" CAe ^ eu??) - journal 25
The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
Volume LXXV Number 6 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $10 PER YEAR Thursday, June 2, 1983
Hoke High ROTC, ' Worth The Cost '
By Sherry Matthews
After nearly 10 years of trying,
the Hoke County School System
could very well be next in line for a
Junior Reserve Officers' Training
Corp(ROTC).
According to Hoke High prin
cipal Linwood Simpson, an ap
plication was first made back in
the 1970's and Hoke County was
placed on a waiting list.
Since that time, the school has
moved up on the list, but has re
mained out of contention.
However, in the 1983-84 school
budget presented to the County
Commissioners for approval,
Around Town
by Sam Morris
We did get a little rain in
Raeford Sunday afternoon, but we
can still use a good rain. I have
been informed that Robert Gatlin
said that six-hundredths of an inch
fell Sunday.
The forecast is for rain on
Wednesday and if it goes as in the
past few days, most of it will either
go north or south of Raeford.
According to one farmer, it is
not too bad at the present time. He
did say that we couldn't hold off
many more days without rain,
without it hurting crops.
? ? *
The annual meeting of the
Raeford-Hoke Chamber of Com
merce last Tuesday night was well
attended. Just about all businesses
and local government offices were
represented. *?- ? - ?
Steve Parker, manager of SNB,
was installed as the new president
and we know that he will do a good
job. Of course he will need the sup
port of all the business leaders of
the community. So let's all get
behind him and see Raeford and
Hoke County move forward.
Lauch Faircloth, Secretary of
Commerce of North Carolina, was
the principal speaker and he left no
doubt in anyone's mind that he is
thinking about running for gover
nor. It would seem that he is close
ly related to about everyone in
Hoke County, all at once. So this
is a good sign that he is looking for
votes.
It was good to hear that Faberge
is expanding and we congratulated
the company on their fine com
munity involvement since coming
to Raeford.
* t *
You know whenever you go to
the barber shop to get a hair cut,
you will also get plenty of news. It
seems that barbers have a way of
making conversation.
Last week Stanley Koonce was
telling me about spending a recent
weekend in Rock Hill, S.C. with
his son, Don and family. They at
tended church services there and
during the worship hour, he said,
all visitors were asked to stand.
After service, a man came up to
Stanley and Louise and introduced
himself as a Mr. Sturgis. This caus
ed Stanley to ask him about Carrie
Sturgis that taught here in Raeford
during the 1920s and 1930s. Of
course he expected to hear that she
was dead, if this man knew her. It
was just the opposite. The man
was related to Miss Sturgis and
said she lived with her nephew on
the edge of the city.
After getting directions to the
house Stanley, Louise and his son
went to the house. There they had
a visit with Miss Sturgis and she
was able to walk back to the car
with them. She should be in her
80s, but Stanley said except for
age, she was still the same small
lady we would all remember. Of
course, as we all know, as we get
older, we can't remember like we
could years ago.
To many of the late comers to
Raeford this will not mean
anything to you. But to many
graduates of Raeford High School
in the 20a and 30s I know you will
be glad that Stanley related this to
me.
Thanks Stanley and get me more
news for my next haircut.
$20,000 has been earmarked for
the ROTC program.
At this point school officials are
unsure if the local funds for the
program will be approved, but
support among backers for ROTC
is strong.
"The ROTC is a good program
and one well worth investing in,"
Superintendent Bob Nelson said.
"The program often will reach
students who haven't been reached
by the typical curriculum," Nelson
said.
"This type of program is a
distinct advantage for a school,"
Nelson added.
Both Nelson and Simpson are
backing the program and see long
range benefits.
"I think it is an excellent pro
gram that provides good benefits
for both young men and women,"
Simpson said.
"I support it whole-heartedly
and hope it gets off the ground this
year," Simpson added.
At this point, funding for the
program must come from local
monies.
According to Gloria Williams,
who is director of instruction for
the 7-12 grades, the $20,000 in
local money goes toward the
salaries of two instructors who are
"retired military."
The army pays the instructors
retirement and the school must
make up the difference, Williams
said.
According to Williams, the army
provides the equipment and the
uniforms used, while the school
must provide facilities and salaries.
State monies are not ap
propriated for "extra curricula"
activities, so the local government
must fund it, Williams said.
Many people believe that the
ROTC program would benefit a
lot of children.
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..
Somewhere down the tracks
You can V here the lonesome whine of the train nor can you see the locomotive rolling past, but somewhere down
those tracks an engine is slowly creeping its way toward Raeford perhaps in search of a destination and a place to
cool its tiring axles.
School board vice-chairman
Mina Townsend voiced support
for the program at a recent board
meeting saying that she felt the
ROTC would benefit those "kids
who did not wish to take college
prepartory courses."
Others see the ROTC as a
discipline tool.
"The program will instill
discipline into students who often
times need a more regimented way
of life," Nelson said.
According to Nelson, the ROTC
will also provide "beneficial" ex
periences for the students.
Through the ROTC program, a
young man or woman will learn
discipline, responsibility, leader
ship, physical fitness and the
various opportunities that the U.S.
Army can provide.
According to Williams, some of
the students involved with the
ROTC may graduate from high
school and enter the military or
choose college and the ROTC pro
grams offered there.
Those students who finish the
ROTC in college and join the ar
my, go into service as an officer,
Williams said.
"There are a lot of opport unites
(See ROTC, page 3A)
Waste Probe
Awaits Results
By Sherry Matthews
The results of samples taken two
weeks ago by state and local health
officials at a suspected Hoke
County battery burieil site should
be completed by Friday, Hoke
Health Director Lloyd Home said.
The battery site is one of three
areas in Hoke County that has
been under the scrutiny of state of
ficials for the past month as con
taining toxic and cancer causing
substances.
Results of tests taken for
Polycholorinated Biphenyls
(PCB's), which were also taken
two weeks ago, are expected to be
finalized by Wednesday, Home
said.
Some PCB samplings taken
from the sites earlier, which are
located in the Ashley Heights and
McCain areas, have shown low to
mid level readings of toxic
chemicals, officials have said.
The lead samplings were taken,
from an alleged battery burial site
in the Ashley Heights area, which
is approximately 60 yards from a
well which had been used, until
recently, to serve a nearby mobile
home park.
Transformer salvage business
owner Woody Wilson Jr. of
Goldsboro admits burying battery
casings in the Ashley Heights area
prior 1980.
Wilson claims that he buried just
the battery casings at the site and
under the direction of Hoke
Health Officer Mike Wood.
Home denies that Wood
directed Wilson to bury the cas
ings.
According to Home, Wood
"did not tell Wilson to bury the
batteries."
Wood, however, was aware that
the batteries had been buried
"after the fact," Home said, add
ing that the matter was turned over
to the "proper state authorities."
The actual burial site of the bat
tery casings was also not known to
health officials until recently.
Home said.
The investigation into the three
sites began after health officials
received reports of late night burn
ings from area residents.
Health officials believe that elec
trical transformer parts and oil
from electrical units were being
burned.
An Ashley Heights area location
and a site within half a mile of Mc
Cain Hospital have shown
evidence of melted metal and heat
damage to the surroundings.
Until all the test results are in,
(See LAB. pajje 7A)
Hoke Mental Health Unit Running Smoothly
By Sherry Matthews
Despite rumors to the contrary,
Sandhills Mental Health Acting
Director Paul McDonald says the
Hoke County Clinic is operating
normally.
McDonald, who was director of
the Hoke County unit, took over
the helm of the mental health
facility after Dr. Steven Dingfelder
resigned his position three weeks
ago.
Area residents have complained
After 50 Years
that the Hoke unit has been placed
on the back burner due to
McDonald's appointment.
"There is no shortage of
coverage in the Hoke County
area," McDonald said.
"We are rotating different peo
ple through there so that things
will continue to run smoothly,"
McDonald added.
According to McDonald, the on
ly thing missing from the Hoke
unit is him.
Troop 401 In Danger
By Sherry Matthews
After more than 50 years of ex
istence, Raeford Boy Scout Troop
401 is in danger of extinction.
The scout troop, which has been
sponsored by the Raeford Kiwanis
Club since the 1920's, is in danger
of losing its charter because of a
lack of a scout master to lead the
troop.
According to Kiwanian Steve
Connell, who is also heading the
committee formed to keep the
scout troop alive, finding a scout
master has "been a tough job."
"It has been nearly a year since
we've had an active scout troop or
a master," Connell said.
The Kiwanis Club appointed a
new scout master sometime last
year, but due to a lack of com
munication, the troop "fell apart
at the seams", Connell said.
"As a result, there were no
meetings, no outings and eventual
ly no troop," Connell said.
With the troop's future on the
line, Connell says that interest in
the scouts is peaking again.
"There has been a great deal of
interest over this thing, especially
from disgruntled parents who are
concerned about the future of the
scouts," Connell said.
"We (Kiwanis) have also renew
ed our dedication to this troop and
plan to work more diligently than
we have in the past to see that it
continues to exist," Connell said.
"I would hate to see it go,"
Connell added.
At present the Kiwanis Club has
formed a three-man committee set
up to study the scout situation and
locate a master for the troop.
"We have the facilities and the
money, but it takes a lot more than
just that," Connell said.
"We need to find someone who
is willing to take on the respon
sibility," he added.
With 43 scouts on the roster last
year, and no one actively involved
at present, something must be
done, and Connell is the first to
admit it.
"We have got to get this thing
straightened out," Connell said.
"I feel like we will be successful
(See SCOUTS, page 7A)
"Everything is covered to this
point. The only thing different is, I
won't be there," McDonald said.
The musical chairs that the
center has been playing with its
employees began when a letter by
Raeford attorney Philip Diehl,
who is also a center board
member, sparked a state audit of
the center's books.
The audit was initiated because
of the center's alleged misuse of
funds, and Dingfelder's apparent
n ? m
violation of state conflict of in
terest statutes.
Diehl had said in an earlier inter
view that Dingfelder was involved
with the Sandhills Mental Health
Foundation, which is a non-profit
counseling service in Moore Coun
ty that provides services much like
the center.
A tentative audit was presented
to the board on Wednesday, May
11, the same night that Dingfelder
and four board members resigned.
Deserted: unkept and alone
The 401 Seoul hut Is just before being closed for good. Because there Is no
scout master, there are no scouts, and without scouts there Is no need for
this hut. It has been deserted, left unkept and alone for the past year as
decisions are being made on the fate of the troop and the hut. If a scout
master Is not found to take over the troop within 30 days, the doors to this
scout hut will be slammed shut for the last time.
McDonald was immediately
named to assume Dingfelder's
responsibilities, taking him away
from the Hoke County unit.
According to McDonald, the
center's situation has not
prevented the Hoke unit from be
ing "taken care of."
"That is my own backyard. 1 am
seeing to it that they don't get
slighted in any way," McDonald
added.
Foreclosures
Levied Against
Commissioner
By Sherry Matthews
United Carolina Bank has begun
foreclosure proceedings on three
tracts of land owned by Hoke
County Commissioner James
Albert Hunt.
The three tracts of land are
located in the South Hoke area
that Hunt recently renamed Hunts
ville.
Hunt's garage and land adjoin
ing that property will be up for sale
to the highest bidder during a
public auction to be held at the
Hoke County Courthouse on June
27.
Under North Carolina law,
Hunt has until then to catch up the
payments he apparently has
neglected.
"We did it exactly like we would
for any other customer," UCB
president Robert Conoly said, add
ing that there was no prejudice
shown one way or the other.
Hunt, vice-chairman of the
Hoke County Board of Commis
(See HUNT'S, page 7A)