The
ews
Journal
fi it Ikimim n(i(t its iirvvHtO
50t
No.30Vol.100
Raeford & Hoke County n.c,
Wednesday, October 12,2005
Unilever to cut another 50 jobs in Raeford
Company officials say aim behind second round of layoffs is efficiency, profitability
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
the local economy for the second
time this year.
Unilever Personal Care Prod-
One of Raeford’s major in- nets, housed in a vast industrial
dustries plans to eliminate 50 complex on South Main Street,
jobs by the end of November in a will eliminate 15 percent of
restructuring endeavor, impacting its administrative and factory
Thomas plans to retire
from police force
Has been officer for 31 years, 18 in Raeford
workforce, laying off salaried and
hourly employees. As one of the
lop three employers established
in Hoke County, Unilever has
traditionally offered high-paying
salaries to skilled manufacturing
personnel.
With goals aimed at higher
profitability, Unilever, with its
headquarters in The Netherlands,
amassed $50 billion in sales
worldwide in 2004. It is also one
of the world’s largest consumer
goods companies, distributing
products to 150 countries. Uni
lever also acquired $10 billion
in sales in the United States last
year, according to Tom Me-
telmann, Unilever’s Raeford plant
manager.
“Unilever has announced
a workforce reduction from
October through November
2005,” Metelmann said. “This
strategic decision is part of
the Raeford facility’s ongoing
effort to achieve manufactur-
(See LAYOFF, page 3A)
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Major Greg Thomas — Rae
ford’s first African American as
sistant chief of police—is retiring
January 1 after alaw enforcement
career spanning from the nation’s
Capitol to Scotland County and
Raeford.
“There comes a time when
everybody knows it is right for
them to move on beyond what
ever kind of work they are do
ing,” Thomas said. “In the law
enforcement profession, you have
to be a psychiatrist, a father and
a mother.” Thomas said during
his law enforcement career he
has become closer to his church,
mak i ng h i m more compassionate
toward others.
“I have enjoyed law enforce
ment,” Thomas said. “When it
comes to the law, a person is either
right or wrong. “However, I have
This Week
Boy Bucks win
in cross-country
page3A
Telephone reassurance
program begun
page 3 A
Kitties out of a home
page IB
Homeowners complain
of repairs
page7A
Index
Births
3B
Calendar
IB
Classifieds
7-8B
Deaths
4B
Editorials
2A
Engagements
3B
Legals
4-6B
Religion
2B
Socials
3B
Sports
4-5A
Weddings
3B
We’re on the web at
www.thenews-journal.com
Read by 3,000 each week
learned
through
the years to
understand
why people
do some of
the things
they have
done.”
Thomas Greg Thomas
has served in
law enforcement for more than
31 years with 18 of his tenure
dedicated to the Raeford Police
Department. He plans to work
in the private sector as a loss pre
vention fraud agent and security
officer after retirement.
“It has been challenging as as
sistant chief of police,” Thomas
said. “1 feel like the job has given
me opportunities to understand
people more.
“You cannot always go
strictly by the law when you
(See THOMAS, page 7A)
Flames consume an Unoccupied 1980s Mustang convertible that was destroyed after the owner parked in the Raeford Post Office parking
lot. See story on pag^ 6A.
Johnny Baker honored as Firefighter of the Year
Award presented at annual appreciation dinner for emergency volunteers
Johnny Baker
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Always on duty, the men and
women arrived at the dining
hall with pagers hoiked to their
belts.
Volunteer emergency services
personnel of this contmunity were
honored with an appreciation din
ner for them and their families
by the Raeford-Ho^e Chamber
of Commerce. And one of those
volunteers. North Raeford Fire
Dept. Chief Johnny Baker, was
named Firefighter of the Year.
The annual event, held last
Thursday at West Hoke Middle
School, is “a small way to thank
you for protecting our lives and
our property,” said Chamber
President Rick Sandy, who em
ceed the event.
Calling for a round of applause
for firefighters and medics. Sheriff
Hubert Peterkin said, “Thank you
for taking care of us all in Hoke
County.”
“Hoke County would not be
the place it is without you. You’re
not recognized as much as you
need to be,” said Hoke County
Commissioner Chairman Bobby
Wright.
Raeford Mayor John K. Mc
Neill HI also spoke of volunteers’
sacrifices. “We appreciate all you
do,” he said, adding, “Alarms go
off at strange hours.”
David Willis, president of the
HokeCounty Fire and Rescue As
sociation, recognized all depart
ments and their spouses. “Wives
and husbands don’t get near the
recognition they deserve,” he
said.
Medics from l he Hoke County
Rescue Squad and firefighters
from Antioch, Raeford, North
Raeford (which now includes
Tylertown), Puppy Creek, Stone
(See HONORED, page 6A)
Regina Joe announces forjudge
% • t»
m
Regina joe
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Regina “Gigi” McKinn^jy
Joe, Hoke-Scotland County
public defender, is pursu
ing a lifelong dream as she
declares her plans today to
run in the 2006 district court
judge race.
Joe has had the opportu
nity during her career to be on
both sides of the courtroQni
as a prosecutor and defense
attorney. She brings, almost
18 years of legal experience
into the upcoming judgeship
race when filing begins in
February.
Joe has also already made
history as the first female
African American publ ic de
fender to be appointed in the
state. Now, Joe, a registered
Democrat, hopes to triple that
(See JOE, page 3A)
Smith seeks judge position
le iTews-fJoumal
News Othet- stuff
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Raeford attorney Russell (diaries
Smith has enjoyed a diversified ca
reer, devoting 21 years to molding the
minds of children as an educator and
defending the rights of citizens in the
courtroom as a lawyer.
Now, Smith wants to step up to the
bench, changing his venue permanently
as he seeks the office of district court
judge in 2006 for Hoke-Scotland Dis
trict 16A.
Formerly teaching full-time at Hoke
County
High and
coaching
high school
sports.
Smith tran
sitioned
eight years
ago to prac
ticing law.
However,
Smith has
1
r
Russefi Smith
retained a key role in the academic
futures of Hoke youth, serving on the
(See SMITH, page 3A)
By Ken MacDonald
Publisher
There 1 was among 1,100 Lance Arm
strong types - muscular, fearless bicycle
riders intent on pedaling from Asheville to
Wilmington in seven days. I had pedaled
the first day’s 63 (mostly downhill) miles
without incident. My training had paid off
Perhaps I was one of them.
At 5 a.m. the second day, crammed into
a dark, dew-soaked tent, I was trying to
wrestle tnyself into my cycling britches,
and suddenly realized that the day before
1 had ridden with them on backwards.
“Argh! ” I called to my uncle Jim and h is
friend. Bill West, in adjacent tents. “I just
rode the whole first day with my pants on
backwardsSomeone from a distant tent
called buck; “That would explain why you
were ricljng up the downhills and down
the uphills!”
It was an inauspicious start, but it wasn’t
(Ste OTHER STUFF, pageSA)
Board plans superintendent search
Bn Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
Recruitment to replace Hoke School
Superintendent Allen Strickland, who
retires bebr uary 1, will likely begin in the
spring. An interim superintendent will be
appointed who will probably supervise the
school system until the end of the school
year, according to Board of Education
chairman Russell C. Smith.
This, after the board discussed al
ternatives at their meeting last evening.
Smith reminded the board of the famous
words formerly expressed by his mentor,
retired board of education chairman John
McAllister.
“1 quote from Mr. McAllister; ‘The
superintendent search and superin
tendent is the most important thing
the board of education does. Num-
(See SUPERINTENDENT, page 6A)