The
ews
J oumal
If it ^ ap j.Tv it's news
No. 52 Vol. 96
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
First phase of $2 million streetscape on go
Raeford to get new look as City Council approves downtown renovations
By Pai' Ai i.i-.N Wii SON
Editor
Downtown Raeford is to have a new
look in the future. City councilmen ap
proved the first pliase of a streetscape
project for the revitalization of Main
Street Monday night.
Members of the Redevelop
ment Commission of the City of
Raetord, who presented the plan.
“We’ve talked
about it for 20 to
30 years. 1 feel like
it’s time to move
forward.’’ -
City Councilman
Eddie McNeill
applauded after the action was
taken. Commission Chairman
Steve Connell told councilmen,
“We re ready to get to work im
mediately.”
At Connell’s request, the
council authorized the commis
sioning of a design study by an
engineering firm. The Wooten
Company, at a cost of $38,000.
The city would pay $28,000, as
Hoke County has already com
mitted $10,000, Connell said.
Councilmen also committed
to half a million in funding for
Phase I, with short-term financ-
ing/line-of-credit bidding taken
from local financial agencies fol
lowed by application for long
term financing from USDA Ru
ral Development.
C'ost of the enlire streetscape project
— planned in three phases —is esti
mated at $2 million. Cost t)f the Phase
I is estimated at $1.1 million but ex
penses to the city will amount to half a
million because of $2.‘>5.0()0 in grants
garnered for downtown revitalization.
It is hoped Raeford will receive more
grants. Revitalization is a top priority
for the community under the 21 st Cen
tury Community program, and, as a 21 st
Century Community, Raeford has first
dibs on state grants.
The three phases of the streetscape
would encompass Main Street from
Campbell to Donald.son avenues and
calls for new sidewalks, new street light
ing, new landscaping, benches, new traf
fic signals and crosswalks. The N.C.
Dept, of Transportation will also re-
pav e Main Street, a project that w as put
on hold awaiting the city council’s deci
sion on the streetscape plan. OOP did
tu)t want newly resurfaced streets dug
up for utility lines to be relocated from
overhead to underground.
(SecSIRI-I. rSCACI’., iy(i}:c I0.\)
Andrea Myagi
isUNCP
homecoming queen
page .>1?
Deadbeat parent
house arrest on hold
page lOA
May nor, Fairley make
All-Conference
page .5A
Hoke Winterguards
compete for AIA
page 1B
Births 3B
Business/Farm 9A
Calendar 2B
Classifieds 7-8B
Deaths lOA
Editorials 2-3A
Legals 4-6B
Religion 8A
Schools.... 6-7A,4B
Socials 3B
Sports 5A
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A concept of what downtown Raeford might look like after renovations. The former Raeford Hotel, shown at the corner of Main and Central, will be demolished with a turn
lane widening the intersection.
County may partner with PWC to spur growth
B> V’k Sl'MMI RS
Staff writer
Hoke commissioners arc planning to
pursue a sewer service agreement with
the hayciteville Public Works Commis
sion to aceommtKhiic ibe easlcrn part of
(he county. A hub of commercial and
residential developnieni is expected to
percolate urban grt)wih from Rockfisli lo
U.S. 401, aecr)rding> to C'rrmmission C’liair-
man Bobby Wright.
Coinciding with the push for infra
structure to increase development, the
use plan. “The land use study, which wc
plan to contract w ith 'I'he Wooten Com
pany for, will entirely encompass the
“You are going to ha\'e much more population
to the east. You are looking literally at new
towns.” - PWC representative Tom McNeill
hoard is also currently advertising for a
professional planner to implement a land
county, beginning probably in the eastern
region, “ Wright said. "I think wc need to
move forward with it.”
('ounty Manager Mike Wood said the
board would also need to enact support
ing “legislation” to accompany land use
objectives in the future.
“On topof the land u.sc plan and desig
nations, policies become critical,” Wood
said.
The board voted unanimously at the
retreat to allow Linda Revels, current
(SVe PAR INI'RSI HP, pui’c 4A)
Process of hiring new Parks & Rec director under fire
lb Vl( KIRI \\ \ StIVIMI RS
Staff Writer
IlokeCounty coi'nniissioiierswill likely
decide at their Iirst meeting in April who
will be the successor of Idrmcr llt>ke
Parksand Recreation director HIgin Blue,
who resigned suddenly on l•ebruary 20.
At least one of the job applicants from
among 12 has criticized county officials’
delay in hiring a replacement for Blue.
“The application period should never
have been opened twice,” I lolly Launder
said. She applied in the first go-round and
now faces competition from four trthcr
candidates.
I ler concern over the ethics of the hir
ing process was echoed by Commission
Vice Chairman Charles V. Daniels, but
foradifferent reason. I ie questioned if the
position was merely reopened by County
Manager Mike Wood to solicit at least
one application from a personal friend.
"I know the nameof the individual who
was approached, a local resident, Init 1 do
not want to reveal his name, heeausc of
confidentiality.” Daniels said. "I am con
cerned that wc ticat everyone fairly and
equally in the hiring process without play
ing favorites.”
County Manager Mike Wood, serving
as interim Parks and Rec director, said
there w'as no basis for concern, and he was
“not even aware” four more applicants
had applied in the second go-round. It was
his decision to reopen the filing period
between March 3 and 1 1 after the first one
ended on February 27.
“The county justifiably reopened the
position to provide an opportunity for
applicants to apply when the snow storm
struck,” Wood said. “Wc did not want to
exclude someone who may have planned
fS(V PARKSAND RFC pui’c 4 \)
Crull found not guilty of assaulting Hoke High student
Bv VirioRi vNv
Sl'MMI RS
Staff writer
Former Hoke
school safety re
source officer Rob
ert Wayne (’rull
wasfoLindnot guilty
Robert Crull
ofassaultinga Hoke High School student
in an incident in the school cafeteria one
year ago. Judge James Gregory Bell, a
Robeson County district court judge, pre
sided over the trial, which lasted for more
than two hours.
Fayetteville attorney Larry McGlothlin
successfully defended Crull. exonerating
him from the misdemeanor charge of as
saulting student Lamar Crawford. Hoke
Assistant District Attorney Gregg
lllikainen prosecuted the case. The trial
had been postponed at Crull’s request for
more t han sc vc n mon t hs, pe nd i iig arrange -
ments for a defense attorney.
“I am pleased with the turnout of the
verdict,” Crull said. “I feel like justice
was served.
“I feel just great after this pending for
one V ear.”
Crull testified on his behalf, as did
former 1 loke 1 iigh assistant principal Mary
Calhoun, currently employed in another
county. C’rawford testified for the pros
ecution along with a Hoke High teacher
and at least one student.
(See ACQUirri’D .page 7A)
Ifhe News-1 Journal
lb Ki N M vcDonai.I)
General Manager
Like the flowers that are beginning to
bloom, the children here in Lake Wobegon
press on to maturity “Momma, don’t kiss
me in front of anybody anymore,” a grand
child of one of our staff asked his mother
over the weekend.
Last week 1 watched as a teenager at a
Candidate Stumps in Raeford school event walked by an adult from his
Senate Republican Leader Patrick Ballantine made a swing through Raeford in His bid for neighborhood. She enthusiastically
governor. The story is on page 4A. greeted the student, but as he walked by
with both arms firmly at his side, he only
poked one hand about an inch out in such
a discreet motion the best auctioneer would
have missed it. It was more of a twitch
than a wave. “Arc you his mother?” 1
ji'kcd She had taken no offcn.ve and just
laughed.
The shrinkologists call it individiia-
lion, a normal stage of adolescent devel
opment when kids see their parents as
dorks, their friends as gods and them
selves as unfortunate wards of their fami-
(See OTHER STUFF, page 7A)