. 25 <~Vlew6
The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXXIV NUMBER 1 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
Response To Reported Move To Change Operation
- journal
25
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8PER YEAR THURSDAY, APRIL 29. 1982
Hoke Study Group On Hospital Formed
Around
Town
BY SAMC. MORRIS
The weather for the weekend
was perfect for the outdoor ac
tivities. The clouds did not start
rolling in until late Sunday after
noon.
According to the weatherman of
Hoke County we had three-tenths
of an inch Sunday night. It must
have rained another Vi inch on
Monday morning. It was needed
and from weather reports we
should get more before the front
moves out Tuesday night.
The forecast is for the
temperatures to be in the 70s for
the remainder of the week.
* ? ?
Jimmy James, band director at
0 Hoke High and Upchurch schools,
was by the office Monday and left
a note on my desk. Now Jimmy
doesn't show up at the newspaper
office, except for two reasons.
These being an election night and
when he leaves a note about a band
concert.
So everyone please take notice,
that the Hoke High Band Spring
Concert will be held at the Mac
? Donald Gymtorium on Tuesday
night. May 4 beginning at eight
o'clock.
It is hard to realize that Jimmy
can, from year to year, keep com
ing up with an outstanding band.
You know in sports you sometimes
have a losing season, but it seems
that the Hoke High School Band is
always on top.
So go out and hear a top concert
on May 4th.
? ...
The committee for the Class of
1932 of Raeford High School is
moving forward to complete plans
for their 50th reunion. Letters are
now being prepared and when you
receive yours, be sure to send it
back because 1 will assure you that
a swell time will be had by all at
tending.
While on the subject of re
unions, my golf partner, Harvey
Warlick, along with his wife, at
tended the 50th reunion of his class
at High Point College last
weekend. He stated that the occa
sion was well attended, but that
most of his men classmates were
now bald and aged. 1 would like to
? hear what some of his classmates
are saying about him this week.
By the way, Harvey, according
to the program he brought back,
was the president of the Class of
1932 at the College. Therefore, I
know he had to make a big speech
at the banquet.
Yes. reunions are good to at
tend!
? * * ?
Ms. Bundy, who works at B.C.
Moore's, sent word to me recently
that she had registered 43 voters in
the Rockfish precinct one Satur
day. This is the kind of news that is
music to the ears of a politician.
Congratulations Mrs. Bundy, keep
up the good work.
Now if you haven't registered,
be sure to do so. The date for the
? primary could be set in the next
few days and then the books will
be closed 30 days before the
primary. Don't wait; register to
day.
? ? ?
The legislature is now in session
to try and redistrict so that we can
hold the primary. I don't know
0 whether they will try again or take
the last plan to court. It seems it is
impossible to please the group in
Washington.
There is one thing that you must
do and that is whenever the
primary day is, you must vote. If
you are going to be out of town on
that date, then get an absentee
ballot and vote. Every vote counts
and yours might be the one that
will win for a candidate.
# (See A ROUND TOWN . page 1 8)
A six-member Hoke County
study committee is being establish
ed to respond to a reported new
move in state government to change
the operation of McCain Hospital,
the state's only remaining facility
treating tuberculosis. It also treats
non-TB patients with respiratory
illnesses.
The Hoke County commissioners
were told this at their mid-month
meeting April 20 by Earl Fowler,
executive vice president of the
Raeford-Hoke County Chamber of
Commerce; and two commissioners
-? Danny DeVane and John G.
Balfour, chairman of the corn
missionaries' board, volunteered to
Redisricting Plans Approved
serve as the countv government
members. Raetord City Council
man Bennie McLeod and Dr,
RamnikZota. a Raeford physician,
were appointed April 19 by the City
Council to be the city government
representatives. Betsy Ann McNeill
and another person not selected up
to last week will represent the
Chamber of Commerce on the
committee.
Fowler told the commissioners it
was urgent that action be started
now by Hoke County in view of the
new move. He explained that the
committee would study the present
status of the hospital and potential
future uses -- as it is now operated.
State Primary Date Set For June 10
North Carolina legislators
amended House and Senate re
districting plans Tuesday and
quickly received tentative approval
from top U.S. Justice Department
officials, setting the stage for state
primary elections June 10.
In setting the state's primary
elections on June 10, the Legisla
ture Tuesday altered the schedule
for voters and for legislative and
congressional candidates.
Like the redisricting plans ap
proved Tuesday, the new primary
schedule will have to be approved
by the Justice Department under
the l%5 Voting Rights Act.
The primaries had been set for
Tuesday. May 4, but they were
postponed because of the protract
ed redistricting difficulties.
Alex K. Brock, state elections
director, predicted that federal
officials would approve the primary
change. He said the state would
begin putting the new election
timetable into effect.
The schedule calls for voters to
go to the polls on a Thursday,
rather than the traditional Tues
day.
Here is the way the primary
schedule would work. Brock said:
?The filing period for legislative
and congressional offices wuld start
at noon Friday and run until noon
May 7. Filing for state judicial and
county offices already has been
held.
?Applications to cast absentee
ballots by mail for local races would
be issued as early as Friday at most
local boards of elections. Within 10
days after the close of filing,
supplemental absentee ballots
would be issued to allow absentee
voting for congressional races.
? Because of the longer time
needed to print ballots for legisla
tive races, absentee voting for
legislative seats would not likely be
allowed until six to eight days
before the June 10 primary. Voters
who previously have requested
absentee ballots tor the other races
would be mailed the legislative
ballots as they become available.
?Voter registration for the pri
maries, would close May 1 7.
? One-stop absentee voting,
which allows the voter to visit an
elections board and cats an absen
tee vote. would start May 18.
?The issuing of mailed absentee
ballots and one-stop absentee vot
ing would cease June 7.
?If necessary, runoff primaries
would be held July 8.
F or Gifted And Talented N.C. Students
3 Picked To Attend Governor's School
Three Hoke County High
School students have been selected
to attend the 1982 summer sessioir
of the Governor's School, for
gifted and talented high school
students.
They are Nadine Wadsworth,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James
Wadsworth; Eric Coley, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Coley; and
Ashley Jones, daughter of Mrs.
Kitzy Jones and Jesse Jones.
Miss Wadsworth will study
English at Governor's School
West in Winston-Salem, and Coley
will study natural science and Miss
Jones, mathematics, at Governor's
School-East at St. Andrews
Presbyterian College at Laurin
burg.
The Governor's School, for ris
ing high school juniors and
seniors, is operated by the State
Board of Education through the
director of the Division for Excep
tional Children in the State
Department of Public Instruction.
The Hoke students are members
of the National Honor Society,
because of their high academic
achievement.
Miss Wadsworth is an accom
panist for the Hoke High Chorus
and Chorale, a member of the
Future Farmers of America and
the Future Business Leaders of
America, and is co-editor of the
school newspaper. She also *.vas
nominated for the honor N.C.
School of Mathematics and
Science. She is a member of
Parker's United Methodist
Church.
Miss Jones is a member of the
Chorale and the Spanish Club and
was a semifinalist for appointment
to attend the N.C. School of Math
and Science. She is a member of
the Raeford United Methodist
Church handbell choir and Youth
Fellowship.
Coley is a member of the Hoke
High Marching Band and the ten
nis team and was nominated for
admission to the State School of
Math and Science. He is president
of the Raeford Presbyterian
Church Youth Group.
STA TE SCHOOLS CHIEF Dr. Craig Phillips, state superintendent of
public instruction, seated on a table, is giving an informal, friendly talk to
Hoke County teachers at West Hoke School. He visited the school Thurs
day afternoon, accompanied by County Schools Supt. Raz Autry (third
from left), County Associate Supt. J.D. McAllister (right, behind the par
tition), and Gladys Britt of the state staff, the director of the South Cen
tral Regional Center at Carthage. At left is Milton Williams, West Hoke's
principal, who introduced Phillips. Phillips talked with the teachers in the
school library. Refreshments were served just before the meeting started.
(Staff photo).
State Schools Chief
Visits Hoke County
Cordial, personable, friendly,
concerned - debonair are descrip
tions of the visitor who graced the
halls of West Hoke School on
April 22.
Dr. Craig Phillips, who was ac^
companied by Raz Autry,
superintendent of. Hokfe County
schools, and Milton Williams,
principal of West Hoke School, is
no stranger to the teachers of Hoke
County. His appearance at West
Hoke School was just another ex
ample of his genuine interest in the
progress of North Caorlina
Schools.
After being introduced by
(See VISITS, page 18)
Nadine W'adsworth deft), Eric Colev, Ashley Jones. (Staff photo).
Fayetteville-Raeford Excursion
A&R Passenger
Train Rides Again
An Aberdeen and Rockfish Rail
road passenger train rode again
Saturday on a special run. carrying
185 people from Fayetteville to
Raeford and back.
The round trip covered 5b miles
and took 64 minutes.
The train pulled out of the AJcR
freight depot in Fayetteville at 9:37
a.m.
The trip was sponsored by the
Lafayette Society of Fayetteville
and the Old North State Chapter of
the National Historical Railway
Society to give people who had
never ridden a train the chance to
ride one, and other people v\ho had
ridden trains when they were in
regular passenger service the
chance to relive their memories of
train-traveling.
The former customers may have
been riding in the ears they once
traveled in on their regular trips in
the days of A&R passenger service.
Saturday's travelers made the trip
in cars restored to their original
forms by members of the Old North
State Chapter.
I he Lafayette Limited Excursion
Route, as it was called, ran west.
(See A&R, page 18)
j4 passenger train lakes a picture of spectators at a stop, as her picture gets
or as a general hospital, or a mental
health center -- and make recom
mendations to Dr. Sarah Morrow,
secretary ot the State Department
ot Human Resources.
What changes are contemplated
tor the hospital by state officials
were not detailed at the April 20
meeting.
In March 1981. a report was
issued that McCain was on Gov.
James B. Hunt. Jr.'s, list for closing
in the ensuing two years for
economic reasons. The proposal
was on a list submitted to chairman
ot the State House and Senate
Appropriations committee."
The report aroused a storm of
protest in Hoke County from
protessionals. former patients and
laymen, and a member of Morrow's
staff said at a Raleigh meeting of
Hoke County people later that he
realized the information he had
obtained and which was the basis
tor the closing recommendation
was wrong.
The final decision was the hos
pital was to remain open with the
number of beds reduced to 115
from the 150 being maintained at
the time.
The 1981 work for the hospital
was led by the Chamber of Com
merce. The chamber's argument
was that if the hospital was to be
closed it should be closed on the
basis of accurate information.
Fowler told the commissioners at
last week's meeting that the idea
for the study committee had been
endorsed by Dennis Brewster,
manager of the Hoke County Unit
of the Sandhills Mental Health
Center.
The regional center's adminis
tration, bijsed at West End. Moore
County, has contacted the State
Human Resources Department re
garding the use of part of the
hospital for the mental health
center's use.
Replying to a question put by a
visitor at the commissioners' meet
ing, Fowler said the economics of
employment of people on the
McCain staff was not the primary
consideration in the effort to keep
the hospital open. He said the
"Number One priority" was to see
that people who need help get help.
He pointed out that McCain
patients could not be given by their
community hospitals or doctors at
home the special treatment they
need, that only McCain is equipped
to take care of such patients.
In another health-care matter,
the commissioners voted to es
tablish a Hoke County Emergency
Medical Services Advisory Council
of five members, with each of the
county commissioners to appoint
one. Commissioner Mable Rilev
said that the council should not
consist exclusively of professionals
in health care, that it also could
contain some laymen drawn from
the general public.
The commissioners decided to
make the appointments at the
board's next meeting, which will be
the regular monthly session of Mav
3.
I he commissioners also reviewed
a letter and propiwed plan for
building an addition and making
alterations to the Hoke Counts Jail.
County Manager James Martin
reported the architect said the work
would cost about S150.000 and that
he had said this was a "conservative
estimate." I he letter and plan were
received by Martin from W.
Gordon Echols ot Echols- Sparger
Associates, architects, ot Marion.
Va.
The extra space is needed.
Sheriff David Ba rrington has ad
vised the commissioners.
The proposal will be considered
when the commissioners are work
ing on the county's budget for
1982-83.
The commissioner's also adopted
a motion to grant a request that
S3.. 185. 70 in the Cm inty Depart
ment ot Social Services in spent
funds be allowed for use for Chore
Services for homebound people.
Under the program chorcs that the
people cannot do anymore them
selves because ot infirmities are
done by visiting workers.
Ken Witherspoon. Social Ser
vices Department director, told the
commissioners the Chore Services
are "an extremely effective way to
keep people in their homes." This
means that without the services the
infirm would have to be sent to rest
homes.
He also said that Chore Services
(See STUDY GROUP, page 18)