The News-Journal
The Hoke County News ? Established 1928 The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
Volume LXXV Number 51 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA $10 PER YEAR 25 CENTS Thursday, April 12, 1984
Grant accepted for
college study
By Sherry Matthews
Members of the Hoke County
Commission accepted a $1,500
grant Monday night in an attempt
to speed up efforts to develop a
community college satellite in
downtown Raeford.
The grant will fund an architec
tural feasibility study of the old
United Carolina Bank (UCB)
building which is expected to be
donated for the community col
lege's use.
Forward Incorporated, a local
non-profit "community better
ment" group, donated the funds
for the study, Hoke Chamber of
Commerce Director Earl Fowler
said.
Hoke sales
increase
$4,5 million
By Ed Miller
Retail sales in Hoke County
climbed more than $4.5 million
during 1983, according to figures
released Tuesday by the North
Carolina Department of Revenue.
In 1982, sales in the county were
$44,312,208.
A better than 9.5Vo increase was
realized in 1983 as sales reached
over $48,% 1,000.
"Progress" is the reason for the
increase according to Raeford
Hoke Chamber of Commerce
Director Earl Fowler.
"There is an indication that
more people are shopping in the
county," Fowler said.
He also said that "people are
coming across county lines to
shop."
The opening of the Raeford
Hoke Shopping Center is in no
small way responsible for some of
the increase, according to Fowler.
In the first three months follow
ing the opening of the center last
fall, retail sales in Hoke County
jumped almost $900,000 over
figures recorded the previous year.
Fowler noted that shoppers are
looking for "basically everything
in general."
According to Younger Snead Jr.
of Hoke Auto Company, sales in
1983 were up about 25over
1982.
"That figure is off the top of my
head, but it's not far from right,"
Snead said.
Most of the people buying cars
from outside the county are from
"Ft. Bragg and Cumberland
County," Snead added.
"Some are from Scotland Coun
ty," he said.
The report from the State Dept.
of Revenue also noted that
Scotland County's 1983 gross sales
are down from 1982 by about $2
million.
Around Town
By Sam Morrti
The misty rain Monday put a
stop to my golf game. According
to the forecast Monday it will be
this way for the remainder of the
week. The temperatures will be in
the 50s and this is below normal
for this time of the year. You
would think that the GGO was
played a week early this year ac
cording to the forecast.
The farmers of the county took
advantage of the nice weather last
week and if you were riding
around, you could not miss the
tractors in the fields. I don't know
how much this week's weather will
affect them and their soil prepara
tions and planting. It is always a
gamble when you farm, since you
are dealing with the weather.
According to most of the older
people, the cool weather will be
with us until after Easter. So ac
cording to the calendar, since
Easter is April 22, we still have a
few more days to wait before
warmer weather is here to stay.
? ? ?
The registration books closed
Monday for the May 8 election. So
(See AROUND, page 2A)
"They feel that this is a very,
very worthwhile project. They
want to do their part," Fowler
said.
Sandhills Community College
board members gave the green
light two weeks ago to a study that
would determine if the UCB
building is suitable as a satellite
branch.
"All Sandhills was then waiting
on was the funding of the study
from local sources," College
presidential assistant George Lewis
said.
"Things look positive so far, but
there are still some important deci
sions that have to be looked at
down the road," Lewis said.
In addition to the feasibility
study, which could begin this
week, Lewis said Monday that
surveys, taken from community
and industrial residents, have in
dicated a "tremendous interest" in
a community college satellite.
"Just from a First glance at these
surveys, I would say that there is
an overwhelming interest."
According to Lewis the surveys
represent some 1,300 people who
filled out the survey forms.
"They came from mailed-in
surveys and those we did
throughout the industries and
school system," Lewis said.
Of the approximately 1,300
surveys, 70% of the adults in
dicated a desire for a satellite
branch, according to the Sandhills
spokesman.
"They were predominately
parents who received surveys taken
home by their school-age
children," Lewis said.
"We have been very, very pleas
ed with the positive results. It
definitely shows us that there is an
interest," he added.
The survey also showed that
some 96 high school juniors and
seniors indicated an interest in at
tending a community college with
78 of those preferring to attend
classes in Hoke County.
Trying to catch up
During a dry day last week, farmers attempted to
sneak out In the fields to plow the soil before the
April showers marred production. Despite the
rains, Hoke Extension Service C hairman Willie
Featherstone said "everything was still on
schedule."
Weather not hampering farmers
By Sberry Matthews
Although temperatures have
fluctuated from cool to warm
and April downpours continue
to soak the ground, Hoke
County crops have not suf
fered, according to
Agriculture Extension Service
Chairman Willie
Featherstone.
"The rain has not hurt us
yet. It really has helped us,"
Featherstone said.
"The rain has really helped
us build our water table back
up after the droughts that we
have had in the past," he add
ed.
Although the rains have ap
parently "not put" local
farmers behind, they are
working "12 to 14 hours a
day" trying to get the corn
planted during dry intervals,
while peach growers are anx
iously waiting for the passing
of April 20.
"That is usually when we
have our last frost,"
Featherstone said.
"If the peach growers can
get past that, they should have
a good crop," he added.
"Right now everything
seems to be pretty close to
schedule," Featherstone said.
According to Featherstone,
farmers are trying to get their
corn in the field while they are
also preparing their land for
cotton and tobacco.
"When it is dry enough,
they will be breaking land,
putting out herbicides and
keeping a careful check on
their tobacco beds," the exten
sion chairman said.
"The bed covers will have to
come off as the weather gels
warmer," he added.
From there farmers will
begin pulling the plants and
setting them in the field,"
Featherstone said.
If the weather clears up, all
these things should be happen
ing by the end of April.
"We should see some tobac
co being harvested by early Ju
ly," Featherstone said.
At present Hoke farmers
plant approximately 1,300
acres of tobacco and 8,000
acres of corn despite the
unknown price market that
may exist for the season.
"We cannot predict this ear
ly what prices will be like.
There are too many
variables," F-eatherstone said.
"1 don't think anyone will
know until closer to harvest
time," he added.
In addition to corn, soy
beans, tobacco and cotton,
there are a few peach farmers
who are weathering the storm
in hopes of harvesting a good
crop this year.
For the past two years,
peach crops have been
devastated by late frosts and
bitterly cold temperatures.
This year there are approx
imately 110 acres of peaches
divided among four or five
producers, Featherstone said.
"If nothing happens, we
should have a good crop,"
(See WFATHER, page 2A)
Low-interest funds on tap for downtown
By Sherry Matthews
Raeford's Main Street business
area is dotted with eight vacant
buildings, but efforts are under
way to Fill the spaces and get fund
ing for a downtown facelift.
"We want to do everything we
can to make downtown a viable
area," Southern National Bank
(SNB) Branch Manager Steve
Parker said.
Parker, United Carolina Bank
Branch Manager Bobby Conoly
and Heritage Federal Savings and
Loan Branch Manager Frank Teal
are combining efforts to offer
downtown merchants low interest
loans for revitilization.
"We have ? definite commit
ment from Southern National and
UCB; Heritage is still considering
the proposition," Hoke Chamber
of Commerce Director Earl Fowler
said.
"They all seem very interested in
reviving downtown," he added.
The proposed money pool will
allow downtown merchants to bor
row money at a lower interest rate.
"We are thinking in terms of
lending at 8.5V?," Parker said.
"All the details have not been
worked out yet. We have got to see
if there is interest in this sort of
thing before we get too far down
the line," Conoly said.
"I am and have always been en
couraged by the merchant's in
terest in reviving Main Street.
Their interest just needs to be
channeled," Fowler said.
According to the Chamber
Director, the pool will "encourage
and assist merchants in their ef
forts."
"It can only help," Fowler said.
Although the final teeth have
not been added to the loan pool
proposal, Parker and Conoly see
their role as minimal.
"We will provide the money
with low interest rates. The city or
county government will be the ones
to dictate who qualifies and who
doesn't," Parker said.
"This is a big endeavor. We
hope the merchants will show a big
interest in this opportunity,"
Parker said.
"We are not doing this just to
provide people with low interest
loans. We want to see some ac
complishments," he added.
In addition to proposed
revitilization loans, there are at
"These surveys are very en
couraging," Lewis said.
However, the county has got to
look at the long-term expense that
could be involved, he added.
"They are going to have to be
responsible for the year by year
cost," Lewis said.
"The building, if acceptable,
has been donated by UCB. The
county must, however, assume
responsibility for the building's
maintenance and utilities," Fowler
told the commissioners Monday
night.
Fowler appeared "confident"
that he and a Progressive Action
Committee (PAC), set up to study
Hoke County's needs, could con
tinue to come up with funding to
back the satellite branch.
"I have no idea what cost we
might be faced with down the
road, but we are going to try in
every way to have the cost under
written by private sources,"
Fowler said.
"We have no guarantees, but we
will only come back to you as a last
resort," he added.
."This is an opportunity that this
county cannot afford to let go by.
We are going to do everything in
our power to see that it doesn't,"
Fowler said.
"I hope this is a step in the right
direction," Hoke Commission
Chairman John Balfour said.
rri ? ? ? ?!
1 no 111 jail,
await hearing
By Sherry Matthews
Three area residents are schedul
ed to make an appearance in Hoke
Disrtict Court next week on
charges ranging from armed rob
bery to rape and kidnapping, Hoke
Sheriff Dave Barrington said.
Jimmy Sinclair, 28, of St. Pauls,
Daphne Childers Boyd, 24, of Rt.
1, Shannon and Anthony Johnson,
24, of Rex, were arrested last Tues
day afternoon by Robeson and
Hoke Sheriff's deputies in connec
tion with the March 27 rape and
armed robbery of a local conve
nience store employee.
Johnson was in the Hoke Coun
ty Jail this week under a S 100,000
bond on charges of unlawful use of
a vehicle, armed robbery, kidnap
ping and rape.
Sinclair, who is charged with
one count of armed robbery, also
remains in the Hoke Jail under a
$50,000 bond while Boyd was con
fined to the Cumberland County
Jail under a 5100,000 bond.
Boyd is charged with armed rob
bery and a "possible second charge
of common law robbery," Barr
ington said.
"There may be other charges,"
Barrington said.
According to Barrington, "a
trace" on money orders stolen
from the victim's pocketbook
helped Hoke detectives and State
Bureau of Investigation (SB1)
agents make last week's arrest.
"The money orders taken from
the victim's pocketbook were cash
ed in St. Pauls," Barrington said.
A clerk in the St. Pauls' store
recognized Boyd and Sinclair and
notified law enforcement officials,
according to Barrington.
"Boyd and Sinclair were ar
rested around 3:50 p.m. Tuesday
while Johnson was taken into
custody later that evening by Hoke
detectives," Barrington said.
The arrests follow a week-old in
vestigation into the late-night arm
ed robbery of the Davis Bridge
Short Stop.
(See SUSPECTS, page 2A)
United Fund kicks off
effort for coming year
By Ed Miller
April is designated in Hoke
County as drive month for the
United Way.
The local chapter, called the
United Fund, has set its 1984 goal
of $26,230. This goal is expected to
be met and exceeded as was last
year's goal according to Hoke
County United Way President,
Ken Witherspoon.
"I feel good about the strength
of the United Fund in Hoke Coun
ty," Witherspoon said. "We're the
strongest we've been."
In Hoke County, the United
Fund is broken into different
areas. There are 12 key volunteers
that take care of these areas;
however, within plants and work
places, there are many more.
Witherspoon feels that total par
ticipation, especially from in
dustry, is essential to the cause.
"We try to involve enough people
least three downtown buildings
that may soon be filled.
Plans for a beauty shop, a
restaurant and a manufacturing
plant on Raeford's Main Street
have been eyed and may become a
reality over the next two to three
months.
"There is also the possibility
that a retail agency may locate in
the downtown area," Fowler said.
Although the Chamber director
was reluctant to discuss the agen
cy, he did say "every effort was be
ing made to encourage him to
move to Main Street."
"Every building that we fill
downtown will be a help," Fowler
said.
"They will be the springboards
(See FUNDS, page 3A)
so it cannot sink on one or two
people," said Witherspoon.
According to Witherspoon,
April is the best time of year to
have a fund drive. "The fall of the
year is very busy in this area. Last
year, 1 could have spent $128 just
on tickets to various activities," he
said. Therefore, the United Way
holds its drive in Spring.
The money collected this year is
to go in 22 directions, according to
the 1984 proposed budget. The
largest amount of funding, $4,783
is to go to the local chapter of the
American Red Cross. The area
Boy Scout Council is budgeted
$4,500, Girl Scouts $3,000, 4-H
Council $2,590, and St. Joseph's
Home Health Agency is to receive
$2,000.
Other organizations to receive
(See UNITED FUND, page 11 A)
Inside Today
A morning ride
Trainer Dick Richardson is
not just enjoying a morning
stroll around the Timberlane
track, but preparing one of his
horses for an upcoming race.
We take a look at Timberlane
and other horse farms in Hoke
County in this week's
B-section of The Newt*
Journal.