March 2009
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March 31, 2009 Keep Henrico Beautiful seeks nominations for best-maintained properties The Keep Henrico Beautiful (KHB) Committee is seeking outstanding residential and commercial properties for the 2009 Land Lover and Clean Business awards. Nominations for exemplary homes and businesses from each magisterial district will be accepted through Thursday, April 30. To be considered for the award, properties should be attractively landscaped, well-maintained and litter-free. Homeowners should perform their own landscaping and lawn-care work. In addition, property owners must participate in an ongoing recycling program, such as composting, curbside pickup or drop-off service. Winners will have an award sign posted on their property during June and will be recognized at a Board of Supervisors meeting. Henrico residents and business owners may nominate their own properties as well as others. Forms and criteria can be accessed online at www.co.henrico.va.us/utility/khbeautiful or by calling KHB at 501-4502; nominations can be submitted online or by mail. The Land Lover and Clean Business awards have been presented annually since 1995. Contact Keep Henrico Beautiful for more information. March 26, 2009 Varina town meeting to examine Henrico budget, new employment center The next town meeting of Varina District Supervisor Jim Donati will examine Henrico County's proposed budget for 2009-10 as well as the recently opened Employment Transition Center (ETC). The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, March 30 at the Henrico Theatre, 305 E. Nine Mile Road. Henrico County School Board Chairman John W. Montgomery, Jr. will join Donati to discuss the fiscal year 2010 budget and how it has been impacted by the ongoing economic crisis. Officials from Henrico general government and Henrico County Public Schools also will be on hand to answer questions. The meeting also will provide information about the new ETC, which opened in Henrico earlier this month to support recently displaced workers. The ETC, which is operated by the Capital Region Workforce Partnership, offers a variety of employment services to residents from eight area localities who have been laid off since Dec. 1, 2008. Varina town meetings are open to the public. Call 501-4208 for more information. March 24, 2009 HENRICO NAMES MCLAREN NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY The Henrico County Economic Development Authority today announced the selection of Gary R. McLaren as its executive director, effective April 20. A professional with more than 30 years of economic development experience, McLaren is presently deputy director of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), a position he has held since February 2003. McLaren, who was chosen following a comprehensive nationwide search, succeeds Frederick T. Agostino, who retired from the position in December. 
"Gary brings a rich background in economic development at many levels," said Stephanie T. Ford, Henrico County Economic Development Authority chair. "He has a passion for attracting new business and jobs to our area and knows the importance of our commitment to retaining business in our county. We look forward to Gary leading us into a new era of economic development in Henrico County." As executive director of the EDA, McLaren will lead the effort to identify and recruit new business to Henrico while also promoting the retention and expansion of the county's existing corporate and industrial base. The EDA has a staff of six and a fiscal year 2009 budget of just over $13 million. "Gary McLaren has been a key player in Virginia's economic development efforts for more than two decades, and we look forward to his leadership here in Henrico," said County Manager Virgil R. Hazelett, P.E. "Henrico County has long been known as a great place to do business, and we expect that reputation to continue to grow under Gary's professionalism and expertise." McLaren began his career with the South Carolina State Development Board in Columbia, where he served from 1978 through 1982. In 1985, he became executive director of the Florence County (South Carolina) Industrial Development Commission, and in 1988 became director of the Chesterfield County (Virginia) Department of Economic Development. In 1999, he was named director of the business development division of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, a position he held until his promotion to VEDP's deputy director. In that capacity, he managed the commonwealth's domestic and international marketing staff. "I'm pleased the Henrico County's Economic Development Authority has asked me to lead its economic development program," McLaren said. "Henrico enjoys a wonderful reputation as a great place to live and work, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to work in such a quality, well-governed community. My 10-year tenure with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership was a wonderful experience and opportunity to grow professionally, but I'm excited about returning to the local level and the direct interface with corporate and community leaders." A graduate of the University of South Carolina's College of Business Administration, with a B.S. in marketing, McLaren also attended the University of Oklahoma's Economic Development Institute. He is a graduate of the American Economic Development Council's three-year continuing education program. Henrico County is home to several Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 businesses and is one of only 20 counties nationwide to receive the triple-A bond designation from the nation's leading bond-rating agencies. March 17, 2009 Henrico County Manager Virgil R. Hazelett, P.E. has announced the appointment of Timothy A. Foster, P.E. as director of the Department of Public Works (DPW). The appointment took effect March 14. 
Foster, who had been serving as acting director of the agency, succeeds Edward L. Priestas, P.E., who recently retired from the position. As director, Foster will oversee a department with 266 employees and a fiscal year 2009 budget of nearly $36 million. He heads an agency responsible for maintaining 3,385 lane miles of roads -- the third-largest road network in Virginia, trailing only the state and the city of Virginia Beach. In addition to conducting the planning, design, construction and maintenance of all secondary roads in the county, DPW also is responsible for bridges, storm water drainage, traffic engineering, administration of public transit services and enforcement of erosion and sedimentation laws and ordinances. Foster, a Henrico employee since 1989, began as an assistant traffic engineer and was named assistant director of DPW in 2006. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
March 16, 2009 Henrico residents interested in becoming foster parents can learn about the county's Foster Care program at information sessions offered by Henrico's Department of Social Services (DSS) on Monday, April 20 and again on Monday, May 18. DSS will hold the sessions from 6-8 p.m. both nights 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 children ages 13 and older. 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. March 12, 2009 The Henrico County Extension Office is now accepting applications for Gardens Growing Families, the community garden program for qualifying county residents. For a nominal fee, families can grow their own vegetables in a plot maintained at the Fairfield District community garden, located at the intersection of Vale Street and Michael Avenue, near Lakeside Avenue. Designed to help families reduce their grocery bills by learning to grow, harvest, prepare and store their own fresh vegetables, Gardens Growing Families will offer free classes and workshops as well as expert advice from Henrico Master Gardeners. Tools and water are provided at the site. Participants can choose garden plots approximately 10 feet by 15 feet or 15 feet by 20 feet. Registration fees are based on a sliding scale, ranging from $5 to $65 annually, depending on household income. Fees will be refunded for cancellations prior to June 30. Residents must apply to participate in Gardens Growing Families. The program is open to any Henrico family; however, Fairfield District residents will receive priority consideration for plots in the Fairfield community garden. The Extension Office ultimately hopes to expand the program to each magisterial district. Gardens Growing Families represents the efforts of several county agencies, including Extension, Recreation and Parks, Social Services and Public Health. Applications are available online at www.co.henrico.va.us/extension and at the Extension Office, 8600 Dixon Powers Drive. Call 501-5160 for more information. March 6, 2009 The Employment Transition Center (ETC) -- a regional effort supported by Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Powhatan counties and the City of Richmond to aid recently displaced workers from the eight localities -- will open its doors at 9 a.m. Monday, March 9, at the site of the former Innsbrook Branch Library, 4060 Innslake Drive. The ETC will offer a variety of services on a walk-in basis to workers experiencing layoffs since Dec. 1, 2008 who live in the eight localities. The center will maintain regular hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Henrico County is donating the space and acting as fiscal agent for the center, which will be operated under the auspices of the Capital Region Workforce Partnership. Staff from area nonprofit agencies and the participating localities also will be on hand to provide additional services. "The Employment Transition Center is designed to be a toolbox," said Deputy County Manager for Community Services George T. Drumwright, Jr. "We want to give the region's affected workers -- of all professions and trades -- the tools they need to locate new employment and get through this difficult economic time." The ETC combines a variety of services into a single location, bringing together employment services and a number of human-services functions. Services include:
Drumwright anticipates large numbers of area residents to seek services from the ETC at its opening and asks for their patience in case they encounter long lines. "We know there is a significant need for this center," he said. "We want our residents to know that we are here to provide these services and will help everyone as rapidly as possible." Residents wanting to access services through the Employment Transition Center must have been laid off from their jobs after Dec. 1, 2008. For more information, contact the ETC at (804) 273-6260. Others needing assistance with employment can access similar services at any Capital Region Workforce Center, located at 5410 Williamsburg Road, 226-1941; 6301 Midlothian Turnpike, 675-9910; and 7333 Whitepine Road, 271-8510. March 3, 2009 Henrico County is looking for homes to add to the 2009 project list of Operation Paintbrush -- the free program that coordinates repainting and minor repairs of county residences whose owners, whether due to age, disability or financial hardship, cannot do the work themselves. Residents and others are encouraged to contact the county to suggest homes for the program. Designed to preserve Henrico's moderate- and low-income housing, prevent neighborhood blight and help eligible residents, Operation Paintbrush recruits volunteers to prepare and paint the exterior of qualifying homes. Light repair work, such as replacing rotted boards or cleaning and mowing a yard, may be performed as well. Since its inception in April 2000, Operation Paintbrush has facilitated the painting and repair of 139 Henrico homes. The program is administered by Community Maintenance, a division of the Department of Community Revitalization. "Operation Paintbrush works to help rehabilitate and maintain Henrico's older areas," said Community Planner Melvin Slough. "It also gives us a chance to lend a hand to residents who may be in need of special assistance." Prospective homes are screened for eligibility using federal guidelines for moderate- and low-income homes. Slough said that qualifying homeowners typically are lower-income seniors who may be disabled as well. "We encourage anyone who thinks a home may qualify to contact us," he said. "We need the public's assistance in identifying homes for the program." To suggest a home for Operation Paintbrush, contact Slough at 501-7628 or e-mail slo09@co.henrico.va.us. For more information, log on to www.co.henrico.va.us/maint. Return to Public Relations & Media Services Page |