The
ews
Journal
election ’94
preview
i ^ )
W5/DC
The 2nd issue of our 86th year
RAEFORD, NORTH CAROLINA
25 CENTS
Wednesday, April 20, 1994
Two arrested for brealdng into home of Hoke register of deeds
Two teenagers were arrested last Thurs
day for allegedly breaking into the home
of Hoke County Register of Deeds Della
Maynor.
Hoke County sheriffs Detective Arnold
Wilson said Paul Jones, 18, of Route 1,
Box 204F, and a 15-year-old boy were
charged with felony breaking and entering
and larceny and with conspiracy.
The two are accused of stealing several
items of jewelry and a 9 mm handgun from
Maynor’s Balfour Road mobile home.
Wilson said the stolen goods have been
recovered.
Jones was taken to the Hoke County jail
under $10,000 bond.
The 15-ycar-old was taken to a juvenile
detention facility.
Man arrested
for cocaine possession
Eric Lashaw Melvin, 21,of 916 Burbank
St., Fayetteville, was arrested last Thurs
day after deputies allegedly found drugs
and a hidden weapon inside his car.
A sheriff’s department report said
Melvin, driving a white 1981 Cadillac,
pulled out in front of oncoming traffic
while turning onto Rockfish Road from
Arabia Road. A sheriff’s deputy followed
the car and stopped it just inside
Cumberland County on Camden Road.
A search of the vehicle, Melvin and
three passengers turned up a possibly 9
mm handgun, a pager, more than S1,800 in
cash, a pill bottle containing cocaine and
two small vials, the report said. Melvin
was charged with possession of a con
trolled substance and carrying a concealed
(See Crime, pageSA)
Fndt Stand
closure
causes buzz
Neighborhood buzz over
alleged strong-arm tactics has a
City of Raeford official be
fuddled.
City enforcement of a North
Carolina State Plumbing Code
requirement resulted in a newly
established produce stand tempo
rarily and voluntarily closing to
bring their business up to stan
dards, says Raeford Public
Works Director Mike McNeill.
McNeill says he approached
the management of the produce
stand at the corner of East Cen
tral Avenue and N.C. 20 last
Wednesday after receiving
complaints about increased
■ traffic and other problems from
residents in the area.
“I told them they needed to get
a restroom facility and display
their tax stamp... they closed
voluntarily,” says McNeill.
The owner, Deborah
McDonald of Fayetteville, could
not be reached for comment.
He says he since has heard talk
all over town that he forced the
stand to close and that the re
quirement for restroom facilities
does not apply to produce stands.
“I don’t know where they got
that 1 made them close — it must
be imaginations,” he said.
Article 922.2.2 of the state
plumbing code says, “Every
building and each subdivision
thereof intended for pubic use
shall be provided with facilities
in accordance with this chapter.”
Raeford city ordinance article
5-103 states the city should
enforce the state plumbing code.
McNeill said because the
owner put poles in the ground,
the stand is, in fact, a building
and therefore falls subject to the
plumbing code.
Since the stand’s closing last
Friday, portable toilets have been
brought to the site, apparently so
the owner can resume business
on Wednesday.
McNeill said he did not know
of other produce stands in the
city needing to make adjustments
to meet requirements at this time,
but that he would continue to
enforce the state plumbing code
where any violations are made.
\
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Campaigning: sheriff candidate Dave Barrington Jr. (right) and his wife, Hissa talk with Judge Bill Mcllwain.
Candidates take to the soapbox
Board denies
rezoning request
for subdivision
The Public Affairs Depart
ment of the Raeford Woman’s
Club sponsored “Meet the Can
didates” at the Hoke County
Public Library last night.
The program, led by dub
member Jackie Gladden, was
designed to acquaint voters with
candidates running in local and
state races.
The candidates were given
three minutes each to tout their
platforms. A social hour fol
lowed with refreshments served
and time for conversation with
candidates.
During the speeches, several lo
cal candidates espoused the
strengths of Hoke County and af
firmed their dedication to service
of its people.
Incumbent school board mem
ber Bob Conoly said, “I’m running
as a token of appreciation for what
Hoke County has provided for my
family.”
Jean Hodges, who is running for
county commissioner, said if
elected, “ 1 wi 11 work to regain Hoke
County’s positive image — I’m
tired of us being called poor.”
Commissioner Cleo Bratcher.
seeking re-election, said, “1 love
Hoke County. Out of a hundred
counties in North Carolina, I
would say Hoke County has one
of the greatest potentials in the
state.”
Chairman of the present board
of commissioners L. E.
McLaughlin distributed a
progress report on Hoke County
naming additions to the county
tax base through new businesses
and outlining overall growth and
development in the county dur
ing his time in office.
(See CANDIDATES, page 11 A)
uch to the relief of
about 11 King Road
area residents, Hoke
County commissioners Monday
denied a developer’s rezoning
request to more densely develop
an eight-acre tract in that area.
The King Road group’s
spokesman, Heriberto Serrano
Jr., presented the board with a
map and videotape of the area
showing residents’ concerns that
area wetlands would be contami
nated by septic tanks for the
proposed 14 houses. Commis
sioners voted 3-2 to deny devel
oper Charles Pierce’s request for
R-15 (lots of at least 15,(XX)
square feet), and the area’s RA-
20 (residential/agricultural with
lots of at least 20,000 square
feet), which went against the
recommendation of the newly
formed Hoke Planning Board
which met Thursday night. The
tract can still be developed for a
subdivision, just not as densely.
“I’ve been living here for eight
years,” Serrano told the board. “I
moved away from Cumberland
County because my neighbor had
a bad septic tank problem — his
land was tested, too — the
bottom line is that sometimes a
test is wrong.”
Fayetteville lawyer Herb
Thorp, representing Pierce,
answered the group’s concerns.
“We understand and respect
that we’ve got to comply with the
Corps of Engineers (on wetlands
restrictions) and that's what
we’re trying to do by asking for
this rezoning.”
Thorp, who pointed out that
earlier in the meeting commis
sioners had just rezoned a similar
tract from RA-20 to R-15 so that
developers would have more
flexibility with the lots, said the
developer would probably go
ahead and put a 12-home subdi
vision on the tract.
Commissioner Tom Howell,
who, with Commissioner Riley
Jordan voted against the motion
to deny the request, noted that if
the zoning changed to R-15, the
subdivision would have to go
onto a public water system.
Board denies
request for ETJ
Commissioners split a second
time Monday night over a City of
Raeford request to extend its
extraterritorial jurisdiction to
one-mile out of the city limits.
Commissioners Cleo Bratcher
and Howell voted to approve the
request, and Commissioners L.E.
McLaughlin, Jordan and James
Leach voted to deny the request.
Raeford Public Works Director
Mike McNeill presented commis
sioners with a map proposing the
change.
■‘We feel the need to be progres
sive, we feel the need to expand
our ETJ,” he told the board.
But McLaughlin asked why
the city hadn’t pursued the
request about a year and a half
(See COMMISSION, page lOA)
Group seeks school board help with high school band program
A group of some 45 people met with the
Hoke Board of Education Monday night to
express concerns over the band program at
Hoke High School.
The school board heard the matter in
executive session. After a 30-minute confer
ence it took no action.
The Monday meeting, held six days later
than usual, was also notable for progress
made in plans for upcoming programs such
as 90-minute block scheduling at the high
school, an alternative school, and a summer
enrichment program for students.
In addition, school board Chairman John
D. McAllister recognized two Hoke County
H igh School students chose n to rece i ve schol
arships through the North Carolina Teach
ing Fellows program.
Block schedule approved
for next school year
A new 9()-m i nute block schedu le for Hoke
High was unanimousb approved.
The new schedule \m1I divide the school
year into two 18-week lerms. During each
term, students will attend four 90-minute
classes - two academic courses such as math
or English and two electives.
Proponents say block scheduling will pro
vide the opportunity for students to take
more electives, allow time for more discus
sion and cooperative learning, and lighten
the class load.
Currently, students keep up with six
classes, most of which are academic, core
courses.
Hoke High business teacher Phyllis
Fahrenbruck said approximately 160 par
ents came to a meeting in the high school
gym last Thursday to discuss how block
scheduling would affect students.
“They went away happy and knowing
their students will be successful under this
scheduling,” said Fahrenbruck.
Superintendent Bill Harrison pointed out
the new schedule, in addition to its instruc
tional benefits, would save money on sup
plies, such as books, which would be turned
in at the end of the first term and used by a
different group of students during the sec
ond term.
(See SCHOOL, page 4A)
Students D.A.R.E.
to celebrate Thursday
Around Town
On Thursday, Hoke County stu
dents involved in the Drug Abuse
Resistance Education program will
enjoy a D.A.R.E. day filled with
rewards for their participation in
the program.
Fifth-graders currently enrolled
in the program, as well as students
who have already graduated from
it, will be treated to food — hot
dogs, chips, cotton candy and solt
drinks — and will see exhibits and
demonstrations by area emergency
personnel in McLauchlin Park.
Activities in the park will take
place from 11 a.m. until 1:3() p.m.
Special guests at the event will
include Raeford Mayor Bob Gen
try and McGruff the Crime Dog.
Two local restaurants will offer
discounts to D.A.R.E. students
throughout the day. Burger King
will offer a 15 percent discount,
and Papa’s Pizza To Go will give
10 percent off purchases.
April 21 was declared D.A.R.E.
Day throughout the United Stales
by President Bill Clinton A parade
will be held in Washington D.C. in
honor of the occasion.
Raeford city council members
followed suit when they met last
week by declaring April 2l
D.A.R.E. Day in Raeford.
A number of businesses have
(See DARE, page 4A)
IV
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New screen
Residents at Open Arms Rest Home recently received a new movie screen
thanks to the Raeford Junior Service League.
By Sam C. Morris
The weekend weather was once again
the dream for the folks w ho like outdoor
activities. The temperatures were in the
70s and 80s and the rain came mostly
during the early morning hours on Sat
urday. The w ind and rain did aw ay with
many dogwciod and azalea blossoms. It
was still nice weather on Monday with
the temperature around 80. The nights
have been ctxjl and the lows Monday
morning was in the 40s.
The forecast calls for the highs
Wednesday through Friday to be in the
high 70s or low 80s, with the lows in the
high 40s. Saturday, the high will be in
the 80s and the low will be in the 50s.
There is a chance of rain on Saturday.
Only a chance!
* * * * «
I attended the Hoke County Demo
cratic Party convention on Saturday at
the courthouse. There were delegates
from most of the precincts and Jackie
Hadden presided.
The business for an off year was
mostly routine and the people elected to
the various com m ittees and the delegates
to thedistrict and state conventions didn’t
have any opposition.
A few of the candidates who are
running in the May 3rd primary were
i n trod uced andtheyweregivena chance
to speak fora few minutes. Most of them
stated the office they were seeking and
requested that the people vote for them.
Thiswasmy kind of convention. The
meeting was called to order at I;00 and
i t w as adjourned at 1:30. Short but sweet!
SINCE LAST WEEK I believe all
the candidates in the county have put up
more posters. It seems that on every
vacant lot next to a crossroads you will
find many signs. The wind and rain did
(See AROUND, page 3A)