An external school bus traffic camera made and monitored by American Traffic Solutions.
After hearing some emphatic comments from school bus drivers, the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted to extend a contract with the Cobb County School District for the use of cameras that record traffic violations at bus stop points.
The measure, which passed by a unanimous 5-0 vote and extends the contract with American Traffic Solutions for a year, was necessary since it had expired due to legal reasons.
At issue is whether citations issued from the cameras are enforceable under state law.
“All of us on the board support the program and we are glad to renew it,” Commission Chairman Mike Boyce said. “We are already working with our legislative delegation to fix the issues that were raised.”
The extension allows the Cobb County Police Department to review the recordings of suspected violations and approve issuing citations.
Before the vote, some drivers urged commissioners not to delay any further. Some said they are troubled how many drivers still ignore stop-arm signs and threaten the safety of children getting on and off buses.
“People don’t know what danger their children are in at the bus stop,” said a Meredith May Banks, a driver who mentioned that drivers are trained to tell students to “stay back” and “stay alive” and not stand near the street.
In 2011, the Georgia legislature passed a law permitting stop-arm cameras two years after the death of Karla Campos, a kindergartener at Mountain View Elementary School. She was killed when she was hit by a car after getting off a bus.
Two Northeast Cobb mothers, Sheri Lewis and Mandi Call, began Operation Stop Arm to campaign for the law.
In 2012 Cobb County government and the Cobb school district entered into a five-year contract to purchase cameras and issue citations.
The CCSD has estimated that fewer than 1,000 citations are issued, down from around 2,000 or so when the cameras were first installed.
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Earlier this fall the Cobb Board of Commissioners voted to close the East Cobb Government Service Center business office at the end of the year.
Everything else in the building at 4400 Lower Roswell Road—tag office, Cobb police and fire stations and the community meeting room—will remain open.
But if you have used the business office to renew a business license, pay county property taxes or water bills, apply for a property tax exemption or a handicapped parking permit, you’ll have to do those things differently.
Most of those services will now be available across the hall at the tag office. In addition to renewing your vehicle tag, you can apply for a handicapped parking permit, pay property taxes and apply for property tax exemptions there. The tag office is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Water bills can’t be paid at the tag office, but payments can be made online at the Cobb Water Department website or in person at 660 South Cobb Drive. Business hours are 8-5 Monday-Friday, and the drive-through hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday. The night deposit drop is 24/7 but customers are advised not to leave cash. The phone number is 770-419-6200.
If you need to renew a business license, that can be done at the Cobb Community Development website. Applicants must have in their renewal package an instruction sheet with a PIN number at the bottom of the page.
In-person applications or renewals can be made at the business license office at 1150 Powder Springs Road in Marietta. The hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and the phone number is 770-528-8410.
Closing the business office is a savings of more than $94,000, and commissioners transferred that amount to fund the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center that opened earlier this month.
Groups that want to reserve meeting room space at the East Cobb Government Service Center now must pay $25 per event, and make reservations online. Those changes also begin on Jan. 1, and here are more details on how to proceed.
For more information on other services no longer available at the East Cobb Government Service Center, please click here.
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Cobb Police are searching for a man whom they say robbed a SunTrust Bank Wednesday at Terrell Mill Road and Powers Ferry Road.
The incident happened around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday at the SunTrust branch at 1380 Powers Ferry Road, located near the Terrell Mill Village Shopping Center.
Police say a black male entered the bank and handed a teller a note demanding cash, which he received, and that he left on foot.
There was no vehicle description, but Cobb Police further identified the suspect as being between 20-25 years old and weighing 175-180 pounds. Police said he last seen wearing a black baseball hat, a camouflaged hoodie a black jacket and blue jeans.
Police are asking anyone with information to call 770-499-3945.
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The construction of a double drive-through at the Chick-fil-A Woodlawn Square store in East Cobb was approved at Tuesday’s Cobb Board of Commissioners zoning hearing.
The rezoning request was approved 4-0 by the commissioners on their consent agenda. Interplan LLC, which operates the Chick-Fil-A store at 1201 Johnson Ferry Road, wants to reconfigure the parking lot to accommodate the expansion, and needed to convert a parcel of .15 of an acre from community retail to neighborhood shopping (previous East Cobb Newspost here).
The drivethrough plans include a canopy, as shown in the above rendering, the design of which, as well as other architectural renderings, must be approved by District 2 commissioner Bob Ott.
Other conditions include limiting construction vehicles to the Chick-fil-A site, and not allowing them to be parked along Johnson Ferry Road and Woodlawn Parkway while the renovations are in progress.
Commission chairman Mike Boyce recused himself from the vote, saying he frequently attends a men’s group meeting at the Chick-fil-A.
Zoning cases that do not generate opposition are commonly placed on the consent agenda and are voted on collectively.
The commissioners also voted 5-0 to approve a rezoning request by Walton Riverbend (previous East Cobb News post here). The rezoning was necessary for the developer to relocate its headquarters to the 46-acre Walton on the Chattahoochee residential site on Akers Mill Road.
The application is for a master plan for the Walton Riverbend office, as well as stipulations to guide a future mixed-use development that would keep an existing 26-unit residential building, and allow for new office buildings totaling 16,800 square feet.
“The only thing that will be approved today is the moving of the office,” Ott told his colleagues before the vote.
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U.S. Rep. Karen Handel (R-Roswell), who represents East Cobb in the 6th Congressional District of Georgia, was among those lawmakers voting for major tax legislation on Tuesday.
Georgia’s two Republican senators, Johnny Isakson of East Cobb and David Perdue of Macon, voted with the majority in a 51-48 passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act early Wednesday morning.
The $1.5 trillion measure was sent back to the House this morning for a revote because of minor provisions ruled to have violated Senate rules, but passage is expected a second time. The House vote on Tuesday was 227-203, and as in the Senate, went mainly along party lines.
Democrats decried the bill as tax cuts for the wealthy and for major corporate interests that would significantly add to the national debt. Republicans hailed the first major overhaul of the tax code in nearly 30 years as beneficial for job creation and the middle class.
The bill calls for a wide variety of tax cuts for individuals and businesses and eliminates tax deductions in a number of categories. Individual taxpayers will see the doubling of their standard deductions and the doubling of the child tax credit, while general corporate tax rates will be reduced across the board.
On the Senate floor, Isakson said that:
“When you take a risk, at the end of that rainbow is a reward. And in the case of risking lower taxes, the greater reward is more jobs, more opportunity, and a better America for our children and our grandchildren.”
“This is an historic achievement. These changes to the tax code mean greater job opportunities, more capital at work in our economy, and more money back in the pockets of middle-class American families.”
Handel, who was elected in June to succeed Tom Price, issued the following statement after one of her first major votes as a member of Congress:
“This is a historic moment. The provisions of this tax cut bill will be transformative for hardworking American families and American companies, especially our small businesses.
“More than half of Americans currently live paycheck to paycheck. In the end, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is about letting hardworking Americans keep more of their money. The typical American family of four earning the median family income of $73,000 will see a tax cut of $2,059.”
This bill, which is the result of compromise negotiations between the House and Senate, lowers federal income tax rates for all low and middle-income Americans. It also nearly doubles the standard deduction, increases the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $2,000 per child, retains deductibility of up to $10,000 in state and local property taxes, and preserves $750,000 in mortgage interest deduction benefits.
Additionally, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowers the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% – helping put U.S. companies on par with the global averages and their international competitors. America’s current corporate rate is far and away the highest in the industrialized world, as these other nations place – on average – a roughly 22% rate on their corporations.
Most of America’s small businesses will have their rates slashed from the current 40% down to 25%. And each of these entities will be able to fully and immediately deduct investments in equipment and other resources.
“This bill also benefits America’s main street businesses – those small businesses that are the backbone of our economy and job creation. By lowering the small business tax rates, these companies can do what they do best – innovate and grow.”
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East Side Elementary School teacher Leslie Lyiak (center) is receiving a grant for her “Why Math Works” program. (Photos courtesy of Cobb County School District)
Eight East Cobb teachers have been named recipients of the Cobb Schools Foundation IMPACT grants, which are used to enhance classroom learning and other academic purposes.
According to information released Tuesday by the Cobb County School District, the foundation (which is independent from the school system) raised a record $40,000 for the grants, which are based on teacher “wish lists” for programs to help student success.
The money is raised from a variety of sources, including an upcoming fundraiser in January at SunTrust Park, as well as from several foundation partners, including the Cobb EMC Community Foundation, the Atlanta Braves Foundation, Gas South and the Credit Union of Georgia.
Sprayberry High School English Language Learner teacher Stacey Arnett (center) is using her grant to purchase Word-to-Word dictionaries to assist ELL students with test scores and graduation rates.Leigh Anna Engkaninan, who has already introduced chickens to her students at Daniell Middle School, will receive a $1,810 IMPACT grant to expand her teaching about the animals, including the use of a chicken coop.Charmagne Quenan, East Cobb Middle School, is receiving a $1,695 grant for PocketLab Voyager Probes to increase science engagement.Moniquea Willingham of Sedalia Park Elementary School is receiving a grant for her “Park Math Squad” program in the amount of $1,183.39.Kelley Davis of Keheley Elementary School has been awarded a grant of $1,834.94 for “Keheley Needs the Cube!”
Other East Cobb teachers receiving IMPACT grants include Susanne Smith, East Side Elementary School, who is receiving $2,500 for “Picture-Perfect STEM Books” and Debbi Snyder of Kincaid Elementary School, a $900 grant for “Extraordinary Gentlemen.”
A total of 23 teachers in the Cobb school system received IMPACT grants for the coming year.
In addition to the IMPACT grants, the Cobb Schools Foundation, a non-profit, helps raise money for SAT test prep, college scholarships and other academic and school-related programs.
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Sharon Mason of East Cobb has been named president and chief executive officer of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, where she has worked for the past decade, most recently as chief operating officer.
Mason was the unanimous choice of the chamber’s board of directors to succeed another East Cobb resident, David Connell, who is retiring at the end of the year after seven years in the job.
Mason will assume her new duties on Jan. 1, 2018. The Cobb Chamber of Commerce has more than 2,500 members and organizations.
“Sharon Mason is the right person for the job,” Gary Bottoms, chair of the Cobb Chamber Board of Directors, said in a statement. “She inherits a strong chamber and engaged business community. Over the years, she has worked closely with David Connell to create a national reputation for Cobb County and deliver creative solutions to recruit and retain businesses. We are grateful for David’s leadership and his contribution to the growth of our county, and we are excited to embrace Sharon Mason’s vision for the future.”
Among her duties has been helping raise more than $3 million for Cobb’s Competitive Edge, a chamber initiative for job creation that began in 2012. According to the chamber, more than 22,000 new jobs and $2.5 billion in private investment are attributable to the program.
“I am excited and honored to accept the role of President and CEO of the Cobb Chamber,” Mason said in a statement. “I know as a business community we can achieve great things by working together to advance a vibrant economy. It is important that we continue to offer programs and services that are beneficial to our members, while also addressing the education, workforce and business climate needs of our community.”
In addition to her professional endeavors, Mason has been heavily involved in community activities. She is a past president of the Friends for the East Cobb Park and has been on the board of MUST Ministries, as well as a former director of the Marietta Rotary Foundation.
A graduate of Samford University, Mason previously worked for the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and the American Cancer Society. She and her husband and daughter attend North Point Community Church in Alpharetta.
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A proposal to rezone the Walton on the Chattahoochee residential complex on Akers Mill Road is on the agenda for the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the 2nd floor commissioners meeting room at 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta.
It’s one of just a few East Cobb cases on the agenda that will be heard after the Cobb Planning Commission voted earlier this month to table or continue two other major applications in the same Powers Ferry corridor.
The planning board voted on Dec. 5 to table the proposed Terrell Mill Towne Center, at the corner of Terrell Mill and Powers Ferry roads, after residents at the adjacent Salem Ridge condominium complex protested (previous East Cobb News story here).
Another residential proposal, to build townhomes at Windy Hill Road and Wildwood Parkway, is being continued after objections from nearby residents.
The Walton on the Chattahoochee rezoning case also drew opposition from residents in nearby condominium communities in the Akers Mill Road corridor, but the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval. Walton Riverbend, the property owner which has its headquarters on the property, wants to convert the 46-acre tract into three office buildings totaling 16,800 square feet and to keep a 26-unit residential building.
The complex was once known as the Riverbend Apartments, and was a trend-setting development for young renters in the 1970s. Now the area is being eyed for more upscale commercial and residential development with the addition of SunTrust Park in the Powers Ferry corridor.
Kevin Moore, Walton Riverbend’s attorney, said at the planning board hearing that there are no other intentions to develop the property. “We want to set this up for the future,” he said.
That open-ended intent bothered residents of nearby communities. Brian Cipriani of the Chattahoochee Trail complex said Walton Riverbend has engaged in “constant misrepresentation about how it’s going to be developed and what’s going to take place.”
Cipriani said that “it’s inconsistent to add office space along the river,” and that he’s not the only homeowner who’s spent money trying to prevent runoff issues.
Planning Commission chairman Mike Terry, who represents the area, said the proposal “truly is a plan for the future” and added that any “trust issues” residents had with the developer are “with what’s gone on in the past.”
Still, the planning board was split 3-2, with Galt Porter and Thea Powell opposed.
Cases that are continued or held will be taken up in February, since Cobb does not conduct zoning hearings in January.
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Engel & Völkers, a real estate brokerage firm with five offices in metro Atlanta, has recently opened at The Avenue East Cobb.
The North Atlanta office is being led by CEO and managing broker Cynthia Lippert, real estate advisor Jaime Turner and qualifying broker Scott Askew. The office also has 14 other real estate advisors who service the East Cobb, Roswell and Sandy Springs areas.
The Engel & Völkers office is located in Suite 200, next to Bed Bath and Beyond, and the phone number is 770-744-3205.
Changes at Brewster’s Neighborhood Grille
Brewster’s Neighborhood Grille, which opened on Canton Road in 1996, is under new ownership. Tommy and MacKenzie Gilbert, doing business as Goodwin Gilbert Inc., are now the proprietors. They received their business license last week and held a party over the weekend for staff and customers to mark the occasion.
The restaurant, located at 3595 Canton Road in the New Chastain Shopping Center, features live music, karaoke, trivia and darts in addition to a sports bar-style menu.
Cobb teacher for a day program
The Cobb Chamber of Commerce is asking for business and community leaders to participate in its Teacher for a Day program during the week of Feb. 5-9, 2018, that include the Cobb and Marietta public schools and post-secondary institutions
The aim is to give participating individuals a first-hand perspective on public education, as they work with a school’s teacher of the year to learn about what schools and teachers face on a daily basis.
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Catch up with top headlines from last week and get a glimpse of what’s to come in this week before Christmas. Click here to read this week’s newsletter.
PLEASE NOTE: We have been having some maintenance issues this weekend that have limited access to East Cobb News. We hope to have these problems resolved by Monday. Thanks for your patience!
The Christmas tree at East Cobb Park will be joined on Sunday by Chabad of Cobb’s coin Menorah in an event that benefits Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
The last weekend of holiday activities before Christmas is busier than usual since some were rescheduled due to the winter storm, and that’s where we’ll lead off in noting East Cobb weekend events over the next few days:
The Empty Bowl Brunch at The Art Place-Mountain View (3330) Sandy Plains Road) was to have taken place last Sunday, but it’s just been moved a week, and at the same time this coming Sunday 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. as the original schedule. The cost is also the same; a $15 ticket gets you a handmade soup bowl to fill as often as you like, with the proceeds benefitting MUST Ministries;
Another delayed event is the final local holiday market of the season. The St. Nicholas Holiday Market goes from 12-4 on Sunday at Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church (3431 Trickum Road), with gift items, crafts, jewelry and Greek food goodies;
Also in its final weekend is the Good Mews Holiday Decor Market (1860 Sandy Plains Road), which is open until 6 on Friday, and from 10-6 Saturday and 12-6 Sunday;
Santa’s been making plenty of rounds in East Cobb, even with the snow, but there’s a special visit he’s got in store for pets Saturday at the Janice Overbeck Real Estateoffice (2249 Sewell Mill Road). Bring your furry family member(s) between 12-2 for free photos with St. Nick and refreshments;
One of your last chances to see a live Nativity Scene takes place from 7-9 tonight and Saturday at Wesley Chapel Road UMC (4495 Sandy Plains Road), and it’s a drive-through set up so you can stay in your car, and out of the cold;
Music is in the air all over East Cobb, led by the Cobb Wind Symphony Orchestra holiday concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Lassiter Concert Hall (2601 Shallowford Road). It’s free to get in but they’ll gladly accept donations;
The same Lassiter Concert Hall is the venue at 7:30 p.m. Sunday for the Pope High School Fine Arts Showcase, but you MUST purchase tickets in advance. They’re $10 each and can be ordered here; there will be NO sales as the door;
On Sunday at 6:30 p.m., East Cobb UMC (2325 Roswell Road) is having its musical celebration of the Christmas season. “Chosen” features the church’s children’s and adult choirs and orchestra. It’s free, and the 4 p.m. concert is sold out, with seating limited for 6:30 p.m.; get your online tickets here;
As Hanukkah comes to a close, the Chabad of Cobb congregation is once again holding a Coin Menorah event at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at East Cobb Park (3322 Roswell Road). Bring loose change and help what’s billed as the largest coin Menorah in the world; your contributions will benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta;
This isn’t on the holiday list of things to do, but is festive in its own way: The 47th annual Cobb County Invitational Wrestling Tournament takes place starting at 6 p.m. Friday and continues through Saturday afternoon at Lassiter High School (2601 Shallowford Road); it features all six East Cobb high schools, including Pope, the reigning county and state champion. Saturday’s slate starts at 8 a.m. and the championship round gets underway at 2:30 p.m.
Did we miss something? Want to add a calendar listing? Please let us know! E-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll post it!
Have a great weekend!
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East Cobb resident Sam Olens, who has been president of Kennesaw State University for just over a year, has announced he is stepping down effective Feb. 15, 2018.
Olens, a former Cobb Commission Chairman and Georgia Attorney General, had come under fire this fall for his handling of a protest by KSU cheerleaders who kneeled during the national anthem before football games, a controversy that involved Cobb Sheriff Neil Warren and Cobb State Rep. Earl Ehrhart.
In a letter sent Thursday to KSU staff, faculty and students, Olens recounted the successes of his brief tenure at KSU, which is Georgia’s third-largest university, but said that “I have decided that new leadership will be required for KSU to fully reach its potential.”
He did not allude to the cheerleader controversy, which was the subject of a review by the Georgia Board of Regents. The report was critical of how Olens handled the matter, saying he went against the university’s legal guidance that cheerleaders or others shouldn’t be prevented from kneeling as long as they’re not disruptive.
Warren and Ehrhart were upset when five black cheerleaders kneeled before a Sept. 30 KSU game, and demanded that they be kept off the field. Olens denied he was under any pressure to make changes.
In Nov. 2016, Olens was appointed by the regents after being the only candidate considered, a move that was criticized for not being more comprehensive and transparent, and for hiring a politician with no higher education background. It was nearly a year before Olens was formally installed.
A Republican, Olens got his political start in East Cobb, being elected to represent District 3 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners in 1998. He served as chairman from 2002 to 2010, when he resigned to run for Georgia Attorney General.
He was elected Attorney General in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. As noted by the Atlanta Jewish Times, Olens, a member of East Cobb’s Congregation Etz Chaim, is the first Jewish person elected to statewide office in a partisan race.
Olens resigned to become KSU president following the retirement of Daniel Papp, and took over just as KSU was consolidating with Southern Poly, expanding its enrollment to 35,000.
After Olens’ announcement Thursday, KSU said it would conduct a national search to name his successor. KSU Provost Ken Harmon will serve as interim president.
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The staff at Great Expressions Dental Center, 3823 Roswell Road, is accepting toy donations through next Monday, Dec. 18.
There’s still time to donate unwrapped toys in the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation holiday drive. Some locations have stopped accepting toys, but the following places in East Cobb are continuing as dropoff points through Monday, Dec. 18, the final day:
Appliance Smart, 1355 Roswell Road, 10a-9p;
Great Expressions Dental Center, 3823 Roswell Road, 730a-430p Tue-Fri;
Great Expressions Dental Center, 2211 Roswell Road, 7a-3p;
Great Expressions Dental Center, 1545 Powers Ferry Road, 7a-4p Mon-Fri;
Online financial donations also are being accepted and can be made by going here.
To report incorrect or updated information please e-mail: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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The following East Cobb restaurant scores from Nov. 20-Dec. 13 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing to view details of the inspection:
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Surveillance photos of the robbery suspect at the Regions Bank, 2486 Roswell Road, on Dec. 7.
Following up the story about a bank robbery we posted last week during the midst of winter storm: The suspect in that incident at the Regions Bank on Roswell Road is wanted by the FBI for other robberies in metro Atlanta.
On Tuesday, the Atlanta field office of the FBI issued an alert asking for the public’s help in capturing the suspect whom they believe is responsible for five bank robberies since September. The FBI refers to him as the “Zombie Hat Bandit” due to the details of the hat he has worn during the robberies.
The inscription reads “Walking Dead-Beware I Bite” and the FBI believes the man who robbed the East Cobb bank is the same person shown below in a surveillance photo from another incident.
Last Thursday’s robbery in East Cobb is believed to be the last of those robberies, according to the FBI, which released information about the other robberies it is investigating:
Sept. 6, at 12:39 p.m., Regions Bank, 2419 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta. Suspect left in in a black Toyota Corolla (2014 to 2016);
Sept. 22, 2:23 p.m., Regions Bank, 6637 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. Wearing same outfit as in Sept. 6 robbery;
Oct. 16, Regions Bank, 6503 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta, Georgia. Same clothing as in September robberies;
Dec. 5, 11:45 a.m., Bank of America, 8755 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs.
The East Cobb Regions Bank branch robbed last week also was robbed during a serial robbery spree in 2016 that resulted in a 25-year prison sentence for a Marietta man.
The FBI further describes the suspect in this fall’s robberies as a black male, mid-to-late 30s with a medium build. He has some facial hair and wears a large black wrist watch and shirts that have the “Punisher” logo. He also has been described as occasionally carrying a small zippered bag.
The FBI asks anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, which offers a reward, and callers can remain anonymous.
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The Israel residence near Pope High School was one of the last serviced by Cobb EMC that was still without power Tuesday. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
UPDATED, WEDNESDAY, 1:20 P.M.:
Murray Israel followed up to say that electricity was restored to his home Tuesday night, but the family was still without heat until this morning because the furnace had to be repaired. It was damaged when a transformer blew out during the storm.
ORIGINAL REPORT POSTED TUESDAY, 5:47 P.M.:
On Tuesday morning, Murray Israel made yet another call to report a service outage to Cobb EMC. His East Cobb family, without power for nearly four days, was among the last customers waiting for the lights—and heat—to come back on.
He placed a service ticket with Cobb EMC, which has been indicating that the Israel residence on Ethan Drive, about a mile from Pope High School, has had its power restored.
Except by late Tuesday afternoon, that wasn’t the case.
For the last three nights, Israel and his wife have kept warm by the fireplace, and later huddled under blankets in the dark, and the cold, while their children have stayed with friends. Everyone else in their Hembree Hills subdivision has had power restored.
Israel was hoping Tuesday would be the day the lights went back on, since he and his family were eager to observe the first night of Hanukkah.
“It’s the Festival of Lights, and we have no lights,” Israel said in a phone interview with East Cobb News, whom he contacted about his situation, frustrated by Cobb EMC’s response. “It’s really, really cold” in the house.
He estimated the temperature inside was around 40 degrees, not much different than Tuesday’s high temperature, and didn’t want to spend another night like the last three.
While the area that includes the Israels’ neighborhood was hard-hit by the winter storms, his particular issue is down to the micro-level. Israel said he noticed downed lines linking a transformer to his house.
“Our problem is just down to our house,” he said. “It’s an isolated situation that’s not affecting anyone but us.”
Kevan Espy, Cobb EMC’s senior vice president for marketing and corporate communications, told East Cobb News around 3 p.m. Tuesday that fewer than 200 of its customers—174, to be exact—were still without power, and that the electric cooperative’s goal was to be down to none by the end of the day.
“I would love to have this all taken care of later tonight,” Espy said of the remaining outages.
For the Israels, sundown also means the beginning of their religious observance. Tentative plans called for a family dinner out, for warmth and light, as much as food.
The storm, which began on Friday, knocked out service to an estimated 69,000 Cobb EMC customers, or about 40 percent of its customer base.
Espy said Cobb EMC called in additional crews from Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and elsewhere in Georgia to conduct around-the-clock repairs that in some places were more difficult than expected.
“It’s individual service calls like this that we’re down to tackling now,” he said, referring to the Israels’ outage.
Israel said his frustration was compounded by being told by customer service representatives the same thing over and over—that his lights were on when they weren’t—and not getting a satisfactory response when he sent a message via Twitter.
He said he’s filed a complaint with the Georgia Public Service Commission, but more than anything just wants to lights to come back on.
There were thousands of power outages in that particular area of Northeast Cobb. Hembree Hills is located between North Hembree Road and Davis Road, which was closed until Sunday afternoon due to downed trees and power lines.
Even on Tuesday, as East Cobb began to thaw out and students returned to school, work crews were still busy. Downed trees and branches were laying by the side of Holly Springs Road and Hembree Road, not far from Pope. Another crew was working on traffic light signalization at Holly Springs and Post Oak Tritt Road.
A message sent by Cobb County Government Tuesday morning said Cobb officials estimate the nearly 12 inches reported in some areas to be an all-time high in the county for a single storm.
By mid-morning Tuesday, nearly 200 locations around the county were being checked for debris and tree removal, according to Cobb spokesman Ross Cavitt, and that final clean-up may not be until after Christmas.
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The construction area along Sandy Plains Road will be between East Piedmont Road and Ebenezer Road, marked in green (mapped via OpenStreetMap.com).
The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $4.4 million contract for Sandy Plains Road traffic improvements that will include a raised median, new crosswalks and pedestrian signals and resurfacing.
The road work will stretch from East Piedmont Road to Ebenezer Road. The contract was awarded to C.W. Matthews, the low bidder among five, and the funding is coming from the 2011 SPLOST.
The project is estimated to take about a year from the time a notice to proceed with construction is issued.
The elevated concrete median will stretch from Kinjac Drive to Ebenezer Road, which prompted Northeast Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell to ask about the possible use of synthetic turf that’s recently been suggested to replace grass road medians.
“I’d rather see the concrete erased but I know that is more expensive,” she said. Cobb DOT director Jim Wilgus said that issue can be taken up when the construction project reaches that stage.
At a recent work session, Cobb commissioners heard a presentation about two synthetic turf median experiments, along stretches of Cumberland Parkway and Austell Road.
The combined cost for the turfing is close to $150,000, but each job would last more than 20 years and pay for itself in the third year and in the long run cost less than mowing grass.
Also on Tuesday, commissioners approved a nearly $12.7 million contract with Baldwin Paving Co. for 36 miles of countywide resurfacing projects, including $375,000 once the Sandy Plains Road improvements are completed. The funding also comes from the 2011 SPLOST.
Other East Cobb roads on that project list include:
Indian Hills Drive, from Old Canton Road to Ridgewater Drive (1.21 miles);
Wildwood Parkway (0.16 miles);
Gordy Parkway, from Sandy Plains Road to Shallowford Road (1.2 miles);
Jims Road, from Steinhauer Road to Wigley Road (0.67 miles);
Knight Road, from Ebenezer Road to Blackwell Road (0.62 miles);
Sandy Plains Road, from Canton Road Connector to Canton Road (0.25 miles);
Sandy Plains Road, from Ebenezer Road to Shallowford Road (1.8 miles);
Steinhauer Road, from Shallowford Road to Trickum Road (2.01 miles).
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Just after 3 p.m. Monday, the Cobb County School District announced via social media that all classes and other school activities are back on for Tuesday:
All Cobb County schools will resume classes on Tuesday, December 12, on a normal schedule.
Cobb schools have been out of session since an early release on Friday, as a winter storm approached metro Atlanta and left in some areas nearly a foot of snow.
Some of those areas included portions of Cobb County, and resulted in power outages that includes some school facilities.
Cobb schools cancelled Monday classes for that reason, and because of icy roads, including school parking lots and driveways.
Temperatures reached above 50 degrees on Monday afternoon, and lows tonight aren’t expected to fall below 40.
As of 3 p.m. Monday, Cobb EMC said it was down to restoring power to 1,377 Cobb customers and working to repair a broken power pole on Ebenezer Road.
Georgia Power reported Monday afternoon that it has around 6,000 customers still without power, with a handful in Northeast Cobb.
Earlier Monday, Cobb DOT said that Davis Road between Holly Springs Road and Sandy Plains Road remained closed, due to downed trees and power lines that also cut off electric power.
All Cobb government offices reopened under regular hours on Monday, including libraries, which were closed all weekend due to the winter weather.
On Monday evening, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road) is holding a Christmas Festival concert at 7 p.m. That was an addition to the schedule after two Saturday holiday concerts were cancelled due to the weather.
The forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday calls for mostly sunny skies and highs in the mid-40s and for the rest of the week, with highs in the low 50s projected for Thursday and for the weekend.
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A new location of the Pet Supermarket has opened at the Pavilions at East Lake (2100 Roswell Road), which has welcomed a number of new businesses in recent months.
The Pet Supermarket is located in the former Ski and Snowboard store, between A.J.’s Seafood and Poboys and SnowVville Shavery.
Also opening in the same retail center recently is an Emory HealthCare Clinic, a Burn Boot Camp women’s fitness center and Benchmark Physical Therapy.
La Novia Taqueria Open for Lunch
La Novia Taqueria, which opened on Nov. 7 in Paper Mill Village for dinner, is now serving lunch seven days a week: from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
Taking Another Road
High Road Craft Ice Cream, with headquarters in the West Oak Commons office park off Allgood Road, posted an interesting announcement on its Facebook page over the weekend: It’s getting off Facebook (where it has more than 25,000 followers), and using other social media channels and incorporating more offline methods of marketing:
“Facebook has become less about sharing and connecting. (We see your heads nodding). There’s a lot of anger in here. It’s divisive. Frankly, it sucks now (save for the cute pictures of the grandkids).”
The post also expressed frustration with figuring out Facebook’s advertising algorithm, calling its revenue model “a money pit” being dominated by larger companies.
Among the changes High Road plans for its revamped promotional efforts is to “prioritize face to face human interaction,” “use devices and digital technologies as tools, not lifelines or appendages” and to start a podcast after the first of the year.
High Road is still on Twitter (@highroadcraft) and Instagram (@highroadcraft) for now, but the bottom line, according to the post, is “to gun for more substance and less eye-candy.”
A number of readers said they don’t use those social media channels or listen to podcasts, and asked for an e-mail newsletter.
Also opening up in East Cobb
According to the Cobb Community Development office, the following new businesses were granted licenses last week:
Agape Recovery House, 3300 Woods Field Drive (business management);
Alexandra Hodgson, 328 Penny Lane (bookkeeping/accounting);
ANS Property Inspection, 3271 Normandy Circle (home inspection service);
Trees at the Marietta Campground covered with snow. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)
We did get out and around East Cobb Sunday afternoon, as did many other East Cobbers needing food and other provisions (including Christmas trees) and trying to get back to normal.
Many businesses and restaurants were also open, and most roads with downed trees and power lines had been cleared.
As was reported earlier today, Cobb schools will be closed Monday, due to icy roads expected in the morning, and because some schools still do not have electrical power.
We haven’t gotten details on which schools were without power, but icy road conditions across the county are expected for Monday; temperatures are expected to reach into the low 50s, along with the same sunny skies we’ve had since Saturday.
Send us your photos and news!
Share your winter weather pictures, and we’ll post them, as well as business or other closings or cancellations. E-mail editor@eastcobbnews.com.
As of 5:20 p.m. Sunday, Cobb EMC estimated that about 5,000 of its customers are still without power (outage map), and that a broken power line on Ebenezer Road in Northeast Cobb is still among those needing repair.
Earlier today we also noted that there was only one road in the county that was closed, and that was the roundabout at Holly Springs Road and Davis Road. It was open when we drove through there shortly after 3 p.m. (photo just below); if you’re heading north on Holly Springs you may notice a few tree limbs hanging close to a power line, which apparently had been the cause of the closure.
We then traveled eastbound on Shallowford Road, from Sandy Plains to Johnson Ferry, there were some patches of ice, since there wasn’t a lot of direct sunshine. In particular, there were icy spots in the right eastbound lane on Shallowford between Sandy Plains and Lassiter Road, so if you’re in that area, take precautions and slow down, especially at the intersections of Wesley Chapel Road, North Hembree Road and Old Suttons Way (just below).
Johnson Ferry Road was well traveled around 3:30 p.m., and as traffic increased for the Johnson Ferry Baptist Church Christmas Festival service that began at 4 p.m. There’s another service at 7 p.m., and there are police officers directing traffic.
Heading westbound on Lower Roswell Road was almost pure slush, especially between Indian Hills Parkway and Old Canton Road. Unlike Shallowford, this stretch of Lower Roswell was getting a lot of direct sunlight, but with temperatures freezing overnight it figures to be treacherous for Monday morning traffic.
Here’s what we have on openings/closings for Monday as of 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Please e-mail your news/photos to: editor@eastcobbnews.com:
Cobb public libraries will be open;
St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church preschool and St. Ann Catholic preschool are closed Monday;
Classes at The Walker School are closed Monday. The U.S. Science exam will start at 12pm, the campus will open to U.S. arrivals at 11:30am. This is the only exam tomorrow and includes 8th grade students taking the Biology exam. The Lower School chorus concert will occur as planned at 7 p.m.;
Ronald Sachs Violins will be open from 3-6 on Monday;
High Meadows Schools will be closed Monday;
East Cobb Pediatrics will be open on Monday;
A Monday holiday concert of the Sprayberry High School chorus also is cancelled since there will be no school tomorrow.
Students (and we hope some adults!) get to enjoy a continuation of a most unexpected winter wonderland in East Cobb, two weeks before Christmas.
The entrance to the Willow Ridge subdivision at Robinson Road.
Send news of opening/closing/cancellations and photos of the snow near you to: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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