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No. 12 Vol. 95
RaEFORD & Hoxb CoUKTY NX.
Wednesday, June 19, 2002
Hoke*s top stories
are on the web
www.thenews-journa/.com
This week
Barry Ellis'
life made difference
page IB
Commissioners
adopt
sewer ordinance
page 4A
Upchurch Class
of '67 plans reunion
page (>A
Index
Business/Parm 6A
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 7B
Deaths 12A
Editorials 2-3A
Engagernents 3B
L^gals 5-6B
Public Record 9A
Religion 7A
Schools 4,5,8B
Socials 3B
Sports 8A
Weddings 3B
Me
iMl
«1 |*p^ti]|
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By Sam C. Morris
Contributing Editor
The wtathcr has been more
seasonable for the past few
days. It instill hot for this time
of year and 1 wonder what it
will be lilte in August. We had
a little r^in but we still need
much more. One weather re
porter s«iid Sunday that we
needed l2inchesofraintoget
us anywhere near normal. As
you know, many cities and
towns have put restrictions on
the use of water. I can’t ever
remembor Raeford being short
of water. 1 guess it could hap
pen.
The forecast for the remain
der of the week, Wednesday
through Saturday, calls for the
high Wednesday to be in the
8()s and the low in the 60s. For
the remainder of the week the
highs wi II be in the 90s and the
lows in the 70s. There could
be rain on Wednesday and
Thursday.
*****
My health was not the best
for Father’s Day, but a visit
from my son and a call from
my daughter made my day.
My son also gave me cards
and presents, and my daugh
ter sent me the same through
the mail. Even had a card from
my wife. In my youth we al
ways wore a flower on
Mother’s Day and Father’s
Day. There wasn’t enough
money to purchase a present.
It seems now that each recog
nized day being advertised by
stores have the perfect cards
and gilfts for that day. It is
good to be remembered even
(See AROUND, page 12A)
City passes budget with no tax hike
By Pat Allen Wii,son
Editor
Raeford councilmcn pared approxi
mately $ 16,()()() from the city’s FY 2002-
2003 budget before passing it in a special
session Monday night.
The new budget leaves property taxes
at the current 47 cents per $100 valua
tion, but residents will pay a S2 monthly
increase in sanitation fees and water rales
will increase by five cents per 1,000 gal
lons.
Councilmcn agreed on a general fund
budget of $2,989,080 and a water and
sewer budget of $1,911,800. Capital re
serves are at $409,500.
The new budget will dip into the fund
balance, but approximately $1 million
rcmains,there. That amount is 25 percent
over the minimum of eight percent al
lowed by the Local Government Com
mission.
Mayor Bob Gentry commented that the
fund balance was“healthy” but added, “It
won’t be if we hit it every year.”
Included in the budget are $251,000 in
assets frozen by North Carolina Governor
Easley this year. If that amount had not
been included in the budget as revenue.
City Manager Mike McNeill said a 21
cents tax increase would be needed to
offset the loss.
Budget planners also contended with
$ 100,766 in taxes that cannot be collected
from Burlington Industries due to that
industry’s bankruptcy filing . The taxes,
due September 1, are included in the bud
get as revenue.
McNeill said the city also experienced
less revenues from interest earned on de
posits as well as from taxes collected from
the state — all due to a down economy.
f.SVt' CITY BUDGET, page 11 A)
Raeford soldier dies
in Afghanistan crash
By VicroRiANA Summers
Staff writer
A Raeford U.S. Army Green Beret
described as an “outgoing and dedicated”
soldier is the first known Hoke casualty
ill the war on terrorism in Afghanistan.
U
Sgt. 1st Class Peter Tycz II
Sgt. 1st Class PeterTycz II, a native of
Tonawanda, New York, had told his
family he was the “best” he could be and
was willing to make “great sacrifices”
to protect the American way of life.
Tycz was one of three servicemen
who were killed while riding in a mili
tary transport plane that crashed in Af
ghanistan last Wednesday. Initial re
ports indicated the crash was acciden
tal, but the cause of the incident is still
under investigation, according to a Spe
cial Forces Public Affairs spokesman.
Tycz died when the Air Force MC-
130H crashed shortly after takeoff. His
remains were flown to Dover, Dela
ware on Monday. There, the 5()th anni
versary of the founding of Special
Forces’ Green Berets at Fort Bragg is
being celebrated.
“Be proud, not sad,” Tycz urged his
mother, Terry Hamden, in an e-mail he
sent prior to going off to war. A patriot,
Tycz was remembered for his love of
the Star-Spangled Banner and commit
ment to keeping his family safe from
harm, said one out-of-state relative.
(See CRASH VICTIM, page 11 A)
School board resolution
urges complete funding
Asks commissioners to divert sales tax
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
The Hoke Board of Education is bank
ing that county commissioners will re
lease money from the onc-halfcent sales
tax, keeping the school system solvent
next year. In a unanimous decision, the
school board passed a resolution last
week, requesting commissioners fully
fund the 2002-2003 local school budget
of $327,000.
It would provide that dollars be di
verted from the one-half cent sales tax
— money customarily reserved for
school construction or expansion
projects, said Hoke School Superinten
dent Allen Strickland.
“We know down the road that school
construction may be a problem,”
Strickland said. “However, right now
(See DIVERT SALES TAX, page 11 A)
n
r
'3
Kathryn MePhatter of the Hoke Senior Services Board hugs N.C. Representative Dan
Blue, a U.S. senatorial candidate.
Dan Blue greets supporters
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
N.C. Representative Dan Blue was in
towntocampaignon Friday, wooing more
“Woman for Blue” supporters and prima
rily African American voters. A Raleigh
attorney. Blue seeks to be elected to the
U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen.
Jesse Helms.
Held at the Cape Fear Conference B
Headquarters in Raeford, the private fund
raiser and luncheon held in his honor
attracted more than 200 guests. Blue roses
adorned every table.
Improving educational opportunities,
more benefits for senior citizens and not
“flip-flopping” on issues are major goals,
Blue pledged.
“My interests are for the people of this
state and improving our society,” Blue
said. “I am concerned on how people are
best served. I am not just interested in
what are the bottom line profits for our
corporations.
(See BLUE, page lOA)
Commissioners cut travel
allowance - or did they?
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Did commissioners vote or not vote to
cut their travel allowances for next year
during a budget session on May 28? Only
the clerk to the board, Linda Revels seems
to think she knows for sure. “They did not
vote on the issue or it would be written in
my minutes,” Revel said positively on
Monday.
“Commissioners did discuss cutting
the monthly travel from $500 to $300 for
in-state travel during the afternoon ses
sion,” Revels said. “That is not some
thing that I would forget.”
However, the consensus of the board is
that money will be saved by some of the
remedies agreed upon at the meeting on
the 28th in spite of some confusion over
“when, where or how” it occurred. The
board has devoted several weeks “walk
ing through” the budget line item by line
item.
According to Wright and Daniels, who
were instrumental in the board reducing
expenses, no more separate mileage reim
bursement will be paid to commissioners
for taking trips or going to conventions
outside of Hoke. This was being paid to
some commissioners in addition to the
(See TRAVEL, page 12A)
f
Public TV appointee
Col. (U.S. Army-Ret.) Don Porter, executive
director of the Raeford/Hoke County Eco
nomic Development Commission, has been'
appointed to serve on the board of trustees
of the University of North Carolina Center
for Public Television. His term begins July I,
and he will be eligible to serve two consecu
tive four-year terms.
Sullivan: ‘Bridge digital divide’
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Poised to provide high-speed Internet
access to Hoke County, E-Champion
Donna Sullivan, distance learning facili
tator for Hoke County Schools, told the
boardof commissioners on Monday night
that she will be seek
ing a grant available
out of $8 million
designated by the
Rural Internet Ac-,
cess Authority.
“Help us bridge the
digital divide,”
Sullivan urged.
“There is no mini
mum or maximum
on this grant
amount,” Sullivan
said. “1 will be sub
mitting a proposal
for Hoke before July
8.
“We are pleased
to announce that
Hoke’s e-Commu-
nities plan has just
been submitted to
the state for ap-
Donna Sullivan at a
held at East Hoke
cently.
proval. Ourobjective istosupport Hoke’s
public, private and non-profit sectors
and citizens in improving productivity
by increasing awareness and use of tech
nology.”
The board congratulated Sullivan on
her “hard work” and determination to
help Hoke’s children and citizens by
establishing an e-
NC Technology
plan. The board
also thanked volun
teers on the steer
ing committee who
helped formulate
the plan.
Sullivan, chair
woman, said the
plan was derived af
ter discussions and
meetings between
the Hoke Technol
ogy Consortium, a
group of volunteers
with expertise, and
citizens during the
past nine months.
She is the succes
sor to Hoke finance
(Sec DIVIDE,
page lOA)
technology forum
Middle School re-