Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / June 10, 1992, edition 1 / Page 1
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ews J oumal The 91h issue of our 84th year RAEFORD, NORTH CAROLINA 25 CENTS Wednesday, June 10,1992 Hoke CAT scores show marked improvements in most areas Hoke Board of Education members looked like proud parents as they viewed for the first time, a summary of local scores from end of course tests and the California Achievement Test. In most cases in the three critical grades — critical in the sense that they’re watched for accreditation — scores went up, and in some cases quite dramatically. For example, in the third grade, where stron gest gains were recorded, students taking the CAT increased 15 percentile points from 45 to 60 in Language (scores are three-year averages); they also scored 17 percentile points higher in math from 55 to 72; overall, third grade scores increased 13 points to 53 (see chart). In fact, CAT scores improved in the three accreditation grades (three, six and eight) in all categories except in one case: sixth graders h y Mary Baldwin and Brad Johnson: she was his babysitter; he's trying to help her get better quarters. Hoke Habitat for Humanity chapter may offer answer to woman’s plight Mary Baldwin lives in squalor trying to stretch her government stipends to pay for property taxes and necessities to hang on to her approximately 60 acres of western Hoke County property. She needs help to survive and retain the property that, for the last 100 years, served as her family’s heritage; and two Hoke County groups intend to provide that help. The Hoke Emergency Liaison Program (HELP) and the fledgling Hoke County chapter of Habitat Bridges named principal to replace Hoke High’s Tyler Hoke High School’s new princi pal is Randy Bridges. The Hoke Board of Education unanimously decidedon the appointment last night after a move by Charlotte Kelly and a second by Dwight Oxendine. Currently principal at East Hoke Middle, Bridges will replace Mitch Tyler who resigned to return to school. The board also accepted Tyler’s resignation last night. Bridges came to Hoke County last July from Lee County where he was an assistant principal at East Lee Middle School. He goes tq the high school opti mistically. “I taught at the high school level for 10 years,” he said. “I’m just honored and pleased Dr. Harrison and the Board of Education would show enough confidence in me,” he said. “I’ll go to the high school and work with fine teachers and follow in behind Mr. Tyler who did a fine job when he was there.” Bridges says the new job will be a challenge, but he’ll maintain his cur rent philosophy. “We’re in this to serve kids and as long as you keep that in focus the challenges will fall in place.” Bridges is married to Vernetta Bridges, a guidance counselor at the high school. He says she’ll remain in that position because she’s “the best (See PRINCIPAL, page 8) dropped two percentile points in math, but still scored high enough to meet state standards. Superintendent Bill Harrison told the board the scores should speak to non-believers. “I’m kind of getting tired of hearing that our kids can’t do for whatever reason,” he said. He later said the increases can be chalked up to “teaching and le-teaching” the curriculum, and to “folks who have gone in and focused on teaching the curriculum, and used a variety of instructional practices.” He said teachers are paying attention to what students are and aren’t learning, and then going back where needed to re-teach. In the third, sixth and eighth grades Hoke students also took end of course tests in Science and Social Studies. The results showed marked (See CAT, page 4) Foes nearly nix medical complex Project may go on withont building A new medical complex that proponents say will bring three doctors to Raeford was almost killed this week when a board that oversees the facility that would house the center refused to transfer the building. It appears the medical center is on go, building or no building; one of the doctors is moving here today. At the center of the controversy is the building on Main Street now occupied by Dr. RobertTownsend. Built in the late ‘70s, largely with the help of a federal grant, the building is under the control of Hoke County Medical Complex Inc., a non-profit corporation and its board of directors. Only three of the original board members are alive and one of them —Walter Coley — says the board “has not met in years.” Coley is the sole member of the board that wants to see the building transferred so the project will fly. Younger Snead Jr. and Ivery McNair voted against the transfer. McNair says he’s still looking into the matter; Snead indicated he would talk about the matter later. Though the N.C. Medical Society and the Office of Rural Health and Resource Development had hoped to use the existing building, they and county officials indicated last night they will proceed with or without the transfer. One doctor, Karen Smith, is moving to Raeford today. The new program, represented by Dr. Harvey Estes, plans to bring more doctors to Hoke County through a cooperative effort between Hoke officials and the Fayetteville Area Health Education Center located in the Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. According to Estes, North Carolina needs about 400 more family practitioners by most estimates. Estes also said that about 80 percent of North Carolina’s rural doctors are over age 60. These communities need younger doctors to replace those near retirement age, he said. Out of approximately 20 counties in North Caro lina, the endowment groups selected Hoke County for the new program, Estes said. “We want to put anew clinic—practice in Raeford, owned by the conununity,” he said. “It’s your clinic.” Under the new program, the medical center would receive four new health care providers, with three doctors and one physicians’ assistant. Also, interns and residents from FAHEC will rotate through the clinic. The group arranged the funding of the new pro- (See MEDICAL, page 12) Crowd says ^no’ to budget for Humanity work to wipe out the economic resi due left by the recent recession. “I’ve been here eleven or twelve years and nobody’s paid taxes on it,” Baldwin said, “and then I found out they were trying to auction it off.” But her taxes increase, and her benefits don’t. However, Brad Johnson, a little boy Baldwin formerly babysat, won prize money in an essay contest and donated it to Habitat for Humanity. He (See HABITAT, page 5) People flowed into the halls from the County Commissioners’ boardroom as more than 100 Hoke residents came to express disapproval of the pro posed 1992-1993 budget. County Manager Barry Reed recommended a 12 cents increase on the tax rate, from 72 cents to 84 cents per $100 assessed property value. Much of the discontent at ^e Monday night budget stemmed from a question of park and trans portation allocations. Confusion arose over the funding of the three proposed parks in Rockfish, McCain and Antioch and improvements at the Burlington Park site. In the proposal, park funding would come from a fund-balance appropriation. According to Reed, the tax rate would be unaf fected by the park allotments. It would remain at the approved level whether or not the parks proposal is accepted. “The $234,(X)0 fund balance allocation I have in the budget is for capital items only,” he said. “We try to use fund balance appropriations to fund one time capital expenditures.” The fund balance, Reed said, is “like a county savings account.” He said the law mandates at least eight percent of the county budget be in a fund balance. So, he said, (See BUDGET, page 9) Area drug bust targets 25 The Hoke—Robeson Drug Task Force and local law enforcement of ficers swept out into the county to day in an early morning roundup of 25 suspected drug violators. Officers arrested seven suspected drug dealers at press time. Those in custody and the charges filed against them are; Ruth Locklear, possession with intent to sell and deliver, maintain ing a drug dwelling; Michael Ray, possession with in tent to sell and deliver, maintaining a place to keep contfolled substances, selling within 300 feet of a school; Walter Jones, possession with in (Sec BUST, page 12) Around Town Fatal accident Minnie Smith Carolina, 82, of Bennettsville, S.C. was killed when her car hit a tree off US 401 S. Thursday afternoon near Bowmore. A passenger from New York was injured. Another wreck injured Billy Ray James, 46 of Old Farm Rd. Monday when his truck slid of Hwy. 211 in rain and struck a power pole. He was taken to Moore Regional Hospital after the 10:30 p.m wreck By Sam C. Morris The hot weather arrived over the weekend. The temperatures on Sun day and Monday were in the 90s and the lows at night were in the 70s. This is above the average tem- peratiu'es for this time of year, but it is welcomed by most folks, espe cially the farmers, after the cold days and nights. The warm nights should cause the crops and gardens to pro duce. The forecast calls for the mercury to fall somewhat, but it will still be warm weather. The highs Wednes day through Saturday will be in the 80s and the lows at night will be in the 60s. There is a chance of rain on Thursday and Friday. Of course with the hot weather we could have thun dershowers any afternoon. * * The pnmary last Tuesday brought out less than 30% of the registered voters in the county. Dr. Riley Jor dan and James Leach will replace Wyatt Upchurch and Neill MePhatter on the Board of Commissioners. They have no opposition in the No vember general election. The race was close and the results that were kept at The News-Journal office didn’t show a winner until the last two precincts were posted. The sad thing about this election was the apathy of the voters. Itdoesn’t seem to matter to most voters of this county who handles the money or how they say it should be spent. Let’s hope something will change them before the general election in November. Then we will be voting (See AROUND, page 12)
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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June 10, 1992, edition 1
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