The News-Tournal
Established 1928 ** ? -
$10 PER YEAR 25 CENTS Thursday, December 22, 1983
Pate Chosen As District Court Judge
By Sherry Matthews
After eight weeks of delibera
tion, North Carolina Governor
Jim Hunt has appointed Raeford
Attorney Warren L. Pate to fill the
vacated 12th Judicial District
Court Judge's seat.
Pate was informed Tuesday
afternoon of the appointment.
"I am very happy about this ap
pointment," Pate said.
"I am just grateful that the
governor decided to retain a resi
dent District Court judge," he ad
ded.
Presently four of five seats in the
12th Judicial District are held by
Fayetteville residents. Pate will
Raeford
Airplanes
Sabotaged
By Sherry Matthews
Hoke County Sheriff's deputies
are investigating the apparent
sabotage of two passenger aircraft
housed at the Raeford Airport,
reports show.
The airplanes are owned by
jump school operator Gene Paul
Thacker, and were apparently
sabotaged late Wednesday.
Pilots were reported to have
been readying for takeoff when the
damage was discovered. The
planes carry parachutists.
Sheriff's reports indicate that
pennies were dropped in the oil
reservoirs and sugar was placed in
the gas tanks on two of Thacker's
planes.
Thacker reported that someone
had put pennies down one oil
spout and sugar down another in
his twin-engine plane, the report
says.
He also noted that the oil stick
had been broken off so the caps
could not be replaced.
Sugar and more pennies were
placed in the oil spout and gas tank
of a second single-engine plane, ac
cording to the report.
Thacker could not be reached
for comment at press time. How
ever, a spokesman for Cessna Air
craft in Fayetteville said that the
(See SABATOGE, page 2A)
Around Town
By Sam Morris
Do you want a white Christmas?
The weatherman won't say at this
time whether or not we will have
one. The outlook is slim, but by
the way most forecasters have been
missing the past year, about
anything could happen.
We believe that the rainfall has
built up the rain level for the year
and most communities are not in
need of rain at this time.
We like to see snow fall but the
after effects of the snowfall is what
has turned us against having a
white Christmas. Also most of us
want to see our family members
come home for the holidays.
Either way we will live with
whatever happens. What else can
we do?
* * ?
Raz Autry was by the office
Monday and was sporting a cap
that signified who he wanted for
governor, (no free advertising
Raz?). He was proud of the help he
had received in the staging of the
Christmas Parade, but I believe it
was another load off his back.
When you have weather problems
and must postpone an event, then
you worry about when it can come
off.
From all reports the parade was
a big success and was a thrill for
old and young alike. Any projects
that help Raeford and Hoke Coun
ty are worth the effort.
? * +
Robert Gaflin showed me a
book he had received from one of
the Gilchrist family members that
(See AROUND, page 2A)
replace retired Hoke County Judge
Joseph E. Dupree.
If Pate had not been appointed,
Hoke County would have lost its
last representation on the district
court.
Although Pate was uncertain of
the swearing in date, he said Tues
day that he "hoped" he would be
ready to start his new job by
January 15.
"It will take me about two
weeks to wrap up my private prac
tice," the new appointee said.
"Right now I am just happy that
1 got the appointment. 1 am happy
for Hoke County, and I am happy
for myself," he added.
Pate, who serves as president of
the 12th Judicial Bar Association,
captured one of three nominations
for the position vacated December
1 by Dupree.
Cumberland County Assistant
District Attorney Stephen Nim
mocks and Spring Lake attorney
Hank Finch were also nominated
for the appointment.
Hunt has been deliberating on
the appointment since mid
October.
"These appointments are very
important and the governor
realizes this," Legal Council to the
Governor Jack Cozort said earlier.
Pate, 38, has been practicing in
Raeford since 1974 and believes he
has a strong base of legal ex
perience that qualifies him for the
judgeship.
Pate is a 1970 graduate of Wake
Forrest University Law School.
Prior to starting his practice in
Raeford, Pate served for two years
in the Judge Advocates Office at
Ft. Bragg.
An Erwin native. Pate has been
active in the Democratic Party here
and has served as President of the
Young Democrats. He is presently
Hoke's only representative on the
state Democratic Party Executive
Committee.
Pate has also served as Chair
man of the Hoke County Associa
tion for the Developmcntallv
Disabled, a Hoke County delegate
Happy holidays
Santa should be able to relax Sunday after a busy that your Christmas is as relaxing and that your new
Saturday night. We, at The News-Journal, hope year is rewarding.
' Time Off ' On List For Christmas
With temperatures dropping
down into the low 40's during the
day and weathermen timidly
predicting the first snowfall for
this part of the state, it is beginn
ing to feel a lot like the Christmas
season.
Last minute shoppers scurry to
overfilled stores in a panic, just
knowing that the one last gift
they need is going to be in the
hands of another frenzied pro
crastinator.
Despite the hassles, everyone
seems to be almost ready for
Saturday and Sunday to arrive,
bringing Santa and his reindeer to
all Hoke County homes.
Along with Santa and presents
wrapped in colorful paper, many
Hoke residents will be receiving a
much needed holiday vactaion.
School-age children are already
enjoying a vacation that started
Monday and will continue until
January 2.
County and city employees will
enjoy a long weekend as both of
fices close Friday December 23
and re-open Tuesday December
27.
The landfill will he opened Fri
day Deeemher 23 hut will he clos
ed Saturday, Sunday and Mon
day, resuming their regular
schedule again on Tuesday.
Landfill officials said there
would be no garbage pickup Fri
day or Monday because of ihe
holiday.
In addition. The News-Journal
office will be closed Monday
December 26. Deadlines for
classified ads will he moved up lo
Frida> al 12 p.m. for the coming
week.
Testing Of Dump Sites Is Delayed
By Sherry Matthews
Final testing for hazardous
residue in three Ashley Heights
dumping areas, which was schedul
ed to be completed in December,
will not be performed until early
January, a state Department of
Human Resources (DHR) official
said Tuesday.
"We are involved with a major
clean-up project in Richmond
County that is taking longer than
we expected," DHR Solid and
Hazardous Waste Branch Super
visor Terry Dover said.
"It will probably be the first or
second week in January before we
get back out to those sites to do
final testing," Dover added.
Although testing has been .
delayed by at least two weeksi
Dover does not see any problem.
"I don't really think we are go
ing to find anything now that the
clean-up has been done," Dover
said.
"We are just doing these final
tests to be certain," Dover added.
According to Dover, Goldsboro
salvage operator Woody Wilson
Jr., who used the areas for
dismantling battery casings con
taining lead and transformers
which contained some alleged
cancer-causing substances, has
finished the state mandated clean
(See DUMP, page 2A)
on the Lumber River Council of
Governments, Chairman of the
Bcthesda Halfway House in Aber
deen and has been active with the
Hoke County Recreation Commis
sion.
"I am very grateful to the
Governor for appointing me, and I
pledge to the people of Hoke and
Cumberland Counties to do my
best as a district court judge,"
Pate said.
"I just want to thank all of my
supporters in Hoke and especially
Cumberland County. They made
this appointment possible," Pate
said.
(See PATE, page 2A)
U 1 ?I > 1
Newly appointed /2 th Judicial
District C ourt Judge M arren Pate.
Plane Crash Photos
T aken In Break-in
By Sherry Matthews
Raeford law enforcement of
ficers were continuing an investiga
tion this week into the Friday even
ing break-in at the Hoke Rescue
Squad Building that netted
suspects a set of photographs.
Despite the presence of "a lot of
valuable items," the only things
taken during the break-in were
several photographs of a wrecked
aircraft, Raeford Police Chief
Leonard Wiggins said.
A member of the Hoke rescue
squad later confirmed that the
"only thing missing" from the
building were pictures taken of the
June 4 airplane crash at the
Raeford Airport.
"In my opinion, this was not a
normal break-in," Raeford Police
Chief Leonard Wiggins said Mon
day.
"There were a lot of valuable
things in there, but none of them
were bothered," Wiggins said.
According to Wiggins, someone
apparently "pried open" an out
side door, causing S75 damage,
and entered the building.
The intruders went through kit
chen and desk drawers, Wiggins
said, noting that they also
"broke" the knob off the supply
room door.
Despite an apparent ransacking,
the pictures were all that was
taken, according to Wiggins.
The photographs, apparently
stolen during the break -in, were
taken six months ago after a
Cessna 150 aircraft crashed into
the woods, one mile from the
Raeford airport.
"Uncertainty" surrounds the
crash, which occurred while the
pilot was allegedly practicing
"night landings" at the Raeford
Airport.
In June, law enforcement of
ficials and Federal Aviation
Authority (FAA) Officials could
not determine the exact time of the
crash .
Reports indicated that the pilot,
Charles Morgan, 51, of Hope
Mills, landed short of the runway
and apparently "wrapped his
plane around some nearby trees."
Reports also show that Morgan
wandered around the woods look
ing for parachute jump school
owner Gene Thacker shortly after
the aircraft hit the ground.
In an earlier interview, Thacker
confirmed that Morgan was look
ing for him.
Reports show that Thacker's son
reported the non-fatal accident to
FAA officials between 10 and
10:30 p.m. Saturday, although
rescue squad members were not
dispatched by FAA officials until
3:30 a.m., some five hours after
the accident apparently occured.
The case was apparently closed
three weeks later after FAA of
(See PHOTO, page 2A)
Pound Construction
Could Start In Jan.
By Sherry Matthews
Construction on a new animal
shelter facility could begin in
January if city board members ap
prove a revised plan tentatively
adopted by county commissioners
last Wednesday, Hoke County
Manager James Martin said.
"We are waiting for the city
councilmen to approve the plan,"
Martin said.
"If it is approved, I think site
prepartions could begin in
January," Martin added.
The new animal facility plan,
drafted by county tax supervisor
Larry Holt, calls for a $24,000
cinderblock building that can be
constructed by "existing" county
labor.
"We can do most of the work
ourselves. It will be cheaper that
way," County Commissioner
James Hunt said during Wednes
day's meeting.
The new plan, tentatively ap
proved by the county board, will
cost taxpayers some $80,000 less
than the original architectural pro
posal.
"We just want something that is
better than what we have," Coun
ty Commissioner Wyatt Upchurch
said.
The plan includes a metal roof,
insulated cinder-block walls, 20
dog pens, two separate rooms for
puppies and cats, a waiting area
and a storage room.
The new proposal, however, ex
cludes an office, a bathroom and
an outside concrete running area
for the dogs.
Although the new proposal has
apparently been trimmed of money
and space, Humane Society Direc
tor Jack McGinnis said he is
"satisfied" with the tentative deci
sion.
"All we wanted was a decent
place for the animals to be
housed," McGinnis said.
"We still haven't seen any
ground broken and cold weather is
here. 1 just hope something can be
worked out soon," McGinnis said.
McGinnis also noted that the
new plan was "very similiar" to
one presented to the commis
sioners nearly six months ago.
"We (county appointed animal
(See SHELTER, page 2A)
Inside Today
I ester Haker, owner of the
M agon M heel Restaurant has
his SSfM) winnings after his
name was drawn as the winner
of the Kiwanis ( lab raffle last
Thurstluy night, lie rake a
look at the Kiwanis ( hth pan
cake extravaganza and the
( hristmas parade in this
week \ li-section of The Ncws
.loumal.