Holiday Shoppers T urjiout For Local Merchants
By Bill Liadai
Despite the depressed economy
and unseasonably warm weather,
most Raeford area merchants did
well during the 1982 Christmas
shopping season, a survey shows.
Lee Pitt man, manager of Sky
City, said of the business, "Con
sidering it's a new store, I think we
did real good."
Sky City, a discount department
store, opened November 10 in the
new Raeford-Hoke Village shopp
ing center. The Raeford store is
one of the 71 in the Sky City chain.
Pittman said, "A lot of people
don't know about us yet," and
that many people continued put
ting their pre-Christmas lavaways
in stores they had been doing
business with before Sky City
opened.
He also credited the neighboring
Food Town supermarket, which
opened a few weeks after Sky City
started business, with helping the
department store's business. Sky
City helps Food Town, he added.
Specifically, he said, toys and
appliances were popular this
season as usual and that ladies'
and men's clothing did real well,
too.
In downtown Raeford, mer
chants were also happy about the
season.
"We were well pleased with the
turnout of shoppers and appreciate
their support," said Gene Chalaire
of Calico Corner's business. He
and his wife, Mary Lee, own the
store, which sells real and artificial
flowers and flower arrangements
and articles for decorations,
candlewicking and cross stitching.
Chalaire said the 1982 Christmas
business showed a slight increase
over the 1981 seasons. Cut flowers
as gifts sold well toward the latter
part of th? season but the store
sold a lot of decorative items
before then, he added.
Manager Debbie Perry reported
Pope's business was good this year
but a little off last year's. "Con
sidering that Sky City's open." she
added, "we did pretty good."
At Western Auto, manager Jim
my Wood reported the shopping
season for his store generally was
better than the 1981 season.
The most popular single item, he
said, was the "E.T." doll.
"It was the most popular and
the most asked for," he said. "We
didn't get any in till December 1,
and we sold out almost instantly."
They were gone two weeks before
Christmas. The store got 36 and
after the sellout couldn't get any
more, he said.
But many other things were big
sellers at Westen Auto, he said.
The big sales this year were the
video games. Arcade Pac Man and
Donkey Kong were the best sellers,
and Pac Man was the best of the
two by far. Wood said.
Another big video game seller,
he said, was the television hookup.
And still another were made up
of the large stereo sets. "The big
ger they are, the better they sold."
Wood said.
Western Auto also sold a lot of
appliances and television sets and
microwave ovens, he reported.
Among the toys, besides E.T..
"Strawberry Short Cake." the girl
doll, in the 12-inch and 6-inch
sizes, was very popular, along with
her miniature furniture and other
accessories.
G1 Joe also was popular. Wood
said, and so were race cars
"again."
"We sold more toys than last
year." he added.
Vtlu-Mvt's season was "pretty
good on th? whole," though not
quite as good as last year's,
reported manager Myrl Ray. She
added, however", that the discount
chain's dropping stereos from its
line of offerings had a depressing
effect on sales generally this past
Christmas season.
John Howard, owner of
Howard Clothiers, reported that
the first part of December started
off slow but Christmas season
sales "ended on a good note."
"It's still clear to us," he added,
that these are not good times for
most people, but we hope 1983 will
bring brighter hope to all."
He said Howard's business wa?
not as good as last year "but we
were real pleased to see the marked
change in shopping habits by peo
ple of Raeford and Hoke
County." He said the change was
in "shopping Raeford" first
before looking outside the com
munity. "Merchants want to meet
the needs of the public," Howard
said, "but have to know *hat the
needs are. before they can get the
goods."
Howard said the unseasonably
warm weather during the shopping
season affected practically all types
of shopping.
The Christmas spirit, he said,
was found lacking because of it.
But the spring-like temperatures
resulted in a cutting down of sales
of outerwear at Howard's com
pared with last year's, but he also
blamed the economic atmosphere
of the times for the slump.
He said the best sellers were
socks, ties, and sweaters, rather
than suits, jackets, shoes and other
of the more expensive goods,
which ' he said, reflected the
economic atmosphere.
Speaking of the weather,
Howard added, "Certainly we did
no boom business in thermal
underwear. "
"So-so" was assistant manager
Arlie Keefer's first words of
description of Macks variety and
fashion store in Edinborough
Shopping Center.
It was slow getting started, he
added, and didn't move greatly un
til the last two weeks before
Christmas.
"Otherwise," he said, "it was
not too bad." The 1982 Christmas
business was "a little off" of
1981's, Keefer said, "but not as
much as I thought it would be."
He said the economy had
something to do with it.
"But I expect it will come back
in early spring."
Speaking of the Christmas sales,
he said, "clothing sold like crazy,"
though outerwear didn't move, as
Howard's didn't because of the
mild weather.
At B.C. Moore A Sons depart
ment store in the shopping center,
manager Greg Wilkerson
characterized the Christmas
business as "real good. Better than
last year." As to what goods were
most popular, he said sales were
good all over. "1 can't pinpoint a
specific area," he added. "The
way people spent money," he con
tinued, "it was real good. They
were ready to buy and to spend
money.
He said the store's prices were
cut "a little early," indicating this
helped sales.
Wilkerson said, 'That's a good
thing about competition, to."
He closed his comments with: "I
wish everybody who did shop with
us a happy new year."
Retail sales in November
brought S42.673.34 from Hoke
County's 1%. sales tax and
$33,856.19 from the state's 3%
tax, the State Department of
Revenue reported last month. The
state's gross collections were on
gross sales of $1,867,375.
The Hoke County tax in Oc
tober was S29.801.02 and in
November 1981 collections totaled
$28,300.34.
The state tax brought $72,234.30
in November 1981 on retail sales of
$3,155,536. The state tax collec
tions in October 1982 grossed
$70,218.30 on retail sales of
$3,531,616.
In the quarter which ended
September 30, the Hoke County
Hfc tax yielded $81,994.83 for the
county government and $14,428.95
to the City of Raeford.
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ROCKFISH, N.C.
HOKE COUNTY
NEXT TO ROCKFISH
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ROCKF ISH \ C
875-220 1
Area Incidents
Tires Targets Of Thieves
Tires were, the targets of thieves
and vandals ht rural Hoke County
between Christmas and the end of
the year, Hok? County Sheriffs
Department reports show.
Someone stole two wheels and
tires December 28 or 29 from a
vehicle at Beasley'^ Body Shop.
The tires were worth $100 each and
the rims $75 each, the report says.
Three tires worth $125 each and
the valve stems on two of them on
Wade Stroble's 1982 Jeep were cut
December 29, Stroble reported. He
said the Jeep was at his mobile
home on Rt. 4. Raeford, when the
damage was done.
The following were contained in
other reports.
Someone stole the four hubcaps
from Glenda Collins's car's wheels
while she was in the Main Event
Club from 11 p.m. Saturday and
midnight. The hubcaps are valued
at a total $200. Collins lives on Rt.
1, Shannon.
A total of $53 in quarters was
stolen from a pool table and slot
machines in the Brickhouse Club
on Jones Hill December 28 by
someone who broke into the
building, then broke into the
machines. The thief caused S3S
damage in breaking into the coin
boxes.
Simon Conely, Rt. 1, Red Spr
ings, reported December 29 so
meone broke into his home and
stole a S480 AM/FM eight-track
and cassette recorder/player.
Someone stole a $500 box of
tools from Frank and Linda Han
cock of Rt. 4, Raeford, in a break
in at their home between December
26 and 28.
Raeford Police Chief Leonard
Wiggins said he had nothing to
report this week for Area In
cidents]
He said all was quiet during the
holidays, and only one arrest for
driving under the influence was
made.
In this, he said, the defendent
blew no more than . 10 percent on
the Breathalyzer, the minimum
considered evidence of drunk driv
ing.
Roekfish News
byMyB *mr4
Friday evening, December 31,
the adults of Tabernacle Baptist
Church had dinner at the Western
Steer in Fayetteville.
After dinner they returned to the
Fellowship Hall at the Church and
played games Sknd enjoyed
refreshments to "tmcome in the
New Year.
Pittman Grove Baptist Church
also had a New Year's eve program
at the church to welcome in the
New Year.
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Turner, Sr.
visited their son, Bruce, Jr. and
family in Fayetteville for
Christmas.
Mrs. Bruce Turner, Sr. was
taken ill while visiting her son in
Fayetteville Christmas and was
taken to Womack Army Hospital
in Fort Bragg for treatment.
1 am happy to report that she is
much better at this time after a
bout with flu and bronchitis.
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Barnard
visited Mrs. Luther M. Huggins
and Mr. and Mrs. James Huggins
of Red Springs Friday afternoon.
"Luke" Huggins of Meredith Col
lege. Raleigh was home for the
holidays.
Julie Frazier, music therapist
major and Joan Frazier music
education major, students at
U.N.C. Greenville, made the deans
list for the fall semester.
They will return to school this
week after spending the holiday
season with their parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Jack Frazier.
Mrs. Daisy Bennett of Fayet
teville visited Mr. and Mrs. Johnny
Gillis of the Galatia Community
and Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Bar
nard Saturday evening.
Mr. and Mrs. Dwight English
and children, Samantha, Heather
and Kelly of Connelly Springs
spent several days with Mr.
English's mother, Mrs. Grady
English during the Christmas
holidays.
Mrs. Lawrence visited Mrs.
Qrafy English while Dwightr
English and family were here for
the holidays.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Windstrom
and son, David of Greensboro
visited Mrs. Windstroms mother,
Mrs. Elizabeth Pittman during the
holiday season.
David Odom of Richmond,
Virginia visited his sister, Mrs.
Elizabeth Pittman Christmas Eve.
Mr. and Mrs. Amos Grant, Jr.
and son, Bobby visited Mr.
Grant's father in Chester, South
Carolina Christmas Eve.
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Davis of
Selma visited Mrs. Davis's parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Amos Grant, Jr. and
family Christmas Day. In turn Mr.
and Mrs. Grant and Bobby visited
the Davis's in Selma to celebrate
the New Year.
Mr. and Mrs. W.M. McPhaul
were house guests in the home of
their son-in-law and daughter, Mr.
and Mrs. J.B. Ridout in Virginia
Beach, Virginia.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Wood and
son Timothy of Greenville, North
Carolina visited Mr. Wood's
mother, Mrs. Martin Wood during
the Christmas holidays.
Mrs. Kathleen Garner and
children of Carthage spent Mon
day after Christmas visiting
relatives in the area.
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Gibson
and daughter Joan of Shelby spent
several days with relatives in the
area during the holiday season.
Allen Gibson of Richmond,
Virginia spent several days with
relatives in the area during the
holiday season. After leaving here
he visited his son, Allen Gibson,
Jr. and family in Jacksonville,
Florida.
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Durham of
Hillsboro spent Christmas with
Mrs. Durham's mother, Mrs.
Henry Fowler and sister, Cathy.
Mrs. Alice Allen and daughter,
Teresa spent the holidays with Mr.
and Mrs. Keith Stika.
Mrs. Henrietta Tanner spent
several days in Roxboro visiting
Mrs. Minnie Outlaw and family
during the holiday season.
Those visiting in the home of
Mr. and Mrs. David Gibson during
the holiday season were Mr. and
Mrs. Billy Clark and sons of
Miami, Florida, Mr. and Mrs.
James Clark and daughter of Col
umbia, South Carolina, Mr. and
Mrs. Ron Hill and family of
Leonard, Michigan.
Those visiting in the home of
Mrs. Louise Watson during the
holiday season were Mr. and Mrs.
Arthur Watson of White Lake,
Phillip Watson of Fayetteville, Mr.
and Mrs. Billy Watson and
Donavan of Efland, North
Carolina, Mr. and Mrs. Billy Wat
son and family of Shelby, Mr. and
Mrs. Dwight English and famnily
of Connelly Springs, Mrs. Wright
Parker of Selma, Mrs. L.D. Long
and Demont Long of Fayetteville,
Mrs. Charles Johnston of
Winston-Salem, Mrs. Dianne
Udeck and son, P.D. and Mrs.
Grace English.
Happy New Year everyone.
I certainly hope the New Year
brings prosperity to the economy,
a step nearer peace on earth, more
hope and good health to everyone!
God Bless!
Magistrate's Court
The following Hoke County
magistrates' judgments were issued
last week.
Ruscello Adelmo, Greenville,
S..C, speeding 69 in a 55 zone, $10
and costs.
Gearline Hunt Locklear, Fay
etteville, speeding 67 in a 55 zone,
$10 and costs.
Brenda S. Brewer, Rt. 4,
Raeford, worthless check, $9.30
restitution to The Party Shoppe,
and costs.
William Ryan Boyles, Rt. I,
Raeford, expired inspection cer
tificate, costs.
Jenny Cooper Hill, Fayetteville,
speeding 69 in a 55 zone, S10 and
costs.
Thomas Edward Cauthen,
Jacksonville, Ark., speeding 70 in
a S3 zone, $10 and costs.
Worth Hunt, Lumberton,
speeding 66 in a 55 zone, S10 and
costs.
Davin Kendall Ware, Fayette
ville, speeding 68 in a 55 zone, $10
and costs.
John Szwaja, Wagram, speeding
65 in a 55 zone, $5 and costs.
Sherry Arthur Ellerbe, speeding
70 in a 55 zone, $10 and costs.
Jerry Jerome Clark, Rt. 4,
Fayetteville, exceeding a safe
speed, costs.
Fredia Fayt Cummings, Rt. 4,
Red Springs, worthless check, $20
restitution to Graham's Service
Station, and costs.
William Clement Bowens,
Fayetteville, speeding 69 in a 55
zone, $10 and costs.
The following were omitted
from last week's edition of The
News- Journal.
Lawrence Frank Reece,
Raeford, registration number not
displayed, and expired 20-day tag,
costs
Charles Glenn Williford,
Greensboro, speeding 50 in a 35
zone, $10 and costs.
John Allen White, Jr., Ft.
Bragg, speeding 68 in a 55 zone,
$10 and costs.
Jerry Dennis Douglas. Cheraw,
S.C., improper passing $10 and
costs.
Edward L. Williams, Rt. I, Box
122, Lumber Bridge, worthless
check, J29.79 restitution to
Jackson's FMA, and costs.