June 2009

June 30, 2009

CONTACT:  Jim Carey, Foster Care Supervisor

PHONE: 501-4029

Henrico Foster Care program plans information session

Henrico residents interested in becoming foster parents can learn about the county's Foster Care program at an information session offered by Henrico's Department of Social Services (DSS) from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, July 27 at the Human Services Building, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive.

Participants will receive information on a variety of topics, including the special needs of foster children; what it takes to be a successful foster parent; working with DSS staff and the biological parents of a foster child; and the application and approval process. There will be a question-and-answer period as well.

Henrico DSS currently has a special need for families interested in serving as foster parents for young people ages 12 to 20.

Pre-registration for the information sessions is encouraged. Participants can register or obtain additional information by calling Georgia Phillips at 501-7496 or Tony Jones at 501-4245.

Foster parents are "professional parents," available around-the-clock to bring children into their homes and provide temporary and potentially long-term care in a safe, stable environment. Parents must be at least 21, have their own source of income and sufficient living space in their house or apartment to care for a child. They can be single or married, with or without children of their own, male or female, and from all backgrounds, races and nationalities.

For more information, log on to www.henricocares.com.

June 25, 2009

CONTACT:  Barry Lawrence, Clerk, Board of Supervisors

PHONE: 501-4318

Henrico officials appointed to VML committees

The Virginia Municipal League (VML) has named 11 Henrico County board members and key officials to serve on its policy, steering and other committees for 2009.

Members of the Board of Supervisors received the following appointments:

• Board Chairman and Three Chopt District Supervisor David A. Kaechele, legislative committee and finance policy committee;
• Board Vice Chairman and Tuckahoe District Supervisor Patricia S. O'Bannon, executive committee and environmental quality policy committee;
• Brookland District Supervisor Richard W. Glover, community and economic development policy committee;
• Fairfield District Supervisor Frank J. Thornton, vice chairman, human development and education policy committee and member, human development and education steering committee; and
• Varina District Supervisor James B. Donati, Jr., transportation policy and steering committees.

Several county officials also received appointments:

• County Manager Virgil R. Hazelett, P.E., general laws policy and steering committees;
• Deputy County Manager for Administration Leon T. Johnson, Ph.D., finance policy committee;
• Deputy County Manager for Community Development Randall R. Silber, community and economic development policy committee;
• Deputy County Manager for Community Operations Robert K. Pinkerton, P.E., environmental quality policy committee;
• Deputy County Manager for Community Services George T. Drumwright, Jr., human development and education policy committee; and
• Director of Public Works Timothy A. Foster, P.E., transportation policy committee.

VML is a statewide association of city, town and county governments that assists local governments through legislative advocacy, research, education and other services. The league's policy and steering committees make policy recommendations to its legislative committee, which develops VML's annual legislative program. Appointments are made by the league's executive committee, which also provides guidance to VML staff and serves as the organization's governing body.

June 24, 2009

CONTACT:  Barry Lawrence, Clerk, Board of Supervisors

PHONE: 501-4318

Tuckahoe Supervisor O'Bannon to lead transportation planning organization

Henrico County Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman and Tuckahoe District Supervisor Patricia S. O'Bannon has been named chairman of the Richmond Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (RAMPO). She will serve a one-year term beginning July 1.

RAMPO is a federally designated regional transportation planning organization serving the City of Richmond, Town of Ashland and Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Powhatan counties. The organization is responsible for developing a 20-year transportation plan, a three-year transportation improvement program and related plans and studies for the region. Voting membership includes the nine local governments, four transportation-planning agencies and Virginia Department of Transportation.

The only woman to serve on Henrico's Board of Supervisors, O'Bannon was first elected to represent the Tuckahoe District in 1995. She has served on a number of governmental boards and organizations, including the National Association of Counties, Virginia Association of Counties, the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, the Henricus Foundation and the Virginia Building Code Technical Review Board. She is a past recipient of the Patrick Henry Award for Government Service to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Richmond Area YWCA "Outstanding Women" award and Good Housekeeping magazine's "Women in Government" award.

O'Bannon, a Richmond native and graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, is a former English teacher, news editor and development associate for public television.

June 22, 2009

CONTACT:  Augustine Doe, Coordinator, Henrico Medical Reserve Corps

PHONE: 501-4643

Henrico Health Department extends volunteer deadline for bioterror exercise

The Henrico County Health Department (HCHD) is seeking additional volunteers for an upcoming drill designed to test the county's plan to dispense emergency medication in response to a bioterrorism event or disease outbreak. The exercise is set for Sunday, June 28, from 6-7 p.m. at CVS Pharmacy, 9501 Woodman Road.

HCHD would like to include another 100 participants in the drill to fully test its response plan and has extended the volunteer registration deadline to Friday, June 26. There is no age limit for volunteers, and participation is not limited to county residents. Volunteers can register by calling 501-4643 or by sending an e-mail to Augustine Doe, coordinator of the Henrico Medical Reserve Corps, at Augustine.Doe@vdh.virginia.gov.

The drill will implement an emergency medication distribution plan that incorporates local CVS, Ukrop's, Rite Aid and Walgreens pharmacies. HCHD recently formed a partnership with the pharmacies to enhance its ability to provide medications and vaccines to residents in the event of a countywide health emergency.

The drill will model Henrico's response to an imaginary release of anthrax spores within the county. Participants will assemble at the CVS Pharmacy on Woodman Road at 6 p.m. Sunday. Acting as mock patients, volunteers will form a line inside the store and complete a brief health-screening form; they will then receive one of two bottles of simulated anthrax medication (represented by M&M candies). Participants also will be asked to provide feedback on the exercise to help HCHD evaluate its response plan.

For more information, contact HCHD at 501-4643 or log on to www.co.henrico.va.us/health.

June 22, 2009

CONTACT:  Megan Brown, Executive Coordinator, Keep Henrico Beautiful

PHONE: 501-4502

The Keep Henrico Beautiful (KHB) Committee will honor winners of the 2009 Land Lover and Clean Business awards at the next meeting of the Henrico County Board of Supervisors, 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 23 in the Government Center Board Room, 4301 E. Parham Road.

Presented annually by the KHB Committee since 1995, the awards recognize a homeowner and a business in each magisterial district that have maintained an outstanding property through landscaping, lawn care, litter removal and recycling. Homeowners must perform their own lawn maintenance to be considered. Winners receive an engraved plaque and have an award sign posted on their property; they are also recognized on the KHB Web page at www.co.henrico.va.us/utility/khbeautiful.

The 2009 Land Lover Award winners are: William E. Wilkinson, Brookland District; Christine and Kevin Watson, Fairfield District; Sarah Maxine Hawksley, Three Chopt District; Winnie and Robert Santana, Tuckahoe District; and Linda and Paul Strickler, Varina District.

Winners of the 2009 Clean Business Award are: The Shoppes at CrossRidge, Brookland District; Chestnut Grove Senior Living Community, Fairfield District; Strange's Florist and Garden Center, Three Chopt District; Wachovia Bank, Tuckahoe District; and New Market Veterinary Clinic, Varina District.

June 18, 2009

CONTACT:  Mike Jennings, Traffic Engineer

PHONE: 501-4397

Henrico Public Works plans temporary traffic patterns for RIR area June 27

The Henrico County Department of Public Works expects heavy traffic on roadways near Richmond International Raceway (RIR) during the SunTrust Indy Challenge IndyCar Series events on Saturday, June 27.

Motorists should expect extremely heavy traffic and delays all day in the raceway area, especially from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. before the races and from 10:15 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. afterward. Public Works encourages people attending the race to use Azalea Avenue and Meadowbridge Road to get to the raceway.

"We're doing everything we can to minimize congestion and ensure traffic safety before and after the race," said Traffic Engineer Mike Jennings.

Public Works has planned temporary traffic patterns for the area to manage the increased volume of vehicles and will post signs on main roads near RIR. Motorists are encouraged to consult message boards for updated information about accessing the raceway. Henrico Police will direct traffic throughout the area.

June 17, 2009

CONTACT:  Barry Lawrence, Clerk, Board of Supervisors

PHONE: 501-4318

Henrico wins national awards for innovative programs

Henrico County has received 23 Achievement awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo), more than any Virginia locality and third-most nationally, trailing only Los Angeles and San Diego counties. The awards will be presented at the 2009 NACo annual conference, set for July 24-28 in Nashville, Tenn.

The NACo Achievement Award Program recognizes groundbreaking county government programs annually in a broad range of service areas, including education, administration, parks and recreation, health and human services.

NACo honored Henrico programs developed and implemented by 11 county agencies. The awards continue the county's tradition of providing cutting-edge programs to residents. Henrico programs have received 131 NACo Achievement awards since 2000. For more information, log on to www.co.henrico.va.us and look for the NACo link.

Programs receiving awards were:

• "Building Strength on Fathers Initiative," Schools; designed to increase the involvement of fathers and positive male role models in Henrico schools through targeted programs;
• "Children's Engineering for Elementary Schools," Schools; this program integrates STEM education (science, technology, engineering, math) into the elementary classroom through hands-on, age-appropriate, technology-based activities;
• "Springer Day Care: Nurturing Today, Preparing for Tomorrow," Schools; high school students in the early childhood education program at Highland Springs Technical Center get real-world experiences, learn child development and child-care concepts while working in the full-day Springer Day Care preschool lab;
• "Recipe4Success," Schools; designed to address the nutritional, physical activity and family needs of students, this after-school program at Wilder Middle School provides math and homework tutoring, aerobic-fitness activities including swimming lessons and a chef academy that teaches math and cooking skills;
• "Ride and Read Action-Based Learning," Schools; as part of a plan to incorporate physical activity throughout its curriculum, the new Harvie Elementary School provides stationary bike stations for student use in the library, hallways and physical education classes, while teachers and adult visitors have designated bike stations as well;
• "Using Technology for Recruiting Teachers," Schools; this effort uses two-way video/audio conferencing with various universities to increase undergraduate awareness of teaching opportunities in technology education in Henrico schools;
• "2010 Redistricting Project: A Community-Led Process," Schools; faced by years of enrollment growth and a need for systemwide redistricting, Henrico Schools adopted a community approach, forming a 70-member volunteer committee to guide a process that emphasized transparency and community engagement;
• "Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Program," Schools; part of a national safe-school initiative, this program at Hungary Creek Middle School features a father or father figure who supports school staff by greeting students, monitoring activity on campus, assisting in the classroom and hallways and mentoring students;
• "Teen Job Preparatory Program," Mental Health and Retardation Services; designed to help youth ages 14-15 develop skills, attitudes and behaviors for the workplace, this program includes nine months of pre-employment training followed by a six-week summer job; it also features entrepreneurial training and an annual Teen Job Symposium;
• "Individual Supported Employment Program," Mental Health and Retardation Services; this effort helps adults with intellectual disabilities obtain and maintain employment by teaching clients resume' writing, interview behavior and other job skills; in addition, the program provides on-site job training and support for clients;
• "Address Change Initiative," Public Relations & Media Services; this public information campaign successfully encouraged residents to vote to change most county mailing addresses from "Richmond" to "Henrico" as part of an effort to stop the misdirection of millions of dollars each year in tax revenues mistakenly paid to the City of Richmond;
• "Publicizing the Real Estate Tax Relief Program," Finance; this outreach effort to eligible residents not participating in the county's Real Estate Advantage Program (REAP) used informational brochures, multi-media presentations at public meetings, Web site applications and a television program created by Henrico's HCTV to boost REAP applications by more than 50 percent over a three-year period;
• "Development of a Formal Employee Training Program," Finance; to better manage a steadily increasing number of business and resident tax returns filed with the Revenue Division, this initiative assimilates new employees into the division's operations quickly and cross-trains existing staff to provide ongoing continuity and assistance;
• "Back to Basics with Litter and Recycling," Public Utilities; Keep Henrico Beautiful (KHB) created and implemented this school lesson plan and bulletin board kit to teach students in grades K-2 about litter, recycling and the environment; KHB presented the program to more than 4,600 students in 241 Henrico classrooms;
• "Case Management Model," Social Services; a new system designed to help the agency's Families and Children staff manage caseloads more efficiently and effectively;
• "Books on Wheels," Public Library; as part of an outreach effort to join forces with other literacy organizations, staff at Twin Hickory Area Library held a book-and-bike donation drive for the nonprofit organization Books on Wheels; the effort raised more than 1,700 books, 31 bikes and 12 helmets;
• "Linking Libraries, Communities & Cultures," Public Library; the "All Henrico Reads" annual literacy project featuring the work of author Julia Alvarez focused on stories of the Hispanic immigrant experience in the United States and was designed to reach out to Henrico's Hispanic community while encouraging discussion on immigration and other topics;
• "AHA Heartsavers First Aid, CPR and AED Certification," Recreation and Parks; aiming to certify its staff in the American Heart Association's emergency-response techniques, the division created a team of certified instructors who subsequently trained other division employees; some 330 staff members were certified in the program's initial seven months;
• "Event Management: The ICS Way," Recreation and Parks; modeled after the Incident Command System used by Henrico Fire and other public safety agencies, this program helps Recreation and Parks manage its special events more efficiently;
• "Playground Replacement and Accessibility/Inclusion Initiative," Recreation and Parks; the division used on-staff playground and recreation-therapy experts to guide the acquisition of new state-of-the-art playground equipment accessible to children with a wide range of disabilities; the new process proved more cost effective than past measures;
• "School Resource Officer/DARE Leadership Program," Police; designed to enhance the effectiveness of the division's school resource officers, this effort provides additional training to help officers further develop leadership and mentoring skills;
• "The Right Person in the Right Job for the Right Reason -- Every Time!," Human Resources; a new hiring process, this program adopts a group format to train hiring managers and uses pre-screening questions to help managers evaluate job applicants;
• "The Value of In-House Experts: Connecting the GIS Community," Human Resources and Public Works; two agencies combined resources to take advantage of experts already on staff to develop a customized training program in Geographic Information System applications for employees; the program saved the county nearly $50,000 in its first year.

June 9, 2009

CONTACT:  Veta Herbaugh, Executive Assistant, Board of Supervisors

PHONE: 501-4208

Varina town meeting to feature district's General Assembly representatives

The next town meeting of Varina District Supervisor Jim Donati will feature a review of the 2009 session of the Virginia General Assembly with several of the district's representatives. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 16 at the Henrico Theatre, 305 E. Nine Mile Road.

State Sen. Donald McEachin, Del. Riley Ingram and Del. Joe Morrissey will be on hand to discuss new legislation and other actions of the General Assembly's most recent session. They will join Donati for a question-and-answer period as well.

Varina town meetings are open to the public. Call 501-4208 for more information.

June 1, 2009

CONTACT:  Rosalyn D. Key-Tiller, Director, Capital Region Workforce Partnership

PHONE: 226-1941

Capital Region Workforce Investment Board members named

The Capital Region Workforce Partnership has announced the first members of the Capital Region Workforce Investment Board (CRWIB), a group of 48 community leaders charged with helping to plan and implement workforce development strategies in eight localities in central Virginia. The newly appointed board was introduced at an orientation session held June 4 at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College.

The CRWIB will bring together representatives of the private, public, nonprofit and other sectors from the City of Richmond and Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Powhatan counties. They will work with local elected officials to develop and deliver programs designed to maintain a highly skilled workforce in central Virginia.

As required by the federal Workforce Investment Act, 51 percent of the board represents private-sector businesses; the remaining members come from fields such as education, economic development, organized labor and community-based organizations. For more information, log on to www.crwib.org.

CRWIB board members are:

William R. Auchmoody, president/CEO, Partnership Staffing, Inc.; Steve M. Barnett, president, Barnett's Hallmark Shops; Jean Boone, vice president/advertising director, Richmond Free Press; Robert L. Bradham, senior vice president, Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce; Richard H. Carr, director of human resources, ColorTree, Inc. of Virginia; Paul F. Catucci, administrative director for human resources, Bon Secours Health System; Scott DeRosier, general manager, Independence Golf Club; Sheryl Garland, vice president for community outreach, VCU Health System; Harry Harris, general manager, Universal Ford; James T. Hatcher, president, Pleasants Hardware; Mark A. Herzog, executive director, Virginia Biotechnology Association; Jennifer Hunter, vice president for corporate responsibility and stakeholder relations, Altria Group, Inc.; Bryce Jewett, president, Bryce D. Jewett Machine Manufacturing Co., Inc.; Dwight Jones, global vice president of finance, MeadWestvaco; John F. Kates, regional employment consultant, BB&T, Inc.; Alison Keller, managing vice president, Capital One Services; Ralph L. Lyons, president/CEO, Central Virginia Bank; Karrie McDaniels, senior human resources generalist, Luck Stone Corp.; Johnny Newman, CEO, The Newman Group; Tinh duc Phan, chairman, Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce; Sonji Rollins Tucker, registered representative, AW Smith Financial Group, Inc.; Lisa A. Stiles, project manager-workforce planning business unit, Dominion Nuclear; King F. Tower, partner, Williams Mullen, P.C.; Frank G. Weber, director of learning and development, Genworth Financial; Deborah S. Wickham, employee relations manager, UPS Freight; Sherrie Brach, CEO, United Way of Greater Richmond; Charles Layman, president/CEO, Goodwill of Central Virginia; Karen A. Aylward, development manager, Chesterfield County Economic Development; Sara J. Dunnigan, vice president- existing business services, Greater Richmond Partnership, Inc.; Marc S. Weiss, director, Hanover County Economic Development; Janet Crawley, superintendent, Charles City County Public Schools; John McCulla, director of community relations, University of Richmond Bonner Center for Civic Engagement; Mike Rose, director of career education/technical, Chesterfield Career & Technical Education; Dale S. Batten, regional director, Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services; Dana Beals, case manager, Mattaponi-Pamunkey-Monacan; Gregory S. Ellison, training specialist supervisor, Hanover County Community Services; Barbara E. Gibson, associate director of The Literacy Institute, VCU; Louis L. McGinty, vice president, CCWA/JSRCC/JTCC; Adranae M. Mena, job developer, Job Corps; Patricia A. Morrison, assistant director-division of registered apprenticeship, Virginia Department of Labor and Industry; Shawn M. Rozier, assistant director, Henrico County Social Services; Anthony Scott, executive director, Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority; Ann R. Stone, deputy director, Capital Area Training Consortium; William O. Walton, Jr., workforce services manager, Virginia Employment Commission; Thelma B. Watson, executive director, Senior Connections, CAAA; William G. Leigers, apprenticeship director, Richmond Electricians' JATC; C.B. Sinclair, AFL-CIO community services liaison, Central Virginia Labor Federation; Cordell Briggs, hotel representative, Retail Merchants Association; and Kevin W. Bruny, chief learning officer and university dean, Chesterfield County.

June 4, 2009

CONTACT:  Barb Strohman, Education/Administrative Coordinator, Henricopolis SWCD

PHONE: 501-5175

Henricopolis SWCD names annual scholarship winners

The Henricopolis Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has announced the winners of its annual college-scholarship competition for Henrico students. Winners will receive $500 for their studies in a conservation-related field. Scholarship recipients for 2009 are:

• Kameron Adams, a senior graduating from Maggie L. Walker Governor's School; she plans to attend the College of William & Mary and study environmental science and environmental law
• Corbyn Riddell, a graduate of Hermitage High School and current student at Virginia Tech University, where she is studying animal and poultry sciences; she is the recipient of the continuing studies scholarship
• Allison Still, a senior graduating from Deep Run High School; she plans to attend Virginia Tech University and study agriculture and life sciences

Each year SWCD awards scholarships to two high school seniors and one college student to support their studies in environmental science, agriculture, forestry and other conservation-related fields. Recipients must be Henrico residents, attend or plan to attend a Virginia state-supported college or university and meet other requirements. The awards are funded through an endowment with the Colonial Agricultural Education Foundation.

For more information, log on to www.co.henrico.va.us/swcd or call 501-5175.

June 1, 2009

CONTACT:  Michael K. Magner, Emergency Planner, Henrico Health District

PHONE: 501-7250

Henrico Health Department seeks volunteers to test emergency-response plan

The Henrico County Health Department (HCHD) is seeking 200 volunteers to serve as mock patients in an upcoming drill designed to test the county's plan to dispense emergency medication in response to a bioterrorism event or disease outbreak. The exercise is set for Sunday, June 28, from 6-7 p.m. at CVS Pharmacy, 9501 Woodman Road.

There is no age limit for volunteers, and participation is not limited to county residents. Pre-registration is required. Volunteers can register by calling 501-4643 or by sending an e-mail by Friday, June 19 to Augustine Doe, coordinator of the Henrico Medical Reserve Corps, at Augustine.Doe@vdh.virginia.gov.

The drill will implement an emergency medication distribution plan that incorporates local CVS, Ukrops, Rite Aid and Walgreens pharmacies. HCHD recently formed a partnership with the pharmacies to enhance its ability to provide medications and vaccines to residents during a countywide health emergency.

The drill will model Henrico's response to an imaginary release of anthrax spores within the county. Volunteers will assemble at the CVS Pharmacy on Woodman Road between 6-7 p.m. on June 28. The mock patients will form a line inside the store and complete a brief health-screening form; they will then receive one of two bottles of simulated anthrax medication (represented by M&M candies). Participants also will be asked to provide feedback on the exercise to help HCHD evaluate its response plan.

For more information, contact HCHD at 501-4643 or log on to www.co.henrico.va.us/health.