Henry County News on HenryCountyOnline.com

Henry County’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan was recently awarded the honor of Outstanding Planning Document by the Georgia Planning Association. The award was presented to Henry County’s Transportation Planning Director, Cheri Hobson-Matthews, during Monday’s regular meeting of the Henry County Board of Commissioners.

Dan Reuter of the Georgia Planning Association was on hand to present the award for the plan, which he praised for its comprehensive approach and joint cooperation with the cities throughout every aspect of its development.

“I have spent eighteen years as a Transportation Planner in Georgia, including eight years on the Atlanta Regional Commission,” said Reuter. “I have seen a lot of plans, and you all have broken the mold with every component of this plan, from public involvement to its coordination with the Cities. It considers future development and includes a financial analysis. It was a very comprehensive process. You should be very proud of yourselves. You are doing a great job.”

Henry County Planning & Zoning Division Director, Michael Harris, credited Hobson-Matthews for much of the plan’s success. “Cheri came into this project mid-stream and was able to coordinate with numerous departments and municipalities to develop this plan.”

The first-ever Joint Comprehensive Transportation Plan kicked off in February 2006 and was recently approved for transmittal to the Atlanta Regional Commission by the Henry County Board of Commissioners. This award-winning plan is part of a fully-integrated county-city blueprint for land use and roads unmatched in other jurisdictions. It was instrumental in identifying numerous priority projects that ultimately became part of the SPLOST III project list, which was recently approved by Henry County voters.

PB Americas, Inc. assisted with development of the Plan and Dovetail Consulting played a key role in Public Involvement for the Plan. For more information about Henry County’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan, please visit http://www.co.henry.ga.us/TransportationPlanning/index.htm.

The Henry County Board of Commissioners, together with the SPLOST Department, officially opened Patrick Henry Parkway in Stockbridge on Tuesday. The road, which connects Eagles Landing Parkway to Jodeco Road, is a frontage road to I-75 that creates an alternative to the interstate for local trips in that area.

The 0.592 mile long SPLOST II project includes a 429’ bridge over wetlands, which drove up the price dramatically, resulting in a total cost of $8,307,237. Henry County was only responsible for approximately $3.07 million of this, however; the balance was funded by the State of Georgia. A substantial percentage of the total construction budget is actually a forward-thinking investment that will save the County millions of dollars and a lot of time in the long run. Because the County’s long-range transportation plan calls for widening Patrick Henry Parkway to 4-lanes in the future, the County prepared for this expansion by going ahead and purchasing the right-of-way, fill dirt and wetland credits at today’s prices. The box culvert for a 4-lane bridge has also been installed so that the creek need only be disturbed once. And the grading has already been completed for the 4-lane, so that road construction on the eventual widening, when that time comes, will go much faster.

The project, which was designed by Heath & Lineback Engineers and constructed by Sunbelt Structures, Inc. and McCoy Grading, Inc. was completed 62 days ahead of schedule. For more information on this or any other SPLOST project, please visit http://www.co.henry.ga.us/SPLOST/index.htm.

Hundreds of area residents joined the Henry County Board of Commissioners and the SPLOST Department to celebrate the completion of the new Fairview Library with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception on Sunday.

The 15,000 square-foot facility was built using the same plans as was used for the Locust Grove Library and Cochran Library in Stockbridge, which allowed SPLOST to get maximum value out of every penny spent. Amenities include a meeting room with a capacity of 60-70 people, separate children and adult book and reading areas, public access computer terminals, and small conference/study rooms. It was designed by Pope & partners Architects and constructed by Headley Construction for $2.8 million.

While all the other libraries constructed under SPLOST II have been replacements for smaller facilities, the Fairview Library is the first library the County has built outside of an incorporated area and therefore, it is starting from “scratch.” Every single one of the 20,000+ books to line Fairview Library’s shelves had to be ordered, and unfortunately, a fair percentage of them have not arrived, which is delaying the library opening until November.

Fairview Library is located at the corner of Austin Road and Fairview Road across from Austin Road Elementary School. For more information on this or any other SPLOST project, please visit http://www.co.henry.ga.us/SPLOST/index.htm. For more information about library programs and events, please visit http://www.henry.public.lib.ga.us/.

Henry County’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan was recently awarded the honor of Outstanding Planning Document by the Georgia Planning Association. The award was presented to Henry County’s Transportation Planner, Cheri Hobson Matthews, during Monday’s regular meeting of the Henry County Board of Commissioners.

Henry County Planning Director, Michael Harris, credited Hobson-Matthews for much of the plan’s success. “Cheri came into this project mid-stream and was able to coordinate with numerous departments and municipalities to develop this plan.”

The first-ever Joint Comprehensive Transportation Plan kicked off in February 2006 and was recently approved for transmittal to the Atlanta Regional Commission by the Henry County Board of Commissioners. This award-winning plan is part of a fully-integrated county-city blueprint for land use and roads unmatched in other jurisdictions. It was instrumental in identifying numerous priority projects that ultimately became part of the proposed SPLOST III project list, which was recently approved by Henry County voters.

The Henry County Board of Commissioners has proclaimed the week of November 12, 2007 as Kindess Works, Pass It On” week in Henry County. The action came at Monday’s regular Commission meeting.

This is the third year in a row the Commission has celebrated Kindness Week, which was started in 2004 by Mr. and Mrs. A.J. "Buddy" Welch and their family and friends in memory of their son, Hunter, who passed away earlier that year.

The week, which is celebrated nationwide, encourages schools, churches, businesses and other community groups to participate by performing “random acts of kindness” throughout the week. According to the proclamation, such actions “constitute a major step in preserving the health, well-being and economic vitality of the community.”

For more information about Kindness Week and suggestions on how you can join in the celebration, please visit http://actsofkindness.org.

Thousands turned out for a good time at the 4^th annual Fall Festival at Heritage Park on October 20, sponsored by Henry County Parks & Recreation. Visitors enjoyed browsing through the arts & crafts booths and nibbling o festival fare while enjoying live music and dancing. A special thanks to the Crossroads Christian Cloggers, Paris School of Dance, Festival Ballet, Atlanta Christian Dance Movement and Gift of Dance Studio. Musical numbers were performed by the Hildreth Boys and The Reynolds Sisters for their performances.

Dozens of children participated in the costume contest, making it a tough decision for our judges. The winners were as follows: Most Original: Nicholas & Chelsea Allen (9-month-old twins) as Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, Olivia Mitchell as Little Bo Peep, brothers Jake & Shane Blaney as Thing 1 & Thing 2 and Matthew Ramsey as Elvis. Scariest Costume: 9-month-old Landon Ratliff dressed as a lion, Kelly Chance as a squirrel, Ethan Barry as a pirate and Autumn MacBeth as Scream. Funniest Costume: Bailey McGowan dressed as a caterpillar and Ella Rebecca Sawyer as Minnie Mouse. Cutest Costume: Kaylee Higgs dressed as a Greek goddess and to Ninti Wheat, dressed as a pirate. Each winner received a trophy topped with a golden pumpkin, courtesy of Victory Trophies, and a souvenir pumpkin cup filled with candy.

District 5 Commissioner Johnny Basler will host a Town Hall Meeting for all District 5 residents at Woodland Elementary School located at 830 North Moseley Road in Stockbridge. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 7 p.m.

This Town Hall Meeting will be an excellent opportunity for citizens to hear an update on what is happening in their district and across the County on the issues that matter most, like Transportation, Planning and Zoning and Public Safety. Representatives from many County Departments will also be on-hand to answer any questions citizens may have.

The Henry County Board of Commissioners, together with the Department of Transportation (DOT), officially opened the Willow Road extension in McDonough when they held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.

The 1.2 mile-long new road was a joint venture between the County DOT and Kelly Capital Investments. As a result, the public gets the benefit of a $3.8 million road, even though the County’s investment was just $1 million. The beautiful two-lane boulevard with landscaped medians connects Highway 20/81 at the Wal-Mart in McDonough with Jonesboro Road, providing a much-needed north-south connector road that will help keep traffic off the interstate for local trips. In addition, the roads were constructed with wide medians that can be easily removed, allowing the road to expand to four lanes as traffic increases – but without having to purchase more right-of-way in the future, saving taxpayers even more.

“This frontage road is a win-win for the County and our citizens,” said District 3 Commissioner Randy Stamey. “This is probably the least expensive four-lane road the County has every built.”

SPLOST Celebrates Completion of Two Transportation Projects

The Henry County SPLOST Department, together with the Board of Commissioners, recently celebrated the completion of two SPLOST transportation projects in Districts 2 and 3 respectively.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly paved Stone Road in Hampton was held earlier this month. The 1.3 mile dirt road paving project was completed for $1.88 million. The project was engineered by Wolverton & Associates, while construction was completed by Bruce Albea Contracting.

“By paving our dirt roads, we are reducing our maintenance costs while freeing County employees and resources to work on other projects,” said District 2 Commissioner Elizabeth ‘B.J.’ Mathis.

The ceremonial ribbon was also cut for phases two and three of Turner Church Road in McDonough. Both were dirt road paving projects, with phase II measuring 1 mile and Phase III measuring 1.23 miles long. The two phases combined cost $3.67 million to complete. The projects were constructed by Southeastern Site Development.

“Turner Church Road will provide a new east-west corridor in the Ola area, giving citizens an alternate way to reach Highway 20 without going through McDonough Square,” said District III Commissioner Randy Stamey.

Is Christmas your favorite time of year? Do you enjoy the Holiday decorations and festivities? How would you like to bring some of this joy into the life of a senior citizen in your community?

Henry County Senior Services and Council on Aging, Inc., announce the kick-off of their annual Sponsor-a-Senior Program to provide wrapped Christmas gifts for those seniors who receive in-home services, as well as other seniors, age 60+, through referrals from Connecting Henry.

Individuals, groups, churches, civic organizations or businesses can call to sponsor someone. They purchase and wrap the Christmas present(s) and return to Senior Services to be delivered. Gifts and Toiletry Bags will be delivered the week before Christmas.

If you would like to sponsor someone or need further information, please call Sandy Craig at 770-288-6973.

The Henry County Stormwater Management Department would like to thank all of the volunteers for participating in this year’s Rivers Alive Campaign, which took place Saturday, October 6, 2007 at Stockbridge High School.

The event concentrated the 37 volunteers’ efforts on a portion of Big Cotton Indian Creek located adjacent to the school. Volunteers along with the Stormwater Staff managed to remove approximately 1000 lbs. of garbage; some of the most unusual items removed were a stop sign, several pallets and tires.

The Rotary Club
Pizza Hut on 20/81
Yard Party Events
Henry County D.O.T.,
Baker’s Dozen of Stockbridge
Mellwood Springs of McDonough
Henry County Park and Recreation

Connecting Henry is once again preparing for its Annual Community Christmas Program, which helps to ensure that thousands of underprivileged children in Henry County will have a Christmas. The program started in 2003 with 650 families served and three years later, that number swelled to 1,400 families.

In order for the program to be a success, Connecting Henry needs the Community’s help through sponsorships. Sponsors will be responsible for purchasing gifts for children in the home who are 16 years of age and younger. If you wish to provide Christmas dinner or gifts for the adults in the home, you may do so (and we would be grateful). If you or your
co-workers, family, or friends are interested in sponsoring families this Christmas, you may sign up one of two easy ways:

1) After October 15, you may register through the Connecting Henry Website, www.co.henry.ga.us/connectinghenry. When you get to the site, click on the link for the Christmas Program. Fill in the information, and it will be submitted to Connecting Henry via e-mail. You will receive an acknowledgement from your contact so that you’ll know it was received.

2) You may also call the Connecting Henry office at 770-288-6230 and leave a message with your name and phone number. We will contact you as soon as possible to follow up for more information. Would you prefer to fax? The fax number is 770-288-6234.

Once you sign up to sponsor a family, Connecting Henry will contact you with information about your adopted family. We also ask that you contact your adopted family at least three weeks prior to Christmas and set up a time to deliver their gifts or to meet them somewhere. Connecting Henry should be notified when the gifts are delivered.

The Henry County Board of Commissioners, together with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) recently celebrated the completion of improvements to the intersection of North Salem Drive and Highway 155 in McDonough.

The project, which was funded entirely by GDOT, involved the construction of turn lanes on both North Salem Drive and Highway 155 as well as the installation of a traffic control device with turn signals to make turning on that wide section of highway safer. The total cost of the traffic signal, including materials and labor is estimated at $120,000. Right-of-way for three of the four signal poles was donated by Mr. James G. Moseley, Salem Baptist Church and Henry County respectively.

Cutline: Participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly improved intersection of North Salem Drive at Highway 155 are, from left to right, Tommy Smith, Executive Assistant to the Board of Commissioners, who was instrumental in expediting the project, Larry Young, GDOT District Signal Engineer, District 3 Commissioner Randy Stamey and Rev. Bobby Swafford with Salem Baptist Church.

Henry County Parks & Recreation is proud to present the Inaugural Concert at the Heritage Event Center at Heritage Park following the Fall Festival on October 20, 2007. The country duo, Adam Grant & Robert E. Walden will open, while The Zac Brown Band -- named the "Best New Act in Atlanta 2007" – will headline the event, which is sure to be an enjoyable evening of music, food and fun.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. for the concert, which will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $20 for floor and bleacher seating, and $320 for a table of eight. Individual tickets are available for purchase through www.ticketweb.com. Tables must be purchased through the Henry County parks & Recreation Department at 100A Windy Hill Road in McDonough.

All proceeds from the concert will benefit the Veterans Wall of Honor, a monument to honor the men and women of the United States Military for the sacrifices they make and have made to ensure our freedom. The Wall is now under construction in Heritage Park. For more information about the Veterans Wall of Honor, please visit www.veteranswallofhonor.org.

The Inaugural Concert at the Heritage Event Center is sponsored by 92.5 FM The Bear, Moby In The Morning, and Publix Supermarkets. Heritage Park is located at 101 Lake Dow Road just off Highway 81 East in McDonough. For more information about the concert, the bands, or the Fall Festival, please visit www.co.henry.ga.us. To find out how you can reserve a table, please call 770.288.7300.

Veterans Wall of Honor Golf Tournament Raises Nearly $3K for Veterans Wall of Honor

The tournament drew 38 players and raised $2,488 for the Veterans Wall of Honor, now under construction at Heritage Park. For more information about the Veterans Wall of Honor, please visit www.veteranswallofhonor.org.

September 28, 2007

HENRY COUNTY’S TOP COPS HONORED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT EXCELLENCE

The Henry County Police Department took third place at the 7th Annual Governor’s Challenge Awards. The event, held September 14, 2007, is known in law enforcement circles as Georgia’s answer to the Emmy Awards for cops, where every day peace officers find themselves in the spotlight for a few proud moments while their peers and judges from the International Association of Chiefs of Police recognize them for their outstanding performance behind the badge and their dedication to saving lives on Georgia’s highways.

Henry County was one of 90 applicants which were judged on both the approach and effectiveness of their overall highway safety programs. Agencies are evaluated not just for enforcement initiatives, but for innovative problem-solving programs in their communities. The judging also examines how local agencies create departmental policies and adapt their public information activities to support their traffic enforcement campaign efforts. Henry County’s prizes included a trophy, certificate, and a $2,000 shopping spree at the GOHS store website.

“The Annual Governor’s Challenge Awards recognize the dedication of these officers to increase safety belt use, slow down speeders and reduce impaired and aggressive driving,” said GOHS Director Bob Dallas. “We congratulate these 2007 winning agencies.”

The awards were attended by Major Butler, Sgt. Jeff Maddox, HEAT Officer Charles Blythe, Officer Joe Hencely, and Research & Development Specialist, Kimberly Monast. Major Butler accepted the award.

Senior Center - Hampton
Senior Center - Locust Grove
Domestic Violence Shelter
Correctional Facility (phase II)
Parking Deck - Courthouse Area
Civic Center /Performing Arts Center

Bethany Road @ SR 81
Harris Drive @ SR 42
Kingsmill @ SR 42
Keys Ferry Road @ SR 81
Mt Bethel Road @ SR 81

Eagles Landing Parkway
East Lake Road Extension Phase II
Rock Quarry Road Bridge over Norfolk Southern Railroad
Rock Quarry Road Widening (Eagles Landing Parkway to SR 138)
Rock Quarry Road Extension from SR 138 to East Atlanta @ Valley Hill (Design Only)
Walter Way Extension from SR 138 to SR 42 (Design Only)

Henry County Police Looking to Expand Bicycle Community Oriented Policing Services

The Henry County Police Department is applying for a grant to purchase bicycles for their Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and they need your help. The grant application requires citizen comments on the importance of having such a program in their community.

The Police would greatly appreciate your assistance in acquiring funding for the bicycles, which will be used for specialized patrols that would improve accessibility, allow citizens and officers the opportunity to get to know each other by name and permit the Bicycle Patrol Officers to develop a good feel for the neighborhoods on a personal level. By deleting the metallic barrier of a patrol vehicle, the Police can facilitate a personal relationship with the residents, helping to gain their trust, and at the same time, deter criminal behavior.

Such bicycle units would be placed on strategic after-school and holiday patrols of neighborhoods, as well as employed at special events such as National Night Out and at school educational events to encourage questions and comments about all policing subjects.

By joining forces at the most personal level, we can subvert gang activity, lessen personal and property crimes, and keep our neighborhoods safer. Please take a few minutes to go to the website http://www.myhometownhelper.com/ViewProject.aspx?id=30385 and comment on the program.

Rumors are circulating that Henry County is faced with a choice of whether to widen Interstate 75 or instead to replace the Jodeco Road Bridge with a new multi-lane bridge. While I would very much favor widening the interstate throughout the county, unfortunately, the choice of one of these projects over the other simply does not exist.

Currently, the plans for our county related to the interstate widening and bridge replacement are as follows:

In 2008, construction begins on the addition of an extra lane to the interstate from the Clayton County line to Eagles Landing Parkway. The reason for this is to attempt to relieve the bottleneck that occurs at the I-675 merge with I-75.

In 2009, construction begins on the replacement of the Jodeco Road Bridge with a new multi-lane bridge and interchange improvement.

As part of a longer range plan, GDOT plans in 2014 to begin the extension of extra lanes down to at least Highway 155 in McDonough.

There is no swapping of the bridge project for the widening of the interstate to Highway 155 at this point for numerous reasons.

First, the cost of the bridge is approximately $40 million. The cost of the interstate widening will be approximately $140 million. Funding is not available for Henry County to swap a $40 million project for one that costs $100 million more. If so, we would gladly do it.

The second problem prohibiting this "swap" is that even if the costs were the same, the funding for these projects are coming from different sources. To simplify the explanation, the money designated for the bridge cannot be applied to the interstate and vice-versa.

More problematic is that the Georgia Department of Transportation passed a resolution that there will not be any more capacity lanes added that have not already been approved. Thus, the lanes to Highway 155 would have to be high occupancy toll lanes (HOT) or high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV).

Currently there are no such high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes anywhere in our region or state. Henry County citizens should not be required to pay to drive on its roadways while others in the state do not.

Lastly, we cannot add HOV lanes until the lanes are able to connect to existing HOV lanes, which currently end at Aviation Boulevard around the Clayton County/Fulton County line. The tentative time frame for the HOV lanes arrival in Henry County from their current ending point is 2014, which coincides with the date noted in the existing Regional Transportation Plan above to add the lanes.

It is the position of the Henry County Board of Commissioners that we should fight to have both projects constructed on the quickest schedule possible. Our citizens deserve no less.

Sincerely,
Jason T. Harper
Chairman
Henry County Board of Commissioners

HENRY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY CHAIR W.L. “BILLY” CARTER NAMED VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR BY STATEWIDE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

ATLANTA, GA (September 25, 2007) — W.L. “Billy” Carter, chairman of the Henry County Development Authority, was named the 2007 Volunteer of the Year by the Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA). A member of the Henry County Development Authority for over 40 years, serving as chairman for the majority of those years, Carter was recognized for his outstanding and long service to Henry County.

Carter was the key catalyst in the attraction of more than 60 new industries to Henry County, resulting in the creation of more than 5,000 direct new jobs, the issuance of more than $200 million in industrial revenue bonds, and more than $1 billion in new direct capital investment in the County. In addition, he helped craft the County’s first comprehensive Land Use Plan while serving as chairman of the local Planning & Zoning Board.

He played a key role in the development of Henry County’s first resident higher education facility, a 30,000 SF regional academic center for Mercer University. Carter was also instrumental in Henry County’s efforts to gain the prestigious “Entrepreneur Friendly Community” designation from the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the creation of Henry County’s “Entrepreneur Success Series.”

Carter was present at GEDA’s annual conference in Savannah to receive the Volunteer of the Year Award. Over 450 economic developers from around the State attended the conference, sharing tools and best practices to move the State forward in economic development. More than 900 strong, GEDA is the leading professional association dedicated to enhancing Georgia’s economic vitality, providing networking and professional development resources to its members, and advocating public policies to support quality economic development and job creation throughout the State.

In an effort to improve customer service, the State Court of Henry County is pleased to announce the launch of an on-line payment system for traffic citations.

Effective October 1, 2007, traffic citations issued in Henry County can be paid through www.HenryCountyStateCourt.com or www.Henrytickets.com using your credit/debit card. Simply enter your citation number or driver’s license number and follow the prompts. A convenience fee of $10.00 will apply. This fee is a processing charge collected by our service provider and will not benefit the court in any way.

Please note that “must appear” violations such as DUI and Reckless Driving are not eligible for online payments. Such requests will be denied by the system if an attempt is made to pay for these citations on-line.

The Henry County Office of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service will host a Georgia Clean Day on October 16, 2007. Georgia Clean Day is a program of the Georgia Department of Agriculture to give citizens an opportunity to safely discard old, unusable or cancelled pesticides for free.

Pesticides play an important role in our daily lives by allowing for increased agricultural production, more beautiful landscapes and the elimination of unwanted household pests. We must remember, however, that they are poisons designed to kill living organisms and can be hazardous to human health, dangerous to wildlife, harmful to beneficial insects such as honey bees and can contaminate our ground water that supplies our wells and reservoirs.

To continue to enjoy the benefits of pesticides and to minimize their impact on our environment, it is necessary for all of us to be responsible users of pesticides. Labeling is provided so that the applicator has all the information necessary for the safe use and disposal of the product. The Georgia Clean Day program gives us an opportunity to properly dispose of pesticides.

If you have cancelled, suspended, unusable and unwanted material classified as a pesticide, Georgia Clean Day is the time to get rid of it. To participate, citizens must obtain a pre-registration form which must be completed and turned in to the extension office by October 12, 2007 listing all the pesticides you plan to bring to the collection site. Items not listed on the pre-registration form will be refused at the collection site. No fees will be charged for participation in this program and all materials collected will be turned over to a hazardous waste contractor for disposal. For more information and to get a pre-registration form, contact the Henry County Extension Office at 770.288.8421.

(Click on image for larger view then use back to return).
Volunteers at the 2006 Rivers Alive clean-up event in Henry County pose for a picture after cleaning trash from the banks of Crittle Creek.

Volunteers are needed to help with the third Annual Rivers Alive Clean-up Event sponsored by Henry County’s Stormwater Management Department. The event will be held on October 6, 2007 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Stockbridge High School.

Henry County volunteers will join approximately 30,000 volunteers across the state in cleaning the State’s 70,150 mile of rivers and streams during Rivers Alive, a joint program of DNR’s Environmental Protection Division Watershed Protection Branch, Adopt-A-Stream program and Keep Georgia Beautiful. Rivers Alive targets cleanups across all waterways in the State of Georgia including streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and the ocean. The mission of Rivers Alive is to create awareness of and involvement in the preservation of Georgia’s Water resources. This year’s event is expected to, once again, be the State’s largest single volunteer effort to beautify Georgia’s water resources. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages sportsmen’s clubs, civic groups, church groups, businesses and interested citizens to participate in this worthwhile effort.

“The Rivers Alive program motivates thousands of volunteers across Georgia to help clean up their local waterways,” said Dr. Carol Couch, Director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. “This impressive display of volunteerism can be measured in the many tons of trash that are hauled away each year.”

The 2006 Rivers Alive drew more than 25,000 volunteers who cleaned up nearly 2,400 miles of waterways and removed more than 350 tons of waste from Georgia’s waterways.

The Henry County Rivers Alive will also feature several "yard party" events, and representatives from Henry County Code Enforcement and the Recycling Center will be available to answer questions about litter disposal.

To volunteer or participate in Henry County’s event, contact the Henry County Stormwater Department at 770.288.RAIN for details. For more information about the statewide Rivers Alive campaign, visit www.riversalive.org.

Get out your library cards! A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Fairview Library has been scheduled for Sunday, October 21 at 2 p.m. The $2.8 million SPLOST project is now complete and furnishings are currently being installed. New books to line the shelves are also being purchased and staff are being hired and trained.

The Fairview Library is located at the corner of Austin Road and Fairview Road across from Austin Road Elementary School. It was constructed by Headley Construction.

The Henry County SPLOST Department will host a Public Information Meeting to discuss the proposed alternate realignment designs for the Peeksville Road improvement project. The meeting will be held on Thursday, September 13, 2007 from 6 – 8 p.m. in the Henry County Government Annex Community Room located at 116 South Zack Hinton Parkway in McDonough.

The Fourth Annual Fall Festival at Heritage Park will be held Saturday, October 20, 2007 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The family-oriented festival will feature live entertainment, festival foods, shopping, and many free activities for children, including face-painting, inflatables, games, and hayrides!

Henry County Parks & Recreation is still accepting applications from Christmas crafters who wish to have a booth at the event, which always draws a crowd. Please call Ashleigh Roell at 770.288.7300 for an application.

The event is sponsored by Henry County Parks and Recreation Department and Community Gardens of Henry County, Inc. Heritage Park is located at 101 Lake Dow Road in McDonough. For more information about the Festival, please contact the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department at 770-288-7300 or Community Gardens at 770-954-0000.

Henry County Parks & Recreation will once again host Folktales & Moonlight at Nash Farm Battlefield in Hampton on October 5 and 6, 2007 from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m.

Begin your evening with live music performed by local bluegrass musicians. Then, join us on a walking tour of Nash Farm Battlefield where storytellers from all over Georgia will delight you with tales from the scary to the just plain strange. The tour takes approximately 45 minutes so please dress comfortably! Concessions available.

Tickets are $5 for adults and kids ages 13 and up and $2 for kids ages 5 -12. Children 4 and under can enter for free. Nash Farm Battlefield is located at 4361 Jonesboro Road in Hampton. For more information about Folktales & Moonlight, please call 770.288.7300 or visit http://www.co.henry.ga.us.

Heritage Senior Center will hold its Third Annual Community Yard Sale on Friday, September 28, 2007 from 9:00-3:00. Spaces are available for $5.00 with all proceeds benefiting the senior center.

Clean out your closets and make some extra money by renting a space or come explore all the treasures being offered by joining us at this sale.

Henry County Senior Services together with the Henry County Council on Aging, will host the 8^th Annual Senior Health Fair on October 11 and Business Expo on October 12 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The events, which are open to seniors aged 55 and older, will be held at the Heritage Senior Center located at Highway 81 east of McDonough behind the McDonough Public Library.

Attendees to the Health Fair on October 11^th will be able to check their blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels as well as bone density, vision, and hearing. They can also be screened for sleep apnea, carotid artery and peripheral vascular disease, plus much more.

Business Expo attendees will have the opportunity to visit more than 50 vendors specializing in products for seniors, plus receive information about programs and services available to them in Henry County. The Homeland Security Mobile Command Unit will be on display to demonstrate how Henry County’s Public Safety departments is preparing for national emergencies.

Lunch will be available during both events, and there will be door prizes and Bingo to add to the fun. For more information, please contact Henry County Senior Services at 770.288.7001.

Heritage Senior Center will be hosting a dance for senior adults and their guests on September 21, 2007. The event is scheduled from 6:30 until 10:00 p.m. and will feature DJ Jimmy Sockwell. Tickets are $5.00 per person and will be available for purchase at both Henry County Senior Centers. For more information, please call 770-288-7001.

Henry County was recently notified that the County will receive $55,000 in appropriated assistance funds from the General Assembly, which is administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). The $55,000, which does not require matching funds, will be divided as follows:

The Veterans Wall of Honor is currently under construction at Heritage Park. The concrete ribbons edging the brick walkways, the stairs, and the concrete substructure of the wall have been installed. To help support the project, citizens may purchase engraved paving bricks in honor of their loved ones which will be placed along the walkway in front of the Wall. To purchase a brick, please visit www.veteranswallofhonor.org.

Vehicle cameras in patrol cars offer tremendous evidentiary value in the courts, and are especially important in drug and DUI arrests. This appropriation will enable more of the County’s patrol cars to be equipped with this technology.

Nash Farm Battlefield hosts numerous events that attract large crowds, such as the Georgia Independence Day Festival, the flashlight Easter egg hunt and the drive-in movies – all of which attract thousands of people. These events, coupled with the various reenactments held there throughout the year make having bathroom facilities on site a necessity, but renting port-a-johns for each event is cost-prohibitive as frequently as the park is being used. The $10,000 in funding from the DCA will enable a permanent facility to be constructed.

Construction on the new Flat Rock Road Bridge is proceeding, though due to unforeseen circumstances, progress has not been as quick as the County would like.

Workers struck solid rock as they began building the substructure of the bridge, which is a SPLOST project. This resulted in the Henry County SPLOST Department having to complete a slight redesign to the bridge, modifying the footing for one of the columns supporting the bridge structure. Due to these setbacks, construction time has had to be extended, and the new bridge is estimated to be open to traffic in November.

The County closed the old bridge in December 2006, when a routine safety inspection found the bridge was not up to standards. This was less than a month prior to when the County had planned to close it to begin construction on the new bridge. The Henry County SPLOST Department appreciates citizens’ patience as construction is completed on the new Flat Rock Road Bridge. For more information, please contact the SPLOST Department at (770)288-7319.

The Henry County Board of Commissioners will hold three public hearings on the 2007 millage rate for property in the County. The dates and times are as follows:

The last meeting will be immediately followed by the adoption of the millage rate at 6:30 p.m.

In 2005, the Board of Commissioners passed a resolution to freeze its portion of citizens’ property taxes at 2005 levels. With the resolution, property value assessments after 2005 cannot affect the amount of tax levied on the property as long as the use of the property remains the same and it has not changed ownership. Then, in 2006, Commissioners helped citizens out once again by rolling back the County’s portion of the property tax to match the increase the Board of Education implemented, effectively “zeroing out” the increase.

This year, a flattening economy coupled with significant increases in operating costs is preventing the Board of Commissioners from repeating the 2006 rollback, but the change is minimal. If the County’s millage rate passes at the proposed levels, unincorporated Henry County will see an increase on the County’s portion of just .001 from 2006, while Stockbridge will see an increase of .039, Locust Grove will see an increase of .602, McDonough will see an increase of .159 and Hampton property owners will see an increase of .057.

For example, the taxes on a $200,000 house in unincorporated Henry County with standard exemptions would increase just 6 cents, going from $2,735.94 in 2006 to $2,736 in 2007.

For more information about property value assessments and taxes, please visit www.co.henry.ga.us.

Archaeological Survey at Nash Farm Yields Treasured Artifacts Which Corroborate Historical Research of Property

An archaeological survey commissioned for Nash Farm battlefield earlier this year has resulted in the recovery of 1,300 artifacts, though only eight percent of the property was excavated. The survey was conducted by the LAMAR Institute, Inc. and was fully funded by a $10,000 Georgia Local Assistance Grant with $2,500 in funding from the LAMAR Institute.

The findings included both Union and Confederate ammunition as well as horseshoes and bridle rings, are indicative of a cavalry raid. The artifacts corroborate historical research identifying this location as related to two important battles in the American Civil War: Kilpatrick’s Union Cavalry Raid on Lovejoy and the final military action in the Battle of Jonesboro.

“To find this much in such a compact location is not typical,” said Elliott. “And it is rarer still to find concentrations of cavalry artifacts because they are so fast moving and because so little in Georgia has been charted and preserved. Henry County has done a wonderful thing by preserving the history here.”

As part of the study, surveyors meticulously mapped the site and catalogued the relics to ensure the history was properly and accurately recorded and preserved. The work involved tilling different topographic portions of the battlefield and systematically surveying the plow strips using metal detectors and ground penetrating radar.

Using the report provided by the LAMAR Institute, a more detailed and accurate understanding of the military terrain was obtained, which will help to create a richer historical experience for visitors to the battlefield. All of the artifacts were returned to Henry County to be curated in the Nash Farmhouse once it is converted into a museum.

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District 1 Commissioner Warren Holder (center) cuts the ceremonial red ribbon at the new Warren Holder Park football complex, officially opening the facility for play. Joining him were, from left to right, Locust Grove City Councilman Keith Boone, Locust Grove Mayor Lorene Lindsey, Henry County Commission Chairman Jason Harper, and District 5 Commissioner Johnny Basler.

The Henry County SPLOST Department and the Board of Commissioners celebrated the completion of the new football complex at Warren Holder Park on Saturday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The facility is greatly needed for Parks & Recreation’s football and cheerleading programs, which involve nearly 2,000 youth.

During the ceremony, a plaque was unveiled, dedicating the park to District 1 Commissioner, Warren Holder, who was responsible for setting aside land for this park when he was a Locust Grove City Councilman in the early 1980s. The plaque was donated by a long time friends Carey Bunn, Andy Bunn, Gerald Hudgins and Eddie Walker. It details Commissioner Holder’s passion for public service and provides some history about the park itself. An excerpt reads as follows:

“When Warren was seven years old, some older family members carved out a baseball field in the pasture next to his home…Fifteen to twenty youth gathered here every Sunday afternoon to play baseball, football, and basketball. Warren experienced early on the importance and benefits of youth having a place to gather and play. His vision as a young twenty year-old councilman to set aside funds to build a recreation complex is a manifestation of his roots, upbringing, caring, and determination to make things better for others.”

Upon viewing the plaque for the first time, a surprised Commissioner Holder thanked his friends for the beautiful plaque and proceeded to share his thoughts about the new facility. “You got me! I am truly honored, and I’m grateful to have so many friends and family here with me today,” said Holder. “This project has evolved over time. It has been a long term commitment that has been built upon over many years – and without SPLOST this latest phase would never have happened. These are some of the finest football fields in the County. I am proud of this facility and I hope that it will be enjoyed by many families for many generations to come.”

The $1.65 million SPLOST project consists of two football fields and two practice fields that can be used for soccer. It also features the County’s first two-story concession stand, the second floor of which contains a small meeting space for the various athletic organizations. A rear entrance to the park, parking and the conversion of three fields to baseball were also included in this project. Astra Group of Woodstock constructed the playing fields, while Whitworth Construction of Griffin served as contractor for the concession stand.

Henry County is Talking Trash:
Major New Initiatives to Handle Henry County’s Garbage
to Be Discussed at Solid Waste Management Plan Public Meetings

Did you know that Georgians throw away an average of 6.5 pounds of garbage every day? As more and more people move to the area, the problem is only going to get worse. In order to address the issue, Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs has set a goal for the state of reducing solid waste going into landfills by 25%.

For Henry County to meet that goal, we would need to recycle 70 times more – or 49,000 tons worth – per year. And that is based on today’s population. By the year 2020, if we continue at our current rate, we will be throwing away an average of 1,006 tons PER DAY. What will we do with all that garbage? What can be done to reduce our solid waste?

These questions and more will be answered as Henry County kicks off a series of Public Meetings to discuss its Solid Waste Management Plan at Locust Grove City Hall on Monday, August 21, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. Other meetings will be held in each of the cities as follows:

When 49,000 tons of garbage need to be removed from your waste stream in order to meet the State’s goals, major changes are needed. And that is precisely what Henry County will be discussing at these meetings. Some of the exciting and dramatic proposals planned for discussion include contracting with haulers to collect garbage in entire zones in order to reduce emissions, control costs and add a key service currently unavailable to most residents: curbside recycling. Also under consideration is the development of a Pay-As-You-Throw system of garbage collection, which would be implemented in conjunction with curbside recycling. A Pay-As-You-Throw system is much like other utilities in that residents would pay according to how much they throw away – and by recycling more, they can see an immediate and dramatic reduction in their monthly solid waste costs.

“When one considers that 95% of Henry County’s garbage going into landfills is, in fact, recyclable, we need to seriously investigate ways we can expand the County’s recycling programs in order to meet reduction goals,” said Planning & Development Director Michael Harris. “A pay-as-you-throw program is an exciting new opportunity we are considering for residents to cut costs while helping the environment.

The County’s Solid Waste Management Plan was last rewritten in 1994, when Henry County’s population was less than half what it is today. The County has changed a great deal since then, and so must our Solid Waste Management Plan. The public is encouraged to attend one of these meetings to have input on the County’s plan to improve the way our community handles its trash.