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The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXXI1I NUMBER 50 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
By Hoke Commissioners, For 3 Property Owners
a
- journal
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
$8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, APRIL 8. 1982
Farm Use Evaluation Reductions
Around
Town
BY SAM C. MORRIS
The winds over the past weekend
didn't do any extensive damage in
Hoke County as far as I can
determine. Some signs were blown
down and many limbs on trees were
torn from the trunk. This made
Monday a clean up day for many
here in Raeford.
The winds calmed down Sunday
and the cool air and rain moved in
Monday morning. The forecast is
for freezing temperatures for Tues
day night. I don t know how it will
affect the gardens, but from all
reports the peach crop has already
been destroyed.
The cool weather is supposed to
last for the remainder of the week.
? ? ?
The Arts Festival Parade last
Saturday morning helped to kick
off the opening of the baseball
season in Hoke County. The
Blazers had their first game this
past weekend.
The baseball season also started
in the major leagues Monday, but
with the weather the way it was in
Hoke County, the teams further
north might have to shovel snow off
the fields to play. It is better to
delay the start of the season
because of the weather rather than
because of a strike like last season.
? ? ?
If you plan to attend the Easter -
Sunrise Service at the Hoke High
school stadium, it might not be a
bad idea to take a blanket along
with you to put over your feet. The
service starts at 5:45 and it could be
chilly at that time of morning.
The speaker for the service will
be The Rev. Douglas Mark and his
message will not be cut short
because of the cool weather as he
thinks this type of weather is
summertime. The weather in Ire
land isn't exactly like it is here in
North Carolina.
So wrap up and go out Sunday
morning and I'm sure that it will
make your Easter the best ever.
? * *
Someone asked me last week why
I didn't run the comment about the
Carolina basketball team winning
the NCAA championship as the
first item in my column. Now of
course this person happened to be
an alumnus of the Chapel Hill
school.
I told him that the column was
usually written on Monday after
noon and that all but the Tar Heel
item was ready before the game
started. I wonder if Carolina had
lost, would he have wanted it first?
? * *
The Rev. Douglas Mark told me
last week in front of several people
that he read this column every week
and had to come to the conclusion
that I was a Democrat.
Mrs. Neal McNeill, nee Miriam
Ropp, exclaimed, "TTiat isn't the
half of it!"
Now I wonder why she would
make a statement like that?
* * ?
There was the largest crowd at
the Hoke County Democratic Con
vention last Saturday afternoon
that I can remember at an off-year
election. Every precinct was well
represented and seemed geared up
for the meeting.
A resolution offered by the
Antioch precinct, that the conven
tion go on record opposing the
four-year term for members of the
state legislature, was adopted with
out an 'against' vote. I just hope
that this will be the opinion of the
state voters when this comes up on
the ballot.
Congressman Bill Hefner braved
the winds to come and speak to the
convention and I believe that he
made an impression on the Demo
crats in attendance.
Harold Gillls, party chairman,
should be commended for his work
(See AROUND TOWN, pige 16)
I
Adopt Resolution On Legislative Terms
Democrats Meet
'New' Congressman
Hoke County Democrats Satur
day adopted a resolution support
ing the present system of two-year
terms for members of the General
Assembly, chose their delegates to
district and state party conven
tions, and met their "new" con
gressman, W.G. (Bill) Hefner of
Kannapolis.
Hoke County has been moved to
the Eighth from the Seventh Con
gressional District by General
Assembly redistricting, starting of
ficially in January. But county
voters will participate in the
Eighth's congressional election in
November, and Hoke Democrats
in the party primary before them if
Hefner faces opposition for the
.party's nomination. So far Hefner
is unopposed within his party. He
was a convention speaker.
Hoke is leaving the Seventh
District, represented by Democrat
Charlie Rose of Fayetteville.
Saturday's meeting was the
party's Hoke County convention,
held in the Courthouse, and well
attended. One said the crowd was
the largest to attend a Hoke
Democratic convention in many
years.
Hefner, who spoke earlier in the
day at the Scotland County Demo
cratic Convention in Laurinburg,
was introduced to the Hoke
audience by John Balfour, chair
man of the Board of Hoke County
Commissioners, who is a candidate
fbrreelectkjn thts year. ~
Harold Gillis, chairman of the
county Democratic Executive Com
mittee, presided and welcomed the
visitors.
The invocation was given by Sam
Morris of the Executive Com
mittee, and the Pledge of Alle
giance to the nation's flag was led
by Katherine McPhatter, county
committee first vice chairman.
Gillis then recognized all the
party's announced candidates run
ning for office and other local
officials.
k, The convention elected Mrs.
Neill (Stephanie) McFadyen, Jr.,
second vice chairman to fill the
vacancy created by the resignation
ot Mrs. Laura McEachem.
Delegates to the Eighth Con
gressional District Democratic
Convention scheduled for May 15
in Albemarle, and the State Con
vention, scheduled for June 12 in
Raleigh, were chosen, as well as
those to the sectional ? judicial,
State House and State Senate
district sessions.
The resolution on keeping the
length of each term in the legisla
ture unchanged was the county
Democrats' reply to a movement in
the General Assembly to increase
the terms of state representatives
and senators to four years at a time.
Weather Conditions Still Dangerous
Woods, Brush Fires Hit
Hoke
Woods and brush fires fanned by
gusty winds blowing up to 45 miles
per hour and stimulated by rainless
weather kept State Forest Service
and volunteer firemen throughout
Hoke County busy last weekend.
Raeford was spared, however,
Fire Chief Robert Jackson re
ported.
Robert Jones, Hoke County
ranger for the state service, said
that the winds and dry weather of
Tuesday dried out the woods after
Monday's rains to the point that
"we are back where we started."
He called it "one of the severest fire
weathers."
Jones said that in view of the dry
conditions of brush and forests all
permits to burn outdoors were
cancelled.
Hoke County had four fires
during the weekend, he said. The
largest broke out in the western
part of the county in the Ashley
Heights area Saturday between 2
and 3 p.m., and firemen fought it
(See story & photo on page 16)
? riTi vr
FOREST FIRE ? Forest and brush fires kept firemen including State
Forestry Servicemen busy in the Sandhills area last >*eekend,-inchtding in
Hoke County. These pictures show fire fighters working on an extensive
Maze in the Ashley Heights area of Hoke and Moore Counties off N.C.
211 Saturday and Sunday. Hoke County State Forest Ranger Robert
Jones and members of his crew, and firemen of the Crestline Fire Depart
ment based in eastern Moore County on 211, the Pine Hill Fire Depart
ment of western Hoke County, the McCain and North Raeford Fire
Department fought the blaze. (Staff photos by Pam Frederick).
Variance Request For
Housing Denied
The Raeford City Council Mon
day night by majority vote with one
councilman abstaining accepted a
City Planning Board recommenda
tion to deny a request for a zoning
variance that would allow construc
tion of four-unit apartment build
ings instead of the two-apartment
duplexes permitted.
The councilman who abstained
from voting was Bennie McLeod.
In another real estate matter, the
council voted to annex a tract
extending northward from North
Fulton Street to U.S. 401. Avery
Connell, owner of the property,
made the request. He said part of
the property is already in the city
limits. He added that the property
is undeveloped.
The actions on the zoning vari
ance and the annexation requests
were taken after separate required
public hearings were held. .
The variance had been requested
by Freedom Family, Inc., of Dunn.
Charles Hostetler of Raeford, an
attorney representing the company,
told the council that the four-unit
buildings would be one story high
and contain a total of 48 residences
of one and two bedrooms. About
half the units would go to aging and
handicapped people, the buildings
would take up less and be "tighter"
in energy economy among other
points.
The buildings are planned for a
site on South Main Street near the
Holly Hills residential area.
The hearings was on an appeal
from the Planning Board recom
mendation that the request for the
variance be denied by the council.
No reason for the recommendation
was given.
Avery Connell's property lies on
the south side of 401 and between
North Fulton and North Magnolia
Streets.
In other action at the council's
regular meeting for April, the
council voted $3,500 for repairing
and repainting playground equip
ment at McLauchlin Park and
Robbin Heights playgrounds. City
Manager Ron Matthews said that
the whole amount might be needed.
He said the money would be taken
from the capital reserve.
The council also approved pur
chase for $8,623 on a state contract
a 1982 Chevrolet Impala cruiser for
the Police Department. Matthews
said purchasing would save the city
S500 to $1,000. He said delivery
would be in the latter part of June.
During the meeting also, Mayor
John K. McNeill, Jr., presented Bill
Sellars a plaque in honor of his 20
years' service as a city fireman.
Sellars also is assistant city man
ager and is city public works
director.
Special Services Planned
Hoke Preparing For Easter Observance
Special Easter services are
planned in Hoke County for the
1981 religious observance, and
state, Raeford city and Hoke
County government offices will be holiday.
closed Easter Monday. Among the special services the
Federal offices including the Raeford Ministers Association is
U.S. Post Office will have no Easter sponsoring an Easter Sunrise Ser
x ' ,-V . iHBMratnataan? ?? r->- -
ARTS FESTIVAL PARADE -- A parade Saturday morning officially launched the weekJong Celebration of the
Arts '82 Hoke County Arts and Crafts Festival. Here is part of the procession on North Main Street. The displays
and music and dance performances will continue through Friday. [Staff photo by Pam Frederick ).
vice in the Hoke County High
School stadium. The service will
begin at 5:45 a.m., and the Rev. J.
Douglas Mark will speak about the
Apostle Peter in a sermon titled
"The Man Who Missed Good
Friday." Mark is associate pastor
of Raeford Presbyterian Church.
Special music will be offered.
The songs "Rise Again" and
"Easter Song," will be sung by
"Shine," a trio of First Baptist
Church. The Revs. B.V. Childress,
Tex Deaton, and George Mc
Keithan also will be on tne pro
gram.
In case of bad weather, the
service will be held in the high
school auditorium.
An Easter Service will also be
sponsored by the Sandy Grove and
Parker United Methodist Churches
at Camp Rockfish. The service will
be held in the pavilion area and will
start at 7 a.m. Area residents are
welcome to attend.
Hoke County schools will be
closed after regular classes Friday
afternoon for the holiday and will
reopen at the regular time the
morning of April 14. The school
vacation had to be cut short to
make up for class time lost because
of severe winter weather.
OK'd
The Hoke County commissioner!
Monday allowed three property
owners reductions in their 1982
(revaluations because the land is
used for farming.
The reductions were authorized
for the property of William M.
Radford, to >30,150 from $38,150;
Mary O. McNeill, one tract, to
$95,570 from $169,940, another to'
$29,889 from $62,780, and another
to $40,370 from $83,570; and
Julian Wright, one tract to $36,140
from $61,340, a second to $26,760
from $50,360, and a third to
$130,060 from $249,550.
The property owners had been
unable to file their applications for
land use value assessment of tax
ation of agricultural, horticultural
or forest lands. Radford in a letter
to the county commissioners ex
plained he had been on temporary
duty at other locations in his
employment by the federal gov
ernment.
Wright explained to the com
missioners that he had asked for
application forms but had not
received them in time to meet the
deadline.
Radford appeared at the meeting
but did not speak. Mrs. McNeill,
who lives in Warsaw, did not
appear.
In other business during the
regular monthly meeting, the
commissioners adopted a resolu
tion addressed to the U.S. Farmers
Home Administration requesting
that the federal agency not fund
any apartment complex in Hoke
County unless it has been chan
neled through and approved by the
Raeford-Hoke County Housing
Authority.
Commissioner Danny DeVane in
introducing the resolution referred
specifically to the proposed Lantern
Lane project on I N.C. 211 south.
The commissioners also author
ized reimbursement to the State
Department of Justice, $1,753 and
$287 in federal Cooperative Educa
tion and Training Act funds which
the department has disallowed.
The commissioners hope to get the
department to allow part of the
$287, however.
The Justice Department dis
allowed the $1,75 J because the
contractor billed prime sponsor
and was reimbursed in excess of the
actual cost of workmen's compen
sation.
Of the S287, a total S97 was
disallowed because the contractor
billed the prime sponsor in excess
of hours actually worked, accord
ing to documention, and $190
because the contractor billed prime
sponsor was reimbursed in excess
of actual cost of workmen's com
pensation.
The commissioners, however,
hope to get a total $97.09 allowed --
$43.42 for Ruth King, $25.76 for
Grace Pierce, and $27.91 for
Wanda Roberts.
Grace Daramus of Raeford was
named to the Older Adults Ad
visory Council of the Lumber River
Council of Governments by the
commissioners on recommendation
of the Raeford Friendship Club.
She was appointed to fill the
vacancy created by the resignation
of W.P. Phillips.
The commissioners set a public
hearing for June 14 at 8 p.m. in the
courtroom of the Courthouse on the
county budget for 1982-83 and uses
for the county's federal revenue
sharing funds for that year. The
new budget is to be worked up.
Monday's meeting was a record
for the commissioners for shortness
of time -- about 30 minutes -? some
of the commissioners noted.
Usually a regular meeting runs
from 9 a.m. to noon.
The commissioners also post
poned their next regular mid
month meeting to April 20 from
April 19 to allow the incumbent
commissioners to attend the Hoke
County PRA's "Meet the Candi
dates" meeting. Commissioners
Mabel Riley. John Balfour and
James A. Hunt, all Democrats, arc
running for renomination in the
Democratic primary. Seven other
Democrats and one Republican are
running for the three seats also.
Hoke Sales Tax
Collections of Hoke County's one
percent sales tax totaled $26,756.76
in February, the State Department
of Revenue reports.
The collections in January were
$30,077.20, and in February 1961
totaled $26,712.47.