April a month of celebrations for county governments

National County Government Month (NCGM) is celebrated each April by the nation's counties to raise public awareness and understanding about the roles and responsibilities of county government. The national theme for 2010 was "Healthy Counties."

In North Carolina, the Henderson County Health Department held a couple of special activities to celebrate NCGM for residents during April. The department hosted a Child Passenger Safety Clinic on April 15 and an H1N1 Walk-in Clinic at the Henderson County Health Department on April 22.

Other departments in the county got in on the fun as well. The Henderson County Animal Shelter held a K9 Good Manners Challenge during the Henderson County Animal Services Day on April 17. Local pooches were given two tests to determine the dog's ability to listen and follow basic commands such as stay, sit or come. Dogs were also given the official American Kennel Club K9 Good Citizen Test, which is designed to test the same basic commands but is judged on a stricter scale.

The county also invited local high school students to participate in a "Shadow a County Official for a Day" event. Participants received a first-hand look at how county government works via interaction with individual employees.

Rockingham County commissioners adopted a resolution declaring April as "County Government Month." The county highlighted several environmentally conscious programs and activities it supports that contribute to the health of its citizens. For example, the county's new Judicial Center will be the first such center in the southeast to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. LEED certification is achieved by emphasizing energy efficiency and sustainability in building location, materials and design as well as water savings and use of local supplies. An excellent example of such design is the fact that several old growth trees at the Justice Center site have not been cut to allow for shade in the summer to lessen the cost of cooling the building.

Another "green" activity is the county's landfill methane project that will harvest the gas that naturally forms inside the county landfill and use that gas to generate electricity. A study of the landfill has been completed and the county has applied for grants to finance the project.

County officials also decided to step up recycling efforts. Two mobile recycling trailers are being acquired and outfitted for placement at convenient locations to encourage citizens outside municipal limits.

Warren County went all-out for NCGM, hosting a block party on the Warren County Courthouse Square on April 23. Residents were encouraged to bring a picnic and lawn chair to enjoy an evening of entertainment. Cooperative Extension hosted the event and focused its efforts around NCGM's healthy counties theme.

"Cooperative Extension plays a vital role in our healthy community, working with several local agencies and teaching them how to develop community gardens, teaching families how to eat healthier, teaching how to shop and stretch your dollars and promoting wholesome youth activities, especially the 4-H program," Clerk to the Board Angelena Kearney-Dunlap, who chaired the County Government Celebration Committee, told the Warren Record.

Festivities concluded with a Ghost Walk, led by Warren County Community Schools Director Patrick Draffin. The party lasted through the weekend as the county hosted SpringFest 2010, presented by the Warrenton Revitalization Committee.

On the state level, Governor Beverly Perdue issued a proclamation April 22 declaring April as National County Government Month.

In 1991 the National Association of Counties (NACo) developed County Government Week in an attempt to encourage counties across the country to actively promote county government programs and services to raise public awareness and understanding about the roles and responsibilities of the nation's counties to meet the needs of the community. This is the first year that NACo extended County Government Week to County Government Month.

NACo estimates that more than 1,000 counties participated in NCGM by hosting a variety of community outreach events and activities. These include tours of county facilities, recognition ceremonies for county employees and volunteers, distribution of information about county programs and services, sponsoring student essay contests, meetings with business and community leaders, and adoption of resolutions.