May 28,2003
THE NEWS-JOURNAL
Kaeford, N.C.
3A
Viewpoints
-We Get Letters
Relay raised $65,000
Dear Editor,
The American Cancer Society
would like to congratulate the Hoke
County community on their outstand
ing support for our organization
through our Relay For Life.
We are pleased to report that a total
of over $65,000 was raised on May
16th - 17th to support the American
Cancer Society’s programs in re
search, education, patient services and
advocacy.
A special thank you to Rick Sandy
and Charles Crowder, co-chairs of the
event in Hoke County, and the plan
ning committee of its hard work in
planning and implementing this suc
cessful event. Thanks, also, to the 80
cancer survivors who took part in the
opening ceremonies. Your battle has
been an inspiration to us all. If you
would like to participate in planning
the 2004 event, please contact your
American Cancer Society.
The American Cancer Society is
dedicated to offering hope, progress
and answers in your community. We
are here for you twenty-four hours a
day, seven days a week through our
toll-free number (1-800-ACS-2345)
and our web site (www.cancer.ortil to
answer your questions about cancer.
If you would like additional local
information or know of a cancer sur
vivor who could benefit from a camp
scholarship to the campof their choice,
a college scholarship or other pro
gram, please contact Susan Dillon or
Amie Fraley at 1-866-227-1940.
Once again, the American Cancer
Society is deeply thankful for Hoke
County’s support. We look forward
to continuing to work with you to
address cancer needs in your commu
nity.
Thanks tocommunities like yours,
the American Cancer Society will
continue to make a difference in the
fight against cancer.
Sincerely,
Pam Stallings
Regional Vice President
'-"Afuerican Cancer Society '-'
Eyeball to eyeball
To the Editor:
Help me out here folks.
How did A1 Schwarcbher, in a
period of a few months, go from being
worth a $5000 increase to being abso
lutely non-essential? That’s a ques
tion that should raise red flags in the
minds of all Hoke countians.
Surely this could not be a vendetta
from any of our County Government.
Could it? Remember back when ex
penses, credit card fraud and unac
counted departmental equipment as
sets was rampant?
If memory serves, Don Steed’s
study on credit card abuse completely
exonerated one department bead: A1
Schwarcbher. Remember the missing
equipment fiasco? Schwarcbher was
implicated, but the resulting audit
again completely exonerated him.
Now we all know that Mr. Wood
makes no decisions that aren’t ap
proved by the board of commission
ers and signed off by our county attor
ney, Neil Yarborough. So, who is
making decisionsconcerning the daily
operations of this county? Certainly
not the manager: Taken to its logical
conclusion... do we need a county
manager?
We hear the talk of a power struggle
between our sheriff and the commu
nications director. The office of sher
iff is an elected position. The office of
communications director is an ap
pointed position. Personally 1 feel we
made the best choice in both areas.
Sheriff Peterkin has publicly stated
that he wants communications under
his jurisdiction. Why? It would make
his job easier and give his department
greater control. There can be no power
struggle, simply because Mr.
Schwarcbher was appointed, there
fore he has no one to struggle with. If
1 know A1 like 1 think 1 know Al, he's
not going to allow the latest accusa
tions from our county manager to go
unanswered. In the period of time
I’ve known him, he has always done
a fine job of answering accusations
and criticism. I see this entire issue as
a political maneuver that our board of
commissioners doesn’t want to touch.
Therefore 1 urge you, as citizens to
become involved and ask the tough
questions of the board. We certainly
don’t need to get back into the blame
'"'game we just ^btbiiVo'f
It’s your county folks. Demand
answers and demand accountability.
Go eyeball with 'em, they are all
reasonable people and are relatively
easy to deal with. We must make
them deal with it.
Jeff Sumner
FINANCIAL DECISION
MAKING FOR WOMEN
Especially designed for women at or near retirement
Noelle Granville-McLean, instructor
May 29
Through
June 26
Thursday Afternoons
3 to 5 p.m.
i m
Noelle Granville-McLean
Room 122 of Hoke Center
Division of Continuing Education
Sandhills Community College
Seminar will cover
Portfolio balance, maintaining adequate liquidity,
income generation, estate planning techniques, reducing
income taxes, and covering long term care risk
l\iition: $25 (includes workbook)
Individuals 65 years and older
do not have to pay the $25 tuitiion
Sealing is limited, so pre-register by calling
910-695-3926 or 910-695-3980
COMM UNITY COLLEGE
Hoke ofScers give hope to special athletes
Runners carry Special Olympics Flame of Hope from Scotland line to Raeford, raise money for athletes
Hoke law officers carried the Spe
cial Olympics Flame of Hope from
the Scotland County line alongside
Laurinburg Road to Raeford in a driz
zling rain Thursday.
Runners took the torch from Scot
land officers, who had received it from
Richmond County officers.
Law enforcement officers are re
laying the torch across the state on a
14-leg run that began in Asheville
May 8. Officers will run the flame to
North Carolina State University’s Derr
Track for the lighting of the cauldron
to officially open the Special Olym
pics North Carolina Summer Games
on May 30.
This year law officers hope to raise
$1.2 million for Special Olympics in
the state through special events, indi
vidual and corporate donations and T-
shirt and baseball cap sales.
Hoke County officers have a $6,(M)0
goal and last week had raised $5,()()0. In
a ceremony shortly before the run,
Hoke’s check was given to William
Dalton, a retired Fayetteville police
officer who is the regional coordinator
for the Special Olympics torch run.
The HSO's CpI. William Russell
coordinated the Special Olympics
campaign in Hoke. Sheriff Hubert
Peterkin complimented Russell with
humor, “When he goes on a mission,
he can wear you down.”
The sheriff said Special Olympics
is “a great cause.”
The 2003 Special Olympics games
will be held May 30-June 1 in Raleigh
and wi 11 i ncl ude more than 1,500 ath
letes from 70 counties across North
Carolina. Athletes will compete in
aquatics, athletics, gymnastics,
powerlifting, softball and baseball.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run
is an international fund-raising event
for Special Olympics which provides
year-round sports training and com
petition for more than one million
children and adults who have mental
retardation or a closely related devel
opmental disability.
More than 32,000 athletes partici
pate in Special Olympics in this state.
\l
I *1
CpI. William Russell shares a laugh with Sheriff Hubert Peterkin after
being awarded a Torch Run sweatshirt he coveted. Russell coordi
nated the 17th Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special
Olympics in Hoke.
A'
Hoke officers c^ry the Flame of Hope for Special Olympics in the rain ori Laurinfetitg Road.
Disabled man is stabbed to death
Suspect picked up blocks away with blood on his hands
By Pat Allen WtLsoN
Editor
A 52-year-old man, who was dis
abled, died after being stabbed in the
chest Friday afternoon.
Leroy McLaughlin, a former resi
dent of Dalmation Drive, was pro
nounced dead after being taken to a
local hospital.
Suspect Johnny White, 67, was
spotted by county officers several
blocks away from the stabbing scene.
Hoke Sheriff’s deputies identifiedhim
by a limp and the clothes he was
wearing. And the blood on his hands,
according to one of the officers.
White, who is unemployed and
lives on the lOtX) block of Rockfish
Road, is charged with second degree
murder and is in Hoke Jail under no
bond.
Raeford Police Detective John
Pierce said McLaughlin was stabbed
at the home of Lawrence Shaw at 320
Wooley Street. He said the stabbing
followed an argument.
■’When we arrived on the scene.
there was still a faint pulse,” Pierce
said. None of the people in the house
witnessed the stabbing, he said.
A “BOLO” (be on the lookout) for
White was issued, and Hoke Sheriff 's
officers noticed him walking at Fam
ily Dollar store on South Main Street
less than an hour after the stab
bing.
Pierce said McLaughlin was
stabbed with a knife but no weapon
had been found yesterday.
White s first court date was yes
terday.
Butterflies are free
Monica Harris, Catherine
Smith, and Zachary Thomp
son,]. W. McLauchlin Elemen
tary second grade students, are
learning the life cycle of the
butterfly. The newly hatched
butterflies were released last
week.
Ha
¥
You are invited to be a museum sponsor
The Raeford-Hoke Museum will
give the community an opportunity
to preserve the history of our region
and, at the same time provide an audi
torium for programs sponsored by
civic and educational groups.
All area business and individuals
are invited to become founding spon
sors of the museum with a monetary
gift toward this goal.
The museum is located in the
dwelling and on the grounds of the
McLauchlin-McFadyen House at 111
South Highland Street.
Donations may be sent to: Raeford-
Hoke Museum, 315 North Main
Street, Raeford, NC 28376; send to
the attention of Betty Smith, assistant
city manager.
Honored to serve a community that serves an entire nation.
Deceased veterans
remembered on
Memorial Day
During a Memorial Day ceremony
held Monday, the names of Hoke
County veterans who have succumbed
since last Memorial Day were read
aloud and balloons released in their
remembrance.
Some 65 names were called. They
are: Alex C. Averitt, Paul Baxley Jr.,
John A. Black, John C. Balfour, Wil
liam R. Beckwith, Kenneth P. Bissett,
Frances L. Blain Jr., William F. Blount,
Sheila M. Bowers, Theodore H.
Brazell, Guy R. Bullock Sr., William
H. Carmichael, Phillip J. Cayado,
Daniel Bruce Conoly, Joe “Pete” Lee
Cottrell, Matthew J. Danak, Phillip A.
Dreger, Frank A. Farmer Sr., S. T.
Fellows. Joel E. Gulledge Jr., Franklin
Delano Haltiwanger, Orville Samuel
Harrison Sr., Alphonse Haynes,
Donald W. Holland, James 1. Hubbard
and Shamont Dewayne Hubbard,
Also, JamesS. "Sambo” Hurst, Earl
W. Jones, Charles Lide, Billy Jo
Linthicum, C ameron,“Cam” Locklear,
Huey Long, Ephraim E. Mack, Justin
McGarvey, John Daniel “J.D.”
McKeithan, John H. McLean, Luther
McLean, Pernis McLean, William A.
McLeod Jr., Dallas E. McKnight,
Roosevelt McNairJr., Junior M. Alfred
Mason, Raymond C. Maxwell, Samuel
C. “Sam" Morris, J. D. Pickier, Jack
Pittman, Gene Polston, Lawrence W.
Ray, Thomas A. Ray, R. A. Reed,
Isaiah Robinson Sr., Vernon E.
Selover, Rudolph Singletary, Leroy
L. Smith, Lawrence “Wallace”
McGougan Smith, Billy Ray Stokes,
Blackman D. Tew, Harry Tudor, Peter
Tycz II, George Vanhoy, Carlin Virgil,
Woodrow Wilson Walker, Alton Wil
liams Sr., James Womack and Eric
Wowra.
Martin
(Continued from page 2A)
fundraising success in his presiden
tial campaign, Edwards is on his way
to achieving this goal. Of course, not
all ofhis presidential contributors will
help again in a,senate race. But many
will, and some will help over and over
again. In the meantime, their money
is paying for an up-and-running
Edwards organization that can be con
verted to the senate campaign when
he gives the word.
Then, there is the publicity. An
ordinary first-term senator has a hard
time keeping his name before the pub
lic at home. Edwards’ presidential
campaign, however, gets his name on
the front page of every North Caro
lina newspaper almost every day, it
seems. In a very short time he has
built a bank of name recognition that
every other politician would envy.
So, the next time you run into a
loyal Democrat who insists that
Edwards is “risking” a Senate seat by
mnning for President, just remember
these two words: money and public
ity.
They are the most critical assets
for a senate campaign, and Edwards
is putting them in the bank every
day.
Sprint