Photo Galleries

11/17/08 Parks Helms did not run for elected office for the first time in decades, ending 16 years as a Mecklenburg County commissioner. Vice-Chairman Parks Helms is serving his eighth consecutive term on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, elected at-large. He was first elected to the County Commission in 1992, and served as chairman during five of his seven terms. L.MUELLER - lmueller@charlotteobserver.com

11/17/08 Parks Helms did not run for elected office for the first time in decades, ending 16 years as a Mecklenburg County commissioner. Vice-Chairman Parks Helms is serving his eighth consecutive term on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, elected at-large. He was first elected to the County Commission in 1992, and served as chairman during five of his seven terms. L.MUELLER - lmueller@charlotteobserver.com

06/05/80: H. Parks Helms listens as Carlo J. Stewart, speaker of the house, opens the 1980 North Carolina General Assembly. AP file photo by Bob Jordan

11/05/74: H. Parks Helms with wife Eleanor (left) and daughter Deborah Helms. Observer file photo by Tom Franklin

11/17/08 Parks Helms did not run for elected office for the first time in decades, ending 16 years as a Mecklenburg County commissioner. Vice-Chairman Parks Helms is serving his eighth consecutive term on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, elected at-large. He was first elected to the County Commission in 1992, and served as chairman during five of his seven terms. L.MUELLER - lmueller@charlotteobserver.com

11/17/08 Parks Helms did not run for elected office for the first time in decades, ending 16 years as a Mecklenburg County commissioner. Vice-Chairman Parks Helms is serving his eighth consecutive term on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, elected at-large. He was first elected to the County Commission in 1992, and served as chairman during five of his seven terms. L.MUELLER - lmueller@charlotteobserver.com

11/17/08 Parks Helms did not run for elected office for the first time in decades, ending 16 years as a Mecklenburg County commissioner. Vice-Chairman Parks Helms is serving his eighth consecutive term on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, elected at-large. He was first elected to the County Commission in 1992, and served as chairman during five of his seven terms. L.MUELLER - lmueller@charlotteobserver.com

11/17/08 Parks Helms did not run for elected office for the first time in decades, ending 16 years as a Mecklenburg County commissioner. Vice-Chairman Parks Helms is serving his eighth consecutive term on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, elected at-large. He was first elected to the County Commission in 1992, and served as chairman during five of his seven terms. L.MUELLER - lmueller@charlotteobserver.com

11/03/98 Democrats Parks Helms, Becky Carney, and Jim Richardson celebrate winning their seats as the At-Large Commisioners at the Grady Cole Center tonight.

10/23/03: Parks Helms, left, and Erskine Bowles chat with Dana and Mary Ruth Rucker at the annual Mallard Creek Barbecue on Mallard Creek Road. The event offers lots of food and lots of politics. CHRISTOPHER A. RECORD - STAFF PHOTO

11/9/94 14A: WHEW! PARKS HELMS MOPS HIS BROW AFTER NARROWLY WINNING AN AT-LARGE SEAT ON THE MECKLENBURG BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS [UNPUBLISHED:] Parks Helms mopps his brow after winning a at large seat on the Meck Co. the Commission by a narrow margin.

2/27/02: With Mecklenburg County Commissioner Chairman Parks Helms looking on to the left, President George W. Bush blows a kiss to someone in the crowd after speaking at the Charlotte Chamber Wednesay morning. CHRISTOPHER A. RECORD - STAFF PHOTO

05/09/00 Parks Helms balances a baguette on his hand as Tomato Man (Harden Minor) looks on at the North End Green Market kickoff ceremony.

8/15/97 3C T. ORTEGA GAINES/Staff Parks Helms (right) greets Joe Martin, a senior executive at NationsBank, and congratulates him for his idea for "Race Day," at a news conference Thursday at the Renaissance Place Restaurant. (UNPUBLISHED NOTES:) (8/14/97 PERLMUTT) Parks Helms greets Joe Martin a senior executive at Nationsbank and congradulates him for his intuitive and simple idea for "Race Day Lunch" which was brought to light after being awarded the "Whitney M. Young Jr. award by the Urban League for his contribution for race relations at Nationbank and through out the community. Today a press conference was held at the Renaissance restaurant for "Race Day Lunch" announcing that September 7 will be the designated date. Members from YWCA,National Conference and the Urban League are sponsors for this event, which they hope will have a tremendous turn out in Charlotte. PHOTO BY T. ORTEGA GAINES/ STAFF

7/06/97 1B JEFF SINER/Staff Parks Helms is the current chairman of the Mecklenburg County commissioners. County Commission Chairman Parks Helms. Helms is head of the commissioners and a statesman at a time when those are rare. Photo By: Jeff Siner/Staff

4/12/99 County Commissioner Parks Helms (left) talks with Gov. Jim Hunt at the Governor's Summit on Fatherhood at the Charlotte Convention Center Monday afternoon.

8/9/07 Mecklenburg County Commissioner Parks Helms looks down from a tethered hot-air balloon and talks to the onlookers below Thursday morning at the soccer field at Randolph Road Park in Charlotte, NC. The hot-air balloon was piloted by Charles T. Page of Big oh! Balloons. Helms was a speaker during the Department of Social Services celebration for the "untethering" of child protection workers and the new child welfare component of the Integrated Social Services Information system, with the ceremonial launch of the hot-air balloon. The celebration took place on the soccer field at Randolph Road Park in Charlotte. The new child welfare component brings all DSS information under one roof, available remotely from any computer with Internet access. Information about customers and the services they receive is easily and confidentially shared among the various divisions of DSS, improving coordination, making access more convenient for DSS customers, and saving time for DSS staff. JEFF SINER -- jsiner@charlotteobserver.com

2/4/2008 - An ad hoc committee of Mecklenburg commissioners met with county attorneys today to talk about how the board should proceed in appointing a new sheriff, and what is the impact, if any, of Saturday's Council of Review hearing. Democrats Parks Helms (center) and Norman Mitchell (left) sit on the committee, joined by commission chair Jennifer Roberts (right). They'll be talking with Marvin Bethune, county attorney; and Jim Cooney and Mike Barnhill, two lawyers hired by the county to defend them in any possible suit related to the sheriff controversy. A majority of commissioners want to name acting sheriff Chipp Bailey as sheriff as early as Tuesday. GARY O'BRIEN - gobrien@charlotteobserver.com