Pastors join forces
See page 4A
Reward offered in murder case
See page 10A
Spotlight on Raeford
See page IB
The
ews
journal
No. 49 Voi. 88
*/f it happened, ifs news to us*
HOKE COUNTY 50 CENTS
Wednesday, March 12, 1997
Schools go year-round
By Kristin Guthrie
Staff writer
The Hoke Board of Education
drew the year-round debate to a
close last night with a unani
mous vote to convert ail K-8
public schools to the year-round
schedule.
The board members said they
received many phone calls re
cently on the issue, but said most
were positive.
“The only negative calls I’ve
heard is not having total year-
round, including the high school.
I’d certainly like to look at the
possibility of the high school
becoming year-round also,”
Board Vice-chairman Leland
Strother said.
“I’ve also had a few calls this
week to have the high school go
year-round also,” board member
Ann Hardin said.
“I think it’s good (the year-
round system),” board member
Charlotte Kelly said of the posi
tive calls she received.
Contrary to some recent op
position to the year-round sys
tem, the board said they felt the
support weighed heavily enough
in favor of the change to make a
decision.
“Over 50 percent of our parents
have voted in favor of the year-
round concept at three of the four
schools. Depending on how you
count the ballots, quite easily fifty-
four percent of parents could be
interpreted as voting for the con
cept atJ.W. McLauchlin School,”
Superintendent Don Steed said.
Steed went on to say that local
school principals, the county’s
two directors of instruction, the
assistant superintendent in charge
of curriculum and he himself’
agree that the year-round system
is in the best interest of the stu
dents. He said the year-round
system will allow the student to
have an academ ic advantage that
they have not had in years past.
“We must lessen the gap be
tween where we presently score
and our state bench mark as to
where we should be,” Steed said.
With Steed’s comments in mind,
the board supported his recom
mendation to make the system’s
K-8 schools year-round.
South Hoke presents wish Hst
By Nicole Gabriel
Staff writer
This is part one of a two-part
series regarding parental concerns
at South Hoke Elementary School.
The South Hoke community
made no bones about telling the
Board of Education that they want
their share of $21.5 million state
bond money earmarked for county
schools.
During two hours of heated and
often emotional disussion at a spe
cial meeting with the Board of
Education at the school on March
6, parents, teachers and represen
tatives from state and local Native
American agencies voiced their
concerns to the board that the South
Hoke Elementary School wants a
sufficient piece of that pie when
the board divvies up that bond
money.
Many in the community spoke
about the serious maintenance
problems plaguing the school and
said they feel the board has over
looked the school in the past.
Those that spoke included the
Parent/Teacher Organization vice
president. The Rev. Tony B. Hunt
said the time has come for the
board to face the issue.
The peeling ceiling and floor
tilesand otherdid not happen over
night, the Rev. Tony B. Hunt said.
“Let’s admit, we’ve been ne
glected in the past,”
Hunt drew rounds of applause
from the crowd of about 100 par
ents and teachers who gathered in
the school cafeteria that night dur
ing his fervent speech, at times
pounding his fist on the table.
“The reason we’re where we’re at
today is because of a lack of support
forthisschool,” Hunt said. “We need
money here. Give us some money
that’s been due us. We’re going to
demand it; we’re not going to sit
down on this issue.”
Schools Associate Superinten
dent Jeff Moss, held his ground
and explained the board’s reason
ing behind its initial proposal to
divide up the money between the
schools.
First, he said although thecounty
will receive just over $21 million,
by the time the county takes out
architect, equipment and permit
fees and takes out 6 percent for
state taxes, actual construction
dollars total just over $16 million.
Moss also emphasized that
while plans are still very fluid and
nothing is final, the board has three
priorities for the money. Those
priorities include a new elemen
tary school and expansions to the
middle schoolsand the high school,
which will useabout$13.9million
of that $16 million Moss said.
“There are some priorities and
the new elementary school is a
priority,” Moss said. “That’sjust a
foct of life.”
Officials rein in how land’s used
By Nicole Gabriel
Staff writer
Hoke County teeters on a
tightrope of growth — balanc-
„ ing between its rural heritage
and industrial future.
Now community leaders hope
a land use plan can serve as a
safety net to prevent a fall into a
zoning abyss.
Taking its first precarious step
off that rope, the county com
missioners, county planner and
residents met with Department
of Transportation representa
tives to brainstorm over Hoke’s
economic growth and infrastruc
ture needs of the not-so-distant
future.
With a three-prong plan, com
munity leaders hope to hedge off
that fall by incorporating zoning
and environmental concerns with
transportation needs.
Their magic formula: control
ling commercial, industrial and
residential development without
stifling them.
But that formula, community
leaders said, should not be paid
in loss of rustication.
“The rural atmosphere, people
are concerned with preserving
that,” county planning director
A1 Mitchell said.
The current proposal, still in
draft form, calls for:
• Targeting zoning codes to
areas conducive to commercial
development;
• Making choices with resi
dents’ wants in mind;
• Protecting natural habitats
with environmental corridors;
• Targeting zoning codes to
areas conducive to residential
(See LAND USE, page 11 A)
TfflSWEEK
Accent
... IB
Calendar.....
... 2B
Classifieds...
...9B
Deaths
...5A
Editorials....
...2A
Legals
... 7B
School News
... 4B
Social News.
...3B
Weather
.12A
Around Town
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing editor
The weather does not feel I ike
winter. Spring is still a couple of
weeks away and Monday the tem
perature was in the 80s. I hope
that we don’t have any more
freezing weather because t h is hot
weather has caused budding on
most of the trees. 1 would hate to
see the fruit crops lost again this
year.
The forecast for the remain
der of the week, Wednesday
through Saturday calls for nice
weather. Wednesday the highs
will be in the high 50s and the
Balffield strikes out with law
A,
a
Elisha Dial rebukes law enforcement at his club prior to
being arrested.
By Nicole Gabriel
Staff writer
Brushing off the books
on a 1913 civil law, area
law enforcement tempo
rarily closed a Hoke night
club, calling it “a public
nuisance.” Sheriff deputies
arrested the club’s owner,
Elisha Dial, after he alleg
edly resisted law officials
in their attempts to serve
him with the civil order —
a temporary restraining or
der — Friday evening.
A convoy of Alcohol
Law Enforcement agents
and sheriff’s deputies de
scended on the Country
side Recreation N ightclub,
also known as the Ballfield,
at 1500 John Rd., at about
6 p.m. Friday to serve the
order to owner and opera
tor Elisha Dial. Deputies
disarmed Dial before at
tempting to serve him the
order.
While officials posted
the order at the club’s en
trances and read a copy to
him, he became belliger
ent with officials and, at
one point, threw down the
order and shouted, “I’ll be
open for business.” He also
threatened to release his
dog on the deputies.
Deputies attempted to
calm Dial, but eventually
arrested himfor resisting,
delaying and obstructing
(See BALL, page 12A)
A sheriff’s deputy posts the civil notice
above a door at the club.
County to put smokers out
By Nicole Gabriel
Staff writer
Smokers can breathe a
strained sigh of rel ief — for now.
The county delayed putting
smoking out of county-owned
buildings at its Monday night
meeting.
Complaints from an area
j udge led county officials to con
sider an ordinance restricting
smoking in county-operated ar
eas. But Monday the board post
poned a vote on the issue until a
public hearing can be held.
County attorney Neil
Yarborough presented the pro
posed ordinance, which outlines
county areas where smoking
would be prohibited.
“This is not an ambitious ordi
nance in that it’s trying to stop
smoking,” Y arborough said. “But
it is designed to address county
safety, vandalism and protect
buildings and equipment.”
County Manager Mike Wood
raised the issue at the last meet
ing because of complaints from
Chief District Court Judge War
ren Pate that smokers were van
dalizing the courthouse and court
house annex on Main Street.
Although a publ ic hearing was
(See SMOKERS, page 1 lA)
Repiibicans plan for future
lows in the 40s. Thursday through
Saturday the highs will be in the
60s and the lows i n the 40s. There
isn’t much chance of rain until
Saturday.
My item in this column last
week about the United Way has
brought forth one check. 1 hope
others that haven’t made a con
tribution to the fund will do so.
Leave the check at the News-
Journal or mail to: Hoke United
Way, PO Box 914, Raeford, NC
28376.
In a couple of weeks the 3rd
(See AROUND, page 11 A)
By Nicole Gabriel
Staff writer
Republicans Frances
Cummings and Gene Shelnutt
left no doubt about staying in the
political game during last
Friday’s Republ ican convention.
Despite recent defeats in the
N.C. House of Representatives
and county commissioners’ elec
tions, both candidates joined fel
low GOP members to garner sup
port for the county's Republican
Party.
Because of the party’s inac
tivity, the state Republican Party
did not officially recognize
Hoke’s Republican Party until
this convention.
Ed Price, state GOP represen
tative, monitored this year’s con
vention and election, during
which members elected 22 del
egates.
Getting involved
Hoke Republicans can no
longer sit on the sidelines,
Cummings said. Instead, they
need to make their dreams a real
ity, she said.
“Let's continue our forward
march,” she said.
Despite her loss, Cummings
said she does not regret the turn
her career took in the last elec
tion.
"W
« »---f
Gene Shelnutt
“1 have no regrets with my
political decision,” Cummings
(See REPUBLICANS, page 12A)