E-Newsletter from the official website of Henry County, VA
Henry County Monthly Newsletter
June 2010
"Movies in the Park" coming to Jack Dalton this summer

Please join Henry County Parks and Recreation, Movie Town, and Woodall's Music for our free "Movies in the Park" events this summer at Jack Dalton Park.

We will show family-friendly movies such as "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" on June 18; "The Blind Side (edited version)" on July 16 and "Monsters vs. Aliens" on August 13, with each show beginning at 9 p.m. Admission is free, and refreshments will be available for purchase.

Bring a lawn chair and plan on having a great time! For more information contact our Parks and Recreation Department at (276) 634-4640.
Gateway Streetscape gets new executive director

Gateway Streetscape Foundation has hired a new Executive Director.

Eric Capps, an Environmental Manager for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, began his duties May 10. Capps brings more than 20 years of experience in horticulture and environmental work to his new position.

"We are absolutely thrilled that Eric Capps has accepted the position," said Dale Wagoner, Chairman of the Gateway Streetscape Board of Directors. "He has field experience and office experience, and his credentials are impeccable. We are lucky to get him."

Capps has a bachelor's degree in biology from Christopher Newport College and a master's degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech. He has extensive experience in creating partnerships with entities such as the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency.

"The Board of Directors was very impressed with Eric's history of working with other agencies," Wagoner said. "We think he will work with local partners to make Gateway better than it's ever been."

Gateway Streetscape Foundation, Inc. was formed in 1991 from a Beautification Committee at the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce. The foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeks to enhance the area's aesthetic value by focusing on major roadways and thoroughfares for orderly planting of trees, flowers, and shrubbery.

Gateway has expanded its mission to include recycling, reusing and reducing and litter control. The organization is funded by charitable donations, the City of Martinsville, and Henry County.
PART bus system has best month ever

The month of May was the best ever for the Piedmont Area Regional Transit (PART) bus system.

According to figures provided by RADAR of Roanoke, which manages the local system, ridership reached 1,084 passengers for the 30-day period ending May 25. That topped the previous record of 1,020 riders on the March 2010 report.

The May ridership total included 671 riders in the City of Martinsville and 413 riders in Henry County. The most popular pickup spot in the system was at Lowe's with 129 riders; the next best location was Liberty Fair Mall with 104 riders.

PART is a fixed-route system that runs 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The system began operations in January 2009. It is managed by RADAR of Roanoke, a non-profit organization that has organized and maintained both public and private human service transportation for more than 30 years.

The current route schedule is posted on Henry County's website - www.henrycountyva.gov - and the City of Martinsville's website - www.martinsville-va.gov - and is available at the County Administration Building and the City Municipal Building. It's also available on RADAR's website - www.radartransit.org.

For more information, please contact Leon Towarnicki, the City of Martinsville's Director of Public Works at (276) 403-5154; Lee Clark, Henry County's Director of Planning, Zoning & Inspection at (276) 634-4620; or Leon Robertson, RADAR at (800) 964-5707 Ext. 105.

For more information about the Henry County, Virginia., visit The Official Website of Henry County, Virginia at www.henrycountyva.gov. To renew or sign-up for the newsletter, click here. Henry county E-Newsletter from the official website of Henry County, VA. Please do not reply to this e-mail. Should you need further information, please direct your e-mail to info@henrycountyva.gov. If you do not wish to receive the eNewsletter, please click here.

Copy of
E-Newsletter from the official website of Henry County, VA
Henry County Monthly Newsletter
May 2010

Household Hazardous Waste Day a success

The spring version of the Household Hazardous Waste Day was held April 17 at the Henry County Service Center. Once again it was highly successful, and many thanks to those who volunteered to help.

Officials recorded 155 vehicles entering the facility - 130 from Henry County and 25 from the City of Martinsville. Volunteers collected 1.45 tons of computer and office parts to be recycled.

Employees from Environmental Options, Inc., working alongside volunteers, collected 26 drums of paint, antifreeze, motor oil and other fluids.

More than 25 volunteers and paid staff working the event, including Henry County staff, City of Martinsville staff, inmates from the City of Martinsville and from Henry County, Gateway Streetscape Board members, and local fire and rescue volunteers.

A $5,000 grant from the Department of Environmental Quality helped defer the costs of the event, which include paying to dispose of the toxic materials collected.

A big thanks to Mike Amos of our Refuse Department and LaConya Martin of the Gateway staff for putting together this year's event.

Supervisors adopt FY '11 Budget

The Henry County Board of Supervisors adopted the County's Fiscal Year 2011 on April 27. The Board is slated to appropriate the money for the budget on May 25, with the budget taking effect July 1.

The budget totals $109,444,497. When compared to the FY 2010 Proposed Budget of $117,516,572, this year's budget represents a reduction of $8,072,075 or 6.9% from the FY 2010 budget. The budget includes no tax increases and no pay raises for County employees.

The budget includes an allocation to the School Board of $17,077,895 for FY '11, which is level with FY '10 local funding and the amount requested by the School Board.

The full budget document can be viewed on the County's website - www.henrycountyva.gov.
PSA Board of Directors receives FY '2011 Budget proposal

The proposed Fiscal Year 2011 Henry County Public Service Authority Budget includes no rate increase for customers.

PSA General Manager Benny Summerlin presented the proposed FY '11 Budget to the PSA Board of Directors on April 19. The Budget totals $11,621,812 for FY '11, which is about $500,000 higher than the FY 2010 Budget of $11,105,120. The primary reason for the increase is the purchase of backup power generators for the Philpott Water Plant. That expenditure is expected to be $768,000.

The Board of Directors set a budget work session for May 3 at 5:30 p.m. at the County Administration Building. That meeting will be held in the fourth floor conference room.

The proposed budget includes no pay raises for PSA employees. The County will continue to cover the full cost of the employee's health insurance.

Mr. Summerlin highlighted several events from the current year during his presentation, including the opening of the Henry County Service Center in Bassett. The facility houses the PSA Construction and Maintenance Shop as well as space for the Henry County Sheriff's Office, the Henry County Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Henry County Schools' Maintenance Division.

The report also highlighted the project to bring public sewer service to the Philpott Lake area. In a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns the property, this project ultimately will result in the construction of small marina on Philpott Lake.

The proposed FY 2011 PSA Budget can be downloaded from Henry County's website - www.henrycountyva.gov.
The PSA Board of Directors is scheduled to adopt a budget for FY 2011 on May 17.

Commonwealth of Virginia
Office of Governor Bob McDonnell
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2010

Office of the Governor
Contact: Stacey Johnson
Phone: (804) 225-4260
E-mail: Stacey.Johnson@Governor.Virginia.Gov

Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Contact: Christie Miller
Phone: (804) 545-5805
E-mail: CMiller@yesvirginia.org

Faneuil, Inc.
Contact: Anna Van Buren
Phone: (757) 262-9600

Dominion Virginia Power
Contact: David Botkins
Phone: (804) 771-4117

Governor McDonnell Announces 250 New Jobs in Martinsville

~Faneuil, Inc. to establish customer service center for Dominion Virginia Power contract~

RICHMOND- Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that Faneuil, Inc., a provider of customer support solutions for government and private sector customers, will invest $2.4 million to establish a customer support center in Martinsville to service its Dominion Virginia Power contract. Faneuil will also supplement with additional contract work. Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling joined business and government leaders today on the Governor’s behalf to announce the project, which will create 250 new jobs.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McDonnell commented, “Dominion Virginia Power’s decision to locate its customer service center in Martinsville demonstrates its commitment to the Commonwealth. This locality has been hit hard with job losses in recent years and Dominion felt strongly about assisting the community in its recovery efforts. We welcome Faneuil, a Hampton, Virginia-based company, and the 250 new employment opportunities that will help Southern Virginia continue to rebound.”

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling said, “Governor McDonnell and I have made clear that our number one priority is getting our economy moving again and creating jobs, and we have placed a high priority on creating jobs in Southern Virginia and other economically distressed regions of our state. Today’s announcement is proof that those efforts can succeed, and we hope it is just the beginning of many such announcements in the months and years to come. Faneuil and Dominion Virginia Power are key corporate citizens in Virginia, and I applaud them and everyone else involved in this process for securing these 250 new jobs the citizens of the region.”

Faneuil, Inc. is a leading outsource provider of multi-channel customer contact services offering solutions with creativity, innovation, and flexibility. As a “boutique” call center provider, the company refines its operations to closely fit the culture of their clients. Faneuil currently has more than 2,800 employees and is responsible for millions of customer transactions each day. Clients include the Virginia Department of Transportation E-ZPass operations, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Florida’s Agency for Workforce Innovation, Miami Dade Expressway and Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise for whom Faneuil operates the SunPass® Electronic Toll Collection Program and the Revenue Collection Services Program.

Dominion (NYSE:D) is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of more than 27,500 megawatts of generation. Dominion operates the nation’s largest natural gas storage system and serves retail energy customers in 12 states.

Faneuil CEO, Anna Van Buren said, “The entire Faneuil team is very excited to expand our presence in Virginia by partnering with Dominion Virginia Power. The combination of an available regional workforce, outstanding training support, and the commitment of the leadership in Martinsville will provide Faneuil with the tools to successfully expand our business while creating employment opportunities in the area. We look forward to joining the community as a long-term corporate citizen in Martinsville.”

“Virginia’s regulatory and business climate allows Dominion to make this kind of significant investment,” said Thomas F. Farrell II, Chairman, President, & CEO of Dominion. “Our new customer care welcome center will add value for our customers. We are extremely pleased about helping create jobs in Martinsville.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation to secure the project for Virginia. The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission approved $590,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds for the project. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide training assistance through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program. The company is also eligible to receive a Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit as well as state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

Mayor of Martinsville, Kathy Lawson said, “This is a great day for the city of Martinsville. Over the past decade we have seen monumental losses in the job market. Today we have a new beginning for our community, giving hope and faith that things are about to change. We look forward to a long relationship with Faneuil and welcome them as our new neighbor.”

“I am confident that Faneuil and Dominion will be great corporate partners in this significant endeavor,” said Senator Roscoe Reynolds, a Commissioner of The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission. “I am glad that the Tobacco Commission was able to play a role in ensuring that this customer support center located in Martinsville, and look forward to the positive results that will benefit Southern Virginia.”

About the Virginia Economic Development Partnership

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), a marketing organization, was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1995 to encourage, stimulate, and support the development and expansion of the economy of the Commonwealth. The Partnership is a state authority, which is governed by a 22-member Board of Directors appointed by the Governor and the Virginia General Assembly. To accomplish its objectives of promoting economic expansion within the Commonwealth, the Partnership focuses its efforts on business recruitment, expansion and international trade. VEDP has offices in Virginia, Belgium, Hong Kong, Mexico and Japan.

Welcome to Martinsville.Biz - the new website serving Henry County, Virginia and the City of Martinsville. Watch this site as we roll out new features. Register as a user and take advantage of the opportunity we offer to promote your business, share news and announcements of your group or organization, interact with fellow residents of Henry County, Virginia and the City of Martinsville via the internet, and keep abreast of whats going on in Henry County, Virginia and the City of Martinsville.

This site will be primarily devoted to promoting local content contributed by local businesses, organizations and residents. If you are interested in being a contributor, contact us. We welcome the opportunity to provide you the ability to promote your local business, share the success of your local sports teams, promote your local club or charity. Register as a user and take advantage of the free opportunities we offer to promote your business, share news and announcements of your group or organization, interact with fellow residents of Hopewell via the internet, and keep abreast of whats going on in Henry County, Virginia and the City of Martinsville.

The first step to use our features is to register as a user on our site. Then, as you explore Martinsville.Biz let us know what feature or news you want to share. Upon verification, we can give you privileges to input and post your news instantly.

Local businesses may become "Link Partners" and receive free promotion via banners ads, links and the ability to post news and announcements. Local Businesses may also list themselves for free in our local Business Directory and grow their business via the world wide web.

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Martinsville.Biz is what is known as a "Web 2.0" website - i.e. a feature that is composed of contributions by those who view and participate in the site. Anyone can participate. In order to post, you must be a registered user of the website. Posting is subject to our Terms of Use as linked from the bottom of our Home Page. By posting, you adopt and agree to our Terms of Use and News and policies applicable to various features as a binding legal agreement. These include (i) a representation by you that the post is accurate, does not contain any copyright content of any third party unless you have the right to post it, (ii) a prohibition against any posting that is slanderous, illegal, containing "hate" material," (material expressing racial, religous, sexual orientation or other bigotry) or known to you to be untrue, and (iii) a representation by you that if posting on behalf of an organization or other person, that you have the right to make such posting. Violaters are subject to loss of posting and/or website access privileges. If you observe any posting which violates our Terms of Use, please notify us via our contact link (on the Home Page) and report the abuse and we will endeavor to promtly investigate and remove if appropriate.

From City of Martinsville Email news (May 4, 2007):

Martinsville has announced that Scott Coleman has completed promotional television advertisements for Martinsville Mustangs season ticket sales, and the initial commercial in a series of �Take Pride, Martinsville� campaigns.

The Martinsville Mustangs season starts May 30, with the first home game Thursday, May 31. Season ticket sales have been solid, and advertising sales have been brisk. The first new advertising signs went up at Hooker Field Thursday before rain started. A total of 15 new and replacement signs will go up over the next two weeks in preparation for the season.

Pocket schedules have been taken to Collinsville Printing, and will be distributed the week of May 11 in retail outlets around the city and county.