4-
ews
J oumal
oke County's newspaper since 1
No. 23 Vol. 92
50 cents
Wednesday, September 8,1999
See us at
www.dick5onpress.com
Tliis week
Teens seek
skateboard park
page 1B
Operation Big
Sweep
set for Sept. 18
page 3A
Index 1
Calendar
2B
Classifieds
8-9B
Deaths
9A
Editorials
.... 2-3A
Engagements
3B
Legals
6-7B
Public Record
5A
Religion
6B
School
10B
Socials
3B
Sports
4A
TV Listings
4-5B
Weddings
3B
Around Town
By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
The weather for the past
week can be called “Dennis.”
Hurricane Dennis decided to
retrace its path along the North
Carolina coast before coming
ashore around Morehead City.
The winds were not strong but
it did bring plenty of water to
the state. Along the coast they
had over 10 inches of rain.
Durham had over six inches.
In Hoke County we had three
inches or more on Saturday
and Sunday. Let’s hope that it
has finally played out.
The forecast for the remain
der of the week, Wednesday
through Saturday, calls for the
highs to be in the 80s and the
lows will be in the 60s. There
is a chance of rain late Thurs
day or on Friday morning.
♦ * * * *
Travel was not as heavy
through Raeford over the La
bor Day weekend because of
the hurricane. Some people
did go to the coast and it had
cleared up by Sunday after
noon. Most of the businesses
in Raeford were closed Mon
day and as this is being written
the sun is out and everything
is great for a holiday. Maybe
many lives will be saved be
cause of the light traffic.
*****
Sunday morning at the
Raeford Presbyterian Church
the guest minister was the
Reverend S. T. (Strad) Snively
of Pinehurst. The Reverend
Mr. Snively’s wife is the niece
(See AROUND, page 8A)
County complex building timetable set
Agencies selected
for spaces
By Victoriana Summkrs
Staff writer
County Commissioners gave
Sudden drop
in SAT scores
raises flags
By Kristin Guthrie
Staff writer
After receiving disturbing reports that Hoke
County students scored on the average 25 points
below last year’s cumulative verbal and math
ematical SAT score, Associate Superintendent
Jeff Moss said Hoke County school officials
plan to offer a few different options to help
students better prepare for the SAT.
Moss said the Hoke County school system
plans to begin offering SAT preparation courses
on Saturdays, an elective SAT course during the
regular school day and computer labs with drill
and practice SAT questions before and after
school and also during lunch. Time will tell just
how many of these options become a reality, but
Moss said the Hoke County public school sys
tem plans to implement as many of these offer
ings as soon as possible.
The sudden concern about SAT preparation
came when Hoke County students scored 25
points below last year, that is, averaging 20
points less on the mathematical section and five
points less on the verbal portion. This year, Hoke
County students averaged 843, down from last
year’s 868 cumulative score.
Moss said, to a great degree, he attributes the
low math score to the fact that two substitute
teachers taught entire geometry courses at the
high school last year. Moss said obviously this
was not an ideal situation, however, teacher
shortages last year forced the school system to
fill the vacant positions with the most qualified
substitutes instead of certified geometry teach
ers.
The five-point average drop in the verbal
section, according to Moss was not significant
enough to warrant great concern, but it did
contribute to the total 25-point drop overall.
Looking at Hoke County against other school
systems across the state. Moss said North Caro
lina as a whole averaged 986 this year, up from
982 from the year before.
Comparing Hoke County to the other four
school systems currently involved in a high-
profile low-wealth lawsuit, neighboring
Cumberland County’s average climbed six
points, and Robeson County rose slightly four
points on average, but the other two systems fell
(SeeSAT, pageSA)
a green light on Tuesday night,
approving a timetable when the
future county complex to be con-
structed on the outskirts of
Raeford would.begin.
Just ten minutes prior to the
County Commissioners going
into an executive session that
subsequently determined the fate
of the new proposed Hoke
County Administrative Facility,
Architect Robbie Ferris of
Shuller Ferris Lindstrom & As
sociates of Fayette v i 1 le presented
a Downtown Raeford Redevel
opment Plan on behalf of the
Raeford Revitalization Commit
tee.
Ferris said afterwards he didn’t
realize it might be too late to
keep the administrative offices
downtown.
During the earlier public in
put session, Ferris displayed an
aerial-scale rendering showing
how administrative offices and
the County Courthouse could
remain downtown. In merely
three minutes allotted to him,
Ferris said “if the county could
be brought back into downtown
(See COMPLEX, page 8A)
'■^>3
.."
. . ' i
V. Vf4y;' ;
A
Tony Strenke, Neil Hobbs and Bryan Rose of Raleigh-based Specialty Construction
Company worked on the 250-ft. American Tower Corporation structure on Aberdeen
Road last week. The men were at the site Saturday morning braving winds from a menacing
Dennis.
Board action topples tower plans
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
The Hoke County Board
of Adjustment turned down
an appeal that would have
allowed a cell phone tower
to be placed in eastern
Hoke, and attorneys for the
tower company say they
will have to resort to court
action in the matter.
Jeff Benson and Cheryl
Pence, lawyers for Ameri
can Tower Corporation, ap
pealed Wednesday night a
decision made by the Hoke
zoning administrator that
they say leaves a missing
link in a chain of towers the
company plans to erect
throughout the county with
the goal of renting space to
(See TOWER, page 8A)
Mary Archie McNeill
Endowment
to eniich
music ed
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
The Sandhills are alive with
the sound of music as a living
commemoration for former Hoke
County music educator, Mary
Archie McNeill, is being com
posed.
McNeill, a mentor of music in
the Hoke school system and
Sandhills Community College
for over 30 years, will be hon
ored by former students from
three decades in a concert next
year.
The gala celebration will be
called “Choral Fest 2000.” It will
coincide with the announcement
of “The Mary Archie McNeill
Foundation Endowment Fund.”
A memorable weekend filled
with a myriad of activities in
cludes a pig-pickin’ on March
31, 2000 and Saturday rehears
als followed by a premier ban
quet.
The Choral Fest on April 1
may conceivably feature as many
as a chorus of 1,000 former stu
dents, who are all invited to sing.
Among musical selections are:
“The Star-Spangled Banner, “O
Eyes of My Beloved,” “Gloria
Patri,” and “Edelweiss.” Former
Hoke student Jerry Cribbs, di
rector of arts education at New
(See ENDOWMENT, pagedA)
$6 million high school expansion
in progress nearly doubles space
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
One of the most ambitious
construction expansions in the
history of Hoke County High
School is presently underway, commencement exercises in an
spanning the bridge between two expanded facility in 2001 that
centuries. almost doubles space.
In 1961, Hoke High gradu- The new wing will be dedi-
ateditsfirstelassofseniors.Only caled to Chairman John D.
40 years later, seniors will enjoy (See EXPANSION, page 6A)
Appointment of economic
head nixed by commission
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
The appointment of a new
Economic Developer to pro
mote industrial growth in
Hoke County was delayed by
dissent from County Commis
sioners on September 7.
Prior to the meeting. Com
mission Chairman James A.
See ECONOMIC, page lOA)
Deputies get new body armor
- ’I
l
A'
Architects’ drawing of expansion under construction on the MacDonald side of Hoke High School.
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
It was no fashion show at the
Hoke County Sheriff’s Depart
ment last Wednesday as depu
ties waited to suit up in black
vests.
Deputies completed the task
of wrapping on the newest “body
armor” around their torsos. A
tape measure in hand, Mark
Baker, sales representative for
Lawmens’ Safety Supply of Ra
leigh, provided deputies with
the custom-fitted vests designed
for defense — not dress.
“These are a tool that will
I*
# i
Deputies (from left) Tasha Smith,
Victor Lopez and Rachel Craven
try on their new body armor.
savedeputies’ lives,” Bakersaid.
“There are law enforcement of
ficers alive today because they
(See ARMOR, page lOA)