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The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXX1II NUMBER 28 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
H'oumcd
25"
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER * EAR
THURSDAY % NOVEMBER 5. 1981
City Council Election
4 Councilmen, Upchurch Win
Around
Town
BY SAM C. MORRIS
The rain last week came to
almost four (4) inches and was
needed. We still need more rain,
but the forecast doesn't look too
promising.
In another article about weather
f in the paper, you will see that we
are still approximately 10 inches
short from last year. This, added to
the 12 inches we were short in 1980.
makes the water level about 22
inches low.
As Robert Gatlin stated Mon
day. maybe we will have snow this
winter to bring the water table up.
But remember, it takes six inches
of snow to make one inch of water.
Mrs. Richard Neelcy of the
Wayside or Puppy Creek Com
munity and a board member of the
Mid-State Lung Association gave
me the following information.
"The Hoke County members of
the Mid-State Lung Association
Board of Directors and interested
Hoke County citizens are sponsor
ing a Bake Sale for the benefit of
I McCain Hospital and the Lung
Association on Friday. November
t>th beginning at 9 o'clock .
"We need donations of baked
goods from the many cooks of the
county, as well as people to buy
these products. If you will contri
bute. please bring these 'goodies' to
our sidewalk tables downtown at
Valu-Mart or Edenborough Shop
ping Center (next to Moore's)
I Friday morning or contact ore of
the following persons to pick up
your baked goods or give you
information about the sale.
"Jessie P. Neelev ? 8^5-2523.
Flora Alice Crowder. 8 "'5-3334 or
Mary Brady. 8"5-3.W5."
? * *
Nathan "Nig" Hpstun was by the
otfice Monday. He is now living in
Latta. S.C. and is well-known to
many Hoke County citizens.
Nig stated that he stopped on
Main Street and proceeded to go
from one store to another looking
for someone he knew to make
conversation . He said after going
up one side and down the other he
knew that someone he knew would
be at the newspaper otfice.
We talked about our olil high
school days and also about the
i people who had been on Main
Street when he li\ed here in the
1930s and before. When he asked
about Mrs. H.R. McLean, nee
Sadie Culbreth who taught him in
the fourth grade. I told him she
lived on Reaves Street. He called
her and left the office to continue,
with her. talk of the "old days."
Nathan looked in gi??d health
and from the way he talked.
( Raeford still means home to him. It
was gtHni to see him and I hope he
will do the same again
* * ?
Dul you have anyone at your
homo on Halloween night. 1 mean
did any "trick or treat" people
come down your street? Over on
Jackson Street. I believe that this
was the largest group of goblins or
| candy seekers 1 have experienced in
the 30 years living there.
(X course, now the "thing" is to
get a pickup truck and fill it with
youngsters and then tour the town.
Maybe this is tun. but I don't think
that the gas burned is paid back by
the goodies picked up.
Several people told me that they
ran out of candy before seven
o'clock and they cut off the lights. 1
. suspect they missed some of the
' kids from their neigh borhood.
Too bad!
? ? *
The winner of the game Saturday
at Chapel Hill between Clemson
and Carolina should about decide
the race for the ACC.
If you are going to the game leave
early ?s the traffic between Sanford
| and Chapel Hill will be heavy.
See you there!
MAYOR
john k. McNeill, jr.
205
246
49
500
CITY COUNCIL
R. L. (Bobby) CARTER
143
171
41
355
GRAHAM CLARK
148
171
38
357
B. M. (Bob) GENTRY
160
169
37
366
VARDELL HEDGPETH, JR.
168
163
40
371
earl Mcduffie, jr.
71
86
27
184
JAMES B. McLEOD
183
202
37
422
SAM C. MORRIS
126
146
32
304
T. JOSEPH UPCHURCH
155
182
40
377
In Letters To Delinquent Taxpayers
$200 Charge To Be Specified
I fie Hoke C ounty commissioners
voted Monday to have people
delinquent in paying taxes to be
given 30 days' notice in writing to
pay in full before a S200 legal fee is
added to the bill.
The fee goes to the collector ot
delinquent taxes. Herbert Wooten.
a Raeford attorney, appointed to
the position, a new one. by the
commissioners early this month.
Wooten told a reporter that the
meeting that the county tax depart
ment would rather have the people
pay their taxes instead of having to
pay the $200 legal fee for being
delinquent, in addition to their
taxes.
Elizabeth Livingston, the county
tax collector, was directed to send
the revised version of the letter,
specifying the amount of the fee.
The action was taken after a
discussion in which Commissioner
NeiH McPhatter said he believed
people should be notified that the
fee would be added, if the bill isn't
paid in 10 days.
Mrs. Livingston said that pro
perty owners delinquent in paying
had been advised by letter but that
the fee had been mentioned gen
erally. without specifying the
amount.
Mrs. Livingston was asked to
write new letters to taxpayers
already warned of the charge,
telling them exactly what it would
be.
McPhatter said he felt the new
letters should be sent since the
delinquent-tax collecting program
is new .
Later in the meeting. Mack
Sandy, accompanied by his wife,
told the commissioners and with
heat that he had been billed for
taxes on property he didn't own any
more. and the iegal fee had been
added to the bills. He declared it
was unfair for him to be charged
the legal fee since he had not been
informed of the amount in notices
sent him previously by the tax
collector.
He showed papers including
deeds in telling the commissioners
that he and his wife had transferred
the property they owned, including
the lot bearing their home, to their
son, William, in 1978. County Tax
supervisor Less Simpson . after
checking, said he could find no
record of the lot with the house on
it having been transferred to Wil
liam Sandy. Mack Sandy replied
that the transfer had been officially
recorded.
In the end. Sandy said his wife
would write the county tax depart
ment a check for a total of
SI. 15b. 04. which, according to his
previous statement, included St>8
which he owes and the S200 fee. the
rest being his son's share of the bill.
The amount was for back taxes for
I979 and 1980. except tor the legal
lee. The total did not include the
taxes due on the house and lot.
which were excepted because of the
question of ownership.
Mrs. Mack Sandy accordingly
wrote a check and. on her request,
received an itemized statement of a
bill, for S52b from Mrs. Livingston.
Sandy said his son had the deeds
and that his son was at sea.
He also warned the commis
sioners that if he was declared legal
owner of the house and lot he would
bring legal action. A search lor
documentary substantiation of
ownership will be made by County
Attorney Duncan McFadyen.
He also told the commissioners
that he and his wife were paying the
S200 not as a legal fee but just
giving it so "he can buy groceries."
The word "he" referred to Wooten.
Sandy was advised that he should
have caught the error in statement
of ownership of the questioned
property when he listed his pro
perty in January tor taxes.
Theodore Jackson following
Sandy appealed from a tax bill.
After the commissioners heard his
statement, he was advised to
inform Mrs. Livingston he would
pay soon but is not liable for the
legal fee. His wife's bill, however,
was left, as it was.
DtPOSlTORY
In other business, the commis
sioners adopted a motion to deposit
the county's Central Depository
Account at Southern National
Bank and to rotate the deposit
every two years between the Bank
of Raeford and Southern National
instead of deciding with a bid
system which has been used. Both
banks btd to get the account for the
two years starting in January.
Charles A. Davis, county finance
officer, in a written memorandum,
reported "since there does not
appear to be any significant dif
ferences (between the bids), it
would be my recommendation that
(See $200 Charge. Page 121
By City Council
$15,490.24 Bid
On Machine Accepted
The Raeford City Council Mon
day night voted to accept the low
bid of S15.490.24 submitted by
Dttch Witch of North Carolina,
with main otTices in Raleigh, to
provide the city with a "ditch
witch" machine for use of the city's
Water. Sewer and Street depart
ments.
City Manager Ronald Matthews,
in his description and recommen
dation written for the councilmen
and Mayor John K. McNeill. Jr..
said the "machine would expedite
much of the water and sewer
installation that we have been and
are presently doing." His report
said. "We are presently renting a
machine like this, which is not only
expensive, but at times has delayed
and caused setbacks in our pro
jected schedules and completion of
projects."
The Raleigh company was one of
three bidders to supply the
machine. The others and their bids
were Ditch Witch of South Caro
lina. office at Lexington. S.C..
S20.I81.8I: and Vermeer Carolina
Sales and Service. Favetteville.
SI 6.500.
In other business at their
monthly meeting the mayor and
Four Raeford City Council
men were reelected and Thomas
J. (Joe) Upchureh was elected to
the City Council, replacing
Councilman Sam Morris, in
Tuesday's municipal election,
complete unofficial returns
from the three city precincts
show .
Graham Clark was reelected
bv two votes over Robert L.
(Bobby) Carter in the fifth-place
tally.
Earl McDuffie. Jr.. trailed
the field of eight candidates
with 184 votes. Morris ran
seventh with 304. and Carter
sixth with 355.
James B. (Benny) McLeod led
the field in the council contests
with 422 votes.
Upchurch placed second with
377. Vardell Hedgpeth. Jr.. was
third with 371. B.M. (Bob)
Ontn fourth wuh )w>. and
CUri a>mpWttn) tht lineup wnh
35?.
Mayor John K. McNeill. Jr..
unopposed for rwkciKHi. re
ceived 500 votes. He k com
pleting his sixth t**>-vear term.
The results won't be official
till the Hoke County Board off
Elections makes it official can
vass of the return Thursday at a
10 a.m. meeting.
The councilmen-eleet and
mayor will take office formally
w hen they are sworn in officially
just before their council meeting
of December
Clark was. reelected to his
eighth two-year term. McLeod
to his sixth, and Gentry and
Hedgpeth to their third.
Morris is completing his
fourth term.
Board Adopts
Medicine Policy
The Hoke County Board of
Edueation Monday night approved
recommendations for appoint
ments of two people to school
system positions, heard a report of
an audit made of the system, and
adopted a policy governing ad
ministering of medicine to students
who must receive it during school
hours.
The medical policy excludes and
prohibits administering at school
medicines which are injected.
"Medication" is defined as sub
stances prescribed by a licensed
physician and prepared by a
licensed pharmacist, including
liquids, tablets, or capsules to be
taken by mouth, or substances to
be applied externally.
The policy requires that for a
student to receive medicine at
school during the school day.
requests from a parent or guardian
must be accompanied b> written
authorization signed by the parent
or guardian. It also requires the
parent or parents of the child must
also assume responsibility of in
forming the principal and his or her
designated representative of any
change in the child's heal'h or
medication.
A physician s signature is re
quired on the school torros.
"Authorization of Administration
of Medication to a Student at
School." The form derails the namc
of the child, the name of the
medicine and its. dosage, time to be
administered, time interval tor the
medication to be received, and
possible side effects.
The public health nurse serving
the school will provide consultation
when necessary to the appropriate
school personnel.
The policy contains unher pro
visions are Shir lev ) right as a
science teacher at Lpchurch Junior
High School. to ft SI the vacancy
created by the resign at son of Elkn
Currie; and Alice Ellis. av Hoke
County High School secret ar\
bookkeeper. to succeed Becky
Tillman, who has resigned.
In other action, the Kvird ap
proved a request made by the Rev.
Douglas Mark, new associate
pastor ot Raeford Presbyterian
Church, to have his children in a
school from kinderganen through
the fourth grade The minister also
requested that thev be at Scuriock.
The board approved the request
The request currentU concerns the
Marks' \on. who in r> Their other
children are under school age m>?
_ _ ____ ?
BIGGER CAS - This is one of the larger puNic trusk b*ns :he Hvke
County government is tensing on trial to replace the smutie*
This one and rwo of the smaller bins are on S. C. 21 1 <*vsr ?>," RjefcrJ nea
Turnpike Road. The county has leased five of the if* cimtainen. n? ?vp?'?iof
20 to 22 of the smaller txpes. The new containers hu\e a caf*A:t\ <>* 25
yards each. The capacities of some of the smaller tuns are ?;*Nc tWi
others six. and others eight. The larger bins are beiiewd fo> be
economical to maintain and require fewer sites than the smaller This one
replaced rwi > bins ( Staff photo].
councilman heard Earl Fooler,
executive vice president ot the
Raetord-Hoke County Chamber v4
Commerce. brought them up to
date on the ettorts of the Highland
Plains Urban Center, composed ot
Hoke. Scotland. Cumberland.
Robeson. Sampson and Bladen
Counties
They alv> heard jimmy Conoly.
owner ot En\m?-Chemical. discuss
the possibility of establishing a
semi-pto baseball team in Hoke
County to compete in a Tri-County
Association ot 13 teams. The other
counties would be Robestw and
Cumberland
Matthews brouehs the may\>r
and council men up lo dare city
? iter and sewer protects and
activities
Ten city employees ?ere prc
sented *nh Sandhills Community
College certificates tor completing
the colVtjpc's Cardiac Pulns.>oar\
Rescucitation course fhey are
ViatthewN. William IVses. Fit*
Chief R*?btri "BuMer" Jackwa.
Terry and J^linUM Murray. Mel
ton Pitt man. Linda Reams.
Dorothy Shell. Beits Smith and
Jerrs Jackson