Henry County Parks and Recreation Annual Report 2013
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Henry County Parks and Recreation Annual Report 2013 ADMINISTRATION The Henry County Parks and Recreation Department is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all citizens of Henry County by providing quality recreation and athletic programs, opportunities, special events, facilities and amenities. In addition, our Therapeutic Recreation programs offer the special populations residents of Henry County the opportunity to participate in competitive sporting events as well as organized outings, socials and creative activities that enhance emotional, spiritual, social, physical and cognitive abilities. This annual report provides an overview of the accomplishments of Henry County Parks and Recreation for the calendar year of January 1 through December 31, 2013. There are 27 parks located throughout Henry County that are maintained by Parks and Recreation; five city parks and one state park, all of which are strategically located throughout the county to be just minutes away for residents to enjoy. We also operate historic sites as a great way to get out and learn about our heritage while exploring nature. The Parks and Recreation Department consists of 1,300 acres of park land featuring 73 baseball and softball fields, 17 football fields, 15 soccer fields and 26 tennis courts. It also boasts 8.4 miles of walking trails, 29 playgrounds, a dog park, paintball complex, BMX track, disc golf course, roller hockey rink, a Sunshine Field complex, an Event Center, Civil War Battlefield and Museum, remote control track, lawn mower racing track, community gardens, Military Museum, Wall of Honor and even 3 recreation centers that feature an indoor walking track, two basketball courts and several classrooms. The Jason T. Harper Event Center hosted numerous events including: Bully Dog Show, Taste of Henry, Pet Expo, Vettes for Vets 3rd Edition Car Show, Connecting Henry Parent Expo; and a Stackamania, JTHEC also hosted several walks/5K including: Miles for Meals, March of Dimes, Georgia Wounded heroes 5K, Angel Dash 5K, and the Beirut Memorial 5K. The Extension Agency held a Farmer’s Market June through August and HCPRD’s Day Camps utilized the facility during the school breaks and the summer. During 2013, Nash Farm was the host venue for several cross country competitions both high school and collegiate. Eagle’s Landing High School hosted several of the 5K events at Nash. In addition to the competition runs, there were fun runs and fund raising runs. Most every weekend a new marriage began at Nash with the reception following the ceremony. These events brought both local families and visitors to the park which often time resulted in them returning to other events at Nash. Each year, the Henry Country Rodeo Association host the 4th of July Fireworks event and a Rodeo in the fall. Also, in the fall around the anniversary of one of the battles that took place on the farm, there was a Civil War reenactment. Each weekend during the year the Nash Farm Battlefield Museum was open to tell the history of the site and Henry County which brought visitors from all over the country and visitors from 10 different foreign countries to date. Living history events were hosted by Friends of Nash Farm for the local school children during the year. On average, at least 2,000 school children attended these living history events. The Locust Grove Recreation Center is used for Therapeutic Recreation Programs and events throughout the year. The facility was rented out for several birthday parties, recitals, church services, community meetings, elections, reunions and weddings in the Sanctuary. There were also 165 Therapeutic division special events. The Locust Grove Event Center was used for wedding receptions and events throughout the year. During the week, the facility is used as a senior center to visit with each other and offers two meals each day. A Memorial Day Service was held at the Veterans Wall of Honor on Monday, May 27 at 11 a.m. to honor and remember the men and women in our military who paid the ultimate price for America’s freedom. This years’ service was hosted by Detachment 1339 Marine Corps League. The Guest Speaker was Gunnery Sergeant Hiers, a 10-time recipient of the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal along with numerous other awards and commendations. Throughout his 22-year career, Hiers served as an infantryman for 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, a Radar Technician with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 31, and completed numerous deployments to Saudi Arabia and Bosnia- Herzegovina during Operation Desert Storm and Deny Flight/Provide Promise. The Memorial Day service also included a presentation of the colors by the Henry County NJROTC Warhawk Battalion. Senior Vice Commandant Silas Brown with Detachment 1339 Marine Corps League provided the welcome, and the Daughters of the American Revolution presented a proclamation in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. A wreath was presented in honor of all veterans by Melvin Hawkins, escorted by members of the Henry County Leathernecks Marine Corp League Detachment 1339. The National Anthem was sung by Destiny Sierra Sealey, and Jesse Pruitt from Detachment 1339 Marine Corps League read a poem. To complement the ceremony there was a special display in the Veterans Historical Museum featuring equipment and weapons used in Vietnam; as well as information about the U.S. Military during that time period. The displays were provided by “Kelly’s Zeroes”; an outstanding group from Dahlonega that specializes in impressions from WWI to present. The Heritage Park Veterans Museum is a treasure trove of historical military memorabilia. On display are various uniforms, medals, vehicles, arms, books, photos and other artifacts dating from World War I up through present times. The museum is continually being updated and renovated; and it was late last year that the museum added a library and reading room built by a local Eagle Scout; including display cases and woodwork made by volunteers. The library features dozens of handmade dioramas depicting various scenes of World War II displayed in cases with authentic, corresponding front pages from the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The library also houses hundreds of books and periodicals recently catalogued by volunteers. Jim Joyce, Facilities Coordinator with the Henry County Parks and Recreation Department, runs the museum. As the only employee, he has come to rely on a small army of dedicated veterans who volunteer their time to make the museum a success. Volunteers do everything from organizing the donations to creating and rotating displays, refurbishing rooms and hosting visitors. “The volunteers for this museum come from every branch of service with a total of eight combat tours from Vietnam to present,” said Joyce, who is a veteran of both Vietnam and Desert Storm. “So they understand each piece that is in here, the history behind each piece, and are able to convey that to whoever comes through the door; be it veterans or family members of students at one of the local schools. The other thing about having a volunteer force is there is no cost, which helps this museum to run on a very low dollar output; but as you can see, everything in here is of high-dollar quality.” With nine dedicated volunteers, each has his own reason for working at the museum. According to Joyce, all of the items displayed in the museum have been generously donated. They tell the tale of our military’s history, many with personal stories of individual soldiers, and some who paid the ultimate price for freedom. More importantly, the museum is a tribute to United States Veterans for the sacrifices they made; as it serves as a fascinating history exhibit for the community and beyond, bridging generations. The Veterans Day ceremony took place on November 11, 2013, on the plaza of the Veterans Wall of Honor. The event was hosted by the American Legion, Post 55 of McDonough, and sponsored by Henry County Parks and Recreation. “Each year becomes more important to celebrate because of the young people coming back from war and soldiers from previous wars passing away” said Rick Berry. Guest speaker for the event was U.S. Army Captain Tommy Clack, a Vietnam veteran and triple amputee. Music was provided by Strong Rock Christian School. World War II re-enactors set up an army field camp where they lived for the weekend. HCPRD continued to sell bricks for the Veteran’s Wall of Honor throughout the year. In 2013, (54) 4x8 bricks and (10) 12x12 bricks were sold. This monument hosted the Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day Ceremonies. Approximately 13,800 people visited the Veteran’s Wall of Honor as well as the Heritage Military Museum. Henry County Parks and Recreation is known for its numerous innovative programs and variety of amenities, and has opened a Remote Control Racing Track at Windy Hill Park. Also at Windy Hill is a paintball complex. The park also plays host to the Annual Kiwanis Club Fair. The track for lawn mower racing was created at Nash Farm Park. Home to the HCPRD Youth and Adult Basketball leagues, JP Moseley Recreation Center also offers Aerobics, Yoga, Gymnastics, Self-Defense, Line Dancing and Music classes. The variety of meeting rooms and newly refinished basketball courts have allowed JP Moseley to host various public events throughout the 2013 calendar year including: Wheel Chair Basketball Tournaments, Wheel Chair Hand Ball Tournaments, AAU Training, Youth Camps (Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer). Private rental events such as birthday parties, family reunions, bridal and baby showers, Christmas parties and business training sessions filled out the calendar. The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved the transfer of funds left over from two previously completed SPLOST projects, to be redirected for improvements to the Kelleytown park project.