Henry Daily Herald

FAIRVIEW — Henry County will host a Public Information Meeting on the PATH Foundation Multi-use trail to be constructed in the Fairview area. The meeting will be held Thursday, July 19, at 6:30 p.m., at the Fairview Recreation Center.

This initial meeting will be to introduce the concept for the one mile-long paved multi-use trail that will connect Austin Road Middle School (in Stockbridge) to Panola Mountain State Park and ultimately tie into a network of about 20 miles of trails known as the Arabia Mountain Heritage Trails. During the meeting, citizens will learn about the process for developing the trail, and have an opportunity to contribute ideas before the design begins.

Henry County was awarded $700,000 in Transportation Enhancement Funding from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in November 2011 for construction of the trail.

Eighty percent of the $875,000 project will be funded through these GDOT TE funds. The PATH Foundation will provide $125,000 toward the required 20 percent local match for the funds, which will pay for the design and right-of-way acquisition costs. In fact, the PATH Foundation has already awarded the bid for the design of the project to McGee Partners. Henry County will be responsible for 5.7 percent, or $50,000, which will be met entirely using in-kind services, including surveying, grading, and disposal.

At the time the funds were accepted, Michael Harris, Henry County Planning & Zoning Division Director, explained the county’s reasons for pursuing the funds were two-fold.

“Henry County has long recognized the importance and value associated with recreation facilities and how a community’s investment in quality of life features can have a direct impact on economic development as well as health and wellness for a community,” said Harris.

The Fairview Recreation Center is located at 35 Austin Road, in Stockbridge. The PATH Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to planning and building greenway trails throughout Georgia, and has done so for the past twenty years. For more information about the Arabia Mountain Heritage Trail network, visit http://pathfoundation.org/trails/arabia-mountain.

Military notes

Air Force Airman Scott Middlebrooks graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Middlebrooks, the son of Joel and Sandy Middlebrooks of Hampton, is a 2011 graduate of Luella High School.

Marine Corps Pvt. Johnny Crittenden, Jr., son of Lucy Crittenden of Locust Grove, and Johnny Crittenden, Sr., of Williamson, Ga., earned the title of United States Marine after graduating from recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, S. C. Crittenden is a 2011 graduate of Locust Grove High School of Locust Grove.

School Notebook publishes on Wednesdays. Make submissions to Johnny Jackson via e-mail at jjackson@henryherald.com, or call (770) 957-9161.