Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / July 9, 1987, edition 1 / Page 1
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The News-Journal Volume LXXIX Number 12 RAEFORD. NORTH CAROLINA 25 CENTS Thursday, July 9,1987 Charles Tucker brings the US Olympic Torch down Highway 211 on Sunday morning. He is flanked by Olympic Festival runners. US Olympic Torch visits Hoke County The Olympic Torch passed through Hoke County Sunday stopping briefly for a ceremony at the high school. Kemp Grumpier was the first local runner to carry the flame on its journey through the com munity. The torch was handed off to Grumpier at approx imately 9:30 a.m. on Highway 211 two miles west of Raeford. Thirteen other local runners carried the torch until it was handed off to an Olympic Festival runner on Highway 401 at Bowmore. All along the torch route, groups of residents gathered to get a glimpse of the torch and to cheer for the runners. Local photographer Luke McNeill got permision to ride in the back of an official Olympic vehicle where he videotaped the runners as they carried the torch. A visiting Irish teenager, Paul Pierce, carried the torch down High School Street to the ceremonies in the parking lot at the high school. When the torch arrived, those gathered were singing God Bless America. “I hope you’ll remember this for the rest of your life,” coun ty commissioner Tom Howell told the crowd of over 150. Torch Run Goordinator Jack Hughes thanked the crowd for coming out on a Sunday morn ing. He invited everyone to at tend the Olympic Festival and said that the goal of selling $1.5 million in tickets had already been reached. ‘‘We hope we’ll be able to say we put a little bit of that flame in us and a whole lot of us in that flame,” Hughes said. The flame was then passed around the crowd and in dividuals held the torch as photographs were taken. Many of those attending the ceremony said they experienced goose bumps as the torch was passed around. When the ceremonies were over, the torch was carried from the high school by another Irish visitor, Emmet Murphy. Hoke Gounty runners carried the flame a total of 8.2 miles. Besides Kemp Grumpier and the two Irish visitors, the names of the local runners who carried Ellen Currie passes the torch at a ceremony at the high school. the torch are: Gharles Tucker, Tony Austin, Dayne Grumpier, Anna Jordan, Doris Austin, Avery Gonnell, Mike White, Gordon Myers, Ashley Hales, Ron Anderson and Ralph Huff. The torch run began its 26-day, 2,800 mile journey through 400 North Carolina communities in Wilmington on June 22. Its final destination is Raleigh’s Carter-Fiuley stadium on Friday, July 17 for the of ficial opening of U.S. Olympic Festival - ’87. With the arrival of U.S. Olympic Festival - ’87, North Carolina will witness the largest and one of the greatest events in the state’s history. U.S. Olympic Festival - ’87 will be held July 13-26 in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary and Greensboro, with yachting at Henderson Point on Kerr Lake. City approves plan to mq>tove Main Street lot By June Lancaster News-Journal Staff Writer Raeford City Council approved a plan to beautify the vacant lot at the corner of Main and Elwood Streets at its July 6 meeting. Chairman of the Downtown Revitalization Commission, Kay Thomas, presented council with a greenscape design which includes planting trees and flowers and placing park benches on the lot. The lot is owned by Jimmy McPhaul who will enter a three- year lease agreement with the city for the use of the lot, according to City Attorney Palmer Willcox. McPhaul will agree to the beautification of the lot following the Revitalization Commission design. McPhaul will assist the commis sion by maintaining the lot once planted. In return, the city agreed to refund McPhaul’s property tax on that lot for the period of the agreement. McPhaul is to retain use of a 20-foot wide area at the rear of the lot for parking in front of his store. The money to finance the tax re fund and the cost of planting and watering will come from the Downtown Revitalization Com mission budget. The greenscape design plan was drawn by Danny McGougan, hor ticultural teacher at Hoke High School. McGougan’s students will assist in the planting of the lot. According to Thomas, the im pact on the downtown area of the project makes it one of the more important ones undertaken by her commission. Councilman Vardell Hedgpeth, endorsing the project, said “the beautification would enhance downtown Raeford.” In another matter before coun cil, Vardell Hedgpeth, speaking for the committee studying the dog leash law, asked for a delay in giv ing that report until the next meeting of the city council. In other business, council members heard reports from Mayor McNeill and City Manager Tom Phillips on the impact on Raeford of bills now before the General Assembly. Both men reported Raeford would be hard hit by the proposed bill to increase school construction funds by repealing the inventory tax on business and industry but increasing state corporate income (See CITY, page 12) Rockfish Rde house demolished by fire By June Lancaster News-Journal Staff Writer A house on Rockfish Road own ed by Charles Daniels of Southern Pines and rented to Alton and Doris Walters, who were not home at the time, was totally demolished by fire early Saturday morning. According to Mike McNeill, chief of Hillcrest Fire Department, the fire was reported by neighbors at 3:12 a.m. Initially Hillcrest, North Raeford and Raeford city fire departments responded but four other departments. Puppy Creek, Rockfish, Stonewall and West Hoke fire departments were called to assist. McNeill said the firefighters, some of whom were almost over come by the heat, fought the blaze most of the day Saturday and had to return to the scene Sunday. McNeill said the fire was turned over to the sheriff’s department for investigation. Kim Heffney, an arson in vestigator in the Fayetteville office of the SBI, was in Hoke county Tuesday in connection with the case but neither Heffney nor sheriff’s department officials would comment on their investiga tion. Daniels, who had spent $35,000 on an addition and renovations to the home in the last two years, said his house was insured for about $90,000 but he had no insurance on the furniture in the home, some of which he owned. Daniels, a former member of the Hillcrest fire department, had praise for the way firefighters responded to the blaze. Central communications system scheduled for January 1 start up By June Lancaster News-Journal Staff Writer The combined Hoke County- Raeford emergency communica tions system is expected to go into effect January 1, 1988, according to County Manager William (Bub) Cowan. The system will be a division of the Hoke County Sheriff’s Depart ment. At its June 29 meeting, the Hoke County Board of Commissioners approved a budget of $142,819 to finance the new system. The operating budget, including salaries for one supervisor- dispatcher and three other dis patchers, employee benefits and office expenses, will be $69,819. The remaining $73,000 of the budget is for capital outlay. That sum includes $50,000 to $60,000 for equipment, with the balance being spent for building im provements and the expense of consolidating telephone lines. It is anticipated that $25,000 of the $73,000 capital outlay funds will be received from General Assembly ‘pork barrel’ money. “If that money isn’t received then the financing of the system (See SYSTEM, page 12) V Around Town By Sam Morris Boy injured in accident Biking mishap sends youth to physician The weather for the past week has been hot. The temperature has been in the 90s most days and the readings at night have been in the 70s. We have had some rain, but 1 can’t say if the farmers have enough for this time of year. Most crops look good to me. Raz Autry said that his peach crop was fine and should be in high gear by next week. The forecast for the remainder of the week is for the temperatures to be the same as above, except thundershowers in the afternoon are not forecast. July and summer are here. (See AROUND, page 12) An 8-year-old boy, Aaron Scott Lowery of Rt. 3, Raeford, was in jured when he rode his bike into the path of a car driven by Hazie James McGildary, also of Raeford. The accident occurred at 4 p.m. on July 3, according to Highway Patrol records, on rural paved road 1203 about half a mile west of Raeford. Lowery was taken to a private physician. No charges were filed in the accident. On July 4 at 12:03 p.m. Charles Edward Lucas of Raeford backed his 1973 Ford into the path of a 1983 Toyota driven by Deborah Ray McQueen, also of Raeford. The accident happened about a half mile north of Raeford on 1309. Lucas left the scene of the acci dent, according to Highway Patrol records, and was charged with DWI, hit and run and making an unsafe movement. Cars driven by James Robert Strother and Wayne Konkol, both of Raeford were involved in an ac cident on July 2 at 10:50 p.m six miles northwest of Raeford on 1311. No one was hurt in the acci dent. Strother’s 1979 Toyota had about $1000 in damages and Konkol’s 1976 Chevrolet about $800. Strother was charged with failing to give right of way and failing to wear a seat belt. 1 Federalist Dr. Bob Nelson airs his Federalist viewpoint during a debate held July 4th in the county courthouse. Nelson won first place in a period costume contest. County celebrates the Fourth of July While many Hoke County residents spent the Fourth of July away from home, some of their neighbors were busy celebrating the holiday at the courthouse on Main Street. , The celebration, inspired by this year’s com memoration of the Bicentennial of the Constitution, began at 6 p.im Families gathered on the lawn in front of the court house where they enjoyed picnics and were entertained by music performed by Sammy Scrivens, accompanied by Elga Langdon; Alice Glisson; and The Once-In-A- While Band (Miriam McNeill, Bobby McBryde, William Davis, Ray Harris and Glenn Mclnnis). Thirsty picknickers were able to drink free, old- fashioned lemonade that was served from a stand set up in front of the courthouse. As evening began to settle in, a town crier dressed in Colonial garb appeared at the front door of the court house. He invited those gathered on the lawn to enter the building to hear a debate on the United States Con stitution. _ . The crowd entered the front door and made its way upstairs to the courtroom. In keeping with 18th cen tury tradition, the men were seated in the front of the room; the women in the back. The debate, sponsored by The Constitutional Bicentennial Committee of Hoke County, was in the form of a skit written by Leland Smith. It was representative of meetings held throughout North Carolina to discuss the U.S. Constitution that had been written in 1787. This particular debate was to have taken place during 1787 in Dobbs County, a now defunct county that had existed near Pitt and Greene counties. North Carolina eventually ratified the Constitution on November 21, 1789. Local actors brought to life the controversies sur rounding the new Constitution in North Carolina. (See 4th, page 12)
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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July 9, 1987, edition 1
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