The County Manager Might be infringing the 1st Amendment
According to an article in the Henry Daily Herald by Rachel Shirey, the Henry County Manager Mr. Jim Walker, has taken steps to take any requests for a FOIA away from the County Clerk Shay Mathis. He said that any request made to access the records or property of any Commissioner or County employee outside the parameters of the open records must be approved by Walker.
All experts on the 1st Amendment say those records must be made public. Attorney David Hudson, constitutional law expert, says there is nothing inherently wrong with keeping a log of the request or notifying officials, but a policy has to be in place for such action. Hudson said that all emails, letters that concern government matters sent or received by government supplied equipment must be made public.
Georgia Assistant Attorney General Stefan Ritter said that a public document is any kind of information paper, power point, electronic versions, tape recording, video recording, post it notes, texts, email and data in computer servers. Ritter said that if it is government business, then the record is open regardless of the equipment it is on.
County Manager Walker feels there is a shortcoming in the record keeping system, and he is taking steps to strengthen the system for open records requests. He said that the county has not been doing a proper job of keeping track of who requested information, and what information was requested. He said they were not properly notifying the leadership and employees about requests made about them. Mr. Walker told in an email that county officials will remain transparent and in full compliance with open records laws. But when a request is made about a commissioner, county manager, or a high level county leader, they will be notified who made the request and what the request consists. He said that he will check all requests to date and make sure they have a valid open records request attached. If any problems are found he would notify the board.
This is raising red flags in the media. This is where those in power forget that they work for the citizens. Every penny going into a government is from the people and hiding information or giving the appearance thereof only brings about more questions. And lawsuits by the press to gain information will be likely. Thus, this involves the people’s money once again. And if a commissioner or public official goes after a private citizen for asking for information, then not only lawsuits, but possible jail time will ensue. The State of Georgia put into play rules about information and hiding or destroying information has happened in the past. It will happen again and the people only want those they elect to remain honest.
Citizens for a Better Henry County
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It has been 13 years since America was attacked and thousands of her people were murdered and countless affected by the actions of cowards. For me it seems just yesterday that my world turned upside down for ever because it still hurts so much. Sweetheart I dream of the life we would have had together and it cuts my heart like a knife. I think of all the fun and work we had planned on doing in our life with each other and it makes me feel so empty inside when I turn and find you are not there by my side. I feel that sometimes my life has been sucked away from me in the lonely nights and days without you.
I still have nightmares about that day I re-live the moments hour by hour in my mind. They invade my sleep like a devil in the night. I try to keep myself busy to keep from crying. I was part of the team that tried to keep them from building on top of Ground Zero because we feel and know it is a cemetery. But we failed because of greed of money. I have become a watchdog here in Henry County and try to keep the cemeteries here protected but it is a hard fight. I will never give up the fight never. I wanted to let you know that I have never stopped thinking about you and darling I still love you with all my heart and always will.
Alfred.
Its that time of the year when we need to remember an event that changed the lives for everyone in America. The date September 11, 2001 or 9/11 as it is also known has become synonymous with December 7, 1941. Thousands died that day in a time of anxiety over having our nation attacked by an unknown force. We knew the enemy in 1941, but today this enemy works from the shadows.
Today, thirteen years after the day we lost our innocence, our people are showing signs of what usually happens—they are walking further away from the time of the attack. Just as with Pearl Harbor, today it is only a foot note to many.
There are so many loved ones of those who died that are in pain from grief. Many have forgotten those who are still in emotional distress over losing their loved one in one of the most terrible events in United States history. To them it was yesterday. The pain is added upon by the fact that the owners of the property have built another huge skyscraper on what they consider to be the cemetery of their loved ones. They pushed aside the feelings of those still in pain for a dollar. They feel defiled and maligned by a society that forgets so easily as time passes. The hurt is compounded upon when they see their government caress what was once considered evil. This society hasn’t realized the heartache which is part of the daily routine of those left behind. That pain is very real.
As time gets farther from the event, the less it will mean to most in society. The day 9/11 happened will only be a few lines in a book. Even those who teach don’t realize the effect it has on those who lost someone they loved on that day when the sky was so blue and the sun was beautiful. Today much of the pain was turned to anger for so many.
In the beginning, the anger was toward the killers of their loved ones. Now the anger is focused on the uncaring society we live in today. My cousin lost his love of his life on that day, and at the same time a part of him died as well. Most do not realize that sudden pain caused by a tragedy of this magnitude. He has suffered in ways we can not imagine. Grief that is so deep that at times will consume their lives. And the uncaring, thoughtlessness that comes with time only adds to the grief he and so many others feel.
A kind word and a little understanding go a long way to help those who still see the deaths of 9/11 not only those on the planes, but these buildings and the first responders who died doing their jobs without question. They were the heroes who entered those buildings that were a mass of chaos and fear.
As long as there are those who still care, the memories of the dead will remain, but when those minds are silenced by the grave, what will happen next? Those words on pages of text books and computer screens will be just that words. Words in that context and feeling because the authors have long since passed.
Please remember those who died on September 11, 2001 and remember these loved ones left in a world of pain and uncaring. Who only ask for patience and remembrance. Please pray for them, and if you know them give them kind word to let them know you haven’t forgotten. It would mean a lot.
Pastor Dr. Mike Moon
The Henry County BOE is going on the offensive now about the closing of McDonough Elementary School. And they are receiving help from one of the weak minded in the county which is not surprising. Any way back to the BOE. Remember these are the same people who wanted to close Smith-Barnes Elementary in Stockbridge and move Patrick Henry High over there. The local citizens fought it and the BOE found it would be politically in their favor to leave all alone. Now they are proposing the same thing by wanting to close a newly renovated McDonough Elementary by busing those students to other schools and now they are wanting again to move Patrick Henry High to McDonough. The red lights should be flashing here as why do they really want to move Patrick Henry High and who wants the property? Here is the offensive Q &A about the McDonough Elementary. They try to sugar it up good.
1.What is the proposal for McDonough Elementary being proposed by the Board of Education? Their plan is to rezone the school district to move those children to Walnut Creek, Tussahaw, and Wesley Lakes. And then move Patrick Henry High from Stockbridge to McDonough. (The key here is this proposal is by the Superintendent Mr. Bowler and not the BOE. That is why he didn’t get what he wanted at the BOE meeting the other night. There will be two meetings for the people of the area to voice their opinions.)
2. Why is McDonough Elementary’s building being proposed for repurposing? They feel that it would be good to have Patrick Henry High there so the students would have a short walk over to the tech school. (This is again another smoke screen. Patrick Henry Academy as they want to call it is an alternative school for children who have problems and a way to keep them in school to get their diploma. Some go on to tech school and even college, but the majority do not. Again causing hardship for the teachers from both McDonough and Stockbridge.)
3. What if anything, can current students and their families expect different at their new zone school? All functions are part of the cluster school already so little would change according to the BOE. (Anytime you split up a school where children have friends and send them on buses to other facilities will cause problems and friction with the students. And don’t say it can’t happen because it does everyday.)
4. Are any other zones being changed as a result of the proposal? Only McDonough Elementary is involved. (What about Patrick Henry High? Those students will have to travel in many cases much farther which in turn could affect drop out rates. These ideas are being handled much like the BOE tried a few years ago wanting more tax money and the people said no on the ballot.)
5. What does the future hold for McDonough Elementary? The proposal doesn’t mean that this is the end of the school because with the E-Splost that possibly in the future there will be more elementary, middle and high school set ups. (They are reaching on this one. Once this McDonough Elementary School is gone it is gone. Again, trying to bribe the public with something that very likely will never happen in this generation.)
The Board of Education spokesperson is just doing her job by trying to coax the opinion toward them. But here is a novel idea: put it on a special ballot and let the people vote for it because it is about their money and their children. And leave out people who have no clue as to what is really happening behind those walls at the BOE. Money, power, and real estate go a long way in handling where our children will go to school. This is being read and listened to around the nation currently and it is getting bad reviews just as the eminent domain issue in Stockbridge of a few years ago that cast a cloud over that city that remains to this day.
The Citizens Who Want to Keep McDonough Elementary Open
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It looks like the Henry County School Superintendent at the Monday September 8, 2014 spoke of the closing of McDonough Elementary to make way for Patrick Henry High from Stockbridge. He didn’t get what he wanted tonight as he had planned. Instead the Board of Education voted to have a couple of public hearings on the matter. The first will be on Tuesday October 21, 2014 at 7:00pm at 33 N. Zack Hinton Pkwy. Then the second meeting will be on Monday November 3, 2014 at the same address. This is a victory for the citizens so they can truly make their views known. Please keep these dates in your calendar and be prepared to attend the meetings and voice your opinion to keep the McDonough Elementary at McDonough and the Patrick Henry High in Stockbridge.
The Staff at the Henry County Community News
It is getting quite apparent that the people on the council in Stockbridge are very much like those from the Alarcon days. They all talked about those good ole boys and the things they did, yet they are doing the same thing. They might not see it but it shows. They can’t get the video thing to work right one week and the audio thing to work right on another week. Very seldom do they work together. Either they have poor people doing the job or a lousy system. Shows a lack of directive and purpose. People are not always able to show up at those meetings especially when you get off from work at 6:00pm and you try to tape the thing on your machine and you get poor quality. There are many people on my street that wished Mr. Kelley was back. My wife asked me why they can’t get things done at least on a 50/50 basis on their committees. I told her I didn’t really know because it always seems this way.
Roger Mason
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Chick Filet founder Samuel Truett Cathy age 93 died early Monday morning, His family announced at the Jonesboro 1st Baptist Church on Sunday September 7, 2014 that Mr. Cathy was seriously ill.
Mr. Cathy started the business in 1946 on Central Avenue in Hapeville, GA. One of the best places to work and eat, his company has grown across the nation and made him and his family very rich in the process. But Mr. Cathy has given back to the community many times over. His Christian beliefs and lifestyle has kept his restaurant closed on Sundays since its inception. Mr. Cathy turned the company over to his son Dan Cathy to be CEO as his health began to decline. The fast food giant’s funeral will be held Wednesday at First Baptist Church of Jonesboro, where his family has attended church for years.
