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MorrisviHe and Preston Progress. Thursday. August 28. 1997 - 3 Town honors officer Godwin BY MARY BETH PHILLIPS Gray the police dog didn’t know what to make of it as medals were hung around his neck, in honor of his service to the Morrisville Police Department, and that of his partner Sgt. Earl Godwin, who died May 22 while answering a police call. He barked and whined while Police Chief Bruce Newnam hung the medals around his neck, while Godwin’s widow, Allison, held the leash. The focus of a celebration on Aug. 20 at the Morrisville Town Hall was presentation of the national Medal of Honor and placement of Godwin’s name in the American Police Officers Hall of Fame Memorial in Miami, Fla. Godwin’s name will be etched in marble columns along with more than 6,000 other officers who have died in performance of their duties since 1960. The town hall auditorium was full of police officers, town citizens and well wishers, as well as media from area television stations. After an introduction by Sgt. Allen Rushing, which included a biogra phy of Godwin’s service to the town, Newnam presented Mrs. Godwin with a distinguished service award, and a Purple Heart award. “This is the first such award ever given on behalf of the Morrisville Police Department,” Newnam said. He then hung two of the same medals around the neck of the police dog, who has been retired from duty and given to Mrs. Godwin. “This tragedy was very emotional for us,” he said. “Even now we still have a lot of deep wounds.” He thanked everyone who has pro vided assistance to Godwin’s family. “The police department will forev er remember Sgt. Earl Godwin as a very likable man, with an enthusi asm for life and for helping others. He was a truly dedicated public ser vant to not only the people of Morrisville but the neighboring communities,” Newnam said. Mayor Pro Tern Billy Sauls, who was a close personal friend of Godwin’s, presented the Medal of Honor. “It’s so bad we have to be here this day, but it’s so good that we can be here to give this man the honor he so rightly deserves,” Sauls said. “He was one of the most dedicated offi cers, and one of the best friends I ever had, and one of the finest men I ever met.” Sauls also presented a flag that went along with the Medal of Honor plaque from the American Police Officers Hall of Fame. Some of the words on the plaque said that Godwin, “in performance of his duties as a public safety offi cer gave his life to protect life and property, that we the living dedicate ourselves to his memory and the Town seeks grant to cover pool with bubble As Morrisville’s growth begins to take off with the new sewer connec tion, the Parks and Recreation Department is working hard to pro vide facilities for the new residents. Alan Carroll, director of Parks and Recreation and Cultural Resources, applied July 30 to the Wake County Parks and Recreation Department for a matching grant to put a bubble over the community center swim ming pool. He also plans to apply to the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust fund for help in constructing a gym nasium at the community center site. Since the pool became the proper ty of Morrisville in 1993, its use has doubled, Carroll said. “The pool’s general use was approximately 150 persons daily, seven days per week,” the grant application states. “Since then, par ticipation has grown significantly to approximately 300 daily partici pants.” “Morrisville’s residential growth is expected to increase from 2,500 to 6,000-plus over the next three years,” Carroll said in the grant application. Staffers donate prints to town hall Finance Officer Julia Ketchum and Police Chief Bruce Newnam, who each received framed Jerry Miller prints of Morrisville land marks, in recognition of superior performance in their work for the town, will both turn around and donate the prints back to the town. Mrs. Ketchum is offering her set of prints to be hung in the town hall, while Newnam will see that his set of prints is hung in the new police station building once it is complet ed. The board had authorized the pre sentation of the prints at a meeting in June in recognition of a job well done. Story ideas? Call 362-8356. The grant application cites use by private groups including Kindercare groups from Cary, Leesville, Chapel Hill, Triangle Children’s Academy of Research Triangle Park, Calvary Baptist Kindercare of Durham, Apex Elementary swim camp. Holly Springs Elementary swim camp, Town and Country (Apex) swim camp, The Little Gym of Cary swimming lessons, Cary Presbyterian Church swim camp, Cary YMCA joint venture with Morrisville swim lessons, Glaxo- Wellcome employee aqua-aerobics wellness program and Upward Bound groups. The pool could be used year-round for water aerobics, specifically geared for senior citizens, Carroll said in the grant application. The bubble would cost approxi mately $60,000. The town would pay $30,000 for the matching grant. The bubble would be 140 feet long, 67.5 feet wide, and a total of 9,450 square feet. It would be connected to the com munity center building by a tunnel with a revolving door to keep the cold out. Thank you for reading The Progress. Pool staff mourns loss of teen-age lifeguard The Morrisville Community Center swimming pool was closed Friday in memory of Jennifer Madden, a lifeguard who died in a car accident Wednesday, Aug. 20. “Several of the staff were affected pretty much by it,” said Parks and Recreation Director Alan Carroll. “They were not in a position to life guard today.” The wake was held from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday. Community Center employees gathered there and went together to the funeral home. The pool would have been open from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The funeral was held Saturday morning at 11 a.m. “All the staff really enjoyed work ing with her,” Carroll said. “She was a good person. “She was an outstanding lifeguard for us, very dedicated, very responsi ble,” he added. “We were very pleased with all the work she had ever done with us. She was one of our more experienced lifeguards. This is a loss for us, that’s for sure.” Ms. Madden also worked at Goodberry’s Custard in Cary. She lived in an apartment on her own near Wake Technical Community College, and was preparing to take classes there. The accident happened about 7:40 p.m. on Old Stage Road. According to reports from the N.C. Highway Patrol, her car skidded out of control on the wet highway in a curve, ran off the highway onto the right shoul der and struck a deep ditch. There was no alcohol involved; however she was exceeding a safe speed, according to the report. Ben Brame, facilities supervisor, who supervised the pool staff this summer, said, “She was real fun, you know. She always lightened things up around here. She was just always having fun, really, is the only way I could explain it. “I think we all will miss her, all of us here,” Brame said. “She was a very independent per son,” said Leslie Newnam, another lifeguard at the town pool. “She had her own car. She worked two jobs. “She was like my favorite person to work with,” Miss Newnam added. “She was outgoing. She said what she thought. She didn’t let people walk on her in any way. She loved cigarettes and country music. We stood around and smoked together. “She loved her truck, a Toyota truck, the one she was killed in.” Ms. Newnam said the whole thiiig was “unreal... She was so young, 17.1 just couldn’t believe it. “It was kind of weird because Earl [Godwin, a Morrisville policeman who died a few months ago] was a lifesaver and a protector of the people, and so was she,” Ms. Newnam said. —By Mary Beth Phillips JENNIFER MADDEN We Have YOUR SIZE. Hard to fit feet always welcome! Professional Custom ^ Fitting POSTHUMOUS HONOR—Mayor Pro Tern Billy Sauls presents the medal of honor to Allyson Godwin, widow of the late Officer Earl Godwin, who died on duty May 22. 20% OFF supreme sacrifice he made.” “This posthumous award is public recognition of the honor in which we will forever hold his name, by placing his name in the Hall of Fame Memorial so his sacrifice, his dedication tq humanity and justice will always be remembered by gen erations to come,” the plaque went on to say. After the presentations, Mrs. Godwin answered questions from the media. “I hope he will be remembered as a canine sergeant that did his job,” she said. “He wouldn’t have done anything else in the world.” She looked down at the dog. “Gray was his partner, his life, his best bud. If he could have married him, he would,” she said with a smile. ANY PURCHASE WITH COUPON NOmUD WITH OTHER OFFERS, PRIOR SALES, OR SALE ITEMS. Gwenis Curjtam. On Mlllbrook Rd. between Gamer Location on Falls of the Neuse & US1 N. 70 East between 2411-104 MillbrookRd. Lowes and 1-40 Raleigh • 876-6976 662-1508 Catalog Available Estimates & Installation Available OpenM-Sat. 10-6 Closed Sundays Red Wing Shoe Store 3200 S, Wilmington St., Exit 298A, 1-40 Hwy. 70 • Raleigh • 772*5000 Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. 9-6; Thurs. 9-8; Sal. 9-5 The County Parks and Recreation Grant-in-Aid program will respond to the requests in the fall, Carroll said. He will probably appear before the Parks and Recreation board in September or October to petition for the request. Carroll also plans to apply for a grant from PARTIF, the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, in the fall. Carroll said there is about $8 million per year awarded all across the state, and he plans to request up to $400,000 in a match ing grant to build a gymnasium at the Community Center site. “We turn down people every day wanting to rent space,” Carroll said. The Community Center building only has one large multi-purpose room. Besides a gym, the building would also feature meeting rooms for youth and senior programs that are not able to meet in the current building. “We need more indoor space,” Carroll said. He will send off the application for the PARTIF grant in September or October, he said. —By Mary Beth Phillips ^(bzver ^asf^et Preston Corners 954 High House Rd. • Cary, NC 27513 FALL DESIGN CLASS SCHEDULE Thes. Sept 9th • Fresh flower table arrangement. Thurs. Sept 25th • Silk flower wreath. Thes. Oct 7th • Dried flower wall decoration Thurs. Oct. 23rd • Holiday table arrangement Pre-registration is required. $5.00 per person plus the cost of supplies. 460-4625 Remember: “Friday Flowers” 50% off all fresh cut flowers from Noon to 6:00 pm every Fri. V. All classes begin at 7:00 pm. Come visit our new Flower Basket Silk Showcase 521 E. 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Morrisville and Preston Progress (Morrisville, N.C.)
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