Cobb to honor fallen East Marietta Little League player

Blake Mahoney

Next Saturday a new season begins for the East Marietta National Little League, which will hold its annual Opening Day festivities at Sewell Park.

It’s also a day that Cobb officials are expected to designate as Blake Mahoney Day.

Mahoney was 11 years old and a player for East Marietta when he was killed on April, 19, 2020, after his bicycle collided with car in his neighborhood.

On Tuesday, Cobb commissioners will be asked to designate March 2 as Blake Mahoney Day in a resolution at the start of the board’s monthly evening business meeting.

According to an agenda item from Commissioner Jerica Richardson, Mahoney “lived the Little League values of Community, Fun, Inclusion, Integrity and Teamwork. Blake was a kind person and had an infectious smile. He was always welcoming new players at the park. Blake was also a fierce competitor, playing with toughness and determination, and was the first to congratulate a teammate on a good play.”

After his death, Mahoney’s parents established a scholarship in their son’s name, awarded on financial need, to “help an inspiring baseball player—to continue in Blake’s spirit, for the love of the game.”

Those scholarships are given to East Marietta players in the spring and fall seasons.

The spring season Opening Day ceremonies begin next Saturday, March 2, starting at 10 a.m. on Field 3 at Sewell Park (2055 Lower Roswell Road).

Related:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

East Cobb Classic 5K and Fun Run returns for second year

East Cobb Classic 5K and Fun Run returns for second year

Submitted information and photo:

Lace ‘em up and let ‘em fly! The East Cobb Classic 5K & Fun Run will return for its second year on March 9. This family friendly event promises a fun-filled morning for all ages while supporting the East Cobb community.

The East Cobb Classic supports the annual fund of Eastside Christian School, which has plans to build a brand new playground and greenspace area.

Registration options include a timed 5K race, untimed 5K run/walk, and a quarter-mile fun run obstacle course. The timed 5K is USATF certified and an Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race qualifying event with awards for the top 3 male and female overall finishers, in addition to age group awards. The fun run is filled with exciting obstacles that take kids up, down, and around. All fun run participants receive a finishers medal. Registration for all race day participants includes a super soft race t-shirt.

“I absolutely loved that this was a family event! Very very impressed that it was the first one! Music was great, the race started on time, and they did a fantastic job with the cones and having folks out there at all the turns and intersections. I was super impressed by this,” said competitive runner and USATF certified coach Courtney Strosnider.

“It is well organized, fun crowd, rockin’ DJ! Great race and family fun day! My kids loved getting to do their own race as well,” said Chris Darragh.

“Running and hospitality are both passions of mine. Organizing the race gives me an opportunity to combine both. I love the way it brings together the community of participants, volunteers, and sponsors,” said race director Sara Gentry.

The race takes place at Eastside Christian School, 2450 Lower Roswell Road in Marietta/East Cobb. Register by February 24 to guarantee your t-shirt! For more information and to register to run the East Cobb Classic 5K, visit eastcobbclassic.com.

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Wheeler Athletic Hall of Fame to induct five new members

Wheeler High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame will welcome five new members this weekend.

Matt Haynes, Class of 1985, was a state champion in track and field and was a varsity wrestler and football player at Wheeler.

The inductees will be presented between varsity basketball games against Kennesaw Mountain Friday, around 7:20 p.m.

Induction will take place Saturday with photos at 9:15 a.m., breakfast at 9:30 a.m. and the ceremony at 10 a.m. in the Wheeler Cafe.

Tickets for the breakfast and ceremony will be $10 and can be purchased at the door. For questions, contact Brittny Jones at brittny.jones@cobbk12.org.

The 2024 inductees, with brief bios that can be found in full on the Hall of Fame’s Facebook page:

Ray Stang, Swimming, Class of 1968
There was no Wheeler Swim Team until he represented the school in the Georgia High School Swimming Championships. In the 1967 State Champion Meet, he finished 2nd in the 100-yard breaststroke. In the 1968 championship meet, Stang finished 1st in the 100-yard breaststroke, becoming Wheeler’s first state champion in any athletic competition. He also finished 3rd in the 100-yard freestyle. Ray’s achievements earned the Wheeler HS Swim Team a 7th place finish in the State for the 1967-68 school year, and Ray WAS the swim team, as he was the only swimmer.

Terry Poor, Football, Class of 1968
During his three years at Wheeler, Terry played in every football game as a starter on both offense and defense. His senior year, Terry was selected by his teammates as a permanent captain for the WHS Football Team.

After graduating college, Terry returned to Wheeler to teach and coach. As an assistant coach on Corky Kell’s football staff, he first coached junior varsity football for two undefeated seasons before being elevated to defensive coordinator for the varsity football team which was a perennial state playoff contender.

Matt Haynes, Track and Field, Class of 1985
After setting a new Wheeler freshman pole vaulting record, and winning the Cobb JV County Meet, with Steve Brown just one jump behind, the Wheeler pole vaulting “dynasty,” that started with Randy Eaton and David Swanson four years earlier was reborn. Over the next three years, Matt broke the rest of Randy Eaton’s Wheeler pole vaulting records, along with a few meet records.

He won State his junior year, and barely missed setting a new State record at 14’2. His senior year, he missed a jump at 14’2” hitting the bar on the way up and placed 2nd at State. Haynes also won the JV Cobb County wrestling title in the 167 lbs. weight class and lettered three times in football.

Jermareo Davidson, Basketball, Class of 2003
Jermareo played basketball at Wheeler for one season and broke the single season blocks record, as well as the record for rebounds. That year, Wheeler also won its 3rd State Championship. Jermareo was selected to play in the prestigious Michael Jordan High School All American game. He played collegiately at the University of Alabama and professionally in the NBA and overseas.

Dale Carey, Baseball, Class of 2010
Dale Carey was a member of the Wheeler baseball team for four years, and he also played football for the Wildcats for three years. During his senior year, he played centerfield and batted .398 with six home runs. He was recognized by the Atlanta Braves 400 Club as one the top players in Georgia.

In 2010, he was named Player of the Year, he was selected for two All Region Teams and All Cobb County Teams. He was also named to the Georgia Dugout Club All State Team. Carey played at the University of Miami and was in professional baseball for six years before coaching at the high school level.

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

 

Pope HS flag football team wins Georgia state championship

Pope HS flag football team wins Georgia state championship

Three years after being formed, the Pope High School flag football team has won a state championship.

The Greyhounds scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter Wednesday to take the lead against Allatoona, then held off their Cobb County rivals thanks to a missed extra-point to prevail 14-13 in the Georgia High School Association’s Division 3 title game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The margin of difference for Pope (26-2) was a defensive play by Pope’s Sarah Gentry, who broke up an extra-point pass with 20 seconds left to preserve the win.

Riley Bensman, a senior quarterback, threw three touchdown passes for Pope, which defeated Allatoona 40-7 earlier in the season.

The Greyhounds, who are coached by Kevin Fraser, lost only to Milton and Blessed Trinity during the season. Pope avenged the loss to Blessed Trinity with a 7-6 victory the state semifinals.

This is the fourth year the GHSA has had a state championship for girls flag football, and this was the first year the finals were played in conjunction with the boys football title games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Kell and Walton also qualified for the Division 3 state playoffs this season, as did Marietta, Pebblebrook and McEachern.

Other team members for Pope this year included Meryl Palazzo; Abbey Bensman, Kourtney Kalman, Mac Wiley, Kate Davenport, Faith Stokes, Carly Oubs, Alysa Cabrera, Syra Patel, Laila Nixon, Cora Davis, Olivia O’Connor, Julia Acker, Danielle Morgan, Elizabeth Kelly, Giselle Aitken and Lucy Cantando.

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Walton football team falls to Milton in state championship game

The Walton football team’s dream season ended in heartbreak Wednesday as the Raiders suffered their only loss.Walton High School logo, East Cobb high school football

Milton took advantage of four turnovers by Walton in the second half to win the Georgia High School Association’s Class 7A championship game 31-21 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The Raiders entered the game at 14-0 and were trying to win their first state title in school history, featuring an offense that averaged nearly 50 points a game during the season.

Walton was held well below its offensive average across the board as star quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski was harassed all evening by an active Milton defensive pash rush.

Walton led 14-7 at halftime, but disaster struck right after the third quarter began.

The Eagles converted a fumble into a field goal and two interceptions into touchdowns on Walton’s first three possessions of the second half.

On the second interception, Ty Redmond returned a Hecklinski pass 58 yards, setting up a touchdown by Milton quarterback Luke Nickel that widened Walton’s deficit to 24-14.

Hecklinski struck back right away, throwing a 43-yard touchdown pass to Cameran Loyd with 7:28 to play in the game.

In the final minute, Raiders defender Oliver Skeean intercepted a pass as Walton set up on its own 1-yard-line. But Milton’s Jacorey Stewart stepped in front of a Walton receiver at the 5-yard-line and picked off Hecklinski again, scoring the final touchdown of the game.

The title was the second for Milton since 2018. Walton, which reached the finals in 2011 before losing to Grayson, is a state runner-up for the second time.

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

 

Walton HS football team reaches state championship game

The Walton football team will end the 2023 season in the same place where it started—Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.Walton High School logo, East Cobb high school football

The powerful Raiders clinched a berth in the Georgia High School Association’s Class 7A state championship game with a 41-25 win over Camden County on Friday.

Senior quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski threw for 325 yards and six touchdowns in his final game at Raider Valley, as Walton remained undefeated at 14-0.

This will be the second trip to the finals for Walton, which lost to Grayson in the 2011 championship game.

On Dec. 13, the Raiders will face Milton, which downed Grayson 45-35 in the other semifinal.

Walton’s high-powered offense, which has averaged more than 46 points a game, got off to a fast start, as the Raiders led 21-0.

But Camden County—coached by former Walton and Wheeler coach Jeff Herron—scored the first 10 points of the second half, as its Wing-T offense began to get momentum.

The touchdown was scored on an interception return for a touchdown, but Hecklinski—who is headed to Wake Forest—guided a long drive that led to a touchdown for a 28-17 Walton lead.

And the Raiders’ defense shut down Camden after that, allowing only another touchdown later in the game.

After the game, Walton coach Daniel Brunner told Georgia Public Broadcasting that he thinks Hecklinski is the best quarterback in the state.

“There’s no doubt about it. Look at the stats, look at the numbers. Best quarterback in the state. Bar none.”

Hecklinski has thrown for 3,708 yards and 48 touchdowns during the season, and running backs Makari Bodiford and Austin Williams are approaching 1,000-yard seasons.

They could surpass that in the state finals against Milton. The game will be played on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Walton opened the season with a 49-27 win over Grayson in the Corky Kell Classic.

But more importantly, Walton has a chance to become the first school from East Cobb to win a football state championship.

Walton lost to Grayson 24-0 in the 2011 state finals under former coach Rocky Hidalgo.

In 1973, Wheeler reached the Class 3A state championship game but lost to Thomasville.

Brunner, who was named head coach at Walton in 2017, has taken the Raiders to the state playoffs each year and has a record of 66-22.

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Major League Baseball All-Star Game coming to Cobb in 2025

The Battery Atlanta, World Series Security

After taking away the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Truist Park in 2021 for political reasons, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Thursday it will be scheduled for the Atlanta Braves’ ballpark in 2025.

Manfred said in a statement that “as a model of success on and off the field, the Braves deserve to host the All-Star Game. Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta will provide fans a world-class experience in 2025. We look forward to working with the Braves and local leaders to deliver a memorable All-Star Week that brings people together and benefits the community in many ways.”

He didn’t mention that he unilaterally moved the game in April 2021, right before the season began, because of a new Georgia election law.

The Republican-dominated legislature passed sweeping legislation that was quickly signed by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp and roundly denounced by Democratic and voting-rights interests.

The law—which is still on the books—added identification requirements for mailed ballots, restricts the use of absentee ballot drop boxes, requires more advanced voting across the state and shortens runoff elections.

The legislature also was given oversight of proposed changes to election rules by the Secretary of State and state elections board.

Newly-elected President Joe Biden publicly demanded the game be moved, calling the law “Jim Crow on steroids,” comments that new Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said sent an “unfortunate message.”

In a statement, the Braves said Thursday that getting the All-Star Game two years from now “will be an exciting and unique opportunity to showcase all that our organization, our partners and our city have to offer.”

Cupid responded by saying that “I am grateful that Major League Baseball has again considered Cobb County, Truist Park, and the Atlanta Braves to host the All Star Game in 2025.

“We have a winning baseball team and community that create a premier destination for this annual occasion.

“Our restaurants, businesses and attractions surrounding Truist Park, the Battery, and beyond will create a memorable experience for all.”

Planning has already begun with Public Safety and I know our lessons learned in winning the World Series combined with the enthusiasm and support of community partners and citizens will showcase Cobb as a great place to live, work, and enjoy as we host  another successful and impressive event.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger posted on the social-media platform X—formerly Twitter—that “in the longest instant replay review of all time,  MLB‘s head office finally overturned a bad call. Georgia’s elections are safe, secure, and accessible to serve our voters.”

The 2021 All-Star Game and MLB Draft also scheduled for Truist Park took place in Denver instead.

Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson, who had just begun her term representing District 2 where Truist Park is located, at the time called the relocation decision a lost opportunity “to show leadership.”

She was part of a new Democratic majority on the all-female commission, and said that while there some parts of the law she likes and others she does not, trouble arises “when you choose division.”

She said that “the people who were most impacted by that bill were not listened to. You can’t solve anything when people aren’t talking to each other.”

Manfred did have to show up up at Truist in the 2021 season, however, as the Braves won the World Series.

Atlanta has had two All-Star games in its past, in 1972 at Atlanta Stadium, and in 2000 at Turner Field.

Related:

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland coming to Cobb PARKS

girl dressed up waving

Submitted information:

Infuse your holiday season with a mega dose of Christmas cheer as Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland makes its grand debut at Jim R. Miller Park and Event Center. This all-new, award-winning drive-through light show is sure to be a highlight of your festive celebrations. Take a magical journey through custom-built light displays perfectly synchronized with Christmas musical favorites nightly 6 – 10 p.m. Nov. 17 – Jan. 7, including holidays, rain or shine.

This dynamic show features a 300-foot tunnel that surrounds you in a kaleidoscope of colors, Christmas trees sparkling at 50 feet tall, towering walls of lights and much more! Also along the tour, you’ll catch a glimpse of how the elves, reindeer, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus live at the bustling North Pole.

After the show, visit Santa’s Village and engage in activities, enjoy tasty treats and take photos with Santa. So load up your sleigh, tune in your radio, and prepare to be amazed!

More information and advanced discount tickets available here.

Related Stories:

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

East Cobb high school sports teams get reclassified for 2024-26

East Cobb high school sports teams reclassified
Walton (along with Wheeler) will continue to compete in the largest classification for high school sports in Georgia.

Every two years the Georgia High School Association “reclassifies” the divisions of competition for high school athletic teams based on enrollment.

The six public high schools in East Cobb have been spread out into three different classifications, and they will remain that way for the next two school years.

But the GHSA did some rearranging and consolidation.

The largest classification is currently Class 7A. But that has been eliminated in favor of a seven-class division that goes from Class 6A down to two divisions of Class A.

Walton and Wheeler are now in Class 7A, and next year will be competing in Class 6A. That comprises 65 schools, and will also include Campbell, North Cobb, Osborne, Pebblebrook, Marietta, Hillgrove, McEachern, Harrison, South Cobb and Kennesaw Mountain.

The current 7A only has 45 schools, and most of the new additions come from the metro Atlanta area, including Douglas and Paulding schools.

Pope, Lassiter and Sprayberry, currently in 6A, will be in 5A for the next two years, and will be the only Cobb schools among the 57 in that classification.

Kell is now in Class 5A and will be in 4A starting next fall.

The Walker School will be competing in Class A-Division I, which includes a number of private and rural schools.

That also includes Mt. Bethel Christian Academy of East Cobb and Mt. Paran Christian in North Cobb.

Schools can appeal their classification assignments by Nov. 8. Regions will be drawn up later.

For a full list of the new GHSA classifications, click here.

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

 

Walton baseball booster club to hold ‘Day at the Yard’ event

Walton Baseball booster club to hold 'Day at the Yard' event

The public can get its first look at the new Walton High School baseball facility on Sunday.

The Walton Raider Dugout Club, a group of parent boosters, are holding a “Day at the Yard” event as part of a series of fundraising activities leading up to the 2024 baseball season.

The festivities take place from 1-5 at the baseball facility (1499 Pine Road). Admission is free, and activity tickets are $3-$5 each.

Those activities include a home run competition, dunk tank, pitching stations, bouncy houses, face painting and a hot dog bar.

There also will be a silent auction for a seven-day trip to Italy and two student parking spaces.

Since September, the booster club has conducting a brick campaign, selling personally customized laser-engraved bricks at The Yard, and that effort will conclude on Sunday.

The bricks cost $200 or $400 and will be delivered and installed at the field before the start of the season.

The baseball facility is part of a $6.78 million athletics complex at Walton that includes tennis courts.

For the last two years, the Walton baseball team played home games at East Cobb Baseball, near Kell High School, after its former facility on the Walton campus was reconfigured for the varsity softball team.

The softball and tennis teams relocated to Terrell Mill Park to make way for the Walton classroom building that opened in 2017.

While the Walton tennis teams competed last spring at their new facility, the baseball field wasn’t ready for the 2023 season.

The combined facility has 80 parking spaces, and the Cobb County School District will soon be building a sidewalk and a pedestrian bridge from the Walton campus to the new complex.

The Raiders will have tryouts and begin practice in January, with their first game at The Yard in February.

There also will be a youth baseball clinic on Nov. 7, when school is out due to local municipal elections.

Coach Shane Amos, who guided Walton to state titles in 2007 and 2016, will be starting his 21st season as the Raiders head coach.

Walton baseball Day at the Yard

Related Stories:

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

 

September events kick off fall schedule at East Cobb Park

East Cobb Park Music in the Park

The Friends for the East Cobb Park has released a schedule of fall events starting the first week of September and concluding with its annual Holiday Lights celebration in December.

The volunteer organization will hold another family-oriented Movie Night next Friday, Sept. 8, featuring the Disney film “Encanto.”

The showing begins at dusk (around 8 p.m.) at the concert pavilion and attendees can bring blankets and chairs, food and drink.

The Friends began a series of movie showings in the spring in conjunction with the Rotary Club of East Cobb.

The Music in the Park concert series follows on Sept. 17 with Soulshine, an Allman Brothers tribute band.

Music in the Park takes place on designated Sundays from 4-6 p.m. and is free for the public to attend.

Other concerts are Oct. 1 (Rusted Melody), Oct. 15 (Man Hand Liggins) and Oct. 29 (Bach to Rock).

Wellstar Health System is the presenting sponsor of Music in the Park.

The Friends group also has begun a garden club that meets the second Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the gazebo overlooking the back quad.

Next Saturday, Sept. 9, the club’s first beautification project gets underway

Friends for the East Cobb Park is teaming up with the Rotary Club of East Cobb for the annual Holiday Lights celebration on Sunday, Dec. 3, also at the concert pavilion.

There will be live music, refreshments, a tree lighting and a visit from Santa Claus, from 5-7:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Friends for the East Cobb Park at info@eastcobbpark.org.

Related Stories:

Corky Kell Classic football games come to Northeast Cobb

Corky Kell Classic, Kell HS Stockyard
“The Stockyard” at Kell High School will play host to a Corky Kell Classic football doubleheader Wednesday.

The season-0pening game for the Kell High School football team could be dubbed “Wednesday Night Lights.”

The Longhorns will get to play at home next week as expansion of the Corky Kell Classic high school extravaganza has come to the East Cobb area.

But they’ll be suiting up on Wednesday, the first day of four days of Corky Kell games at five venues in metro Atlanta and North Georgia.

The event starts Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at “The Stockyard” on the Kell campus (4770 Lee Waters Road) when North Atlanta faces Johns Creek.

The nightcap of that doubleheader kicks off at 8 p.m., when Kell plays Gwinnett County powerhouse Parkview.

According to the Maxwell Ratings published at Georgia High School Football Daily, Kell is projected to finish second in Region 6 behind Cambridge High School of Milton.

The Longhorns were 10-2 in 2022, finished at No. 11 in the Georgia High School Association Class 5A final rankings, reaching the second round of the playoffs.

Other games will take place in Rome, West Forsyth and Roswell before culminating on Saturday, Aug. 19, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta. Four games are on tap, starting with Marietta vs. Norcross at 10 a.m. and Brookwood vs. McEachern at 1 p.m.

The final game starts at 7 p.m. and features the Walton Raiders against another Gwinnett school, Grayson.

Walton is coming off a 2022 season in which the Raiders went 10-3 and reached the quarterfinals of the Class 7A playoffs.

The Maxwell Ratings have projected Walton to finish second behind North Cobb in Region 5, with Wheeler fifth out of six teams.

In Class 6A, the other three East Cobb teams are in Region 7, which has seven schools. Sprayberry, which as 4-7 a year ago, is projected fourth, Pope sixth and Lassiter seventh.

Lassiter (3-7 in 2022) kicks off its season on Thursday at Etowah at 7:30 p.m. Wheeler (5-6 in 2022) is at Centennial on Friday, also at 7:30 p.m., and Sprayberry visits Campbell on Friday in another 7:30 p.m. start.

Pope will start at home on Friday, Aug. 26, against River Ridge at 7:30 p.m. The Greyhounds, who were 1-9 last year, have a new head coach in Sean O’Sullivan, a former Pope player who has been the team’s defensive coordinator since 2017.

Here’s more information about the Corky Kell Classic, including television schedules and online ticket sales.

Related:

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

2023 Dog Days Run raises record $100K+ for local charities

2023 Dog Days Run
Scouts from Troop 1011, sponsored by the Rotary Club of East Cobb.

A woman crossed the finish line carrying a baby.

A short time before, a woman expecting a baby completed her run.

So did families, couples, flag-bearing Boy Scouts and quite a few people with dogs.

It’s the Dog Days Run, of course, and canines were warmly welcomed as participants enjoyed a pleasant Saturday morning event at at the McCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA.

It was the 18th running of the Rotary Club of East Cobb, and it was a record-setting one.

The 5K/Fun Run attracted around 600 runners, which has been typical in recent years.

But the combination of race registrations and sponsorships netted more than $100,000 for the first time in what’s the Rotary Club’s biggest fundraiser of the year, president Butch Carter said.

The Rotary Club hands out the proceeds to more than 20 local non-profits and charities (list here), ranging from MUST Ministries to the Friends for the East Cobb Park to the Cobb Library Foundation and more.

Those recipients will be honored at a “Give Back” dinner next March.

The Dog Days Run is a Peachtree Road Race qualifier, and awards were given out across a number of categories—including one for actual dogs—and human age groups.

This year’s sponsors included Dentistry at East Piedmont, Wellstar Health System, Malon D. Mimms Company, The Hanna Family, The Romanoff Family, Honest-1 Auto Care, Indian Hills Country Club and more.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Related:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Ex-Kell basketball star to hold back-to-school celebration

Scoot Henderson, a former basketball standout at Kell High School who will soon begin his NBA career, is sponsoring a back-to-school event with his family in the East Cobb area this weekend.

The event is called O.D.D-CON, which stands for “Overly Determined to Dominate,” and includes sports, technology, entertainment and empowerment segments for youth.Scoot Henderson, back-to-school event

It’s being held Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Next Play 360 basketball training facility (2910 Canton Road), which is run by his parents. The event will also provide school supplies for students in need.

There is no charge to attend O.D.D.-Con, which will feature speakers and panelists who will discuss entrepreneurship, wellness, STEM education, and personal development, along with friendly competition in basketball, volleyball and pickleball, as well as yoga and meditation sessions.

Also on tap are live musical and artistic performances, interactive art installations, workshops led by local artists and musicians and a curated fashion show with local designers and models. 

“Overly Determined to Dominate, is a mindset coined by Scoot, a way of thinking, doing, living and attaching your path to the life you want to achieve,” according to a press release announcing the event.

Henderson led the Kell Longhorns to the 2021 Georgia High School Association Class 6A title game, where they lost to Wheeler.

For the last two years he played in the G-League, a developmental basketball circuit, and was recently the third pick in the NBA draft, chosen by the Portland Trail Blazers.

His sister, Crystal Henderson, led the Kell girls team to the 2023 GHSA Class 5A state title and is a freshman at Georgia State University.

There are five other Henderson siblings, all of whom played college basketball.

For information about O.D.D.-Con and to sign up for school supplies, click here.

Related:

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb Parks accepting entries in Fun in the Park Photo Contest

East Cobb Park reopens
East Cobb Park

Cobb PARKS is accepting entries in its 18th annual Fun in the Park Photo Contest. (The photos in this post are what we’ve taken in the past on our visits to parks in the East Cobb area; we’ve never submitted them for the contest.)

Participants can submit up to 10 of their favorite photos taken at county and city parks until Nov. 2. Entries are not accepted for photos taken at national parks or those outside Cobb County.

The categories include nature and wildlife, sports and action and general, and there is no charge to enter the contest.

Here’s some very specific information on photo files and how to label and submit them:

Photos should be in full-size jpeg format with no watermarks or signatures on the image. Name the files with your name, category and photo # – (example: John Doe_NW_01). This would represent your file as John Doe > Nature and Wildlife > photo #1. Digital photos must be accompanied by an entry form. Entries that are submitted by email will need entry information in the email with the category for each picture and number indicated. Cobb PARKS reserves the right to not accept photos deemed inappropriate.

Submit entries to Mark.Chandler@cobbcounty.org.

Plaques will be awarded for first, second, third and honorable mention for each category.

Judges will be provided by the Cobb Photographic Society and Cobb County PARKS. Winners will be notified by email by the first week in December.

Nearly 400 photos were submitted for the 2022 contest (previous winners’ photos here)

More rules and information can be found by clicking here; or by calling 770-528-8831.

Mabry Park Opening
Mabry Park
Ebenezer Road park, Cobb parks master plan
Ebenezer Downs Park

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

 

East Side Baseball to join new Braves Country programs

Fullers Park, East Cobb parks and recreational facilities
Fields at Fullers Park, where the East Side Baseball Association plays. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

After many years of being involved with Georgia Dizzy Dean Baseball, East Side Baseball of East Cobb is joining a new youth sports organization.

It’s called Braves County Baseball and Softball, and is open to boys and girls ages 5-12, starting in March 2024.

The sponsor is the Atlanta Braves, and the spring competitions will include league and all-star play at the local, state and national levels, leading to championship rounds in June.

In a message to member families on Thursday, East Side Baseball president Majd Saboura said that “joining the new Braves Country Baseball League is the right path forward for our program and children. We believe that this league will provide all of East Side children and member organizations with a lot more opportunity and offer a lot more opportunity for our all star, hybrid and rec teams a chance to play competitive baseball and in our own backyard!”

East Side Baseball, based at Fullers Park, is one of 16 youth baseball/softball organizations that’s becoming part of the Braves County circuit in metro Atlanta.

Those include Oregon Park in West Cobb, Acworth Baseball and Powder Springs Youth Baseball.

The change doesn’t affect the fall season, which begins in September.

East Side Baseball, which formed in 1970, offers a variety of baseball options for youths ages 4-18.

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy hires director

Chattahoochee River National Park Conservancy hires director

Submitted information and photo:

Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy (CNPC), the official Friends Group and Primary Philanthropic Partner of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) announces Brittany Jones as the first Executive Director in the organization’s history. Hiring an executive director signifies a major milestone in CNPC’s development and growth. Jones began her new role on July 10. 

Before joining CNPC, Jones served as Chief Experience Officer at San Francisco’s Filoli, a National Trust for Historic Preservation site. She most recently was Executive Director of Smith-Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw, Ga. In 2021, Jones completed her Master’s in Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco. Through her final capstone project, “DEAI in Nonprofits: Through the Lens of Museums and Gardens,” she explored practices and barriers around Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion. Jones received her Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies at Florida International University. 

“We couldn’t be more proud that our volunteer-led organization has reached a point where our size, complexity, and strategic goals necessitate the appointment of a dedicated leader to manage and oversee its operations,” says Graham Dorian, CPNC President and Board Chair.  “Brittany is inclusive, collaborative, and strategic and has the skills and experience to continue to develop CNPC. We are confident her commitment, fresh perspectives, energy, and expertise will allow us to continue to be an impactful partner for the national park.”

“What CNPC has accomplished in just 10 years is astounding, and I am thrilled to be joining such an active, growing, and engaged organization!” says Jones. “I have a deep passion for parks and the volunteers who care for them and look forward to enhancing CNPC’s ability to achieve our mission and create a meaningful impact.”

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

East Cobb Rotary seeking sponsors, runners for Dog Days Runy

Dog Days Run

One of the largest community fundraisers in East Cobb—the Dog Days Run—is just around the corner.

It’s the 18th edition of the event staged by the Rotary Club of East Cobb, and takes place Aug. 5 at the McCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA (1055 E. Piedmont Road). The run/walk is a 5K format that starts at 7:30 a.m.

Last year, the event generated nearly $100,000, with proceeds going to more than 20 charities in East Cobb. After the run, awards will be given out to top finishers in various categories and sponsors and community groups will have tables in a mini-festival setting.

Butch Carter, current president of the Rotary Club, said runner registrations “typically more than cover the race expense, so that combined with the business sponsorships are what allow us to give back to the community.”

Dog Days Run

Sponsorships range from $250 for a “Friend of Rotary” sponsorship that includes a race entry and t-shirt to a $15,000 presenting sponsor designation. They’re designed to appeal to all sizes of businesses and community organizations.

Other sponsorship levels include silver ($1,250), lazy dog ($2,500), gold ($3,000) and platinum ($5,000), and include a variety of verbal and logo recognitions, Rotary Club breakfast invitations, race entries, t-shirts and festival booths.

Higher-level sponsorships also receive tickets to the Rotary’s “Give Back” dinners during which charities receive their donations from the run.

You can find more sponsorship information by clicking here.

This year’s sponsors include Honest-1 Auto Care, Indian Hills Country Club, Dentistry at East Piedmont, the YMCA, The Hanna Family and Malon D. Mimms Company.

Race beneficiaries include the following:

  • MDE School; American Cancer Society Relay for Life; Boy Scouts of America; Brumby Elementary School; Camp Kudzu; Center for Children and Young Adults; Cobb Library Foundation; Cobb County Public Safety; Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; East Cobb Park; Family Promise of Cobb County; Laws of Life School Essay Contest; Kidz2Leaders; Project Mail Call; Rally Foundation; Rotary Youth Exchange Program; “Service Above Self” Heroes; Walton/East Cobb Robotics; WellStar Foundation (Hospice); Wheeler High School AVID Program; YMCA NE/East Cobb

The registration fee is $30 through July 31 and is $35 after that and for phantom runners.

Prize Money includes $200 each for the overall male and female winners, $200 for the master (age 40-49) male winner, $150 for the master female winner; $150 for the grandmaster (50+) male and female winners; $100 each for the senior (60+) male winner; $50 for the senior female winner.

For more information and to register, click here. Volunteer information can be found by clicking here.

East Cobb Rotary Dog Days Run grant recipients
The Rotary Club of East Cobb holds a “Give Back” event for charity recipients of the Dog Days Run.

Related:

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

 

East Cobb art gallery to hold opening for sports art exhibit

East Cobb art gallery sports art exhibit

LM Frame and Gallery of East Cobb will be the venue for an upcoming exhibit displaying the work of a notable sports artist.

An opening event for the exhibit will take place on Thursday, July 20, from 5:30-8 p.m. at its location at 1062 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 150.

The exhibit features the work of Jace McTier, based in Augusta, and will continue through Aug. 15.

He’s part of a family of artists that specializes in Impressionist, figurative and sports painting (Lucy and Jace McTier). His mother, Lucy McTier, has been among his influences, along with William Turner, Vincent Van Gogh, and the sports art of George Bellows and LeRoy Nieman.

Jace McTier’s sports art portraits include Tom Brady, Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams and Rory McIlroy.

A portion of sales from the exhibit at LM Frame and Gallery will be donated to the Tim Luke Hope for Minds charity, helping children with brain injuries.

Related:

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Chattahoochee River along East Cobb closed due to E. coli

UPDATED, JULY 3:

The National Park Service has extended the closure area further downstream. Here’s the release from Monday afternoon:

“The partial closure of the Chattahoochee River from Chattahoochee Nature Center to all downstream sections of the park remains in effect due to elevated E. Coli contamination and the associated risk to health.
The park and Chattahoochee Riverkeeper continue to monitor and test water quality as Fulton County Public Works begins treatment. An issue at Big Creek Water Reclamation Facility has been reported to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. Fulton County is diverting the maximum quantity of wastewater to a plant in Cobb County, and the Army Corps of Engineers generated an additional release to help with dissipation.
Water quality tests received on July 3 reveal bacteria levels that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency recommended limits for recreation. The partial river closure will remain in effect until the water quality is safe for visitors.
“While this closure impacts some of the most popular units of the park, over 30 miles of river remain open. The Chattahoochee River is accessible from Buford Dam to Azalea Park in Roswell. All hiking trails, picnic areas and the Hewlett Lodge are open. Current information about the closure status will be available at www.nps.gov/CHAT.”


ORIGINAL REPORT:

A stretch of the Chattahoochee River that includes most of East Cobb is closed for the time being due to high E. coli bacteria levels in the water.Chattahoochee River East Cobb closed E. coli

The  National Park Service said water access to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area was closed on Saturday between the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell and the East Palisades-Whitewater Creek Unit, close to where the Interstate 75 crosses the river.

The NPS said that “dangerously elevated E. coli levels” were caused by “conditions consistent with an ongoing sewage spill near Willeo Creek Park.”

The agency said it received water quality tests “that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency recommended limits for recreation. The river’s current E. coli levels pose an elevated risk to human health, especially in vulnerable populations.”

All park trails are open, as well as the Hewlett Lodge visitor center.

Updates are being provided on the Chattahoochee River NRA Facebook page.

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!