2 - Morrisville and Preston Progress. Thursdav^Mav 28.1998
Parks, Recreation fees
do not raise for residents
By Mary Beth Phillips
Staff Writer
Morrisville residents will get the
same good deal on parks and recre
ation, after the town board voted to
leave the resident rates the same,
while raising the rates for non-resi
dent participation.
Fee schedules for all town ser
vices will be changed as part of the
annual budget process, but the fees
for parks and recreation were voted
on early so they could be imple
mented in time for summer activi
ties.
Recommended increases for resi
dents were unanimously voted
down after a motion by Mark
Silver-Smith, seconded by C. T.
Moore. Rates for non-residents will
rise as much as $5 to $15 for most
activities.
For example, a spot in a soccer
league will increase from $25 for
the season to $40. Residents will
still pay $15 for the season.
New classes in stained glass
painting and modeling will be
offered this year, along with the
usual sports leagues and arts
camps.
Jimmy Huggins, assistant recre
ation director, said he had requests
from seniors for the stained glass
class. It would be offered to people
of all ages. Cost to Morrisville res
idents would be $35 for four class
es, and for non-residents, the cost
would be $45.
The Vogue Modeling and Dance
classes will also be offered to all
ages. Tentatively to be held on
Monday and Wednesdsay nights
at the community center, the
classes will cost $40 per month
per resident and $50 per month
per non-resident. The classes
would stress poise, posture, and
showmanship.
Registration for sports leagues for
youth and adults and camps for
youth is still ongoing at the
Morrisville Community Center.
□Arts Together Education Mini
Camps for grades K-5 will be held
June 8—19; and July 13—24.4.
□Two-day cricket camps for
youth age 8—14. The second crick
et camp will be held July 11 and 18.
Registration will begin June 8.
□Youth basketball league play
for ages 9 and up begins July 13
□A Youth 3-on-3 basketball tour
nament will be held August 1 and 2
for ages 10 and up. Registration
begins June 1.
□Diamond Star Baseball Camp
for ages 7 to 14 will be held July
6—10 and July 13—17.,
□Soccer Camp for ages 7 to 14
will be held July 20—24 and July
27—31..
□Swimming Lessons, co-spon
sored by the Cary Family YMCA
will begin June 3.
□Swimming Lessons, co-spon
sored by the Little Gym, will begin
in June. Registration begins May
30.
□An adult 3-on-3 basketball tour
nament will be held August 1 and 2,
Registration will begin June 1.
□Aqua Aerobics Classes will
begin June 1.
□A graduation party will be held
June 6 with a live band from 7 to 10
p.m.
□A pool party will be held June
27 from noon to 6 p.m.
Ongoing classes in the evenings
include Country and Western Line
Dancing on Monday nights at 8
p.m.. Aerobics classes on Monday
and Wednesday nights at 6:45 p.m.,
and Karate classes on Tuesday and
Thursday nights from 6:30 to 7:30
p.m. for youth and 7:30 to 8:30
p.m. for adults.
For more information about any
of these programs, call the
Department of Parks and
Recreation and Cultural Resources
at 469-9760.
Fired Police Chief wants hearing, may sue
Continued from page 1
department and complete seven
other tasks within a 60-day period.
In a special meeting on March 2,
the board discussed Hodgkins’ job
performance and asked that he com
plete the tasks, which also included
hiring a town engineer, obtaining
water and additional sewer for the
town, developing a timeline for
revising the land-use plan, doing a
salary study for town employees and
investigating fee structures for town
services.
Mayor Pro Tern Mark Silver-Smith
said the town manager was on a pro
bationary period for the 60 days, but
Mayor Gordon Cromwell said he
was not.
The March 2 meeting came after a
February board meeting in which a
lengthy executive session apparently
to fire Hodgkins resulted in a stale
mate among board members. Former
Mayor Margaret Broadwell publicly
chastised commissioner Bill Case on
March 9 because he did not vote to
fire Hodgkins at the meeting.
Broadwell and Silver-Smith have
repeatedly criticized both the town
manager and the police chief.
Newnam’s lawyer called the termi
nation a “political matter. They
wanted the chief gone and put pres
sure on the town manager to do that.
In the process, they trampled his due
process rights.”
Gammon said the U.S. Supreme
Court has ruled “in certain cases
involving public officials, although
an individual may be an employee at
will, they do in fact have due pro
cess rights, rights to notice, hear
ings, and rights to remedy whatever
problems exist. That didn’t happen
in this case.”
Gammon would not comment on
other potential reasons for a lawsuit.
“There are four or five causes of
action, but until the appeal is over, I
wouldn’t comment on the reasons.”
Gammon said he has requested
that the appeal be public. He added
that “No one been eliminated as to
who to sue and how to go about
doing it.”
Last September Silver-Smith filed
a complaint against the police
department with the state attorney
general’s office because non-swom
personnel were wearing police vests
to direct traffic at town events. At
the time, Newnam was running for
mayor against Mrs. Broadwell.
The state officials found some
irregularities in the department at
that time, but only reprimanded
Newnam. Some commissioners
have said the investigation was
politically motivated.
Hodgkins said he could not discuss
the reasons for the firing, calling it a
personnel matter. He has advertised
the position. The application period
will close June 1.
Newnam started with the
Morrisville department in 1984 as
the town’s only officer, also serving
as part-time water meter reader,
grass cutter and sewer plant opera
tor. At the time the town had only
four employees.
There are now 21 officers in the
police department alone.
In his spare time, Newnam dresses
up like Barney Fife and drives his
own replica of the Mayberry Police
Car in parades and at festivals. He is
an active member of the Mayberry
Fan Club. He is also a part-time pro
fessional wrestler.
Before coming to Morrisville he
worked five years for the
Gibsonville Police Department and
five years for the Elon College
Police Department. He served in the
U.S. Marine Corps Military Police
at Parris Island and Camp Lejeune.
Newnam’s wife, Phyllis, just fin
ished serving a four-year term on the
Morrisville Town Board of
Commissioners. She had run for re-
election and been defeated in
November by Bill Case.
The Swartwood family thanks all who helped Mark ‘Swarty’
In hope of saying thank you to all
the people who helped Mark at the
time of his accident and those who
were there for the family during his
hospital stay and after his death, we
pray that this reaches each and every
one of you.
We will be forever grateful to
those who jumped in and did the ini
tial digging, subcontractors and co
workers who assisted, the fire
department and emergency people
who worked hours to free him, the
EMS, ambulance and helicopter
crews and the hospital staff.
Everyone worked together with
one objective in mind, to save a
man’s life. The life that belonged to
my husband and our children’s
daddy.
You accom
plished that objec- _
live and we will
remember always that you did save
Mark’s life. God bless you all.
To Mark’s co-workers and compa
ny members, to contractors and
construction workers, suppliers,
homeowners, friends, family, rela
tives, people we know and people
we don’t know—we thank you!
Thank you for the love, concern,
prayers, help, compassion,
contributions, well wishes and so
much more from so many. Thank
you also for heeding our wishes for
privacy and our request not to send
flowers.
The caring in
the watery-eyed
face with no
expression or
words and the comfort in a hug or in
a prayer will last a long time.
To those who organized and
moved the family into the house
Mark built, the cleaners, those han
dling legal matters, family members
sharing the confusion, the contribu
tions and the never ending offers of
help are deeply appreciated.
Special thanks must be given to
my sister, my dad and a friend, and
Mark’s doctor who were there dur
ing the worst time of my life—I
love you all for being there for me.
Our hearts are strengthened at see
ing the impression Mark made on so
many people, it makes the tears and
stumbling for words understand
able.
Knowing you also hurt, we hope
you also find comfort.
Set aside the tragedy that affected
us all and remember Mark
(Swarty)as you knew him—100%
all the way—he did not know how
to do any less.
He would want you to remember
him that way.
In ending, to us the answer to this
old question is obvious; “When a
tree falls in the forest, does anyone
hear it?”
Thank you with love and prayers,
Robin, Matthew and Allison
Platters highlight Morrisville’s Festival in the Park this June
Continued from page 1 The day’s events will be sponsored Arts Program, Preston Realty, Waste Management, Inc., Farrell
from 10am. to8o.m. Fireworks bv by the Morrisville Parks and Prestonwood Golf Shop and Austin Construction Co., The Little Gym,
S&W Productions of Wake Forest Recreation and Cultural Resources, Quality Foods, Beauty Lawn, Inc, TCC Enteipmes, Tnangle Factory
will be held at 9-30 pm The Platters United Arts Council of Wake BE&K Engrneeting, Enwood Shops, C3, Inc. and Emerald
will sing from 8 to 9:30 p.m. County and Raleigh, Grassroots Structures, Tarheel Wood Treating, Entertainment.
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Morrisville & Preston
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