Viewpoints
Commission has
tough job ahead
After months of delays, meetings and consider
ing recommendations, it appears that an airport
commission may be formed in time to establish a
budget for the coming fiscal year.
Until last week, the commission seemed to be
bogged down in the legal entanglements which
could have delayed its organization and left the
group without funds to operate during the
1984-85 fiscal year.
The delays apparently stemmed from the need
to establish clear legal guidelines which would in
sure a smooth joint city-county operation of the
airport.
County officials drew from the experience of
Lee County by using guidelines from the Lee Air
port Commission as a model. The guidelines were
adopted last week with a few minor changes by
members of the Hoke County Commission.
A final OK must now come from the Raeford
City Council, and the county commissioners must
appoint their two members to the new board
before the airport can operate under the approved
plan.
It appears likely that the city approval is a mat
ter of formality and will be addressed during the
May 7 meeting. It also seems probable that the
county commissioners will appoint the two final
Editorials
members during their session the same day.
If all goes as expected, then the newly ap
pointed airport commission members will have
just enough time to get organized, guess at an
operating budget and wipe the sweat from their
brows before the fiscal year starts.
However, because of the delays, it will be
another year before the airport commission has
time to establish a budget which will allow it to
start making the changes needed to make the
facility an asset to this county and our industrial
development efforts.
The commission will also be delayed in seeking
federal and state grants that could help construct
new taxiways or improve the terminal building.
An efficient well-run airport will give Hoke
County one more attractive selling point to dangle
in front of a prospective industry and could make
the difference in swaying a decision to locate a
plant in this county.
Had the airport commission been appointed
earlier, this county would have been further along
in its effort to increase the tax base, and county
officials would have had one less need about
which to worry.
We understand and appreciate the Hoke Coun
ty Commission's caution in establishing
guidelines for the new airport governing body,
but we also maintain that had the process been
handled more expediently the taxpayers of this
county would have benefited.
Chaos at airport
raises questions
The incident which occurred recently at the
Raeford-Hoke Airport not only raises some
strong questions about the apparently perilous
way the facility is currently being operated, but it
also seems to indicate that pilots, passengers and
local taxpayers could be in jeopardy as long as
present seemingly unsafe conditions are allowed
to continue.
The latest accident apparently happened after
wind turbulence from a U.S. Army helicopter,
which was practicing takeoffs and landings at the
airport, caused a small airplane to crash. This
kind of incident does not instill public confidence
in the facility.
It is also this type of occurrence which makes
one question not only who is accountable for
safety, but why the Army feels the Raeford Air
port is the best place to learn how to fly a
helicopter.
Although no one was apparently injured
seriously in the crash of the plane, one has to
wonder what would have happened had the pilot
and three passengers been killed and where the
responsibility for the incident would have landed.
In this age of an abundance of attorneys, it
would be hard to imagine law suits not being filed
following this type of fatal accident. It would also
not be hard to conceive of local taxpayers being
the target of such a suit, no matter where the true
liability fell.
If the present operating procedures continue, it
seems only a ? matter of time before this
hypothetical fatal accident could become a reality
and local taxpayers could find themselves in
court.
This latest accident and other incidents which
have occurred at the airport in the last 10 months
should have taxpayers scratching their heads and
questioning the use of public funds to support the
facility.
Since last June at the Raeford-Hoke Airport,
there have been three airplane crashes, two air
craft sabotaged, one skydiver killed, $750,000 in
marijuana seized and one plane confiscated.
There is little question that the facility is not be
ing operated to the benefit of the entire communi
ty, and that it has a reputation of being unsafe,
which discourages many from using it, particular
ly industry pilots.
The new airport commission will be facing
many problems, but it is hoped that its members
place the matter of airport safety at the top of the
priority list.
The task of the new commission will be to cor
rect the problems at the airport and to spread the
word throughout the state that the facility is being
operated professionally and is safe for use by all
aircraft.
In order to accomplish its goals, the commis
sion may have to order that a parachute landing
zone be moved away from the runways, and that
the U.S. Army find another airport to practice
flying helicopters.
It is high time that the public gains control of
the Raeford-Hoke Airport, and turns the facility
into an asset rather than an embarrassment for
this county.
Raeford was built on education
j Lous^j Wezitlie^, folb - if* onL
I <9jood fog. C|rowit^ci cRopS.,.
By Robert Gatlin
Racford became known across
the state as the bastion of educa
tion because of the establishment
of an educational institution in the
city in 1895.
A group of citizens from area of
Cumberland and Robeson coun
ties, that now makes up Hoke
County, met and devised a plan for
the establishment of the Raeford
Institute, which would "be fully
abreast, in every particular, with
the progress and advancement of
the age."- Y- Jr &?
On May 25, 1895, the Ra?ford
Institute was chartered under the
laws of North Carolina as
"Raeford Educational Associa
tion."
On the original board of direc
tors were: Dr. A.P. Dickson, J.W.
McLauchlin, Z.R. Harris, A.A.
Williford and J.A. McRae. The
name for the Town of Raeford is a
blend word taken from the names
of Postmasters Mc(Rae) and
Willi(ford).
Although Raeford was built
around the Institute and boomed
after its establishment, all that re
mains as a reminder of the school
is Campus Avenue and a few
buildings which were moved to
other parts of Hoke County.
Campus Avenue, which runs
from Main to Magnolia streets,
was not laid out with the rest of the
roads in Raeford around 1900. It
Looking On
would have run through the center
of the Institute campus and
therefore, was constructed after
the school moved.
A joint stock company was
organized and sufficient capital
subscribed and paid, to build and
equip an institution of learning,
such as would meet the re
quirements of a constantly grow
ing patronage; and neither pains,
. labcu obr expense .yvere spared to
'"male? fftn cvety wiy desirable as a
first class school for boys and girls.
The immediate government was
in the hands of the Principal,
W.P.M. Currie, who, assisted by
an efficient corps of teachers, had
entire control and supervision of
the school.
The location of the school and
campus was the entire block of
land between what is now Main
Street and Magnolia Street and
Edinborough Avenue and
Donaldson Avenue in the City of
Raeford except the Presbyterian
Church and Manse property on the
west and the Baptist Church pro
perty on the northeast.
Raeford Institute operated as a
non sectarian, co-educational, col
lege preparatory, and practical
school until Hoke County was
formed in 1911.
The school and all facilities
belonging to it was then turned
over to the Hoke County Board of
Education and operated as the
Raeford Graded School until the
spring of 1918 when it was moved
to the two story brick building in
McLauchlin Park.
The area vacated by the former
Raeford Institute was subdivided
into business lots with Campus
Avenue across about the center of
the property. An auction sale of
the property was held and today
about 1Z businesses are located on
the prapefctyf tTt .
1 ' T- ' ''***?'" L
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ffiB
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ANN WEBB Ad?rrlUin{ Rrprrtraialivr
2nd Clau Postage at Raeford. N.C.
(L'SPS MS-240)
Departed cat bails out
wasted Easter Monday
By Warren Johnston
Somehow things do not always go the way they are planned.
It always happens to me when I am well organized and have a
precise schedule worked out. That was the way it was this week.
Everything was going well, until Easter Monday.
"Where is everybody?" I asked, after I arrived at work Monday.
"Oh, it's Easter Monday. Everybody's at the beach, "somebody,
who had to work and wasn 7 at the beach, said.
From then on it was downhill. One item after another got scrap
ped from my schedule. After hours of trying to reach people on the
telephone with no success, I realized that Easter Monday was one of
the most widely celebrated holidays of the year for North Caroli
nians. I began wondering why I was not at the beach.
One of the things which went awry was The Puppy Papers. There
were numerous false starts, which were followed by numerous inter
ruptions. Then the desire to go to the beach became so great that I
spent long hours looking out the window at the empty streets of
Raeford.
"Aren't you going to write The Puppy Papers this week?"
somebody asked.
"It's Easter Monday. I'm finding it very difficult to get The Pup
py Papers going," I said.
"Why don't you just tell them about that cat who died,"
somebody suggested.
There had been a lot of stories about cats who had died since Col.
Hastings bit the bullet back in 1978; however, his tale lingers as one
of the better ones. I dug through the files and dusted it off.
"Well it won't be the first time Col. Hastings has had to bail me
out," / thought.
Col. Hastings died last month.
He was stricken in the first six months of his life, and I guess in
cat years that would have made him about four years.
Our veterinarian told us that he died of a rare cat disease known
as "infectious feline peritonitis," but I think I may have run over
him with the car. Anyway his death put our whole house into a state
of turmoil.
My wife went into immediate mourning, refusing to leave the
The Puppy Papers
bedroom, even to fix dinner. Hastings' brother Dr. Watson was
also off his feed, and he too would not leave the bedroom.
While I busily prepared that evening's meal, 1 overheard the two
of them talking about what a fine cat Hastings had been, and com
plaining about my lack of sensitivity. My wife was doing most of the
talking, as Watson prides himself on being a good listener.
"He never liked Hastings anyway. You were always his
favorite," 1 heard my wife telling the cat.
We sat through a quiet meal that night, the silence only broken by
an occasional sniffle from my wife as she longingly looked towards
the broken philodendron where Hastings used to sit, limbs shredded
beyond redemption.
Cats are very strange creatures, and Hastings was no exception.
He had been what most cat psychologists might have called "hyper
active"; however, because I knew him better than most cat shrinks,
I called him "bad."
He did have some redeeming qualities, and I think if he had lived
a few more months, he would have mastered the art of flushing the
toilet without falling in.
Hastings always had a fascination with the toilet, and no matter
where he was in the house, he would dash for the bathroom every
time he heard it flush. We had to warn guests to securely lock the
door, lest he push it open and leap for the top of the bowl.
When he first began to cultivate this fettish, he would miss his
perch occasionally and land in the swirling water. Undaunted he
crawled out only to wait for the next flush. It did not take Hastings
long to realize if he pulled the silver lever down, the water would go
around.
Because of his young age he did not quite have the strength to pull
the handle down, and usually lost his footing, landing back in the
water again. The wetting never seemed to bother him; he just loved
to hear the flush, and to watch the water eddying below his paws.
After Hastings' death, Watson, who had always been very docile
and obedient, began to take on some of the bad habits of his
departed brother.
He has not developed the same fascination for the toilet, but has
taken up his brother's sport of nose boxing.
This sport begins about 3 a.m. and continues until 1 abruptly end
it by hurling the participants across the room. This rapid termina
tion of the game, always brings cries of heartlessness and accusa
tions of cruelty from my wife.
"1 don't see why you can't learn to sleep with the kittens," my
wife said, noting that she never has a problem with them bothering
her. "I just ignore them, and they don't bother me," she added
pulling the covers over her head.
Proclaiming that I was tired of being a battered husband, 1 grab
bed both of the kittens and headed for the back door.
"If you don't leave those kittens alone, and get back in bed, I'll
never speak to you again," my wife said.
"Wild animals belong outside, and that's where these guys are
going," I arrogantly responded, a kitten tucked under each arm.
In no uncertain terms, my wife told me to get back into bed and
to quit harassing the cats. "You're just being mean. Now get back
into bed," she demanded.
Sheepishly I relented.
Now that one of the little beasts has departed, and my wife has
gotten over the shock of his death, things have settled down at our
house. Watson is older and has lost interest in toilets and nose box
ing, turning his attentions to other nocturnal pursuits.
He stilV shows signs of missing his brother, though, and my wife
often muses about getting another kitten to keep him company. Of
fers of available orphans have been flooding in, as the spring mating
season is beginning to bear fruit.
The thought of having to break in another nose puncher, toilet
watcher and plant sitter is not the most appealing thing to me, but
somehow I think we have already committed to another kitten.
I overheard a very suspicious telephone conversation the other
day between my wife and a friend. "Orange," was all that 1 heard,
but I'm sure they were not talking about citrus fruit.