The
ews
J oumal
If it happened, ifs news to us
No.48VoL99
Raeford & Hoke County n.c.
Wednesday, February 16,2005
Forums ^ve citizens input on land use plan
As demographics change, diversity is key in plan to prevent unwanted sprawl
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Hoke County is changing in demo
graphics and geography, with most
citizens employed out of the county and
diminishing farm land converted into
subdivisions in some areas.
This indicates the need for a county
wide land use plan for a diversified
society, according to the first draft of
the Hoke Land Use Plan prepared by
the Hoke Land Use Committee with
assistance from The Wooten Company,
a Raleigh engineering firm.
County residents are getting an op
portunity toexpress their views on future
land use at a series of public forums, the
first held last night at Mt. Elim Baptist
Church. Plans for commercial and resi
dential growth, agriculturally designated
land, and industrial sites comprise the
topics that will be hosted by Hoke’s Land
Use volunteers.
As residents who work outside of the
county have nearly doubled in numbers,
Hoke appears to be becoming a bedroom
community as the second-fasted grow
ing County in the state. People residing
in Hoke who also work here total 5,105.
This compares to almost an equal num
ber ^ 5,078 - of those who live here but
work in Cumberland County. Another
approximate 4,000 residents also com-
(See FORUMS, page 6A)
One day betting
sought for race
Weinstein hopes bill considered
before Stoneybrook on April 4
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
The 54th running of the world
class Stoneybrook Steeplechase
at Carolina Horse Park at Five
Points will be April4-5. Ponying
up a crowd of 15,000, Stoney
brook will be held for the fifth
year in Hoke County.
However, history could be
made in another way this year
with the addition of another at
traction to the races. Hoke may
become the first county in the
slate ^proved to revive legalized
horse betting, a practice that was
Weinstein
Santangelo is
Citizen of Year
page IB
Norton named
Kiwanian of Year
page IB
Gty borrows
from local lender
page 7 A
Births 3B
Business/Faim 5A
Calendar 3B
Classifieds 7-8B
Deaths 8A
Editorials 2-3A
Legals 5-6B
Religion 2B
Schools 4-5B
Socials 3B
Sports 4A
We’re on the web at
www.thenews-journal.com
permitted
years ago
but discon
tinued. Car-
olinaHorse
Park offi
cials hope
to double
their mon
ey to offset
costs for the race plus double the
crowd that attends.
This, by holding a one-day
wagering event to bet on the
horse races at_3toneybrook.
Hoke’s boar^ of commis
sioners has unanimously signed
a resolution in support of a
state bill, which has also been
endorsed by Carolina Horse
Park Foundation officials.
N.C. Senator David Weinstein,
(See BETTING, page 7A)
Ins Cameron signs an anti-gambling petition while Sheri Thomas, left, and Barbara Pond explain pari-mutuel wagering.Thomas and Pond, part
of a citizens’ effort to stop the passage of a bill to legalize gambling, collected signatures during last November’s election. (Photo by Cassie
Blackard)
Former chief jailer acquitted of negligence in escape
> r
Michael Sparks,former chief jailer for Hoke Jail, kisses his wife,
Chong, after being acquitted of negligence for a jailbreak.
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Former Hoke chief jailer Michael
Sparks was acquitted of criminal
negligence in the October 28,2003
escape of four felons who fled
through the back door of the Hoke Jail
annex after distracting a detention
officer earlier in the afternoon.
Sheriff Hubert Peterkin demoted
Sparks because in the course of his
inquiry, Peterkin said he found that
Sparks was not enforcing the pro
cedures and policies of the jail ap
propriately. Spaiics later quit. Sparks
was al leged to have allowed jailers to
repeatedly leave jail doors unlocked
inside Hoke Jail. Even the front door
to the jail was frequently left open^
according to a report from the State
Bureau of Investigation.
However, Sparics said the practice
had been going on for at least five
years, and the problem had even
allegedly occurred under the ad-,
ministration of former sheriff Jirq
Davis, who insisted doors would
be secured. Sparks insisted that he
demanded that jailers lock all the
doors, claiming they “undermined’'
his authority on various occasion^
and left doors open.
The escape of felons Hector Noel
Mojarro Frausto, charged with status
tory rape and kidnapping of Hok^
teen Dana Pevia when she was only
11, Christopher Damien Handon,
Steven Ray Locklear, and John Shan
non Phillips unleashed a massive
manhunt in Hoke and out-of-state
until they were recaptured — three
in Georgia and one in Raeford.
Sparks was charged by the District
Attorney’s office with allowing an
escape of prisoners by “wantonly
and willingly” facilitating the event
by recklessness, which is a misde
meanor offense. However, visiting
District Court Judge Sheryl Beasley
did not buy the prosecution’s conten
tion that Sparks was solely at fault,
or that any criminal intent existed.
(See ACQUITTED, page 6A)
Toddler playing near road killed after darting in front of car
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
An automobile accident
claimed the life of Fayetteville
toddler Cahlil Monroe in while
he was visiting a relative in Hoke
County on Saturday.
Since his death, the Monroe
family has received an outpour
ing of sympathy and condolence
cards from the Hoke community.
according to his great-grand
mother, Raeford resident Wilma
Monroe.
Unbeknownst tohisfamily, 14-
month-old Cahlil, whose favorite
pastime was beating on pots and
pans with a spoon, darted into
the road outside the home of his
great-grandmother at 2517 Doc
Brown Road. He had been in front
of the home, wh ich was very Qlose
to the street.
Cahlil, of 161 Blueberry
Place, may have died instantly
from the impact at 3:25 p.m.,
according to Mrs. Monroe, She
said the child was being super-
(See ACCIDENT, page 8A)
le I^ews
News
TJournaf
Oth^ stuff
Cupid strikes son of former mayor
Gentry, Haitgrove choose Valentine’s Day for wedding
By Ken MacDonald actually tried skiing. But having collected
Publisher enough Gore-Tex articles of clothing over
the years for other sports, 1 figured I could
Saturday morning was bright, sunny and assemble something that approximated a
chilly in the mountainsofVirginialclutched ski suit (or whatever they’re called), and
skis, poles and an instruction voucher, and this, to me, was a sign the time was right,
waited in line for my introduction to a sport As I waited for the instructor to arrive 1
that over the years has attracted most of my pondered my lack of one important piece
friends and their children - falling. ofgear-goggles. Other adults in our group
Though I lived in the mountains for toldmethey keep your eyes from watering
years, and had been on several trips to ski during high speed runs in cold weather, and
resorts to chaperone youth trips, 1 had never (See OTHER STUFF, page 3A)
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Two hearts were united as one on
Valentine’s Day in Raeford.
Mark Gentry, son of the late Raeford
mayor Bob Gentry, and fiancee Kimberly
Hawks Hartgrove professed their love
with “romance in the air” in a twilight
wedding ceremony on Monday.
Kimberly said Cupid struck the couple
five years ago when they met at the N.C.
Turkey Festival. She said Mark asked her
out on a date and things just “took off’
4
Kimberly and Mark exchange vows,
from there.
“For me, it was love at first sight,”
Kimberly said.
(See CUPID, page 5A)