Newspapers / The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / May 8, 2002, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
The No. 6 Vol. 95 Hoke’s top stories are on th^ vveb ^^^-thenews-jaurnalxom This week Hoke High choirs schedule May performance page 6a Superintendent applications unsealed page 3a Uninvited guest causes 'hiss'~yfit page 7a Index Calendar.... sB Classifieds /b Deaths 6A Editorials......... 2-3A Engagements 3B Legals 4-6B Public Record ba Religion 5A School.... 2,4B;8A Socials.... 3B Sports.... lOA Weddings....... 3B Around Town By Sam C. Morris Contributing Editor I can’t remember the weather being so unpredict able. Even with ^\\ the high tech equipment the weather reporters still ca*i’t forecast correctly. I heard one reporter state last week that he had goofed again. You don’t know whether to leave your heat or air conditioner on. Also, it seems that the raii\ goes below or above us on the map. Many places got three inches or more last week and we got only three-quarters or Jess. I guess we should be pleaded with that. The forecast fof the remain der of the week, Wednesday through Saturday., calls for the high Wednesday to be in the 90s and the low in the 60s. Thursday the high will be in the high 80s and the low in the 60s. Friday and Saturday the highs will be in the low 80s or high 70s and the lows will be in the 50s. There i s a chance of rain on Thursday. Someone aske^i me Sunday when the primary election would be held. Of course 1 couldn’t answer him because the date hasn’t been set. A member of the General As sembly said last week that they should be given the chance to do the job. He said they knew better than a judge. Now this started me to thinking. Why didn’t they draw the districts correctly at the last session? 1 still remeinber the dis tricts in Hoke County. We have three different represen- (See AROUNE)^ page 8A) ews J oumal If it happened; it's news to us 50 cents Wednesday, May 8, 2002 Burlington denied reduction in taxes Citizens oppose plant’s request By VicroRiANA Summers Staff writer Faced with whether it was legal to devalue the property of Burlington In dustries, Inc. and opposition from Rock- fish citizens, the Board of Equalization and Review unanimously voted against allowing the textile company a tax break on Monday evening. If it had been granted, Burlington officials’ request to reduce its $7.3 million tax assessment by $2 million would have generated a tax decrease of $14,()()() annually for the next four years. It would have been a “goodwill gesture” on the part of the county commissioners if the reduction had been approved. Com missioners Charles V. Daniels said. “It hurt me to turn down Burlington,” Daniels said. “It is one of the worst deci sions I have had to make since I was a commissioner. “The county's relationship with Burlington has been close over the years, and we know it is struggling. We have so many people that have worked for them previously and so many who are still employed with the firm.” Daniels said the board hoped to even tually assist Burlington through economic development incentives rather than a tax savingsplan. Burlington officialsappeared “real receptive” to the board’s sugges tions, Daniels added. “1 could not vote on the request be- (See BURLINGTON, page 6A) No tax inaease set in Raeford budget By Pat Allen Wilson Editor The proposed FY 2002-03 budget given to Raeford city council members for study contains no tax increase. How ever, residents will pay a $2 increase in sanitation fees cacti month, and water rates will increase by five cents per 1000 gallons. The proposed general fund budget of $3,004,955 is $39,010 more than the current budget. The fund balance ap propriated is about $67,000 less than the previous budget. One of the determining factors in the proposed budget are $251,000 in assets frozen by North Carolina Governor Easley this year. “The revenues frozen, (See RAEFORD BUDGET, page IIA) Relay nears goal The American Cancer Society Relay For Life went off without a h itch - except for 12 hours of rain - and nearly reached its goal of $75,000. With money still trickling in, the to tal is over $72,000. The rain held off until after the lighting of luminar ies (above), which were sold in memory of can cer victims. Below, a colorful reminder of cancer survivors present. Mickhaela Renee Flanagan, 4, daughter of James and Melissa Locklear, prepares to sample a strawberry. It’s ‘strawberry fields for ever’ for Raeford couple By Pat Allen Wilson Editor Signs alongside local roads guide trav- elers to WayBetter Produce, located on U.S. Highway 401 three miles northeast of Raeford. That is where you will find “some strawberries as big as apples,” says WayBetter Produce co-owner Phyllis Mull. This is the first year that Mull and Perry McBryde have harvested straw berries off a three-acre field alongside (See STRAWBERRIES, page llA) Strickland urges commissioners to adopt ‘stay even’ budget Financial crisis for school system at risk By VicTORiANA Summers Staff writer An attentive board of commissioners weighed a request from Hoke County Schools to consider its $3.5 million bud get proposal for 2002-2003 and to allo cate $362,500 for capital outlay. The school system is striving its best to do more with less in a “stay even” budget, said Interim School Superintendent Allen Strickland. “We are doing everything we can to cut costs,” Strickland said. “This budget is reasonable and restrained. It represents a zero percent increase in funding. ‘We understand these are tight budget times.” While the board took no action on Monday night, Strickland pointed out the schools were in a financial crisis if the county did not completely fund its budget request. “Gov. Easley has just ordered a state freeze regarding the school budgets,” Strickland said. “The state is projecting budget cuts on state school funds of two to six percent. At two percent, the projected reduction in funding Hoke schools by the state would be one-half million dollars.” Strickland says he thinks the state’s cutbacks will likely be from 4 to 6 percent for Hoke and other counties. That could result in a shortfall in Hoke schools of almost $1 million for next year, he said. (See SCHOOLS, page 6A) DOT says purchase of Clalloway tract not intended to protect Fort Bragg By Victoriana Summers Staff writer A spokesman for the N.C. Department of Transportation said there has been no cover- up by the state agency or The Nature Con servancy, denying that land purchased in western Hoke will be used to “protect” Fort Bragg’s southern border. With the designa tion of the 2,400 Calloway Tract on High way 211 as a preserve for the red-cockaded woodpeckers, the NCDOT’s purpose is not trying to ensure the military base retains buffers, said State Biologist Hal Bain of the NCDOT. Confusion over motives for the state’s purchase of the land arose when a press release was sent out from Congressman Robin Hayes’ office. In the release, it stated that approximately 4,800 acres of land bor dering Fort Bragg was part of the Legacies Resource Management Program. An in quiry was made to Hayes’ office, asking if (See CALLOWAY TRACT, page 12A) Cancer survivor Young Sammy Sosa lost his eyes to can cer. He just com pleted the Survivor’s Walk at Relay For Life Friday and is shown with his fa ther, Raymundo. Additional coverage of the Relay will fol low in next week’s News-Journal.
The News-Journal (Raeford, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 8, 2002, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75