July 11, 2014

BOARD OFCOMMISSIONERS

Regular Meetings July 15th - 6:30 PM

August 5th - 9:00 AM

Meetings held at:Administration Building

Community Room140 Henry Parkway

McDonough, GA 30253

Regular Commissionmeetings will air Fridays,Saturdays, Mondays and

Wednesdays onHenry TV Channel 180 andAT&T U-Verse Channel 99,

at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.

1the henry county update

National Night Out Set for August 5

The Henry County Police Department, along with the Henry County Sheriff’s Department, Henry County Fire Department and other law enforcement agencies in the county are hosting the annual National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Henry Town Center in McDonough. Henry County’s National Night Out is a free event for the whole family where parents and children alike will have an opportunity to meet community leaders and various law enforcement officers and get a first-hand look at some of the equipment, vehicles and apparatus they use to keep citizens safe. There will be various demonstrations as well as public safety displays from the C.A.G.E. gang task force and S.W.A.T. team members. There will also be free food and giveaways from area merchants plus plenty of fun activities for the whole family, including live music. National Night Out is a unique crime and drug prevention event that

involves citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials coming together in a show of solidarity against crime. The first National Night Out took place in 1984. That first year, 2.5 million Americans took part across 400 communities in 23 states. Now

in its 31st year, National Night Out involves over 37.8 million people and 16,124 communities from all fifty states, U.S. Territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide. Henry County began participating in 2001 and every year draws larger crowds interested in taking part

in this stand against crime. Henry County’s event is made possible through the generosity of local merchants and businesses, and the sponsorship of Target. National Night Out will take place in front of the Target Department Store, 1850 Jonesboro Rd., in McDonough. For more information, contact 770-288-8200.

henrycounty-ga.org

July 11, 2014

Henry County Law Enforcement’s Battle of the Badges Blood Drive to Help Save Lives

Every day donated blood is used to save the lives of countless patients in Henry County and across the state, and blood donations of all types are always needed. To help support the life saving measures of providing blood, the Henry County Police Department and the Henry County Sheriff’s Department are hosting a Battle of the Badges Blood Drive, to be held on Monday, July 28, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Each law enforcement department will have their own convenient donation site set up at their respective offices. Donations for the Police Department will be held at the Henry County Government Annex (Public Safety Building in the training room) located at 108 S. Zack Hinton Parkway in McDonough. The

donation site for the Sheriff’s Office will be held in the training room of the Sheriff’s Administration Building, located at 120 Henry Parkway in McDonough. Come support the great cause of life-saving blood donation and as a thank you, each presenting donor will receive a free tee shirt. As an added bonus, there will also be a drawing for two $25 gift cards at each location. Individuals who are 17 years of age or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. To schedule an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter the sponsor code hcgvt. If you have questions about eligibility, please call 1.800. RED CROSS.

3

Parent Expo set for July 26 The new school year is right around the corner, so come and celebrate with the third annual Henry County Communities in Schools Parent Expo, which will be held on Saturday, July 26 at Heritage Park in McDonough from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Henry County School System will be represented along with other local businesses and non-profit organizations. In addition, there will be valuable information for parents, as well as a school supply giveaway, free food, face painting, inflatables and other fun activities for the kids. The Parent Expo is being sponsored by Communities in Schools,

in partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Connecting Henry, Inc., Henry County Schools and the Commissioner Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation. Communities in Schools is the country’s largest dropout prevention organization with the mission to

surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Heritage Park is located at 101 Lake Dow Rd. in McDonough. For more information, call 678-432-4499, visit www.cis-henry.org or see them on Facebook.

henrycounty-ga.org

July 11, 2014

Generous Donation Fuels Special Olympic Dreams Hampton Masonic Lodge #70 presented Henry County Parks and Recreation Special Olympics a donation in the amount of $2,848 from the proceeds of their Country Breakfast Fundraiser, held in June. The benefit breakfast was held to help the three athletes and two unified partners raise funds to compete in the Special Olympic USA Games, which were held last month in New Jersey. The team came home with several gold, silver, and bronze medals and made Henry County very proud!

Pictured (l.to r.) Mac McGee, with the Hampton Masonic Lodge, athlete Melissa Dodgen, Therapeutic Coordinator Terry Nash, athlete Brittney Hagelthorn, and Davina Ford, Unified Partner.

Melissa, Brittney and Davina show off their medals.

5

4-H Camp Celebrates Another Successful Year Henry County 5th and 6th graders had an awesome week during the long-held tradition of 4-H camp at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center, which was held from June 23 to 27, where one hundred Henry County students, teen leaders and adults were among the more than 850 participants at the camp in Eatonton for the week. The daily schedule was packed with opportunities such as archery, canoeing, conservation, entomology, forestry, herpetology, lake ecology and the Health’s Our Pledge class. Campers also had time to enjoy one of two swimming pools as well as the campers’ favorite--the water slide. The week showcased a Native American theme and campers were treated to a presentation by Jonathan Winterhawk on the history and culture of local American Indians. Summer camp counselors and former 4-H’ers taught the classes and led a host of other activities for campers including the Variety Show, the Rock Eagle

Pageant, a tribal meeting at the campfire ring, cheers and chants to show their spirit, a hike to the Rock Eagle effigy and so much more. Students returning to Rock Eagle as second year campers had additional opportunities such as climbing the rock wall and traveling down on a zip line, taking a turn on the swing shot, sailing on the Rock Eagle lake and a night hike to and from Rock Eagle’s pioneer camp. Rock Eagle 4-H Center is situated adjacent to the Oconee National Forest and the camp encompasses 1,500 acres of forest land and includes a 110-acre lake. The camp opened in 1955 and is the largest of five centers operated by the University of Georgia in support of the state’s 4-H Program. The Rock Eagle Mound is a stone effigy shaped like a prone bird. The “bird” is made entirely of milky quartz rocks and was likely built about 2,000 years ago by Native Americans. It is necessary to climb to the top of a multi-story

Fifth and sixth grade campers from this year's 4-H Camp at Rock Eagle.

Continued on Page 7

henrycounty-ga.org

Mark Amerman, former lieutenant with the Henry County Police Department, was formally moved to second in command at a promotion ceremony held this morning at the HCPD Headquarters in McDonough. Amerman brings a wealth of experience to the position, starting with a background in the military where he served for six years in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps before beginning his career in 1994 with the Henry County Police Department. In 1996, he joined the TAC Unit as a K-9 Officer. He was promoted to Sergeant in the TAC Unit in 2000 and transferred to the Narcotics Division in 2003. Amerman was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division in 2006, and during this assignment, he served as Commander of Special Operations which consisted of the COPS, Traffic, HEAT, Motors, K-9 and Gang Units. He remained in Special Operations until his appointment to the rank of Major over the Uniform Patrol Division in 2010, and as Major, served as the Commander of the Uniform Patrol Division and the Support Services Division.

Amerman is Georgia P.O.S.T. Instructor Certified, a graduate of Georgia SWAT School, and the U.S. Army SWAT and Counter Sniper Schools. In 2009, he graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and in July 2013, successfully completed a 400-hour Georgia Law Enforcement Professional Management/Supervision Program at the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College. Amerman was surrounded by friends, family, coworkers and even the Boy Scout Troop he leads, during the brief ceremony. He thanked those in attendance and said he could not be the man he is without the support of his parents, his wife and his family. “I know how important the mission is and I have two simple goals—reduction and improvement. Reducing crime and improving services,” he said. Amerman takes on the role of Deputy Chief following the departure of Joe Jackson, who retired from the post in May.

July 11, 2014

Amerman Promoted to Deputy Chief with the Henry County Police Department

Mark Amerman, surrounded by his wife, children and brother, at his promotion ceremony held June 30, 2014.

7

observation tower in order to view the “bird” which measures 120 feet from wingtip to wingtip, and 102 feet from head to “tail feathers.” At its highest point, it is 8 feet from the ground. Henry County’s camp delegation included students from 20 elementary, five middle, and one private school as well as home schools. Teen Leaders from four local high schools assisted the 4-H staff and adult volunteers who supervised campers. “The first year was a great experience. I also saw how much second year campers got to do and wanted to have that opportunity,” she said. “When I went to camp after fifth grade, I had never really been away from home, but everyone makes you feel so welcome. It’s a really great experience, the counselors, the activities. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!” Julia Mangual, a first-time camper, said her favorite parts of camp were canoeing and archery. Ashna

Patel, also a first-year camper, said she really enjoyed the pool with water slide and archery. She said camp was really fun. “You can make all new friends and if you stay in the program then you can become a camp counselor. The counselors there have lots of fun with you and you yell cheers until you lose your voice.” Jordan Johnson, a returning camper, saved his own money to be able to go back to Rock Eagle. “The first time I had such a great time,” he said. “It’s a fun place to go. There are so many activities and games. So much fun! You’ll never be bored and it’s worth every single penny.” The new 4-H year begins in August and 4-H Open House for students in 6th grade and above will be the evening of Monday, August 18. For more information, or to attend Open House, please call the 4-H office at 770-288-8421 or visit www.ugaextension.com/henry.

4-H Camp from page 5

henrycounty-ga.org

District V Commissioner Bruce Holmes will hold his monthly Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, July 26, 2014 at 9 a.m. at the Fairview Recreation Center. This month’s meeting will focus on education in Henry County. Special guests include Henry County Public School System Superintendent, Rodney Bowler, who will update citizens on the coming school year, along with Toni Davis, Education Chair for the Henry County Chamber of Commerce, who will discuss the Chamber’s

partnership with the Department of Education. Also on hand to discuss the future of education in Henry County as well as to answer questions, will be John Uesseler, CEO of the Academy for Advanced Studies, and School Board Elect members for Districts IV and V, Donna McBride and Annette Edwards. The Town Hall Meeting is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. The Fairview Recreation Center is located at 35 Austin Rd. in Stockbridge.

July 11, 2014

Commissioner Bruce Holmes To Host Town Hall Meeting

9

The Henry County Board of Commissioners today announces its intention to increase the property taxes it will levy this year by 11.56 percentage over the rollback millage rate. All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing on this increase to be held at the County Administration Building, 140 Henry Parkway, McDonough, GA on July 16, 2014 @ 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Time and place of an additional public hearing and the adoption of this tax increase are at the County Administration Building, 140 Henry Parkway, McDonough, GA on July 23, 2014 @ 9:00 a.m.This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 14.497 mills for County Unincorporated; 11.418 mills for McDonough; 14.497 mills for Stockbridge; 12.513 mills for Hampton and 12.297 mills for Locust Grove. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more than 12.995 mills for County Unincorporated; 10.398 mills for McDonough; 13.173 mills for Stockbridge; 10.745 mills for Hampton; 11.339 mills for Locust Grove. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $125,000 is $52.57 County Unincorporated; $35.70 for McDonough;

$46.34 for Stockbridge; $61.88 for Hampton and $33.53 for Locust Grove and the proposed tax increase for non-homesteaded property with a fair market value of $325,000 is $195.26 for County Unincorporated; $132.60 for McDonough; $172.12 for Stockbridge; $229.84 for Hampton and $124.54 for Locust Grove. For more information visit our website at http://henrycounty-ga.com.

PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING A PROPOSEDPROPERTY TAX INCREASE

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