By Leonard Gray / L’Observateur / January 23, 1998

VACHERIE – Joanna Bolton, a 31-year employee of the St. James ParishHealth Unit, was honored by the St. James Parish Council at Wednesday’smeeting.

This came in the wake of her being similarly honored as the 1997recipient of the Charles E. Dunbar Jr. Career Service Award, which namedher the civil service employee of the year by the State of Louisiana.Bolton was congratulated by Parish President Dale Hymel Jr. and ParishCouncilman Elton Aubert.

Dennis Murphy of Louisiana Technical College, River Parishes Campus, gavethe Parish Council a presentation on current activities. He outlined howprocess operator positions are hot-ticket items with classes running atthe school day and night.

Murphy said the school recently trained 70 process operators forTransAmerican Refinery in Norco, 10 for Monsanto in Luling, 34 for Epsilonin LaPlace and 90 for Union Carbide in Taft will be trained during 1998.Many of the major industries are going through retirement of their senioremployees, all of whom must be replaced. This second-generation ofoperators are mostly being trained at the school.

“The word’s gotten out, and St. James Parish people are certainly takingadvantage of it,” Murphy added. “We design courses to fit industry’sneeds.”

A public hearing on increasing salaries for Parish Council members, whichwould not take effect until after the next election, drew no comment fromthe audience at Wednesday’s meeting. Another public hearing will be heldFeb. 4 in Convent.

A resolution consenting to the transfer of the local cable televisionfranchise from TWI Cable Inc. to Media Holding was approved after thebuyout of TWI by Media Holding.Parish Councilman Timothy Roussel made several suggestions toimprovements to the parish’s website, including adding the emergencypreparedness handbook, business directory and educational profile.

Finally, a letter of condolence was approved for the family of Carl SpizaleJr., the Gramercy Chief of Police who recently died. His successor, KenPoche, was appointed this week by the Gramercy Board of Aldermen from alist of five candidates.

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