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.