News-Journal
N0.22V0L101
If it hapi ►ened, it’$ news to us
Raeford & Hoke County n.c.
Wednesday, August 16,2006
Community forest could be first in state
Conservation project would provide development buffer, recreation on cr^k
By VicTORiANA Summers establish the first “community for-
Staff writer est” in the state and help restore the
Bream and catfish are biting habitat of the vanishing long leaf
along Rockfish Creek, bordering an pines, according to Mikki Sager,
unprecedented Hoke County conser- North Carolina representative for
vation project proposed less than two The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit
miles northwest of Raeford. organization.
If successful, the venture would “Our organization is spearhead-
Hoke High
academies
fad in report
Expert says this year
promises to be better
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
A somewhat scathing
report was delivered by Dr.
Ken Jenkins, a professor at
Appalachian State University,
to the Hoke Board of Educa
tion recently concerning the
Small Learning Communities
grant project at Hoke County
High.
A Uaining effort connected
to the Ninth Grade Career
Academy and the talent de
velopment high schools, the
project is designed to train
teachers to teach in small
learning environments. His
presentation reflected a ‘ ‘drop
off’ in students’ academics
this past year as well as a
drop-off in teachers requi ri ng
student “accountability.”
He told the school board
{See ACADEMIES,
page 4A)
This Week
ing this project, but the county is em- great to woric with on this project.” ance economic “viability returns,
Sagersaid the community forest’s paralleling conservation of natural
vision is an environmental plan resources, she said,
already popularly implemented in As current owner of the 572-acre
many third world counties where tract north ofRockfish Creek on both
natural habitats are shrinking sides of Vass Road, the CF group
while poverty increases. Com- hopes to deed all of this undeveloped
munity forests are designed to bal- (See FOREST, page 8A)
bracing the conservation concept on
its own,” Sager said. “It is a big step
forward in our relationship because
the county is also seeking to protect
water quality in the region.
’’Hoke County leaders are to be
commended. They have been just
Movin’ on up
jean Whitaker’s third grade class was just one of 12 classrooms that opened up Friday in the new section recently completed at Sandy Grove Elementary
School.Teachers slated to go in the new rooms were in temporary classrooms and huts until the much anticipated opening. Students and staff are happy
to be in a room that has its own heating and air unit “Before it was like living out of a box,” said a teacher.
SandHoke students
begin new program
page4A
G)untybuys
industrial site
page 5 A
Qty raises
permit rates
page3A
Affordable housing
project underway
pi^e7A
Index
Anniversaries 3B
Calendar IB
Qassifieds 6-7B
Deaths 8A
Editorials 2A
Legals 4-5B
Public Record 3A
Religion 2B
Schools 4A,8B
Socials 3B
Sports 6A
We’re on the web at
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Two commissioners dissent on sheriff staff changes
By Victoriana Summers
Staff writer
T\vo Hoke commissioners, Charies
V. DanielsandBillCameron, rejected
a request from Sheriff Hubert Petericin
on Monday evening to upgradeadep-
uty-officer, Capt. Brenda McQueen,
to fill a vacancy as his administrative
assistant. The reorganization also en
ables adding a fourth office clerk in the
front office, according to Peterkin.
County policy requires reclassi
fication requests be presented to the
board even if the department head is
an elected official. Peterkin also re
quested job upgrades for two other of
ficers, Maj. Freddy Johnson and Capt.
Jackie Brewington, chief jailer.
“I am doing this the legal way
— the right way,” Peterkin said. “I
am simply asking for money in my
budget to be reallocated.”
The board subsequently approved
Peterkin’s request in a 3-2 vote, with
commission chairman Bobby Wright,
Jean Powell and James A. Leach in fa
vor of the recommendations. Though
he opposed Peterkin’s requests, Dan
iels said he did “appreciate” Peterkin
going through the proper channels to
ask for the board’s approval.
Peterkin said McQueen would ful
fill administrative responsibilities in a
more efficient, organized manner, but
she would still have arresting powers
as a deputy. Peterkin repeated to the
board that he was only requesting
moneys already appropriated to be
redisuibuted — not an increase in
his budget.
“I am grateful to the commission
ers for approving this reclassification
and the three step increases,” Peterkin
said. “This sends a good message to
our citizens that we are looking out
for their best interests.”
Daniels objected primarily because
he said the savings in salary of $8,049
after downgrading the former admin
istrative clerk position would be split
up between McQueen, Johnson and
Brewington. He insisted the money
should be shared by the three “lower-
paid” clerks currently working in the
front office.
(See COMMISSIONERS, page 5A)
-I Hoke native heads
state press association
By Ken MacDonald
Publisher
1 guess Western Carolina University
isn’t high enough. 1 hadn’t been able
to figure why my daughter wanted to
switch to Appalachian State until this
weekend when ou r fami ly went to help
her move in.
“Wait until you see her apartment,”
I’d been told. “You won’t believe how
wonderful the location is.”
By “wonderful” if you mean
“high,”l do now agree.
1 had loaded up my ptxrr four-cylin
der truck to the point that all I ne^ed
was a rocking chair and Granny to ar
rive Beverly Hillbillies-style, and then
attached an eight-foot trailer-because
girls apparently need more than just
a sleeping bag and coffee pot when
they move into their first apartment
- and set out with my fingers crossed
as I wondered whether a 12-year old
truck so burdened would make it past
Aberdeen.
We took two vehicles - my son and
1 in the truck so we could happily listen
to This American Life without a lot of
lip, and the females in the daughter’s
car. In Greensboro I defied a detour
and used my GPS gadget to navigate
the male team to our first pit stop
(See OTHER STUFF, page 3A)
By Pat Allen Wilson
Editor
Former Hoke Schools Superinten
dent Raz Autry remembers Deuce
Niven as a Hoke High student with
“a mind of his own.”
“I knew he would be a good news
paper man,” Autry added.
Niven, editor of the Tabor-Loris
Tribune, was recently elected presi
dent of the North Carolina Press As
sociation during the organization’s
133rd annual convention held in
Wrightsville Beach.
“I am proud of him. He made Hoke
County proud,” Autry said of Niven,
remembering “a very fine young
i
man, and a
good scholar
who had a good
personality and
related to peo
ple real well.” Niven
A1976 Hoke High graduate, Niven,
now 48, studied at Sandhills Com
munity College and Pembroke State
University. At the time he woiked
for WSHB radio station and was the
Hoke County correspondent for the
Fayetteville Times while he was still a
teenager. He continues to “string” for
the Fayetteville Observer from Tabor
City, where he currently resides.
(See NIVEN, page 6A)