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The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXXIII NUMBER 37 . y RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1982
$10,000 Of $40,000 Cost
County Aid Okayed For Hatchery Line
Around
Town
f BY SAM C. MORRIS
I was told this week that two
members of the Coffee Club made
the statement that since this writer
was no longer the big wheel at The
News-Journal office, maybe the
name of Robert Gatlin, weather
man, would be left out from this
time forward.
Maybe this little story will get
Ahem on the right track.
T Last Tuesday morning, Decem
ber 29, 1981 my friend Raz Autry,
came by the office to wish me well
in my retirement. We talked for a
few minutes and in came the, then,
publisher, Paul Dickson. Raz
wanted to know when he was going
on another trip. Dickson replied, in
a couple of days.
This brought forth from Raz a
comment something like this,
V'Now I can stir up something and
tF'ou can't write an editorial."
Dickson stated in this fashion:
"Morris is retiring, but he isn't
going to stop writing."
I hope that this will answer the
two members of the Coffee Club.
? ? *
The weatherman has been busy
over the past few days and has
Supplied some timely information
to Bill Lindau and it can be found
in another story.
The rain was needed and from all
the long range forecasting, it will
continue through January.
The temperature has been jump
ing aruuml and it must have been
near 70 degrees Monday afternoon.
Anyway, 1 did get in some golf on
Friday and Saturday, but it was
cold late Saturday afternoon.
Gatlin, keep the weather chart
Accurate and keep feeding in the
information.
* * *
The old photos that appeared in
the paper last week were given to
me by Ken McNeill. He said that
they were found in the home of the
late Neill Cole of Sanford. Neill was
uncle of Betty Ann McNeill and
Vyiived in Raeford for many years.
Many of the pictures that were in
the book put out by The Bank of
Raeford when they opened this new
main office also came from Neill
Cole. He must have taken many
pictures in his younger days. It
would have been nice if he had
labeled the back of the pictures.
Check your albums and see if
your pictures are tagged.
?
Marion Gatlin called the office
last week and said to please take
out the classified ad he was
running. Marion stated that he had
four calls and sold the item he had
advertised even before he received
his newspaper.
Don't tell me advertising doesn't
? oay!
* * *
Dr. John Ropp told me when he
heard that 1 was going to retire that
he was really having things change.
He said that Baldy Clark, his
gas man, Wilson McBryde, his
auto parts man and now his
newspaper man had retired. On top
of that The Bank of Raeford and
The Raeford Savings & Loan were
Emerging. He stated that was too
^much.
* * *
I believe that I was moved more
last Thursday afternoon than ever
in my life when I walked into the
office and everyone said "SUR
PRISE"! It was hard to keep the
tears from falling when one thing
after another was said to me.
The biggest surprise was. how in
"?Mhe world could that many females
and "some of the males" keep
something like they put on for me.
a secret.
They had all the employees,
including some from Fayetteville,
and many of my friends from
Raeford at the affair. They had
even conned my wife to keep quiet
and to come to the office. Someone
had even brought from Fort Bragg
0, (See AROUND TOWN, page 1 3)
Raeford S&L Became Heritage Monday
"Today is a milestone for the
people of Raeford," Max M.
Freck said Monday afternoon.
Freck is assistant vice president
in charge of marketing and adver
tising for Heritage Federal Savings
and Loan Association, which is
based in Monroe.
The occasion for his statement
was that Monday was the day the
68-year-old locally owned and
operated Raeford Savings & Loan
Association started operating as
Heritage. Heritage will have 16
branches when it merges with an
association in High Point in mid
February, Freck said.
He said Heritage can expand
and at the same time keep the staff
that has been here. The pending
merger was announced here last
September. Franklin Teal, presi
dent of the Raeford institution,
said then that the association's
board of directors had voted to ap
prove a letter of intent to merge
with Heritage. His title with
Heritage is vice president of
Heritage in charge of the Raeford
office.
Freck said Monday he was
"pleased to be part of this fine
group in Raeford."
Putting the merger into national
perspective, Freck said, "The
country is in the midst of change.
and we are part of this cycle that is
dependent on growth."
"This is another stepping stone,"
he added. "We're getting ready for
change to serve this community
better with the same people who
have been here."
Raeford Savings and Loan's
assets totaled about $18.4 million
going into the merger. Heritage,
established in 1908, has assets
totaling about $185 million and 72
employees with the addition of the
Raeford institution.
The other members of the
Raeford staff with Teal are Helen
Monroe, Margaret Davis, Deborah
Woodell, and Charles E. Davis, Jr.
Sam C. Morris, chairman ot the
Raeford assocation board, joins the
Heritage association-wide board as
a member.
The other present members of
the Raeford S&L board serve as an
advisory board for the Raeford
branch. They are Wyatt Upchurch,
Graham A. Monroe, Jack Bray,
Fred Culbreth, Younger Snead,
Jr., Richard E. Neeley, R. Palmer
Willcox, and Davis K. Parker.
Fred A. Parker is president of
Heritage.
Freck said the new Heritage
signs were to go up, replacing the
Raeford Savings and Loan signs,
early this week.
To Plant By Council
Pre-Treatment Notice Decided
The Raeford City Council de
cided Monday night to notify the
House of Raeford to install a waste
pre-treatment system by next No
vember or the city will no longer be
able to receive waste water from the
plant.
A letter to that effect was to be
prepared in its final form Tuesday.
The deadline was chosen because
the city's new waste-water treat
ment plant is expected to be
completed by November 1.
The effort to get the turkey
jjrocessing plant to meet the pollu
tion requirements is aimed at
raising the city's waste-water
quality to conform with federal
Environmental Protection Agency
and state requirements so that the
present EPA and state moratorium
on the city will be lifted. The
moratorim prevents new industry
from coming to the city area, since
its waste would be added to the
city's waste- water system.
The city in 1980 sent notices to
House of Raeford, Burlington In
dustries and Faberge, Inc., re
questing that they correct waste
disposal, and since then Burlington
and Faberge have made substantial
improvements, but not the turkey
plant, city officials have reported.
The House of Raeford's disposal
constitutes the major problem, they
have said.
The action on the notice to the
House of Raeford was taken during
the council's regular meeting for
January.
In other business relating to the
sewage system, the council ap
proved a request for SI 0,000 to
help pay the cost of extending a
12-inch sewer line 1,450 feet to the
site of the new addition of Tar Heel
Hatchery. The Hoke County com
missioners granted a similar re
quest earlier Monday. Earl Fowler
of the County Industrial Develop
ment Commission, presenting the
requests, said the federal Ad
vancement, Inc.. was expected to
pay up to $20,000 of the estimated
total cost of $30,000 to $40,000
because the hatchery addition
would increase employment.
The council also voted to accept
the recommendations of the City
Planning Board that subdivision
plans of two housing developers be
approved. They are Brown, Loving
Associates of High Point, planning
to build on 15 duplex-apartment
type lots on North Fulton Street, on
a tract known as The Meadows;
and Anderson Benton Holmes.
Inc.. of Winston-Salem, planning
County Manager Decided
Hales Rehired As Dog Warden
William Hales was reinstated as
Hoke County Dog warden Thurs
day by County Manager James
Martin effective 8 a.m. the follow
ing Monday, with no loss of pay or
seniority tor the period of suspen
sion and dismissal.
This was announced Thursday
afternoon by Martin. The county
manager said he acted as the Hoke
County Advisory Personnel Board
had recommended.
Hales was fired November 23 for
a reason or reasons not made
public. Martin in announcing his
decision said he could not make the
reason or reasons public then, nor
could he state the grounds on which
the personnel board's recom
mendation of rehiring were based.
It Martin had gone against the
recommendation of the board, he
would have had to make public his
reason or reasons.
Martin received December 29 the
board's written recommendation
with written record supporting the
recommendation. The recommen
dation was issued after the board
held hearings closed to the public
(including news reporters) of testi
mony supporting the firing and
supporting Hales. Hales was repre
sented by Phil Diehl, a local
attorney. The hearings were held
on Hales's appeal from the firing.
Martin said in announcing his
decision that Hales's rehiring is
subject to Hales meeting require
ments "which 1 am not at liberty to
discuss."
The dog warden works under the
supervision of the Hoke County
Health Department director.
Takes Oath Of Office
Motley ABC Officer
Sam Motley, a Hoke County
deputy sheriff when he retired last
fall, was sworn in Thursday morn
ing as Hoke County's new County
Alcoholic Beverages Control law
enforcement officer.
Motley was administered the
oath of office by Juanita Edmund,
clerk of Hoke County Superior
Court.
His appointment last fall effec
tive in December was made to fill
the vacancy created by the retire
ment of ABC Officer Kermit Riley
last summer.
Motley, then deputy sheriff serv
ing the McCain area, had to wait,
in accordance with a state rule, at
least 30 days after retiring from his
county position to start in his state
position.
Motley is president of the Hoke
County Law Enforcement Officers
Association. In 1980, he was nam
ed Officer of the Year by majority
vote of the members of the associa
tion.
In action concerning the Hoke
ABC Board Monday, the Hoke
County Commissioners by a 4-1
vote reappointed Ivery McNair as
a member of the board to a term
which runs to January 16, 198S.
His present term runs to January
16, 1982.
The negative vote was cast by
Commissioner Mabel Riley, who
had made a motion that Cleo Brat
cher be appointed. After the mo
tion, made by Commissioner Neill
McPhatter, to reappoint McNair
was adopted, no action was taken
on Mrs. Riley's motion.
The action was taken during the
commissioners' regular first
Monday-of-the-month meeting,
which also was the commissioners'
first meeting of the new year.
Sam Motley
to build 48 dwellings on 36 lots on
South Wooley Street. Twelve of the
lots would be for three-bedroom
homes, and the others for duplexes,
including one-bedroom apartments
for elderly people, and two
bedroom apartments for small
families.
The North Fulton development
request for a variance to permit
building of eight four-family struc
tures was denied by the planning
board, whose action was supported
later by the City Council last
spring, after protests against the
development were expressed at a
planning board hearing by resi
dents of the area. The opposition
was based on the fact that the
housing would be available to
low-income people on federal rent
subsidy aid.
In Monday night's discussion,
the new member of the City
Council. Joe Upchurch. said he was
opposed to subsidy housing, but it
was pointed out that tne issue
before the council was the planning
board's recommendation that the
plan be approved because the plan
met the city's subdivision require
ments and that the council had the
choice only of approving or giving
reasons for rejecting the recom
mendation.
The South Wooley Street de
velopment will be 'privately owned"
by the developer, the investment
will amount to about $2 million,
and the dwellings average about
$37,000 each, the council was
informed.
Councilman Benny McLeod re
quested that the official minutes of
the council meeting show he had
abstained from voting on either
planning board recommendation.
Also during the meeting. Mayor
John K. McNeill. Jr.. appointed a
committee to look into the request
(Sec CITY COUNCIL, page 1)
The Hoke Countv Commis
sioners Monday voted to appro
priate S10.000 to help pay for
extension of a 12-inch sewer line to
the site of an expansion of Tar Heel
Turkey Hatchery. Inc. The site is
on U.S. 401 Business on the right
of radio station WSHB.
The Raeford City Council was
asked Monday night to give
SI 0,000, and the remaining S20,
000 cost is to be paid by a grant
from Advancement, a federal
agency, which provides money to
counties to help pay for extending
water and sewer lines provided the
business expansion will increase
employment. Fowler has applied to
Advancement for the federal
money.
Wyatt Upchurch. president of
Tar Heel Turkey Hatchery, has
said the expansion will increase
employment of about 22 people. He
said this in a letter to Earl Fowler of
the Raeford-Hoke Industrial De
velopment Commission. Fowler
presented the request for county
participation to the county com
missioners during the commis
sioners' monthly meeting. Up
church was to appear also but was
unable to attend.
Fowler gave the commissioners
the information about the federal
agency. He also said that Upchurch
would sell or lease for industry use
15 to 20 acres adjoining the Tar
Heel plant addition's site. Fowler
said these acres could provide the
"industrial park we are looking
for."
Fowler said the city would build
the line then bill the county for its
share of the cost.
Replying to a question from a
commissioner. Fowler said the Tar
Heel expansion would have no
oflfect on the current sewer svstem
moratorium imposed on the city by
the federal Environmental Protec
tion Agency. The moratorium pre
vents new industry from being
added to the city sewer system till
the sewage conditions are raised to
EPA standards. He explained Tar
Heel's expansion doesn't represent
a new industry locating on the
system but an addition to an
existing industry.
Fowler told the commissioners
"the city is taking steps to resolve
the problem" of the sewage system
but he did not elaborate. He added
that "we'll see more action, forth
coming."
Upchurch informed Fowler in a
letter dated September 10. 1481.
the new hatchery building would be
located on a 2b-acre tract and
would cover 11,300 square feet,
and two future expansions would
cover 13,000 more square feet with
an office complex.
The company hopes to be in
production by March I .
The cost of the land, building
and machinery at the new location
was expected to be $550,000.
The appropriation of county
money tor the sewer line extension
is authorized under the County
Water and Sewer Line Extension
Policy adopted last September 8.
(Sec C Ol N'TY AID, pjge <?>)
Announces For General Assembly Seat
DeVane To Run For House
Hoke County Commissioner
Danny DeVane of Raeford an
nounced Monday he would run for
state representative this year.
DeVane. a Democrat, told his
fellow county commissioners and
other county officials of his plan
during the commissioners' regular
meeting for January.
He had been quoted previously
as saying informally to associates
he would run but Monday's state
ment w as his first in public and for
publication. He had told The
News-Journal reporter earlier, dur
ing a break in the session, that he
would run.
DeVane also told the reporter
that he was "not representing any
special-interest group. I'm running
on my own. Nobody asked me to
run. i want to serve the people."
DeVane is aiming for one of the
three seats of the 21st District in
the House. The district is composed
of Hoke, Robeson and Scotland
counties. The incumbents are
David Parnell, William Gay and
Horace Locklear, all Democrats
and all Robeson County residents.
Parnell has announced he would
run for the State Senate seat held
currently by Sam Noble.
DeVane was re-elected last No
vember to his second four-year
term on the Board of County
Commissioners. Under the law he
doesn't have to resign his county
office unless he is elected. It more
than three Democrats run for the
district's House seats, a Demo
cratic primary will have to be held
to choose the party's representative
to run in the November general
election. DeVane. however, if he
wins a nomination in the May
primary need not resign as county
commissioner.
DeVane, 36. is a native of Bladen
County and a graduate of White
Oak High School. He came to
Raeford in 1%9 as manager of
Raeford Department Store, and in
1971 opened DeVane's. a clothing
store, in Raeford. He is now in the
real estate and auction business
and is an auctioneer. Last year he
sold DeVane's to John Howard
while he also was in real estate and
auctions.
DeVane served as a Fayetteville
policeman tor 2V2 years and also
was in the clothing business beforfe
moving to Racford. He is married
to the former Alicc Smith, a
Cumberland County native. They
have one child, a son, Howie. 9.
and are members of First BaptiM
Church of Raeford.
Danny DeVane