, 25 ^Jie
The Hoke County News - Established 1928
Volume LXXV Number 15 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
25
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1 905
$10 PER YEAR Thursday, August 4, 1983
A bloomin ' okra
This pretty flower is actually an okra bloom that was spotted in someone 's garden. Flower lover 's might he able to tell the difference hut to most
the okra bloom appears to be another summer flower opening its petals to the August sun.
Hoke County District Court Judge
Joseph Dupree.
Hunt Given Jail Sentence,
Suspended For Resignation
B> Sherry Matthews
Hoke County Commissioner
James A. Hunt was asked to resign
his office in exchange for a
suspended sentence in Hoke
District Court Friday.
Hunt, who has been plagued by
financial problems since
December, was in Hoke District
Court for failing to comply with an
earlier order to pay off a worthless
check .
According to District Court
Judge Joseph Dupree, Hunt had
been given until July 28 to pay
back the bad check and pay court
expenses, but the commissioner
apparently failed to follow the
order.
Around Town
by Sam Morris
Well, it didn't take long for the
cooler weather to return to sum
mer. It seemed like the fall of the
year for a couple of mornings, but
it is now back to warm nights.
According to reports we had ap
proximately two inches of rain in
Hoke County during the last part
of July. This is under 50^o of the
normal rainfall for this month. It
d i help the crops, and as one
farmer said to me Sunday, tobacco
and cotton are doing fairly well.
The corn crop is in bad shape and 1
believe the soybeans are the same
way.
The forecast is for summer
weather to continue and since it is
the first week of August, we
should expect many more days of
hot weather. Of course a thunder
shower every once in awhile would
help.
? * *
Jimmy Plummer of the Wayside
Community called me Monday
and said that some members of his
graduating class at Hoke High
School would like to have a class
reunion. The Class of 1946 is the
one that Jimmy is wanting to get
together. Of course I am more
than willing to help in any way that
I can, because class reunions are
my favorite dish.
So if you can remember when
you finished, and if it was in 1946
you should get in touch with one of
the following people:
William Clark
902 East Scottsdale Drive
Laurinburg, N.C. 28352
Jimmy Plummer
Route 4 Box 492
Raeford, N.C. 28376
Telephone 875-5461
Don't delay for they would like
to have the reunion in September
and it takes some planning to have
a successful reunion.
* ? *
Mark Tuesday, August 9, 1983 -
7:30 p.m. on your calendar. This is
when Congressman Bill Hefner
will be at the county courthouse to
get your views or suggestions.
? * ?
Paul Dickson brought a book
by the office last week and Warren
Johnston said that Dickson said 1
would more than likely read it and
make a few comments on the
book. The book is a history of the
North Carolina State Highway
Patrol. It was written by Albert
Coates who for many years was
head of the institute of Govern
ment at Chapel Hill. I have read
other books written by Mr.
Coates, so I was glad to have a
*V>:
(See AROUND, pa^c 10)
In addition Hunt tailed to show
up in court Friday to explain why
the order had not been met.
Judge Dupree issued a warrant
for his arrest and had instructed
sheriffs deputies to immediately
begin searching for the nine-year
commission member.
"II they had not found you
before this court session ended. I
had ordered your confinement
without bond until the next session
of District Court," Dupree told
Hunt after he was brought into the
courtroom.
During Hunt's sentencing.
Dupree alluded to his own arrest
for drixing under the influence
charges.
r
"I had to appear before ihis
court, and I was guilty, bui I did
show up on my scheduled dav,"
Duprec told Hunt.
"Many people have been svm
pathetic towards you and have
tried to help you avoid more pro
blems. including this court, bin n
is time lor this foolishness id end."
Dupree said
"I am giving vou a 40-dav active
sentence, but I will suspend thai
sentence it you resign your posi
tion as countv commissioner."
Dupree said.
"Vou have embarrassed this
county long enough." Dupree add
ed .
(See HUNT, page 11)
County Mulls
Sales T ax Hike
B> Sherr> Mai (hens
In an effort to "decrease" an ex
pected property tax increase for
next year, Hoke County Commis
sioners voted to hold a public hear
ing on an optional one-half cent
sales tax that will bring revenues
into the county.
County Manager James Martin
told the board that implementing
the new tax would probably help
"lessen" the blow of increased
property taxes.
"1 see this as a way taxes will
have to be increased less," Martin
said, adding that this new tax
would probably not prevent a pro
perty tax increase in the future.
"It (sales tax) will not prevent a
tax increase, in my opinion, but it
will probably mean less of a tax in
crease," Martin added.
The new tax, voted into law by
the General Assembly in July,
allows county commissioners to
levy an additional sales tax and
designates portions of the money
to be spent on schools or water and
sewer needs.
Under the law, commissioners
can levy the additional tax by their
own vote or by referendum vote.
Hoke Commissioners arc
holding a public hearing to gel
feedback on how county residents
feel about the new tax.
"I believe this tax is a lot fairer
than the present one cent tax."
Commission Chairman John
Balfour said.
The one cent tax that is presently
in effect allows for the monies col
lected in a particular county to stay
within that county.
"As I see it. that is an unfair
distribution," Balfour said.
With the one-half cent tax, most
counties will see more revenues
than they have in the past consider
ing that the monies will be shelled
out on a population basis.
If commissioners decide to im
plement the sales tax, Hoke Coun
ty could receive some $4()().(XX).
Of that money, 40?'n or approx
imately S160,(XX) would be ear
marked for the schools capital
reserve fund during the first five
years the tax is in effect During
the second five ' years, school
revenues would be cut to 30?o of
(See TAX. pajje 1 1 )
Turkey Plant Given
October 1 Deadline
B> Sherry Matthews
Member-, of the Raeford City
Council decided Monday night 10
toughen an existing sewer use or
dinance in order 10 bring all local
industries in compliance with state
clean water standards by October I
and to get a state imposed
moratorium on future develop
ment lilted.
The amendment of the existing
sewer use ordinance calls for
Biochemical Oxygen Demand
(HOI)) charges to he levied againsi
any industry that is not meeting
city sewer standards bv October I.
C ity Manager Ron Matthews said.
"The city has had the option of
waiving excess BOD charges in the
past, but alter October I. we will
have to pass all charges on to any
violator." Matthews said.
According 10 Matthews, BOD
charges are not the only fines thai
can be levied against non
complying industries under the
amended ordinance.
> Ifc .til
A wooden rainbow
Mature sometimes has a strange nay, especially in the hidden sections of the woods where few people tend to
travel. With weekend storms thai produced damaging winds and heavy rains, creatures of the woods t<n>k
shelter. Mother Sature apparently gave the little creatures a rainbow of their own to enjoy. Although the colors
aren V there, the shape and perhaps the pot of gold can he seen!
It industries go beyond certain
limits of discharge, then the city
will have t he power to prohibit thai
discharge from entering ihe town's
sewer system. Matthews s.iid.
If an industries' discharge c\
ceeds 800 milligrams per line then
the city must prohibit thai industt\
from dumping that BOD into the
system. Matthews said.
According to Matthews. IIS
North Carolina cities with heavy
industrial waste were mandated by
the state to develop a municipal
pre-t real ment program
Although the pre-treatment pro
gram will not be mandated until
January 1984. state officials ap
parently wanted Raeford C n y
Councilmen to take immediate ac
tion 011 the amended sowci
package.
State officials have indicated
i hat their primary concern i? when
the city will be in compliance.
Harold Jensen, engineei with
(See SEWhR. pace I 1 1
Action Committee
Plans For Future
A committee, designed to
remove obstacles, develop poten
tial and push Hoke County fo:
ward, held an initial meeting
Thursday.
The Progressive Action Com
mittee, which is made up of county
business, governmental and civic
leaders and was organized bv the
Hoke County Chamber of C om
merce, plans to concentrate i;.
areas like housing, downtown
revitalizat ion and industrial
development .
"It is time to stop waiting on
someone else to do it for lis."
Chamber Director harl lowlei
said, adding that the group had the
combined ability to move ahead
aggressively and accomplish a
great deal for Hoke County.
Downtown vacant stores should
be looked at as an opportunity
rather than a problem, he said.
If a decision is made thai
Raeford needs a 20 10 M) unit
motel, then the commiiiee has the
ability to find I0() local investors
willing to gamble on the venture.
Fowler said.
Those attending the breaklast
meeting, sponsored by the
Chamber, Southern National
Bank, Heritage Federal Savings
and Loan Association and United
Carolina Bank, were asked to com
plete a questionnaire outlining
seven potential county needs.
Covered in the survey are ques
tions about the needs for develop
(See COM Ml ITI-IK. page 10)