Cobb Police issues joint statement about planned protests

The Cobb Police Department issued a statement Saturday night with the Marietta Police Department and the Smyrna Police Department about planned protests in the county stemming from the death of a black man in police custody in Minnesota earlier this week.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

The death of George Floyd, who was shown face down on the ground handcuffed, with a white officer kneeling on his neck for nearly 10 minutes, sparked violent protests in several major cities, including Minneapolis, where the incident took place.

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Several nights of protests in that city included burning property and police cars, vandalizing stores and storming a police precinct.

Atlanta was the scene of protests Friday night that included vandalizing and looting CNN Center and other businesses in Centennial Olympic Park and in Buckhead.

On Saturday, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms imposed a curfew that began at 9 p.m. and expires at sunrise Sunday and Georgia National Guard troops have been called in. Similar curfews have been ordered in other cities.

In the joint statement, the three police departments said this about possible protests in Cobb County:

“We have been in contact with a few individuals representing groups that are planning peaceful protests within our jurisdictions. Some of the organizers have expressed concern that outside agitators may try to hijack their plans for a peaceful event. Therefore we recommend anyone else planning protests to communicate and partner with their local law enforcement agencies to maintain the safety of all involved.”

The statement didn’t specify where and when any protests may take place.

East Cobb News has asked Cobb Police if any protests are planned in its jurisdiction and will update that when/if we hear back.

The Cobb police departments said they cannot discuss with the media or the public how they’re preparing for possible violence:

“We have plans in place and we want to remind any who plan to use the peaceful protests as a means to break the law, we will be ready to protect peaceful protestors, residents, and business owners and to arrest and charge any and all who break the law within our respective jurisdictions.”

They urged anyone seeing criminal activity to call 911. “Rest assured, all three departments are and remain passionate about protecting our residents and business owners. Any criminal acts will result in arrest and prosecution according to the law.”

The four Minneapolis officers on the scene at the time of Floyd’s death were terminated, and the officer seen kneeling on the victim was charged with third-degree murder. It’s the latest in a series of deaths of black men by police in recent years that have resulted in protests around the country.

But little has been as violent as what’s taken place this week.

In Brunswick, in south Georgia, three men, including a former investigator with the Glynn County District Attorney’s Office, have been charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was jogging in a neighborhood when he was killed in February.

Cobb District Attorney Joyette Holmes has been appointed to take over the prosecution of the case that, like the George Floyd case, took on national importance when video footage emerged.

Among the violent episodes Saturday include police deploying tear gas near the White House to stave off protestors in Washington, D.C., and demonstrators setting City Hall on fire in Nashville. On Friday, two police officers were shot in Oakland, Calif., one of them fatally.

Protestors appeared near the Georgia governor’s mansion in Atlanta Saturday but were dispersed by police before the curfew began.

The Cobb police departments also said this Saturday night:

“For the record, all three of our departments remain strongly opposed to any form of injustice, racism, or brutality. We are deeply concerned and have taken steps to not only protect everyone’s first amendment right to free speech and peaceful protest, but also to protect the life and liberty of our local citizens as well. Our three departments are working in conjunction to make sure the safety of everyone is maintained.”

 

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Is East Cobb really uptight about a sex shop?

Tokyo Valentino Marietta

If you were eager to break the tedium of waiting out a public health emergency, it would have been hard to top the rumors of a sex shop possibly lining Johnson Ferry Road—our main thoroughfare here in fair East Cobb—that swirled about over the Memorial Day holiday.

My phone lines, inbox and text and social media messaging apps were on fire just as the exact people you’d need to contact to check out the story were disappearing for the long weekend.

I got what I could from publicly available sources, heard from plenty of East Cobbers who were hopping mad and even got an exasperated “what?” from the individual supposedly in the middle of all this.

On Memorial Day, Commissioner Bob Ott, hounded by what he said were more than 500 messages about the subject, cloaked his response to the Tokyo Valentinto rumors in a “Memorial Day Message” subject line.

He said that as long as the business opened as what it indicated—a clothing store—and met code requirements, there was nothing the county could do.

Nor could it do much if it later opened as an adult store, as happened last December in Sandy Springs. Local governments, he added, can’t come back retroactively and change their zoning codes to stop something like this.

When we broke the story on that holiday, it wasn’t all that I wanted that story to be, but it was more than enough to stoke an even bigger fury from some East Cobb citizens.

But do they speak for the entire community? While many of us come here for safe neighborhoods, good schools and a family-oriented way of life, who’s to say there’s not a market for an adult store?  

When I started checking reader comments to this story—always a good idea when you’re running a family community news site—I found some intriguing views. Including this little exchange on the East Cobb News Facebook page:

“Perhaps if customers of the store had photos of their cars or their photo taken as they exited the store and the photos were posted on social media it might embarrass them and discourage them from shopping there.”

Rebuffed, in a flash:

“Sure—let’s get Amazon to release what they send to your house, mmmkay?”

“Clutch those pearls, ladies! How many of you read 50 Shades of Grey?”

I checked out some other local social media channels, which certainly are dens of trolling. There’s Nextdoor, which is even more unhinged than Facebook, even though users are required to identify their neighborhood. 

An opponent of an adult store asked a simple, age-old question that goes to the classic argument over how to determine community standards:

“What would it add to the community?”

A sampling of the replies:

“Everything!!”

“A great sex life.”

“Bow-chika-bow-wow.”

“Live and let live.”

“Find something better to do with your time.”

“I’m all for it. Why drive all the way down to Fulton and DeKalb county to get your gear? Keep the sales taxes here in Cobb.”

“I might just have to go to the grand opening of this place solely because everyone is acting like this is a 1620s Puritan village whose morals would undoubtedly be destroyed by a store that sells porn and adult toys to adults.”

“It’s a date. I’ll wear my scarlet letter.”

Elations adult store Marietta

What some East Cobbers may not know is that we’ve had a sex shop in our area for quite a few years now, and seemingly without incident. 

No, not the Tokyo Valentino store pictured at the top that opened on Cobb Parkway two years ago, not far from the Big Chicken.

But even closer than that. It’s called Elations, and it’s on Powers Ferry Road near Roswell Road, facing the shopping center where Harry’s Farmers Market once was. It’s also in the city of Marietta and has been there for years. Before that, another adult store was in the same location for a number of years.

Judging by the car traffic when I passed by on Saturday, Elations does a pretty good business. It makes no bones about the adult erotica items it sells, but also prominently promotes CBD items and “smoking accessories,” which as one of my readers pointed out to me, probably keeps it in business.

An East Cobb resident I talked to this week says if something like that comes to Johnson Ferry, it will “spread like the Coronavirus.”

While Elations is in a commercial area that’s been run-down, it’s actually closer to a nearby residential community than 1290 Johnson Ferry Road.

Those homes may not be in the same price range as Princeton Walk, but it’s where people live and are raising families.

Nothing else like Elations has spread in the vicinity. It sits across a parking lot from the Marietta Burger Bar, and Williamson Bros. BBQ and Hoyle’s Kitchen & Bar are nearby. 

Another reader who mentioned Elations chimed in thusly:

“If they don’t shop there; it’ll go OUT of business. Pretty straightforward. Maybe stop making up imaginary crises and focus on real things that need to be dealt with.”

To which he got this response:

“I’m not against these stores, I just don’t like them in my neighborhood. It’s a fair opinion.”

Fair enough.

Tokyo Valentino also sells “smoking accessories” at its Marietta store and five others owned by Atlanta adult retail impresario Michael Morrison. Since 1995 he’s had an adult store on Cheshire Bridge Road and Piedmont Road, and he’s battled the city of Atlanta almost as long.

It’s where video rooms and private bedrooms and massage suites can be rented out—on top of an admission charge of $20 minimum (all of his other stores are strictly retail).

When I reached Morrison last week—as he was hiking in Arizona—about an East Cobb store, he said he had no idea what I was referring to. When I asked him about the 1290 Clothing Store application, he said he knew nothing about it.

He’s said elsewhere that business associates may have been working on a “sub project” without his knowledge, and he doesn’t know what may go in the old Mattress Firm space. 

That story clearly doesn’t sit well with a lot of East Cobbers. Morrison’s name is on the business incorporation documents. The new owner of the old mattress store building is a Miami entrepreneur who has adult retail business interests. Morrison’s past includes prison time for tax evasion.

His Sandy Springs store also was originally going to be for dancers’ clothing, but now is a Tokyo Valentino store.

Cobb commissioners got an earful about this during the public comment session at their regular meeting Tuesday, but none of them responded. Even to allegations that 1290 Clothing may have gotten its business license in dubious fashion.

When I asked Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce this week if it’s possible the county could invalidate the business license, he said “We’re looking into it.”

A factor for the county also would be whether it would want to get entangled with Morrison, who has a continuing lawsuit against the city of Atlanta and disputes with other local governments.

That might be the biggest headache associated with having an adult store in East Cobb. It would be a new jurisdiction for him to test in the courts, as well as a new retail market.

At the East Cobb SNOBs Facebook page, some were trying to put this into perspective, and just have a little social media fun:

“In a world where men are murdered for their skin color, I’m not going to lose any sleep for having to lie to my kid about what ‘adult toys’ are.”

“Hey at least it will be considered an essential business for the next lockdown.”

“Isn’t Johnson Ferry tacky enough?”

At the EAST COBBER, which was kind enough to link to our story that broke this all out into the open:

“This can’t happen in East Cobb!! They should put in a cute little bakery/coffee shop. That is what we need!!”

“Sounds like some of y’all need a sex shop in the area so you can loosen up a little bit.”

“I smell a rat. Funny how this shop wants to move in (in the middle of a pandemic) *just* as there is a push for East Cobb cityhood. Could this be a ploy to get people to support cityhood, ergo stricter zoning?”

“Sex is healthy. I feel for your partners.”

“Not all of us need a sex shop to be happy with our partners. I feel sad for your partner that you need more.”

You get the drift. As I said, social media invites this sort of thing, although I do think it shows that there’s not unanimous condemnation of an adult store.

Morrison has bigger issues, as he was ordered to jail last week by a DeKalb County judge for contempt of court, in a long-running dispute over his store in Brookhaven.

He’s appealing, as East Cobbers promise to keep an eye out for what goes up at 1290 Johnson Ferry—perhaps chattering about it at their favorite cute little bakery and coffee shop.

This week had far too much excitement for some citizens in East Cobb, but it did jolt us out of what has been a dispiriting lockdown.

We return you now to your regularly scheduled pandemic programming. 

East Cobb sex shop

 

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Business reopening update: East Cobb Tavern; CycleBar; more

East Cobb Tavern

A few more business reopenings to note, as more restaurants are now serving in their dining rooms, gyms are welcoming back clients for in-person classes and more.

Dan Edmonds, general manager of the East Cobb Tavern (Shallowford Corners) says starting Monday, you can sit down and eat inside, with regular hours back to 11 a.m. to p.m.. They’re also continuing takeout and curbside service, which continues from 3-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Also on Monday, Mezza Luna Pasta & Seafood (Pavilions at East Lake) is reopening its dining room with limited seating and reservations only

The CycleBar East Cobb (Parkaire Landing) reopened over the Memorial Day weekend, and is gradually adding classes and offering summer specials to students and teachers;

At Paradise Grille (Highland Plaza), the indoor dining room is closed, but starting tonight they’re having weekly live music on the patio. South of the Border’s dining room has reopened.

The dining rooms of all 3 East Cobb locations of J. Christopher’s have reopened, for usual breakfast-lunch-brunch service between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.;

When the pandemic struck McCray’s Tavern was making plans to move into the former Loyal Q space at Parkaire Landing. After several weeks, there’s no specific opening date that’s been announced yet but they’ve been conducting interviews and are saying for now they’re opening soon.

Proprietor Scott McCray also has been busy preparing his new Marietta Square restaurant, Mac’s Chophouse, to open in the former Shilling’s space.

Send Us Your News!

If you have Coronavirus-related event changes, business openings or closings to share with the public, e-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com.

Contact us at the same e-mail address for news about efforts to assist those in need, health care workers, first responders and others on the frontlines of combatting Coronavirus in East Cobb.

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Candidate spotlight: Ricci Mason, Cobb Commission Chairman

After more than three decades as a police officer in Cobb County, Ricci Mason believes the time for supporting public safety workers has been long overdue.Ricci Mason, Cobb Commission Chairman candidate

After retiring from the Cobb County Police Department last year, Mason has decided to push for that change as a first-time candidate for political office.

A former officer in Precinct 4 in East Cobb, Mason is one of two candidates challenging incumbent Mike Boyce (profile here) in the Republican primary June 9 for Cobb Commission Chairman, along with Larry Savage (profile here).

“There’s a lot of wasteful spending,” Mason said. “But my biggest reason [for running] is public safety. It’s just not been a priority.”

Mason lives in Acworth and is a member of Eastside Baptist Church in East Cobb.

(Here’s Mason’s campaign website.)

During his campaign, he has recited many of the arguments public safety advocates have been making in pushing for support for police officers, firefighters and emergency personnel.

“New officers are leaving in droves,” Masson said in impassioned tones. “Police hadn’t had raise in 10 years. We’ve been taken advantage of.”

The police department is around 100 officers short, “and we’ve failed to fill those positions.”

Salary and benefit packages as well as retention issues have been festering for years, he said, undermining the message on a patch officers wear that’s visible to the public: “We lead, others follow.”

“Right now, that’s being mocked,” said Mason, who also was an officer in the Marietta Police Department.

Cobb commissioners have taken initial steps to address some of those concerns with a one-time bonus and approval of a step-and-grade salary structure for public safety personnel, but Mason isn’t impressed.

He said a Cobb police sergeant he knows said his raise amount to eight cents an hour.

“That’s a slap in the face,” Mason said, adding that step-and-grade is “irrelevant. Until you can give younger officers some motivation to stay, it’s not going to matter.”

Among the public safety concerns is that Cobb, which has a highly-praised police training center, spends a lot of money training officers, then losing them to nearby cities and counties that offer better pay and benefits.

“It costs $80,000 to train an officer, and it ends up costing us more when we lose them,” Mason said.

He said Boyce has had three years to address the problem and thinks he’s coming along too late to do much good.

“You deserve to be protected,” Mason said. “But that promise has dissolved like a dirty rag in water.”

To address the issue, Mason said he would look across the county budget to find more financial resources, and thinks “there are a lot of things that are wants ahead of needs.”

He pointed to things like libraries, which got some expanded hours after the 2018 budget was approved with a millage rate increase.

Mason said he’s not against libraries, but wondered about recent decisions to being reopening libraries “when officers on the street, who are considered essential workers, aren’t getting anything.”

He was referencing a proposal before the commissioners to provide hazard pay for public safety and other county employees on frontline COVID-19 duty. That proposal has been put on hold while the number of workers and the amount of funding is determined.

The county will soon have to deal with the financial impact of much lower tax revenues, making public safety funding even more acute, as Mason sees it. Budgeting figures to become even more painful, but “you have to go across the board and sit down with all of the department heads.

“We are definitely in uncharted waters, but we’ve got to stabilize the cornerstone of the county [meaning public safety] before we can do anything else.”

Addressing county transportation issues is another priority for Mason, especially the condition of county roads.

As a former motorcycle officer, Mason said “I know where all the potholes are” and says “I can’t remember when the roads were really taken care of.”

A referendum on the November ballot to extend the Cobb SPLOST is devoted to road resurfacing projects, but Mason says other road maintenance and transportation issues also aren’t being properly addressed.

On zoning matters, Mason thinks that given current circumstances, “we need to slow down on building” at least for the time being.

“I want people to be safe and healthy and thrive for themselves,” he said. “We need to help people get back on their feet again and show them that they care.”

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Candidate spotlight: Larry Savage, Cobb Commission Chairman

When he qualified as a candidate for Cobb County Commission Chairman for the first time in 2010, Larry Savage did so because he saw an incumbent who was unopposed in the Republican primary.Larry Savage, Cobb Commission Chairman candidate

A decade later, Savage, a retired businessman and executive who lives in East Cobb, is running for a fourth time for the same reasons.

Before he jumped in again this year, only incumbent chairman Mike Boyce had qualified.

“The idea that Mike Boyce was heading to a second term without opposition was disappointing,” said Savage, who is one of three GOP candidates in the June 9 primary.

“There are a lot of things he’s done that people don’t like.”

Savage is one of two challengers to Boyce (profile here) in the June 9 primary, along with retired Cobb police officer Ricci Mason.

(Here’s Savage’s campaign website.)

In a 2010 special election, Savage pulled 38 percent of the vote against Lee, who was elected to fill the last two years of former chairman Sam Olens’ term. In a four-man GOP field in 2012, Savage was last with 10 percent, trailing Lee, Boyce and another former chairman Bill Byrne.

In 2016, Savage also got 10 percent, enough to force a runoff between Lee and Boyce.

Savage was especially critical of how Lee handled the Atlanta Braves deal, filing a lawsuit, later dismissed, over the bond financing for what is now Truist Park.

But he thinks Boyce has not been fiscally responsible.

“Paramount is the money part—spending has gone up $100 million since he took office,” Savage said. “Those are big numbers.”

He’s dubbing his campaign “The Savage Truth,” and claims to be the true conservative in the Republican primary.

“He is probably the most politically liberal person on the board,” Savage said, referring to Boyce, and including Lisa Cupid, who will face the Republican nominee for chairman in November.

“If you look at their records, it’s almost indistinguishable,” Savage said. “Both emerged with the idea that government can do things that I don’t think government should do.”

(On his campaign website, Savage has highlighted comments he made to a Cobb Republican caucus meeting in February: “Let’s not run our liberal Republican against their liberal Democrat.”)

More than anything, Savage said Boyce hasn’t handled the financial management of county government very well.

He disputes Boyce’s contention that he came into office with a $30 million deficit, thanks to a millage rate reduction by the board on the day Boyce defeated Lee in the 2016 runoff. “He overspent the budget he had and that created the hole.”

As for the 2018 millage rate increase that Boyce pushed through on a 3-2 vote, Savage said “that wasn’t just a little nudge. I think that that increase could have been smaller or not at all.”

On an initiative that Savage supports, better pay and retention for police officers and firefighters, he said Boyce ended up promising raises to many more employees than he first announced.

“He’s got a problem telling people we’ve got a lot in reserve,” Savage said, adding that situation is more acute now with economic losses due to COVID-19 closures.

“One of the glories of government is that nobody is losing their jobs,” he said. “At the very least, just stop hiring” until a more clarified budget and economic picture emerges.

Savage said if he’s elected he’d also defer purchasing some equipment and halt some non-essential maintenance projects until conducting a thorough budget review.

“You’ve got to look at every department,” he said.

Savage also has been critical of tax abatements issued by the Development Authority of Cobb County. In 2018, he filed suit to stop the issuance of bonds sought by Kroger for a superstore at the MarketPlace Terrell Mill project that’s in progress.

A judge agreed with Savage that the tax breaks for Kroger didn’t meet the authority’s definition of an essential project. But last summer, the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the bonds.

On broader development and zoning issues, Savage thinks the county land use plan isn’t followed like it should be, and he would work to limit high-density projects, including apartments in areas where single-family neighborhoods dominate.

The mixed-use trend that is being seeing in commercial areas like Powers Ferry Road is spreading to areas where he thinks it’s not compatible.

“Some parts of it I like, some I don’t like,” he said. “And when you have to address things like schools and traffic that add complexities to a development, it’s just turned zoning upside down.

“So many things about it contradict the zoning code, and it’s jumped in there all at once, without much of a debate or discussion.”

Savage acknowledged that Cobb is going to continue to attract development, “but what’s it going to be?”

He’s received endorsements from former Georgia GOP chairwoman Sue Everhart, a Cobb resident, and the Cobb County Republican Assembly, a group made up of fiscal and cultural conservatives.

Savage said he’s still running from a grassroots perspective, trying to appeal to those who favor low taxes and small government and are disenchanted with the incumbent.

“I have no natural constituencies, no big church or veterans groups behind me,” Savage said, referring to Boyce, a retired Marine colonel who attends Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church.

“People who got burned by Mike Boyce are backing me.”

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Cobb to reopen pools, more park facilities in June

Mountain View Aquatic Center

Submitted information from Cobb government:

Cobb County PARKS will reopen most of their facilities to residents starting June 1st, including outdoor playgrounds, restroom facilities, and Aquatic Centers. Many of these facilities will have public health restrictions in place that will help maintain recommended social distancing.

Following the Governor’s latest Executive Orders, Cobb PARKS is working with associations and athletic organizations to formulate COVID-19 response plans that will allow organized games to resume when their plans are approved. This could be as early as mid-June.

Parks rentals are still not available, but plans are underway to restart them soon. Night lighting at some facilities may not be immediately available but will be phased-in over the next several weeks.

The number of people using aquatic centers will be limited and swim lessons will not take place due to social distancing guidelines. Lanes will be available to rent for those wishing to secure a time. 

Central Aquatic Center:
June 1st: 15 swimmers (one per lane)

Mountain View Aquatic Center:
June 1st: 25 swimmers (one per lane)

West Cobb Aquatic Center:
June 1st: 10 Swimmers (one per lane and 2 in the deep water)

South Cobb Aquatic Center:
June 1st: 5 swimmers (one per lane and 1 in the lazy river for exercising)

Seven Springs Waterpark:
June 15th: 25% of capacity (125 swimmers per session)

Sewell Park Pool:
June 15th: 20 swimmers (Splash Pad closed)

We will update the web site (www.cobbPARKS.org) and our Social Media Accounts with any changes in the pool hours and available activities. 

Please visit the link below to reserve lap lanes and designated lanes for exercising.
https://secure.rec1.com/GA/cobb-county-ga/catalog

 

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Candidate spotlight: Mike Boyce, Cobb Commission Chairman

Cobb budget town hall, Mike Boyce, Cobb public safety bonus, Cobb millage rate
Boyce has held numerous budget and other town hall meetings during his time as chairman. (ECN file)

Ever since he unseated Tim Lee as Cobb Commission Chairman in 2016, Mike Boyce has acknowledged what was behind it.

“They didn’t vote for Mike Boyce,” he says now, as he’s campaigning for re-election.

“They were ticked off by the Braves deal.”

Four years ago, Boyce, an East Cobb resident who also ran in 2012, rode anti-Lee sentiment to capture the Republican primary.

Four years ago, Boyce didn’t have a Democratic opponent, but if he should prevail in a three-way GOP primary on June 9, he would face commissioner Lisa Cupid.

His primary opponents are East Cobb resident Larry Savage, a previous chairman candidate who has challenged the county legally on the Braves deal and business tax breaks, and retired Cobb police officer Ricci Mason, a first-time candidate.

“I have to run on my record,” Boyce said. “Before, I was selling an idea.”

Boyce said he’s proud to tout that record: Preserving the county’s AAA bond rating (via a 2018 property tax increase unpopular with some Republican voters), taking the first measures toward a step-and-grade pay policy for public safety employees and enhancing quality of life with additional park land purchases and expanding library hours.

“People move here for the amenities, and look what we have done for public safety,” Boyce said, referring to three pay raises as well as the first steps in a new compensation and retention plan for police officers, firefighters and sheriff’s deputies.

(Here’s Boyce’s campaign website.)

Boyce defends the 2018 property tax increase, pointing to the commissioners’ vote—on the day he beat Lee in a runoff—to lower the millage rate.

“We faced a $30 million shortfall before I ever took office,” he said. “We came within an inch of losing our AAA rating,” the highest issued by creditors and highly desired by public bodies (the Cobb County School District also is rated AAA) when it borrows for short-term loans and bond issues.

Boyce said the county’s reserves were down to $10 million as well, and now it enjoys a $125 million contingency.

For the fiscal year 2021 budget that takes effect on October, Boyce is proposing to hold the line on the millage rate and continue with public safety pay measures. A merit pay raise for county employees is off the table, due to the economic hit to come from closures related to COVID-19.

Having that money on hand now, Boyce said, is vital.

“This isn’t just a rainy day,” he said. “It’s a rainy year.”

The county’s diversified business base also should help, but Boyce acknowledges it’s still a little early to tell “what the consequences of a loss of jobs, a loss of tax revenue will be.”

Commissioners voted this week to spend $50 million of an allotted $132 million in federal CARES Act funding for small business relief grants.

Continuing the work of addressing public safety issues would be a cornerstone of a second term for Boyce, who said “we have to show our first responders that this won’t be a one and done.”

If he should advance to the November ballot, a local referendum for Cobb voters will be on there too, asking whether to extend the Cobb SPLOST, which Boyce has stressed with road resurfacing and transportation projects, as well as other parks and recreation improvements.

When asked if he felt confident about the SPLOST’s chances of passing, Boyce said a 5-0 vote by commissioners this week to finalize the project list “was a big step. The board understands the importance of this. The emphasis on the roads really hits a sweet spot.”

Boyce also acknowledges he’s never been the candidate of choice by his party establishment. In 2016, Lee had GOP backing as the incumbent, as well as from business leaders.

During the tax increase debate, the Cobb Republican Party formally opposed it, and some critics have alleged all along that Boyce, a retired Marine colonel, is a RINO (Republican In Name Only).

Former Georgia GOP chairwoman Sue Everhart, a Cobb resident, and the Cobb County Republican Assembly, a group made up of fiscal and cultural conservatives, have endorsed Savage.

“I’ve just accepted the fact that they’re not in my corner,” Boyce said. “The only people who matter are all the voters.”

When he was first elected, the changes in the county’s demographics began to be revealed, as Cobb voted for Hillary Clinton in the presidential race. Democrats will be unified behind Cupid, who’s attempting to become the first Democrat to lead county government since Ernest Barrett in the early 1980s.

Boyce said he’s proud to run on a pledge to continue a set of broad-based priorities, with voters across the county in mind.

“I know I’ve done what’s in the best interests of the county,” he said.

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Cobb Elections update: Early voting expands; sample ballots; and more

Georgia runoff elections

Starting Monday and all next week, East Cobb voters will be able to cast their primary ballots in-person closer to home as early voting expands.

You’ll be able to vote at the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday. It’s one of three additional early voting locations that will be open in the county, in addition to the Cobb Elections office in Marietta.

There won’t be any early voting next Saturday, June 7, as well as Monday, June 8, the day before the election.

If you do vote next week, Cobb Elections is saying that it will be following CDC social guidelines regarding COVID-19, and to expect to wait in lines that may be longer than is typical.

Cobb Elections is strongly encouraging voters to cast absentee ballots, and you can either send yours via traditional mail or deposit it at a designated drop box at the East Cobb Government Service Center.

That can be done anytime, as long as it’s by 7 p.m. on election day, Tuesday, June 9.

However you vote, you’ll be asked for one of three ballot options: Democratic, Republican or non-partisan.

The latter is for judicial races, both local and state, and you won’t be able to vote for candidates of either major party.

Democratic and Republican ballots have the non-partisan judicial races included. Here are the sample ballots from Cobb Elections:

These ballots are countywide composites and contain candidates who may not appear on your actual ballot. You can download a precise sample ballot at the My Voter Page from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

What’s on the ballot?

East Cobb voters have several contested primaries in partisan races, including Republican primaries for Cobb Commission Chairman and Cobb Commission District 2, as well as Democratic and Republican primaries for Cobb school board Post 5.

There’s also a Republican primary for the 6th Congressional District race and a Democratic primary for State House District 46.

In countywide races, contested primaries include Democrats in the Cobb Sheriff’s race and Democrats and Republicans for Superior Court Clerk. Non-partisan races are taking place for three seats on Cobb Superior Court and one on Cobb State Court.

There’s a large field of Democrats pursuing their party’s nomination to face Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. David Perdue in November.

U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to succeed the retired Jiohnny Isakson, won’t be on the primary ballot. The election to determine who fills the final two years of Isakson’s term will be decided in a jungle primary in November, with candidates of both parties. She’s one of them, along with Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Collins.

The Democratic presidential primary also is scheduled, and like the local and state primaries has been delayed by COVID-19 closures. Even before that happened, however, former vice president Joe Biden had virtually wrapped up the party nomination.

He’ll be listed as one of a dozen candidates on the Democratic ballot, most of whom dropped out not long after the primaries began in February.

Party straw polls

If you choose a ballot from one of the major parties, you’ll also be asked questions that respective party leaders, either local or state, have formulated to gauge where their constituency stands on certain issues.

Democratic voters will be asked 12 questions about climate change; environmental protection; election-day registration; non-partisan redistricting; cash bail; voting rights for convicted felons; a Cobb one-cent transportation sales tax; Cobb MARTA expansion; background checks for buying firearms; senior exemption for school taxes; a Cobb non-discrimination ordinance and prioritizing affordable housing priorities for the elderly and disabled, low-income earners, teachers and first responders in Cobb County.

The Republican ballot has four questions related to educational vouchers, limiting voting in Republican primaries to registered Republican voters, partisan declarations for Cobb school board candidates and whether Cobb should be a Second Amendment “sanctuary county.”

The results are non-binding .

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Cobb small business grant applications accepted June 8-26

Cobb small business grant applications

After the Cobb Board of Commissioners this week approved $50 million in federal CARES Act funding for small businesses, the Cobb Chamber of Commerce has released details about the application process, which runs from June 8-26.

The program is called the Select Cobb Small Business Grants, after the chamber’s economic development arm, which will distribute grants to qualifying businesses in amounts ranging from $20,000 to $40,000. The funding can be used on personnel, rent, utilities and acquiring PPE for employee safety.

Here’s what SelectCobb sent out late Thursday afternoon:

Applications will open on June 8, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. and close on June 26, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. A full list of eligibility requirements and more information about the application process will be available at www.selectcobb.com on June 1. The website and email address for this program—www.selectcobb.com/grants and grants@selectcobb.com—will be available on June 1. Also, a webinar on how to apply for the small business grants will be held on June 10th at 10:00 am through the Cobb Chamber.

“Maintaining jobs and promoting growth within Cobb County has been and always will be our number one priority for our small business community,” said Kevin Greiner, president and CEO of Gas South and Chairman of SelectCobb for the Cobb Chamber. “The SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grants will allow Cobb’s small businesses to stand strong during this pandemic and continue to meet necessary business expenses, as well as providing capital to acquire PPE and other resources to ensure a safe working environment for their employees.”

To be considered for the SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grant, small businesses must meet the following requirements:

  • Business must be an existing for-profit corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship;
  • Business headquarters or primary location must be within Cobb County; 
  • Business must have 100 or fewer full-time, W-2 employees, i.e., employees working at least 30 hours per week or 130 hours per month;
  • Business must have been in continuous operation for a minimum of 1 year prior to March 13, 2020; 
  • Business must have a current business license issued by Cobb County Government, City of Acworth, City of Austell, City of Kennesaw, City of Marietta, City of Powder Springs, or City of Smyrna;
  • Business must be current on all local taxes;
  • Business may be home-based or located in an owned or leased commercial space;
  • Business must certify if they have received PPP funds as of time of application submittal; and
  • Business cannot be a publicly traded company.

Grant funding will be available in three different tiers based upon the number of full-time, W-2 employees employed by the company as of March 12, 2020. The tiers of grant funding include, up to $20,000 for 1 to 10 employees; up to $30,000 for 11 to 50 employees; and up to $40,000 for 51 to 100 employees.

“I’m gratified that the board came together to address an important segment of our community, the small business community,” said Chairman Mike Boyce after the vote. “It demonstrates when it is all said and done, this board has the best interest of the county at heart. We work every day to do the best we can with the money we have—whether it is county money, state money, or federal money—we all have a duty to make sure the taxpayer’s money is spent appropriately and I think this is one action that reflects that.”

SelectCobb staff will review each application to ensure that all eligibility requirements are met. Once applications are closed, an independent committee of business representatives will review each eligible application and decide which companies will receive grant funds and how much will be provided, up to the maximum allowed by each tier. The committee will be comprised of individuals from all areas of Cobb, and will include a diverse group of industries being represented, including banking, certified public accountants, law, small business and county government.

The committee will review applications per Commission District so that all areas are equally represented in the number of companies being assisted. Once determinations are made, a public announcement of grants funds will be made by representatives of the selection committee, SelectCobb, Cobb Chamber, and Cobb County Government.

“Cobb County should be applauded for creating one of the largest small business grants in the region,” said Dana Johnson, executive director of SelectCobb. “I want to thank the Board of Commissioners for their leadership and commitment to ensuring that Cobb County remains one of the top destinations for small businesses.”

 

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Updated 5.28.20: Mapping Cobb COVID-19 cases by ZIP Code

Cobb COVID Zip Code Map
To hover over a larger map with more details, click here.

Earlier this month the Cobb and Douglas Public Health Department began breaking down the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in each county by ZIP Code, as part of a rollout of more data about how the virus has spread.

That also came right before statewide lockdowns began to be lifted.

We posted about that on May 7, and thought we’d revisit those numbers as well as others across the state over the past three weeks.

With more testing taking place in Cobb and Georgia, public health officials have acknowledged that the number of positive tests would be going up. In three East Cobb ZIP Codes, the number of COVID-19 cases has surpassed triple figures, and another will soon reach that mark.

Here’s the ZIP Code breakdown for East Cobb areas as of Wednesday, with the May 7 numbers in parenthesis:

  • 30062: 160 (113)
  • 30067: 150 (93)
  • 30066: 126 (95)
  • 30068: 98 (68)
  • 30075: 14 (11)

None of those figures, which come from the Georgia Department of Public Health, State Electronic Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (SENDSS), include the number of deaths by ZIP Code.

You can hover over that map, which is regularly updated, by clicking here.

As of noon Thursday, there have been 45,070 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia, and 1,962 deaths. A total of 523,359 tests have been conducted across the state.

That compares with 34,848 cases and 1,494 deaths on May 12.

In Cobb County, there are 2,924 confirmed cases of the virus and 164 deaths. On May 12, Cobb had 2,253 cases and 124 deaths.

The Georgia Department of Public Health updates those figures three times a day.

Cobb government has a COVID-19 dashboard using data from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

Gov. Brian Kemp will be giving an update on the state’s response to the virus at 4 p.m. Thursday.

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Lassiter fireworks conclude Cobb high school diploma parades

Lassiter graduation, Cobb schools 2020 graduation schedule
In different times: Lassiter graduates in 2019, at the KSU Convocation Center.

It’s not officially being called a graduation, but the Cobb high school diploma parades that began last week are wrapping up on Friday, and at Lassiter High School, with a bang.

No, really.

The Class of 2020 at Lassiter will queue up in the school parking lot starting at 7:30 p.m. Friday to pick up diplomas, followed by an aerial fireworks display.

That’s among the last of such events, along with “Friday Night Hoya Lights” at Harrison High School at the same time that also has fireworks.

Lassiter graduates, according to the school district, “are encouraged to decorate their cars to represent the next chapter in their lives.”

On Thursday from 1-3, Pope High School graduates will pick their diplomas, and Wheeler seniors will be doing the same at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Last week, similar events took place for Walton and Sprayberry graduates.

Cobb schools are careful to point out that the diploma parades are “not intended to be a replacement for an actual graduation ceremony.”

Officially, commencement exercises have been postponed, not cancelled, as the district seeks to find an alternative, possibly in the summer, although nothing has been worked out for the moment.

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Tritt property purchase on Cobb 2022 SPLOST referendum list

Tritt property, Cobb 2022 SPLOST list

The project list for a six-year renewal of Cobb County government’s Special Local-Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) is heavy on transportation projects, public safety improvements and community amenities, including more park space and development.

Among the latter is an $8 million earmark to complete acquisition of 24 acres of land owned by Wylene Tritt next to East Cobb Park.

It’s the most expensive item on a lengthy list of “community impact projects” that are part of a $810 million SPLOST list approved by the Cobb Board of Commissioners in a unanimous 5-0 vote Tuesday.

That list will be included in a referendum on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. If voters approve, the county will continue to collect one percent in sales tax from Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2022 to fund the projects, which include technology and security upgrades, equipment and facilities and other capital improvements within county government.

(You can read through the full project list here.)

The current 2016 SPLOST expires on Dec. 31, 2021, but Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce asked for a renewal referendum this year. Boyce scheduled town halls this spring to solicit feedback on the 2022 project list, but they were cancelled due to COVID-19.

Nearly half of funding on that list—an estimated $329.8 million—would go for transportation and road improvement projects. The rest of the projects would be funded accordingly:

  • $82 million for public safety
  • $46 million in countywide projects
  • $32 million for community impact projects
  • $27.8 million for public services (parks, libraries)
  • $18 million combined for projects in Cobb’s six cities
  • $4 million for Cobb Sheriff’s Office improvements

In 2018, Cobb commissioners approved spending $8.3 million for 22 of the 53 acres of the Tritt property, and Wylene Tritt donated another 7.7 acres.

At the time, the aspirations were that the county would seek to acquire the remainder of former farm property that had once been eyed for a massive senior-living development.

That project generated strong community opposition and commissioners rejected a rezoning request.

Wylene Tritt had planned to sell her land for $20 million and sued the county in 2016. That case was later dropped, and the county entered into lengthy negotiations with her about a sale for park land.

The Tritt property acquired by the county two years ago has been designated for greenspace, with eventual (but for now unapproved) aspirations of turning it into an extension of East Cobb Park.

Those ideas fall along the lines of what a citizens group that opposed the senior-living project touted in 2014.

Before Tuesday’s vote, Concerned Citizens of East Cobb urged its supporters to contact commissioners to include the Tritt property on the project list.

Another park project on the list is $4 million for the repurposing of Shaw Park in Northeast Cobb. During a commissioners work session on Tuesday, District 3 commissioner JoAnn Birrell cited the need to change the nature of the park, since the ball fields aren’t used much any more, and to have it tie in with upcoming renovations at nearby Gritters Library.

Cobb Fire Station 12
Replacing the aging Fire Station No. 12 near Shaw Park is included on the Cobb 2022 SPLOST project list.

Also in the vicinity is Cobb Fire Station No. 12, which is on the project list for a replacement. It’s among public safety construction projects that include a new Cobb public safety headquarters building on Fairground Street in Marietta.

A new Cobb animal shelter costing $15 million also is on the list.

Of the transportation projects, the bulk of the funding—pegged at $213 million—would go for road resurfacing, with another $13 million for bridge repairs and $10 million to maintain drainage systems. A total of $25 million would be spent for traffic management, including signal timing and planning, and another $11 million would be devoted to sidewalk construction and maintenance.

Of those new road projects, the big-ticket item is East Cobb is $3.9 million for intersection improvements at Post Oak Tritt Road and Holly Springs Road. Another $2.4 million would be used for Canton Road corridor improvements.

Public park land the county purchased in 2017 on Ebenezer Road would be fully developed with 2022 SPLOST funding, around $3 million, after a master plan for Ebenezer Downs was approved by commissioners last year.

Also on the project lists are renovations and improvements at Fullers Park, Sewell Park, Terrell Mill Park, the Mountain View Aquatic Center. additional amenities at East Cobb Park and video surveillance cameras at the Mountain View Regional Library.

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First responders treated to lunch by East Cobb realtor

East Cobb realtor first responders lunch

Submitted information and photo:

On Thursday, May 21st, The Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team held an appreciation barbeque lunch to honor local police, firemen, and EMTs. The Capital City Home Loans grilling food truck served up burgers and hotdogs with a variety of sides sponsored by other local partners. Attendees were welcome to use the “social distancing patio” to enjoy their meal or take it on the road. Event sponsors and members of the Janice Overbeck Team had a great time serving guests and appreciating them for what they do day-to-day. Additional sponsors for the event included: Arrow Exterminators, First American Home Warranty, Amerispec Home Inspection, Chick-fil-A East Lake and Perrie & Associates. Local Cobb County and surrounding area first responders, police, fire, and detective units were all invited. Lunch was also packed up and delivered to Cobb County 911 dispatch. For more information on community events at the Janice Overbeck Team office, visit: www.JaniceOverbeck.com.

 

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East Cobb citizens speak out against new Johnson Ferry store

East Cobb sex shop

East Cobb citizens who’ve been communicating with each other and elected officials in the past week over what they claim is a sex shop coming to Johnson Ferry Road took their concerns to the full Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday.

Several of them asked during a public comment session at the commissioners’ regular meeting Tuesday afternoon that the county consider invalidating a business license granted for a clothing store at 1290 Johnson Ferry Road, the site a former Mattress Firm store.

As East Cobb News reported Monday, a business license was issued on March 11 by the Cobb Community Development Agency to 1290 Clothing Co., for a retail clothing store.

The land is zoned general commercial and would not require rezoning for a clothing store. The license was issued to Tomika Hugley.

According to state business corporation filings, Rebecca Crider, the registered agent for 1290 Clothing Co., serves in the same capacity for a number of businesses run by Michael S. Morrison, owner of the Atlanta-based Tokyo Valentino adult retail store enterprise.

“This clothing company is much more than the name implies,” said Lisa Sims, a resident of East Cobb for more than 20 years, during the commissioners’ public comment session.

Like others who spoke, she said an adult store on Johnson Ferry Road would be too close to a school (Mt. Bethel Elementary School), a major church (Johnson Ferry Baptist Church) and a number of residential areas, and it’s the type of business that’s incompatible with the East Cobb community.

Michael Morrison, the owner of the Tokyo Valentine enterprise, told East Cobb News he has not been planning to open a store in East Cobb, although he’s listed in the 1290 Clothing Co. business formation documents in January as the organizer authorizer.

His businesses include an adult retail store on Cobb Parkway at Frey’s Gin Road in the city of Marietta.

His main store, on Cheshire Bridge Road at Piedmont Road in Midtown Atlanta, has been the subject of repeated efforts by the city of Atlanta to force him to close. It’s open 24/7 and has video booths and private rooms and a daily admission charge of $20 and up.

His five other stores, including the Marietta location, sell adult books and DVDs, sex toys and accessories, smoking accessories, lingerie and related items.

Related story

Hill Wright, another East Cobb resident who addressed commissioners, claimed “there are multiple grounds for invalidating a business license,” including listing an applicant as a “strawman” as he alleged Tokyo Valentino has done with the Johnson Ferry store.

In responding to what he said were several hundred messages from constituents, Commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb said Monday that the business as proposed meets all zoning requirements.

He said citizens can organize, referring to a We Buy Gold store on Lower Roswell Road several years ago that eventually closed due to a lack of business after community opposition.

In her remarks, Sims said Morrison is “a master of navigating zoning loopholes—look at the city of Atlanta”—and if an adult store would be allowed in East Cobb “it will spread like the Coronavirus.”

Neither Ott nor the other commissioners addressed the topic during the meeting.

East Cobb News asked Ott after the meeting if the county had any recourse in invalidating a business license and he said “I’m not sure about that.  Best to check with the County Attorney.”

Sims, who lives two miles from the Johnson Ferry store, told East Cobb News after Tuesday’s meeting she thinks “the unethical or perhaps illegal way the business license was applied for should be investigated.”

She said “for me, IF the store opens, I’ll be picketing out front. . . .

“I suspect our Commissioners will regret not doing more should this business open . . . as they’ll have a mess on their hands.”

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Cobb Commissioners OK small business grants, rental relief

After some discussion Tuesday morning, the Cobb Board of Commissioners approved using more than $50 million of federal COVID-19 stimulus funds to help small businesses and low-income renters facing evictions.Cobb small business grants

The proposals by Commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb were later approved at the board’s regular business meeting Tuesday afternoon.

In the case of the small business grants, a total of $50 million will be earmarked to help businesses retain employees and meet other expenses to stay open.

The proposal would limit eligible business to those with 100 employees or less and stipulated that they must own or lease commercial property for their operations in Cobb County.

But commissioner Lisa Cupid of South Cobb got her colleagues to agree to expand the criteria to those who have home-based businesses.

She also wanted to cap the number of eligible business with up to 20 employees.

Select Cobb, the development arm of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, will oversee the selection of the businesses to get the grants. Starting next Monday, more information will be available on its website about the application and eligibility process.

Select Cobb and commissioners will appoint an independent committee representing a variety of industries and business sectors to choose the grant recipients.

An equitable number of businesses will be chosen from the four commission districts, and they will be eligible for funding as follows:

  • 1 to 10 employees – up to $20,000;
  • 11 to 50 employees – up to $30,000;
  • 51 to 100 employees – up to $40,000.

Select Cobb will receive $500,000 in stimulus funding to oversee the selection and distribution process.

Also Tuesday, commissioners approved spending $1.5 million of the federal stimulus funds to help tenants work out agreements with landlords for back rent in order to avoid eviction.

Star-C, an Atlanta non-profit with offices in Cobb County, will administer that funding. Under the plan, low-income apartment dwellers facing evictions would receive a “scholarship” of up to 70 percent of their overdue payment total. The remaining 20 percent would be paid by the tenant and the landlord would be asked to pay the remaining 10 percent and waive the late fee.

Cobb County has received $132 million in funding from the federal CARES Act, and earlier this month approved spending $1 million to reimburse Cobb non-profits who’ve been providing emergency food supplies.

Also on Tuesday, commissioners designated several categories to spend the rest of the money, and these are subject to change.

  • Disaster Relief/County Preparedness
  • Economic Development/Business Loans
  • Emergency Food Program
  • Emergency Shelter Program
  • School Assistance Programs
  • Job Training
  • County Contingency

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East Cobb author’s book included in ‘Authors Adopt Heroes’ program

Submitted information:Lance Lo Russo

Author Lance J. LoRusso announces that Hunting of Men, the first book in his Blue Mystery book series featuring detective Johnny Till has been included in the Authors Adopt Heroes program established by author Penny Reid. In this program authors of various genres are connected with medical professionals who are interested in the genre the author writes in and the author sends the medical professionals copies of their book. LoRusso was selected as an author for the mystery genre and donated copies of Hunting of Men to medical professionals who expressed interest in mystery books. The program was designed to honor the medical professionals in the frontline battling the coronavirus.

“The men and women who are treating coronavirus are true heroes and heroines putting their lives in the line daily,” said Lance J. LoRusso. “I salute them. I hope that Hunting of Men brings some enjoyment and escape from what they are dealing with when they receive the copies, I contributed.  

“I am honored to have been included in Authors Adopt Heroes Program,” continued LoRusso. “I believe it is an excellent way for authors to support the heroes and heroines in this pandemic war.”Hunting of Men cover

In Hunting of Men, LoRusso draws upon his diverse law enforcement background that saw him work the street, serve as a trainer, hostage negotiator, and an investigator. The book launches the career of central character, Johnny Till who will be the key character in all the Blue Mystery books. The book’s title, Hunting of Men, is drawn from Ernest Hemingway’s quote, “There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.” The mystery in Hunting of Men focuses upon a cold case murder.  

Johnny Till is a force to be reckoned with as a new homicide detective for the Lawler County Police Department. As tradition demands, on his first day on the job, Till pulls a cold case file to investigate. The file in question is one that has haunted the department and community for years: the cold-blooded murder of Officer Michael Dunlap, gunned down in the black of night some twenty years earlier.

Now, in order to solve the murder and heal the victims left behind, Till must reopen old wounds and retrace the final days of Dunlap’s life. The journey will lead him down a rabbit hole to a darker, more sinister conspiracy, one that threatens to steal the lives of children around the world. In order to close this cold case, Till must not only come into his new role as a homicide detective, but face his own fears to truly become a hunter of men.

Parallax, written to provide engaging as well as accurate entertainment, is a series of fictional stories based on the harsh realities faced by law enforcement officers in the performance of their duties and stories recounted to LoRusso by officers over the years.  Peacemaking was LoRusso’s first entry into the world of fiction, follows the journey of a police officer, Scotty Painter, in the aftermath of a shooting.

 

LoRusso is a former police officer who is principal of the LoRusso Law Firm on Powers Ferry Road. He is the legal counsel for the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police and attorney for the Cobb County FOP Lodge 13 as well as a lawyer for law enforcement officers.

He is the founder of the Cobb County Public Safety Foundation, which advocates for better pay and support for county public safety personnel.

More on his books can be found here.

 

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Empty East Cobb retail building subject of sex shop concerns

East Cobb sex shop
Commercially-zoned property with a building that housed a Mattress Firm store at 1290 Johnson Ferry Road was purchased in February for $1.55 million (ECN photo)

A vacant retail building located in the heart of East Cobb has a new owner and is being renovated for a new use.

What that use may end up being has been the subject of a flurry of social media chatter in recent days about whether a sex shop is on the way.

Specifically, the subject of that speculation is that a new location of Atlanta-based Tokyo Valentino—with five adult retail stores in the metro area, including the city of Marietta—is replacing the former Mattress Firm store at 1290 Johnson Ferry Road, across from Merchant’s Walk. 

Cobb County business license records and a pending building permit application indicate plans for a retail store at that address called 1290 Clothing Co.

That business also has registered as a corporation with the Georgia Secretary of State’s office as 1290 Clothing, LLC, and lists the same registered agent as Cheshire Bridge Holdings, LLC, the parent company of Tokyo Valentino.

Michael Morrison, the Tokyo Valentino owner who has battled the city of Atlanta and other local jurisdictions for years over his businesses, is named in the 1290 Clothing Co. business formation documents as organizer and authorizer.

But he denied he is opening a new store in East Cobb.

In a public statement issued Monday, Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott said he has received more than 500 messages from citizens about the subject, and said there is nothing the county can do if a sex shop is coming to that building on Johnson Ferry Road.  

The half-acre on which it sits is zoned general commercial, the broadest of the commercial zoning categories in Cobb County, and includes most kinds of retail shops.

“Unfortunately, due to the zoning already in place on the property dating back to the late 70s, it appears that the retail shop meets all county code requirements,” Ott said in his message. “The U.S. Constitution doesn’t allow a county to come in and arbitrarily change existing zoning and/or add stipulations.”

He also said that contrary to some of the citizens’ queries he’s received, the matter will not come before the Cobb Board of Commissioners during its Tuesday regular meeting.

“That is not true,” Ott said. “There is nothing on the agenda tomorrow related to this store.”

A new business license was granted by the Cobb Community Development Agency on March 11 for 1290 Clothing Co., at 1290 Johnson Ferry Road, to an applicant named Tomika Hugley.

According to Cobb building permit records, an application for a renovation at that same address was filed on May 14 by Pembroke Real Estate Partners, LLC, in Miami.

That’s the company listed in Cobb Tax Assessors Office records as the Feb. 4 buyer of 0.53 acres and a building with 5,444 square feet at 1290 Johnson Ferry Road, for $1.55 million.

Building permit records indicate the renovation project is described as a “move-in only” for the tenant “1290 Clothing Co.” but no inspection has been conducted.

1290 Johnson Ferry Road map

When contacted by East Cobb News Friday about whether he’s opening a store in East Cobb, Morrison said, “I have no idea what you are referring to.”

He said that “any applications that we submit for future stores have my name on them” and noted his store in Marietta, and that he was not involved with the 1290 Clothing Co. enterprise.

According to a Georgia Secretary of State’s business filing, 1290 Clothing Co. LLC  was registered on Jan. 21, 2020. The filing names Michael Morrison as the 1290 Clothing Co. organizer and authorizer, with an Atlanta residential address located off LaVista Road in DeKalb County.

East Cobb News has been unable to reach Hugley or Rebecca Crider, the registered agent for the new store on Johnson Ferry Road. Crider also is the registered agent for other Tokyo Valentino businesses, including the Marietta store, according to the Secretary of State’s office.

Many of the social media comments about the new Johnson Ferry Road store have come on a Facebook group, East Cobb Moms Exchange. East Cobb News has been contacted by some members of the group and other citizens, but none could provide further information. 

An online petition urging readers to contact Ott has received more than 1,000 signatures.

In 1998, the city of Atlanta first tried to shut down Morrison’s original store on Cheshire Bridge Road, which opened in 1995 and was called Inserection, because of its video booths, massage rooms and private bedrooms.

In 2014, Morrison—who served two-and-a-half years in prison for federal income tax invasion in the mid-2000s—rebranded his business Tokyo Valentino and opened new locations.

In 2019, the city of Atlanta again tried to shut down his Cheshire Bridge Road businessLast summer a federal appeals court in Atlanta ruled in favor of Morrison in his challenge to the city’s injunction against his business. 

Last year Morrison opened a store in Sandy Springs, also in an abandoned mattress store building, initially saying it would be a dancer clothing store under a different name.

The city claimed the store violated its merchandising code by having more than a quarter of its square footage space devoted to adult merchandise sales. 

Morrison, who also has had legal disputes with Brookhaven over his Stardust adult retail store, eventually complied in December by adding non-adult items at the Sandy Springs store, now called Tokyo Valentino.

There are two other Tokyo Valentino stores, on Northside Drive in Buckhead and on Pleasant Hill Road in Gwinnett County.

Ott said his staff visited the Tokyo Valentino store in Marietta, at 345 South Cobb Parkway, and said it’s strictly a retail store, unlike what’s on Cheshire Bridge Road. 

The Marietta location sells adult lingerie, sex toys, body art and jewelry, books and DVDs, smoking accessories and novelty gifts and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Tokyo Valentino Marietta
The Tokyo Valentino store in Marietta is located at Cobb Parkway and Frey’s Gin Road, across from the Marietta Diner. (ECN photo)

Pembroke Real Estate Partners, the new owner of the 1290 Johnson Ferry Road property, is a registered corporation in Florida, and whose principal is listed as Frank Koretsky. 

According to his personal website, Koretsky has added real estate investing and philanthropy to his business interests.

He has sold consumer electronics and video tapes and built up two adult video distribution companies, International Video Distribution and East Coast News, which “now exist as the largest entities in their respective industries.” 

Koretsky also is a holder in adult lingerie and sex toy businesses.

On Monday Ott reminded East Cobb residents of community opposition to a We Buy Gold store on Lower Roswell Road near Johnson Ferry Road several years ago. 

“There was a large outcry about that store coming to East Cobb,” he said. “Then, like now, there wasn’t anything the county could do because it met all the code requirements. That store is now an ice cream shop in large part because in a very short period it became obvious to the owners that the people weren’t interested in having that business in their community.”

 

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East Cobb senior salute: Raegan Keane-Dawes, Pope High School

Raegan Keane-Dawes, Pope High School, East Cobb senior

With just a couple of AP classes to complete before she could officially become a Pope High School graduate, senior Raegan Keane-Dawes wasn’t sure at first whether she’d continue on with her classes or take the grade she had when campuses closed on March 13.

She chose to pursue the former, and was glad she did.

“My grades went up,” said Keane-Dawes, who was taking statistics and environmental science classes.

As a senior, she was only on the Pope campus for a couple hours a day, having taken dual enrollment courses at Chattahoochee Tech for the last two years.Raegan Keane-Dawes, Pope High School, East Cobb senior

But she still missed the student camaraderie, especially with cancelled senior class events leading up to what would have been graduation this week.

“It’s been weird, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be,” she said. 

“It’s just the thought that we’re all leaving, and leaving like this.”

She said she and her classmates stay in touch, but “the hardest part” is not being able to enjoy the traditional interactions that come with being a senior. 

What was already a surreal experience of not seeing her friends and taking part in high school rituals took an encouraging turn on May 13, when she turned 18.

There was a family event planned, but Keane-Dawes also got to enjoy friends showing up by car for a surprise birthday drive-up in her neighborhood. 

During her days at Pope, Keane-Dawes took part in the Interact Club and the French Club, and she participated in club volleyball and soccer.

She’s taking her enthusiasm for sports to Mercer University, where she plans to major in sports marketing and analytics, and is eyeing the possibility of becoming a sports agent. 

Keane-Dawes said distance-learning was challenging, and not just because of the subject matter. 

“It was tough, but it was manageable,” she said. “But I don’t think I learned as much.”

As she leaves Pope, Keane-Dawes said she’s especially grateful for her teachers, many of whom she finally got to see this week at the school’s graduation drive-through, waving and shouting encouragement.

“I never had a bad teacher experience with any of them,” she said.

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Cobb tax assessments mailed out this week after COVID delay

5090 Hampton Lakes Drive, East Cobb Real Estate

Submitted information by Cobb County Government:

Delayed by the coronavirus, the 2020 Assessments will soon hit mailboxes countywide.

The Board of Tax Assessors will mail Assessment notices May 21. All owners of taxable real property will receive an assessment notice. The notice will display the Fair Market Value and the Assessed Value that will be used on their 2020 tax bill. The Fair Market Value will reflect the value of the property as of January 1, 2020.

Inquiries can be made by calling 770-528-3100 or by emailing cobbtaxassessor@cobbcounty.org.

As a safety precaution, the Tax Assessors are allowing appeals to be submitted via email for 2020. Appeals will be accepted at assessorappeals@cobbcounty.org.

All sales information can be obtained on the Assessors website at www.cobbassessor.org.

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East Cobb restaurant update: Seed and Drift reopening May 27

Seed Kitchen & Bar

Next Wednesday two of the three East Cobb restaurants run by Doug Turbush—Seed Kitchen and Bar at Merchant’s Walk and the Drift Fish House and Oyster Bar at The Avenue—will be reopening, but not their dining rooms.

Seed, Drift and the Stem Wine Bar adjacent to Seed have been closed entirely since March 17.

In a message issued Friday, Turbush said Seed and Drift will reopen with limited hours, from Wednesday-Sunday from 5-9 p.m., and with only takeout/pickup/delivery service available.

There are new takeout menus that have been prepared, including some offerings from Stem, with appetizers and family meals that can be ordered. A statement issued by Turbush’s publicists didn’t indicate when dining room service would resume, but he did say this:

“We have been working diligently to reopen in a way that is both safe and responsible and in the best interest of our employees, guests and community. Our entire team appreciates the support we’ve received over the last two months, and we can’t wait to be back in the kitchen and serving guests in our neighborhood again.” 

Diners can call ahead starting at 12 noon at Seed at 678-214-6888 and at Drift at 770-635-7641. Delivery is available via DoorDash.

 

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