? The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXXIV NUMBER 22 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
journal
25
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
$8 PER YEAR
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1982
Industry Making Improvements
Threat Of Sewer Showdown Eases
The threat of a showdown
struggle between a Hoke County
industry and Raeford officials over
the quality of the firm's sewage
discharge, may have eased, as
f efforts are being made to clean up
the problem.
The City of Raeford faces state
and federal fines on November 1 of
$10,000 per day if the discharge
from the House of Raeford turkey
processing plant is not brought
within mandated guidelines.
However, industry owner Marvin
Johnson told The News-Journal
Monday that efforts are being
C made to correct the House of
Raeford's discharge problem and
meet the guidelines by November 1.
"We're working to make it
better. We don't know if we will be
as low as they want us to go, but it
will be a damnsite better," Johnson
said.
Around
Town
BY SAM C.MORRIS
The weather has been cool for
the past couple of days, but as this
column is being written Monday
afternoon the rain is coming down
outside and a thunderstorm is
passing through the county. Ac
cording to the weather forecast it
should rain on until Tuesday night.
We need the rain, but it may be
too late for the soybean crop. Of
course, cotton likes dry weather
and picking should get in full swing
next week, one farmer told me
Monday that he had picked 75
bales, but the rain would stop him
for a couple of days.
It shouldn't be long before the
leaves start to turn and the fall
weather will be with us.
? * *
A letter arrived this week with a
renewed subscription and I have
come to the point of looking
forward to this letter. The writer
lived in Raeford many years ago
with her father and mother in a
home now moved, that was situated
on the lot where the home of Mr.
and Mrs. Marion Gatlin now live.
The letter should be of interest to
many of the older residents of Hoke
County.
The letter follows:
Dear Sam:
It is again time to renew my
subscription to The News-Journal
ft and enclosed is my check.
I look forward to receiving the
Journal each week. Although there
are many newcomers to Raeford
whom I do not know, 1 retain a
keen interest in Raeford. its people,
and its welfare.
I hope you and your family are
doing nicely.
With kindest personal regards.
r\ Sincerely
Lillian F. Moore
Thanks, Lillian for the nice note.
I don't believe you have lost your
touch for writing because it is as if
the letter had come from the old
Zanner manual on writing. I know
folks here will be glad to know that
you still have an interest in
Raeford.
* ? *
^ The last Hall of Fame golf
tournament was held last week and
weekend at Pinehurst. This tourna
ment has been held for the past
several years at the Pinehurst
Country Club in the famous No. 2
course. Since the beginning this
tournament has had problems and
it was the same for the last year.
Coming late in the season many
$ of the big name golfers didn't want
to compete this year. Then the
gTeens were in bad condition and
the word got around and this
caused others to pass it by.
Crowds were small, but the ones
that attended on Sunday were
treated to a three-way battle for the
leadership. It was carried over for a
"sudden death" finish and ended
both the match and the tournament
0 (See AROUND TOWN, page 16)
Johnson declined to make
further comment on the matter,
and did not elaborate on the extent
of the pre-treatment improve
ments being made.
The sewer question is pressing,
not only because of Fines which
could be levied by the state, but
also because of the issues have an
impact on the community.
Raeford's sewage treatment has
become a dilemma. Here are some
of the reasons:
--State Department Natural Re
sources and Community Develop
ment (NRCD) officials and city
engineers have suggested that the
turkey plant construct a pre-treat
ment facility, which Johnson esti
mated would cost approximately
$250,000.
?Because of the poor market
conditions, the firm could not stay
in business and make the sewage
improvements requested by the
state. Johnson said earlier.
-If the House of Raeford closed,
approximately 1,000 workers could
be out of jobs.
-Despite the threat to local
businesses the closing poses, mem
bers of the Hoke County Chamber
of Commerce voted last January to
support the city in its efforts to
clean up the sewage discharge into
Rockfish Creek.
- Because the discharge is pollut
ing the creek, NRCD has declared
a moratorium on all future indus
tries using the Raeford sewage
system.
--Hoke Development Board
members claim that at least one
industry has been lost here because
of the moratorium, and that it is
difficult to attract new prospects to
the area without being able to offer
sewage disposal.
Raeford has been in violation of
federal Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) guidelines since
1977, NRCD Regional Supervisor
Dennis Ramsey said.
The city has been making efforts
to improve the system and has
spent more than $1 million in state
and federal monies to revamp the
Raeford treatment facility.
Other local industries have made
corrections in their pre-treatment
systems and will soon be within the
guidelines.
"Now. it's probably going to take
close cooperation between the city
and industry to work out the
remaining problem." Ramsey said.
Prior to the recently completed
improvements, the city was dis
charging approximately twice the
EPA guideline into the creek,
Ramsey said.
If the city does not bring the
discharge into compliance by No
vember 1, a recommendation will
be made to the Environmental
Management Commission and
fines of up to S10.000 could be
levied against the city.
Those fines would be passed on
to any industry which is not in
compliance with the pre-treatment
guidelines, city officials have said.
Under the present regulations,
industries must treat their effluent
to a level which enables the city to
bring its discharge within federal
guidelines.
Council members voted last week
to hire an Asheboro engineering
firm to develop a pre-treatment
program for the city.
That program, which will cost
taxpayers SI2.000, will give Rae
ford strict guide lines for future
industries and an enforceable pen
alty system for violators.
Local taxpayers will have to foot
the bill for the state-mandated
plan, because of a lack of grant
money for the project, NRCD
spokesman Jim Sheperd said.
Shepherd said one North Caro
lina city is receiving assistance with
the grant from NRCD officials and
will not have to pay for the
program.
The help, however, is being
provided for Washington because
"the state messed up." Shepherd
said.
Washington officials were told to
provide the wrong information and
the timetable on the pre-treatment
program was delayed by the state,
he said, noting that the delay
forced NRCD to help.
PASS/KG ERA ? These Hoke County old tobacco barns may become just a memory because new drying
methods have made them obsolete.
Child Rape Case Dismissed
A Hoke County man was freed
Tuesday morning of a charge of
first-degree rape of his 6-year-old
daughter when the child failed to
reply to questions put by the
prosecutor.
Hoke County Superior Court
Judge Sam Britt of Lumberton
allowed a motion of nonsuit made
by the defense for Bobby Louis
Green of Rt. 2. Box 4%, Raeford.
Replying in almost a whisper to
questions put by the prosecutor,
Jean Powell, the child, the only
witness to testify, said she had been
lying on her bed in her parents'
trailer when the defendent entered,
took her clothes off, got on top of
her, and "hurt" her. After that she
failed to reply by word or gesture to
questions put repeatedly to her by
Miss Powell. One question the
prosecutor asked her was how did
Green hurt her.
Green had been accused of
committing the offense May 11. It
was reported to the Hoke County
Sheriff*s Department after the
child was admitted to Cape Fear
Valley Hospital for surgery, and
Green was arrested the day the
alleged offense reportedly oc
curred. He had been held in Hoke
County Jail since then.
Before the girl took the stand,
the judge after a hearing with the
jury absent ruled that she was
competent to testify.
The child was on the witness
stand from about 10:10 a.m. til
11:20 a.m.
Green had pleaded not guilty to
the charge. He was defended by
attorneys Paul Herzog and Orlando
Hudson of the State Public De
fenders' Office in Fayetteville.
Selection of a jury took from
about 3 p.m. to nearly 5 p.m.
Monday, with the judge excusing
four prospective jurors on request
of the prosecutor and nine on
request of the defense.
Judge Britt recessed the court till
9:30 a.m. Wednesday at noon
Tuesday after sentencing a drug
defendent.
MANSLAUGHTER
The judge on Monday sentenced
(See RAPE, page l(i)
Non-taxpaying Land Over 10% Here
At least 10.4% of the real
property in Hoke County is in the
hands of governmental, religious or
community organizations and has
been declared tax exempt.
Real property in the county has
been appraised for tax purposes at
$175 million and of that figure
more than $18 millfbn is tax
exempt, a recent check of the Hoke
County Tax Listings office showed.
Members of the Hoke County
Commission are currently mulling
an expansion of county holdings
and are seeking additional office
space because of overcrowding in
the sheriff"s department.
A committee is studying the
feasibility of purchasing the Pilot
Building on Main Street and is
looking into the acquisition of other
alternative sites that could be used
for offices. Manager James Martin
said.
Martin noted that the body shop
for the Old Raeford Motor Com
pany, which the county purchased
in 1980 for S50.000, is being
remodeled to be used for detective
offices.
The work is being conducted by
sheriff s department and the county
has appropriated $750 for ma
terials.
The move is a temporary one and
will only partially ease the crowded
conditions in the main sheriffs
office, Martin said.
Originally the county bought the
body shop for the land and had
planned to tear down the structure
to make room for a new annex
building.
High interest rates and cuts in
grand moneys forced the commis
sioners to rethink the move, Martin
said.
The building is now being used
for storage, he added.
If the commission finds it is too
costly to adapt the Pilot Building to
county needs, Martin says other
sites will be recommended as
alternatives.
Martin would not speculate on
where the sites might be, but noted
that property owners with down
town buildings for sale should
contact the county.
Wherever the county locates,
downtown revitalization will be
kept in mind, Martin added.
According to the Tax Listing
records, Hoke County now owns 25
properties appraised at $854,035
for tax exemption purposes.
Property owned by the City of
Raeford is valued at more than S2.7
million, and the county Board of
Education tops the list of govern
ment property at more than $7.2
million.
Hoke County property owned by
the state is valued at only $816,935,
which includes only $390,000
placed on the McCain Hospital and
Prison Center and the Sandhills
Youth Center.
In comparison, the market value
placed on Hoke High School is
more than $2 million.
The Raeford Post Office is the
only federal property listed in more
than $13 million of government real
estate in the county.
The Hoke County Health De
partment's holdings are valued at
$413,000. Rural fire departments
and the rescue squad buildings
have a market value of $257,000.
The recreation department pro
perty is listed at $92,000.
According to the Hoke County
Chamber of Commerce, whose
building is valued at $27,100,
there are 57 churches in the county.
The tax records show that the 57
churches own 141 non-taxable
properties valued at $4.8 million.
County civic organizations, who
can also own tax exempt property,
have holdings valued at $258,800.
County Zoning
Plan Mulled
y.b'- >
A request for assistance from 27
residents of county subdivision has
sparked members of the Hoke
County Commission to take steps
Monday night towards establishing
a countywide zoning ordinance.
Council members voted
unanimously to give County
Manager James E. Martin the go
ahead to begin developing the or
dinance.
Martin will work with planners
from the Lumber River Council of
Governments (COG) and will
begin studying ordinances from
other counties in order to develop
a plan for Hoke County.
Once the ordinance is establish
ed and given a preliminary OK by
the commission, public hearings
on the matter will be held before
the regulations are implemented.
"I think the entire county needs
it," Commissioner Daniel H.
DeVane said, noting that without
proper planning, future haphazard
development could threaten the
county's living conditions.
Commission members first ap
proached the zoning issue three
years ago and attempted to
establish subdivision regulations
and rules governing mobile home
parks, but backed off when the
body got too much "flack" from
the public, Commission Chairman
John G. Balfour said.
"It was put on a back burner,"
he added.
Monday's action was initiated
following a requests from
members of the Chance Subdivi
sion for county assistance in mak
ing the area's restrictive covenants
binding on outside developers.
The covenants, which were on
the original deeds of the subdivi
sion, had expired and a new agree
ment received the approval of 27
of the area's 34 residents.
However, County Attorney
Duncan McFadyen told the group
that the restrictions were binding
on only those who signed the
agreement.
The only way to control
development in the surrounding
area is through zoning, McFadyen
said.
Courthouse Rehab Aired
In other action during the
regular meeting, commission
members also voted unanimously
to hire two Raleigh architectural
firms to develop plans and to act as
advisors for the restoration of the
Hoke County Courthouse
building.
Planning on the project started
10 months ago, and Monday's
move puts the county in a position
to obtain either federal or state
grants for the historically signifi
cant structure.
The firms of Dodge and
Associates and Building Preserva
tion Consultants will prepare plans
and specifications for restoring the
building's roofing, dormers, ex
terior masonry, windows, interior
plaster and paint.
All paint used on the exterior of
the building will match the colors
used in 1913 when the courthouse
was constructed.
The two associated firms will
charge $6,800 for their services and
will work in conjunction with the
North Carolina Department of Ar
chives and History.
A proposal for the same work,
which was submitted by a
Charlotte firm for a price of
S12.400, was rejected by the com
mission.
According to their proposal, it
should take the Raleigh group a
(See COUNTY, page lb)
Inside Today
The bee business is buzzing on
some Hoke County farms. The
News-Journal takes a look at
some positive aspects of bee
keeping and raising honey.
Please turn to page 13.