Henry County Update - May 17, 2013

May 17, 2013

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Henry County Awarded $1.4 Million from GDOT to Improve Local Roads

Regular Meetings May 21st at 6:30 p.m.

Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Commission meetings will air Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays on Henry TV Channel 14, at 9 a.m., 2 p.m., & 7 p.m.

Front row from left to right: Commissioner Brian Preston, Commissioner Gary Barham, Commissioner Bruce Holmes, State Transportation Board District 10 Representative Jamie Boxwell, Commissioner Bo Moss, State Transportation Board District 13 Representative Dana Lemon, Commissioner Reid Bowman, and Commission Chairman Tommy Smith.

Back Row: Todd Long, GDOT Deputy Commissioner, Terry Bagle LMIG Administrator and Thomas Howell, GDOT District 3 Engineer.

We are now on AT&T U-Verse Channel 99 & Charter Channel 14

The Georgia Department of Transportation presented a check in the amount of $1,403,536.48 to the Henry County Board of Commissioners at a special called meeting on May 9, 2013. The check is an award of Local Maintenance & Improvement Grant funds, which are given to Georgia counties based on a complex

formula involving the County’s road miles and population relative to the State’s totals.

The funds will be used to complete 19 road resurfacing projects totaling about 8 miles located throughout the county, chief among them South Bethany Road from Old Jackson Road to SR 81, Luella Road from SR 155 to end of pavement, McCullough Continued on Page 3 the henry county update

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The Honorable Brian J. Amero of Georgia Facilitates General Jurisdiction at The National Judicial College

The National Judicial College (NJC) is pleased to announce that the Honorable Brian J. Amero of the Henry County Superior Court in McDonough, Ga. facilitated General Jurisdiction, April 28-May 9, 2013, at The National Judicial College in Reno, Nev. This course supplements state-provided judicial education for judges by providing a solid foundation for a judicial career. Participants are immersed in the core competencies of their profession. After attending this course, participants are able to manage their courtrooms and individual cases; conduct jury and non-jury trials more effectively; summarize and apply developments in criminal law and procedure, family law, judicial discretion, judicial ethics and sentencing; rule on evidence more confidently; make fair and unbiased decisions; and interact with the media in a positive manner.

“It’s a privilege and an honor to have been asked by the NJC to serve as a facilitator; to assist in the education of new judges from different parts of the country,” said Judge Amero. “It’s a great opportunity to learn from them and bring new ideas back to Henry County.”

The National Judicial College was founded in 1963 and is the nation’s leading provider of judicial education. The NJC is housed in a state-of-the-art building on the historic 255-acre campus of the University of Nevada, Reno. For 50 years, the NJC has been offering courses to improve judicial productivity, challenge current perceptions of justice and inspire judges to achieve judicial excellence. With courses held onsite, across the nation and around the world, the NJC offers an average of 95 courses annually with more than 3,000 judges enrolling from all 50 states, U.S. territories and more than 150 countries. Since it opened, the NJC has awarded more than 85,000 professional judicial education certificates.

The NJC and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges assisted the University of Nevada, Reno, in developing one of the nation’s first master’s and Ph.D. in judicial studies programs.

The NJC is also home to the National Tribal Judicial Center and an International Program. The College’s curricula include a Seminar Series, made up of courses that provide judges the opportunity to study diverse and interesting topics at historically and culturally rich locations across the United States. Web-based courses are also offered enabling participants to explore a variety of subject areas online.

Please visit the NJC website at www.judges.org for NJC news, ways to donate, course information and more.

Public Notice for the Adoption of the 2013-2014 Budget The Henry County Board of Commissioners will conduct a meeting to Adopt the proposed FY 2013-14 Budget on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. This meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Henry County Administration Building, 140 Henry Parkway, McDonough. The proposed FY 2012-13 budget is available for review at the County Administration Building during normal business hours, which are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. w w w. h e n r y c o u n t y - g a . o r g

BRIDGE From Page 1 Road from Jonesboro Road to Flippen Road, and Old Conyers Road from SR 138 to Flat Shoals Church Road. The total cost of these resurfacing projects is $1,877,761, which includes the County’s required 30 percent grant match. As the match is funded out of the FY2014 budget, Henry County DOT will not begin work on these projects until July 2013, the start of the new fiscal year.

According to their website, GDOT remains committed to helping local governments achieve much-needed improvements to their roads, but they have revised the program this year to allow “local governments greater flexibility and quicker project delivery while allowing

(GDOT) to effectively administer the program with a reduced workforce.”

“Where we once had to pay for the project ourselves, submit paperwork for each phase of the project along the way, and await final inspection from GDOT before the funds would be reimbursed, we now get the money up front and only have to submit a final certification that the project was completed,” explained Henry County Public Works Division Director Terry McMickle. “It’s more efficient for both the County and GDOT.” For more information about the LMIG program, please visit http://tinyurl.com/aoyg9v4.

Join Commissioner Bruce Holmes and Henry County Solicitor General Trea Pipkin for a Town Hall Meeting on the Henry County Judicial System Progressive Citizens of Stockbridge will also be on hand to share information about their organization, which works to promote a vibrant community that is safe and economically viable, with good schools, in order to encourage people to bring their families to live and work in the city of Stockbridge.

May 25, 2013 • 9am Cross Road Christian Church • 5365 North Henry Blvd. in Stockbridge

The next SPLOST IV Committee meeting will be held at the New Hope Elementary School at 1655 New Hope Road in Locust Grove on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 6 p.m.

Public input regarding the proposed SPLOST IV program can be submitted here: henrycounty-ga.org/SPLOST/SPLOSTIV_Comments.shtml 3

Commissioner Bruce Holmes’ Youth Foundation Fundraiser Set for May 23

Henry County District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes’ Youth Foundation will be hosting its second

annual “Cocktails for a Cause” fundraiser, to be held at Los Portales Mexican Restaurant in Stockbridge on Thursday, May 23 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., featuring cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment.

The Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation is a non-profit organization that is community driven for youth development in the areas of athletics, healthy living, education and leadership.

The mission of the Foundation is to establish youth development programs and partnerships which help young people reach their fullest potential.

The organization was founded on the belief that all youth, no matter what their personal circumstances, deserve the opportunity to succeed.

DHARMA • Terrier Mix I am a sweet and loving soul that needs a lifetime companion to give me the home that I deserve. I was picked up as a stray, so my friends here at the shelter do not know anything about my past. If you would like to meet me, then please call my friends at (770) 288-PETS. My I.D. # 4/29-0577 please refer to this number when inquiring about me. Lost and stray animals are held at the Henry County Animal Care and Control Shelter for four (4) calendar days (excluding Sundays and county holidays) in order to give their owners a chance to reclaim them. After that time period, adoptable animals are held as long as space allows.

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Realizing that many young people throughout our nation experience deficits in even the basic of resources, the Foundation continually seeks out opportunities to create programs and partnerships which will ultimately equip young people for success.

Funds raised will go to support the Foundation's many programs.

Tickets are $35 and may be purchased through Eventbrite at www.eventbrite.com.

Los Portales Mexican Restaurant is located at 1745 Rock Quarry Rd. in Stockbridge. For more information, call 770.597.7544 or visit the Commissioner Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation at www.cbhyf.org.

Henry Hurricanes Win Three Titles in 2013 Add another check mark in the win column for the Henry Hurricanes who on April 27, won the AAAASP State JV Wheelchair Football championship game against the Gwinnett Heat by the score of 31-28 to finish their season with a record of 6-1. This incredible accomplishment follows the Hurricanes’ undefeated seasons in Wheelchair Handball and Basketball to capture 2012/2013 AAASP JV State Championship titles for both sports.

“The wheelchair football victory now gives the Henry Hurricanes 3 state JV Championships in every sport this school year – this my friends is what’s called a Hat Trick,” said Harlon Matthews, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist for the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department.

Other Hurricane titles include state JV Basketball Championships in 2008 and 2009, and one second place state basketball title in 2012.

Matthews said that with this latest victory, the Wheelchair Football title no longer eludes the Hurricanes and it was a well-deserved victory over the undefeated Gwinnett Heat team.

Gwinnett led the game several times but the Hurricanes were always able to score again to tie the game. With six minutes left on the clock, Kyle Blake with the Hurricanes intercepted a Gwinnett pass to give it back to the Hurricanes. On fourth down, the Hurricanes went for the goal and scored a touchdown. Then the Hurricanes’ incredible defense stopped Gwinnett from moving the ball and they missed a long field goal. With five minutes left in the game, the Hurricanes were able to maintain possession of the ball and run out the clock.

“This was a sweet, sweet victory,” explained an excited Coach Chris Vernon. “To be able to come back and beat the team that prevented us from having an undefeated record was a great feeling.”

The Henry Hurricanes is a Henry County Schools interscholastic wheelchair sports team in partnership with Henry County Parks and Recreation Wheelchair Sports. The team is comprised of eleven physically impaired students who are recruited from several Henry County schools, and two from Griffin. Eligibility for the team includes any physical limitation that prevents the student from participating in “mainstream” school-based teams. The team is not only made up of manual and power wheelchair users, but also includes students who use mobility aides like walkers, canes, crutches, AFOs or no mobility aides at all.

The Henry Hurricanes are always looking to recruit new players and would be honored to have you on the team. Please feel free to contact Mathews at hmatthews@co.henry.ga.us or Vernon, a teacher at Woodland Middle School at cvernon@henry.k12.ga.us to setup a meet and great with the student and their parents.

In related news, Matthews was named the Professional Tennis Registry’s (PTR) Wheelchair Professional of the Year, during its annual symposium, held earlier this month. The award is presented to a PTR wheelchair teaching professional who has demonstrated exceptional efforts to grow the sport of wheelchair tennis.

Matthews is a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist for Henry County Parks and Recreation. He is the Chair of the USTA Georgia Wheelchair Tennis Committee, and assisted in the creation of Grand Prix Georgia Wheelchair Tennis Series, a tournament that received the 2012 USTA Georgia Wheelchair Event of the Year Award. He is the Tournament Director of The Geranium Festival Wheelchair Tennis Tournament in McDonough.

For more information on Henry County’s wheelchair sports programs, visit www.hcprd.org.

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Henry County Attracts Statewide Soccer Tournaments

The Henry County Soccer Association Academy's Thunder Elite Team after winning the U12 Division in the Georgia State Academy Cup May 12.

On May 11 and 12, Henry County welcomed nearly 2,000 young soccer players for the Georgia State Academy Cup, held at North Mount Carmel Park in Hampton. Over 150 teams in age groups from U-9 thru U-13 from across the state converged in Henry County, bringing approximately 2,400 players plus the parents and family members of the athletes to stay and play in Henry County for the weekend.

Although only one team came from out of state, more than 200 hotel rooms were booked for the event. Henry County will also host the Peach Classic Soccer Tournament on May 18 and 19, where more than 3,200 athletes between the ages of 9 and 17, plus their family members, are expected to

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spend the weekend in Henry County. With 85 out-of-state teams traveling to Henry County, the economic impact will be huge, with thousands of hotel rooms expected to be filled.

Henry County was chosen to host these events, in part, because of the top quality athletic fields at Mt. Carmel Park and the desirable geographic location of Henry County.

The Henry County Parks and Recreation Department actively seeks to attract tournaments and events to Henry County by offering desirable amenities, such as well-maintained parks, athletic fields and enjoyable and varied recreational opportunities.

All their hard work has paid off as Henry County hosts many other tournaments throughout the year, attracting athletes from around the state and across the country, to participate in everything from baseball and softball tournaments to football, BMX, tennis and even paintball. In the warmer months, nearly every weekend is filled with tournaments, and these events bring people and tourism revenue into the County. Such spending is a boon to local business and to the SPLOST program, which benefits residents through tax dollars spent by visitors while they are staying, dining, and shopping in our community.

The next major tournament scheduled in Henry County is the USSSA Junior World Series to be held July 2 through 7, 2013. For more information on the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department and all of its amenities, log on to www.hcprd.org.

Henry County Commission District 5 Safety and Protection Night Come Join Your Neighbors and Local Businesses For A Fun Night Out With Your Public Safety Professionals

The Home Depot Parking Lot 65 Fairview Road, Ellenwood, GA 30294

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 5:00 pm — 8:00 pm

FREE FOOD & DRINKS

MU y l i SI m Fa un! Displays DJ C F

Commissioner Bruce Holmes

Meet with Henry County’s Public Safety Professionals and Local Elected Officials To Get to Know Them and Ask Questions To Learn More About the Services They Provide For More Information Contact:

Sgt. Jimmie Spence 770-288-7141 or Sgt. Jason Duffey- 770-288-8275 District 5 Safety Night 4-9-2013