The
ews
Journal
it happened, it's news to
No. 17 Vol.
tOV.WTY
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Hoke’s top stories
are on the web
www.thenews-journal.com
This week
Strickland shares
vision for schools
page 3A
Partners in Education
Golf tournament
honored Wowra
page 8A
Lightning damages
home in Raeford
page 7A
Index
Births 2B
Calendar 6B
Classifieds 5B
Deaths 9A
Editorials 2A
Legals 3-4B
Military 6A
Public Record 5A
Religion 6A
Socials 2-3B
Sports 8A
Congressman
honors Morris
in U.S.House
Congressman Robin Hayes
last Tuesday remembered The
News-Journal’s Sam Morris
in a speech from the U.S.
House floor. Morris died June
28. What follows is the text of
the speech:
“Two weeks ago, the 8th
District of North Carolina lost
one of its treasures. Sam Mor
ris was the epitome of a news
paperman who cared deeply
about his community, the City
of Raeford in Hoke County,
North Carolina. Sadly, my
friend, Sam Morris recently
passed away.
Sam played a number of
roles in his community. He
was a respected historian,
longtime newspaperman,
prominent civic and political
leader, and a leader in the
Raeford Presbyterian Church.
Sam was the former General
Manager of the Dickson Press
and a former Raeford City
Councilman. Additionally,
Sam proudly served his state
and country as a member of
the North Carolina National
Guard, rising to the rank of 1 st
Lieutenant.
Sam stepped down from his
official role with the Raeford
News-Journal back in 1982;
but he kept up his weekly col
umn until the very end. His
column, “Around Town,” fo
cused on people, social events,
weather, politics and anything
else that caught Sam’s eye.
The column was widely read
and widely respected in Hoke
County. As a matter of fact, I
would gladly trade a week of
national TV interviews, for
one good mention in Sam’s
column.
Sam had a reputation for
always doing the right thing in
ail of his pursuits in life. His
time at the newspaper was no
different. He was a stickler for
(See MORRIS, page 9A)
First day of school — ever
Ciara Everette took the first step of her formal education somewhat apprehensively yesterday
at South Hoke Elementary School. She entered kindergarten as Hoke’s year-round K-8
schools began a new year. But there were plenty of wide-open arms waiting on her.
Schools open, staff gathers
for pep talk and strategy
ous standing ovations, he was equally
suited to inspire.
“Aw, ladies and gentlemen, I’m talk
ing about a child who’s at home right now
thinking to himself, ‘You know, I didn’t
do that well last year in school - oh, it’s
going to be tough.’
“I’m talking about the child who’s at
home thinking to himself, ‘My gosh, no
body in my family’s ever gone to college.
I don’t know that I can ever get there.’
“1 want you to be a reason that child
gets up in the morning. I want you to be
the reason that some child keeps on keep
ing on when even their family is telling
them, ‘You ain’t gonna amount to noth
ing.’”
Bell cited study after study saying with
proven strategies the toughest kids can be
reached. The key, he said, is high expec
tations.
His only claim to fame, he said, was his
four classes of the “toughest kids”
outscored the gifted and talented classes.
“Don’t you let anybody this year tell
you which one of yourchildren you can or
cannot reach,” he said. “It’s not how much
money is in the home. It’s not the color of
their skin. It’s not whether it’s a single
parent household. It’s whether or not the
teacher shows high expectations.
“The power of an educator-the power
(See CONVOCATION, page lOA)
Larry Bell addresses educators Monday.
Part teacher, part consultant, part
preacher, Larry Bell stood before some
800 teachers, principals, and staff of the
Hoke County School System Monday with
a message: “Somebody needs you.”
The gathering at Turlington Audito
rium was convocation and it was held the
day before Hoke’s year-round schools
opened their doors for another year.
Bell was brought in to talk about re
search-based strategies that work in reach
ing at-risk kids, such as many of those in
Hoke County. But judging from numer-
Judge removes
Leach in dvil suit
Moore County heir, family complain
James Leach, wife misspent from estate
By ViCTORiANA Summers
Staff writer
A superior court ruled against Hoke
County Commissioner James Leach
Monday following allegations he mis
appropriated money from the estate of
one of his parishioners. Moore County
clerk of court Catherine Graham, act
ing judge in the civil action, found
Leach to not be “a proper person” to
administer the estate of Dorothy
Dawkins Allen, who died in January,
2001 of cancer.
The complaint filed by relatives
Helen Williams, Allen’s blind sister,
and her daughters, Marjorie Matthews
and Kathleen Bedinger, sought to have
Leach and his wife. Valerie, “surren
der” ail assets of the estate of Allen.
They also asked the court to“disqualify"
the Leaches because of alleged viola
tions.
After considering testimony for more
than four hours. Graham ordered the
estate, which had been closed after pro
bate, to be reopened. And she removed
the Leaches from the estate handling.
“It is highly unusual to have to re
open an estate like this.” Graham said.
“Based on the evidence presented, I
made this decision.”
During proceedings, the Leaches de
scribed Allen as a mot her to them. How
ever. Southern Pines attorney Marsh
(See LEACH, page 7A)
Hoke is disaster area
Farmers eligible for low-interest loans
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
has designated Hoke County as an agri
culture disaster area due to the drought.
The announcement came from Con
gressman Robin Hayes
The designation makes farmers and
ranchers with losses immediately eli
gible for USDA emergency farm loans.
Hayes contacted the U.S. Department
of Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman
onTuesday, July 16, to urge her to graivt
the disaster declaration for several coun
ties in North Carolina. North Carolina
Governor Mike Easley has also re
quested the disaster designation.
“The economic slowdown that the
U.S. suffered following September 11
has hit rural economies particularly
hard," said Hayes.
“Now. we are being hit with one of
the worst droughts in recent memory.
It’s abundantly clear that crop losses are
going to be severe this year due to lack
of adequate rainfall. The family farms
of Hoke County can’t afford to take a hit
like this. The assistance that these farms
receive under the disa.ster designation is
urgently needed.”
Southerland partly repays
county for convention costs
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
The former part-time, real estate fore
closure attorney for Hoke County has
repaid a registration fee to the county
after previously protesting he did not
owe money for travel expenses to a
Washington D.C. national convention.
The county billed j^aeford attorney
Harry Southerland when it learned he
attended the commissioners’ conference
on March 2 even though he resigned
from his contracted county position on
Feb. 27, according to Scott Edwards,
Hoke’s assistant finance officer.
Southerland said he never attended
the convention, but was in Washington
on other business. He did not comment
on his recent payment to the county.
Finance records reflected on July 3
Southerland reimbursed the county $385
of the $568.20 Edwards said Southerland
owed. The partial payment paid the reg
istration fee for the National Associa
tion of Counties Legislative Confer
ence on March 2-5, which was booked
by Linda Revels, clerk to the county
commissioners. However, a Hilton Ho
tel bill indicated Southerland checked
out on March 3 instead of staying until
March 5.
Southerland’s trip was reportedly cut
short because of the death of former
Hoke school superintendent Mitch
Tyler. Southerland is a member of the
Hoke Board of Education. He resigned
from his position with the county after
filing to run in the upcoming county
commissioners’ race.
“I am very pleased that Mr.
Southerland sent us a check for part of
the bill.” Edwards said. “We are still
waiting for him to send the money for
the rest of the bill he owes.”
Prior to paying part of the bill re
cently. Southerland said in May he would
not pay for the trip because he had been
regularly attending the commissioners’
conventions for two or three years. No
one ever asked him to pay before, he
added. County Attorney Neil
Yarborough, the full-time legal coun
sel, did not attend the March confer
ence.
Southerland also said he never stayed
at the room reserved for him at the
Hilton. Commissioner James A. Leach
also said previously that Southerland
was not there.
However, twocommissioners, Bobby
Wright and Charles Daniels, and an
other county employee confirmed they
(See SOUTHERLAND, page 9A)
Balfour, former Hoke commission chairman and cotton farmer, dies
John Goldie Balfour Sr.
By Victoriana
Summers
Staff writer
John Goldie
Balfour Sr., a Hoke
County commis
sioner from 1964 to
1986 and its chair
man foreight years,
died on July 17 at
Duke Medical Cen
ter.
“We have lost a
giant of a man to
Hoke County with his death,” said
Harold Gillis, a close friend. “John
Balfour always wanted to ensure that
everyone was treated fairly,” he said.
Balfour was a reknowned cotton
farmer. “He was one of our leading
cotton growers and outstanding citi
zens,” Gillis said. “He earned his stature
by hard work and persistence.”
After undergoing treatment for can
cer for the past six years, Balfour died of
complications. Until his death, his wife,
Joan Harlow Balfour, said he main
tained a positive attitude. He was deter
mined his illness would not change their
lives. He continued to manage their
farm, she said. “There is hardly a year
that he was not involved with some sort
of treatment, and he handled them unbe
lievably well and kept going,” she said.
“He was a man of faith, courage,
integrity, honesty, and fairness with love
for his fellow man - regardless of their
status in life,” she said. “1 am grateful
for my 44 years with him, and I am a
stronger person because of my life with
him.”
During his life, Balfour’s honors were
extensive. Balfour was recognized by
the Raeford Junior Chamber of Com
merce in 1956 as its “Outstanding Young
Farmer.” In 1984, Balfour received the
Raeford Kiwanis Club’s Citizenship
Man-Of-The-Year award.
He was honored in 1985 as the Out-
standingCounty Commissioner in North
Carolina.
He served as the chairman of the N.C.
Farmers Service Agency committee
prior to his death - the only Hoke citizen
to ever hold the post.
He was honored as the Hoke Conser
vation Farmer of the Year in 1970. He
was named Outstanding Farmer by
(See BALFOUR, page 9A)