Your chance
to be heard!
East Hoke Middle School
Monday, 7 p.m.
Be there.
The
ews
Journal
The 47th issue of our 84th year
RAEFORD, north CAROLINA
25 CENTS
Wednesday, March 3,1993
Lost golf balls basis for new recycling business coming to town
Did you ever wonder what happened to those
golf balls that never quite make it to the hole?
Local entrepreneur Doc Scheffler will recycle
and sell them in Raeford.
Located at 409 E. Central Ave., Out of the
Rough debuted as Hoke’s newest business yester
day in a ceremony at the Depot.
Scheffler will hire 10 people immediately for
his business, and he said he plans to expand the
number to 30 within three years in light industrial
capacities.
He has a five-year lease with the option to buy
on his building and said he’s “here to stay.’’
The idea of refurbishing golf balls came from a
friend, he said. After his friend encountered
other. Unrelated problems, he was offered the
purchase of the business. “1 thought it made such
total sense,” he said of recycling golf balls.
A former Army tank operator who served in
Korea, Germany and Desert Storm, Scheffler said
he found him.self an unlikely businessman and
transplant North Carolinian.
“In 1979 1 joined the Army and I never thought
I’d end up in North Carolina. When I got out last
year, I never thought about starting my own
business.”
The Chicago native currently lives in
Fayetteville with his wife, Nanhi, and daughter,
Heidi. He said had he known about Raeford a
year and one-half ago, he would have moved here
instead.
(See GOLF BALLS, page 9)
A
Enough golf balls to last even the worst golfer for awhile: Doc Scheffler stands with approximatley 60,000 ready for recycling in Raeford's newest business.
Citizens to speak their minds Monday
Hoke leaders hope citizens will get involved in
the grass-roots effort to map out Hoke’s future.
Monday, the newly-formed strategic planning
steering committee will host a public fomm at
East Hoke Middle School at 7 p.m.
Committee president Kay Thomas said she
hopes people will show up and get involved in
forming a blueprint for Hoke development.
“The forum is an opportunity for people to
initiate topics of discussion,” she said. The com
mittee will then use the most common topics as a
base for setlirtg developmental goals.
Thomas stressed the goals will be realistically
attainable.
“The purpose is to give citizens the opportu
nity to contribute their ideas and concerns for a
plan for the future,” she said.
She said the forum should encourage the aver-
“This provides the opportunity for
Hoke County to act, and not react." —
Kay Thomas
age citizen — who usually “don’t have a voice” in
public policy — to express their views.
(See INPUT, page 5)
Kiwanis club admits first woman
r'
Jackie Lynch
She sees herself as “Just another
Raeford Kiwanian.” For the first time,
the traditionally male organization ad
mitted a female member. Jackie Lynch.
With an unanimous vote by the
organization’s board. Lynch made Hoke
history as the club moves into the 1990s.
The civically-minded service organi
zation nationally approved the admittance
of females to clubs’ rosters a few years
ago, members said, but left the decision
ultimately with individual clubs.
A long-time panicipant in public ser
vice projects such as Share Your Christ
mas, Lynch said she Joined the Kiwanis
Club because she supports their mission
3. 0
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Derby winner: Toby Johnson, second place winner in the local Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, is about to place his
car beside his competition last Thursday. Overall winner was Ryan Bullock; third place winner was David Jacobs.
Sevenieen buys from Cub Scout Pack 404 entered the race at Hcaelord United Motliodibi churuii.
Ross back
on the air
Probably not after today
A fter about a three-month hiatus, the Rev. James Ross
went back on the airwaves last week. But today may see
the end of his Raeford radio career. At 10:30 a foreclo
sure hearing was scheduled for Hoke’s only radio station, 1400
AM.
The hearing followed an unending financial battle for Ross’
Gospel Tabernacle Enterprises, Inc.
Earlier this year, Hoke Sheriff’s Deputies cleared out the gospel
station as the first step of foreclosure proceeding. One station
employee went off the air so equipment could be removed from the
401 Business site.
According to Sheriff’s Sgt. David Smith, Ross borrowed equip
ment to put his gospel station back on the air after receiving ap
proval from the foreclosers. Smith said the confiscated equipment
will go on the auction block on March 13.
A portion of the $25,000 worth of equipment was removed in
1991 to pay an $8,000 debt to Washington Coleman Jr.
Ross left Raeford with a trail of over $93,0(X) in defaulted
business debts.
Officials said they weren’t sure of Ross’ whereabouts, but Smith
said Ross “had been around Raeford” for the past two weeks.
Ross told The News-Journal last September he would move to
Georgia to eventually become a T.V. evangelist and ordained
minister. Monday Sheriff Wayne Byrd said Ross “got himself a
church in South Carolina.”
In the fall interview, Ross said a group known as the Delta
Pioneers of Fayetteville would assume $85,(X)0 in debts and would
take over management and ownership.
However, the Sheriff’s Department’s Smith said no such organi
zation could be located in Fayetteville, Raeford, Southern Pines, or
the surrounding area.
In the fall interview, Ross said a husband and wife team would
take over the church services at the station.
Odessa Copeland said she and her husband. Pastor Alvin
Copeland, initially planned to take over the station in a lease to
own agreement, but too much “red tape” changed their minds.
(See RADIO, page 9)
100 percent. “Everything they ’re involved
in benefits Hoke County so much, espe
cially their work with kids.”
Lynch said the club’s focus on helping
children primarily motivated her to Join.
“Anything that works with kids, 1 love
to get involved.”
(See FIRST LADY, page 12)
Red Springs
wants local
phone service
to Raeford
Local telephone service to Red
Springs? Red Springs wants it. And
Raeford City Council went on record
Monday night endorsing the idea, and
die idea of putting the question to voters.
In a letter from George Paris, mayor
of Red Springs, Council was asked to
support the idea saying there arc 575
Hoke County residents who arc on the
Red Springs 8-4-3 exchange. Tlicy cur
rently pay long distance charges if they
phone Raeford. The letter also .said 34
percent of Hoke subscribers phone Red
Springs at least once a mondi.
If local service is approved, residen
tial customers on the 8-7-5 exchange
(Sec PHONES, pag>, 8)
Mammoth trash
collection planned
You’ve got one last chance! If
you live in Raeford and have gar
bage, trash. Junk — you name it
—you have one last chance to get
rid it of it painlessly.
As the City prepares to end an
craof bury ing mounds of garbage
in the local landfill, it’s going to
make one mammoth collection
next week to help residents get rid
of old things such as refrigerators,
furniture, stoves, washers and dry
ers.
Haven’t known what to do with
paint? How about used oil?
Mike McNeill, directorof pub
lic works, says March 8-13 the
City will try to make arrange
ments to remove whatever resi -
(See TRASH, page 8)
Around Town
By Sam C. Morris
We missed the snow, but we did have
ice on the trees, fences, cars, etc. last
Friday. The roads stayed clear, so school
and other businesses were able to oper
ate that day. It was cold and didn’t get
out of the 30s all day. It was also cold
Saturday and Sunday, but the wind had
died down and the sun was shining, so it
didn’t feel as cold. On Monday and
Tuesday the temperatures were in the
high 50s and low 60s. March came in
like a lamb.
The forecast calls for the high on
Wednesday to be in the 60s and the low
will be in the 40s. On Thursday, Friday,
and Saturday we will see the highs in tlie
50s and the lows in the 30s. There will be
rain starting on Wednesday and stop
ping Friday morning.
* * * * *
Robert Gatlin called Monday night
and he asked me if I knew what hap
pened 66 years ago today? I said no. He
said that on March 1 and 2,1927, there
were 27 inches of snow on the ground in
Raeford. After he said that, I did remem
ber.
# « « * «
Last Wednesday afternoon 1 attended
the funeral of Mrs. Kathryn Campbell
McCall in Laurel Hill. We were class
mates at Raeford High School and we
graduated in the Class of 1935. I had
seen her several times over the past 58
years at funerals and at our class re
unions. It amazes me at how few the
times were that our patlis had crossed
since graduation, living just a few miles
apart.
Kathryn was killed in an automobile
wreck on US74 in Laurel Hill. She had
been to see someone from her church
who had Just returned from the hospital.
You don’t realize what old friends have
(See AROUND, page 12)