September 2021

Cobb Diaper Day to be held virtually with October collections

September 23, 2021 12:29 PMSeptember 23, 2021 9:23 AM by Wendy Parker

Cobb Diaper Day

Submitted information and photo:

The Cobb Diaper Day Committee announces that it is holding its 13th Annual Diaper Day virtually, due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual community-wide effort to collect diapers for low-income families is occurring throughout September and October. All diaper donations will be given to the Cobb Douglas Public Health Teen Pregnancy Program, Communities in Schools of Georgia in Marietta/Cobb County, LiveSafe Resources, MUST Ministries, Ser Familia, Simple Needs GA, South Cobb United, Sweetwater Mission and The Center for Family Resources for distribution to help ease some of the burdens of the thousands of families in critical need.

Organizations, companies and individuals are encouraged to donate to the Barbara Hickey Children’s Fund (managed by Cobb Community Foundation), purchase diapers through their Amazon Wish-list and hold diaper drives, especially during Diaper Need Awareness Week, being held September 27 – October 3, 2021. Also, community-wide collection dates are October 13 from 8 am to 4 pm and October 27 from 4 pm to 6 pm at Cobb EMC Solar Flower Garden in Marietta, Georgia.

Through the efforts of the Cobb Diaper Day Committee, founded by the late Barbara Hickey, more than have been donated to assist low-income families in Cobb County. The goal this year is to donate more than 100,000 diapers.

Low-income families often have the daily stress of choosing between food and diapers. Prolonged wearing of a wet diaper causes diaper rash, and a crying baby leads to more stress in the home. Low-income families also face the facts that:

Food stamps do not include hygiene products, such as diapers.

On average, the cost to purchase diapers is approximately $100/month.

Daycare centers require parents to provide their own diapers.

Barbara Hickey reminded us all that, oftentimes, it is the little things in our lives that make the biggest difference, when she envisioned the community coming together to support local families in need.

Donations are being accepted online at www.cobbdiaperday.com.

Scene in East Cobb: An autumn-like feel as fall begins

September 22, 2021 6:27 PM by Wendy Parker

first day fall East Cobb

An after-school kickabout at East Cobb Park on Wednesday afternoon took place not only on the Autumnal Equinox—the first day of fall—but also on the first sunny day in a while.

After another bout of sustained rain in September, the local forecast calls for cooler, drier and sunny weather as the calendar switches to October.

High temperatures are expected into the 70s for the rest of the week, and into the low 80s next week.

Evenings will also be cooler, with low temperatures forecast in the 50s for the next week or so.

The humidity also is starting to fade, and it was under 60 percent later Wednesday afternoon, very pleasant for outdoor activities.

There’s also no rain in the extended forecast, as the area starts to dry out.

East Cobb Food Scores: Flying Biscuit; J. Christopher’s; more

September 23, 2021 7:02 PMSeptember 22, 2021 2:03 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Flying Biscuit opening

The following food scores for the week of Sept. 20 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Boston Market
2014 Powers Ferry Road
September 23, 2021 Score: 88, Grade: B

Flying Biscuit Cafe
4880 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 70
September 22, 2021 Score: 96, Grade: A

J. Christopher’s
1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 113-114
September 20, 2021 Score: 99, Grade: A

Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant
3101 Roswell Road, Suite 104
September 20, 2021 Score: 90, Grade: A

Mzizi Coffee Roaster
2995 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 220
September 22, 2021 Score: 88, Grade: B

Rio Steakhouse and Bakery
1275 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 230
September 20, 2021 Score: 76, Grade: C

Cobb District Attorney’s Office welcomes comfort dog ‘Rose’

September 22, 2021 2:22 PMSeptember 22, 2021 11:12 AM by Wendy Parker

Cobb District Attorney comfort dog — *Rose made her first public appearance Saturday at Noonday Creek Trail in to support men and women in alcohol and substance abuse recovery.*

Submitted information:

Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady, Jr. announces that Rose, a three-year old black Labrador retriever, will join the office as a support resource for victims and staff.

The District Attorney’s Office was inspired to acquire a comfort dog for the office by the efforts of the Northeast Cobb Business Association’s 5K-9 event. Ultimately, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with the Pups with a Purpose program donated Rose to the office. Pups with Purpose is a program which matches Forsyth County Jail inmates with volunteer citizen dog trainers and Forsyth County Animal Shelter dogs. As the inmates receive social and job skills, the shelter dogs receive a second chance at finding a home. Rose received specialized training from Scot Rucker with Rucker Dog Training, which has prepared her to assist victims of crime in court.

“When exposed to a comfort dog, the disclosure rate for kids went from 30% to 68-70%,” Sheriff Ron Freeman said. “We’ve seen first-hand how crime victims who are under such stress and strain, introduced to the dog and can see their emotions taper down before they sit in a court room.”

The DA’s Victim Witness Unit has been working hard to bring this resource to Cobb County. “The level of stress and anxiety that victims of domestic violence experience is drastically reduced with the introduction of assistance animals.” Kimberly McCoy, Director of the Victim Witness Unit, said. “It’s been a long process, but we are excited.”

“Child victims will have the opportunity to have Rose there to calm them down and assure them that they are in a safe place so they can tell their story and not feel afraid of what happens if they tell it,” DA Broady said.

Wheeler HS robotics lab funding on Cobb school board agenda

September 22, 2021 2:11 PMSeptember 22, 2021 8:03 AM by Wendy Parker

The Cobb Board of Education on Thursday will be asked to consider spending nearly $378,000 to convert an unused theater on the Wheeler High School campus for a robotics lab.

The matter will be up for discussion at a 2:30 p.m. work session, with action scheduled for a 7 p.m. voting meeting Thursday.

Both meetings will take place at the Cobb County School District central office (514 Glover St., Marietta), and you can read through the agendas by clicking here.

The meetings also will be live-streamed on the district’s BoxCast channel and on CobbEdTV, Comcast Channel 24.

An executive session will take place between the two public meetings.

The agenda item for the Wheeler robotics lab calls for completion of the project by March 2022.

It’s part of a continuing effort to establish robotics programs in all Cobb County School District high schools. The funding would come from current Ed-SPLOST V funds.

As East Cobb News reported Monday, several Jewish groups in metro Atlanta have called on the school board to publicly condemn anti-Semitism after swastika and “Heil Hitler” graffiti was found on bathroom walls at Pope and Lassiter high schools in East Cobb.

But there’s not an item on the board agenda to discuss the matter. Chairman Randy Scamihorn told us while he condemns the incidents, he wants ongoing school-level investigations to be played out.

Some of those Jewish groups and individuals have organized an online petition and are expected to speak to the incidents during the public comment periods at Thursday’s meetings.

A traveling party from Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb is organizing an appearance for the evening meeting “to call out the board’s inadequate response to the recent acts of anti-Semitism at two of its schools and to ask for the reinstatement of anti-hate educational programming to help prevent more in the future,” according to a social media posting for the synagogue.

“Please bring signs. Anti-Semitism has no place in our schools!”

Ebenezer Road rezoning case delayed by Cobb commissioners

September 21, 2021 5:48 PM by Wendy Parker

Ebenezer Road rezoning case hold

A proposal to build a 92-home development on Ebenezer Road is being delayed by the Cobb Board of Commissioners, which voted Tuesday to hold the application for 30 days.

The 5-0 vote came at the behest of Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb, who asked a group of nearby residents to form a committee to work with the developer and county staff on traffic, density, design and stormwater issues.

Pulte Homes had initially proposed 99 homes on nearly 50 acres on the west side of Ebenezer between Maybreeze and Blackwell roads. Last week the developer submitted a new site plan with a reduced number of units and the R-15 residential zoning category.

That would include building in a stormwater runoff area near a lack at the back of the property and which has concerned residents on Catalina Circle.

One of them, Veronica Lilley, said she and her neighbors have endured runoff issues for years, especially after the Blackwell Chase subdivision was built in the 1990s.

“Water is the great destroyer,” she said, adding that at a Sept. 11 meeting with the developer, issues she wanted to raise were denied. “We are in danger of being washed away.”

One of the main issues is that the county can’t manage a retention pond that isn’t on a county road—the streets proposed by Pulte would be private.

Another concern is traffic, and specifically coordinating a new proposed entrance for the subdivision with Maybreeze Road.

While the East Cobb Civic Association spoke in support of the proposal with some conditions, other nearby residents are still opposed.

They include John Stuetzer, who said that while the R-15 category and no variances are acceptable, 92 homes is too dense. He suggested no more than 85 homes with a minimum size of 3,000 square feet.

He and Lilley were asked to serve on the committee by Birrell, who told Rod Hosack, the former Cobb County Manager representing Pulte, that she thinks “a lot of this can be worked out.”

New traffic concerns delay East Cobb Church rezoning case

September 21, 2021 5:40 PMSeptember 21, 2021 11:36 AM by Wendy Parker

Another site plan, another set of new issues have been raised for the East Cobb Church mixed-use rezoning case in the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford corridor.

A few days after attorneys for North Point Ministries submitted major changes to their proposal, the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted yet again to hold the case.

By a 4-0 vote, commissioners approved a 30-day hold on what’s become a contentious matter stretching since late 2020.

Traffic, stormwater and density issues have prompted the greatest concerns from nearby residents, who renewed their concerns in a packed board room Tuesday.

A total of 56 people turned out in favor of the request, and 46 were in opposition, according to a hand count conducted before the hearing.

The latest site plan (our previous post here) would cut off public access to Waterfront Drive at Johnson Ferry Road at the southern end of the 33-acre assemblage, where planned single-family detached homes and townhomes would go.

North Point’s plans would be to sell off 19 of those acres to Ashwood Atlanta, a local residential developer, with the East Cobb Church and proposed new retail space taking up the rest of the development.

But nearby residents protested that the road closure needs to go through a public hearing process, and that public safety and emergency access to their neighborhoods would be affected.

East Cobb Church rezoning delay — *A new site plan would allow Waterfront Drive access at Johnson Ferry Road (red star) to the new housing development only.*

“The people who are being most impacted aren’t being listened to,” said Ruth Michels of the MarLanta neighborhood, who has been leading the opposition for several months.

Commissioner Jerica Richardson, whose District 2 includes the “JOSH” area, asked Amy Diaz of Cobb DOT if her agency has had time to study the proposed closure of Waterfront Drive, which connects Johnson Ferry with MarLanta and other subdivisions.

“We’ve had it for less than a week and haven’t had time for a review,” Diaz said.

That was enough for commissioners JoAnn Birrell and Monique Sheffield to support a second consecutive hold, after Richardson could not get enough support in August to approve the rezoning.

“I’m concerned about access to services for people who live on that road,” said Sheffield, of District 4 in South Cobb. “There need to be other ways to mitigate cut-through traffic.”

North Point attorney Kevin Moore said the closure was being proposed after getting feedback that some MarLanta residents wanted to be the only ones using Waterfront Road access.

“That’s not what a public road is for,” said Moore, who said continued cut-through use of that road would “serve to harm our project more than benefit it.”

He said sufficient access to those neighborhoods exist via Shallwford and Lassiter roads.

Earlier in the hearing, Moore upset residents in attendance when he described opponents of the rezoning as “clanging symbols and loud gongs that signify nothing.”

North Point had proposed 71 townhomes and 59 single-family detached homes in the RA-6 housing category—with more than 20 acres to be sold to Ashwood Atlanta, a residential developer.

But now the request is for 51 single-family detached homes and 44 townhomes under RA-5.

That would be on 19 units and the density of the homes would be reduced to 4.98 units an acre.

Michels called that “a disingenous calculation,” because a flood plain study required the Federal Emergency Management Agency would not take place until after a rezoning, and that the figure includes land where R-20 residences on Waterfront Circle would remain.

Moore said that if FEMA determined a flood plain exists, the developer would reduce the number of units to cap density at 4.98 units an acre.

But Chris Lindstrom of the East Cobb Civic Association said that while the project’s density is being reduced, the intensity would be increasing, including nearly 25,000 square feet of proposed retail that didn’t exist in previous site plans.

She also cited more than 100 variances for the civic group’s opposition.

Moore said the variances were necessary because they’re required for the single-family detached homes.

Richardson’s motion to hold the case includes provisions that include connectivity to the nearby neighborhoods from Waterfront Drive and downstream impacts from stormwater.

Chairwoman Lisa Cupid recused herself from the vote, citing a family member who attends a North Point church. She left the room while the case was being discussed and turned the gavel over to Sheffield, the vice chairwoman.

Cobb Emergency office launches tool for Sept. 8 storm damage

September 21, 2021 9:34 AM by Wendy Parker

Cobb heavy rains flooding

From Cobb County Government:

Reports of damaged homes and property continue to come into Cobb Emergency Management from last week’s torrential rainfall event. EMA continues to respond to reports, but now there is a tool to allow you to report damaged property directly to our emergency management teams.

Use this link to access the form: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/df351313bcb549ccac57f15cfc4a6808?portalUrl=https://CobbCountyGA.maps.arcgis.com

Important things to remember:

This is only a reporting tool for the flooding event of September 8th.

If you have already spoken with a Cobb Emergency Management team please do not fill out another report.

This is only to report damage to “essential living spaces.” There were many reports of damage to yards, however, this report focuses only on residences.

The form will ask for a “Team Number/Name,” simply choose “other.”

Type in the address on the “Map Your Location” image

A picture representative of the damage is preferred.

The information gathered will be used for a report to GEMA after which any disaster declaration will be considered. If such a declaration is issued, we will contact those impacted.

Jewish groups ask Cobb school board to condemn anti-Semitism

September 20, 2021 2:22 PMSeptember 20, 2021 1:25 PM by Wendy Parker

*Cobb school board chairman Randy Scamihorn*

As we reported over the weekend, the chairman of the Cobb Board of Education appeared at a Yom Kippur service in East Cobb last week following two anti-Semitic incidents at nearby high schools.

When East Cobb News spoke with Randy Scamihorn, who was invited to the high holy day service at Temple Kol Emeth by Rabbi Larry Sernovitz, we asked if he was considering asking the school board to issue a statement about the discoveries of swastikas and “Heil Hitler” scrawlings at Pope and Lassiter high schools.

Leadership teams at the individual schools are conducting investigations.

Scamihorn condemned the attacks, saying those who committed them are “woefully ignorant of what the swastika means.”

As chairman he could bring an item to Thursday’s school board meeting agendas unilaterally, but said in our interview Friday that “at this time, I’m going to let the investigations play out.”

Other board members need the vote of a majority of the board to add agenda items, following a late 2020 policy change.

Board members also are prohibited from offering public comments during their meetings on any subject. A policy change was made in 2019 that’s part of ongoing conflict among the seven-member body, typically along partisan lines.

On Sunday, Kol Emeth and other Jewish organizations in metro Atlanta launched an online petition that’s already surpassed 1,700 signatures out of a targeted 2,500:

“We are asking the Cobb County School Board and its associated schools to recognize and condemn all forms of antisemitism that occur on campus and to allow school principals the authority to condemn these acts and offer programming to proactively educate the student body and community about antisemitism and to prevent further occurrences.”

The groups include the Atlanta Initiative Against Anti-Semitism, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and other metro Atlanta synagogues.

Sernovitz and other Jewish leaders have been critical of the Cobb school district’s response, saying a message by Pope principal Thomas Flugum didn’t specify that they were anti-Semitic incidents.

The Cobb school district issued a response that didn’t make a reference to anti-Semitism but only to “hate speech” and urged “families to talk to their students about the impacts of inappropriate and dangerous trends circulating on social media.”

In a statement issued Monday, Lauren Menis, a co-founder of the Atlanta Alliance Against Anti-Semitism said the following:

“In refusing to call out the hate by name, as antisemitism, the Cobb County School Board is sending a clear message that these acts of hate are not significant. This is a teachable moment, and we need to seize it. By not naming it and not allowing anti-hate educational programming to address this in their schools, the schools have denied a valuable opportunity to help students learn from these events. Downplaying hate is unacceptable. We will hold Cobb County’s school board accountable. Their silence is unacceptable.”

The Cobb school board is delaying its September meetings—a work session at 2:30 p.m. and a business meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday—by a week in observance of Yom Kippur.

That schedule change was announced last Monday, after the Pope incident. On Wednesday, Lassiter school officials announced a similar incident had taken place.

Also on Monday, the Democratic House Leadership Caucus of the Georgia legislature issued a statement condemning the Pope and Lassiter incidents, including David Wilkerson and Erica Thomas of South Cobb.

Democrat Jon Ossoff, Georgia’s first Jewish U.S. senator, also condemned the Cobb incidents in a Yom Kippur appearance at a Sandy Springs synagogue.

The Pope PTSA organization is planning a Nov. 20 event in response to the anti-Semitic incident there that will include a campus cleanup project as well as assemblies involving faith leaders from local Jewish, Catholic and Episcopalian congregations.

Flash flood watch including Cobb extended to Monday evening

September 20, 2021 12:46 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb flash flood watch

A flash flood watch that began Sunday morning for northwest Georgia and that was to have ended Monday morning has been extended until 8 p.m. today.

The National Weather Service extended the watch for 22 counties, including Cobb County, as rain continues to fall, mostly between 1-2 inches but up to 3 inches in some areas.

The local forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of rain Monday afternoon, falling to 60 percent Monday night and all through Tuesday. There is a 70 percent chance of rain Wednesday, with partly cloudy skies emerging Wednesday night.

Thursday is expected to be sunny and clear, and the weather is forecast to stay that way into the middle of next week.

The Avenue East Cobb launches Fall Fest, other new events

September 20, 2021 9:36 AM by Wendy Parker

The Avenue East Cobb Fall Fest

Earlier this month we posted news about a fall comedy series that’s underway at The Avenue East Cobb, now managed by North American Properties, the Avalon developer and redeveloper of Colony Square and Atlantic Station.

NAP’s plans at The Avenue call for an expansion of public events, and they’ve released further details, including several other first-time events.

That includes the inaugural Fall Fest, on Saturday, Oct. 9 from 3-6 p.m. Family friendly activities, culinary delights, live music, and a cornhole tournament hosted by CornholeATL are part of the festivities, and NAP says more details are coming soon.

On Thursday is the first Ladies’ Night Out with details below, along with other seasonal events that have been lined up:

Avenue Active:

Every Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. in September and October, wellness enthusiasts can experience barre classes led by onsite fitness studio barre3. Instructors will lead a full-body workout that combines strength conditioning, cardio and mindfulness, designed to leave attendees feeling balanced and empowered. Guests are encouraged to bring their own mats and to grab an Active Avenue punch card upon checking-in. For every class attended, guests will receive a punch on their card, which can be redeemed for exclusive branded items for every four classes attended.

Comedy Live at The Avenue:

Start your month off with big laughs during Comedy Live at The Avenue, happening the first Monday of the month now through November. From 7 to 8 p.m., attendees can unwind during live performances from Punchline Comedy Club, while enjoying beverages available for purchase from onsite restaurant Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar. The next Comedy Live at The Avenue will be hosted on October 4. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the show. Shows are recommended for ages 13 and older.

In addition to seasonal events, The Avenue East Cobb will host its first-ever Ladies Night Out on Thursday, September 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. The event invites women to indulge in an evening full of shopping, beauty, entertainment, giveaways and more. Upon arrival, attendees should check-in at the pop-up Concierge station, located at the Central Boulevard, to receive a stroll map highlighting all available offers from participating retailers and restaurants, such as Ann Taylor, Injectables Express, KSquared Artistan Boutique, and Stockyard Burger and Bones. The first 50 ladies to check-in will receive a swag bag.

All events will be hosted in the Central Boulevard between Kale Me Crazy and Banana Republic. For more information on upcoming happenings at The Avenue East Cobb, visit: https://www.avenueeastcobb.com/events/

All events are complimentary and open to the public to attend.

“We’re excited to bring new adventures to East Cobb and look forward to creating a new community hub where familiar faces gather to shop, eat and socialize,” said Sara Hemmer, director of marketing at NAP, in a statement.

ECBA Quarterly Breakfast guest is Cobb Police commander

September 20, 2021 6:56 AM by Wendy Parker

Maj. Brian Batterton, commander of Cobb Police Precinct 4 in East Cobb, is the featured speaker at the East Cobb Business Association Quarterly Breakfast on Tuesday, Sept. 28. Cobb Police Maj. Brian Batterton, Precinct 4 Commander

The event takes place from 7:30-9 a.m. at J. Christopher’s at the Pavilions at East Lake (2100 Roswell Road, Suite 2115).

The cost in advance is $15 for ECBA members and $20 for visitors and includes a full breakfast. The cost at the door is $20 for members and $20 for visitors.

The registration link can be found here, and here’s Batterton’s bio info, courtesy of ECBA:

Major Brian Batterton has served with the Cobb County Police Department since 1995. Throughout his career, he has served in the Uniform Patrol Bureau both as an officer and as a supervisor, the Criminal Investigations Unit, the Training Unit, the Chief’s Office as an Adjutant and Legal Officer, and the Training Center Commander.

Batterton has also served in both the Alabama and Georgia National Guard. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University and a Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School in Atlanta, Georgia. He is currently a member of the State Bar of Georgia.

Response to anti-Semitic East Cobb school incidents: ‘A lesson in solidarity’

September 18, 2021 2:59 PM by Wendy Parker

*Rabbi Larry Sernovitz, Temple Kol Emeth*

Instead of presiding over Cobb Board of Education meetings Thursday, chairman Randy Scamihorn was attending a Yom Kippur service in East Cobb.

He had received an invitation from Rabbi Larry Sernovitz after anti-Semitic graffiti was found on bathroom walls at Pope High School last week.

As Scamihorn was asked to hold the Torah at the Temple Kol Emeth synagogue on the holiest of Jewish holy days, another investigation was underway for a similar incident at Lassiter High School earlier this week.

“Like many non-Jews, I am woefully inadequate in my knowledge of the Jewish religion,” Scamihorn said Friday in an interview with East Cobb News.

“I saw it as an opportunity to enhance my education.”

He said he was pleasantly surprised not just at the invitation to attend, but to take a leading part in one of the most meaningful aspects of the Yom Kippur observance.

Sernovitz and others in the local Jewish community are pushing for that receptiveness to spread throughout the community, and in particular the Cobb County School District.

After the Pope incident, the school board postponed Thursday’s scheduled monthly meetings for another week due to Yom Kippur.

But Sernovitz and other Jewish leaders said the district’s response has been inadequate. In a letter to the Pope community, principal Thomas Flugum didn’t specify the anti-Semitic nature of the graffiti, which included swastikas and “Hail Hitler” written above urinals.

Similar scrawling took place in a boys bathroom at Lassiter, where principal Chris Richie was specific, and further denounced the “deplorable symbols and language.”

Later, the Cobb school district issued a response that didn’t make a reference to anti-Semitism but only to “hate speech” and urged “families to talk to their students about the impacts of inappropriate and dangerous trends circulating on social media.”

The incidents took place apparently as part of a stunt on the Tik Tok social media app in which students vandalize school property and boast about it.

The “devious licks” challenge is being addressed by the social media company, but other reports of anti-Semitic incidents are unknown.

The Pope PTSA organization is planning a Nov. 20 event in response to the anti-Semitic attack that will include a campus cleanup project as well as assemblies involving faith leaders from local Jewish, Catholic and Episcopalian congregations.

It’s called “Team Up to Clean Up: Building Relationships through Service,” and details will be forthcoming, said Kelley Jimison, a Pope parent who’s leading the organizing effort.

“I see it as an opportunity to teach our students lifelong lessons,” she said. “What matters to me is that we have a chance to turn this around and make positive change out of this.”

Jimison stressed that what happened at Pope involved only a small number of students on a campus of around 2,000 students.

What she calls “a lesson in solidarity” is already taking place, as Pope students and staff produced the video below this week.

At an earlier Yom Kippur service on Thursday. Sernovitz addressed a congregant who’s soon to be Bar Mitzvahed and applauded him for being “proud of his Judaism” as he attends school.

“We’re proud of the education that you gave to your fellow students,” said Sernovitz, who also thanked parents for “staying strong and raising your kids in the face of indignity.”

Sernovitz was traveling this weekend and could not be reached for comment.

The Cobb school board will be meeting next Thursday, at which public commenters are expected to address the anti-Semitic incidents.

In speaking with East Cobb News, Scamihorn was reluctant to say whether he may bring forward an item condemning the attacks.

As chairman he can do that unilaterally, but said that “at this time, I’m going to let the investigations play out.”

Those responsible for the incidents, he said, are “woefully ignorant of what the swastika means.”

Board vice chairman David Banks, whose Post 5 in East Cobb includes the Pope and Lassiter attendance zones, also condemned the incidents, saying it’s “disappointing that we have students who would do something like that.”

What they did, Banks said, “has no Christian values.”

But he said the district processes for investigating alleged student misbehavior need to be followed, and that he’s not sure of all the details.

“We’re not going to hash it out in public,” Banks added, saying that by doing so it might become a national story. “It’s a local issue. Let the schools take care of it.”

Pope HS swastikas

Major changes to East Cobb Church, Ebenezer Road rezoning plans

September 18, 2021 8:14 PMSeptember 18, 2021 12:47 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Church rezoning site plan — *For a larger view of the latest North Point Ministries/East Cobb Church site plan, **click here**.*

Some last-minute changes to the North Point Ministries/East Cobb Church rezoning case and for a rezoning request on Ebenezer Road have been filed ahead of Tuesday’s hearing before the Cobb Board of Commissioners, and they’re substantial.

In the case of the former, North Point Ministries has filed a new site plan (above) for the 33-acre assembly at the southwest corner of Johnson Ferry and Shallowford roads that responds to concerns over density and traffic.

In particular, the number of residential units has been cut from 130 to 95 overall, more retail space has been added, and traffic access from the MarLanta subdivision via the existing Waterfront Drive to Johnson Ferry Road has been removed.

North Point had proposed 71 townhomes and 59 single-family detached homes in the RA-5 housing category—with more than 20 acres to be sold to Ashwood Atlanta, a residential developer.

But now the request is for 51 single-family detached homes and 44 townhomes under RA-5.

That would be on 19 units and the density of the homes would be reduced to 4.98 units an acre, according to a stipulation letter submitted Tuesday by Kevin Moore, North Point’s attorney.

The townhomes that were to have bordered Johnson Ferry Road have been removed, and nearly 25,000 square feet of retail under NRC (neighborhood retail commercial) and parking have been proposed for 3.78 acres of that stretch.

The church plans haven’t changed—around 130,000 square feet and a parking deck on 10 acres zoned LRO (low-rise office), and plans for a linear community park also remain intact.

District 2 commissioner Jerica Richardson asked to hold the case last month when she couldn’t get a majority support for a motion to approve.

A full final analysis by the Cobb zoning staff of the revised North Point application can be found by clicking here.

Z-31 Ebenezer Road site plan 9.15.21 — *For a larger view of the Pulte Homes/Ebenezer Road rezoning, **click here**.*

On Sept. 7, the Cobb Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the Ebenezer Road case, which also has faced opposition from nearby residents for density and stormwater reasons.

But since then, Pulte Homes has filed an update to its proposal for 99 single-family homes on 50 acres on the west side of Ebenezer, between Maybreeze and Blackwell roads.

Pulte had initially applied for R-15 OSC, a residential category with an open space community provision, meaning that not all of the land can be developed.

On Wednesday, Pulte representative Rod Hosack—the former Cobb County Manager—filed a new site plan and stipulation letter requesting a simple R-15 category for 92 units, including some that will be developed in a stormwater management area.

A lake and green space that had been set aside on the property also has been removed from the revised site plan.

The final staff analysis can be found here.

As we noted on Friday, the format of the zoning hearing on Tuesday has been changed to accommodate public interest in these two and other cases and to meet county COVID-19 protocols for social distancing.

The North Point case will be heard in a morning session that starts at 9 a.m.; the Ebenezer Road case is slated for an afternoon session.

The full agenda can be found here; if you’re planning to be in attendance (second floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta) you will be required to wear a mask.

The zoning hearing also will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.

Cobb chairwoman extends emergency declaration to Oct. 17

September 18, 2021 11:35 AMSeptember 18, 2021 9:51 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted by Cobb County government:

Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid signed an extension to the Declaration of Emergency concerning the COVID pandemic in Cobb County, extending it through October 17, 2021.

The declaration will keep the county’s Emergency Operations Plan in place, which allows a smoother transition of resources between the county and partner organizations. The declaration continues to encourage preventative measures to combat COVID, and a new measure in the declaration will allow some public meetings or portions of meetings to be held remotely. Cobb County has instituted a mask mandate in its buildings as well as social distancing occupancy limits in meeting rooms.

“Although recent reports from Public Health have the case rate for COVID in Cobb slightly declining, we are still more than seven times the level of what is considered the high transmission of COVID,” said Chairwoman Cupid. “We continue to need to have the ability to move resources quickly and provide ways for people to participate in our county government activities in a safe manner.”

To download the declaration, please visit https://www.cobbcounty.org/communications/news/chairwoman-extends-covid-declaration-emergency

Aloha to Aging postpones ‘Generation Generation’ Expo

September 18, 2021 11:31 AMSeptember 18, 2021 7:25 AM by Wendy Parker

The East Cobb-based Aloha to Aging non-profit was to have held its first “Generation to Generation” Expo this Sunday, but due to the weather forecast is postponing it to Sunday, Oct. 17.

The same venue still applies, Covenant Presbyterian Church (2880 Canton Road), from 2-6 p.m., with the same slate of activities as noted in the flyer below.

Aloha to Aging Generation to Generation Expo

COVID cases falling in Cobb schools, but Dickerson MS reports outbreak

September 17, 2021 8:14 PMSeptember 17, 2021 7:42 PM by Wendy Parker

Dickerson MS

The Cobb County School District on Friday said there are 576 active cases of COVID-19 among staff and students, and that the figure reflects a steep decline since a late August peak.

However, a new outbreak has been reported at another school in East Cobb.

In its weekly case notification report, the district said Friday that there have been 4,978 cases since July 1.

This week, the school with the highest number of active cases is at Dickerson Middle School, which has 38.

It’s the only middle school in double figures in cases this week, and Dickerson has reported 62 of its 75 total cases since July 1 over the last three weeks.

At Addison Elementary School in Northeast Cobb, there are 13 active cases this week, down from 32 a week ago and 11 at Rocky Mount ES, which reported 24 a week ago.

Timber Ridge ES in East Cobb reported 10 cases this week, but there was only one other elementary school in the district in double figures.

For 10 days last month the entire 5th grade at East Side Elementary School went to remote learning due to an outbreak in which there were 46 active cases at one point.

The district released a school-by-school weekly report on Friday showing how those numbers have been falling in most places (you can read through it by clicking here).

The district said case rates have dropped 44 percent since Aug. 27 and are down 90 percent at 103 of the 114 schools.

“For those schools which have not yet seen drops, we expect similar declines as COVID-19 spread also declines in those areas of the Cobb community,” said Superintendent Chris Ragsdale in the release.

Last week he was the only member of the Cobb Board of Health who did not vote for a statement urging universal masking in schools, per the latest CDC guidance.

Instead, Ragsdale abstained, saying the statement was not sent to him before a virtual meeting. He also said the Cobb school district was following all other CDC-recommended protocols.

Cobb has a masks-optional policy and is one of the few school districts in metro Atlanta not to require face coverings.

In Friday’s release, Ragsdale didn’t mention masks, but said the following:

“Our commitment to our staff, students, and parents will continue focusing on data-based approaches, balancing our commitments to continuing to provide Cobb County’s students with an internationally competitive education, ensuring a safe instructional environment for our staff and students, and preserving the overwhelming preference of our community for a choice of in-person learning.”

Cobb 2021 SAT scores: Big jump at Wheeler; Walton tops county

September 17, 2021 7:12 PMSeptember 17, 2021 2:25 PM by Wendy Parker

Wheeler name change town hall

The average mean Scholastic and Aptitude Test score for Wheeler seniors in the Class of 2021 jumped by 73 points from last year, the biggest increase among the 16 high schools in the Cobb County School District.

The district released scores on Friday, showing Wheeler’s average score at 1,233, just behind Walton High School at 1,275, which once again led the district. Pope High School was third at 1,205.

At Kell High School, the average score was 1,076, at Lassiter it was 1,176 and at Sprayberry it was 1,104.

In a news release, the district said Cobb students taking the SAT in 2021 averaged a score of 1,50 points (out of a possible 1,600), 43 points higher than a year ago.

Walton’s SAT score was tied for third-highest in Georgia, and Wheeler was in the top 10.

The statewide average this year is 1,077, and the national average is 1,038.

The Cobb school district said this year’s score is higher than other large school districts in Georgia.

The Georgia Department of Education released district and school-level data, including average scores by subject, that you can view here.

The Cobb score for evidence-based reading and the writing section was 581 out of a maximum of 800, 17 points higher than 2020. In math, Cobb students scored a 568 out of a maximum 800, a jump of 24 points.

For Lease sign goes up at East Cobb Tokyo Valentino store

September 17, 2021 1:48 PMSeptember 17, 2021 12:38 PM by Wendy Parker

Tokyo Valentino for lease sign

A couple months after being temporarily shut down by a Cobb County judge, the Tokyo Valentino adult retail store on Johnson Ferry Road in East Cobb appears to be closed for good.

A For Lease sign has been posted in a front window, and East Cobb News has left a message with Tokyo Valentino’s attorney seeking further information and comment.

On July 19, Cobb Superior Court judge LaTain Kell ordered the store closed after a hearing in a legal dispute between Tokyo Valentino owner Michael Morrison and the county.

Cobb commissioners voted late last year to revoke the store’s business license, saying it misrepresented what kind of business would be going there when it received a business license in March 2020.

The county charged that Tokyo Valentino falsely applied to open a clothing store—calling itself the 1290 Clothing Co.—then featured an inventory mostly of sex toys after opening in June 2020 as Tokyo Valentino.

It was the fifth Tokyo Valentino location opened by Morrison, who has been embroiled with other jurisdictions in metro Atlanta over his various adult businesses.

After his store opened in East Cobb, Cobb commissioners overhauled the county code governing adult businesses.

Tokyo Valentino filed a federal lawsuit against the county, but that was dismissed in May.

Kell’s order was to enjoin Tokyo Valentino from doing business while the legal wrangling continued, and was not a permanent closure.

In August, Tokyo Valentino attorney Cary Wiggins made an emergency appeal for Kell to stay that injunction, but the judge declined.

Cobb officials said during the hearing before Kell that Tokyo Valentino had not applied for a general business license for 2021 or for an adult oriented business license, something that’s now required under the revised ordinance.

The new ordinance also permits adult businesses only in office-industrial zoning categories. The Tokyo Valentino store, which was formerly a mattress store, has been in a standalone building zoned for general commercial use and didn’t need to get county approval before opening.

Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt told East Cobb News that Tokyo Valentino’s appeal of the county’s attempt to permanently revoke its business license “is still underway.”

Cobb Police said that last fall, the Tokyo Valentino store was robbed by a burglar whom they allege stole more than $21,000 of lingerie, sex enhancement pills, CBD products, sex toys and gift cards.

A suspect was arrested in June and is facing numerous burglary and related charges for what police said was an extensive crime spree in Cobb from last September to March of this year.

Cobb zoning hearing schedule changed for social-distancing

September 18, 2021 8:31 PMSeptember 17, 2021 9:56 AM by Wendy Parker

Cobb commissioners public comments

Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners zoning hearing—which features the East Cobb Church and Ebenezer Road cases—will be conducted in two phases to accommodate public interest and to meet social-distancing protocols.

Cobb County Manager Jackie McMorris issued a mask mandate last month for anyone visiting indoor county facilities. Those attending the Tuesday zoning hearing will be required to wear masks.

The county also reverted to social-distancing protocols that were followed earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic and thus the capacity in the meeting room will be limited.

The morning session—which starts at 9 a.m.—will include East Cobb Church/North Point Ministries (Z-31, 2020) as well as consent agenda items, Z-28, Z-23, and Z-26 of 2021.

The afternoon session begins at an unspecified time and will include Z-31 (the Ebenezer Road case) as well as Z-40, OB-45, and OB-48.

The full agenda can be found here; there have been major changes submitted this week in the East Cobb Church and Ebenezer Road cases.

North Point Ministries’ application for a church, residential and retail at Johnson Ferry and Shallowford Road late last year has been delayed several times.

While there’s substantial community support, there’s also vocal opposition protesting the density of the proposed single-family homes and town homes, and related traffic issues.

Pulte Homes wants to build 99 homes on a 50-acre undeveloped tract on Ebenezer Road.

Both cases are holdovers from the August zoning calendar. In the case of North Point Ministries, District 2 commissioner Jerica Richardson asked for the delay when she couldn’t get a majority support for a motion to approve.

The five-woman board was down to four during its August hearing as chairwoman Lisa Cupid was absent due to a death in her family.

Earlier this month, the Cobb Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the Ebenezer Road case, which also has faced opposition from nearby residents for density and stormwater reasons.

Tuesday’s zoning hearing begins at 9 a.m. in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta, and will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.

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