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Volume LXXIX Number 21
RAEFORD, NORTH CAROLINA
25 CENTS
Thursday, September 10,1987
Ordinance threatens junkyards
County commissioners ask for strengthening measures
By Ken MacDonald
News-Journal Associate Editor
Hoke County commissioners are
again doctoring the county’s pro
posed junkyard ordinance and it
appears that within a year after its
passage the ordinance could re
quire every junkyard, scrap dealer
and some businesses dealing with
small motors and used appliances
to relocate.
In its Tuesday morning meeting,
the commission directed county at
torney Duncan McFadyen to add
language to the proposed or
dinance regulating the distance of
junkyards from churches and ex
isting homes, specifying the type of
fence that must surround
junkyards and requiring owners to
obtain a permit before beginning
operation. The latter provision
would require an on-site inspection
by a health official and possibly a
soil percolation test before a per
mit is granted.
The new portions would be add
ed to provisions that prohibit
junkyards within half a mile of a
school or an area with fifteen
homes or more; that require
junkyards be at least 300 feet from
the centerline of any road and be
surrounded with an 8 foot fence.
As the commissioners discussed
new provisions they seemed to
think that virtually no existing
business which would fall under
the ordinance would be able to stay
at its present site.
Commission chairman Wyatt
Upchurch said, “I’d like to ask a
question of the board. Do you
realize how many people this will
effect who have junkyards that will
come under this? A lot more than
you think. We say we don’t want
to put anyone out of business.”
Economic development
director resigns
Franklin R. Teal, Chairman of
the Raeford-Hoke County
Economic Development Commis
sion, has announced the resigna
tion of John C. Howard from the
position of Economic Developer
and Director of the Commission.
Howard has served in this capacity
since April, 1985, when he was ap
pointed the Commission’s first
director. He has resigned in order
to accept a position as Executive
Director of the Wayne County
Economic Development Commis
sion beginning September 28.
Teal indicated that this resigna
tion was officially received by
members of the local Economic
Development Commission in an
Executive Session of its member
ship on Monday, August 31, 1987,
in a special, called meeting. Its an
nouncement was delayed at the re
quest of the Wayne County
Former economic development
director John C. Howard.
Economic Development Commis
sion until September 9 to coor
dinate with their schedule.
In a letter of resignation to the
Commission, dated August 31,
1987, Howard expressed his ap
preciation “for the professional
leadership, flexibility to do the job
and trust” given to him by the
Commission. He added that he
departs from this position “having
the highest regard for Hoke Coun
ty, its people, and its prospects for
the future.”
In reviewing his decision with
the members of the Commission in
the August 31 meeting, Howard
said he believes “that the work of
this Commission has been a con
tributor to progress in this com
munity and that even much more
will be evident from projects both
underway and forthcoming.”
Teal further stated, “John has
done an outstanding job for Hoke
County during his time as our
Director. Our Commission has a
solid foundation and good direc
tion as a result of his dedication
and professionalism on the job.
We will sincerely miss him but wish
him the best in his new endeavor.”
“The Commission has already
begun its search for a new director
to continue the industrial develop
ment of Hoke County that John
has so forcefully pursued,” he
said.
Howard will be compiling pro
ject materials and finalizing items
of work with the local Commission
until September 27.
Cummings trial moved
A change in venue in the murder
trial of Edward Lee Cummings,
accused of first degree murder in
the death of Teresa Puryear, has
been granted by Superior Court
Judge D. B. Herring Jr.
The trial was scheduled to take
place in Hoke County Superior
Court on October 12 but Cumm
ings’ lawyers sought a change of
venue because of publicity about
the case. The case will now be tried
in New Hanover County.
The bodies of 15 year-old Teresa
and her sister Karen, 22, were
found on January 13, 1986 in
shallow graves off N.C. 211 near
McCain Hospital.
In May Cummings was con
victed of murder in the death of
Karen Puryear. The trial took
place in Hoke County. The case is
under appeal to the state Supreme
Court.
Here’s what’s on the
turkey festival menu
By Pal Allen Wilson
The menu for the North
Carolina Turkey Festival to be
held in Raeford this month offers a
variety of goodies. Eight food ven
dors will have 11 booths on Main
Street on September 19.
There will be turkey, of course.
The Hoke County School Food
Services will sell turkey sandwiches
ns well as yeast rolls and cookies.
Should the weather call for ice
cream, you’ll have a choice. The
Music Booster Club will sell ice
cream by the scoop, as will the
Sweet Thing Concession stand.
Another booth will offer soft serve
ice cream and sundaes.
Roland’s BBQ will feature one
of the state’s favorites - barbeque,
of course, with French fries and ic
ed tea.
For an appetizer, you’ll find
Mexican nachos. A Pennsylvania
Dutch contribution wilt be funnel
cakes, made by Trent Page.
House of Raeford Farms, Inc.
and Cuddy Farms will both be pro
moting their products and that
means free samples.
No sweet tooth need go un:
satisfied if your taste doesn’t run
to ice cream. There will be cotton
candy, sno-cones, candied apples,
donuts made at the site and
lemonade for sale. As an added
treat, the do-nut makers will be set
up early to make this treat for
those putting up displays, etc. on
Main Street.
The food vendors will be
awaiting hungry festival goers
from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Main*
Street on Saturday, September 19.
The commission acknowledged
that regulating the distance of
junkya*ds from adjacent homes
would force about all of the ones
currently in operation to relocate.
Also, county attorney McFadyen
indicated in the meeting that there
aren’t many places in Hoke Coun
ty suitable for them if they do have
to move.
Meanwhile, work continues on a
variance procedure that could be
one of the few hopes for
junkyards. It would give them an
opportunity to ask for exceptions
to provisions with which they’re
unable to comply.
McFadyen said he consulted
with the Institute of Government,
which often advises local govern
ments on such matters, and it
recommended limiting potential
variances to specific provisions.
For example, a junkyard owner
might be granted a variance to
allow him to locate less than 300
feet from the center of a nearby
road, but no variance would be
granted allowing an owner to
operate without a fence surround
ing the property.
The proposed ordinance has
caused quite a bit of controversy
even before Tuesday’s proposed
additions.
Most junkyard owners have
been unwilling to speak on record,
but county officials say owners tell
them they are unhappy with the
provisions that call for an eight
foot fence and continuous vegeta
tion to surround the property.
They feel the cost is too great.
Another concern is the distance
required from the road.
One business that evidently
would fall under the ordinance as
it is written now is Raeford Salvage
'I ■
Company on South Magnolia
street.
Manager Clayton Buoyer says
the company has outgrown its cur
rent location and had been plan
ning to move into the county. But
the 300 foot rule will mean the site
for which he is negotiating, won’t
be permitted.
(See JUNKYARD, page 2)
Hoke gets second major grant
By June Lancaster
Ntws-Joumai Staff Writer
Mayor John K. McNeill Jr.
The City of Raeford has been
awarded an Economic Develop
ment Administration (EDA) grant
of $457,200. Mayor John K.
McNeill Jr. was informed of the
grant award last week in a
telephone call from the office of
Senator Jesse Helms.
“We are very pleased that we
were able to qualify for this grant.
It will certainly help us address a
problem we have had for some
time at our waste water treatment
plant,” said the mayor.
He said the next step is for the
city to formally accept the grant.
Then engineers will prepare a
working document so that bids can
be submitted. He expects work on
this project will start early next
year.
The improvement to the waste
water treatment plant is one step in
the five-year improvement plan the
city is working on following
recommendations by the engineer
ing consulting firm of Black and
Veatch.
Man saves life of daughter in fire
An east Hoke County man walk
ed through a wall of flames to
rescue his six-year-old daughter
from the family’s burning mobile
home last Thursday morning at
Blake’s Mobile Home Park off
Highway 401 business.
Irving Monroe said he walked to
the bathroom and noticed small
flames coming from the area of the
water heater. As he tried to ap
proach the room from another
direction large flames erupted.
“They hit me then and 1 had to
go through the flames to get the lit
tle girl out.”
Monroe grabbed Lakesa and
made his way out of the home as
the flames spread. His wife and
two other daughters escaped on
their own, ran to the landlord’s
home, and called the Hillcrest Fire
Department.
Fire chief Mike McNeill, whose
department responded along with
Raeford Fire Department, says the
bedroom was completely gutted.
The rest of the home was damaged
by smoke and heat.
Monroe, a custodian at Turl
ington School, suffered burns to
both feet and legs and was treated
at Cape Fear Valley Medical
Center and released. He has not
returned to work.
The family lost all their posses
sions. But the trailer, which the
Monroes were renting, was in
sured.
Planning board tackles private roads issue
By June Lancaster
News-Journal Staff Writer
A conflict of interest between
strict regulation of the growth of
development in Hoke County and
encouraging that growth with
minimal restrictions surfaced at a
special called meeting of the Hoke
County Planning Board Monday
night.
The planning board met to
review proposed amendments to
the subdivision ordinance recom
mended by Commissioners Cleo
Bratcher and Tom Howell and
County Manager William Cowan.
The three men had been ap
pointed by Hoke County Commis
sion Chairman Wyatt Upchurch to
recommend subdivision amend
ments, including a private road
provision.
The committee had recommend
ed allowing three lots with a thirty
foot easement on unimproved dirt
roads but planning board members
thought that was too restrictive.
They voted approval of a motion
by Ralph Barnhart to recommend
allowing five houses on a dirt road
with a 50 foot easement and ade
quate (to DOT standards)
drainage.
Commissioner Mabel Riley, also
a planning board member, voted
against the motion because it did
not include requiring a sand-clay
mix for the road base.
The planning board recom
mended to the commissioners that
the three lot 30 foot easement pro
vision remain as an amendment.
That provision would help people
who have been penalized by the ex
isting subdivision ordinance, it was
stated. The planning board recom
mends that the commissioners add
the five lot provision also.
The planning board reminded
the committee allowing seven lots
on a dirt road with a 60 foot ease
ment, as they originally recom
mended, would encourage
developers to come into Hoke
County and “test the waters.”
Cowan said there was adequate
means in the ordinance now for a
developer to “test the waters” by
developing in phases.
Planning board members ex
pressed a great deal of concern that
an overly restrictive policy would
discourage subdivision develop
ment. Barnhart said, “We want to
make it as easy as possible for
someone to subdivide in this coun
ty.”
Browne Hendrix, planning
board chairman, added, “We need
to find a way here where the
developer can operate.”
On another proposal, the plan
ning board voted against the com
mittee recommendation to repeal
Section 212 of the subdivision or
dinance. That section deals with
gift lots. The committee said they
suggested repeal because that sec
tion is now in conflict with the
minimum lot size ordinance.
Cowan said the whole purpose
of the gift lots provision is to allow
(See BOARD, page 2)
Around Town
By Sam Morris
Refugee finds ‘agitating’ hideout
By Pat Allen Wilson
When a new resident of Hoke
County found the washing
machine she’d moved from
Orlando, Florida, wouldn’t
agitate, she called Cam Miller
of Cam’s Appliances.
The woman complained that
even though she had unplugged
the washer, it still made a noise
every time she went near it.
Miller found a defective lid
switch and proceeded to pull the
timer out. When he did so, the
motor started humming and he
pushed the timer knob in. He
heard a noise “almost like a
clicking” and determined that
the problem was in the motor.
Miller took screws out to
remove the service panel from
the back of the washer. As he
pulled the panel off, the tail of a
rattlesnake dropped down and
eight and one-half rattles shook
before his eyes.
“I broke track records when I
left the house,” Miller recalls.
He yelled to the washer’s owner
that there was a snake in the
washer. She followed him out
of the house but didn’t quite
believe that there was a snake in
the machine.
Miller says he “smoked two
cigarettes” and went back into
the house, taking with him a
broom and hammer. He peeked
into the kitchen and saw the rat
tler’s tail still hanging out of the
washer. Using the broom han-
(See SNAKE, page 2)
This business on highway 211 is one of several at the center of the
junkyard controversy. It reportedly sprang up over a weekend and though
now obscured by corn, is a target of the junkyard ordinance proposed by
the Hoke County commission.
The $457,200 grant represents 60
per cent of a total $762,000 to be
used on the improvements and to
extend utilities to a proposed in
dustrial plant, according to City
Manager Tom Phillips.
The overall project includes
$304,800 in local matching funds,
Phillips said. Of that, $264,800 is
city money and $40,000 is from the
county.
One aspect of the grant applica
tion was that it must enable a local
industry to provide additional jobs
(See GRANT, page 2)
Firemen inspect a mobile home fire in east Hoke. The fire gutted one
room-the rest of the trailer was damaged by heat and smoke.
The best way to describe the
weather in Hoke County is WET.
It has been raining for the past five
days and the forecast doesn’t seem
to call for fair weather this week.
The temperatures have dropped
down in the 80® level and this is
better than the high 90 mark of the
past several weeks.
1 don’t know for sure how much
rain we have had, but the ground
should be wet. I don’t believe 1
have ever been any wetter than I
was after leaving the football game
in Chapel Hill last Saturday. I will
say though, that you don’t feel as
bad wet when you win, as when
you lose.
« • «
Members of the Constitutional
Bicentennial Committee of Hoke
will meet Monday, Sept. 14 at the
office of Glenn Langdon on the
Aberdeen Cutoff at five o’clock.
Plans will be completed for two or
(See AROUND, page 2)