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The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
VOLUME LXXIV NUMBER 8 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $8 PER YEAR
By Hoke Commissioners At Public Hearing
Protests Against New Tax Bills Heard
Around
Town
BY SAM C. MORRIS
The weather has been, as one
would expect for June. The days are
warm and it cools off at night. The
thundershowers have been with us
most afternoons.
Reports from some sections of
the county are that many fields
have been hit with hail. A section
near Galatia Church is said to have
been hit really hard and the crops
were completely destroyed in many
fields.
We have been lucky as far as the
wind is concerned because only a
few limbs have been blown off some
trees. A freak tornado killed a man
in Wake County Sunday.
As this is being written Monday
afternoon. I haven't seen the
weatherman since my return to
Hoke County last Tuesday. Maybe
someone told him something about
me and he is staying away on
purpose.
* * *
It seems many people read my
account of the trip to Florida and
the Caribbean. I cannot answer
some of the questions raised about
my writeup and will not attempt to
justify what I did write.
Something that was a surprise to
me on the trip was that our bus
driver to Miami and on the return
trip to Raeford was born and raised
in Red Springs. H' name was
Welton Pittman and he said that
his mother still lives in Red Springs
and he told me exactly how to get to
his home coming from Raeford.
He now lives in Suitland. Md.
and drives from Baltimore to
Miami every week. Pittman is a
good driver, and as far as 1 could
tell, never took a chance while we
were on the trip.
Yes, he was the only person that
knew where Raeford was located.
? * ?
Mr. Will Monroe of the Puppy
Creek- Rockfish section of the
county brought me two clippings
from Dick Brown's column in the
Fayetteville Observer. Mr. Will had
mentioned some of the items in the
columns and I was very interested
in them. Many thanks for bringing
them by the office.
* ? ?
Maybe you have seen or maybe
you have heard what the final
registration figures were for Hoke
County. The books closed June 1,
1982 and approximately 2000 new
names were added to the books.
The total registration for the
county is 8733. This number
includes 8260 Democrats; 407 Re
publicans; and 66 unaffiliated.
The largest precinct in the
county is Raeford I with 1238
registered. Second is Raeford 5
with 916 registered. The smallest
precinct is Allendale with 225
registered voters.
Now how many of these people
will vote? I have heard estimates
from 5000 to 7000. It would be
great if over 8000 would vote.
* ? ?
The primary election is less than
two weeks away. As has been stated
in this column many times there are
many ways to cast your ballot. You
can vote absentee by making an
application or you can go by the
board of elections office on West
Elwood Avenue and vote any day
now if you are going to be away on
election day.
Then of course you can go to
your polling place on Tuesday,
June 29th and VOTE.
There is no excuse for you not to
vote. So please take time to do so.
Your vote may be the ballot that
makes someone win or lose.
This is about the only thing you
can do now and not be charged for
it.
So Be Sure to VOTE.
? ? ?
Next week The News-Journal will
have what we call our election
section, there will be ads from the
candidates and we will print all the
ballots that will be given you in the
(S?e AROUND TOWN, page 1 5)
^ ***** * ******* * * **???????????????????*
i4f At/t Annual Banquet
Judge Civic League Speaker Friday
The Hoke County Civic League
will sponsor its Eighth Annual
Banquet on Friday, June 18, at
7:30 p.m. in the Gibson Cafeteria
of Hoke County High School.
The guest speaker will be Her
bert L. Richardson, District Court
judge of the 16th Judicial District.
Judge Richardson is a native of
Nashville, N.C. He received his
B.A. degree in 1973 from North
Carolina Central University, and
graduated from North Carolina
Central University in 1976 with a
Juris Doctor Degree.
He practiced law in Durham for
two years, and in 1978 became the
first black member of the Robeson
County district attorney's office in
1978. In 1979, Judge Richardson
became the first black judge to
serve in Robeson county.
He is a member of the American
Bar Association, the N.C. Black
Lawyers Association and the North
Carolina Academy of Trial Law
yers. He has been admitted to
practice before the North Carolina
Supreme Court, the Fourth Circuit
Court of Appeals in Richmond,
Virginia and the United States
Supreme Court in Washington,
Judge Richardson lives in Lum
berton with wife, Patricia, and son,
Herbert L. Richardson, Jr.
The Banquet is open to the
public, and tickets may be pur
chased from ministers and mem
bers of various churches in the
county making up the League.
Rev. J.W. Gorham, president of
Hoke County Civic League, invites
all interested persons to attend.
Judge Herbert Richardson
At Achievement Night
Hoke Adults
Receive SCC Certificates
"Someone cares about you,"
Chester L. Jefferson told the audi
ence at the May 12 Continuing
Education Achievement Night pro
gram at Sandhills Community Col
lege to sum up his feelings about
the adult basic education class he
participated in:
That statement set the tone for
the evening of celebrating students'
hard work and achievements.
More than 500 persons from
Moore and Hoke counties attended
the Wednesday evening program,
which traditionally features student
speakers. One hundred and forty
students received high school
equivalency (GED) diplomas, or
certificates for participation in the
adult basic education (ABE) pro
gram at Sandhills.
J.E. Causey, chairman of the
Board of Trustees, welcomed the
audience and students and stated
how proud the trustees are of the
programs for adults that the Col
lege offers.
Harlan McCaskill, dean of Con
tinuing Education, cited 1981-82 as
a very successful school year with
increases in enrollment. Dean
McCaskill recognized the fulltime
staff members and part-time in
structors and supervisors with the
program.
Class offerings include adult
basic education, which teaches
reading, writing, math skills and
consumer information. The GED
classes prepare students for the
high school equivalency exami
nation. The College operates a
Learning Lab day and night for
students to work individually to
finish high school, or brush up on
particular skills.
In Hoke County, Sandhills offers
an adult high school diploma
program in conjunction with the
Hoke County Schools. Students
completing this program receive
their high school diploma through
the Hoke system.
Sandhills Community College
President Raymond Stone recog
nized guests Florence Taylor and
Marsellette Morgan of the De
partment of Community Colleges in
Raleigh and State Sen. Russell
Walker of Asheboro.
Judge Dupree
District Court Judge Joseph
Dupree of Raeford was "shaken
up' but not injured in a two-car
collision about 4 p.m. June 9 in
Fayetteville at a street intersection
in the Massey Hill section, the
Fayetteville Police Department re
ported.
No citation was issued.
Judge Dupree and a passenger in
the other car were X-rayed at Cape
Fear Valley Hospital in Fayette
ville. The other man was riding
with his brother, Albert Smith of
Rt. 2, Lumberton, the driver.
The judge said Monday that he
had some ' real sore muscles" for a
couple of days. The damages to the
cars totaled about several thousand
dollars.
The collision occurred at the
intersection of May and Trade
Streets, where three other streets
also enter Trade and near an
1
Retha Long, a graduate of the
adult high school program in Hoke
County, said her supervisor en
couraged her to return to school
after filling out forms for a
promotion revealed she did not
have a high school diploma.
"I'll be honest," Long stated. "I
did not want to go back to school.
But I wanted that job, and I wanted
that promotion." The Hoke resi
dent praised the attitude and
encouragement of her teachers
which helped change her mind
about continuing her education.
The South Hoke Singers sang the
hymn, "Standing on the
Promises." Members of the class at
the Hoke County Education Center
in Raeford presented a lively and
realistic skit about fears that adults
have about coming back to school
and encouragement other students
can give.
Certificates were presented to
students while mothers, fathers,
children, or other family members
looked on.
The following Hoke County
students received certificates:
--Education Center, Raeford,
Carol Page, instructor -- Annie
Alford, Neil Gilchrist, David Good
man, Sally Jones, Myra Legrande,
Augustina Lloyd, David Virgil,
Dorothy Ellerbe, Marice Galloway,
Patsy Lupo, Linda Torrence, and
Rosa Woods.
- Mt. Pisgah Church, Geraldine
Munn and William Munn, instruc
tors - Frances Boahn, Jeannie
Boahn, Polly Bethune, Mary
Campbell, Willie Ed McLean, Jo
Ann Oliphant, Bertha Pridgett,
Mildred Pridgett, and Cynthia
Smith.
--Raeford, Barbara Buie, in
structor -- Anna Campbell.
--Cameron Heights, Bettie York,
instructor -- Lillie Mae Arnold,
Mary M. Johnson, Pearlie Rodgers,
Maggie Smith, Retta Thomas,
Isadore White, and Jessie Willis.
?-Education Center, Raeford,
Carrie Carter, instructor - Andre
Austin, Jeffery Baldwin, Robert
Blue, Lora Francis, Sandra Mc
fadigon, William McMillian, Wal
lace Morrison, and Herald Murchi
son.
'Shaken Up' In
intersection of Trade and Southern
Avenue.
Judge Dupree, riding alone and
traveling east on May, stopped at
the intersection, then continued,
and his car was struck by Smith's
vehicle, which was traveling south
on Trade. Dupree said he didn't see
Smith's car till the accident hap
pened. He said Smith's car was in a
hollow about 500 feet north of the
May intersection and is a low
Student speakers for Achievement Night at Sandhills Community College,
L-R ? Chester L. Jefferson, Ret ha Long of lioke County, Michael Allen
Frye and Student Government Associa'ion President Mark Chester
Ciechowski, and Louise Cox, soloist.
--Antioch, Jan Dial, instructor --
Hannah Berry, Pearlie Brooks,
Billie Bullard, Delois Bullard, Nel
lis Jacobs, Kathy Locklear, Lena
Locklear, Tommy Locklear,
Wanda Locklear, and Rosa Belle
Woods.
-West Hoke, Barbara and Jim
Lupo, instructors -- Margaret
Brower, Josephine Bethae, Minnie
Bell Blue, Ruthie Bryant. Wilbert
Fairley, and Pearl McRae.
--South Hoke, Betty York, in
structor -- Rosie B. Gillespie, Ollie
Johnson, Elosia McBryde, and
Pearlie McLean.
??South Hoke Community Center
Mitchell Tyler, instructor -- Peggy
Doak, Bobby Lowery, Francis
Lowery, and Alice Tyler.
? Scurlock School, Marilyn Se
mones, instructor -- Linda Hen
drix, Phyllis Locklear, and Jessie
Thompson.
--Hoke County Adult High
School graduates were announced
in The New-Journal of June 3.
They received their diplomas at the
high school's commencement June
4.
Accident
profile when he checked that part
of the street, and consequently he
failed to see it. He said shrubbery
and houses also partly obscure a
few of Trade at that point.
Judge Dupree, a Democrat run
ning for reelection, was in Fayette
vi lie on a campaign trip and had
just left one place and was driving
to another when the accident
occurred.
Commissioners ,
School Board To Meet
The Hoke County Board of 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. June 15. to
Commissioners held a ipecial discuss the 1982-83 school budget
meeting in the Conference Room of with the Hoke County Board of
the Courthouse Annex Building at Education.
They had attended the Sandhills
Community College classes con
ducted at Hoke High.
The Hoke County GED grad
uates. who studied in the Learning
Lab on the college campus from
May 12. 1981. to May 12. 1982.
are: Vivian Blackburn. Michael
Frye. Gregory Furr. Betty Gardner.
Melody Garrison. Anthony Hen
riques. Frances Jessee. Donna
Kelly. Rufus Kennedy. Beverly
Ritter Livengood. Barbara Jean
McKinnon. Venus Medlin. Estella
Pratt. Denise Sandig, Viola Stef
anacci. and Sybil Wallace.
Hoke GED graduates who
studied in Larry Allen's class on the
college campus: Michael Anthony
Bennett. Olivia Brown. Gabriel
Farmer. Rutus Frye. Renee El^a
beth McLaurin. Derrie Ross, and
Joanne Short.
Larry Cameron's class. Vass
Lakeview ?- Vickie Hicks. Mary
Margaret Leach. Percy Page, and
Mike Stine.
Carrie Smith's class. Raeford --
Joann Carter. James Easterling.
Frederick Hutchison. Debbie Lee.
Nathaniel Luckie. Bernice Moser,
William Patterson. Tara Smith.
Mary Virginia Willis.
Louise Cox's class. Addor --
Gloria Ackerman.
Jan Dial's class. Antioch Church
?- Hannah Berry, Pearlie Brooks,
and Wanda Locklear.
Judith Glenn's class. Hightails --
Brenda Allred. Terry Britt, and
Freida Spivey.
Bruce Hurst's class, Raeford ??
Rulinda Monroe and Johnn^
T avlor.
Yvonne Morrison's class. South
ern Pines -? Michael Berry, Wilbert
Harris. Mamie McCauley, and
Evelyn Shaw.
Carol Page's class, Raeford -?
Johnny Bratcher and Geraldine
Love.
Faith Riggs's class. Sama-icand
-- Joseph Canady, Tyrone? Valen
tine, Jeannette .Crawley, Brian
Wallace and Timothy Wrenn.
Ray Vuaghn's class, Elise -?
Esther Lee and Vicki Maness
Phillips.
?>
?tf
Hoke County property owners
will pay a lower tax rate in 1982-83
but most will pay more in taxes
than they did the past year, and
displeasure was expressed by prac
tically everyone of the more than a
dozen of the people who spoke
Monday night at the county com
missioners' public hearing. Most
will pay more because 1981-82
eight-year taxable property evalu
ation put higher values on their
property.
More than 100 people, including
county officials, teachers and
school administrators and other
public employees and private citi
zens attended the 75 minute hear
ing on the proposed budget and
proposed tax rate, 72 cents per
$100 evaluation. The current rate is
$101, based on property values of
the past year.
Much of the 75 minutes the
hearing in the Courthouse court
room consumed was spent in
explanations of tax types by county
officials in replying to questions put
by property owners. At one point.
County Manager James Martin,
former County Tax Supervisor Les*
Simpson, and John Balfour, chair
man of the Board of County
Commissioners, each helped ex
plain land use value compared with
others, as a basis for taxation,
relating mainly to land use in
cultivation by farming.
PI urn m ?C Dd,scussion . Jimmy
Plummer of Rt. 4, Raeford, a
farmer quoted figures showing
prices farmers received for most
commodities produced in Hoke
County were lower than they were a
year ago. though higher evaluation
andhTeT?SeSiSP,,,0"farmll,"d
informed the audience
that the average home owner and
aVS8H H0rer wi" Pav more
axes. He said the total increase in
the taxable value of property is 43
r/-nt more for 1982-83 than it
uas the past year.
Some taxpayers will pay less than
or about the same as they did
5rhC I re-evaluation. Balfour
sa d he hated to say so but industry
be among those paving less
rhe proposed budget shows the
new evaluation puts the taxable
property at S307 million.
A written description of the
proposed budget distributed to the
,PhaT'7ird,n8 the meetin8 shows
that of the proposed budget the
general find expenditures would
SET1,01 S3'729'429- The rest of
the budget is made up of debt
rton'^f HUndtf?r the 1990 reevalua
ton. federal revenue-sharing fa
cility fee fund, and fund balance.
The proposed 72-cent tax on the
new tax base and based on 92 per
c? . collect,ons wiM bring $2,033.
000 in revenue, it is estimated. The
second largest single source of
revenue is estimated to be $573 468
coming from federal revenue
sharing funds.
After hearing protests against
the proposed tax and revaluation
Balfour told the audience. "Tell us
the commissioners) what services
to cut A man in the audience
replied. All of them." and the
answer drew, laughter. "Across the
board, said another
Meanwhile, the County Board of
Education planned to ask the
county commissioners at a meeting'
of the two boards Tuesday nioht tn
vear 8Ct ,He new f,scal
year. The system is in the proposed
county budget for $835,412 for
current expense (operating ex
for caPi,a' outlay
(construction and repairs and new
equipment), besides $103,113 for
weamPHeT,Ce The extra monev is
schJol.i CUrrem the
scnool administration says.
The school board at a meeting
before going to the public hearing
?as told by County Schools Supt.
sioo ooor\h wi,hou, ,he extra
>100,000 these are some of the
reductions which have to be made
$ 1 Onnrw CrS J" cu,tura' arts,
u S Jrom ,hc maintenance
budget; $5,000 from the programs
for exceptional children (including
the physically and mentally handi
capped) and all audio-visual and
instructional supplies.
Regarding maintenance. Autrv
said this budget has had to be cul
for the past three years, but in five
nLSHX??earSi.-hc sch(X)l system will
$100 mr, r. ,o s7 miiHon'
. ,lf preventive main
tenance cannot be carried on).
Uon Steed, school system busi
(See PROTESTS, pay 16)
X