The News-Journal
Volume LXXIX Number 10
RAEFORD. NORTH CAROLINA
25 CENTS
Thursday, June 25,1987
Extended Area Service begins Saturday at 7a.m.
By Sally Jamir
News-Journal Staff Writer
Hoke County residents will be able to call thousands
of new telephone numbers toll-free in the Fayetteville
area beginning this Saturday at 7 a.m. when Extended
Area Service (EAS) goes into effect. Area leaders say
the new service will bring needed benefits to the com
munity.
Chamber of Commerce Director Lawanna Hayes
said last week that the service will “make a big dif
ference,” helping the community in many ways.
“It will make a big difference in the Rockfish area,”
Hayes said. “This area is really going to take off and
start booming.”
Hayes said that increased communications will
cause the area’s population to grow and in turn have
an adverse effect on traffic on Highway 401. The in
creased traffic from growth in the area will make the
necessity for four laning the highway even greater than
Runners to carry
US Olympic torch
By Sally Jamir
News-Journal Staff Writer
On July 5, 13 runners will carry the U.S. Olympic
torch in Hoke County as part of the 1987 U.S. Olym
pic games celebration.
Chamber of Commerce Director Lawanna Hayes
said last Thursday that 13 local runners had been
found to carry the torch six and two-tenths miles
through Hoke County on it’s way from Wilmington to
Raleigh for the Olympic Games starting July 13.
The torch run began its 26-day, 2,800 mile journey
through 400 North Carolina communities on June 22.
The final destination is Raleigh’s Carter-Finley
stadium on Friday, July 17 for the games’ opening
ceremonies.
North Carolina is the first state to sponsor the
Olympic Games. Previously, only major cities have
taken on this responsibility.
“Every community in the state is within 50 miles of
the torch run,” Hayes said. “The Olympic Torch
Committee gave each community the responsibility to
arrange the torch run through their area.”
“We’ll never get this chance again,” she said.
Hayes said fill-in runners will be used to carry the
torch through the rest of the county.
The torch run will come into the county by Aber
deen on Highway 211 at 7:50 a.m. on Sunday, July 5,
Hayes said. It will come up the Highway 211 cut-off
and by the National Guard Armory building and then
to the Hoke High School Stadium.
Ceremonies for the torch run will be held at the
stadium at 9:50 a.m., Hayes said. A brief morning ser
vice is being tentatively planned for 9 a.m. since it is in
(See TORCH, page 11)
before, she said.
EAS was approved by the North Carolina Utilities
Commission (NCUC) last year after a majority of
customers in the Raeford exchange endorsed the plan
in a mail survey ordered by the commission and con
ducted by Carolina Telephone.
Nearly three-fourths of the customers responding
said they favored EAS. In a public hearing, over 800
residents came to voice their support of the service.
Bernice Barrett, district commercial manager for
Carolina Telephone, said beginning June 27, residents
will only have to dial the seven-digit number they want
to reach in Fayetteville.
Barrett said residential rates for a one-party
telephone service will increase $4.52 and for business
one-party telephone service rates will increase $10.78.
The new rates will appear for the first time on
Raeford customers’ next monthly bill. A partial mon
ths’ charge will also be included in the “Other Charges
and Credits” portion of that bill to charge for the in
creased rate from June 27 to the date of the bill.
Some residents have questioned the rate increase.
Yet most who have voiced their opinions on the sub
ject have said that the benefits from the service far
outweigh the additional cost.
Economic Development Commission Director John
Howard said last week that he is elated that the service
has finally become a reality.
“I have a special feeling after 18 months since the
initial proceedings by the North Carolina Utilities
Commission and Carolina Telephone, that the reality
of EAS is finally here,” Howard said.
“1 have anticipated since the beginning of our ef
forts that it (EAS) will provide new opportunities for
those seeking to locate in our community to now go
ahead and make that decision,” Howard said.
Howard said he felt the benefits would be felt in the
industrial, commercial and residential areas of the
county.
Wagon train
Jerry Harris leads the Hoke County Wagon Train on Friday,
June 19. Driving the first wagon is Pete Harris with his
daughters, Marie and Diane; Iris Smith drives the second
wagon. The wagon train, a tradition in Hoke County for over
20 years, camped at Jimmy Plummer’s farm over the weekend.
Hoke County Commissioners cut proposed budget
By Sally Jamir
News-Journal Staff Writer
County Commissioners on Mon
day worked for over three hours
cutting out over $88,000 from the
proposed budget and arrived at an
82-cent tax rate per $100 in proper
ty value.
If Monday’s cuts are approved
next week, the county’s tax rate
will increase one cent. Originally a
three-cent tax rate increase was
proposed.
Chairman Wyatt Upchurch said
the original three-cent rate increase
was considered because the county
had lost revenues from the per
sonal property household tax and
from revenue sharing funds. These
programs were discontinued last
year.
Additional work session planned by board
Commissioners will have
another budget work session and
try to reduce the rate even lower by
the time the budget is adopted on
June 29.
County Manager William (Bub)
Cowan said the commissioners
need only cut $26,382 from the
budget in order to arrive at last
years tax rate of 81 cents.
The proposed budget of $7.1
million received cuts in several
areas, including the controversial
central communications system.
Commissioners proposed to cut
the $184,756 communications
budget by $14,952. The figure
represents one dispatcher’s salary.
Under the revised budget,
employees would include one
working supervisor and three
dispatchers.
Originally the system was plann
ed as a separate department. With
the changes, the system would be
under the supervision of the Hoke
County Sheriff’s Department.
Commissioners are still con
sidering the possibility of housing
the system in an existing office at
the Sheriff’s Department rather
than building a completely new
structure. This would save the
county about $28,000.
Other areas where budget cuts
occurred were in the Health
Department where only one of two
positions, a sanitarian, will be
granted this year.
Previously, commissioners had
moved to not grant Sandhills Com
munity College $14,000 for the
establishment of a horticultural
program in the county.
Upchurch said that although he
thought skills which this program
would provide are needed by
residents, such as farmers, in order
to supplement incomes he felt the
instruction could be obtained
either from expanding the school
system horticultural program or
utilizing the existing program at
Fayetteville Technical Institute.
A lower garbage collection rate
of 89 cents per cubic yard propos
ed by the county’s new collection
company will reduce budget expen
ditures by $20,000.
Included in other budget cuts
were the county’s contribution to
the Agricultural Extension Service
salaries, $2,244 and a part-time
position at the recreation depart
ment, $1,290.
A $10,000 figure for a proposed
Department of Social Services
Transportation program was
eliminated. Cowan said the state
may not mandate this program.
Other cuts still being considered
are a Hoke County Library posi
tion, $12,534, and a fire depart
ments liability insurance fee of
$15,700.
“It will become, I feel, one of the most significant
happenings in this community in this decade as far as
helping to create progress and positive change for this
county’s benefit,” Howard said.
Howard also said that the service will bring about
the ultimate widening of Highway 401.
Although the Board of County Commissioners, the
EDC office and other leaders of the community were
involved in the efforts to establish the service, Howard
stressed that it was “the people that made it happen.”
“It took a number of people to make it happen,”
Howard said. “We saw a need and rallied to get the
need met.”
Local supporter Buddy Blue, who has been involved
with EAS efforts since their inception, said that he was
“very happy” about the service going into effect. -
“I started with the project in 1975 and we’re finally
getting there,” Blue said. “Naturally, I feel good
about it.”
(See EAS, page 10) i
Hoke losing
Betty High
By Sally Jamir
News-Journal Staff H riler
Hoke County will be losing one
of its finest assets when Betty High
leaves her position as director of
the satellite campus of Sandhills
Community College, according to
a Sandhills spokesman.
Wes Williams, demonstration
computer teacher for Sandhills,
said that High seems to understand
the needs of the county.
“She cares about this county,”
Williams said. “She appreciates
our problems and has some indica
tion of what needs to be done”.
“She has empathy and objectivi
ty, qualities that we need in educa
tion,” he said. “It’s great to work
with people like her.”
High herself said she couldn’t
imagine not having had the chance
to work in the county.
“I’ll be sad to not be here,”
High said. “But I’m looking for
ward to some new things.”
She learned last Friday that she
will become the new Dean of the
Evening College. She will have the
responsibility of planning,
organizing and supervising courses
which Sandhills Community Col
lege offers in the evening.
High came to the Sandhills cam
pus in 1976 as a teacher and has
held several positions in the twelve
years since she arrived. She has
been a child development instruc
tor, coordinator for continuing
education classes and the child care
program director.
In 1985, she became director for
the Raeford branch of the college.
High holds bachelors and
masters degrees in Child Develop
ment and Family Relations from
the University of North Carolina
in Greensboro.
Looking back over her time
here. High said that she has greatly
enjoyed her experience of working
in Hoke County.
“What I’ve liked about being
here is working with the people.
It’s what I’ll miss most,” High
said. “There are sterling people
here. This is what makes it
special.”
“1 love to see people com-
(See HIGH, page 10)
Committee holds
3rd open meeting
The Hoke County Committee
of lOO’s will hold its third open
meeting this Monday, June 29
in the public library on Main
Street beginning at 7 p.m.
Anyone interested in joining
the committee is encouraged to
attend the meeting. Charter
memberships are still available
in the organization that has ap-
proxiraateiy 125 members.
“We have had a successful
membership drive, and it’s not
over,” said Steve Parker, acting
committee president.
“I’m pleased that we
ready to officially elect
are
our
board of directors and
officers,” he said. “We are
working to improve the quality
of life in Hoke County.”
The goal of the committee is
to make life better in the county
by promoting economic
development and growth.
Celebration set for Fourth
Plans include picnic, play and music
By Sally Jamir
News-Journal Staff Writer
Hoke County will observe In
dependence Day this year with a
celebration on the courthouse
lawn.
The Fourth of July celebration is
inspired by the year’s commemora
tion of the Bicentennial of the
Constitution.
The event will be coordinated by
Hoke Literacy Council Director
Barbara Buie. Instrumental in the
celebrations plans is Anna Jordan,
program Chairman of the Con
stitutional Bicentennial Committee
for Hoke County.
Buie said the event will be for
the whole family. The celebration
will include entertainment, the per
formance of an original play and a
costume contest.
Buie said people are welcome to
bring a family-style picnic to eat on
the courthouse grounds at 6 p.m.
Entertainment during the picnic
will be provided by Sammy
Scrivens, the Purcell Family
Singers and the Once In A While
Band.
The play Town Meeting, written
by Leland Smith, will be presented
at 7:30 p.m. in the courthouse,
Buie said.
The play in the form of a debate
on the constitution features an all
male cast made up of Mac
Sessoms, Steve Phillips, Bob
Nelson, Charles Hostetler and Phil
Diehl, she said.
Cast members also include Ray
Phillips, Sam Morris, Wes
Williams and Harold Gillis.
The costume contest held later in
the evening will feature first and
second prizes for the best period
costume and also for the most
patriotic costume, Buie said. All
age group are encouraged to enter
the contest.
The N.C. Commission of the
U.S. Constitution is charged with
the goal to reach every North
Carolinian with programs and pro
jects that tell the story of the Con
stitution and excite people about
Around Town
By Sam Morris
Plans for the Fourth
The Constitutional Bicentennial Committee of Hoke County with Glenn
Langdon, chairman, (third from right), presiding, meets to make plans for
the 4th of July celebration.
their roles in the story, according
to Commission Chairman Lt. Gov.
Bob Jordan.
The commission was created in
1985 by an act of the N.C. General
Assembly and is authorized to plan
and coordinate the celebration of
the 200th anniversary of our
Federal Constitution, said Anne
Hostetler, Drama Committee
(See 4th, page 11)
Summer officially came in Sun
day, June 21. The hot weather has
been around for a few weeks. The
humidity is so high that it feels
even hotter than the thermometer
registers.
Most of the county had a nice
rain last Thursday and according
to reports, high winds and lightn
ing caused some damage in the
county. This rain should bring on
the early corn and other garden
crops.
The forecast is for continued hot
weather for the remainder of the
week.
* * *
Don’t forget about the Constitu
tional Bicentennial Committee of
Hoke event on Saturday, July 4th.
There should be complete details
elsewhere in the paper. So read of
the things that will take place and
also mark your calendar so that
you will be in attendance.
(See AROUND, page 10)