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The Henry County Board ofCommissioners, District V CommissionerBruce Holmes, Nidus Development and theSPLOST Department will join forces laterthis month for a groundbreaking ceremonyon two transformative projects that willchange the face of the Fairview area, serving

to improve commute times, improve accessto healthcare and stimulate commerce in the area.

The first project is the Fairview RoadWidening Project, one of the biggesttransportation projects remaining on theSPLOST III project list. It consists of

the henry county update 1

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Regular MeetingsJune 18th at 6:30 p.m.

Meetings held at: Administration Building

Community Room140 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.

Two Projects That Will Transform Fairview Get Underway

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

June 11, 2013

The Henry County Emergency Management Agencyhosted a Crisis Leadership Decision Making seminar forcounty and city elected officials on May 29, 2013.

Using a case study on Hurricane Katrina as the guide,the four hour workshop was designed to assist seniorgovernment officials in thinking through their basic functionsand moral responsibilities as elected leaders in advance ofan emergency, rather than addressing their obligations forthe first time in the midst of a crisis.

Thirty-four people, including senior elected andpublic safety officials from Henry County, the cities of

Hampton, Locust Grove, McDonough and Stockbridge, aswell as County and City Managers and department heads, anda representative from the Board of Education attended thehighly informative session.

“I was real impressed with the amount of people thatwe had to participate in the class. We had a lot of city peopleand county people, and that’s what it takes. It takes all of usworking together as a team,” explained District 3Commissioner Gary Barham following the class. “I think itis very important that we do these kinds of classes.”Topics covered include how to plan for an effective disasterresponse, leadership and decision making during a crisis,recognizing the extraordinary, improvising the necessaryresponse, maintaining scalability, and developing ajurisdiction preparedness action plan. The importance ofbuilding and strengthening relationships across jurisdictionsin advance of a crisis was also a major focus for the group.While each was important, Commissioner Barham said thesegment about improvising during a crisis was the most informative.

“One of the most important things is that you canplan, but you can’t plan, because every situation is alwaysgoing to be different than the way you planned it. But bydoing the planning sessions that Don had, it prepares us inthe future and it prepares us mentally and physically, so Ithink it’s good.”

The class was taught by representatives from theNational Emergency Response & Rescue Training Centerthrough the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service.

County & City Officials Learn about Crisis Leadership DuringEmergency Management Seminar

www.hen r ycoun t y -ga .o rg

The Veterans Wall of Honor & Boy Scout Troop 61 willhost a flag burning ceremony on June 14th at 7pm.Worn flags may be dropped off at the Veterans

Historical Museum at Heritage Park.

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FAIRVIEW From Page 1

widening to four lanes 1.85 miles of roadway from AnvilBlock Road to just beyond what is now the newly realignedWest Panola and Fairview intersection, the installation ofeight foot wide, multi-use paths on both sides of the road,decorative stamped concrete crosswalks, mast arm signalpoles, decorative lighting and enhanced landscaping.

Also breaking ground that day will be the FairviewMedical Center by Nidus Development, a critical firsthealthcare foray into northern Henry County, which hasbeen historically underserved by the medical community.This facility by Nidus Development is the first phase of amajor mixed-use campus planned for the area to includean upscale, village concept retail component. The projectis currently in the planning, design and site developmentphase. According to Nidus Development, preliminary planscall for approximately 88,000 square feet of medical officespace and 80,000 square feet of retail space, withopportunity for additional development. The campus willfeature a park-like setting with splash fountains, greenspaces, and walking trails. Upon completion, the FairviewMedical Center is projected to employ over 1,300 personsdirectly and indirectly, with an estimated $185 millioneconomic impact.

The public is invited to attend the celebration, whichwill be held Wednesday, June 26, 2013 at 10 a.m. on aparcel of land at the intersection of West Panola andFairview Roads. Light refreshments will be servedfollowing the ceremony.

A Few Opportunities Remain toSubmit Ideas for ProposedSPLOST IV Program

The SPLOST Committee will soon be wrapping upits weekly meetings to hear public input and suggestionsfor capital and transportation projects to include in theproposed SPLOST IV program. However there are a fewopportunities left for citizens to come and share their ideasfor the penny sales tax program:

• 6/13 6:00pm McDonough City Hall; District 3• 6/17 4:30pm Henry County Admin. Bldg. (Conference Room B)• 6/20 6:00pm Henry County Admin. Bldg. (Community Room)Over the course of these meetings, the SPLOST IV

Committee has been working with County staff to formulatea list of projects. The June 17 meeting was recently addedto the Committee’s schedule as a workshop to beginfinalizing the list to recommend to the Henry County Boardof Commissioners to put on a proposed SPLOST IV ballotinitiative. The referendum will go before voters inNovember. If approved, the SPLOST IV program wouldcontinue the penny sales tax for another six years. Anestimate of the potential revenue a SPLOST IV programwould bring in has not been determined.

For more information about the SPLOST IVCommittee and its meetings, please visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/splost.

HENRY COUNTY D.O.TROAD RESURFACING SCHEDULE

For the week of June 17, 2013Fox Run Lane and Fox Run Court

will be resurfaced.**Weather permitting.

www.hen r ycoun t y -ga .o rg

The public is invited to the TC Carter Safety Day to beheld on Saturday, June 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. behind theHenry County Judicial Center at the parking deck in McDonough.

The Community Safety day is in honor of TC Carter,the porter whose heroic efforts saved many lives after theCamp Creek Train Wreck of 1900. Hosted by the McDonoughMain Street Program and jointly sponsored by Henry CountyDistrict III Commissioner Gary Barham and McDonoughDistrict II Councilwoman Sandra Vincent, the safety day willfeature displays and demonstrations by Henry County andMcDonough public safety agencies and a model train exhibitand free ID kits from the Middle Georgia Railroad Model Club,as well as information from various safety organizations and vendors.

Adults and children will learn about safety aroundpower lines and trains, as well as fire safety and much more.Scheduled participants for this free event include AmericanFamily Insurance, Atlanta Trek, Georgia Power, the HenryCounty Fire Department, the Henry County Health Department,the Henry County Sheriff Office, the Henry County EmergencyManagement Agency (911), Hot Shots Paintball/InvertSkateboard, the McDonough Fire Department, the McDonoughPolice Department and Train Safety-Operation Lifesaver.

For more information, visitwww.mainstreetmcdonough.com.

Community Safety Day Set for June 22

FINNEGAN • Dachshund MixI am a sweet and loving soul that needs a lifetime companion togive me the home that I deserve. I was picked up as a stray, somy friends here at the shelter do not know anything about mypast. If you would like to meet me, then please call my friends at(770) 288-PETS. My I.D. #5/21-1256 please refer to this numberwhen inquiring about me. Lost and stray animals are held at theHenry County Animal Care and Control Shelter for four (4) calendar days (excluding Sundays and county holidays) in orderto give their owners a chance to reclaim them. After that time period, adoptable animals are held as long as space allows.

Remember to when summer nights meant kickballgames with friends until the streetlights came on? Well,summer fun on the kickball field isn’t just for childrenanymore, as Commissioner Bruce Holmes AthleticAssociation and Henry County Parks & Recreation welcomethe 2013 Sweet Lady Kickers Summer Kickball League toHenry County, for adult women between the ages of 21 and 50.

Registration for the Sweet Lady Kickers will be heldat Hidden Valley Park on Mondays, June 3, 10, 17 and 24from 6-8 p.m. and on Saturdays, June 1, 8, 15 and 22 from1-3 p.m. The ten-week season begins Saturday, August 3and runs through September 28, with games played onSaturdays between 4 and 6 p.m., and playoffs in October.

All games will be held at Hidden Valley Park locatedat 100 Spraggins Memorial Parkway in Stockbridge. Thefee to register is $115, but space is limited. To enjoy aseason of fun and fitness, call 678.732.5688 for more information.

Ladies Kickball League Coming to Fairview

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Early last month, Connecting Henry launched aninnovative new program, called STRIVE, to help residentsbreak the cycle of joblessness. Candidates were carefullyscreened and then invited to participate in the program thathelped ready them for a success in a job or further schooling.STRIVE is a month-long, intensive training program thatprovides workforce development to individuals who eitherhave had difficulty finding and/or keeping a job because oflack of experience or a lack of applicable skill sets to succeedin a work environment.

On May 24, thirty-two people became the firstgraduating class of the Henry County STRIVE program, andmarked the occasion with a graduation ceremony completewith cap and gown. Family, friends and community leadersattended the graduation ceremony to celebrate the successof these graduates that will lead them down new paths tobrighter futures.

There was applause and laughter, along with tears ofjoy, as one by one, the graduates received their diplomas andaddressed their classmates and attendees from the stage.Each began by expressing heartfelt thanks to the staff of New

Hope Enterprises and Connecting Henry for bringing theSTRIVE program to Henry County.

“I sincerely want everyone to know this is a terrificprogram. I gained confidence and friendships, and we will bedoing something for the community where we live. I willmake you proud and I will ‘toot your horn’ about this greatprogram,” said Kathryn, a graduate.

“STRIVE gave me my passion back, and that’sbeyond a job. It gave me purpose and a destiny,” said Joanna.

“I went to the Connecting Henry office for anotherissue where Miss Shon told me about STRIVE. Now I haveconfidence, direction and a place to be. I have a path that Iwant to do,” said Wendy. “I had a job interview yesterday andI held my head up knowing I can do this.”

“Thank you for the privilege. I have been out of workfor 10 years. Now I am ready to go back and achieve what Iwant to achieve,” said Winston.

According to Daryl Dotschay, Director of ConnectingHenry, the workforce development program assistedparticipants to identify what was holding them back andenable them to develop the skills and confidence to succeed

Connecting Henry Graduates First Class of STRIVE Program

Lilian was the first to cross the stage and receive her certificate for successfully completing Connecting Henry's STRIVE program.

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in either an employment setting or in furthering theireducation, and that the end goal was really not to justcomplete the program, but to change lives.

To reach the point of graduation, participants tookpart in a four-week, intensive program where they learnednot only job skills, but interpersonal skills to learn conflictresolution and goal setting. They were able to identify thebarriers that had been holding them back and learned howto eliminate them. Dotschay said that 184 people madeappointments and out of that number, 61 showed up for theappointment. After an evaluation, 45 were invited toparticipate, with 37 starting and 32 actually making it throughthe program.

Rafael Agosto, the lead trainer and a STRIVE successstory, who graduated 21 years ago from the program in NewYork after three attempts, spoke about the transformation hesaw in the students.

“The difference in demeanor is amazing,” he told thegraduates. “You’ve already started an amazing process.STRIVE has already given you tools to be the one theemployer chooses.”

“Now comes the hard part. These tools mean nothing

if you don’t use them,” said Walter Evans, STRIVE trainer andformer program graduate. “We were created to do somethingspecial and it’s up to you to achieve it.”

The STRIVE program is based on a model that NewHope Enterprises, Inc. out of Atlanta has been successfullyusing for several years. Dotschay said he was very satisfiedwith the partnership and the two groups are already lookingto formalize plans for a second STRIVE class.

“It was a seamless partnership and we had like visionand worked hand in hand to make this a success,” saidDotschay. “We plan on following these graduates and helpthem get jobs and already have 121 on a waiting list for thenext class.”

Connecting Henry is a non-profit organizationdedicated to providing programs which strengthen familiesin Henry County by focusing on educational needs andworkforce development. Organizers are also looking forcompanies and employers who are interested in learningmore. For more information or to apply to the STRIVEprogram, please contact Connecting Henry at 770.288.6230.

Focus on Transportation ProjectsSpecial guests include Bert Brantley, Deputy Executive Director for the State

Road & Tollway Authority, McDonough Councilwoman Sandra Vincent, Roque Romero, Henry County SPLOST Transportation Director and Terry

McMickle, Henry County Public Works Division Director.

June 22, 2013 • 9am Cross Road Christian Church

5365 North Henry Blvd. in Stockbridge

STRIVE From Page 5

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After retiring from Bellsouth in 2002, Glenda Garrisbecame a Certified Master Gardener Extension Volunteer. Shewas inspired while attending a lecture on CommunityGardens to found Community Gardens of Henry County, anon-profit organization to serve the residents of Henry County.

She is responsible for developing each of thefollowing gardens and continues to oversee them throughoutthe year, managing all fundraising and planting for thesegardens:

• 2004 with the partnership of the Henry County Board of Commissioners, she founded the Community Garden in Heritage park for seniors, a garden known throughout the state.• 2004 Hooten Street garden in conjunction with the McDonough Housing Authority• 2005 Cubihatcha Garden was founded with the support of the Henry County Water Authority• 2008 The Windy Hill Community garden was founded as a family garden

• 2010 The Lewis Street and Wesley Way Helping Harvest Gardens were founded.

100% of the harvests from the Hhelping HarvestGardens are donated to help feed the hungry in Henry County,producing more than 45,000 pounds of produce to date.

In 2006 she became president of the Henry CountyMaster Gardeners. She was responsible for the formation ofthe Master Gardener’s “Garden Tour”, a semiannualfundraiser. She was also named “Citizen of the Year by theHenry County Chamber of Commerce for her service to thecommunity. In 2009, she was named Master Gardener of the year.

She has now completed 10 years of service as acertified Master Gardener Extension Volunteer in HenryCounty and the Board of Commissioners would like to jointhe County Extension in recognizing Glenda Garris for herservice as a Lifetime Master Gardener Extension Volunteer.

The Henry County Board of Commissioners, together with the Henry County Extension, honored Glenda Garris for 10 years of service as a Certified MasterGardener at the June 4 Commission meeting.