The
ews
Journal
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No. 43 Vol. 95
State challenges key
points of Leandro case
Denies it has responsibility to ensure basic education
B> ViciokiAN \ Si mmi;rs
. Staff writer
rile N.C. Attorney General's Of
fice has filed the first legal brief in
the state's appeal of the verdict in the
lawsuit Hoke and othercounties filed
over unequal education funding. The
state rebutted a 2002 trial court rul
ing that students who perform at a
lower lev el on achievement tests are
not on target to receive a sound basic
education.
The State Attorney s office wants
the N.C. Court of Appeals to over
turn Superior Court Judge Howard
Manning Jr.'s final 'Xpril 2002 rul
ing. according to State Attorney Gen
eral Roy Cooper.
"Judge Manning ignored other
measures of student performance,
includinggrades from teachers and a
high school diploma, as evidence
that students were getting a sound
basic education,” state attorneys said
in the brief this week.
After Hoke was victorious last
April in its nine-year legal battle to
ensure “at-risk” students receive a
sound basic education, the state filed
an intent of appeal in May 2002. This
was followed by a formal appeal in
July 2002.
“If the appeals court reverses the
legal victory won by Hoke, it would
reverse nine years of litigation, testi
mony and research devoted to help
disadvantaged students receive an
education equal to those students in
wealthier counties,” Hoke School
Superintendent Allen Strickland said.
“It has cost our low wealth consor
tium, paid by many counties, well
over $2 million to fight the state for
our children to receive the education
they are entitled to.
“When will this ever end?"
Strickland said I loke students and
other students from low wealth coun
ties are the ones suffering through
this ordeal.
“We will not give up this fight
until the state concedes they mu.st
provide additional financial assis
tance to count ies who are more socio-
economically deprived." Strickland
said. “Our students are not going to
be the losers."
In the 65-page rebuttal of
Manning’s ruling, the state said it is
not at fault if students do not receive
a sound basic education. However,
(See LEANDRO, /wge 7A)
Board hesitant to give up land
Plans tour to study impact of losing 400 acres to Robeson
Mv \'|( lOkl \\ \ Sl'MMl'RS
Staff wt iter
Some 400 acres of land assessed
at more than one-half million dol
lars. and .S4.0()0 in annual tax rev
enue could be permanently lost by
Hoke. After a quest to determine the
county s eastern perimeter, some
commissioners are griping over the
results. The survey, conducted by
the N.C. Geodetic Survey, basically
backfired on Hoke, said Commis
sion Chairman Bobby Wright.
According to Wright, the state’s
survey concluded the boundary be
tween Hoke and Robeson counties is
not accurate, granting more land to
Robeson.
“We could end up on the shrink
ing side of the adjoining county
lines,” Wright said. “Until a tour is
conducted of the proposed border on
February 12, we will not approve the
new line, or we may debate it.
“What is our advantage forgiving
this up? We are going to lose revenue
and acreage.”
Wright, who operates a large fam
ily farm in the northwest region of
Hoke, said the tax assessor’s li.sting
on the land value does not even in
clude an estimate on the potential
retail market value.
“If it were later sold or developed
by property owners, it could be a tax
revenue boost,” Wright said. “If
Robeson gains the land, we v\ ill also
lose the opportunity for additional
economic growth for jobs in that
area.”
To establish the county line, state
surveyor Roger Barnes utilized the
global positioning .satellite system,
state archives, old maps, and infor
mation from local surveyors. I le said
the updated border should have been
(See L\ND I OSS, jwge SA)
1
We're cooking
with Cheerwine
n>
>(:
Bids on Unifi
building continue
4A
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jA
Anniversaries
.3B
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.2B
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.5B
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2A
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.4B
Public Record
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.6B
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.3B
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www.thenews-journal.com
Calvin House, Burlington’s plant manager in Raeford, displays an array of military
uniforms the manufacturer produces.
Burlington bouncing back
from bankmptcy filing
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
This is the final article in a series on
economic development in Raeford and
Hoke County.
Burlington Industries in Raeford may
not be bursting at the seams with extra
business yet, but it is steadily emerging
from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy with a
positive outlook for the future. It con
tinues to improve its operations, ac
quiring new U.S. government contracts
for its yarn and dye factory, according
to Calvin House, plant manager.
“In restructuring the international
firm, 900 workers employed a year ago
have been reduced to 650,” House said.
“We are not planning any further lay
offs at this time, and we are retaining
our staff of 650. That is the staff we see
required to fill our orders.
“Our employees took a negative situ
ation and made it positive. They really
worked together as a team and made
tremendous progress this past year. I
am very proud of them.”
As orders continue to pour in for
wool and wool polyester tops and yarns,
House envisioned Burlington could
likely pull out of its bankruptcy by mid
summer.
House said substantial contracts with
the U.S. military branches compri.se
most of the orders for products manu
factured at the IcKal plant, a division of
(See BURLINGTON, page 8A)
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
A •
I .
Ann Hostetler (center) accepts a $10,000 check from Linda and Ralph Huff at the
McLauchlin-McFadyen House with Grace McDonald and Lockie MacDonald (back row),
founders of the Raeford Hoke Museum.
Couple gives $10,000
to Raeford museum
Bv Victoriana St vimi rs
Staff writer
Linda and Ralph Huff presented the
Raeford Hoke Museum Committee with a
SlO.OOO check for the acquisition of the
historic McLauchlin-McFadyen House.
This is a pledge to use any resources avail
able, said Ralph Huff, so the historic mu
seum becomes a reality for future genera
tions.
The Huff contribution brings the total
proceeds collected to $149,()()() of the
$25().()()() needed to purchase the Raeford
estate on Highland Avenue. They arc urg-
i ng every cit izen of Hoke, and corporations
to donate whatever they can to participate
in the undertaking to preserve Hoke’s his
tory.
The couple, partners in Coldwel I Banker
United Reality and Huff Pennick& Strother
real estate . have their own stake in Hoke.
The Huffs, natives of Raeford. have erected
I It) upscale homes. 63 of them in Hoke.
“Give until it hurts," said the Huffs, also
owners of H & H Constructors in
Fayetteville. “We feel like everything we
are and enjoy has been achieved because
we had a good, solid foundation w'hen we
grew up in Hoke County.
“We grew up in a time in Hoke when
teachers taught you how to be good stu
dents and good citizens. We were able to
(See MUSEUM GIFT, page 7A)
Sheriff tells South Hoke citizens
drug situation is ‘bad,’ seeks help
By P.vr At i.i n Wilson
Editor *
“It's bad.” Sheriff Hubert Peterkin said
about illegal drugproblems in Hoke County
as he asked citizens at a South Hoke com
munity meet-the-sheriff event to “give us a
chance to work; give us a chance to fix it.”
“When (drug) roundups are made —
you’re not going to believe some of the
people involved,” the sheriff said.
Listening to one resident speak of people
repeatedly mistaking his home for the
nearby house of a drug dealer, Peterkin
promised to respond to calls and informa
tion provided him. "You won’t know what
we are going to do," he added.
Speaking of the “10 drug busts” made
since he took office Just over a month ago,
Peterkin told residents of the importance of
their involvement. “Every drug bust came
from somebody calling my office, my
house,” he said.
Peterkin introduced key staff members
to the gathering of about 35 people at South
(See CRIME ISSUES, page 8A)
Shotgunned dog rescued in Rockfish
By Chris Siiupe
Staff writer
Skippy Hynes rescued another dog on
Saturday, but this time, the dog was differ
ent. It was a stray hanging around Hardin’s
in Rockfish, and by all accounts was a
beautiful, friendly labrador/golden retriever
mix. It also had a gunshot wound in the
chest. ’
Hynes spoke of her previous encounters
with the dog. “It started last August. There
were two dogs in that area that someone
had dumped and 1 had been trying to catch
them.” Hynes, owner of the Gots Spots Etc.
animal rescue, hoped to find homes for
both animals.
“That Saturdav. I went to feed them and
the black lab let me put a noose around him
to take him somewhere safe. The blonde
wouldn't come near me.” Hynes said that
(See DOG SHOT, page 5A)