October 2020

Nine Cobb elementary schools report confirmed COVID-19 cases

October 9, 2020 4:55 PMOctober 9, 2020 3:48 PM by Wendy Parker

At the end of the first week of classroom instruction in the Cobb County School District, nine of the 67 elementary schools have reported confirmed COVID-19 cases among students and staff.

At each of those nine schools, fewer than 10 cases have been reported, according to figures posted Friday on the CCSD website.

Five of the nine schools are in East Cobb, but more specific numbers for each school have not been disclosed.

The parents of roughly 60 percent of the district’s enrolled elementary students—or nearly 27,000 in all—chose what’s called the “face-to-face” option, after several weeks of all-online instruction to start the school year.

The schools that have reported confirmed cases to Cobb and Douglas Public Health include the following:

Blackwell ES in East Cobb
Eastvalley ES in East Cobb
Milford ES in Marietta
Nicholson ES in East Cobb
Nickajack ES in Smyrna
Pickett’s Mill ES in Acworth
Powers Ferry ES in East Cobb
Sanders ES in Austell
Shallowford Falls ES in East Cobb

The case totals are combined for students and staff throughout the district. Before this week’s classroom return for K-5 and special-education students, CCSD indicated that 287 students and staff had tested positive for COVID-19 since July 1.

That overall number, which is updated on Fridays, now stands at 324 cases, an increase of 37 during the first week of elementary school classes.

A Cobb school district spokesman said that no classes or schools have been shut down as a result of the confirmed cases.

The school-by-school case totals also will be updated every Friday, the spokesman said.

The district also will be posting school-by-school figures at the end of the first week of each phase of classroom reopening. Middle school students who have chosen to return to school will do so on Oct. 19, and the high school return date is Nov. 5.

The district explained that in accordance with student and health privacy laws, “the Georgia Department of Public Health recommends refraining from publicly publishing numbers of cases or quarantined students or staff that are less than 10 unless the number is 0.”

Cobb and Douglas Public health will “communicate confirmed cases to affected students/staff/ parents,” according to CCSD protocols.

Those guidelines also state that those who test positive “will isolate until 10 consecutive days have passed from their positive COVID-19 test and they are asymptomatic.”

Students who are quarantined are those who test positive, are suspected of having the virus due to symptoms or who are “in close contact with someone who has a suspected case for COVID-19 due to the presence of symptoms.”

The “close contact” definition is someone who is within six feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes, or who has had direct contact (hugging, etc.) with someone who’s infected, or who is sneezed or coughed upon by an infected person.

Quarantined students will continue remote learning until returning to school.

The district details those protocols in this FAQ and encourages parents to follow a daily well-being checklist before sending students to school. More health and safety information can be found here.

East Cobb resident named full-time Cobb Magistrate Court Judge

October 9, 2020 1:54 PM by Wendy Parker

Michael McLaughlin has been a part-time magistrate judge in Cobb County since 1985 while continuing a private law practice. Judge Michael McLaughlin, Cobb Magistrate Court

On Friday it was announced that he was one of two new full-time judges to the Cobb Magistrate Court. The other is Sonja Brown, a Kennesaw resident who has been a deputy chief assistant district attorney in DeKalb County.

They are replacing Kellie Hill, recently elected to Cobb Superior Court Judge, and Gerald Moore, who is retiring.

McLaughlin has lived in East Cobb for 30 years, and his new post begins in January. He was chosen after an open application and interview process and his appointment by Chief Magistrate Brendan Murphy was confirmed unanimously by Cobb Superior Court judges.

Here’s what Murphy said about McLaughin in a release issued by Cobb County government:

“Judge McLaughlin has been an important part of the Court’s firm foundation, and Judge-designate Brown’s experience will bring a fresh perspective to ensuring access to justice at the People’s Court. This is the hard-working and caring team our community needs, especially during this difficult time of pandemic and economic disruption.”

The Magistrate Court, commonly referred to as “the people’s court,” is open 24/7/365 and hears small claims matters, evictions, weddings and various pretrial court proceedings, including criminal arraignments and bond hearings.

McLaughlin is the longest-serving part-time magistrate judge in Cobb, and has worked under six chief magistrates. He is a member of the Cobb County Bar Association and the Council of Magistrate Court Judges. He has taught other judges through the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education and aspiring paralegals at Kennesaw State University.

He is a graduate of Florida State University and the John Marshall College of Law.

“To be able to serve as a full-time judge is truly the pinnacle of my legal career. I so appreciate Judge Murphy’s confidence in allowing me to serve in this capacity.”

McLaughlin and his wife Michelle have two grown children and attend Johnson Ferry Baptist Church and the Catholic Church of St. Ann.

Cobb Police holding ‘Faith and Blue’ weekend at county churches

October 9, 2020 1:21 PMOctober 9, 2020 9:15 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

The Cobb County Police Department is pleased to announce its participation in the annual National Faith & Blue Weekend on October 9-12, 2020. National Faith & Blue Weekend is a powerful, collaborative initiative that builds bridges and breaks biases to foster more actively engaged communities through activities and outreach amongst law enforcement professionals and the organizations they serve. Throughout the Faith & Blue Weekend, law enforcement agencies across the United States partner with faith-based institutions to host activities focused on strengthening the bond between communities and those protecting them.

The weekend events will consist of activities that will occur in a variety of communities, including Cobb County, and will include a wide array of activities such as picnics, athletic events, forums, and community service projects.

Visit https://faithandblue.org/ for additional information on the National Faith & Blue Weekend.

Friday, October 9, 2020

Shiloh Hills Baptist Church and Christian School (precinct 1)

260 Hawkins Store Rd NE, Kennesaw, GA 30144

8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Friday, October 9, 2020

St. Benedict’s Episcopal School (precinct 3)

2160 Cooper Lake Rd SE, Smyrna, GA 30080

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Friday, October 9, 2020

Burnt Hickory Baptist Church (precinct 5)

5145 Due West Rd NW, Powder Springs, GA 30127

7:00 p.m. – until

Saturday, October 10, 2020

Vision for Souls Church (precinct 2)

6519 Factory Shoals Rd SW, Mableton, GA 30126

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, October 10, 2020

Vinings United Methodist Church (precinct 3)

3101 Paces Mill Rd SE, Atlanta, GA 30339

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

For more information on Cobb County Police Department’s participation during National Faith & Blue Weekend, please contact:

Lieutenant D. Ballard: Damon.Ballard@cobbcounty.org.

Candidate profile: David Banks, Cobb school board Post 5

October 8, 2020 5:26 PMOctober 8, 2020 4:45 PM by Wendy Parker

David Banks, Cobb school board candidate

He’s become a frequent target of criticism from political opponents and some school parents, but veteran Cobb Board of Education member David Banks has proven difficult to dislodge.

The Republican who represents Post 5 (the Pope and Lassiter clusters plus part of the Walton and Wheeler attendance zones) defeated two primary opponents without a runoff in June as he seeks a fourth term.

A retired computer and technology consultant and business owner, Banks said that given the dramatic change that’s underway in a very different school year, retaining an experienced school board voice is important.

“I’ve been on the board long enough to know how to get things done,” Banks said, citing his push for a concert hall at Lassiter High School and support for expanding STEM instruction at the middle- and grade-school level.

Banks does not have a campaign website; here’s his school board biography page.

His opponent in the Nov. 3 general election, Democrat Julia Hurtado, said Cobb County has “outgrown” Banks in a number of respects, especially in response to growing calls for equity.

She’s calling for a more “inclusive” advocacy for the school board that oversees Georgia’s second-largest school district, which effectively has a majority-minority enrollment.

Banks said he’s not concerned he collected only 543 more votes in the primary than Hurtado in what’s been a strongly Republican area, and that he’ll soon send out campaign materials to identified Republican voters.

Banks is the board’s vice chairman this year, and opposed language in a proposed anti-racism resolution that acknowledged “systemic racism” within the Cobb County School District.

The board, which has four white Republicans and three black Democrats, couldn’t come to a consensus on any resolution after several tries this summer.

Banks said the Cobb school district doesn’t have the racial issues that two of his colleagues and others have alleged.

Those board members, first-term Democrats Charisse Davis of the Walton and Wheeler clusters and Jaha Howard of the Smyrna area, have pressed the Cobb school district to hire an equity officer.

Howard also has scrutinized district school disciplinary data along racial lines, and Davis supports changing the name of Wheeler High School, named after a Confederate Civil War general.

They would not support an anti-racism resolution without the “systemic racism” reference.

Banks said they “are trying to make race an issue where it has never been before. . . . I think they feel like they can get votes that way.”

Banks contends there are “black-on-black” racial problems in the south Cobb area, and that it’s really “a cultural thing. When 70 percent don’t have fathers in the house, that’s a problem.”

When asked if he could understand why some might consider those racist remarks, Banks said, “no, that’s not true. It’s more of a socioeconomic situation” that’s beyond the limits of what a school system can address.

In August, Banks came under fire for referring to COVID-19 as the “China virus” in his e-mail newsletter, including a parent in the Lassiter area.

Banks did not respond to a request for comment from East Cobb News before publication, and afterward sent a note saying those who criticized him are Democrats who “are racists and you carried their water.”

Hurtado also supports an equity officer position and school name changes at Walton and Wheeler. In an online advertisement, Banks claims that’s part of Hurtado’s “radical” and “left-wing agenda” and that “Democrat school candidates put our Community at GREAT Risk.”

Among those issues is Hurtado’s support of revisiting the Cobb school district’s senior property tax exemption. Banks, who takes the exemption that’s available for homeowners aged 62 and over, said he still pays for schools through sales taxes.

He advocates a local education sales tax (LEST) to provide additional revenues, and said changing the exemption would require a constitutional amendment.

“It’s not going to happen,” Banks said. “I don’t know a legislator who would commit political suicide.”

Banks also took issue with Hurtado’s claim that the Cobb school district could be doing more for special-education students.

He said the Cobb school district “has one of the best special-needs programs in the country and “we have allocated more money than a lot of other districts have.”

Banks also downplayed criticism that the school board is out of touch with parents and constituencies in the school district pining for change.

“I would prefer to concentrate on doing things to make the educational process better for all students,” he said.

Continuing the extension of STEM programs into grade schools is one of those priorities, as is addressing what could be an evolving learning environment.

Roughly 60 percent of Cobb elementary students returned to campuses this week while the rest are learning remotely. Middle school and high school students whose parents chose the classroom option will be coming back over the next three weeks.

“This has been a real learning curve,” said Banks, who commended the district’s handling of reopening. “It’s how we’re going to define education in the future.

“I think you’re going to have a hybrid [model], but we don’t yet really know what it’s going to look like.”

Banks said the most significant challenge for the Cobb school district in the long run is for it “not to become a school system like Atlanta, DeKalb and Clayton” that he says have declined due to “white flight.” He said he thinks similar trends are taking place in Gwinnett and Henry.

Banks said if Democrats gain control of the Cobb school board, among other priorities there would be an effort to force teachers to transfer to underperforming schools.

That’s another charge he has leveled at Hurtado, and Banks is unflinching in making that claim.

“I can back up everything I’ve said,” he said.

He chuckles at other criticism that he occasionally falls asleep during school board meetings.

“People like to make fun of that, and that’s okay,” he said. “I can take a picture of you and tell you the same thing.

“I don’t fall asleep. I’m wide awake.”

East Cobb Food Scores: Chick-fil-A Woodlawn; Olde Towne; more

October 9, 2020 4:24 PMOctober 8, 2020 2:05 PM by Wendy Parker

Chick Fil A Woodlawn, East Cobb food scores

The following East Cobb food scores from Oct. 5- have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Bells Ferry Elementary School
2600 Bells Ferry Road
October 6, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Chick-fil-A Woodlawn Square
1201 Johnson Ferry Road
October 8, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Minas Emporium
2555 Delk Road Suite B4
October 7, 2020 Score: 86, Grade: B

Olde Towne Athletic Club
4950 Olde Towne Parkway
October 6, 2020 Score: 95, Grade: A

Peace Love & Pizza
1050 E. Piedmont Road, Suite 154
October 8, 2020 Score: 79, Grade: C

Pizza Hut
1386 Roswell Road
October 8, 2020 Score: 94, Grade: A

Starbucks Coffee
1207 Johnson Ferry Road
October 6, 2020 Score: 92, Grade: A

Subway
2520 E. Piedmont Road Suite A
October 6, 2020 Score: 72, Grade: C

Zaxby’s
750 Johnson Ferry Road
October 8, 2020 Score: 89, Grade: B

Candidate profile: Julia Hurtado, Cobb school board Post 5

October 7, 2020 5:26 PM by Wendy Parker

Julia Hurtado, Cobb school board candidate

During her primary campaign in her first bid for public office, Julia Hurtado said she was encouraged by the level of engagement with parents and the various school communities that make up Post 5 on the Cobb Board of Education.

During an anxious summer with questions about how the school year would begin, Hurtado had plenty of uncertainties of her own.

“We had a lengthy family meeting,” said Hurtado, a physical therapist and mother of a Sedalia Park Elementary School student.

Her daughter was among those elementary students returning to school classroom learning this week as the Cobb County School District began a phased-in reopening of campuses.

“She misses her friends,” said Hurtado, the Democratic nominee who is facing three-term Republican incumbent David Banks in the Nov. 3 general election.

Hurtado defeated Lassiter PTSA co-president Tammy Andress in the June 9 primary, receiving only 543 fewer votes than Banks, who defeated two GOP contenders without a runoff.

Hurtado said while she was meeting parents and school families, she met “people who weren’t paying much attention to this race” who were eager to hear her thoughts on the school restart.

“It’s an all-consuming topic,” she said. “There has been a lot of fear of the unknown.”

Hurtado’s campaign website is here. East Cobb News has interviewed Banks and will publish his campaign profile shortly.

Post 5, which includes the Pope and Lassiter clusters and some of the Walton and Wheeler attendance zones, has long been considered strong Republican territory.

It’s one of three school board races in which Republican incumbents are facing Democratic challengers with party control of the seven-member board on the line.

Banks is the vice chairman of the four-member GOP majority, and Hurtado said that “I think that Cobb County has outgrown him. I’m the opposite of him.”

Hurtado said he’s getting by on name recognition and that “I have made it a point to have a campaign where everyone feels included.”

She understands she needs to appeal across party lines—her husband is a disaffected Republican—and has pledged what she calls a “platform of transparency.”

Hurtado said she was dismayed the school board didn’t have a special meeting this summer to discuss back-to-school options, as proposed by Democratic member Charisse Davis, who represents the Walton and Wheeler clusters.

“It was a wasted opportunity because we’re having so much engagement from our community now,” Hurtado said. “Some of it might be politics, but this is bigger than politics.”

As she outlined during her primary campaign, Hurtado supports greater efforts at equity in the Cobb County School District, and not just related to racial and cultural differences as Davis has advocated.

For Hurtado, that also includes special-education and other non-traditional students.

“Some of the things we’re doing well are isolated,” she said. “A student might be sent to a different school” that has a teacher or program to suit a particular student’s needs.

“We need to stop operating in silos,” said Hurtado, who has suggested that the district expand partnerships with community organizations suited to address those needs.

Hurtado said she supports a proposed anti-racism resolution that the school board couldn’t agree on—and that was split along partisan lines. She is one of four Democratic school board candidates to sign a resolution condemning racism.

Since the primary, online petitions have been created to rename Walton and Wheeler high schools, due to the racial backgrounds of their namesakes.

Hurtado supports those changes, and said as an example that as a Jew, she could understand students who might be uncomfortable going to a school named after a Confederate general.

In an online advertisement, Banks claims that’s part of what he calls Hurtado’s “radical” and “left-wing agenda” and that “Democrat school candidates put our Community at GREAT Risk.”

The YouTube video includes footage of Hurtado answering questions during an online candidates forum, including revisiting Cobb’s senior tax exemption.

Republicans on the board are sternly opposed to efforts by Davis and Jaha Howard, another first-term Democrat, to ponder the possibility of closing loopholes.

Hurtado said she doesn’t think it would hurt to examine the issue, and noted that she differs with Davis and Howard on some issues.

But she said she’s noticed a cultural shift in the county that also includes how educational matters are addressed.

“That’s not radical,” said Hurtado, who said she’s been talking to more Republican voters during her campaign. “I know I can work with anyone.”

The racial consciousness that’s been going on in the country since this summer, Hurtado said, demands a more proactive response from the school district.

“This is the moment that we’re in,” she said. “There’s a reckoning going on, and we have to prepare our children to better understand the world they’re growing up in.”

Kell varsity and junior varsity football games cancelled

October 8, 2020 1:58 PMOctober 7, 2020 3:49 PM by Wendy Parker

The varsity and junior varsity football teams for Kell High School will not be playing this week.

Charity Sinegal, the president of the Kell Touchdown Club, said in a message posted to a Facebook page on Wednesday that the games will not be played “in order to make certain all necessary precautions are being made to keep players, staff, and families safe.”

She didn’t specifically mention if the cancellations were related to COVID-19 and said practice will resume next Monday, Oct. 12.

A spokeswoman for Cobb and Douglas Public Health she could not confirm if there were COVID cases involved, citing health privacy laws. “If someone tests positive or is a close contact of someone that tests positive, they will be notified,” she said.

East Cobb News got the following statement from a Cobb County School District spokesman:

“The Kell-Kennesaw Mountain game was cancelled due to COVID protocols and contact tracing within the Kell program. Neither team has rescheduled with anyone at this time.”

This marks the second time this season that Kell’s varsity team has had a game cancelled. The Longhorns were to have played Hillgrove in September, but someone with the west Cobb school’s program tested positive for COVID-19.

Friday’s game against Kennesaw Mountain was to have been a league matchup in Region 6-AAAAAA. The Longhorns are 1-2 and are scheduled to play at home next Friday, Oct. 16, against South Cobb on Senior Night.

Wheeler’s football season opener against North Atlanta was cancelled in September when Atlanta Public Schools halted football activities for its high schools. Instead, the Wildcats played their first game at Marietta, losing to the defending Class 7A state champions.

The Cobb County School District has been updating COVID cases every Friday, and this week indicated that 287 students or staff members have tested positive since July 1. That includes anyone involved with sports and other extracurricular activities.

The high school football season in Georgia was delayed until mid-September, while athletes in volleyball, softball and cross country have been competing as scheduled.

On Friday, the Walton football team will play at Roswell, Pope is at South Cobb and Lassiter is at Wheeler. Sprayberry is idle.

Marietta Museum of History returns to pre-COVID operating hours

October 7, 2020 2:31 PMOctober 7, 2020 9:13 AM by Wendy Parker

Marietta History Museum hours

Submitted information:

In March of 2020, like so many other businesses, the Marietta Museum of History shut its doors to the public due to the ongoing public health crisis caused by Covid-19. The Museum reopened to the public in June 2020 with modified hours. We are pleased to announce that we will expanding our hours back to our original 10am till 4pm, Tuesday thru Saturday, beginning Tuesday, October 6, 2020. The Museum will remain closed on Mondays.

To maintain social distancing, the Museum will allow 4 “family units” but not exceed a total of 25 people in the Museum galleries at one time. The Museum will also accept tour groups of up to 10 people, with a prearranged reservation. The URL below can be used to visit the Museum’s website where a document will further detail the plans and procedures being implemented.

URL: https://www.mariettahistory.org/safety-at-the-museum

Sharing history has not stopped during this pandemic. The Museum staff understands that some individuals might not be comfortable visiting in person at this time, therefore they have been diligently creating new content for various social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. A follower favorite is History Loves Company, which is shown live on FaceBook Friday afternoons and features Museum staff giving tours of local history, locations, buildings and more! Past episodes of History Loves Company are available on the Museum’s YouTube channel.

The Marietta Museum of History is also dedicated to capturing what is currently happening in the community. The staff is collecting history related to the Covid-19 pandemic by gathering pictures, stories, and physical artifacts from Marietta and Cobb County to document this time for future generations. Below is link to a document where people can share stories, upload images, and let the Museum know about possible artifact donations.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfPw83PKWNZ8Ep76xCG7qA_hOwMibUaVo_8GpXdX3QblCdZ-Q/viewform?fbclid=IwAR2cK6P_ySys113js8WWO5_NSkO2Pv9XoTrElCfGdwae4hCCeTsqyPtw9CA

The Marietta Museum of History uses ordinary objects to tell the extraordinary stories of Marietta and Cobb County. Galleries and exhibits cover topics such as military history, home life throughout the centuries, technology, and local businesses from our past. Current temporary exhibits include, The Man with the Camera: Photographs by Raymond T. Burford, Made by Her Hands: The Beauty, Warmth and Stories of Local Quilting, and Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence.

Questions or want more info? Contact the Museum at 770-794-5710 or www.MariettaHistory.org.

Candidate profile: Fitz Johnson, Cobb Commission District 2

October 6, 2020 3:12 PM by Wendy Parker

Fitz Johnson, Cobb Commission candidate

After winning the Republican primary and runoff by a nose this summer, Fitz Johnson is facing a different challenge as he campaigns in the general election for the District 2 seat on the Cobb Board of Commissioners:

An energized Democratic electorate in the county that could yield historic gains in November.

Johnson, a retired Army officer, entrepreneur and civic leader with strong ties to Cobb establishment institutions, is facing political upstart Jerica Richardson.

Although she was unopposed in the Democratic primary, she received more votes (24,126) than the three Republican primary candidates combined (18,371).

Neither has been elected to public office before. Johnson ran for Georgia School Superintendent in 2014. Richardson is a first-time candidate who has worked on recent local Democratic campaigns, including that of Cobb school board member Jaha Howard, who’s been a firebrand in his two years in office.

Johnson, who serves on the board of the Wellstar Health System and is a trustee of Kennesaw State University, has been touting what he calls “experienced leadership” in the military, business and community service.

Here’s Johnson’s campaign website. Richardson has been contacted by East Cobb News seeking an interview.

The winner will succeed retiring three-term commissioner Bob Ott, a Republican who’s endorsed Johnson.

“The message is the same,” Johnson said. “The target is different.”

District 2 includes much of East Cobb as well as the Cumberland-Vinings area and part of Smyrna.

Johnson is touting an emphasis on public safety, traffic improvements, fiscal conservatism on taxes and spending and protecting neighborhoods.

As he did during the primary campaign, Johnson is stressing his opposition to East Cobb Cityhood, limiting high-density development and boosting salary and incentives for police officers and firefighters.

He said he’s best situated to attend to those ongoing matters, as well as possible budget challenges due to the economic fallout from COVID-19 closures, because of his background.

“What stands out is my experience compared to my opponent,” he said. “I worrying about me and running my own campaign, but when you stack it all up, I’m the clear choice.”

During the primary Johnson campaigned extensively in East Cobb, which was unfamiliar to him but traditionally has been strong Republican territory. He admits that the district is diverse, but the message he’s hearing from East Cobb voters is a desire to maintain a suburban atmosphere of single-family communities.

The county budget that began on Oct. 1 maintained the same property tax millage rate, but the longer-term financial implications could pose some unpalatable budget decisions in the future.

Johnson admitted that “while we’re in an unprecedented” time, he will never support a tax increase to address budget shortfalls.

“That’s a no-compromise issue,” Johnson said, acknowledging that some hard decisions will have to be made.

Also off-limits would be any interruption in continuing a step-and-grade compensation program for public safety employees begun last year by commissioners.

“I will make sure we don’t take a step back,” Johnson said, adding that he thinks commissioners have “done a good job” handling the immediate financial impact of COVID-related revenue drops.

The District 2 winner would become the second African-American on the board, and if current commissioner Lisa Cupid wins her race to become chairman, the five-member board would have a black majority.

Earlier this summer commissioners adopted an anti-racism resolution that caused some consternation, and they voted last month to create a new community diversity council.

Johnson said “this is a very good start they’ve put on the table,” in reference to the latter, whose members include citizen members chosen by commissioners.

Racial concerns and disparities won’t go away, he said, just by appointing people to serve. “What we need now is results. We’re not going to let this go.

“It’s important to the entire quality of life in Cobb County” to address racial and cultural disparities, he said.

“I don’t have a scorecard, but I feel I’m being treated well as an African-American in Cobb County,” Johnson said.

“But we’re not finished by any means,” in reference to making greater progress in racial relations. “We need to make it better so it doesn’t continue to be an issue.”

Johnson said while he’s working to get his based energized, he acknowledges a need for crossover votes from independents and what he calls “soft Democrats.”

An appeal to that kind of open-mindedness, he said, will be important as he seeks to fill “some very big shoes” being left behind by Ott.

“I believe there are many voters out there who willing to zig-zag down the ballot.”

Motorcyclist dies after Canton Road crashes with two cars

October 6, 2020 11:54 AM by Wendy Parker

Canton Road motorcyclist dies

A Kennesaw man died Monday night when he lost control of his motorcycle on Canton Road and crashed into two cars, according to Cobb Police.

Police said Patrick Penner, 32, was speeding while heading north on Canton Road near Chance Road around 8:32 p.m. Monday and lost control.

Cobb Police said in a release that his purple 2013 Honda CBR600 entered the center turn lane and struck a silver 2007 Honda Civic that was in the turn lane facing a southbound direction.

The motorcycle then entered the southbound lanes of Canton Road and hit black 2015 Honda Civic that was heading south, police said.

Police said Penner was pronounced dead at the scene. They said that Josie Lofasso, 21, of Marietta, and Amed Tentori, 27, of Marietta, the drivers of the cars hit by the motorcycle, did not require medical attention.

The incident is still being investigated and anyone with information is asked to call the Cobb County Police Department’s STEP unit at 770-499-3987.

The Art Place-Mountain View presents ‘Bard in the Yard’

October 5, 2020 2:57 PM by Wendy Parker

The Bard in the Yard The Art Place

Live performances at The Art Place-Mountain View have been halted since the COVID-19 closings in March, but this weekend there will be an outdoor production of a Shakespeare classic, with a modern twist for the times.

A retelling of “The Comedy of Errors” presented by the Mountain View Arts Alliance—the non-profit that helps sustains The Art Place—as “Bard in the Yard.”

Here’s the contemporary backdrop for the story:

The Syracuse Flu Pandemic has spread throughout the Mediterranean and all citizens are wearing face covering and distancing in 1920s Ephesus.

The Black and White movie scene is laced with laughter and fun in this family friendly production of The Comedy of Errors.

Two sets of twins, two Antipholuses and two Dromios are both wandering the city unknown to the other! The confusion is delightful!

OH—and there are PIES !

The productions are Friday-Saturday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. and Sunday 3-5. The cost is $10 for a group. Essentially, it’s a “pod” of up to four people who will be seated in a socially distanced manner on the lawn.

All staff and actors will be wearing masks, and guests will be required to wear them as well, except when seated at their pod.

There won’t be an intermission and concessions won’t be sold, but you can bring your own food and drink (alcohol prohibited).

More information and ticket ordering can be found here. The Art Place is at 3330 Sandy Plains Road.

In May, CenterStage North Theatre, which has staged live performances at The Art Place for years, cancelled its entire 2020 season, and said it would transfer any purchased tickets to the 2021 season:

“These are challenging and difficult times for many reasons, but we have confidence in the power of art and the resilience of the human spirit. We will keep a light on for our beloved theater and its celebration of our shared experiences. We eagerly await the moment when we can all be together again.”

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

Gritters Library opens for weekday curbside service

October 5, 2020 1:39 PMOctober 5, 2020 9:28 AM by Wendy Parker

The last library branch in East Cobb that had been fully closed since March opened on Monday for curbside service only. East Cobb Library

The inside of Gritters Library (880 Shaw Park Road) remains closed to the public, but patrons can order checkout materials as follows:

Monday: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday-Friday: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Mountain View Regional Library, East Cobb Library and the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center are open for limited purposes Monday-Friday and also have curbside pickup.

Per the Cobb County Public Library System, patrons seeking to pick up curbside should schedule an appointment at least an hour in advance.

The form for scheduling the curbside appointments and more details are available at www.cobbcat.org/libraryexpress.

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

More than 63% of East Cobb elementary students returning

October 4, 2020 1:44 PMOctober 3, 2020 2:09 PM by Wendy Parker

On Monday the Cobb County School District begins the first phase of opening campuses up for in-person instruction when K-5 and special education students resume classes.

Earlier this week we posted a school-by-school breakdown of who’s coming back, who’s staying remote and who hadn’t responded, and noting that 58.7 percent of elementary school students around the county would be coming back to campus.

In East Cobb, a little more than 63 percent of students enrolled in 20 elementary schools will be heading back to their schools.

According to CCSD figures, the parents of 8,797 students at those East Cobb grade schools have chosen the in-person option. That compares to 4,537 students, or 32 percent, who will continue remotely.

The parents of another 557 students, or four percent, had not provided a response as of earlier this week.

The figures are subject to change, but the choices parents have made are not. The decisions reported to the district near the end of September are good through the end of the fall semester, and the district anticipates remote learning remaining an option for the rest of the school year.

The figures don’t include special education students, who also can come back to school at K-12 levels.

Late this week the district produced a back-to-school video laying out what students, teachers and parents can expect, in terms of academics, safety and other protocols.

Students will be required to masks at all times, including on school buses, and the district announced guidelines last week that include possible disciplinary action for students who don’t follow them.

A positive COVID-19 case was reported at Kincaid Elementary School in East Cobb on March 11, and the district closed all schools “until further notice” on March 12.

The following day, Gov. Brian Kemp issued a shelter-in-place order, and on April 2, he closed all public schools in Georgia for the rest of the 2019-20 school year.

Cobb schools began the current school year online-only, and on Sept. 3 Superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced dates for classroom return.

Middle schools students can return starting Oct. 19, and the district data shows that 54.2 percent of those students will be coming back.

The high school return date is Nov. 5, and as of now 42.7 percent have indicated a choice of heading back to classrooms.

Ragsdale made his decision based on public health data reflecting the level of community spread, targeting a 14-day average of between 100 to 200 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people.

As of Friday, Cobb’s figures were 102 cases per 100,000, which is considered high community spread but the lowest that number has been since late June. That average was in the 400s in early August, at the start of the school year, and has gradually been falling.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health breaks down cases and deaths by ZIP Code (click hover map here), and here’s the latest for the East Cobb area:

30062: 1,335 cases; 21 deaths
30066: 1,202 cases; 22 deaths
30067: 1,179 cases, 11 deaths
30068: 659 cases, 30 deaths
30075: 115 cases, 2 deaths

According to the Cobb GIS office, which keeps county-related COVID data at this hub, 29 of those deaths have occurred at long-term care homes.

GIS also produces a hover map with those details and a swipe function that also shows the proximity of public schools in a ZIP code.

More than three-quarters of all COVID deaths in Cobb are people aged 70 and older, and school-age children have the fewest cases for people under the age of 60.

The latest figures show 1,828 cases for youths age 19 and younger. That includes 307 between the ages of 6-11, 257 between 12-14 and 984 between 15-18.

The two fatalities in Cobb involving someone under the age of 18 were a female and a one-year-old boy who died in late August with an underlying health issue.

The Cobb school district has been updating COVID cases every Friday, and this week indicated that 287 students or staff members have tested postive since July 1.

Salvation Army Marietta Women’s Auxiliary to hold annual coffee

October 3, 2020 11:49 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information: Marietta Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary

The Salvation Army’s Marietta Corps will host this year’s annual membership coffee of the metro area’s Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary on Thursday, October 8, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Any women who are interested in volunteering and learning more about how The Salvation Army and the Women’s Auxiliary work together “Doing The Most Good” throughout metro Atlanta are invited to this free event at the Marietta Corps, 202 S. Waterman St., Marietta.

For questions about the event, please contact Tonya Cheek at 404-578-2345. To RSVP, email Sheronda Anthony at sheronda.anthony@uss.salvationarmy.org.

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Daughter of Tommy Nobis appointed to Tommy Nobis Center board

October 3, 2020 11:36 AMOctober 3, 2020 7:28 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information and photo from the Tommy Nobis Center:

Tommy Nobis was an extraordinarily talented football player, but he was also an extraordinarily good man whose service off the field had an immeasurable impact on the lives of so many individuals with disabilities. When he was approached in 1977 to support a new vocational training and placement program for students with disabilities, he not only lent the strength of his name, but also passionately served on the board of directors for the next 40 years with the same tenacity he exhibited on the football field. His passion, support, and personal involvement until his death in 2017 helped change the lives of thousands of people with disabilities.

Tommy’s wife, Lynn, was also deeply involved and when Tommy’s health began to fail, she took a more active role and joined the Tommy Nobis Center Board of Directors. Carrying on Tommy’s legacy of service after his death became a very important and meaningful pursuit.

After seven years of service on the board and a lifetime of dedication to Tommy Nobis Center, Lynn is now passing the torch to her daughter Devon Jackoniski, who was recently appointed to the board.

Lynn said, “I am so proud of our daughter. She has great enthusiasm for the Center much like Tommy did and I am thrilled that she is following in her father’s footsteps.”

Devon is Director of Clinical Affairs for ModusOne Health and a busy mother of three. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from University of Georgia and a Bachelor’s Physician Assistant degree from Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine.

“We are extremely proud to welcome Devon to our board of directors. Her willingness to carry on her family’s legacy of service is inspiring and meaningful,” President & CEO, Dave Ward said. “She will bring the same tenacity and will to win that her father had.”

Having already served as chair of the Tommy Nobis Center Galaxy of Stars event, Devon will continue in that role again this year. She will carry on the strong Nobis family legacy of service through her incredible level of passion and dedication to the mission of Tommy Nobis Center.

Candidate profile: Lisa Cupid, Cobb Commission Chairwoman

October 2, 2020 4:26 PM by Wendy Parker

Lisa Cupid, Cobb Commission Chair candidate

In serving as the lone Democrat on the Cobb Board of Commissioners for the last eight years, Lisa Cupid has become accustomed to going against the political grain.

But says her decision to run countywide as the chair of the commission comes from a desire to unite citizens, groups and areas of the county that haven’t always felt properly represented on the county’s five-member governing board.

“I know I have the ability to bring people together,” said Cupid, who is challenging Republican incumbent Mike Boyce on the Nov. 3 general-election ballot. East Cobb News profiled Boyce earlier this week.

(Here’s Cupid’s campaign website.)

She was unopposed in the Democratic primary, and worked to support Monique Sheffield, who will succeed her in representing District 4 in South Cobb.

“We need a chair who’s going to move the entire county forward,” Cupid said. “I love the connections I’ve made in the community I serve, and this wasn’t something I was considering when the current chairman took office.”

But Cupid said while she has been an ally of Boyce on a number of votes, and has served as his vice chair, she doesn’t think the board as a whole has worked together like it could.

She said the county has historically fostered good partnerships with organizations and citizens in the community, “but that’s not something I see occurring” now.

A most recent example was her vote in September against the formation of the Council for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation, which Cupid said was done with little community input.

Another was her only opposing vote against the Atlanta Braves stadium deal in 2013, in which she also protested what she said was a rushed process.

Cupid says the board has suffered by not having had any full-fledged retreats since she took office. There have been some day-long meetings, but she said nothing expanding into a format in which commissioners sit down with elected officials from across the county.

“We’re just not building bridges and relationships,” Cupid said.

What’s changed most of all since Cupid won a second term in 2016, when Boyce ousted then-chairman Tim Lee, is the shifting political winds in Cobb County.

Democrats have been highly energized and are seeking all levels of public office, following countywide-wins by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race and Stacey Abrams in the 2018 governor’s race.

Democrats have made some inroads in Republican East Cobb, winning a school board seat and having a Democratic member of Congress for the first time in 40 years. For the second election in a row, there’s a Democrat running in every race for a seat representing East Cobb.

In the primary, Cupid received 90,446 votes to 45,257 for Boyce, who easily defeated two GOP opponents.

She has raised $161,000 in campaign contributions, and had more than $80,000 in cash on hand at the end of June, according to her latest financial disclosure report.

Boyce by comparison has raised around $102,000 overall for his re-election bid and had nearly $40,000 on hand shortly after the primary.

A native of the Detroit area, Cupid had ambitions of a career in the automotive industry, and came South to earn a mechanical engineering degree at Georgia Tech.

Instead, she stayed, receiving degrees in English, public administration and law from Georgia State University. She lived for a while in East Cobb while at Tech when her parents moved into a home of Johnson Ferry Road.

Cupid and her husband Craig have two sons who are home-schooled.

She said many of the issues she has been championing for her district resonate across the county, including affordable housing, land use, transit, public safety and economic development.

“We’re in such a unique time, and we need to have a strategic foundation as a board” in the county’s long-term response to the economic fallout from COVID-related closures. “We need to have a level of trust.”

Her philosophy on land use matters includes not only the traditional issues of density and traffic but also looking at individual projects “that can be transformational” in promoting the health, safety and welfare of citizens.

Those include incorporating quality-of-life amenities, affordability and transportation components that make sense in a given area.

While Cupid said District 4 area has “led the realm” in terms of affordability, “housing values don’t lend themselves to amenities” that are just as much of an attraction for homeowners.

“It’s an issue that resonates the same way across the county,” she said.

Cobb’s vote in 2019 to implement a step-and-grade salary and retention system for public safety employees “is one of the most significant measures we’ve put into place,” and Cupid said “it’s a very important step forward.”

She’s an advocate of community-policing initiatives, and has worked to include home-based business owners in the county’s CARES Act relief grant program.

A supporter of Boyce’s 2018 property tax increase, Cupid said hiking the millage rate again to address a possible COVID-related budget gap would be problematic.

“Our efforts are to keep the same level of service without adding to the monetary burden of citizens,” she said. “A lot of people are hurting right now.”

Cupid said she’s campaigning the same way in all areas of the county and tries to include local leaders when doing events in a particular community.

“I try to be consistent, because we all want the same things,” she said.

There hasn’t been a Democrat to serve as county commission chair since Ernest Barrett, who led Cobb into its initial phase of suburbanization from 1965-1984.

She also would be the first female and black head of the county government if elected. Her background “makes me sensitive to anyone who feels they don’t have a seat at the table.”

But Cupid said while she understands the symbolism of her campaign, that’s not why she’s running.

“I am more than that,” she said. “This could be an historic election, but I don’t want to get elected to make history.

“I want to get elected to make a difference.”

Cobb & Douglas Public Health urges public to get flu shots

October 2, 2020 1:33 PM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information from Cobb and Douglas Public Health about flu shots:

This season, a flu vaccine is more important than ever. Cobb and Douglas Public Health staff urges you to get an annual influenza vaccination to reduce the chance of getting the flu and spreading it to others during this critical COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the CDC, getting a flu vaccine is not only important because it protects yourself, your family and your community from flu, but a flu vaccine this season can also help reduce the burden on our healthcare systems responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To decrease the chance of getting the flu simultaneously with COVID-19, it is imperative that our community get vaccinated with the flu vaccine.

“We want everyone to be properly protected from the flu, so we are encouraging community members to either call us to make an appointment or to walk in to one of our convenient health center locations,” Priti Kolhe, CDPH district immunization director, said.

CDPH Immunization Clinic staff is offering annual flu vaccines to everyone six months and older at the Acworth, Marietta, Douglasville and Smyrna Public Health Center locations. CDPH staff is also offering onsite vaccinations to local businesses and community events for groups of 20 or more people.

Recommendations for Senior Patients: In addition to the flu vaccine, CDPH staff also recommends pneumonia shots for anyone over 65 years old, or anyone with a chronic illness or weakened immune system. Medicare pays for the flu and pneumonia vaccines. The shingles vaccine is also recommended for anyone over 50 years of age.

For more information about the flu vaccine or to schedule an appointment, call 770-514-2300 or visit cobbanddouglaspublichealth.org.

Cobb Public Safety Week observations include Chamber honors

October 2, 2020 10:39 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

As part of the 20th annual Public Safety Appreciation Week (Oct. 5-11), the Cobb Chamber will honor Cobb County’s finest during a special recognition program at the Public Safety Appreciation luncheon event held at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre on October 5. The luncheon will kick off a weeklong effort to celebrate public safety personnel in Cobb County.

Preparations for the event began months in advance, with a nomination process for the Public Safety Employee of the Year Award, in addition to other awards, such as the Medal of Valor, Award of Merit, Distinguished Achievement Award and Outstanding Community Contribution Award. Residents, government officials, public safety agencies and business officials are given the opportunity to nominate public safety personnel for these honors. The 2020 Public Safety Appreciation Committee Chairman is Chief Bill Westenberger, with Kennesaw Police Department.

The Cobb Chamber would like to congratulate the following personnel and public safety units on their nomination for a public safety recognition award:

Individuals

Paramedic Malcolm Defleice, MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service

Lieutenant Michael Goins, Marietta Police Department

Shift Supervisor Christopher Hayes, Cobb County 911

Paramedic Michael Jordan, MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service

Engineer Ryan Knechtel, Smyrna Fire Department

Detective Brian Moon, Kennesaw Police Department

Firefighter Ron Presley, Marietta Fire Department

Deputy Sheriff Tyrone Reid, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office

Police Officer Matthew Smith, Kennesaw Police Department

Field Intelligence Officer Greg Stacy, Kennesaw State University Police Department

Training Manager Krista Tillman, Puckett EMS

Detective Evan Wallace, Acworth Police Department

Battalion Chief Stephen Westbrook, Smyrna Fire Department

Public Safety Units

Cobb Fire EMS Division, Cobb County Fire Department

Officers Quinius Lyles & Andrew Abernathy, Cobb County Police Department

CCPD Community Affairs Unit, Cobb County Police Department

KSU Office of Victim Services, Kennesaw State University DPS & University

Police Department

MPD Crime Interdiction Unit, Marietta Police Department

Officers Taylor Elliott, Robert Pfeiffer & Jake Prough, Smyrna Police Department

Award winners will be announced and celebrated at the October 5 Public Safety Appreciation luncheon. Sponsors include, Platinum Sponsors, Cobb EMC and Wellstar Health System; Award Sponsor, LoRusso Law Firm; Gold Sponsor, Genuine Parts Company; Silver Sponsors, C.W. Matthews Contracting, GLOCK, Governors Gun Club, Marietta Family Catering, Marietta Wrecker, MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service, Puckett EMS, Six Flags Over Georgia and Vinings Bank; and Patriot Sponsors, All Roof Solutions, E. Smith Heating & Air, Firehouse Subs, Gregory Doyle Calhoun & Rogers, LLC, Georgia Power, LGE Community Credit Union, Northside Hospital, T&T Uniforms, and Walton Communities Apartment Homes.

For more information on Public Safety Appreciation Week, visit cobbchamber.org/publicsafety, or contact Katie Guice at kguice@cobbchamber.org.

East Cobb Food Scores: East Cobb Tavern; Reveille Cafe; more

October 2, 2020 7:22 AM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Tavern

The following East Cobb food scores from Sept. 28-Oct. 2 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Arby’s
2161 Roswell Road
October 1, 2020 Score: 99, Grade: A

Clean Juice
1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 124
October 1, 2020 Score: 96, Grade: A

Delray Diner
2475 Delk Road
October 1, 2020 Score: 85, Grade: B

East Cobb Tavern
4401 Shallowford Road, Suite 138
October 1, 2020 Score: 87, Grade: B

El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant
2719 Canton Road
September 28, 2020 Score: 82, Grade: B

Fresh to Order
1333 Johnson Ferry Road
September 30, 2020 Score: 92, Grade: A

Marlow’s Tavern
1311 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 208
October 1, 2020 Score: 91, Grade: A

Planet Smoothie/Tasti D Lite
4805 Canton Road, Suite 300
September 29, 2020 Score: 83, Grade: B

Reveille Cafe
2960 Shallowford Road, Suite 114A
October 1, 2020 Score: 87, Grade: B

Vespucci’s Pizza & Pasta Tavern
4805 Canton Road, Suite 100
September 29, 2020 Score: 92, Grade: A

WZ Tavern East Cobb
3052 Shallowford Road, Suite 104
September 30, 2020 Score: 80, Grade: B

Sprayberry Crossing rezoning case continued to November

October 1, 2020 2:59 PM by Wendy Parker

Sprayberry Crossing rezoning

For the second time, the Sprayberry Crossing rezoning case is being continued.

Atlantic Realty Acquisitions LLC, an Atlanta-based apartment developer that is proposing a mixed-use project on the grounds of the downtrodden Sprayberry Crossing retail center, asked for the continuance until November.

The case, initially filed for the September zoning calendar, was to have been heard Tuesday by the Cobb Planning Commission.

(A summary of Tuesday’s meeting agenda can be found here.)

Another site plan is in the works for the Sprayberry Crossing project, which would include 61,500 square feet of office and retail space (30,000 for a major grocer), 178 apartments, 122 senior-living apartments and 50 townhomes on more than 17 acres.

The developer also wants to build an open-air entertainment and food hall and incorporate walking trails and greenspace around an existing family cemetery.

Atlantic Residential is seeking a rezoning category called redevelopment overlay district (ROD), for the first time since it became a category in 2006.

The ROD use allows for redevelopment of blighted properties, and specified that any development would not set a precedent for the surrounding area.

Residents in the Sprayberry Crossing area have organized to urge redevelopment for years, and have been working with Atlantic Residential, which conducted a Zoom town hall meeting in August.

But opponents have objected to the apartment units, saying they’re incompatible with a community that’s overwhelmingly made up of neighborhoods with single-family homes.

More recently, questions have arisen about whether apartments can be included in the Sprayberry Crossing project at all.

The minutes of the Cobb Board of Commissioners’ April 27, 2006 meeting reflect a 4-0 vote to include ROD stipulations specifically pertaining to the Sandy Plains/East Piedmont corridor in the county’s comprehensive land-use plan.

(You can read those here, on the last two pages).

Those stipulations include limiting residential development to no more than four units an acre, and to no more than 60 percent of a proposal’s land use.

The majority of the Sprayberry Crossing’s proposal is residential, and the 350 proposed living units on the 17-acre property would come to 20.5 units an acre.

In addition, the stipulations limit building height to 35 feet; the current Sprayberry Crossinng site plan calls for two five-story buildings that would exceed that height.

The only commissioner not to vote on those measures, ironically enough, was the late Tim Lee, then the District 3 representative for the Sandy Plains/East Piedmont area, and who later became the county chairman.

Tim Carini, leader of a Facebook group opposing apartments at Sprayberry Crossing, wrote in a letter to planning and county commissioners last month that those stipulations must stand, even though they were not included in the 2007 Comprehensive Plan.

He said that was an error since there wasn’t a vote by commissioners to remove the stipulations.

“The residents of this area worked diligently with the BOC in 2006 to create a smart plan for this area, much like the residents who worked with the BOC on the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford master plan recently,” Carini wrote in a letter dated Sept. 17, before the latest continuance was requested. “A vote approving ROD-1 will diminish the trust Cobb County residents have for their elected officials.”

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