Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / Feb. 3, 1993, edition 1 / Page 1
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The ews Journal The 43rd issue of our 84th year RAEFORD, NORTH CAROLINA 25 CENTS Wednesday, February 3,1993 Building inspector is overworked; but he’ll have to wait for help If you rieed an inspection in Hoke County, expect a two- to three-day wait. The Hoke Board of County Commissioners denied the Planning Department’s request for an additional building inspector at Monday’s meeting. Last year the Board budgeted $20,726 to pay for an additional inspector, but with the 3-2 vote, the spot \vill remain unfilled for another 30 days. County Planner Karen Burd told the Board one inspector just cannot handle the load anymore as residential development skyrockets across the county. Inspections requests, which were an swered on the same day, are now delayed until the one inspector can get there, often for two to three days. The average number of daily inspections jumped from last year’s 11 to 19, with a more recent average of 34 in the first part of 1993. “It’s just we have one inspector and we have only so much we can do,” Burd said. The current inspector, Billy Cox, already pulls overtime, often working until 7 p.m., she said. He receives compensation time rather than overtime pay, but since he’s the only one, Burd said he doesn’t get to use that time. “He’s essentially working for free,” she said. Commissioner Cleo Bratcher said he agreed the county needs a second inspector. “There’s no way Billy can do all the inspec tions he needs to do,” he said. “At this time we need to go ahead and get the inspector we (See INSPECTOR, page 12) AT ) Deer grazing atop a service sta tion; hard to imagine if you hadn’t se en th em in their glory days (right) above the Graham Service Sta tion on Main Street. These deer may er^d up back in their original place after restoration, now in progress. Doing the work is Ingeborg Katolik, well known in Hoke County for her European castle, underconstruction in Rock- fish. She is shown with a painting she restored; pieces of the deer are visible in the foreground. Landmark deer may finally get new life After nearly 20 years, two dor mant deer will be brought to life. Nq, a miracle drug wasn’t cre ated, but some Hoke Countians may call it a miracle. Followingaletter-writingcam- paign by concerned citizens to the News-Journal's Sam Morris, a disjointed group contacted the school system and was given the go- ahead to have two sculptured deer that once adorned a local service station restored. Ingeborg Katolik, known in the Rockfisharcaforherconsiructionof a European castle in Hoke County, will tackle the restoration project of the two deer which stood atop the Arch Graham service station. When she’s through, the deermay be put back in their original place, though that’s unsure at this point. The saga of the missing deer un folded in Morris’ Around Town col umn in January. The first mention of the forgotten bucks came in early January when Gladdic Harrison wrote in after seeing a Luke McNeill videotape on area history showing the Janu ary 1985 removal of the deer. Harrison said that video rai.scd her curiosity about the fate of the deer. “I was interested in them just (Sec DEER, page 5) Scholarships to boost Tech Prep Hoke High students will have an option next year to take part in one of the hottest educational programs in the U.S. — techni cal preparation or “tech prep.” To entice them into the program a group of local businesses has teamed up with Sandhills Community College to offer $1,0{X) college scholarships to students who travel the tech prep track and graduate from Hoke High with at least an 85 aver age. Dr. John R. Dempsey, president of Sandhills, told the Hoke Sandhills campus advisory board last week enough Hoke businesses pitched in to make the scholar ships possible. “We hope this will be an incentive to embark on a tech prep program,” Dempsey told the board. “Whether they (graduating high school seniors) come to Sandhills Community (See TECH PREP, page 12) City Council seeks protection from liability of taxi service John Dumpsey makes announcement fast week Raeford City Council is trying to figure how to save taxi service in Raeford, but limit liability to the City posed by taxi drivers. Three drivers have complied with the City’s directions to apply for permits, but of them, only one is “close to complying” with state law, said Raeford Police Chief James Murdock. The greatest sticking point is liability insurance. Murdock and City Attorney Palmer Willcox said state law requires taxi drivers obtain commercial insurance as “carriers for hire.” Murdock said he’s heard estimates of premiums costing as high as $3,(X)0 per vear That, he savs, effectively limits the ability of drivers to make a profit. Willcox told Council it may have to enforce insurance regulations even though it could be a burden to drivers. “I’m afraid it’s going to get tough because you’re going to have to do this,” he told city councilmen. He said several drivers in Raeford had only personal liability insurance, which wouldn’t cover the injuries of passengers in an accident. City Council began talking about the taxi situation after Willcox told the board in an earlier meeting the City wasn’t following through on inspections required of drivers in the City’s ordinance. He told the board last month he was concerned the ordinance (See CITY, page 5) County halts construction on Five Points compactor site W ork halted Monday on the county’s newest garbage convenience center in Five Points as commissioners ruminate whether to move construction to a different location. If the Board approves a move, the county stands to possibly lose about $73,(KX) due to contractual obligations. The Board of Commissioners voted in the Monday meeting to stop construction of the Five Points site until February 15 after a family said it doesn’t want the convenience center next to its property. Franklin and Romus Stephens, who own property adjacent to the new’ site, asked the Board to reconsider building the site near their property for health reasons. Franklin Stephens, who underwent kidney surgery, said he worries the site will attract flies and produce a foul odor. He said his health was not good enough for him to live through an unpleas ant situation. County Manager Barry Reed said the family’s concerns over the future site’s sanitation were understandable, but not applicable to manned convenience centers. After Reed tried to clarify to Board Chairman L.E. McLaughlin and the family the differences between a center and the loathed “green boxes,” or dumpsters, Jordan moved to temporarily stop further construction. Although the Stephens don’t want the Five Points site near their home, other residents don’t mind living near a center. On Tuesday morning, a neighbor of the Bowmore convenience center site said she’s had no problems with the center adjacent to (See COUNTY, page 12) McNeill says she’ll retire again Mary Archie McNeill is retiring again. Well, sort of. The long-time music instructor- tumed-college-administratorsaidon March 31 she will step down from her position as director at Sandhills Community College and become just a private citizen. A very active private citizen. “1 don’t even know how to lean back in this chair,” she said in sin cere modesty when posing for a pic ture. (Sec MCNEILL, page 13) Mary Archie McNeill Around Town By Sam C. Morris The weather over the weekend was nice and the rain has finally slopped. A cold front came through Monday night and tlic thermometer dropped into the 20s. Tuesday was a cold day with the temperatures in the 40s, but with die north wind it felt colder. I was talking to Robert Gatlin last week and 1 asked him what his predic tion on snow was for this year. He replial that he wouldn’t predict snow for diis year. I don’t know if this is good or bad, because he missed his prediction last year. The forecast for the remainder of the weekeal Is for the lempcralurcs Wednes day through Friday lo be in the high 50s and the lows in die 30s; .Salurtlay will be in die high 40s and die lows w i II be in the 30s We should have rain on Saturday. t * * * * Helen Huffman, a director of the Raeford-Hoke Chamber of Commerce, called me Monday and she asked that I mention about die upcoming Lcgisla- Uve Breakfast sponsored by the cham ber. The affair will be held Saturday, February 13 at the Wagon Wheel Res taurant. Time will be 8 a.m. Tickets are on sale at die depot. The price of the tickets arc $5 for chamber members and $6.50 for non-members. So if you have either requests or quarrels with the members of our legis lative branch, then go lo diis meeting. Maybe diey can tell you what district you arc in! « * * * « Mary Maiherly was by the office last week and she had a couple of receipts dial she found which belonged to her (See AROUND, page 13)
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
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Feb. 3, 1993, edition 1
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