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The Hoke County News - Estoblished 1928
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VOLUME LXXIII NUMBER26 ?
? RAM OR D, HORE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLIN A
$67,439 First Year's Costs
- oumai
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY. OCTOBLR 22. 1981
Board Accepts
IBM Computer
System Bid
Around
i- Town
BY SAMC. MORRIS
The rain finally arrived Sunday
night but I haven't seen the
weatherman to find out how much
it rained. It did rain enough to wet
me as I left the church to go home
after a meeting.
As this is being written Monday
afternoon, the sun is shining, but
^ the air is cool. The forecast is for
freezing weather for Monday night.
It is also forecast for the tempera
ture to go again into the 70s by the
end of the week.
? * ?
In this column last week when I
wrote about having opposition in
an election, there was a typo
graphical error made that caused
| the comment to seem somewhat
senseless. The sentence should have
read. "No. I personally don't want
opposition, but in any race. * if
people come out for the JOB. then
issues will be discussed." The word
"joke" appeared instead of "job"
last week.
Politics is not a joke with me. it is
very serious.
? * ? '
>
Neill D. Currie of Savannah. Ga.
was by the office last week to renew
his subscription to Tin - News
Journal. He was visiting relatives in
Hoke County, including his
nephews. James and David S.
Currie.
He said that he had been taking
the paper since 1925. It was then
The Hokf County Journal and was
I published by the late I). Scott
* Poole. Neill said he went to State
College in Raleigh in 1925 and that
was the reason for his subscrip
tion.
While carrying on a conversation
with him. ot course the subject of
dry weather came up. He stated
that the well at the old Currie
place, now the residence ot Mr. and
Mrs. Jack Poole, was dry and that
it didn't dry up very often. He also
^ stated that one year while he was a
young man here in Hoke County
that the rainfall was about like this
year, except it rained on the Norton
place a little ways southeast of the
Currie place. Neill said that every
one said it rained there because the
Nortons were all Baptists.
Now it this be true, nuotv we
should all go down to Bills Beaver's
church.
) It was nice talking with Neill,
and I hope he continues taking the
paper lor many more years.
The following letter was received
last week and is self-explanatory:
Dear Mr. Sam:
I just made a visit to Raeford to
attend the Homecoming at the
Evangelical Methodist Church,
which we enjoyed very much.
The fellowship and the good
meal, what a blessing it was.
Our hearts rejoice to get to see so
mam of our dear friends and wish
we could have seen the rest.
We rejoice to see the progress
that Raeford has made, and that
means, love, working together. So I
will close for now.
May God continue to hless and
keep each one in our prayers.
Sincerely.
Rev. W.H. Ginn
P.S. To those we didn't get to see
and say hello to. hello, and God
Bless.
? * ?
The prolonged baseball season
may mean that the game will be
played on a snowy field if the cold
weather continues.
Shiloh Ingathering
The Shiloh Presbyterian Church
Ingathering will be held Thursday.
October 22. starting at 4 p.m.. in
the church Fellowship Hall.
Barbecue and chicken salad
plates will be offered at S3. 50 for
adults and S2.50 for children.
The Hoke County commis
sioners Monday night voted
unanimously to accept Interna
tional Business Machine's low bid
of 567,439 to supply the county
with a new computer system.
The motion, made by Commis
sioner Danny DeVane, also pro
vided for the county government
entering into arrangements to
make payments in installments.
DeVane made the motion to "go
with the low bid," in view of the
fact that Burroughs specified no
bid on the system's software. The
Burroughs bid, minus the figure
for software, was $63,768.29.
Burroughs and IBM were among
four bidders to supply the county
with the system. The others were
NCR and Texas Instruments.
The commissioners were in
formed before they acted that
another agency, the County Health
Department, could be tied into the
system later if the commissioners
wished, for a maximum additional
cost of about $6,000 and that this
addition could amount to even
$3,000.
The computer will be installed in
the County Courthouse Annex
where the present system is being
operated.
The IBM bid statement
estimates the system will cost
$98,855 after five years in
maintenance and other categories,
based on present costs, which are
subject to increase.
The total cost after three years is
estimated at $83,147. The annual
recurring cost is expected to be
about $7,854. The low bid is the
cost for the first year, and is not an
estimate, the commissioners were
told.
The low bid includes the $50,696
original bid, $7,000 for application
software, $2,604 system software,
$5,058 annual maintenance.
SI, 770 in modems, units in the
system. $119 for telephone in
stallation, and S192 for telephone
line rental.
The commissioners also were in
formed that equipment made by
other companies could be added to
the system if the equipment were
made compatible with the IBM
system.
SECONDARY ROAD
PROGRAM
In other business, the commis
sioners adopted a resolution ap
proving the 1981-82 secondary
Arrived In U.S. Friday With Family
Irish Minister
Joins Raeford Staff
The Rev. Douglas Mark fell in
love with this part of the country
nine years ago when he was serving
as a summer assistant at Maxton
Presbyterian Church.
Last Saturday, he and his family
arrived in Raeford to stay. Mark,
his wife and their four children
started their trip in Northern
Ireland. It was the first to the
United States for Mrs. Mark and
the children, the third in nine rears
for the minister, and the second
since July.
This time he came as the new
associate pastor of Raeford Presby
terian Church whose pastor is Dr.
John Ropp.
For the past 3 1 2 years. Mark has
served as pastor of the Presbyterian
Church in Killyleagh, County
Down, in his native country.
"We've been very warmly wel
comed since we arrived." Mark
said cheerfully and with enthu
siasm.
He and his family are staying at
Mrs. Jean Johnson's home on Rl. 1 .
Raeford. but "toward the week
end." he said, "we hope to move
into 43b College Dr."
Then Mark said. "4.1b College
Dr. will be the Irish Consulate."
and lie broke into a laugh. "I'm
going to issue immigration papers
to Ireland. Apply before 5:30."
How did he get to become the
associate pastor in Raeford?
The trail started some time over
seven years ago. Mark, now 33. was
studying at New College, the
Presbyterian seminary in Edin
burgh. Scotland. Also there was
Dr. Douglas Kelly of Dillon. S.C.
They became acquainted, and
Mark went to Maxton for his
temporary service. During that
summer he kept in touch with
Raeford. and came to love the area.
"My thought was to come back
some day. with the will of God." he
said.
Mark was ordained seven vears
ago. then served as an assistant
pastor in the church in Belfast,
Ireland, before going to Killyleagh.
Then this year, the Raeford
Presbyterian Search Committee
was established, with L.S. Brock as
chairman, to find the right man to
be associate pastor, a new position.
Brock got in touch with Kelly,
then pastor of the Dillon church,
and Kelly told him about Mark.
The result was Brock telephoned
Mark in Ireland last May. Mark
came to Raeford in July and met
the congregation.
On Friday. Mark and his family
arrived by plane in New York then
on Saturday flew to the Raleigh -
Durham Airport, where they were
welcomed by Dr. and Mrs. Ropp
and Mrs. Johnson.
Mrs. Mark is a speech therapists
by profession, a native of Lisburn.
which is near Belfast. Mark's
The Rev. and Mrs. Douglas Mark with children Olwyn. Jonathan.
Andrew ami Catherine. \Staff phutu. \
native town is Keady. County
Armagh, tin the border with
southern Ireland.
Asked about the violence in
Ireland. Mjtk said the trouble is in
Northern Ireland generally. There
hasn't been much in the Killyleagh
area, but there has been around
Keadv.
Also during the interview, he
said he played a lot of soccer at
home and was looking forward to
learning "native games." meaning
American.
I he little Marks are Andrew. 1
year old; Olwvn. 2 * '? ; Catherine. 4;
and Jonathan, 6.
Energy Assistance Plans Are Announced
Plans tor providing assistance to
Hoke County residents through the
Low Income Energy Assistance
Program (I IEAP) have been an
nounced b\ Ken Witherspoon.
director of the Hoke County De
partment ot Social Services.
The program will provide a
one-time cash payment to help eli
gible households in paying their
heating bills. However. Weather
spoon noted, it is not the purpose of
the program to pay all of a
household's heating costs.
Methods of distributing the
funds available have changed. This
No Probable Cause
For Murder Count Found
Hoke County District Court
Judge Joseph E. Dupree Friday
found no probable cause for a
murder charge against Larry
Wayne Brooks of Shannon".
Brooks had been charged in the
latal shooting May 10 of Ronnie
Jacobs. 26, of Rt. 2, Raetord.
Jacobs died ot a head wound May
13. He was one of two men who
were tat ally wounded by gunfire
outside the Hour Glass Club early
in the morning. Five others were
wounded less seriously.
The other man fatally wounded
was Charles Ray McNeill. 25. of
Rt. 2. Shannon. No probable cause
for a murder charge against the
person accused of shooting him w as
found August 8 following a hearing
in District Court.
year's program requires that all
households must submit applica
tions in order to be considered.
Applications will be accepted by
Witherspoon's department from
November 2 through December 1 1 .
Daily hours for LIKAP applications
will be 9 a.m. -noon, and 1 p.m. -4
p.m. If a household applies any
time between November 2 and
December 1 1 and is found eligible,
the household will receive a one
time pavmcnt in early February.
Correction
The fireman holding the hose in
last week's News-Journal picture of
the Vass Road brush fire was
Horace Hayes, not Gaston Clark,
as the picture caption reported.
Clark was pulling the hose in
another picture The News-Journal
photographer took of the tight
against the fire, but that picture
was not published.
By Burlington 's Local Plant, Employees
Textile Week Being Observed
Burlington Industries' local
plant and its employees are obsers -
ing Textile Week (Xtober 19-25,
joining other textile firms and their
250,000 employees across the state
in a program to highlight the im
pact of textiles on the Tar Heel
economy.
The Burlington operation here
manufactures men's suiting and
uniform material and employs
some 1 .600 people, with an annual
payroll of approximately S 19.500.
000. The plant has operated here
since 1956.
Over the past year S7 million
capital projects for modernization
and machinery replacements were
completed or announced by
management.
Statewide, textiles alone pro
vides employment for over 250,000
people, and the related apparel in
dustry provides another 87,000
johs. Textile payroll in the state ex
ceeds S2.5 billion.
Burlington employs 31,000 peo
pie at 57 facilities in o\er 40 North
Carolina communities.
In addition to textile and apparel
employment are the thousands of
jobs in industries growing out of
textiles -- fiber and textile
machinery manufacturers, textile
chemical products, and much of
the trucking industry in the state,
and the state's utilities which have
depended so hea\ii\ upon ine tex
tile industry.
Various activities are being plan
ned throughout the state to drau
attention to textiles and related in
dustries during Textile Week --
local proclamations by cities and
counties, employee recognition
events, plant tours and open
houses, presentations to civic
groups, and a united advertising
effort in the state's major media.
l ocally, Ma\or John K. McNeill
Jr., has proclaimed this vseek as
Textile Week. The local plants
have recognized their employees
for the tremendous part thc*y have
in this industry
Payments will depend on household
income, type of heating fuel used,
and how cold it is in the part of
North Carolina where the house
hold lis es.
Households are eligible it they
meet all the following require
ments:
( 1 ) The household's total income
must be at or below the non-farm
poverty level of:
No. of Household Monthly
Members Income
(2) The household must be
vulnerable to rising heating costs;
and
(3) The household's assets have a
t value of S2.200 or less. All assets
will be counted except household or
personal belongings, cars, homes,
income producing property, insur
ance. value of prepaid burial
contracts, savings of a student
under 18 who is saving his money
tor school expenses, re-location
assistance payments, money in
checking account to meet monthly
needs. non-salable life estate or
remainder interests, heir property
and HUD Community development
block grants.
Households that believe they
meet the eligibility requirements
should apply at the Hoke County
Department of Social Services.
Applicants should take information
to prove their household's income,
savings or checking account, pro
perty and stocks or bonds.
If anyone in the household
works, the applicant should take
wage stubs for the entire month ot
October. Each applicant should
also take his Social Security card.
Witherspoon stated that further
program developments will be an
nounced as they are learned.
2
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514
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"23
824
or more
Add SI 02 tor each
additional person over
road program proposed tor Hoke
County by the State Department of
Transportation. The motion to
adopt the resolution asks the DOT
for a breakdown of last year's ex
penditures for road improvements
in the county.
The resolution notes that
$61,489 is available for rural
secondary roads improvements for
the coming construction season.
The DOT program proposes
that 512,298 of the total be re
tained for small projects, such as
road additions, property-owner
participation projects, volunteer
fire department and rescue squad
driveways, and project overruns,
that may be brought up during the
year.
A total ol $49,191 of the fund
is to be considered for improving
eight-tenths of a mile of SR 1465,
Freddie Lake Road, from SR 1003
to the dead end; and $19,191 to be
considered for widening SR 1203
from SR 1202 to SR 1200, a
distance of 1 .5 miles.
? The money is coming from Gov.
Jim Hunt's Good Roads Program
funds.
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS
The commissioners also voted to
provide an hourly pay rate of
$14.50 tor the three physician
assistants, from the present rate of
$9.15.
Lloyd Home, director of the
Hoke County Health Department,
presented the proposal. In a letter
written to County Manger James
Martin before the Monday
meeting. Home explains the com
missioners authorized negotiating
for the continuance of the PA pro
gram with local physicians. The
Hoke County Medical Betterment
Association clinic was closed
September 15 because the federal
funding which helped pav for the
program was not extended.
The local physicians decided to
start a similar service, however,
and a 20-hour PA schedule i*< being
provided bv them. Home's letter
says
Hit requested reimbursement
rate was S15 pei hour, and the rate
was negotiated $14 50.
Home's letter adds: "This pro
vides Pa services and the supervi
sion and coverage ol those serv ices
by a licensed physician. In that we
currently pay $40 per hour for
some physician services, and the
current state maximum is $55 per
hour, this price represents a
bargain for the Health Depart
ment."
The letter adds that the reduced
schedule will not require additional
tunding and will leave a "small
amount of money unspent in (he
account."
L nder the Hoke MBA arrange
ment, PA services were provided
for 32 hours weekly.
The new rate was made retroac
tive to September 15 m the upprov
ing motion, which authorizes the
county administration to enter into
a contract providing the $14 50
rate
BI S CONV ERSION
The commissioners tabled till
their next meeting (November 2)
action on a proposal to allow a
3^-passenger bus to be converted
bv the Hoke Counts Ambulance
Service into an ambulance litter
bearer.
Commissioner Mabel Riley
made the motion to table to allow
time to look into the expense ot
converting the bus.
NOMINATION
Home was nominated loi ap
pointment as Hoke County
member to the Older \dults \J
visory Council of the l umber
River Council ot Governments He
will succeed Ken Witherspoon.
director of the Hoke County
Depai tment of Social Services.
Monday night's meeting was the
mid-month session ot the commis
sioners.
ELDERS' LUNC H
The commissioners also went on^
record opposing any cutback in the
Nutrition Program for senior
citizens at the Cameron Heights
Neighborhood Center, on grounds
the present program is warranted
because of the size of the area's
population in the program ser
vices.