RAEFORD & HOKE COUNTY N.C.Hoke County’s newspaper since 1905 75¢

Wednesday, December 7, 2016No. 40 Vol. 111

Other StuffBY KEN MACDONALD

My son and his wife have completed renova-tion of their school bus. The “big yellow fellow,” as the state calls school buses, was confusingly really orange—in fact, it was an Orange County bus—but it’s now white and, instead of seats, has a bed, shower, and kitchen.

Many people have asked what the bus will be used for. We now have an answer. It is my son’s offi ce. This is confusing too: a nurse who worked from home, he now works from a bus,

(See OTHER STUFF, page 3)

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This Week

Voter fraud investigation continues

Offi cers honored for saving man

Election protest denied, appeal possible

Child fatalitiesincreased in 2016

Cold to set tonefor ‘HometownChristmas’

Leach to again chair commission

BY CATHARIN SHEPARD

Staff writer

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christ-mas with seasonally cold temperatures ar-riving just in time to put a chill in the air for one local holiday celebration.

The second annual Raeford-Hoke Hometown Christ-mas will be held December 8 from 5:30-8 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Raeford. Although a slight chance of rain was in the forecast as of Tuesday, predictions showed the rain leaving the area by afternoon with a clear – and cold – night afterward.

Organizers encouraged participants to dress warmly (See HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS, page 9)

BY CATHARIN SHEPARD

Staff writer

Two returning Hoke County Board of Commissioners members were sworn into offi ce Monday after winning reelection bids for four-year terms.

Commissioners James Leach and Bobby Wright were sworn into offi ce at the regularly scheduled commission meeting Monday night. Hoke County Clerk of Superior Court Evelyn McLeod performed the ceremony. The two commissioners’ wives accompanied them for the swearing-in.

The board members selected Leach, who has served as the board chairman for the last several years, to serve as chairman for 2017. The board additionally selected Com-missioner Harry Southerland, who has served as

(See COMMISSION, page 9)

BY SHEILA BLACK

Two City of Raeford Police offi cers were honored at the city council’s monthly meeting Monday night for saving a man’s life. Offi cers Christina Simmons and Daniel Martinez “recog-

nized an emergency situation and rendered immediate aid to save the life of Mr. Mal-colm McMillan,” according to a proclamation read by Mayor John K. McNeill. The offi cers found McMillan in cardiac arrest at his Lantern Lane home November 1 and

performed CPR until para-medics arrived.

“When offi cers arrived on the scene,” the proclamation read, “Major Marcus God-win checked for a pulse, but there were no signs of life with Mr. McMillan.

(See OFFICERS, page 8)

BY CATHARIN SHEPARD

Staff writer

The Hoke County Board

of Elections voted Friday not to investigate two election canvass protests fi led over the handling of nearly 500

discarded provisional bal-lots, but the decision could be appealed to the state and

(See ELECTION, page 8)

Raeford police have charged a man with second-degree murder for allegedly causing a wreck that killed two people and injured three others the day before Thanksgiving.

Offi cers with the Raeford Police Department charged Gil Kennytie Garcia, 34, of the 500 block of Regency Drive in Fayetteville with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of felony serious injury by vehicle, driving while impaired, failure to reduce speed, careless and reck-less driving, driving left of center, failure to maintain lane and a driving restric-tion code violation.

Garcia was arrested December 2 after being hospitalized following the accident. He was held under a $1 million bond.

Garcia is accused of causing the deaths of Ervin Lee McCain, 66, of the 100 block of Meadowwood Lane in Raeford and Betty Ann Patricia Wall, 46, of the 2700 block of Highway 401 Business. McCain and Wall were killed November

(See WRECK, page 8)

BY CATHARIN SHEPARD

Staff writer

Two complaints alleging that a Democratic Party organizer signed up Hoke County nursing home residents for absentee bal-lots that they did not request is still

under investigation by the State Board of Elections.

Pat Gannon, spokesperson for the North Carolina Board of Elec-tions, said that the investigation process in the case is still under-way.

“That’s still an open mat-

ter here, and we hope to have it brought to a conclusion in the near future,” he said Monday.

The Hoke County Board of Elections voted two to one during a meeting October 6 to send the complaints, which were initially addressed to the local board, to

the state for investigation.In one of the complaints, an

Autumn Care Nursing Home resident who suffers from Al-zheimer’s disease was signed up to receive an absentee ballot for the General Election on November 8. A second complaint addressed

the same issue at another nurs-ing home in the county. Board of Elections records showed that someone did fi le a request for absentee ballots for those indi-viduals.

On one absentee ballot request (See VOTER FRAUD, page 8)

Animal shelterneeds gifts

of blankets, foodPage 9

Ladysticksproduction

is this weekendPage 3

BY CATHARIN SHEPARD

Staff writer

More children died in Hoke County over the last year than in previous years, according to local health of-fi cials, and the county Health Depart-ment is working on ways to educate parents and reduce children’s risk of death.

There were 12 child fatalities (See FATALITIES, page 9)

Murderchargesfi ledin wreck

Getting the greeter readyWanda Cohen not only has to ready her home but her dog as well for the Raeford Gar-den Club’s Christmas Home Tour to be held Sunday from 2-5 p.m. Cohen’s house and her family’s farm are on the tour. Details of the tour are on page 10. (Ken MacDonald photo)

Bobby Wright (left) and James Leach sign oaths as Clerk of Court Evelyn McLeod looks on. (Catharin Shepard photo)

The sCOOL bus is now an offi ce. But it’s able to go mobile too.

2 THE NEWS-JOURNAL Raeford, N.C. December 7, 2016

47 Years AgoDecember 11, 1969

A freak accident on N.C. 211 toward Red Springs claims the life of S.M. “Tip” McLauchlin Sr. Thursday. Highway Patrol trooper Frank Davenport says McLauchlin was traveling toward Red Springs and, when crossing a bridge, clipped the left tire of a tractor and then hit a disc it was pulling. A farmer from Bowmore, he was buried with Masonic Rites in the S.M. McLauchlin Family Cemetery.

Raeford’s “first big Christmas parade” is deemed “very success-ful” by Chamber of Commerce President Younger Snead and Manager Harold Gills. The Friday of the parade is very chilly and most people hurry home after it’s over.

Burlington Industries will observe the upcoming holiday season with plant and office vaca-tions and its traditional Christmas parties for employees and their families. A.D. Borrelli, manager of Burlington Worsteds Raeford Plant, and Graham Pope, man-ager of the Burlington Worsteds Dyeing Plant, say operations will cease at the end of second shift Tuesday, December 23 and will resume with third shift at 12:01 a.m. Monday, December 29. A Christmas party for children will be held December 14 from 1:30-4 p.m.

A report from an outside team of consultants shows Hoke Coun-ty Schools are “doing a good job of educating their students.” The report shows that, from student re-cords and a series of tests in grades 6-12, with scores “corrected for ability (IQ),” students score at or above the national average in math, reading and language. Dr. William G. Katzenmeyer, associ-ate professor of education at Duke, says the school system is doing a very good job of educating the children of Hoke County.

Several roads are scheduled to be paved: Silver City Street, Cockman Hill Road, North Lake Road, a portion of Fayetteville Road, Center Street and St. Mat-thew Church Road.

During the 1968-69 school year, the state spends $335.5 million on public schools for nine months of school. In Hoke Coun-

Superintendent Bill Harrison (left) with West Hoke Middle School Principal Jack Burgess a week before the school is scheduled to open.

Kitchen staffers Jean McPhatter (foreground) and Alberta Rogers inspect gleaming new stainless steel equipment in the WHMS kitchen.

We’re number one: Champs of the midget football league gathered for a weenie roast. Kneel-ing left to right are Santiel Harris, Jeremy Garrett, David McNeill, Travis Ward and Will Gibson. Standing are Roger Miller, William Kershaw, Tyrone Breeden, Coach Brian Norris, Harvey Farmer and Justin Hawkes.

ty, the figure is $1,398,868.23. The largest single expense is salaries. Hoke spends $1.2 million on salaries; $60,627 on buildings operations; and $103,871 on buses, libraries and health.

Ivery McNair is appointed to finish the unexpired three-year term of Gilbert Ray on the Hoke Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. The vacancy is created with Ray’s death. McNair owns and operates a local drycleaning plant. Others on the board are Alfred K. Leach, chairman, and Jimmy Conoly, secretary. Mc-Nair is a native of Hoke County and graduate of Upchurch High School. He also serves on the Jury Commission of Hoke County.

25 Years AgoDecember 11, 1991

The Hoke School Board gives the green light to Rhenda Cam-eron to develop student policies regarding student suspension, due process, medication, student fees and student conduct. There are now only 12 policies affecting students. Her committee will also propose changes to four existing policies concerning attendance, child abuse, grievances and stu-dent folders.

Harold Gills, director of vocational education for Hoke Schools, announces his retire-ment. He joined the schools in 1969 when he also worked for the chamber of commerce.

Class Reunions1967 — The Upchurch High

School Class of 1967 is planning its 50th Class Reunion Celebration. For more information, contact Walter Blue, 910-875-3318, Delorise Lide, 910-875-2480 or Annie Little, 910-695-5519.

1972 — Hoke County Class of 1972 will be having a meeting January 14 at the Hoke County Public Library at noon. For more information, contact Irene Dockery

at 910-875-6921 or dockeryleo@yahoo.com.

1975 — The Hoke County High Class of 1975 is planning its 40th year reunion. We are searching for our members and contact informa-tion. Please respond with contact information to: trinybooks@aol.com, gbhill27@gmail.com, 910-213-7110, 910-977-9076 or 910-978-4455.

1977 — Hoke County High

School Class of 1977 will meet every Monday at 7 p.m. at Virgil’s Drive-In. Any interested classmate may call James Quick at 910-273-1863.

1998 — Planning for the class of 1998 reunion has been completed. Please contact April Bratcher at (336) 841-5388 or (336) 338-2286 cell or Damon Williams at (910) 690-6707 ASAP so we can get an information packet to you via mail or email.

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December 7, 2016 THE NEWS-JOURNAL Raeford, N.C 3

By Scott MooneyhaM

Capital Press Association

Obituaries

Harold CoachHarold Gustav

Coach of Lumber Bridge passed away Monday, December 5, 2016 in Southeastern

Regional Medical Center at the age of 68.

He was born in Germany on August 24, 1948. He proudly served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was the owner and operator of Coach and Son Military Surplus in Lumber Bridge. He was a collector of military memorabilia and enjoyed watching westerns and war movies.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Paula W. Coach of Lumber Bridge; his son, Johnny L. Coach (Megan) of Lumber Bridge; his daughters, Andrea Koch of Ger-many, and Jeannette Ullmann-Lopez (Uwe) of Germany; his brother, William Rossano (Pat) of Linden; his sister, Lucy R. Carr (Jim) of New Jersey; three grandchildren, Vivian Lopez-Stith of Germany, Johnny L. Coach Jr. of Lumber Bridge, and Lyla Marie Coach of Lumber Bridge; and two great-grandchildren, Hailey Lopez-Stith and Leo Lopez-Stith.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, December 13 at Rockfish Church of God, 7869 Rockfish Road, Raeford with Pastor Gary W. Leviner Jr. officiating.

A time for visiting will be held at the family’s home prior to and after the service.

Flora W. ReynoldsFlora Louise Wood Reyn-

olds, 90, of Rockfish passed away Saturday, November 19, 2016.

She was born January 3, 1926 to the late Thaddeus Graham Wood and Flora Margaret Monroe Wood. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Cecil Reynolds; sisters, Lela W. McInnis, Hazel W. Smith, and Margaret W. Newton; and brother, James Wood.

She was a lifelong member of Galatia Presbyterian Church and a re-cipient of the Presbyterian Women’s Honorary Life Membership since October 27, 1996.

She was employed by the De-partment of the Air Force, Pope AFB, Fort Bragg for 28 years. She was a homemaker, loving wife, mother, and best grandmother, great-grandmother and beach “granny” of all times.

Survivors include her son, James Michael Reynolds and wife Vickie; daughter, Martha Parks and husband Ray; grandchildren, Elizabeth P. Williams and husband Rusty, Tony Reynolds and wife Darby, Melissa Parks, Chris Reynolds and wife Liz, and Jennifer P. Rezeli and husband Luke; and great-grandchildren, Austin Reynolds, Hailey Reynolds, Abby Williams, Ryan Williams and Lauren Reynolds.

The funeral was held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, November 22 at Galatia Presbyterian Church with burial in the church cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please send do-nations to Cape Fear Valley Hospice of Fayetteville and/or Galatia Pres-byterian Church “Building Fund” of Fayetteville.

Harold Coach Flora W. Reynolds

Police Blotter

but he’s not really a home health nurse, and he won’t be using it to visit patients.

But the bus is a good choice, yea, even necessity, because he’s been kicked out of his house. To make way for a baby. Yes, this is a roundabout way of saying I’m again a grandfather.

Annalise came Saturday in Raleigh. And she didn’t wait for final bus detailing. She didn’t even wait for a nursery. She arrived 6 weeks early.

E ve r y -b o d y i s good and h e a l t h y , a n d a l l par t s a re w o r k i n g , and personality is already beginning to show. It appears she is going to be typical of the females in my family, which is, shall we say, opinionated. And when she’s old enough for school, she can commandeer her dad’s bus to get there.v

Raeford Police reported the following recent incidents:November 29

Conspiracy to commit breaking and enter-ing, attempted larceny, breaking and entering, 200 block of East Fifth Avenue, victim Willen RichardsonNovember 30

Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, dam-age to property, 100 block of Yadkin Trail, victim Lachaunta Evette FergusonDecember 1

Assault on a female, larceny, damage to property, kidnapping, first-degree burglary, 100 block of Chilton Drive, victim Laquisha Nycole McLaughlin. A suspect allegedly forced entry into McLaughlin’s home and took property before fleeing the scene, according to authorities. Police are still investigating the case.

Fraud (credit card/automated teller ma-chine), larceny, 300 block of Harris Avenue, victims Brian Simmie Banks and Joyce Louis Banks

Fraud (credit card/automated teller ma-chine), 100 block of Lantern Lane, victim Jasmine Shanda McMillian

Larceny by employee, 800 block of High-

way 401 Bypass, victim Raeford Animal ClinicDriving while license revoked, operating

a commercial motor vehicle without a license, fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, Turn-pike Road/Mockingbird Hill Road, victim State of North Carolina. Police charged Shaun Lee Baker, 34, of the 800 block of Alex Baker Road.

Driving while impaired, Mockingbird Hill Road/OC Sanders Road, victim State of North Carolina. Police charged James Christopher By-num Jr., 23, of the 400 block of Americana Drive.December 2

Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, 100 block of Lantern Lane, victim Bateema Elaine FrancisDecember 3

Breaking and entering a motor vehicle, larceny, 100 block of Faberge Drive, victim Jammy NickelsonDecember 5

Domestic assault, 500 block of South Main Street, victim Jaimie Alvarado. Police arrested Shayla Shalesce Smith, 39, of the 500 block of South Main Street for allegedly assaulting Alvarado, 40, of the same address. Investigators reported Alvarado was cut by a knife after an argument, but declined to press charges.

Other stuff(Continued from page 1)

Christmas performersThese Raeford musicians will perform in the “Ladysticks Presents Christmas Eve” production Friday night (6:30 p.m.) at the Mt. Pisgah Community Resource Center on Pittman Grove Church Road. DeRyian and Derek Mitchell are children of MaRyia Bass-Maynor (Jeffrey) and Derek Mitchell Sr. and the grandchildren of Fredrick and Regina Bass and Curtis and Patricia Mitch-ell. They’ll be performing in their first recital with Ladysticks & LS music & arts studio. The Vandergrift twins have been with Ladysticks from the beginning. Their mother is a major sponsor and supporter of Ladysticks projects. Leila Murphy, 4, is the granddaughter of Michael Murphy and Lena Murphy of Raeford. Tickets are $15.

coMMunity calendarItems should be submitted for the Community Calendar by noon Friday before the publication date. You are asked to keep in mind that paste-up of the calendar page is done on Monday before publication. Also, if an ongo-ing item has been discontinued or needs to be changed, you are asked to contact the editor as soon as possible.

December 9AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AID/CPR/AED CLASS SCHEDULE

(Adult/Child/Infant) - Classes may be changed/cancelled depending on avail-ability of instructor, holiday and inclement weather. All classes will be held from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. To register or for more information, call Hoke County Health Department at 910-875-3717 ext. 2106.

December 10 & 15FAMILIES ALL READ (F.A.R.) is a Smart Start program designed to encour-

age families to go F.A.R. reading together. Children 0 up to 5 will receive a free book when accompanied by a parent and an additional book on their 5th visit and thereafter. For more information, call the Hoke County Public Library at 875 - 2502. 6:30 p.m. December 10, 2 p.m. - FAMILIES LARGE AND SMALL; December 15, 6:30 p.m. - WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

December 12 Liberty HomeCare & Hospice invites the community to attend the ANNUAL

LOVE LIGHTS CEREMONY AND COMMUNITY MEMORIAL SER-VICE. The Love Lights Ceremony will take place outside the Hoke County Public Library at 5:30 p.m., as we remember those we love and honor and tie a red ribbon on the tree as we tell others about the wonderful gift they were to us. Immediately following this we will go to the Presbyterian Church, 128 W. Edinborough, for a 6 p.m. Community Memorial Service. A short devotion will be shared, followed by a sharing of names of those who are no longer with us, light refreshments, and making Christmas tree ornaments to take home as gentle reminders of the love that was given to us throughout the year. All activities are free of charge.

December 14Hoke County Parks & Recreation will host SENIOR CITIZENS BINGO at the

Library from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. There will be prizes and refreshments. All seniors are welcome. Call 910-875-4035 for more information.

December 15HOKE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY will close from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

for the Friends of the Library and Staff Christmas Luncheon.

December 16Hoke County Parks & Recreation will present FRIDAY NIGHT SOCIAL in

the LE McLaughlin (senior room) Building from 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. This is a potluck event (please bring a dish). We will provide the paper products and drinks. There will be card and board games and cornhole. Come join us and meet new senior citizens. Call 910-875-4035 for more information.

December 19The HOKE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES MEETING will be

held at 4 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Room located in the Pratt Building, 227 N. Main Street. The public is invited to attend. For further information contact the Hoke County Department of Social Services at 910-875-8725.

January 3, February 7 & March 7COFFEE WITH A COP will be held at Hardee’s at 4 p.m.

January 18, March 15, May 17 & July 19, 2017

HOKE READING/LITERACY COUNCIL’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS will meet on the third Wednesday of the months listed at 12:30 p.m. at the Literacy Council, 125 West Elwood Avenue. The public is invited to attend the meetings. July 19 is the annual meeting (time to be announced). Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer tutor, please contact the Hoke Reading/Literacy Council at 910-875-2145.

NOTICE: In order to keep our Calendar up-to-date, we are adding an expiration date to the following announcements. If you would like the event to continue in our calendar after the expiration date, please call (875-2121), fax (875-7256) or email (robin@thenews-journal.com) requesting this at least a week before its expiration.

Military service-connected meetingsVETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS RALPH A. PANDURE VFW POST

#10 meets the second Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at its Post Home, 14 Hanger Lane, Raeford Airport, Raeford. For information, contact Command-er John F. Harry at 910-987-9821, email johnfharry@yahoo.com or visit vfw.org. (expires January 2017)

DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS- Hoke County Chapter 17 meets the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the National Guard Armory, Teal Drive. For information, call Adjutant George Balch at 910-875-4410 or e-mail: gbalch@nc.rr.com. (expires May 2015)

Calling all ACTIVE AND RETIRED NAVY, MARINE AND COAST GUARD to join Fleet Reserve Branch 259 located in Fayetteville. The Branch and Unit meet the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Retired Military As-sociation building off Gillespie Street. (expires January 2017)

AMERICAN LEGION POST 20 meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the National Guard Armory on Teal Drive. All members and those interested are encouraged to attend. For information, call James McKee, 910-277-0597 or John McRae, Adjacent, 910-286-1705. (expires February 2017)

SPECIAL FORCES ASSOCIATION CHAPTER 62, the “Sandhills” Chap-ter for Raeford, Aberdeen, Southern Pines and Pinehurst, meets the 1st Saturday of each month, 1800 hrs at the Southern Pines VFW Post 7318 Clubhouse in Southern Pines, 615 South Page St. All present and past Special Forces soldiers are invited to attend. For additional information, contact Chapter 62 President, Tom Galbicsek at: tngabs@yahoo.com (expires January 2017)

OthersFRESH START RECOVERY GROUP holds weekly meetings. Monday,

Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8-9 p.m. at 334 N. Main St.; Tuesdays and Fridays from 8-9 p.m. at 399 Oakdale Gin Road; Wednesdays from noon – 1 p.m. at 399 Oakdale-Gin Road. 24-hour NA hotline number is 866-418-9500. (expires February 2017)

A CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP meets the last Tuesday of each month at Pittman Grove Baptist Church. The meetings are from 5:30 - 7 p.m. (expires March 2017)

MAGGIE’S OUTREACH COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER (MOCEDC) is looking for Mentors over the age of 21 to be a mentor to our Youth. We are looking for mentors to help change the lives of our At-Risk Youth (boys and girls) in the community. You must be able to pass a background check and be willing to commit to making a difference. If you are interested in learning more about the opportunities in mentorship, contact our office at (910) 875-6623 or mbdevelcenter@mocedc.org. (expires February 2017)

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS meets every Monday night at 7 p.m. at the Raeford United Methodist Church, 308 N. Main St. For more information, call 910-479-1781. (expires January 2017)

SpecialWorShip eventS

Word of Life Temple, Inc.Christmas Party ($20)December 10, 6 p.m.

Full Gospel TemplePre-Christmas Gospel Celebra-

tionDecember 17, 6 p.m.

patricia’sflower shop

Order Your Christmas Centerpieces!Patricia Vines Murphy

485 Laurinbug Rd. • Raeford, NC910-248-6416

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Raeford United Methodist Church 308 N. Main St.

Raeford

Sunday School9:45 a.m.

Worship 11 a.m. (Childcare for both)

Wednesday Bible Study 5:30 p.m.

(Childcare & dinner provided)

Sky Center • 142 Paraclete Dr. • RaefordAcross the street from CFVMC-Hoke Co.

(910) 904-0404www.rainbowpeds.net

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Everyone will return home and enjoy their traditional celebrations following service.

“Celebrate Jesus”Join us for a special birthday celebration

honoring the birth of Jesus - Christmas Morning 2016!

Bishop “Zap” Xavier P. Robinson will be the speaker.

Sunday, Dec. 2511 a.m. -

12:30 p.m.

245 Saint Matthews Church Road • Raeford, NC 28376stmatthewcog@gmail.com • (910) 964-2028

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Jamaican Curry Chicken, Stewed Chicken,

Jerk Chicken w/Rice, Beans& Cabbage

Seafood Combos include Oysters & Scallops

4 THE NEWS-JOURNAL Raeford, N.C. December 7, 2016

ViewpointsFrog HollerPhilosopher

Ron Huff

Published every Wednesday by Dickson Press, Inc. Robert A. Dickson, President • Anne Dickson Fogleman, Secretary/Treasurer

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This story picks up after a recent column about attending a family wedding in Connecticut, which ended abruptly as we were hastened out of the wed-ding reception for reasons that were not made satisfactorily clear. Aside from the embar-rassment, we would have been leaving soon as we were to be picked up at six the next morn-ing for a long Amtrak trip home.

At the Hartford station, we boarded the train, which made its way through multiple stops to Penn Station in NYC where, for the second time in four days, I visited Manhattan without ever getting to street level. The first time, we had to contend with luggage. This time, we did not change trains. Our itinerary included a four-hour layover in Washington, D.C. and we had planned to visit the National Mall between trains. Luggage, once again, was the problem, but we found a place that would gladly store our bags for $150. That wasn’t going to happen and we found we could check our bags at this point on the train. I would never have done this going north in fear of getting separated from our bags and wedding clothes. Now, while still risky, I figured they could make it on the one final train without incident. At worst, they would be delivered to us later.

Union Station in D.C. is an underground mall as well as being an architectural wonder. After checking bags and eating, we headed out. The Holocaust Museum was our destination. We naively thought we might walk over to the Capitol and down the mall, but it became

immediately obvious that it would have taken more time than we had, so we waited in a long line at the cabstand. The museum was 10 minutes away with little traffic. We passed the stunning new African American Museum, which was located near our destination and the Washington Monument.

Set back off the street behind an impressive metal sculpture, we found the United States Ho-locaust Memorial Museum. The architecture sets the somber and reflective mood right away, even before entering. The interior has four floors of exhibits, theatres and open spaces. The architec-ture appropriately conveys a dark feeling with an industrial flavor but is magnificent. The multistory open area is flooded with sunlight filtered through structural beams and glass panels etched with the names of victims.

It became quickly obvious that we had only 90 minutes to see an exhibit that one could spend days on. In spite of this, we had time to move through the main floors. The experience is somber and provocative to say the least. It begins as Hitler is named Chancellor of Germany in 1933. The atrocities escalate along the timeline of the exhibit. I had never seen a clear depic-tion of how fast the Nazis over-ran Europe and North Africa. The time stamped maps made this startlingly clear. At their

height, there was very little of Europe left unoccupied.

The spaces conveyed a feel-ing of being confined, narrow corridors adorned with hun-dreds of pictures of victims. The models of the concentration camps showed the immense machinery of the Final Solu-tion. An actual train car used to transport the Jews was on view. One exhibit was nothing but thousands of shoes, the only remains of those gassed and cre-mated. Ninety minutes turned out to be a pretty good dose of atrocity, although I would like to revisit with more time.

We hailed a cab out front after a failed attempt to call an Uber car that couldn’t find the Holocaust Museum. There may be something wrong with that picture. On the way back, we got our first clear view of the newly renovated Capitol dome, which now outshines the older portions of the building, looking somewhat out of place. Our cab accumulated more fare trying to get to the drop off point at Union Station than on the actual ride there. I truly hate traffic.

The train was on time and we started on our last leg of an 18-hour train journey. Arriving in Greensboro around midnight, we held our breath until all bags were in hand. This trip proved that we need some investment in infrastructure in this country. We got the adventure we were looking for.

We dropped Riley and Becca off at their apartment and I drove the last two hours to Frog Holler, bleary-eyed, to our welcoming pets and bed.

More later.

Trip proves we need infrastructure work

This is the season of caring. No matter your religion or belief, December is also considered a time to focus on the children we love. Whether we are wrapping Santa’s gifts, buying Hanukkah treats, decorating the house in celebration of Kwanzaa, or volunteering for a toy drive, children add joy to the holiday season. We at Social Secu-rity definitely know a thing or two about helping children.

Often overlooked in the pa-perwork that prospective parents fill out in preparation for a child’s birth is an application for a Social Security number and card. Typi-cally, the hospital will ask if you want to apply for a Social Security number for your newborn as part of the birth registration process. This is the easiest and fastest way to apply. The Social Security card typically arrives about a week to 10 days after that little bundle of joy! You can learn about Social Security numbers for children by reading our publication, Social Security Numbers for Children, available at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.

A child needs a Social Security number if he or she is going to have a bank account, if a relative is buying savings bonds for the child, if the child will have medical coverage, or if the child will receive government services. You will also need a Social Security number for a child to claim him or her on your tax returns.

If you wait to apply, you will have to visit a Social Security office and you will need to:

• Complete an Application for a Social Security Card (Form SS-5);

• Show us original documents proving your child’s U.S. citizen-ship, age, and identity; and

• Show us documents proving your identity.

Remember, a child age 12 or older requesting an original Social Security number must appear in person for the interview, even though a parent or guardian will sign the application on the child’s behalf.

Children with disabilities are among our most vulnerable citizens. Social Security helps those with qualifying disabilities and their families through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. To qualify for SSI:

• The child must have a physical or mental condition, or a combi-nation of conditions, resulting in “marked and severe functional limitations.” This means that the condition(s) must severely limit your child’s activities;

• The child’s condition(s) must be severe, last for at least 12 months, or be expected to result in death;

• If your child’s condition(s) does not result in “marked and se-vere limitations,” or does not result in those limitations lasting for at least 12 months, your child will not qualify for SSI; and

• The child must not be work-ing and earning more than $1,090

Children need Social Security card tooSocial Security

Fayetteville

By Brenda Brown

a month in 2016. (This amount usually changes every year.) If he or she is working and earning that much money, your child will not be eligible for benefits.

Learn the details about benefits for children by reading our publi-cation, Benefits for Children with Disabilities, available at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.

Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/people/kids to learn more about all we do to care for children. Caring for the next generation is a central part of securing today and tomor-row, during the holidays and all year long.

By Ken Macdonald

Seeing that our president-elect has picked Betsy DeVos for Sec-retary of Education is like watch-ing Hurricane Matthew when it was still off the coast of South America; maybe there won’t be a devastating storm, but maybe there will.

DeVos is all about charter schools and vouchers. The bil-lionaire is up to her eyeballs in them, having pushed unregulated charters in Michigan. Perhaps it’s too early to throw up the storm warning flags, but a watch is in order, because the confirmation of DeVos wouldn’t bode well for public schools. She has no tie to them or affinity for them. Even though, like a hurricane, slight tracks to the left could mitigate the damage, it’s not ill-advised to pay attention.

Already in North Carolina,

we’ve seen a push in this direc-tion. The Republican leadership has been flirting with charters, vouchers and online schools (and the latter seems to be failing mis-erably). So far, the extent of these experiments hasn’t been enough to mess up public schools, but it’s conceivable that continued monkeying could.

It’s not that the state can’t im-prove its public education. It’s not even that charter schools can’t be structured with proper oversight and design. Maybe even a system based on vouchers could be work-able, if not unconstitutional.

But the switchover to such systems, however protracted, is going to leave many poor children in dire straits.

Take Hoke County, for ex-ample. What schools beside our public ones would 8,000 children attend, and how would they get there? What if their vouchers aren’t

quite sufficient to cover tuition? If the schools someday materialize, do we think unregulated, as they’re currently legislated, they’ll provide a good education? Questions that, yes, could be answered. But does anyone really think that, in a county that lacks political influence, someone’s going to? The wealthy could come out okay, as always, but what about poor children? What about handicapped children? What about rural children?

The current backlash toward all forms of government seems to be behind the push toward privatizing schools. It’s not really concern about poor children or even improving education; it’s about diminishing government, saving money and punishing teacher unions.

The collateral damage in the fight will be the children them-selves and our society as they mature uneducated.

Storm brewing out there

By thoMaS MillS

Politics N.C.

In 2015, I had two friends work-ing on the Kentucky governor’s race. Their candidate was popular Attorney General Jack Conway. I called both on the day of the election to wish them luck. Both told me the same thing: they were expecting a nice victory that evening.

Conway’s opponent was a self-funding businessman named Matt Bevin who had never served in public office. His biggest claim to fame was losing a primary in 2014 to Mitch McConnell by 25 points. According to Politico, Bevin “was mocked by fellow Republicans as an ‘East Coast Con Man.’” Still, Bevin won the nomination by defeating two establishment candidates.

Conway, for his part, was a known quantity who had unsuc-cessfully run for Congress and U.S. Senate. He was following the lead of popular Democratic Governor Steve Beshear who had embraced Obamacare and expanded Med-icaid. His program drastically reduced the number of uninsured Kentucky residents and had broad support. Regardless, Bevin ran against the program, promising to repeal it.

Like my friends on the race, most of the national political establish-ment believed Conway would win. When the votes came in, though, Bevin beat the Attorney General by nine points. Most of the polls had missed it, including Conway’s internals.

A few months later, I announced I was running for Congress in a rural district in North Carolina. One of my friends on the Conway team called. He warned that there’s an undercurrent of resentment among rural voters that polling is missing. They don’t really care about policy or politics because they don’t expect political leaders to deliver anything, anyway. In their minds, they’ve been so left behind and left out that they just want to give a big F-you to the political establishment.

He was right and the Kentucky race portended Trump’s victory. Democrats need to understand these voters. They didn’t vote against their self-interest. They didn’t even really vote for Trump or Bevin. They voted to burn down the system because they see that as in their best interest.

The reason for their pessimism and resentment is multifaceted. It’s not just economic insecurity or racism, though both play a sig-nificant role. It’s a belief that parts

of the social safety net encourage dependency and that they pay for it with their paychecks. It’s the sense that they are losing their culture. It’s the knowledge that the next genera-tion will likely have to leave home to maintain their quality of life. And it’s the understanding that the benefits of the modern economy are going to other parts of the country. And they believe politicians from both parties have encouraged these trends while ignoring their effects on their way of life.

These people will give Donald Trump a lot of leeway as long as they think he’s fighting for them. They’ll forgive him increases in health care premiums since they believe they were going up anyway. They won’t know, or care, that his treasury secretary worked on Wall Street or the net worth of his cabinet members.

What they will know is that Donald Trump kept 1,000 jobs from going to Mexico when every other politician would have stood by and done nothing. Like Bill Clinton, Donald Trump feels their pain. They’ll excuse a lot of bad behavior as long as they keep believing that. And that’s what Democrats need to understand.

Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com.

They voted to burn down the system

L-R, Tammy Parker, Betty Turner & Elizabeth Smith

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Sports

Fighting Bucks Sports Schedule

Just Putting Around

By hal nunn

Sports writer

The Hoke County High School Bucks boys’ and girls’ basketball teams traveled to 71st last Friday night and then hit the road again Monday night to take on the Imps of Cary High. For the girls in the first game Friday night, the Lady Bucks trailed at half 23-20 and trailed 37-30 at the end of the third period. In the fourth period, the Lady Bucks stepped up their game and outscored the Falcons 16-12 with pressure defense and a full-on press, trying to slow down the Lady Falcons, and came within a bucket of tying it up in

the end but could not complete the comeback and lost 49-46. Janiyah Harrington and Mahogany Mat-thews led the team with 15 points each. The Lady Bucks are 2-4 on the season.

For the boys last Friday, the game started great as the Bucks went up 8-0 but a complete drought came on by full court pressure by the Falcons and the home team led 9-8 in the first period. By halftime, the scene was set as Hoke trailed 18-27. Seventy-First stretched out a 16-point lead in the third and the Bucks cut that to 11 by the end of the period. The Bucks cut into the lead and got as close at four

points in the final period, only to lose traction and fall 62-53. Silas Love led the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds, his third double-double in a row. D’Coda Cum-mings handled the rock most of the night and racked up 19 points. The Bucks free-throw shooting improved, going 11-15 from the line. Monday night, the Bucks traveled to Cary to take on the runner-up state champion Imps. Hoke came out on the short end on that deal, losing 66-52. Hoke is now 3-2 on the season. Both teams will be back in action tonight at MacDonald Gymnasium, taking on those same Imps they faced Monday night.

Janiyah Harrington had 15 points in the Lady Bucks’ 49-46 loss to Seventy-First last Friday night. The Lady Bucks are 2-4 on the season.

Mahogany Matthews battles for a loose ball at Seventy-First. She had 15 points in the Lady Bucks’ three-point loss at Seventy-First.

D’Coda Cumming lays one up late in the game against Seventy-First. Cummings had 19 points in the Bucks’ loss.

Silas Love slams one home late in the game against Seventy-First. Love ended with his third double-double in a row on the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the 62-53 loss at Seventy-First.

Bucks fall to 71st, take on Imps in Cary

By hal nunn

Sports writer

The Hoke County High School Bucks soccer team set some stan-dards this year that show the pro-gram headed in the right direction. The overall record is not as flashy

as one would like but the stats pro-vided are something to look to the future as the program gets back on track under the direction of Colin McDavid and assistant coaches Martin Rivera, Walther Mejia and Alex Creammer. Hoke’s overall record was 10-12-3 but the confer-

ence record ended up 6-5. Some of the highlights from the season were a huge first-time win on the road against Pinecrest in Southern Pines 2-1. The Bucks did make the playoffs and for the first time defeated mighty New Bern on the road 3-1 in the state playoffs. The

Bucks eventually fell to East Chapel Hill 6-0 in the second round and East Chapel Hill went on to place runner-up in the state. Four play-ers made the All Conference and All Region team in Kaylon Diaz, Darwyn Soto-Maldonado, Marcos Osorio and Alex Patricio.

The Hoke County High School Bucks boys’ soccer team defeated Pinecrest this year at Southern Pines and beat New Bern in the first round of the state playoffs. Team members, in alphabetical order, are Osiel Capote, Timothy Cardoza, Hector Castillo, Ty Crupup, Nakya Davilla, Alex Delong, Kaylon Diaz, Jackson Epps, Miguel Hernandez, Leandro Hernandez, Xavier Hernandez, Addison Madrid, Jonavan McKinnon, Heraldo Mendez-Rivera, Marcos Osorio, Alexander Patricio, Kevin Sosa-Barrera, Darwyn Soto-Maldonado, Josue Soto-Maldonado, Humberto Mejia, Julio Ortiz-Gomez, Kevin Perez, Edwin Rueda-Andoney, Geovanni Torres and David Williams.

Bucks soccer makes a statement this season

Bayonet The Wednesday Shootout

winners were J.D. Godwin, Ralph Thibeau, and Jeff Lun-sford with a +2 overall in the 2 best balls of 3 format. Friday Shootout winners were Tim Gadbaw, Ralph Thibeau, and Bo Hoffman with a -5 overall in a 1 best ball of 3 format. Scooter Buhrman and Justin Malone

finished tied for 20th out of 155 teams in the Pro–Pro Champion-ship held in Pinehurst.

Upland Trace The Saturday morning group

winners were Don Frykholm and Al Smith. The Saturday “Pack” group winners were Chad Ham, Ed Bailey, Les Sandy, and David Newton.

December 7 4:15 p.m. Boys East Hoke

Middle School Wrestling West Hoke Middle School Tri Meet Sandy Grove Middle Home

5:30 p.m. Girls Varsity Basket-ball Cary High School Home

6 p.m. Coed Varsity Wrestling Richmond Senior High School Away

7 p.m. Boys Varsity Basketball Cary High School Home

December 8 4 p.m. Coed Varsity Bowling

Red Springs High School Robeson County Bowling League Away

5 p.m. Coed Varsity Bowling Lumberton High School

Robeson County Bowling League Away

December 10 9 a.m. Coed Varsity Wrestling

Baddest Cat on the Mat Away

December 13 5 p.m. Girls Junior Varsity

Basketball E.E. Smith High School Home

6 p.m. Girls Varsity Basketball E.E. Smith High School Away

6:30 p.m. Boys Junior Varsity Basketball E.E. Smith High School Home

7:30 p.m. Boys Varsity Basket-ball E.E. Smith High School Away

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