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MIDWEEK
EDITION
25$
Perry & Houston County's
official Legal Organ
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1993
Saying
farewell
Jane Chapman
retires from sheriff's
office after 33 years
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Law enforcement officers are
stereotypically bold, burly men
who show little emotion.
They seldom get misty eyed and
never, ever in public—at least not
without good reason.
Last Thursday evening members
of the Houston County Sheriff’s
Department had good reason, and
that reason was Jane Chapman.
In a moving ceremony, Sheriff
Cullen Talton and his officers
joined a host of other county and
state employees in bidding a fond
farewell to Lieutenant Chapman,
who is retiring this week after 33
years of dedicated service in the
county sheriff department’s Perry
office in the Houston County
Courthouse.
The surprise ceremony was held
April 8 at the Georgia Agricenter
and was attended by more than 100
well-wishers who showered Chap
man with heartfelt words, good
wishes, gifts and much love. Few
who took the floor to express their
feelings to the retiree did so without
trembling voices and teary eyes,
Sheriff Talton included.
“When I first considered running
fpr sheriff, Ms. Jane was the first
person 1 went to see,” Sheriff Tal
ton told those gathered. “I told her I
would run only if she agreed to stay
as long as I do. She reneged on me
a little.
“I’m just not sure what we’re
going to do without her. She’s al
ways been my right hand.”
“Get her beeper number,” some
body replied frorh the audience.
State Rep. Larry Walker praised
Chapman for her many years of ded
icated service and the courteous,
friendly manner which she always
conducts her business. He described
her as a “kind, gentle, salt-of-the
earth type person”.
“She’s the perfect public offi
cial,” Walker said. “I’ve never seen
her not willing to help, even if it’s
5 p.m. and time to go home, she
stays until her customer is satis
fied.”
Perhaps, however, Houston
County Probate Judge Frances An-
Successful E9ll system
recognizes employees
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
For a mere $1.50 per month,
Houston County residents have ac
cess to one of the most proficient
programs in the country, the E-911
system. With the system, countless
lives are saved each year. Without
it, who knows how many of those
lives may have been lost?
The Houston County
Commission declared April 11-17
as National X e l ecommun ' cators
Week to highlight the work of the
911 system in this county.
Although the 911 system has only
been operational in Houston
County for less than two years,
Director Lee Stripling said the addi
tion of the program has had a
tremendous effect on the county.
"We had about 70,000 calls
come into the center in 1992. Every
call requires some sort of action,
even if the call is a silent one, so
we have to have dispatchers who
know what to do in any situation,"
Stripling said.
A silent call is one where a per
son dials 911 but then says nothing
when the dispatcher answers. Many
of those calls are children dialing
the number and hanging up, but
Stripling explained that often a per
son makes the call and is unable to
speak.
"We had one lady who was able
to dial 911 but then didn't talk, so
we had an open line. We dispatched
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Sheriff Cullen Talton, left, presents Jane Chapman with a plaque recognizing her
33 years of service with the sheriff's department. Looking on is her husband Ed
Chapman Sr.
Courthouse employees plan surprise party for Chapman
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
Getting a group of 100 people to
agree on one thing is not always
possible.
But when that one thing is Jane
Chapman, the job suddenly became
easier for employees of Houston
County who honored Chapman
with a surprise retirement party
Thursday evening, April 8.
Upon hearing of her intention to
nis described her friend and court
house neighbor of more than three
decades the best
“She’s just one classy lady,” she
exclaimed.
A Perry resident since 1947,
Chapman has been sitting behind
the same desk since April 1, 1960
when the sheriff’s department con
sisted of only five people-her fa
ther-in-law and then sheriff, C. C.
Chapman, his wife who helped in
the office, his son who assisted in
the jail part-time and two full-time
deputies. She now has one of the
longest tenures in the county.
officers to the scene, and they could
see that the lady was in distress. As
it turned out, she had arterial bleed
ing and our response saved her life,"
Stripling said.
There are 36 people working in
the 911 program to ensure quick re
sponse to emergency calls, with a
minimum of six dispatchers on
duty at all times. Any time help is
needed in an emergency situation,
911 should be called so the dis
patchers can determine the serious
ness of the situation and which
agency should respond.
"Many people wonder why so
many agencies will respond to one
call, but a fire truck with first-re
sponders on it may be closer to an
emergency than an ambulance," said
Stripling. "Our goal is to get help
there as quickly as possible, so we
send whoever we have to."
Dispatchers go through a great
deal of training and most say they
enter that line of work because they
want to help people. For
Supervisor Jim Adams, there is an
other aspect to the job.
"I have been in public safety for
25 years, and there is a certain satis
faction with helping others, but
there is also a certain element of
excitement involved because you
are literally on the pulse of the
community," Adams said.
Dispatcher Wanda Gordy said the
situations dispatchers are faced with
PERRY, GEORGIA S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870--FQR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS, CALL 987-1823
2 SECTIONS—2O PAGES, PLUS SALES CIRCULARS
retire after 33 years as head of the
Houston County Sheriff Depart
ment’s Perry office, Sheriff Cullen
Talton and several of Chapman’s
close friends at the county court
house formed a committee to plan
the party.
Committee members from the
county clerk’s office, the probate
office, the district attorney’s office
and the sheriff’s department had two
weeks to put it all together. They
As head of the Houston County
Sheriff Department’s Perry office,
Chapman’s primary function has
been to deal with lots of “people,
problems and paperwork”.
She and her assistant, Teresa
Mattingly, not only handle the
majority of the finances which go
through the local sheriff’s
department, but also process orders
and paperwork from many different
directions. Arrest warrants,
subpoenas, civil processes and the
like flow into her office from the
area’s probate, state and superior
courts as well as the offices of the
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Wanda Gordy has worked as a dispatcher for almost two years
and says the stress is tremendous but the rewards are great.
Are You 0.K.? 911 program is one of many
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
Part of the E-911 program in
Houston County is the "Are You
Okay?" program, which operates to
ensure the well-being of the
county's senior and/or homebound
citizens. Using computer generated
phone calls to contact participants
cause a great deal of stress but it is
the job of the dispatcher to remain
calm and take control of each situa
tion.
collected donations to rent a banquet
facility, hire a caterer and purchase
several gifts and plaques for Chap
man.
“Planning this type of event in
such a short period of time would
normally be a very difficult task,”
Houston County Probate Judge
Frafites Annis said. “But, because it
was for Jane, everyone wanted to
help and it turned out beautifully.”
district attorney and public defender.
Amid the stacks of paperwork,
Chapman also manages to some
how juggle the phone lines of a
continuously ringing telephone.
People with problems and questions
have learned that if she can’t help
them, she can and will tell them
who can.
And she does it all with a smile.
When asked if she has ever had
any regrets regarding her career
choice, Chapman replies with an
emphatic “no”! And, although she
admits to having dreams of Holly-
Please see CHAPMAN, page 12A
in program each day, the program is
a public service of the 911 agency.
"We provide this service free of
charge to participants and we be
lieve this is a vital part of our 911
program," said 911 Coordinator
Barbara Holder. "The Houston
Please see PROGRAM, page 12A
"Most of the time when we get a
call the person is literally desperate
for help, and often we have a hard
Please see E9ll, page 12A
PERRY, GA.
A Park Community Newspaper—©l993
Jail officials say
TB testing is no
cause for alarm
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
Although 15 inmates and two
employees at the Warner Robins
and Perry jails have tested positive
for tuberculosis, health officials say
no symptoms have been exhibited
and there is no cause for alarm.
An inmate at the Perry jail tested
positive for tuberculosis last week,
triggering the necessity for testing
all county inmates and jail
employees. More than 70 employ
ees and inmates were given the TB
skin test Friday and Monday, with
17 of those tested showing posi
tive. Chest x-rays were taken of
those who tested positive, and
health officials expect results of the
x-rays later this week.
"The purpose of the skin test is
to determine whether or not the TB
germ is present. If the germ is pre
sent, that does not necessarily mean
the disease is present," said Don
McKinney, epidemiologist for the
state district office of public health
in Macon. "Even if the germ is pre
sent, the infection may remain
City awards contracts
for $1.2 mil in projects
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
In an effort to keep up with a
rapid rate of local growth and
expansion, the City of Perry will
soon be writing checks in excess of
sl.2million.
According to Perry Utilities Su
perintendent Harold Deal, contract
bids for four major city projects
closed on Friday. The apparent low
bids totaled approximately
$1,231,555 and involve three water
and sewer construction projects in
expansion areas as well as the
rehabilitation of a city water tank.
All bids are to be officially
awarded in the next few days fol
lowing a final review by Tribble
and Richardson Inc., the civil
engineering firm in charge.
The two largest contracts are for
the expansion and construction of
water and sewer lines in the vicinity
BOE discusses new
curriculum for sex ed
By ROBIN BOOKER
Staff Writer
Although human sexuality has
been taught in Houston County
schools for many years, times are
morning, Perry
Deaths
Ruby Hobbs Hollis, Reynolds;
George David Gossett, Foresl
Park; Nona Lawson, Perry. For
details, please see page SA.
INDEX
AGRICENTER EVENTS SA
PEGGY BLEDSOE IB^
CLASSIFIED tm
CALENDAR EVENTS 5A
JACKIE COOPER 7A
DEATH NOTICES 5A
EDITORIALS 4A
ROBIN BOOKER 4A
LEGAL NOTICES 5B
POLICE REPORT 2/
REMEMBER WHEN 4/
SPORTS 8/
BRIAN LAWSON 8A
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123 RP YEAR—VOLUME 30
dormant or may never become ac
tive at all."
McKinney said TB has always
been a problem in correctional facil
ities because of the high rate of ex
posure.
"It is not out of the ordinary for
between 10 and 20 percent of a cor
rectional facility's population to
test positive for TB," said
McKinney. "However, it is crucial
to remember that the presence of
the TB germ indicates infection, not
disease."
The inmate testing positive lqst
week was taken to a TB facility in
Rome for a more complete exami
nation and diagnosis. No other in
mates have exhibited any symp
toms of the TB disease.
"We have had this type situation
in times past and there is no cause
for undue alarm," said County
Commission Chairman Sherrill
Stafford. "This type incident hap
pens from time to time and it's our
job to make sure all necessary pre
cautions are taken."
of the new North Perry Bypass, a
project the Georgia Department of
Transportation hopes to finish by
December. Apparent low bidders for
these two contracts were Thomas
Mason of Warner Robins and John
R. Walker Inc. of Macon with bids
of $617,380 and $324,919, respec
tively. Mason under-bid four other
companies for the job. Walker de
feated six.
Mason also apparently under-bid
eight other firms for a contract to
extend water and sewer along a
stretch of Highway 41 South near
Hamby Chevrolet in Perry. Ma
son’s bid on this project was
$215,456.
The fourth and final contract
closed Friday is for the rehabilita
tion of the city water lank located
behind the Holiday Inn on Valley
Please see CITY, page 12A
changing and so is the way sex edu
cation will be taught in county
schools next year.
The Georgia Board of Education
approved new sex ed mandates on
March 11, which will require the
local board to re-evaluate health
courses and determine the best way
to meet the new mandates. The new
curriculum will stress abstinence
until marriage and will allow par
ents to review any materials used in
sex ed classes. Additionally, com
mittees will be formed to help se
lect the best resources to be used in
teaching sex ed.
"The implementation of these
new objectives will be a huge un
dertaking for our system," said
Coordinator of Health, Drug and
Physical Education Frankie Ross.
"We will assess the materials cur
rently used and determine whether
or not those materials are appropri
ate for future use. All of this must
be done between now and the end of
summer so we will have the pro
gram in place when school begins
next fall.”
According to the new mandates,
any and all materials currently used
in the school system must be eval
uated as to the materials' effective
ness and appropriateness with the
new curriculum. A committee of
non-teaching parents, educators,
community representatives and con
cerned citizens will be formed to
help decide which materials will
Please see BOE, page 12A