the audience their requests
could affect our decision but not
the tax rate." He referred to
decisions on how much to provide
for specific operations and agencies
and to the present tax rate of SI. 01
per S100 property evaluation,
which the commissioners have said
they are determined to retain for
the new fiscal year.
Requests included those from
Bill Bridgman, director of the
Sandhills Regional Library System,
on behalf of the Hoke County
Public Library, a member; Lloyd
Home, administrator of the Hoke
County Health Department; and
Anne Pate, director of the Hoke
County Parks and Recreation
Commission.
Barbara Buie asked for funds for
continuing the Literacy Project,
which has been operating on $5,000
of county money per year. She read
a list of a dozen or more churches
which have contributed to the
project, indicating the value the
project has for Hoke County
people. Using a tutor system, the
project teaches illiterate Hoke
adults how to read and write.
Balfour in a previous meeting
indicated the fund should be
supplied from the county school
system budget rather than from the
general county treasury, since the
project is educational.
Mrs. Pate asked the com
missioners for $10,000 as the
county's share of the cost of a new
bus for county recreation activities,
particularly for out - of - town trips
For Summer Youth Employment
$83,063 CETA
Contract Awarded
An $83,063 contract was
awarded June 9 to the Hoke County
Board of Education, Kaeford, by
the State Division of Employment
and Training under the Summer
Youth Employment Program of the
federal Comprehensive Employ
ment and Training Act (CETA) to
provide summer employment and
training for 66 participants.
The contract was signed by
representatives of the agency with
officials of the division, which is an
agency of the Department of
NaturUl Resources and Community
Development. The division admin
isters CETA programs in 91 coun
ties in the state.
The 66 participants who have
been selected are aces 14-21 and
have met the CETA criterion of
being economically disadvantaged.
The aim of the program is to serve
the in-school target group and is
designed to encourage each parti
cipants to complete his or her
education objectives by providing
wages, work experience, counsel
ing, supportive services and labor
market information.
The project's ultimate goal is to
enhance the employability of the
youths through the completion of
their education and by permitting
them to participate in work experi
ence.
for senior citizens. She and others
involved in the senior citizens'
program have said a new bus is
needed because used buses loaned
by the county school system have
broken down on out - of - town
trips, consequently are unreliable.
The county budget proposed for
1981-82 contains S3, 453. 424 for the
general fund. $556,500 in federal
revenue - sharing money, $60,000
in the National Guard Armorv
construction reserve. The 1980-81
budget totaled $3,251,064.
Monday night following the
public hearing, the commissioners
in their regular mid - month
meeting approved $74,754.12 as
the county's share of the cost of
building the new armory. The
National Guard Bureau is pro
viding the $712,000 balance of the
estimated cost.
After hearing a report on a
meeting regarding the Air Force
propsal to lower the minimum
allowable flight training altitude,
the commissioners adopted a
motion asking the directors of the
Raeford - Hoke County Chamber of
Commerce to have the chamber be
the contact point with the military
for private Hoke County citizens to
give complaints to; and to establish
a better working relationship with
the military.
The action came after Earl
Fowler, executive vice president of
the chamber, recommended that
the point of contact be established
and a Pope Air Force Base leader
be appointed to do the same on the
military side. He also suggested the
military in turn establish a contact
point at Ft. Bragg and each of the
Air Force bases which send aircraft
on training missions over this area.
The Air Force proposes to lower
the minimum training altitude to
300 from the present 500 feet.
Agricultural aviation crop -
dusting service operators and
poultry producers have expressed
objections on the grounds the lower
flights would be hazardous to the
agricultural fliers and would
damage trukey producing opera
tions.
Fowler sent the written objec
tions and chamber material to Pope
officials. He said Pope responded
promptly, setting up a meeting of a
Pope officer and County Manager
James Martin and Fowler, which
was held recently. Fowler said the
next meeting of Pope represen
tatives would be with the county
commissioners and the people who
would be affected by the change in
the flight - training minimum
altitude.
In other business, the com
missioners reappointed Don Steed
and appointed Commissioner
Mabel Riley as Hoke County's
representatives on the Employment
and Training Advisory Committee
of Region N Council of Gov
ernments.
The commissioners rescheduled
their regular meeting of July f> for
July 7 because of the Independence
Day holiday weekend.
Temperature Over 100 Two Days
The temperature reached 102
degrees in Raeford Sunday after
noon and 101 Monday aft? noon.
Robert Gat 1 in. Raeford observer
for the National Weather Service,
reported.
Sunday was the first time the
thermometer reached 100 degrees
this year, though it had recorded
over % earlier in June.
Gatlin said thai son of weather is
early for the year. Usually the
hottest weather doesn't come till
July.
By State House, Senate Redistricting Committees
Hoke-Scotland House District Okayed
A new State House District
composed of Hoke and Scotland
counties was approved Thursday by
separate House and Senate re
districting committees of the North
Carolina General Assembly.
The new district would have a
single representative.
Both counties are part of the
three - county district whose other
member is Robeson County. A new
redistricting plan also approved by
the separate committees would
have Robeson in a district by itself
with two reprensentatives. Under
the approved changes, Cumberland
County also would be in a district
by itself and would have five
representatives.
No changes have been proposed
The Rev. Arthur Winstead
in the area's state senatorial district
by the State Senate Redisricting
Committee. Hoke and Robeson
counties make up the present 12th
State Senate District, which has
one senator, currently Sam Noble
of Robeson.
The House redisricting plan will
be presented to the full State House
for a decision.
Hoke. Scotland and Sampson
people have informed a House
redisricting subcommittee that
none of their counties has a state
representative who is a resident of
Hoke. Scotland or Sampson.
The present Hoke - Scotland -
Robeson district lias three repre
sentatives. all residents o! Robeson
County.
New Pastor Has 23 Years In Ministry
The Rev. Arthur W. Winstead,
the new pastor of Raeford United
Methodist Church, has been a
Methodist minister f jt 23 years, all
of his career in the church's North
Carolina Conference.
He is coming to Raeford from
First United Methodist Church of
Williamston, in Martin County,
and is due to conduct his first
service in the Raeford church
Sunday morning. His new assign
ment is effective Thursday.
Winstead is succeeding the Rev.
Kelly Wilson, who has been assign
ed as pastor of St. James church of
Tarboro effective the same date.
Wilson has been pastor here the
past seven years.
Winstead before going to Wil
liamston served as pastor of church
in Littleton, Halifax County;
Angier. Harnett; Hookerton in
Greene; and Mt. Gilead in
Montgomery.
He is a native of Wilson and
studied at the University of South
Carolina, Atlantic Christian Col
lege at Wilson, and Duke Uni
versity Divinity School.
His wife is tne former Margaret
Truesdale, a native of Columbia,
S.C. They have two children: Mrs.
Joan Fortune of South Hill, Va.,
and Arthur William Winstead. Jr.
The minister is a member of the
Williamson Masonic Lodge and is a
former member of the Ruritan and
Rotary clubs.
Wilson came to Raeford from
Asbury church in Durham.
He is a native of Carthage. Smith
County. Tenn., and studied engin
errina at the University of Tennes
see before entering the Duke
Divinity School to become a Meth
odist minister.
He was licensed as a minister on
August 13, 1942. He started his
ministry as pastor of Calvary
church in Durham, then served as
Eastor of a Methodist church of
onghurst and Grace churches
near Roxboro. From there he went
to Littleton charge of three church
es -? Littleton, Calvary and Bethel.
WUaon left the Littleton charge
to be pastor of Epworth in Dur
ham, then of churcnes in Louisburg
and Washington, N.C., before
returning to Purham to be As
bury'a pastor, v
>1
In Raeford, he has been active in
Boy Scouting. The church sponsors
a Boy Scout troop and a Cub Scout
pack.
Wilson also has been active with
the state juvenile justice program.
Community Based Alternatives.
The church also was the first
sponsor of the Hoke County Liter
acy Program, and Wilson's wife
was a founder and first treasurer of
the program which was started
several years ago.
The congregation gave the Wil
sons a farewell Appreciation
Luncheon at the Church Sunday.
He and his wife, the former Jean
Lowe, have four children -? three of
them Methodist ministers: The
Rev. Kelly Wilson III, chaplain of
the Methodist Retirement Homes
in Durham and Lumberton; the
Rev. Jim Wilson, pastor of Mt.
Bethel church in Martinsville. Va.;
and the Rev. Frances Rebecca
(Becky) Wilson, the Methodist
chaplain for a Roman Catholic
school in a suburb of Rochester,
N.Y. The Wilson's other child,
John, is a chef in Durham. Their
daughter also has served as Metho
disl chaplain at an l-'piscopal
school.
The older Wilsons also have six
grandchildren.
The Rev. and Mrs. Wilson will
leave Raeford lor Tarboro Thurs
day.
The Rev. Kellv Wilson. Jr.
.1
The Raeford City Council Mon
day night adopted a budget of
S2J45.104 for 1981-82. which is
$101,509 larger than the current
fiscal year's, but without raising the
city's property tax rate of t>0 cents
per SI 00 evaluation.
City Manager Ron Matthews
explained later to a reporter that
increasing the budget without in
creasing the tax rate was possible
because:
-The property tax revenue was
increased by the increase in pro
perty evaluation by $50,000 over
the past year's approximately $94
million.
--$15,000 in new revenue from
the residential garbage pickup
charge of SI per month perhouse
hold is being added. The charge
will be made starting July 1, the
start of the 1981-82 fiscal year. The
residential charge is being made in
the city for the first time but is a
substitute for raising the tax rate,
Matthews said. He said the costs of
residential garbage pickup in the
past actually has come from the
property taxes.
-Two employees have resigned
from the city staff and will not be
replaced. The city will try to
maintain the present quality of its
services, however.
The increase in the city budget
from last year's reflects the effects
of nationwide inflation, which has
raised the costs of the city's
operations.
Water and sewer charges have
been increased, in compliance with
state law which requires that such
services must be self - supporting.
Matthews said the increase will
mean the average household will be
paying SI 8 to SI 8. 25 per month
instead of the present Sib. 50.
The 1981 ? 82 budget also
provides a pay - raise package of 7
to 8 per cent for city employees.
The figure is divided among raises
io meet increases in the cost of
living, a raise based on years of
service with the city. and. for some
employees, pay increases for merit.
The budget also provides
S20.000 for downtown revitali
/ation. with flexibility in the uses of
the money allowed, such as es
tablishment of ramps at inter
sections for the convenience of the
handicapped.
The total budget includes money
for the General Fund, water and
sewer, debt service, capital reserve
and general federal revenue -
sharing.
The budget action was taken
following a public hearing in which
the council received a request only
front the Hoke County Parks and
Recreation Commission. This was
that the city provide the full
S20.000 to buy a bur. for out - of -
town trips. The City Council earlier
this spring had approved $10,000
provided in effect that the Hoke
County commissioners put up the
balance.
Anne Pate, director of the
recreation commission, said she
was making the request for the
other half because the com
missioners have provided S20.000
lor development of the 6.7 acres of
land Burlington Industries has
given the county for a public park
and consequently it was not sure
the county could come up with
S 10.000 more for a new bus.
The council subsequently did not
add the extra S100.000 to the city's
share but did provide the SI 0,000
without making the donation con
tingent on the county putting up
the balance for the bus. Mayor Pro
Tern Graham Clark also told Mrs.
Pate and the people who appeared
with her that the council was
leaving the door open for the
commission to renew the request
later in the fiscal year for the other
$10,000. City Manager Ron
Matthews indicated that the city
may find as the year goes along that
the balance may be available.
Mrs. Pate said the new bus was
needed because buses provided by
the county schools administration
have broken down on senior
citizens' trips in the past, con
sequently have proven unreliable.
Replying to a councilman's ques
tion about the commission buying a
used bus, which would cost less
than a new one, she replied that a
new one would not require the
maintenance expense a used one
would and that the condition of a
used bus acquired also would be
unknown.
W.K. Morgan, chairman of the
(See BUDGET, page 14)