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DATE: June 30, 2000 The Henrico Extension Office is conducting enrollment for the LawnKnowers Program now through August 30. Master Gardener volunteers will assist participants with soil testing and lawn area measuring. Participants will receive customized lawn care plans with easy-to-do steps designed to protect water quality and promote healthy, green lawns. There is a $15 enrollment fee for educational materials. Call the Henrico Extension Office at 501-5160 for more information. DATE: June 28, 2000 Henrico County is entering the fifth and final year of the Business, Professional and Occupational (BPOL) Tax Reform program, which was recently recognized by the National Association of Counties (NACo) for outstanding innovation in government. The Board of Supervisors instituted the BPOL reform in 1996 by establishing a standard deduction and threshold, eliminating flat fees and adopting a five-year tax reduction plan. Since then, five phases of tax reduction have passed bringing the flat rate to 20 cents per $100, down from as much as 58 cents per $100 in 1996. Furthermore, the standard deduction is now $100,000, meaning businesses that fall below this deduction pay nothing, while others calculate taxes only on revenue exceeding the deduction. "The BPOL program has been widely hailed throughout the business community," said Henrico's Director of Revenue Ed Trice. "We are the only county in Virginia that completely waives the fee for businesses under the threshold, plus we've brought the tax rate itself down," he said. According to Trice, the BPOL plan was designed to make the tax more equitable while enhancing future economic growth prospects. According to NACo, the program achieved both of these goals earning it the 2000 Achievement Award. DATE: June 28, 2000 The Department of Public Works advises motorists that on Tuesday, July 4, beginning at 5 p.m., an Independence Day celebration at the Innsbrook office complex will alter traffic patterns. Henrico police will assist with traffic control on public roads and intersections before and after the event. At the completion of the fireworks display, police will detour traffic in and around the Innsbrook area. The modified traffic patterns include partial closings of Cox Road, Sadler Road, and Lakebrook Drive. Officers will also direct traffic along the affected portion of Nuckols Road. Public Works advises motorists who are not attending the event to avoid the area. DATE: June 27, 2000 Henrico County resident Lekeisha Rowe, 22, is one of the first "welfare to work" success stories to benefit from the county's new Donated Cars Program, an innovative and award-winning program which partners the non-profit Richmond Community Action Program (RCAP) with Henrico County Regional Jail's Education Services. Under this program, inmate students use technical equipment and receive professionally certified training to repair used vehicles donated to RCAP, giving them job skills that they can later transfer to the high-demand field of auto repair. The repaired vehicles are then sold to qualified Social Services client buyers like Rowe. In this particular instance, Social Services Board Chairman James A. Martin was the vehicle donor; he bequeathed his own 1984 Nissan truck to the program. Before obtaining employment, Rowe received a monthly grant under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF) to provide for herself and her 4-year-old daughter. Since making the transition from government assistance to employment, Rowe has assumed greater responsibility and financial independence. Now that she has the benefit of her own transportation, she plans to continue pursuing her General Equivalency Diploma (GED) as well as permanent full-time employment. So far, the Henrico Regional Jail students have repaired 29 vehicles, saving thousands of dollars in labor and parts. Due to this success and innovation, the Donated Cars Program recently won an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties. DATE: June 23, 2000 Henrico County received 11 Achievement Awards in the 2000 National Association of Counties (NACo) awards competition. NACo designated Henrico's Matching Employee Career Interests with County Jobs program as a "Best of Category" in the Personnel Management, Employee Training, and Employee Benefits category. This is the third year that NACo instituted this special recognition to highlight outstanding county model programs throughout the nation. To enhance its Career Enrichment Program, Henrico's Department of Personnel developed a program that matches employee career interests with county job classifications. Advisors work with employees to identify gaps in job requirements and current skills and experience. Next, they develop strategies to enhance the employee's current position or become a more competitive candidate for other jobs in their area of interest. Sheryn R. Holinsworth is the Career Enrichment Coordinator. The 10 additional NACo awards for innovative and progressive government administration include: Business, Professional, Occupational License Tax Reforms Agency: Department of Finance, Revenue Division Saving Henrico's Past - A Historic Preservation Awareness Video Agency: Division of Recreation and Parks The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen Agency: Division of Recreation and Parks Customer Service Certification Program Agency: Department of Personnel, Employee Development and Training MH/MR Services Central Virginia Foodbank Work Training Experience Agency: Mental Health and Retardation Services Radford Program Agency: Mental Health and Retardation Services, Substance Abuse Programs CONNECT at the Library Agency: Public Library Linking Global Residents to Global Library Resources Agency: Public Library, Tuckahoe Truancy Initiative Agency: Public Schools, Public Relations Donated Cars Program Agency: Public Schools, Public Relations DATE: June 15, 2000 The Henrico County Department of Social Services is hosting free informational meetings on Tuesday, July 11 and Tuesday, August 22, from 7 to 9 p.m. for people interested in becoming a foster parent. People from all backgrounds are encouraged to attend either session. Henrico County currently has over 120 children in foster care, two-thirds of whom are thirteen or older. Depending on the child's circumstances, the length of care can range from one night to one year. Henrico Social Services also provides free training for prospective foster parents. Social Services is offering a series of instructional classes on Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m., in the Human Services Building, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive. The program begins September 26, and last for eight weeks. To enroll in a class or to obtain more information, call 501-4060. DATE: June 6, 2000 Tuckahoe District Supervisor Patricia S. O'Bannon is a winner of the third annual Good Housekeeping Awards for Women in Government. The award recognizes 10 remarkable women who have improved the lives of others through innovative programs and dedication to public service. In addition to receiving a $2,500 prize, O'Bannon will be honored at a luncheon on Wednesday, June 21, in Washington, D.C., and profiled in the July issue of Good Housekeeping. Judges selected O'Bannon because of her extraordinary work and achievements in combating domestic violence. O'Bannon was the catalyst in developing Henrico County's Domestic Violence Team, which pairs public and private organizations to help victims through the entire process and increase accountability of batterers. She has worked diligently to create an improved system that documents and collects domestic violence data, has assisted in the development of training programs for various county agencies and supported the establishment of two shelters in Henrico. O'Bannon is donating her $2,500 prize and an additional $2,500 of her own money to further domestic violence programs in Henrico County. "It is important to honor the often-overlooked women, from grass-roots activists to federal policy-makers, who are truly making a difference in our lives," said Good Housekeeping Editor-in-Chief Ellen Levine. "Though much of our attention is focused on the national elections, we must salute the public servants who act as much-needed role models and make such an impact on our communities." For this prestigious award, Good Housekeeping collaborated with the Ford Foundation, the Partnership for Trust in Government, and the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), which is a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. A panel of 12 judges, co-chaired by former Congresswomen Susan Molinari and Patricia Schroeder, along with the editorial staff of Good Housekeeping magazine, selected the final winners. DATE: June 5, 2000 Varina District Supervisor Jim Donati will host a town meeting to discuss "Henrico's Promise, The Alliance for Youth," a summer camp derived from the nationally recognized America's Promise Campaign, on Monday, June 19, at 7 p.m., at the Eastern Government Center, 3820 Nine Mile Road. Henrico's Promise seeks to assist at-risk youths by providing: ongoing relationships with a caring adult; a safe place with structured activities during non-school hours; a healthy start and future; a marketable skill through effective education; and an opportunity to serve the community through volunteering. Henrico's Promise Director Tom Bouldin will join Donati to discuss the program's goals and activities as well as answer questions. Donati usually holds town meetings the third Monday of each month. The meetings are open to the public; everyone is welcome to attend. |