Promenade Through
History May 14
The Genealogical Society of
Henry and Clayton Counties,
Inc. will present Promenade
Through History: A Visit with
the Past on Saturday, May 14
from 2 until 3:30 p.m. and
5:30 until 7 p.m. The cost is
$12 adults, $6 children (12
and under). A limited number
of tickets are on sale now. It
will be held in the community
room at Cannon Cleveland
Contemporary Chapel, located
at 2480 Hwy. 42 North in
McDonough. For more infor-
mation, visit
tongenealogy.com.
Times
The Henry County
“Celebrating Henry County”
By Monroe Roark
Times Correspondent
The Henry County Board of
Commissioners adopted an updat-
ed agreement for police services
in Stockbridge that is essentially
unchanged from what has already
been in place, but not everyone is
in agreement about it.
Commissioner Blake Prince,
who serves most of Stockbridge,
blasted city officials for their
refusal to accept more county
police services in the city than in
the unincorporated county.
Stockbridge is the only city in
Henry County without its own
police department.
Shortly after Buddy Welch, the
city’s attorney, told the commis-
sioners that Stockbridge did not
have the money to form its own
department and would have to
wait until the next SPLOST cycle
to consider it, Prince alleged that
the city offered $6 million to a
developer for a project on Jodeco
Road.
“I’m guessing that if they have
$6 million to give to a developer
on Jodeco Road, they would have
$6 million they should probably
start a police department with,”
said Prince. “But it’s all a matter
of priorities.”
Stockbridge officials did not
respond directly to the Times, but
city manager Michael Harris told
a reporter for another media outlet
last week that the city has not
approved anything like the $6
million offer Prince mentioned
and the commissioner’s com-
ments were “irresponsible.”
During Prince’s lengthy remarks
he referred to “false information
that has been put out by city offi-
cials” that he called “appalling,”
although he gave almost no
specifics. He did mention a previ-
ous statement he attributed to
Harris that the city provides a
police station to the county to the
tune of about $278,000 per year,
but did not mention that the coun-
ty paid a considerable amount of
money up front for the building’s
use.
“That’s what we call a lie of
omission,” said Prince.
Harris attempted to address the
board after Prince concluded his
statement, but Prince immediately
objected. “No. No. No. This is not
a public meeting,” he was heard
saying to his colleagues. (He was
referring to that particular item on
Visit us online at
May 11, 2016
Volume 15, No. 19
Proudly celebrating over fourteen years of faithfully serving our readers, the people of Henry County
see
Police,
page 9
The Times visits
the Big Apple.
See page 10.
Stockbridge police services agreement updated
Prst. Standard
US Postage Paid
Permit No. 260
McDonough, GA
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
McDonough
High School
Class of 1954 to
hold reunion
June 1.
More on page 7.
By James Saxton
Times Correspondent
It takes a special feel, a deft
judgment, and loads of experi-
ence to get just the right mix of
vendors at the Geranium Festival.
“Diane Reed has all that,” said
nine-year veteran festival planner
Ed Galbreath. “The festival today
is the popular event it is because
of Diane Reed.”
After more than two decades of
planning McDonough’s biggest
and most famous annual festival,
Reed is stepping down next
month from her long-held volun-
teer position as one the festival’s
most sought-after planners.
Volunteer? Planning a huge fes-
tival and directing all its moving
parts is not a paid position?
“We work as volunteers; no
pay,” Galbreath said, explaining
that it is the Lions Club of
McDonough that sponsors the
arts and crafts extravaganza that
draws about 25,000 per year to
the city’s busy downtown Square.
“This year there’s three of us,
chairman Rick Berry, Diane Reed
and me. We’re the Geranium
Festival Team among Lions Club
members. Other members pitch
in, of course, but the responsibil-
ity to coordinate it all falls to the
three of us. Next year there will
be an all-new team.”
So what draws the people back
year after year? Popular items
showcased in a way that intrigues
them, Galbreath said. The job is
not an easy one, requiring intense
attention every spring, he said.
“There were many years that
Diane did it by herself.”
The 39th Annual Geranium
Festival is Saturday, May 21, in
downtown McDonough from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival is free,
with free parking at Henry
County High School at 401 E.
Tomlinson St., and a free shuttle
to the festival entrance.
The festival is essentially an arts
and crafts festival that gives par-
ticular emphasis to creative
homemade items, Galbreath said.
Vendors will sell handcrafted
items and artistic designs not
available in stores, like jewelry,
clothing, birdhouses, pet acces-
sories, candles and more.
A children’s area features rides
and activities. The Community
Business Section showcases
information and attractions
from businesses, organizations,
This Geranium Festival last
one for longtime planner
see
Festival,
page 6
Diane Reed will step down next month from planning the annu-
al Geranium Festival in McDonough, a volunteer post she has
filled for more than 20 years.
Photo by Nick Vassy
Briefs
County
addresses
film/TV
policy
By Monroe Roark
Times Correspondent
County officials are taking a
careful look at how they regu-
late the many requests that
come in from the film and tele-
vision industry with regard to
how those requests make use of
county services and facilities.
In the wake of considerable
controversy after a rap video
considered by many to be
extremely profane and misogy-
nist in nature was recorded
inside the county courthouse,
and on the very day that a crew
was filming a major motion pic-
ture on the McDonough Square,
the Henry County Board of
Commissioners heard at its May
3 regular meeting an update on
the county’s policy relating to
those endeavors.
County manager Lyndon
Bonner said his staff has “dust-
ed off an older document that
has been used in the past” and is
see
County,
page 3
