March 17, 2016
Board of
Commissioners Regular Meetings April 5 at 9:00 AM April 19 at 6:30 PM
Henry County Parks and Rec Cuts Ribbon on New Room for Special Needs Children
Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings air daily on Henry TV Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m. The finished sensory room that was funded, painted, carpeted, wired and designed by the Department Directors of Henry County Government is located within the Locust Grove Recreation Center.
Henry County cut the red ribbon last week on a new sensory room at the Locust Grove Recreation Center to be used by the Therapeutic Recreation Division. The room is the product of a class community service project completed by members of the Henry County Management Development Program (MDP). The new sensory room will be used by children and adults with autism or other special needs who attend camp through Parks and Recreation, as well as by area school children for their day out in the community programs. A sensory room is a special room to help develop or soothe the senses, through lighting, special objects, music and other audio and visual aids, often used as part of therapy, particularly for children with autism. The new room features special lighting, a projector system, a virtual aquarium, sensory walls, a music and reading nook and an area for rest and relaxation. There is also a plethora of toys and activities for sensory stimulation and both soothing and Continued on page 2
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March 17, 2016 Sensory Room from page 1
Published by Henry County Communications Department The Henry County Board of Commissioners
Editor Melissa Robinson
Graphic Designer Meredith Butler Samantha Watson
Layout Designer Samantha Watson
Contributors Melissa Robinson Samantha Watson Kevin Williams
inspiring colors on the walls, including a hand painted mural. The room was completed over the course of several weeks by Henry County Government Department Directors who have been engaged in the eight-month MDP class through UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute. Crews made up of Henry County’s government directors and staff, and under the leadership of project manager Ron Burckhalter, spent several weeks breaking through walls, painting, carpeting and creating a sensory delight for children with autism who will attend camp through the Henry County Parks and Recreation program. Class members also financed the room by donating money and supplies to create the unique space. Therapeutic Recreation Therapist Davina Ford, said that she has tried for years to create a sensory room for the special needs children she works with, and held back tears of joy when asked what the room will mean for children in Henry County. “This room is going to touch many, many lives,” she said. “What you guy have done here is amazing and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.” The sensory room is located at Henry County’s Locust Grove Recreation Center at 10 Cleveland St. in Locust Grove.
SPLOST Capital Projects Director, Ron Burckhalter cuts the ribbon for the grand opening of the Locust Grove Recreation Center sensory room on March 10, 2016.
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Grant Funds for Violence Against Women Program A $70,000 grant for the Violence Against Women program conducted by the Henry County Police Department (H.C.P.D.) was accepted by the Board of Commissioners at the March 15 Commission meeting. The grant was awarded by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, a state agency that serves as the epicenter of criminal justice policies, research and information in Georgia and acts as the State Administrative Agency for federal formula and competitive grant programs. This is the seventh consecutive year that the H.C.P.D. has received this grant award and is required to match the funds with $23,333, which is currently available in the department’s budget. The Violence Against Women project is a collaborative effort to enhance the safety of women victims of violent crimes, to increase officer education and accountability and to participate in appropriate training that addresses the special needs of the underserved non-English speaking women victims of
violent crimes. The grant funds will go towards specialized officer training, expansion of units that deal with violent crimes against women, women’s self-defense classes for the public and overall program costs. For more information on the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, log on to www.cjcc.georgia. gov. To learn more about the Violence Against Women program, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/police.
Participants at a women’s self defense class hosted by the Henry County Police Department.
Commissioners Recognize March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day The Henry County Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation at the March 15 Commission meeting recognizing March 29, 2016 a Vietnam Veterans Day in Henry County. The proclamation came in connection with a Vietnam Veterans Day Welcome Home ceremony that will be held at the Veterans Wall of Honor in Heritage Park on March 29, in order to offer a proper welcome home for the numerous Vietnam Veterans who call Henry County home. The proclamation read in part “Today, we stand as a country and county to reaffirm our commitment and obligation to show all who have worn the uniform of the United States the respect and dignity they deserve and we vow to continue honoring their many sacrifices…” Jim Joyce, with the Parks and Recreation
Department, who is coordinating the Welcome Home event, addressed the Board and invited them to attend the ceremony. Joyce, who also operated the Henry County Veterans Museum. Members thanked Joyce not only for his service in Vietnam, but also for his commitment to Henry County’s veterans and his outstanding work with the museum.
Pictured in the front row are Smith, Joyce and District III Commissioner Gary Barham; second row (l. to r.) District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes, District IV Commissioner Blake Prince, District II Commissioner Brian Preston and District I Commissioner Bo Moss.
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March 17, 2016 SPLOST Funds Purchase E-911 Radios A working radio system is paramount to the operations of Henry County’s emergency communications, ensuring proper response to the numerous emergencies that require immediate attention. To make sure the equipment at the E-911 center is up to date and in proper working order, the Board of Commissioners awarded a contract for the replacement of a trunked radio system at the March 15 Commission meeting.
The contract is being awarded to Harris Corporation for $8,606,913 to provide a Project 25 Phase 2 compliant simulcast trunked radio system. The funds for this bid award are available in the SPLOST IV budget, totaling $6,000,000 as well as in the E-911 budget, totaling $2,606,913. To learn more about what SPLOST funds are doing for your County, visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/splost.
Vietnam Veterans Day Welcome Home Set for March 29
In March 1973, the last American troops left Vietnam, however in one of the Vietnam War’s most profound tragedies, many of these courageous soldiers came home to face treatment unbefitting their courage, and a welcome unworthy of their example. The Henry County Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a Vietnam Veteran’s Day “Welcome Home” ceremony on March 29 at 1 p.m. at the Veterans Wall of Honor in Heritage Park in an effort to present veterans will a dignified welcoming that is long overdue. The ceremony will feature a keynote address by Major General Arnold Fields, USMC (Retired). Major General Fields served over 34 years on continuous active duty in the United States Marine Corps. He served as the Deputy Commander of Marine Corps henrycounty-ga.org
Forces in Europe and Africa at the time of his retirement in January 2004. He is the recipient of numerous military and civilian awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal and the Department of Defense Superior Service Medal. Following the keynote will be a poem reading, musical performances, a pinning ceremony, benediction and a bagpipe performance of “Amazing Grace.” Sponsors of the event, including the Andrew McBride Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, the American Legion Post 55 and 56, the Marine Corps League Detachment 1339 and the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration, wish to celebrate and welcome every Vietnam Veteran in the county. If you are a veteran who would like to be formally recognized for your service during the “Welcome Home” ceremony, please register in person at the Heritage Park Museum or any Henry County Recreation Center or call the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department at 770-288-7300. The community is welcome and encouraged to attend to show their support and gratitude for those that were denied a proper welcoming—because every solider deserves a welcome home.
Additional Funds Granted to Senior Services An amendment to the federal Community Services Block Grant that was awarded to Henry County Senior Citizen Services was approved by the Board of Commissioners at the March 15 Commission meeting. The amendment will allow for $19,688.54 in additional funding to be granted to Senior Services, increasing the original grant from $112,161 to $131,849.54. In related funding news, the Henry County Juvenile, Adult Felony and Resource Courts were approved to apply for grant funding from the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. To keep track of these and more funding efforts by the County, please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org.
Public Meeting for Comprehensive Transportation Plan Scheduled for March 24 Officials will share recommendations and receive input from citizens and stakeholders A public open house is scheduled for Thursday, March 24, 2016 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm to discuss the status of the Henry Joint County/Cities Comprehensive Transportation Plan (JCTP) Update. The open house will be held at the Henry County Administration Building at 140 Henry Parkway, McDonough Conference Room B. The plan covers Henry County and the cities of McDonough, Stockbridge, Hampton and Locust Grove. The updated plan will present findings from an examination of all modes of transportation and their interconnections to identify how the travel demand anticipated over the next 20-year plan period can be best accommodated. Additionally, the plan will reflect results of a study of expanded transit service opportunities. The goal of the March 24 open house will be to present data from the needs assessment and get input from the public on the initial set of projects being recommended. The final report, which will be completed in April 2016, will include recommended solutions that support local and regional land use plans. The website, www.henryinmotion.com, has been updated with a number of documents so that citizens who want to know more about the JCTP can see the progress that has been made toward plan finalization. For more information on the JCTP’s past, present and future, please visit the website.
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March 17, 2016 Adopt-A-Stream Program Engages Citizens and Saves the Environment Henry County Stormwater has been using the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream program to educate and involve students and citizens in the monitoring of water quality in County streams. The Stormwater staff has been working with Denise Martin’s Environmental Science class at Eagles Landing Christian Academy this school year to help them earn their volunteer certification in chemical, bacterial and macroinvertebrate (insects and crayfish that live in streams) monitoring. They are using these certifications to monitor a section of Wolf Creek which runs adjacent to the school.
In addition to the monthly monitoring of the stream, each student also submitted a water quality related project to be considered for presentation at Confluence, an annual conference for professionals and volunteers who meet to network and learn more about water quality issues. This year three student projects were accepted to present at the conference. “As an educator, I was introduced to Adopt-AStream by my local Stormwater office. The coordination between the two programs has been an awesome resource and extension of my environmental science classroom! My students and I received training, supplies and expert assistance while beginning our program. The experience has brought real-life, handsHenry County Stormwater staff members teaching Adopt-a-Stream participants how to conduct chemical monitoring of a stream.
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on science to my students, and a knowledge of our local community and environment that connects us to current problems and envisioned solutions,” said Martin. Citizens can attend workshops to become certified volunteers to monitor streams in three fields including chemical, bacterial and macroinvertebrate. Chemical monitoring workshops teach participants how to test levels of dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and conductivity. These factors influence water quality and relate how pollution or contamination in the stream impact organisms living there. Certification in bacterial monitoring teaches volunteers how to take proper samples of water from the stream for analysis, techniques for testing the sample, how to accurately read the results and the importance of the test itself. Certification in macroinvertebrate monitoring teaches volunteers to collect and identify macros such as crayfish, aquatic insects and snails in order to determine the quality of water in the stream as many are sensitive to pollution. The Department plans to hold several Adopt-AStream training workshops throughout the year. Henry County Stormwater will be holding a Chemical Monitoring Volunteer Workshop Saturday, March 26 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Stormwater Management Department on 347 Phillips Drive in McDonough. This training is open to all citizens. Interested individuals are encouraged to sign up online at www.co.henry.ga.us/stormwater/ContactUs.shtml or call 770-288-7248 for more information.