The Henry County Update - Newsletter

September 12, 2014

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Fourth Annual Gold Star Family Day to Honor Local Fallen Heroes

Regular Meetings September 16th - 9:00 AM October 7th - Canceled October 21st - 6:30 PM 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.

The memorial wall inside the Heritage Park Veterans Museum during the first Gold Star Family Event held in 2011.

The Henry County Recreation Department and the Heritage Park Veterans Museum, in conjunction with the Department of Army Survivor Outreach Services, will host the fourth annual Henry County Gold Star Family Day for the families of fallen soldiers who live in and around Henry County. The ceremony will be held on Saturday, September 27 at the Veterans Wall of Honor and the Veterans Museum, both located at Heritage Park in McDonough. The event will begin with a public ceremony at the Veterans Wall of Honor beginning at 1 p.m. This ceremony will allow the public to come out and support the local Gold Star families, as well as honor our fallen service members.

Following the public ceremony, the families will convene at the Heritage Park Veterans Museum for a private ceremony.

At that time, families will have a chance to pay tribute to and share stories of their fallen heroes and to find fellowship and support by joining with others who have experienced a similar loss. Families will also have an opportunity to honor their soldiers by placing a photo on the Wall of Honor inside the museum.

On behalf of the Heritage Park Veterans Museum staff and the Department of the Army Survivor Outreach Services Program, the public is invited to attend and show their support to the families and to remember those Continued on Page 3 the henry county update

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September 12, 2014 Public Information Meeting Regarding East Lake Rd. and SR 20 Intersection Improvements Set for September 18

The Henry County SPLOST Department will hold a public information meeting regarding the East Lake Road and SR 20 intersection improvement project on Thursday, September 18, 2014 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Timber Ridge Elementary School in McDonough.

East Lake Road at SR 20 is a designated SPLOST IV Priority 1 Project for calendar year 2014.

The Georgia Department of Transportation conducted a study of the East Lake Rd. and SR 20 intersection

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and determined that a roundabout was the correct course of action for intersection improvements. The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved the bid for design services for intersection improvements to the area at the June 17 Commission meeting.

The public information meeting will feature an expert who specializes in roundabouts, and will be able to answer citizens’ questions. Representatives from GDOT will also be on hand to offer information.

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soldiers who we have lost in service to our country.

The Veterans Museum is located in Heritage Park, at 101 Lake Dow Rd. in McDonough. For more information, contact Jim Joyce at 404-831-9740 or jjoyce@co.henry.ga.us, or contact Melissa McKenzie, Support Coordinator for Survivor Outreach Services at 478284-2766 or melissa.n.mckenzie.ctr@mail.mil.

The first public Goldstar Family Day in Henry County was held at the Veterans Wall of Honor at Heritage Park in McDonough in September, 2011.

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September 12, 2014 Straight-Line Winds Cause Damage at Henry County Airport

Storms came through Henry County on September 7 causing damage at the Henry County Airport.

On Sunday, September 7, 2014, a thunderstorm warning was issued by the National Weather Service Office, located in Peachtree City. The system moved over the Henry County Airport, located in Hampton, Georgia.

The Henry County Emergency Management Agency, along with members of the National Weather Service, surveyed the damaged area, and it was determined that the area experienced straight line winds from a downburst. Winds were estimated at between 70 and 80 mph.

There was minor damage sustained on up to 15 aircraft that were located on the property, and six of the

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privately owned planes sustained heavy damage from being pulled from their tie-downs and flipped. Minor damage to roofing, fascia and garage doors of several airplane storage facilities was also notated. There were no injuries reported from the storm.

Henry County Emergency Management Agency continues to encourage our citizens to prepare for disasters which can affect our community.

The month of September has been designated as Emergency Preparedness Month. Please contact the Henry County Emergency Management Agency at 770-288-7866, or at http://www.co.henry.ga.us/911/ for additional information.

Henry County Building Inspector Earns Scholarship

Marian Lawson, one of the Henry County Building Department’s residential building inspectors, was selected as a recipient of an Emerging Leader Code of Honor Scholarship, which will enable her to participate in the International Code Council’s 2014 Public Comment Hearings, to be held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in October. The scholarship is worth up to $2,000 and will allow Marian to participate in these hearings at no cost to the County.

Derek Sorenson, Henry County’s Building Department Director, said that receiving the scholarship is a quite an honor and he’s proud that she took the initiative to seek out opportunities to advance her career. He said the opportunity may also enable Henry County to earn credit during the Building Department’s next ISO audit.

“Marian is continually looking for opportunities for professional development and this one is a win-win on many levels. She gets the opportunity to participate in an international code development activity at absolutely no cost to the County, and staff will have the opportunity to learn from her experience when she returns,” said Sorenson. “She will also earn continuing education credit toward maintaining her professional credentials.”

The International Code Council, or ICC, is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing a single set of comprehensive and coordinated building safety and fire prevention codes.

Seven of the eight mandatory Georgia State Construction Codes are developed by the International Code Council and have statewide applicability.

The Henry County Police Department is now using YouTube! The purpose is to work in partnership with our citizens in solving and reducing crime.

www.youtube.com/user/HenryCountyPoliceDpt

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September 12, 2014 Commissioner Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation Kicks Off 2014-2015 Mentoring Programs

With a passion to guide and serve the young people of Henry County, and provide them with exceptional opportunities, the Commissioner Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation (CBHYF) is once again offering two youth mentoring programs, called Project Exposure, for young men, and Project Blossom for young women.

Participation is open to those in grades 6 through 12.

Project Exposure held their kickoff meeting for this year on Saturday, September 6, 2014. Project Blossom will host a kickoff meeting on September 13, 2014. The meeting will be held at the Fairview Recreation Center from 10 a.m. until noon.

Project Blossom and Project Exposure are youth mentoring programs established to enhance and promote leadership development, achievement and success in middle and high school students. The programs work to bolster positive self-esteem, academic and artistic achievement, the pursuit of higher education and positive interaction between the community’s young people and caring, encouraging adults.

The goal for both programs is to challenge these young people to excel by consistently exposing them to

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successful role models and empowered ways of living.

The programs raise the standard of excellence and expectation among participants and promote a climate of cultural enhancement through workshops, such as business etiquette and public speaking. Participants are also exposed to potential future career paths, leadership development and other life skills. Additionally, the programs mobilize the adult community with an opportunity to give back by serving as mentors and coaches.

“Project Exposure and Project Blossom have been a huge success since their inception and have both met the objectives of the Foundation’s four key focus areas of Healthy Living, Education, Athletics and Leadership,” said Commissioner Bruce Holmes. “We are so excited about the positive impact that we have had in the community and we are looking forward to another great year.”

The Fairview Recreation Center is located at 35 Austin Rd., Stockbridge, GA 30281.

For more information, visit www.cbhyf.org or contact info@cbhyf.org.

Third Annual ‘Vettes for Vets Car Show To be Held September 20 Calling all Corvettes, hotrods, motorcycles and more to the third annual ‘Vettes for Vets Car Show and Festival, which will be held on Saturday, September 20 at Heritage Park in McDonough from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The car show is open to all cars, trucks and bikes and prizes will be awarded in several

categories, including Best in Show, People’s Choice, Best Club Participation, Best Paint Job, Best Engine and multiple Vehicle Class Awards. There will also be concessions, door prizes, a raffle, music, family fun activities, arts and crafts and a vendor expo.

Registration for the car show is $25 (early registration is $20 if received by September 15) and there is a $5 registration discount for veterans and active duty military. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Veterans Museum at Heritage Park and parking and admission are free. Rain date is Sunday, September 21.

Heritage Park is located at 101 Lake Dow Rd. in McDonough. For more information, contact Robert Brown with Vettes for Vets at 678-764-6919 or Jim Joyce with the Heritage Park Veterans Museum at 404-831-9740.

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