Henry County Update - Newsletter

August 13, 2015

Board of

Commissioners

14th Annual Tennis Clinic Was a Hit

Regular Meetings August 18 at 6:30 PM September 1 at 9:00 AM Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings will air Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays on Henry TV Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.

Children enjoying their tennis lesson at the 14th annual Jac Roth free tenniss clinic.

With rackets at the ready, children and adults took to the sunny tennis courts of Richard Craig Park for a beautiful day of tennis. Over 100 tennis enthusiasts, all age and experience levels, participated in the Jac Roth 14th Annual Free Tennis Clinic on August 8, 2015.

Participants were taught basic fundamentals of the serve, volley, forehand and backhand from experienced volunteer tennis instructors. Equipment was provided by the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department and ball machine was set up for the experienced players.

Courts were filled with beginners’ lessons, children’s games, many prizes and hundreds of tennis balls followed by a free weenie roast.

Jac Roth was the founder of the Free Tennis Clinic. Herman and Joeann Compton and the McDonald family honor his memory by continuing the clinic 14 years after his passing.

Special thanks to the 35 volunteers and 14 sponsors of the Jac Roth 14th Annual Free Tennis Clinic.

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August 13, 2015 Published by Henry County Communications Department The Henry County Board of Commissioners

Editor Melissa Robinson

Graphic Designer Meredith Butler

Layout Designer Samantha Watson

Contributors Samantha Watson Melissa Robinson Kevin Williams Participants at the 14th annual Jac Roth tenniss clinic.

Police Officers Complete Leadership Training

Earlier this month, five Henry County Police supervisors completed the Women’s Leadership Institute, WLI class #15 in Branson Missouri, which was hosted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Springfield and Branson Police Departments.

The Women’s Leadership Institute is affiliated with International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the WLI training program recognizes the unique challenges and opportunities that women face as they rise through leadership positions in public safety.

The officers who completed the training were, Lieutenant Jennifer Croxton, Sergeant Denise Torrence, Sergeant Teirrah Webster, Sergeant Cassandra Shannon and Sergeant Kristina Fearon. henrycounty-ga.org

Several Henry County Police Officers joined with law enforcement professionals from around the country to participate in the Women’s Leadership Institute training program, held in Branson, MO.

Commissioner Bruce Holmes To Host Town Hall Meeting

Summer Reading Program a Success

Focus on: Community Outreach in Henry County

With the theme “Every Hero Has A Story,” this year’s Summer Reading Program (SRP) encouraged children to continue reading to infinite and beyond. The SRP reached over 5000 students in the Henry county community.

This year’s program not only included reading materials, but featured entertainment by some of the best storytellers, clowns, magicians and snake handlers in the county. Families were able to enjoy action packed programs that excited and intrigued young heroes and heroines alike.

The Director of the Henry County Library System (HCLS), Carolyn Fuller, visited four summer camps over the course of seven weeks to read and interact with over 1,700 kids.

The program utilized teen volunteers who assisted with events and daily operations of the SRP in order to sharpen their leadership skills.

The HCLS partnered with The Literacy for Youth Foundation to provide nutritious meals to over 1500 students aged 18 and younger this summer.

District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes will hold his monthly Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 9 a.m. at Global Impact Church in Stockbridge. This month’s meeting will feature a discussion on Connecting Henry, Inc. a non-profit organization and the local branch of the Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Inc. in Henry County, as well as the newly created National Association of Black Veterans Southern Crescent, Chapter 112 in Henry County.

Special guest speakers include Susan Crumbley, Executive Director of Connecting Henry, Inc., and Crystal Dickens, the founder of NABVETS Southern Crescent and a 20-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Immediately following the town hall meeting, NABVETS Southern Crescent Chapter 112 will host their installation ceremony and kickoff meeting, officially opening the chapter.

The Town Hall Meeting is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. Global Impact Church is located at 125 Red Oak Rd. in Stockbridge, GA 30281.

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August 13, 2015 4-H Open House to Be Held on August 24

Free CERT Training Class: Registration Ends Aug. 14

The Henry County Office of Emergency Management is hosting Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training class, to be held every Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. starting Aug. 18 and ending Sept. 29.

CERT training is an educational program that is designed to prepare citizens to help themselves, their families and their neighbors in the event of a catastrophic disaster. The training is a free citizen preparedness course that includes academic and hands-on instruction where participants learn how to be prepared as a leader in the community in the event of an emergency.

A wide range of topics will be covered throughout the six-week course including fire safety, emergency medical operations, light search and rescue, incident command systems, disaster psychology, terrorism and team organization.

Registration is currently open and will end on Aug. 14, 2015. The course is open to those who live or work in Henry County, aged 18 and over. Citizens can register and download an application online at www.co.henry.ga.us/911/cert.shtml or contact Shelita Broomfield at sbroomfield@co.henry.ga.us for more information.

henrycounty-ga.org

The Henry County Extension Office will be holding an open house for the Henry County 4-H club and County Council on August 24 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Extension Office at Heritage Park.

Students and parents are encouraged to attend the informational meeting in order to sign up for County Council and other specialty clubs as well as to learn more about 4-H, a youth education program for both boys and girls.

The Henry County 4-H County Council is a leadership and community service specialty club within the Henry County 4-H youth program. Children and teenagers aged 9 to 19 can join the 4-H youth program, but only teenagers in grades 7 through 12 can join the 4-H County Council. Other specialty clubs include Dog Club, Horse Club, Elementary School 4-H and Middle School 4-H. All clubs meet monthly, after school, during the school year.

The mission of Georgia 4-H is to assist youth in acquiring knowledge, developing life skills and forming attitudes that will enable them to become self-directing, productive and contributing members of society. This mission is accomplished through experiential “hands on” learning focused on agriculture, citizenship, communication skills, environment, family and consumer science and leadership.

The Extension Office is requesting that all attendees of the open house bring one canned food item to help support the “Helping in His Name” food pantry.

For more information on the Henry County 4-H youth program visit www.ugaextension.com/henry/4h.

Relay for Life Quilt on Display

The 2nd annual Henry County Relay for Life commemorative quilt will be displayed at the McDonough Public Library from now until Tuesday, August 25. The quilt will no longer be featured as a prize in a raffle drawing and instead will be displayed at various locations around Henry County. The quilt, sponsored by the McDonough Presbyterian Henry County Relay for Life team, honors cancer survivors

and serves as a reminder of loved ones who have fought cancer.

For a donation of $25 to the American Cancer Society your loved one’s name can be embroidered on the quilt. If you are interested in making a donation, applications can be picked up at the McDonough Public Library located at 1001 Florence McGarity Blvd., McDonough, GA 30252.

Citizens’ Fire Academy Begins September 10

The Citizens’ Fire Academy will begin September 10, 2015 and run for eight weeks ending on October 29, 2015. Classes will be held at Henry County Fire Headquarters every Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The academy is designed to educate and inform citizens about fire and emergency services that will help the public achieve a greater understanding of the inner workings of the Henry County Fire Department.

It is not intended to train participants as firefighters or to assist at any fires. Physical limitations of applicants

will not be considered a reason for exclusion from the academy. Potential candidates for the Citizens’ Fire Academy must be a minimum of 18 years of age, live in Henry County, and have no prior felony arrests or misdemeanor arrests within six months of the application process. For more information on the Citizens’ Fire Academy please contact (770) 288-6620 or visit www.co.henry.ga.us/Fire/CitizenFireAcademy.shtml.

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