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May 2007
Why do all Henry public schools graduate on the same night?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This weekend is Graduation Weekend for Henry County public schools. The traffic in Henry County will be crazier than most weekends on Friday evening (if you can believe that!) So if you have somewhere to go besides high school graduations on Friday evening, I would suggest leaving earlier to make it on time.
Both of my daughters graduated from Henry County Schools. At that time, the graduation ceremonies were held on different days and times so other family members and friends could attend another graduation in the county if they had cousins or best friends also graduating. That option is no longer available. If family members have cousins graduating, grandparents and other family members have to make a choice on whose graduation ceremony to attend since they are the same night and time.
I understand that Henry County Public Schools has six high schools now and more to be added soon. With all of the high schools graduating on one night, it makes one traffic nightmare for Henry County residents at the same time.
How do you feel about all high schools graduating on one night? Does it affect your family so they have to make choices on whose to attend? Does it affect traffic in your area?
Permalink | Comments (12) | Categories: Connie Dodgen
What should Henry do about out-of-district students?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A news story from the north side that appeared in the AJC last weekend addressed an issue that is relevant here in Henry County, although the amount of publicity it receives is not what it was a few years ago.
A Marietta woman was acquitted last week of criminal charges stemming from her children’s attendance in a school district where she apparently was not a resident. According to the story, she faced 16 felony counts for allegedly lying to get her kids in school. The city wanted her to either live in the city or pay for the education her family received.
Making false statements on government documents, such as those one must sign to declare residency in Henry County to send your kids to county schools, is a felony. A lot of people do it across the state, but not a lot is done about it.
A published report last fall stated that two such cases here resulted in convictions over a two-year period, both after fairly long journeys through the court system. One case originated in 2004 and was resolved in May 2006.
It is not uncommon for a few hundred suspicious cases to be reported to the school system in a given year, and as many as 40 families have withdrawn their children in a semester as a result of the investigations. School officials have beefed up enforcement, using four investigators, and they have tightened the guidelines as far as what documents are acceptable when proving residency.
Still, it’s a huge job. It doesn’t seem practical to take every violator to court (although in principle it sounds right), but there must be a way to at least recoup some of the expense of educating out-of-county students through fines and other fees.
As a home owner and taxpayer, I’m very concerned about this. But since I don’t have children in local public schools, I’m not around the system on a day-to-day basis like many of you are. I’m curious about what local public school parents think about this issue. How bad is this problem? Is it being addressed properly? What else should be done? Are the families who withdraw after they’re busted paying any restitution to the school system?
It’s worth thinking about, folks. After all, it’s our money.
Permalink | Comments (65) | Categories: Monroe Roark
Do you remember real reason for Memorial Day?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday is Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor Americans who died in war.
For most people Memorial Day is a three-day holiday weekend to head to the lake
or beach, cook out on the grill, enjoy fun in the sun at the pool, take a camping trip, visit amusement parks or travel to different destinations.
So many people never stop and think about the real reason Memorial Day is a holiday. It is a day for America to remember those who lost their lives serving our country in war.
Memorial Day is also known as Decoration Day, because graves of the war dead are decorated with flowers and American flags. Some families spend their Memorial Day weekend visiting the graves of men and women who served their country in war and placing American flags on them.
Take time this Memorial Day to remember those who lost their lives fighting for our country so we can be free. Many people have died in battle in the many wars that have been fought over the years.
Do you and your family do something special on Memorial Day to remember those who have lost their lives in war? What do you do on Memorial Day?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Connie Dodgen
Would you rather go to Macon than Atlanta?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two weeks ago, I made two day trips to Macon within three days — once on business, the other with my wife on our son’s field trip.
While at the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences with about 80 second-graders, I perused a local magazine and discovered that minor league baseball was returning to Macon this month. Part of a six-team independent league, the Macon Music is playing this season at Luther Williams Field, one of the oldest ballparks in the United States.
I recalled the many trips I made to see the Macon Braves in the early 1990s, when Chipper and Andruw and others toiled at the Class A level before they became stars. It was a wonderful place to watch a game.
Why am I talking about baseball in this space? It’s simple. From my living room in north Henry County, I can get to my seat at the stadium in Macon faster than I can find my spot at Turner Field.
Think about it. Luther Williams Field is 60 miles from the Eagle’s Landing/Hudson Bridge exit, so it’s less than an hour for most of the county (going away from the traffic). Parking is free ($10 and up in Atlanta), and you can park right next to the stadium. The best seats at the Macon game are $6. Unlike major-league games that are made for TV and go all night, minor-league games usually wrap up in two hours or so. And the players at this level are playing their tails off, trying to move up. If you’re a baseball fan, what’s not to like?
So as I considered this while enjoying the nice museum, I wondered how many Henry County folks go south for dining, shopping or family outings to avoid traffic or save money. Do you have a favorite restaurant in Forsyth or elsewhere? Do you prefer the Macon Mall or some other retail outlet? Did you take in some Macon Braves games a decade ago, and will you go check out the new team? Please share your secrets with the rest of us.
Permalink | Comments (40) | Categories: Monroe Roark
Make time to attend a family reunion
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The month of May is not only a graduation month, but also a month when some families hold reunions. Have you ever considered why it is important that families get together in one place for a particular time? I believe the reason is honor.
Family reunions are a time we can take out of our busy schedules and spend quality time with our extended families. It is a time that we can make our sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, grandparents, and others we love a priority in our life.
Some reunions are over a picnic lunch and some last a weekend. They can be costly, take a lot of planning on someone’s part, and are sometimes crazy. But the truth is, when people you love grow up, move away and their parents die, getting together for a family reunion is so important to hold that family bond together.
Family reunions build a renewed closeness as we mingle with our relatives, laugh, and yes even cry. We sit and talk about old times and listen to the stories that our older and wiser relatives love to share. As the children run and play and get to know each other, we sit and revisit our childhood memories and enjoy the short time we have together.
The best part of a family reunion is the time spent simply being around the people you care about. A reunion shows how important it is to take time for each other. When you receive a family reunion invitation in the mail this year, make it a priority in your life. It’s a great opportunity to see your relatives once again, give them a big hug, tell them you love them and enjoy the time you have with them. Life is too short not to!
Does your family hold yearly reunions? Do you make it a priority to attend?
Permalink | Comments (21) | Categories: Connie Dodgen
How much growth can Henry County stand?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When the 2000 census was completed, the numbers in Henry County were fairly staggering. A 1990 population of 59,000 or so grew above 120,000 by 2000. The county’s size doubled in a decade.
As those stats were revealed, one question that entered my mind was, “How long can this last?” Many other people wondered the same thing. Now that seven more years are past, the answer to that question is obvious. It shows little sign of slowing down soon.
I remember a story I reported for a local (now defunct) newspaper in the fall of 1997 about the county welcoming its 100,000th resident. The last population estimate I heard, sometime in 2006, was 170,000. That’s 70 percent growth in 10 years.
Two or three years ago, a study reported that 24 percent of the county’s land had been developed up to that time. I wonder what the current figure is. It is unlikely it has climbed above 30 percent in that time, so there is still a lot of land to tinker with.
With all of these facts at hand, one is prone to consider what the next 10 or more years will bring. That kind of speculation frequently brings with it sarcasm and sharp criticism, but some thoughtful analysis can also come from it.
Are we heading toward a half-million? A million? Those numbers seem less ridiculous as Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett continue to grow into the high six figures.
We’ll see what happens.
Permalink | Comments (92) | Categories: Monroe Roark
Mother’s Day can have a down side
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mother’s Day will be celebrated this Sunday, May 13. The card companies, flower shops and retail stores dont let us forget it! Millions of dollars will be spent on Mother’s Day for cards, gifts and flowers.
My favorite gifts from my kids on Mother’s Day have always been the simple things. The homemade cards, having breakfast in bed and my coffee brought to me. The gifts my kids made in preschool or school were my favorite since they were made with love.
Since my mom passed away, Mother’s Day has been different for me. My family always went to her house and celebrated together, but now we just all celebrate our own Mother’s Day at home with our own kids. We go to church, go out to eat, and then return home for a nice nap and time with family. I figure its my day so I can do whatever I want!
With all the advertisement on Mother’s Day on TV, radio and the sales circulars, sometimes we forget that Mother’s Day can also be a sad day for some people. For the ones that have lost their mother recently or for women that can’t have children, it can be a very sad day. A lot of tears will be shed this Mother’s Day, and some of them will be mine.
How do you and your family celebrate Mother’s Day? Has this holiday gotten too commercial over the years?
Permalink | Comments (15) | Categories: Connie Dodgen
Would bad air quality motivate you to move?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I found some interesting information that makes me wonder if people realize the type of environment they are living in around here.
The American Lung Association (www.lungusa.org) last week released a report titled “State of the Air 2007.” You can pull up a map of the U.S. and click on Georgia. Then you will see statistics on 18 counties in the state for which ozone pollution has been measured. Each county gets a grade.
Henry County got an F, along with DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett and Rockdale. Fayette got a D, and Clayton’s grade was incomplete.
You would expect downtown Atlanta to have an unsatisfactory report regarding smog, but these grades show that it is reaching farther out into the suburbs. With more cars sitting on the expressway down here every day, I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise.
A big problem, as I see it, is that we sometimes don’t notice things like this. We grow more accustomed to it because we breathe this air every day for years. You have to get out of town — way out — to notice a difference.
The only Georgia counties that got an A were Chatham and Glynn, both of which are on the coast. I don’t think that’s a coincidence, since more than a dozen Florida coastal counties got an A or B. Obviously, with the ocean on one side, it’s harder to trap the smog, even in highly populated areas.
My wife has asthma and allergies, which makes this serious enough for me to look at relocating in next few years, especially with two children who might have to grow up breathing this stuff.
Do you notice the smog in Henry County? Does it seem any less severe than in downtown Atlanta? Has it made you consider a lifestyle change (one that doesn’t involve a lot of automobile travel)?
Time to sound off.
Permalink | Comments (30) | Categories: Monroe Roark
Starting and finishing college — Happy or sad?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This weekend my youngest daughter will graduate from Valdosta State University. As I think back over the last four years, they have flown by! The first year went slow, then after that the time flew.
I remember the hot, muggy day that we moved her in the dorm as a freshman, and I cried all the way home. Leaving your child three hours away for the first time is very emotional and the tears just kept coming!
My daughter had never been away from home before, so this was a new experience for our whole family. Some people call it the empty-nest syndrome. As each day passed, it got a little easier. But every time she came home that first year, I would cry again when she left and pray for her safety on the road. She moved into an apartment the last three year and did not come home as much.
As she graduates from college this weekend, I have mixed emotions. I am happy and proud of her for graduating with honors and starting a new career as a teacher, but it also means a new start to life!
A lot of college graduations will be taking place in May. I have a daughter, a nephew, and a niece all graduating on three different Saturdays from college.
How about you? How do you feel about moving your freshman students to college and leaving them? And then their graduation?
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Connie Dodgen
