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PAGE 10A — THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JULY 30 2009
Perpall .cont’dfrom 1A
sented the long-time director
with a plaque, recognizing him
for three decades of service to
the department.
But before Perpall was a rec
reation leader, he, too, was a
kid at play.
“I played Little League,” said
Perpall. who lived in Lakewood
and Decatur as a kid. “All I had
to do was walk through the
woods and the ballfield was
behind our house. I wasn't any
good, but I enjoyed it and have
some good memories.”
Perpall graduated from
Briarcliff High School in
1969. He served in the air
National Guard from 1970-76
and graduated from the
University of Georgia in 1976,
taking a job as the Washington
Wilkes Parks and Recreation
Department assistant direc
tor in 1976 and serving as
its director from 1977-79. He
moved to Madison County in
1979, taking a job as assistant
director of the county recre
ation department under Terry
Dean. When Dean left, three
years later, Perpall was named
director.
LOVE OF HISTORY
Each work day, the self-
avowed history buff passes by
the Strickland House, which
sits in front of the recreation
facilities. And he’s reminded
of his connection to the past.
“The old Strickland House
used to be where the person
lived to guard the prisoners,”
said Perpall. “My father in
law lived there as a child. His
father guarded the prison.”
Perpall has seen plenty of
history at the recreation depart
ment, which has grown sig
nificantly over the years and
is widely recognized as one
of the top recreation establish
ments in northeast Georgia.
He recalls the early days of
the Hwy. 98 facility. There
was the administrative build
ing, the track and three base
ball fields. In 1978 the tennis
courts were constructed, with
lights installed the next year.
In 1984, the two fields behind
the library were added. Then,
in 1998, sales tax funds were
approved for facility improve
ments, such as batting cages,
playgrounds, pavilions and
upgrades at Diamond Hill and
Mize Parks.
IN THE FUTURE
Perpall and other recreation
leaders say the next big step
for the department is the estab
lishment of soccer fields. The
recreation leader notes that
soccer is a very popular sport
in the county now.
“That’s our first priority to
get that (soccer fields) fin
ished,” said Perpall. “If we
do that, we free up the fields
over here. Right now, we’re
going double duty, soccer on
the outfields in the fall and
then baseball. Soccer is rough
on the outfields.”
But today’s economic trou
bles have hampered expan
sion efforts at the department.
Walking trails have been estab
lished on the approximately 30
acres the county purchased a
few years ago for the expanion
of Sammy Haggard Park. And
grading has been completed
for the new soccer fields. But
there is still the issue of fund
ing for grass, lights and rest
rooms for the fields.
THE REWARD
OF THE JOB
While the growth of the park
has been rewarding to Perpall,
he says his real joy in the
job is watching kids grow into
responsible adults with kids of
their own.
“I've been around here long
enough to see kids I remember
coming through here, they're
now grown and their children
are coming here,” said Perpall,
a father of two and grand
father of three. “It’s neat to
see a second generation com
ing through here. You feel
like you've had a part in that.
Sports are not just a recreation.
They can help build a kid’s
character.”
The recreation director said
the downside of the job is the
occasional parent who loses
perspective and curses or acts
inappropriately in front of chil
dren. Perpall said the depart
ment has clear rules on such
behavior, adding that parents
are suspended from the park
when they cross the line.
“I’d rather it (the rules on
parents' behavior) be a deter
rent than to have to follow
through on it (suspensions),
but if it has to be done, then I'll
do it,” said Perpall. “We have
to maintain an atmosphere that
kids can enjoy.”
Perpall, whose wife Carol
has also worked in the county
for many years — as a teacher
at Ila Elementary School and
now in the county registrar's
office — said he still enjoys
his job.
“I can say that I've never
dreaded coming to work,” he
said. “It's always been a chal
lenge, never a dull moment,
but I enjoy the people I work
with and I enjoy talking to
folks.”
The director said he gets a
kick out of seeing the kids'
faces when they're enjoying
the game and how children
will compete on the field, then
shake hands and play some
more off the field.
“I just enjoy watching kids
play sports,” he said.
Census .cont’dfrom 1A
was most likely an American
Community Survey (ACS),
which is not issued locally,
but is sent to select house
holds from Washington D.C.
The ACS collects and pro
duces population and hous
ing information every year
instead of every 10 years. She
said that most households
will not receive an ACS, but
that all households should
receive the 2010 Census
packet between February
1 and April 1, 2010. The
Census packet will consist of
just 10 questions, Thompson
said, and will not ask for any
“identifiers” such as Social
Security numbers.
Only those with physi
cal mailing addresses with
receive these packets in
the mail; packets will not
be delivered to post office
boxes, instead a Census
enumerator will deliver the
packets.
Thompson said question
and answer sites, such as
libraries, supermarkets, gov
ernment offices, etc. will be
set up during this time and
staffed by a paid Census
worker. The worker will
assist those with problems
and/or questions about the
Census.
There is also a “Census
in Schools” program being
implemented in public
schools to help educate chil
dren on the purposes and
importance of the upcoming
census.
Thompson said not partici
pating in the Census could
cost $1,000-3,000 per per
son in a community in lost
services.
“Not participating in the
Census is doing a disservice
to your county, your town,
and yourself,” Thompson
said.
Webb plans to help set up
booths at local festivals and
host events to educate citi
zens about the importance of
participating in the upcom
ing Census.
“This is important” Dove
said of the Census, adding
that it means as much to the
county as it does to state and
federal governments.
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Local pizzeria
offers response on
harassment suit
A lawyer for a Hull piz
zeria says allegations of
sexual harassment by a
former employee are an
attempt at retribution for
the worker’s prior termina
tion at the eating establish
ment.
A federal sexual harass
ment lawsuit was filed
recently against the own
ers of the Pizza and Sub
Express, Inc., located at
8727 Hwy. 29 South near
the red light in Hull.
According to the docu
ments filed by the Equal
Employment Opportunity
Commission, on behalf of
a female employee who
worked at the pizzeria
beginning in October 2007,
the Commission alleges
that the pizzeria subjected
the employee to a “sexu
ally hostile work environ
ment” by the general man
ager and that the owners,
failed to take prompt effec
tive remedial action to end
the harassment.
Michael Daniel, attorney
for Pizza and Sub Express,
says the restaurant “vehe
mently denies that it or
its employees committed
wrong doing against the
charging party.”
“The restaurant termi
nated the charging party’s
employment because she
engaged in a fight with
another employee while at
work,” said Daniel in a
press release about the law
suit. “The charging party’s
discrimination complaint
is apparently an attempt
to seek retribution for that
proper termination.”
The suit seeks back
pay and other unspeci
fied compensation for
the employee, a perma
nent injunction to order
the business to cease from
“engaging in sexual harass
ment against employees,
as well as engaging in any
other employment prac
tice which discriminates
on the basis of sex,” and
to “institute and carry out
policies, practices and
programs which provide
equal employment oppor
tunities for all employees
and which eradicate the
effects of its past and pres
ent unlawful employment
practices.”
Daniel said the lawsuit
filed by the EEOC “aris
es from the restaurant’s
refusal to accept EEOC’s
demand that the restaurant
pay the claimant $50,000.”
The attorney said the
restaurant was vandalized
after publication of a story
about the suit in a local
paper.
“We hope people in the
community will not con
demn this locally-owned
family restaurant on these
meritless allegations,” said
Daniel.
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