The News-Journal
The Hoke County News - Established 1928 The Hok ~
RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $10 PER YEAR 25 CENTS
Avian Flu
Could Hit
Hoke Hard
By Sherry Matthews
Hoke County residents are
already feeling the pinch of a
poultry disease that has killed or
affected over 4.6 million birds in
the Pennsylvania area, Hoke
Agricultural Extension Agent
Richard Melton said.
In addition, Melton said that if
the Avian Influenca, a virus that
affects and kills poultry, was not
brought "under control" the Hoke
poultry industry, including the
House of Raeford Turkey plant
that employees over 400 area
residents, could be affected.
"Right now, Hoke residents are
* Around Town
By Sam Morris
The rain came Friday night and
continued into Saturday night. I
haven't been able to get up with
Robert Gatlin, but according to
other sources it must have rained
over two inches. The sun came out
Sunday and Monday and the
temperatures have been in the 60s.
Now, this is perfect weather.
The forecast for Tuesday is for
the temperatures to reach 70
degrees, but it looks like more rain
will follow. Maybe rain is better
than snow.
? * *
The Pancake Supper sponsored
each year by the Raeford Kiwanis
Club will be held on Thursday
night, December 15 at the Gibson
Cafeteria rather than December
8th as announced earlier. A com
flict has caused the supper to be
moved up one week.
So change the date on your
calendar to December 15, begin
ning at five o'clock.
The annual Christmas Parade
sponsored each year by the
Raeford Merchants' Association
was scheduled for last Saturday
afternoon. Due to the heavy rain
the parade was postponed.
I haven't seen Raz Autry,
parade chairman, but from a
reliable person it seems that the
parade has been rescheduled for
Saturday, December 17 starting at
2:00 p.m.
If this isn't correct, then 1 will be
in Raz's doghouse once again.
Let's hope so because we still want
to play golf.
* ? *
The Christmas section of The
News-Journal will appear in the
issue of December 22. We need
help from Hoke County citizens to
make this section a success. The
merchants furnish the Christmas
greetings, but the pictures of
doors, inside decorations, etc.
must come from the local citizens.
We again solicit your help.
If you have a door front,
beautiful tree, inside or outside
Christmas decorations then please
call The News-Journal office,
875-2121 and let us know. There is
one thing that you must adhere to.
If your pictures are to make the
issue, all pictures must be taken by
Monday, December 12. This is due
to production schedule at
Christmas time.
All Christmas greetings or ads
must be in by December 14. Please
cooperate and let's make this the
best Christmas section we have
ever had in The News-Journal .
Thanks.
? ? ?
Now this item is for the folks
who attended the Old Battery "F"
Reunion at Litchfield Beach in
November. Bob Bullard took in
dividual pictures of the couples in
attendance and they have now
been printed. A set of these pic
tures is on display at The News
Journal office.
We invite you to come by and
see them. They sell for S6.50 a set.
If you are from out of town and
would like a set, you must pay
postage on top of the price. You
(See AROUND, page 2A)
being affected by higher egg prices
as well as rising fryer and broiler
prices," Melton said.
According to Melton, con
sumers are paying at least $.25
more for a dozen eggs and $.30 or
$.40 more a pound for a fryer or
broiler.
"That is because of the millions
of birds that have been killed in
Pennsylvania," Melton said.
Chances of the virus, which has
presently been isolated to 1,125
square mile area, contaminating
North Carolina birds is still possi
ble, North Carolina State Universi
l
ty Poultry Science Faculty member
Dr. Ray Harris said.
"It has been a tremendous prob
lem for Pennsylvania. I just hope it
is stopped before it gets here,"
Harris said.
Although Harris believes that
the virus will be under control
before it reaches the North
Carolina area, he admits that birds
"migrating" South could
transport the disease*.
"There is a chance that it could
get here, but we are doing all we
can to see that it doesn't," Harris
said.
"We are keeping a very keen e>e
on this thing," he added.
An Emergency Poult r\ Disease
Task Force designed to keep the
virus out of North Carolina, has
already been set up.
Hoke County Commissioner
Wyatt Upchureh, who also raises
turkeys in the Hoke area, is a
member of that state task force.
"If the virus reaches us, we have
a plan." Harris said.
Under the plan, state agriculture
officials would "quarantine" the
affected area and "slaughter or
burn" the fowl that have been
diseased.
1
Tranquil setting
The afternoon sun seeps through the foliage ap
parently H arming the forest animals who are getting
ready to seek shelter from the coming winter chill.
During the first six days of December, over six in
ches of rain have pelted Hoke C ounty, and for
farmers, who are having difficulty getting \oy beans
out of fields, a day like this one is a welcome sight.
Although the disease will not af
fect humans, even if they eat an in
fected fowl, the influenza will kill
thousands of birds in a matter of
days, Harris said.
"If it were to spread into the
Hoke area, it could destroy the
poultry industry," he said.
"It could also affect a great
many jobs in the area," Harris ad
ded.
"If the disease were to reach
Hoke, it would probably affect the
number of birds moving through
the turkey plant," Melton said.
"It would not necessarily shut
the plant down, but it would slow
it down considerably," he added.
"If that were to happen, a lot of
jobs might be in jeopardy,"
Melton said.
"1 think this virus will be under
control before it ever reaches
North Carolina," Melton said.
"If it comes, I don't think it will
spread fast. It will probably be a
gradual creeping," he said.
"I really don't think there is
anything to worry about right
now," he added.
Cable TV Change
Mulled By Raeford
By Sherry Matthews
Raeford residents, along with
others living in five neighboring
communities, may be getting ex
panded cable television coverage
within the next few months if a
planned merger is OK'd by
members of the city council.
If the plan is approved, the cable
expansion will come after Jones
Intercable sells its franchise to
Alert Cable T.V. of Selma, North
Carolina.
The Alert Cable Company must
have approval from all six town
boards that are served by Jones
before the franchises can be taken
over.
The Jones Intercable franchise
was approved in 1978 by Raeford
board members, three years after
the city first entered into a cable
franchise.
The city entered the franchise
for a 15 year period. There are six
years left on that agreement.
"We have set a closing date for
January 31 if the town boards can
agree," Jones Intercable Divi
sional Vice-President Charlie
Railey said.
According to Railey, the Jones
Company is severing its partner
ship and is eager to close the deal
for "tax purposes."
"We are ready to sell to Alert
Cable. They are a good company
and will provide good service to
these communities," Railey said.
Under the Alert Cable Com
pany, Raeford residents and the
five adjoining towns, vs ill have a
"wider option" of channel
capabilities to choose.
Alert Cable Vice-President E.R.
Pettis told councilmen Monday
night that if the new company were
allowed to come into the area, at
least five basic channels and three
' "premium channels" would be
added to the existing 12-station
viewer selection.
A converter box will be added
for customers who want the addi
tional channels, Pettis said.
A S3 charge will be tagged to
customers who want the seven ad
ditional channels.
In addition, at least three "pay
channels" will be offered to
viewers. Home Box Office,
Showtime, The Movie Channel
and The Playboy Channel may be
options that Raeford residents can
select. Pettis told the councilmen.
The additional "premium chan
School Committee Eyeing Buildings
A committee of 21 residents,
who are studying the condition of
Hoke County schools, will have
completed much of their task by
the end of January, members of
the county Board of Education
were told Monday.
By January 31 the blue ribbon
committee, which met for the first
time last week, is expected to have
visited each of the schools, held
four public hearings and received
architectural and engineering
reviews of all buildings owned by
the board. Superintendent Dr.
Robert Nelson said.
"They hit the ground running
and hit it hard," Nelson said dur
ing a luncheon meeting held in lieu
of the regular monthly session
which had been scheduled for
Tuesday night.
Committee members began
scheduled inspections of the coun
ty's seven schools and administra
tion building on Tuesday at Turl
ington School.
The group is slated to complete
the on-sight inspections with a
January 31 visit to Hoke High
School .
Representatives from an ar
chitectural and engineering firm
will conduct inspections of the
schools on January 5 and 6,
Nelson said.
Public hearings will also be held
at different schools in the county.
Committee members have been
charged with the task of determin
ing a comprehensive building plan
for schools, and are expected to
recommend solutions for the over
crowding at icurlock School and
the deteriorating condition of
Turlington School.
In other action, board members
voted to leave the decision of u hen
to close the schools because of in
clement weather up to Nelson.
"For ice and snow, it's a judge
ment based on the safety of the
roads," Nelson said, noting that
the decision to stay open or close
has to be made by about 6:30 a.m.
Although a number of com
plaints were received by board
members for not closing during
last August's hot weather, C hair
man Bill Cameron and others said
the decision to remain open was
the corrrect one.
"We got a number of phone
calls about the heat, but after it
was over, there was more support
for not closing the schools,"
Cameron said.
"It was uncomfortable, but we
ha\e to do a lot of things thai arc
uncomfortable," board member
Walter Coley said.
. "It was a lot more comfortable
in ihe classroom than it was in the
tobacco field," member Bobby
Wright added.
In still further business. Nelson
was given a green light to study
supplemental salaries now being
paid to athletic coaches and ad
ministrative personnel.
Presently the supplements are
being paid coaches at Hoke High
under a system derived by the
school.
Members noted Tuesday that
they would like to see the system of
supplemental pay come under the
(See SNOW, page 13 A)
nels" will cost viewers approx
imately $8 to $8.50 each, Pettis
said.
"We really have not set a
definite rate structure yet," Pettis
said.
Railey and Pettis wanted coun
cilmen to take the first step in
"getting the ball rolling" during
Monday night's meeting, but city
board members were hesitant to
take action.
"I think we need to study this
before we make any decision," Ci
ty Coucilman Bob Gentry said.
Under the North Carolina law,
the city must hold two regular
meetings before final approval of
the franchise could be made.
"We were hoping that you could
use tonight for the first reading,"
Railey said, noting the tentative
January 31 closing dale that Jones
Intercable had set.
"I don't think we should jump
into this without studying the
situation," City Manager Ron
Matthews said.
"Our town residents may have
to live with our decision for the
next six or seven years," Matthews
said, noting that the franchise
agreement will not end until 1990.
Matthews said he was "strongly
opposed" to a quick decision by
the council.
"Making this decision by
January 31 is a mistake. This is a
very serious decision that ought to
be studied very carefully," Mat
thews said.
"If we don't meet the January
31 closing date, it could very
possibly kill the entire deal or
postpone it indefinitely," Railey
said.
Councilmen decided to hold the
first public reading at their regular
January 9 meeting and to re
schedule their February meeting
for January 30.
"By doing this, it will give us
some time to review the company,
and it will hopefully help your
situation," Councilman Vardell
Hedgpeth said.
"I am not opposed to cable ex
pansion. We very definitely need
to have additional service," Mat
thews said Tuesday.
"1 think we need more time than
they want to give us to study all the
possibilities," Matthews said.
Matthews feels that all six com
(See CABLE, page 2A)
Inside Today
Hoke School Dentist Dr. Mike
White checks all of his dental
equipment to see if it is in
working order before he gets
started on his morning pa
tients. We take a look at the
routine and the dental pro
gram working in the schools
on page I of Section B in to
day's News-Journal.