Henry County Update - Newsletter

October 22, 2015

Board of

Commissioners Regular Meetings November 3 at 9:00 AM November 17 at 6:30 PM

County Breaks Ground on Bud Kelley Park

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.

Pictured for the Bud Kelley Park groundbreaking ceremony are (l. to r.) Tom Kelley, Billy Kelley, Bobby Jackson, Beau Kelley, Buddy Kelley, District III Commissioner Gary Barham, District IV Commissioner Blake Prince, Chairman Tommy Smith and former District IV Commissioner Reid Bowman.

After much planning, Henry County held a ceremonial groundbreaking on Bud Kelley Park in the Kelleytown area of McDonough at 10 a.m. on October 15.

Present for the event were District IV Commissioner Blake Prince, Chairman Tommy Smith, District III Commissioner Gary Barham, former District IV Commissioner Reid Bowman, county manager Lyndon Bonner, several county officials, Buddy Kelley, Beau Kelley and several members and friends of the Kelley family.

“It is a great honor to finally break ground at this park. Bud Kelley Park will be a great service to citizens and the community and we are happy to honor Bud Kelley and the Kelley family,� said Commissioner Prince.

The passive park will feature 124 acres of free space for citizens to enjoy and will not be used as a sports venue. Planned amenities include over two miles of Continued on page 3

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October 22, 2015

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 Samantha Watson Melissa Robinson Kevin Williams

Henry County pays tribute to fallen soldier

Henry County honored fallen soldier Airman First Class Kcey Ruiz at the Henry County Airport (Tara Field) after her body was flown in on Tuesday, October 13, 2015.

Kcey was killed in action in Afghanistan where the plane carrying her and her fellow airmen crashed on October 2, 2015.

Henry County Commission Chairman Tommy Smith, District 3 Commissioner Gary Barham, County Manager Lyndon Bonner, Henry County Fire Department, Police and other officials, along with citizens were present to pay tribute to the Dutchtown High School graduate. henrycounty-ga.org

Free Gardening Mulch at The Recycling Center

With fall in full effect, many of us are scrambling to get our gardens in order. With that in mind, the Henry County Recycling Center is pleased to announce that they will be giving away free mulch and compost on November 7 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Department of Transportation (DOT) yard off of the Henry Parkway Connector.

The mulch consists of ground up soil and wood debris from the Recycling Center and the compost consists of green waste from the DOT and Stormwater projects. These products are purposed more for gardening than decoration.

There are around 100 dump truck loads to be given away. County employees will be available with machinery to load citizen’s trucks and trailers with mulch or compost.

Henry County Applies for State Roadside Enhancement and Beautification Council Grant

The Henry County Department of Transportation knows you don’t have to take the long way to drive through a scenic route. That’s why the department has gained approval from the Board of Commissioners to apply for the State Aid Office’s Roadside Enhancement and Beautification Council (REBC) Grant.

The Henry County D.O.T. can apply for up to $50,000 to be used for the purpose of landscaping, purchasing of plant material and installation that would enhance the state right of way and display it in an attractive fashion to promote pride in the County.

In related news, the Georgia Department of Transportation’s contract with the Henry County D.O.T. came to a close at the October 20 Commission meeting upon the final signing of paperwork. Henry County received the state aid contract to landscape 2.98 miles of Jonesboro Road from I-75 to Norfolk Southern Railroad.

The Henry County Parks and Recreation Department did the work in-house and has completed the project and maintained it through the required plant establishment period required by G.D.O.T. specifications.

For more information about the REBC Grant, formerly the GATEway Grant Program, visit, www.dot.ga.gov. To learn more about the Henry County D.O.T. visit, www.henrycounty-ga.org/HCDOT.

Kelley Park from page 1 paved walking trails, two pavilions equipped with picnic tables, one pavilion equipped with a serving window, a large playground with rubber surface area, a concrete walking track circling the playground, a par course with ten fitness elements, eight shaded rest benches, two convenient parking lots and restroom facilities.

“My dad loved Henry County and the Kelleytown community. We are thankful for his remembrance through this park,” said Buddy Kelley, Bud Kelley’s son.

The park is scheduled for completion by spring of 2016 and the work is being performed by the Sports Turf Company, Inc. It is funded through SPLOST IV at a cost of $2,750,000.

For more information on this or any SPLOST project, please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/splost.

13th Annual Fall Storytelling Festival Happening Tomorrow

There are leaves on the ground, pumpkins on porches and scarecrows in McDonough Square. It’s looking a lot like fall, which means it’s time for the Henry County Library System’s 13th Annual Fall Storytelling Festival that will take place tomorrow, October 23, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The festival will include a decorated pumpkin display, a costume parade, crafts for children, light refreshments and spooky storytelling performed by Josie Bailey.

The event is free of charge and is presented in part by the Henry Arts Alliance, Inc., Ortho Atlanta, Piedmont Henry Medical Center and Todd Schmidt.

For more information on the Henry County Library System and its programming, visit www.henry.public.lib.ga.us.

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October 22, 2015

Fourth Annual Commissioner’s Masked Ball Set for November 1 Proceeds to benefit the Commissioner Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation

District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes will be hosting the Fourth Annual Commissioner’s Masked Ball on November 1, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. in the Egyptian Ballroom of the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.

Honorees of the event include former WSB news anchor Monica Pearson, Henry County Solicitor General “Trea” A. Pipkin III, Laura Turner, Rojini Lazarus, McDonough Councilwoman Sandra Vincent, Dr. Rita Bailey and Justin Lamert. Shaunya Chavis Rucker will host as Mistress of Ceremony.

Tickets cost $60 each and all proceeds of the

event will go to the Commissioner Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization that works to foster meaningful and positive outcomes for young people through athletics, healthy living, education, leadership and mentoring.

Tickets may be purchased at www.cbhyf.org or www.cbhyf.eventbrite.com.

The Fox Theatre is located at 660 Peachtree St NE, in Atlanta. For more information, call 404-3100460 or 770-597-7544. Attire is formal black tie and mask.

Christmas Program in Need of Volunteers and Donations

Preparations for Connecting Henry’s annual Community Cares Christmas Toy Shop, to be held on December 10 and 11, are underway and officials are looking for donations of toys, money and gift cards as well as volunteers for a number of positions.

The toys and donations collected will stay right here in Henry County and go to families in need to make Christmas a little brighter for those that might not otherwise have anything under the tree. The Community Cares Christmas Toy Shop helps provide Christmas gifts and other resources for families in need. In years past, this holiday event has been a huge success, thanks in part to the generosity of donors and volunteers who made a difference in the lives of thousands of Henry County children. Unfortunately, the need this year is expected to be just as great.

The Community Cares Toy Shop is a unique program in that it gives parents a place to “shop” for Christmas gifts for their children. More than just a toy giveaway, the Community Cares Christmas Toy Shop helps to empower families to feel like part of henrycounty-ga.org

the community, restoring pride and giving hope for the holidays, while helping families in need with other available resources.

Susan Crumbley, Director of Connecting Henry, Inc. said it is the volunteers that really make the Christmas program such a great success.

“Last year we had over 100 volunteers helping us,” said Crumbley. “We couldn’t do this without volunteers.”

Volunteers are needed for a variety of jobs, including pre-event volunteering (sorting toys, decorating the warehouse, painting, etc…) as well as on the days of the event (hosting families, wrapping gifts, security, registration) to be held on December 10 and 11.

For those who are interested in volunteering and to find out how your time and talents can make a difference this Christmas season, or for more information, call 770-288-6230 or email scrumbley@co.henry.ga.us.

Henry County Police Department Receives Two Grants

The Henry County Police Department has been awarded the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (G.O.H.S.) grant in the amount of $64,200 as well as the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant in the amount of $24,662.

The G.O.H.S. grant was awarded by the State for the sole purpose of supporting the continuation of the Henry County Police Department’s H.E.A.T. (Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic) program.

The purpose of the H.E.A.T. program is to enforce driving under the influence (D.U.I.) laws, traffic laws and occupant safety laws. The unit consists of one sergeant and three officers.

The G.O.H.S. grant will fund forty percent of the salaries and fringe benefits, regular operating expenses, travel and equipment purchases for the sergeant and one officer. Henry County is responsible for matching the funds with $96,200.

The Justice Assistance Grant is a federal grant that will be used for police training and continuing education. The grant will allow the Henry County Police Department to send three ranking officers to the Institute of Police Technology and Management School for $5,662. It will also allow the Department to bring instructors from the Public Agency Training Council and the Glenn Foster Group to Henry County to teach various classes for 25 officers for $19,000. This grant does not require a match of funds.

For more information on the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety grant visit, www.gahighwaysafety.org/grants. To learn more about the Henry County H.E.A.T. unit visit, www.henrycounty-ga.org/police. For more information regarding the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant visit, www.gja.gov.

Henry County Police Department Replaces Outdated Equipment

The Board of Commissioners approved a resolution to replace the Henry County Police Department’s generation two and three Glock semiautomatic pistols, as well as approved a trade-in of the Motorcycle Unit’s six Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The action came at the October 20 Commission meeting.

The funds for the pistol replacement are allocated in the HCPD budget and the transition will occur over a period of months as officers qualify with and are issued the new firearms.

The HCPD will also be trading in six HarleyDavidson motorcycles, that are least eight years old with high mileage, to Victory Police Motorcycles for $40,000, while simultaneously entering a lease to own program for six 2016 Victory Commander 1 HCMPD motorcycles.

The lease to purchase term for the motorcycles is six years and costs $5,191.92 per motorcycle per year, totaling $186,918.00 over the six-year term. According to Major Keith Goings, the agreement allows the motorcycles to be leased interest free, and purchased for $1.00 each after the lease term ends. The first year’s lease will be financed with state seized funds, and the department will allocate funds in the next five years budgets for the annual lease of the motorcycles.

The new motorcycles will be delivered patrol ready with a lighting package, graphics, mobile radio and speed detection devices.

To keep up with the latest HCPD news visit, www.henrycounty-ga.org/police.

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October 22, 2015

HELP ARC HH

HENRY COUNTY EMERGENCY VOLUNTEERS & LOCAL PARTNERS AMERICAN RED CROSS

Volunteer Recruitment

American Red Cross

Volunteer Information Session November 5, 2015 @ 7PM H e nry C ou n ty E me r g en cy Op e ra ti o ns Ce n t er 526 Industrail Blvd.

McDonough, GA 30253

American Red Cross

Volunteer Training Session November 21, 2015 @ 9AM H e nry C ou n ty E me r g en cy Op e ra ti o ns Ce n t er 526 Industrail Blvd.

McDonough, GA 30253

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for HELP ARC Please contact Henry County Office of Emergency Mangement Officer Shelita D. Broomfield @ 770-288-7865 or sbroomfield@co.henry.ga.us

The American Red Cross is hosting a volunteer recruitment event for Henry County residents Thursday, November 5, 2015 at the Henry County Emergency Operations Center.

The event is for residents who are interested in helping others and giving back to their communities through the American Red Cross. Red Cross staff members and volunteers will describe the various volunteer opportunities that are available within the Red Cross lines of service: Disaster Services, Blood Services, Service to Armed Forces, and Health and Safety Services.

“The Red Cross is always looking for people with various backgrounds, talents and skill levels to join our team.

American Red Cross volunteers play a crucial role in ensuring that the Red Cross delivers its services in our communities. Please join us to learn more about how you can serve your community as a Red Cross volunteer.�

To RSVP for the event, please contact Shelita D. Broomfield Program Coordinator, at sbroomfield@co.henry.ga.us or (770) 288-7865.

The American Red Cross Metro Atlanta Chapter covers 12counties and has responded to 40+ calls in 2014-2015 from Henry County Fire Department and/or displaced residents needing immediate assistance due to natural disaster (i.e. fire, flood).

The 40+ cases were from Hampton, Locust Grove, McDonough and Stockbridge.

henrycounty-ga.org