Editorials
Commission wins point,
but schools lose future
Members of the County Commission played hard ball last week
with the Hoke County Board of Education and won.
However, the commissioner's victory appears to have cost Hoke
High students the opportunity of taking junior Reserve Officers
Training next year and may have killed the program here for the
next three years. The win also did little to patch up the long
standing differences between the governmental bodies.
The school board had requested a 17.2% hike in local funding
this year, but because the commission members drew the line on the
school system's spending at a 10% increase, the ROTC program
had to be scratched from the operating budget. Failure to fund the
training puts Hoke County at the bottom of a three-year waiting
list.
In an effort to save the program, the school board attempted to
persuade the commission during a joint public session last week that
ROTC was worthwhile, and that an additional $20,000 needed to
fund the training was justified.
Unmoved by the presentation, the commissioners suggested "in
the spirit of compromise" that the school board do without a new
car planned for the school nurse and without the paving budgeted
for the West Hoke School dirt parking lot.
It is easy to understand how the county officials could suggest
that the nurse drive her 12-year-old car another year, and that if the
teachers, parents and visitors at West Hoke could wade through the
mud in the past, they could do it again next year.
But, it is difficult to comprehend how the commissioners believed
their suggestions would have been considered a compromise.
It is hardly a compromise, when nothing is sacrificed by one of
the agreeing parties and all the giving is done by the other.
Had the commissioners been in a spirit of compromise, they
perhaps would have suggested increasing the school budget to cover
part of the cost of ROTC or suggested finding alternative financing.
In the so-called "negotiations" last week, the commissioners
gave nothing and took away a great deal.
ROTC at Hoke High would have provided a program of leader
ship, discipline and teamwork for the more than 100 students who
have expressed an interest in the training.
Supporters of the program feel that ROTC fills a void for many
students, who may not be inclined towards participating in athletics
or extra-curricular activities. For some of these students, ROTC
could also be the difference that keeps them out of trouble.
With Hoke's proximity to Ft. Bragg, an ROTC unit here could
have had access to facilities and experiences not available to other
counties in the state, and as a result, the training would have been
better than that offered at many other schools.
In addition, 37 members, or 16%, of this year's graduating class
went into the military. With high school ROTC training, those
enlistees would have been better prepared for the service, and would
have had a two pay-grade jump on those who had not taken the
course.
The program would have also been beneficial to other graduates
who will have an opportunity to take ROTC in college. By going
through the junior training, students also stand a better chance of
being chosen to receive full military scholarship benefits. \
There are many positive reasons for having an ROTC program at
Hoke High, and few negative ones.
Hoke County taxpayers have accumulated a surplus reserve fund
of close to $1 million which draws more than S 100,000 in interest
each year. In light of that, it is hard to understand the commis
sioners' staunch objection to funding the $20,000 needed for an
ROTC program.
Although we are generally opposed to hikes in taxes, probably
few Hoke County taxpayers would have objected if the commis- \
sioners found it necessary to impose the 1 % increase needed to fund
ROTC. Those additional charges would have meant that a S40.000
homeowner would pay an extra S4 per year, or less than ah after
noon at the movies.
The commissioner's action last week showed an insensitivity to
the needs of the county's educational system and slammed the door
on many youths who could have been helped by the training.
ROTC would have been worth the cost, and the program would
have meant much to the future of the county. ,
CLIFF BLUE...
People & Issues
WASHINGTON . . . From our
listening post in Washington
comes word that as senators catch
subway cars to the Senate
chamber, walk the halls to the
Senate office buildings and go to
committees, reporters and others
show intense interest in the four
Democratic contenders for the
Democratic presidential nomina
tion.
One veteran doorkeeper in the
Senate remarked a few days ago:
"Senator Glenn, for the first time,
is beginning to show strain from
the pressure. It's tremendous; polls
show he's the most popular
Democratic candidate."
A newsman, some hours later
saw Glenn and noticed his visible
reddened face. Tension is getting
him. Others who have been watch
ing him remark on how much his
manner and appearance resembles
that of the latp President
Eisenhower.
"There's something about his
bearing and manner that reminds
one of Ike. He seems to be getting
more like him," one reporter who
sees him daily said.
SENATORS . . . Also under
pressure are senators who face
tough races in 1984. Conservative
Jesse Helms of North Carolina
knows he's in a race -- facing
Governor Jim Hunt next year.
SOUTH CAROLINA . . . Con
trary to the North Carolina situa
tion, President Pro-tem of the
Senate, Strom Thurmond of South
Carolina seems safe in 1984. There
has been talk that the state's
Democratic governor, Dick Riley,
might run against him. But the
consensus is that Thurmond is
unbeatable. He has unlimited
financial support -- really
unlimited.
Thurmond has voted for exten
sion of the civil rights act and
moved to increase his popularity
among blacks. Though in ad
vanced age, he's healthy and ac
tive. One of his staffers remarked,
laughing: "He's more active than
most members, goes sixteen hours
a day. I bet he'll write a book one
of these days about his first hun
dred years in public service!"
The other three presidential con
tenders, Hollings of South
Carolina, Hart of Colorado and
Cranston of California, stir excite
ment, but hot as much as Glenn.
MONDALE . . . Mondale is still
regarded as the front runner,
Reuben Askew of Florida is a long
shot candidate. Hart and Cranston
are popular among leftwing
groups.
Lots can happen in presidential
sweepstakes between now and con
vention time a year from now!
CALCIUM . . . Sufficient
calcium consumption may help to
prevent high blood pressure, ac
cording to a study at Johns
Hopkins Univeristy. Dr. Jose
Villar of the universities School of
Hygiene and Public Health told
the Health Insurance Association
that: "High calcium intake, which
is associated with lower blood
pressure may produce a protective
effect hypertension." He cau
tioned, however, that no single
dietary factor can prevent high
blood pressure. Its control is a
combination of several factors, he
said, and until we have more con
clusive data, people should make
sure tbey get the regular daily re
quirements of all nutrients, in
cluding calcium."
* vw mu nw, Sanger piesohep tun mfceccKf*
Letters To The Editor
Cherokees will fight
To ihe Editor.
This is to every person who
reads this paper, to e\ery govern
ment official, especially to: the
Administration of Hoke County,
the Department of Social Services
of Hoke Count), Chief Wiggins of
the Raeford Police Department,
David Barrington, Sheriff, the so
called North Carolina Commission
of Indian Affairs, Bruce Jones
Director, the Lumbee Regional
Development Association of Non
Indians and all people made in the
likeness and image of God.
We, the Cherokee Indians of
Hoke County Inc. are sick and
tired of being discriminated
against by you, and this means
you.
We are Cherokee Indians born
under the 1885, 1911 and the 1913
Cherokee Indians of Robeson and
adjoining counties acts as passed
by the General Assembly of North
Carolina in those years and
reratified by the General Assembly
of North Carolina of 1977.
We are not Lumbee, but the
North Carolina Commission of In
dian Affairs is trying to make us
Lumbees.
We are not l.umbees.
We do not claim decsent from
early white settlers and certain
unknown tribes of Indians.
We can ttace our ancestry back
as Indians just as far as you want,
and it is Cherokee all the way.
Yet, the state is using the 1953
and 1956 Lumbee bills and using it
as an instrument of attainder, to
deny us our rights and benefits as
Cherokee Indians by allowing the
Lumbee Regional Development
Association and the Lumbee tribe
to claim dominion over our ancient
land and over us.
We intend to march for our
rights in Raeford, whether or not
we get a permit. We intend to be at
the meeting of the Indian Commis
sion in September of 1983.
We intend to have our rights.
The non Indian Lumbees have
taken over much of the ancient
Cherokee Indian lands, but they
can't win. They can't fight God.
We started out not to fight the
Lumbee non Indians and LRDA,
but now the race is on, and we in
tend to win in the name of Jesus.
r
We are born Cherokee We live
Cherokee and we vniII die
Cherokee. Amen.
We mean what we say.
The Cherokee Indians
of Hoke County, Inc.
Rev. Edgar Bryant.
Chief Exec. Dir.
Rev. Douglas W. Maynor,
Tribal spokesman
DSS doing good job
To the Editor:
As an out-of-town subscriber
and a former employee of the
Hoke County Department of
Social Services. 1 have lollowed the
reports of the Food Stamps
Monthly Reporting issue with in
terest.
Hoke County's early involve
ment in the procedute has provid
ed valuable insight to the State
regarding the impact of this move.
The fact that the agency agreed
to serve as a pilot county in the
endeavor is an indication of the ad
ministrative spirit and enthusiasm
of the Hoke County DSS. The
same holds true of the agency's
candid appraisal of the results of
the pilot effort.
During my four-and-a-half years
as an Eligibility Supervisor with
Hoke DSS, members of the staff
were often called upon to serve on
various state committees and task
forces. We were one of the few
counties who were a part of the
"walk-through" of Eligibility
Redesign Phase II as the state
prepared for the changeover. We
were one of the early small coun
ties to "go live" as terminals were
located in the agencies last year .
The agency's continued cons
cientious involvement in current
and upcoming issues has evidenced
the dedication of the staff.
In a profession where rewards
are usually limited to the satisfac
tion of a job well done, such in
volvement is to be commended.
As a long-time employee of
Social Services in North Carolina,
1 have worked in three different
county agencies under the direc
tion of five different county direc
tors.
May I take this opportunity to
say that Director Ken Witherspoon
and the Hoke DSS Staff are among
the finest!
Thank you.
SincereU ,
Becky B. Britt
Lumberton
Puppy Creek
Philosopher
Dear editor:
One trouble with politicians
these days is they have no imagina
tion. ?
Take the case of the stolen brief
ing papers, a copy of which,
prepared for Mr. Carter in his
debate with Mr. Reagan, turned up
in Mr. Reagan's camp.
How the papers got in the wrong
camp, whether by theft or betrayal
or accident, and how nobody on
the Reagan side can remember on
Monday how they got there but on
Tuesday can have some faint
recollection, more or less, possibly
or perhaps. ..these things are being
investigated by the FBI, the Justice
Department, a Congressional
Committee, and every reporter in
Washington hungry to make a
name for himself.
Personally I have no opinion on
the matter, other than 1 hope the
networks don't dig up their tapes
of the debate and run them again
to let the public decide if any
cheating took place.
But back to the politicians' lack
of imagination. What the Carter
people should have done, if they'd
had a merry turn of mind, is
prepare a phony briefing book and
let it fall into the hands of the
Reagan people. Then sit back and
grin.
There's fun to be had in politics
if the whole kit'n-kaboodle didn't
take themselves so seriously.
The country needs more in
dividuals who, on being asked by a
"scientific opinion pollster" what
they think on some burning issue,
tell him just the opposite of what
they really think.
I don't know who stole those
briefing papers but whoever did
ought to be brought to trial. There
should be no place in this govern
ment for petty theft.
Yours faithfully,
J. A.
Lawn mowing beats
shelling those peas
By Warren Johnston
It was one of those hot muggy
Hoke County Saturdays when the
sun burned, and the 98?
temperatures hung like a wet army
blanket a few inches above the
ground.
The birds didn't fly. The crickets
didn't chirp, and the rabbits did
not hop. Nothing moved.
It was loo hot.
The Bermuda grass in our yard
was in a growing race with the
weeds to see which one could reach
the eight-and-a-half foot mark
first. They both needed mowing.
The last time 1 mowed the grass,
1 kicked up so much dust that the
Raeford Fire Department stopped
by to see if the north end of town
was ablaze.
It was 9 a.m. My wife and 1 sat
in front of the oscillating fan,
drank our morning coffee and
sweated.
"What am I going to do
today?" 1 asked.
"You could mow the grass," she
said quietly, as she picked up a col
ander full of unshelled field peas.
"It's too hot," 1 replied, watch
ing a fly do the back stroke in my
coffee cup.
"You could help me shell these
peas," she insisted.
Shelling peas was one of the last
things that I wanted to do. I gave
her one of my best lines about how
1 didn't do windows, floors or shell
peas.
She didn't go for it.
"You bought these things
without asking me, and you are go
ing to help shell them," she said.
I knew that I had to stall for
time. The longer 1 waited, the
fewer peas there would be to shell.
"How was I to know they would
be so much trouble. My mother
was a debutante. She never told me
about shelling peas," 1 quipped.
It all started when this traveling
pea salesman came by the office.
"How 'bout some fresh peas,"
he had said. "Sevin dollar a
bushel, and I'll bring 'em right in
The Puppy Papers
here and set them down in front of
you."
It sounded like a deal. We had a
freezer. My wife could shell them.
We could eat peas all winter.
As my wife handed me a lap full
of peas to shell, 1 knew that I had
been suckered again.
The last time it happened was
with the crabs.
1 had just wanted "a few" crabs
to steam for dinner.
The man at the wholesale
seafood house knew an uplander
when he saw one. He had just been
in contact with one of his shrimp
boats by radio, he assured me.
They would bring my crabs in with
them.
When 1 returned an hour later,
two large garbage cans were there,
brimming with blue crabs.
"Here's your crabs. They're
$7," the seafood man had said.
1 had begged him to take the $7
and keep all but three or four of
the crabs. He wouldn't hear of it.
By midnight the crabs were boil
ed. The bathtub, which had been
teaming with clawed creatures all
day, was emptied. All that remain
ed was a smell. It lingered for days.
Crabs had once been one of my
wife's favorite foods. Now, she
has bad dreams about them.
The peas were beginning to look
the same to me.
After an hour, my thumbs ach
ed, and I was bored.
"How many are left?" I asked.
"We have shelled a tenth of
them," she said, not looking up
from her colander.
"1 think I'll mow the grass."
It was nice to be out under the
hot baking sun, the roar of the
lawn mower in my ears, dust filling
my nostrils and clumps of new
mown grass swirling about my
feet.
Pea shelling was woman's work,
and besides, mowing the grass on a
98? day was a lot easier.
Letters Policy
Letters to the editor are encouraged and welcomed. Writers
should keep letters as short as possible. Names, addresses and
telephone numbers should be included and all letters must be
signed. Names will be printed, however, other information will be
kept confidential. We reserve the right to edit letters for good taste
and brevity, letters should b? received by The News-Journal by
noon on the Monday of the publication week.
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