Month: November 2022

Editor’s Note: Giving thanks to East Cobb News readers

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East Cobb Park
Your editor’s happy place: Enjoying the fall colors at East Cobb Park.

Over the summer I asked readers to complete a survey to help guide the coverage and direction of East Cobb News, and I was gratified that nearly 100 of you responded.

I’ve been meaning to share some of the results with you, but as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I thought I’d use the occasion to express my gratitude for your readership and your thoughts on this community news service.

First, a little bit of the data:

  • 56 percent of you access East Cobb News via our Sunday newsletter, which has been vital to our growth.
  • We now have more than 7,300 subscribers, and it’s been the single-biggest tool for expanding an audience that averages around 130,000 page views a month and nearly 70,000 monthly unique visitors.

That latter figure is telling because that’s roughly one-third of our coverage area.

  • Another 33 percent read East Cobb News directly from a web search, and 35 percent read on a mobile device.

When I asked what kinds of news readers like about what we provide, here were the top topics:

  • 84 percent government news
  • 76 percent restaurant/retail/business news
  • 72 percent features and community events
  • 72 percent crime/public safety
  • 68 percent politics
  • 54 percent school news
  • 54 percent religious news
  • 53 percent calendar listings.

Now, for some details on all this, including more of what you would like to see:

“Snapshot of this month’s festivals or major events around Georgia. Restaurant reviews or yelp summary, something curated to highlight top places to try.”

“Positive honoring inspiring stories.”

“I would like to see content reported with less bias. Also I would like to see content that reflects some actual reporting, rather than regurgitation of what some other publication has written/spoken.”

(Wish the last reader above would have specified examples of both of these points. As for the latter, East Cobb News broke or led coverage of East Cobb cityhood, the Tokyo Valentino adult store, the Mt. Bethel Church controversy and other topics that other outlets regularly followed.)

“Letters to editor, screened to provide balance and eliminate vitriol and ranting.”

“Development plans. Activities, classes, activities for seniors, groups to join, charities to contribute to by volunteering or donations. Local small business owners profiles. Environmental groups and developments. Highlight local recreational areas: nature center, parks, bikeways and associated activities.”

“I love what you are doing. I don’t need nor want anything else.”

“Less politics, unless it’s around an election.”

“Less news about Lisa Cupid.”

“If I had one piece of constructive feedback, it appears East Cobb News treads lightly when it comes to the Cobb County School District.”

“Concentrate on being the most authoritative and neutral source of truthful news. Stick to the facts and let the readers draw their opinions from the true facts. Don’t be a cheerleader for the Cobb County Commissioners.”

“Request readers submit stories, news, events they have first hand knowledge and involvement with! One or two interesting overviews! Ex. The day I met Neil Armstrong, my trip and who I met at the Masters!”

“Acknowledge varying points of view. Explain laws and ordinances, teach civics.”

“Perhaps consider a podcast?”

“More original content and photographs, not just repeating stories found in MDJ.”

“I’m glad you exist, MDJ doesn’t cover us and I can’t read their articles anyway.”

“You’ve become more balanced but still comes across as one sided politically.”

“I enjoy and appreciate East Cobb News. Please oh please, just don’t become partisan.”

“Continue to spotlight youth who are active in positive activities, especially helping others.”

“Tired of the biased community news outlets here in East Cobb. Seems the right leaning bullies rule everything here.”

“Appreciate your deep and objective coverage. Thank you.”

There are plenty more responses like this, and I value them all, even when they’re critical. There’s plenty of room for improvement and expanding the editorial product, and I will be taking all of this feedback into account.

The suggestions have been very helpful—a podcast is something I’ve had in mind and am seriously considering—and we’ll soon be publishing reader contributions and bringing on some freelance writers to help cover more news.

One thing that a number of readers in the survey said was that they wanted more stories about local small businesses, and we’ve done some of that recently and will be doing more in the coming weeks and months.

As I tell local business owners and advertisers, and those I’m trying to become advertisers, East Cobb News champions local news AND local businesses. They truly are the backbone of the community, especially because many of them give back to the community in amazing ways.

These were among my objectives when the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, and over these last two-plus years I’ve seen how much so many of you value what you read at East Cobb News.

That’s one of the silver linings that’s emerged from a very challenging time for all of us, and I’m thankful to all of you for sticking with us, getting in touch, pointing out corrections, providing news tips and suggesting ways to get better.

As I’ve mentioned before, the model I’m following is what another local independent online news publisher I admire calls “community-collaborative journalism.”

After decades in corporate media, I answer these days only to my community—to readers, businesses, organizations, entities and other individuals invested in this place we call home.

It’s been an interesting time in what’s not just a suburban bedroom community any more.

And it’s been an honor to have been able to do this for five and half years, and I’m thankful to all of you for reading and contributing your ideas.

As always, feel free to get in touch. I’d love to hear from you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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East Cobb MS Beta Club recognized by Atlanta Women’s Foundation

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East Cobb MS Beta Club honored
Members of the East Cobb Middle School Beta Club with actress Rita Moreno. Photo courtesy Atlanta Women’s Foundation

Members of the East Cobb Middle School Beta Club were honored this week by the Atlanta Women’s Foundation for their efforts to help launch a grant program to support girls in poverty.

The group provided a donation of $800 as the lead gift for All Girls Forward, whose goals include raising and distributing $2.5 million over the next five years.

The Numbers Too Big to Ignore luncheon event at the Georgia World Congress Center, drew more than 1,000 business, civic and political leaders, most of them women.

The East Cobb Middle School girls also got to meet actress Rita Moreno, who was the keynote speaker.

According to Kari Love, an East Cobb native who is the Atlanta Women’s Foundation’s CEO, the East Cobb students raised the $800 by hosting a leggings day fundraiser at the school.

The luncheon event raised more than $150,000 for the All Girls Forward Program.

The foundation, which was formed in 1998, has invested more than $20 million in more than 350 Atlanta-area non-profits to assist and empower girls and women and help break the cycle of poverty.

It also provides leadership and philanthropic training for professional women and their communities.

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Recertified Cobb election results change outcome in Kennesaw race

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The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration recertified general election results on Friday to include data from a memory card that was not uploaded earlier in the week.Cobb election results recertified

In a 2-1 vote (with two members absent), the board included accepting 789 additional votes from the memory card.

The board voted Tuesday to certify elections results from Nov. 8. But the latest error involving Cobb Elections during the general election cycle changed the outcome of a Kennesaw City Council election.

Madelyn Orochena, who had been initially been certified as the winner of that race, instead finished 31 votes behind Lynette Burnett in a special election.

At the start of Friday’s special-called meeting, Orochena said that “due to gross incompetence, lack of transparency and communication, I am left with no choice but to doubt this election.”

Later, she said, “apologies, however sincere, are not good enough.”

A special recount has been called for Sunday in that race since the final vote margin is within the 0.5 percent threshold allowed under Georgia law.

The Georgia Secretary of State’s office is expected to certify all county election results on Monday.

No other races were affected by the additional votes from the previously uncounted memory card, Cobb Elections director Janine Eveler said.

Elections board chairwoman Tori Silas said the board was told on Wednesday about the issue with the uncounted memory card. The error was detected when elections officials were preparing an audit.

Cobb Elections failed to mail out around 1,000 requested absentee ballots days before the Nov. 8 general election, and a Cobb Superior Court judge issued a consent decree to extend the deadline for returning them to this past Monday.

Eveler called that a “human error,” and it’s unclear how many of those voters weren’t able to get their ballots returned in time.

During early voting, some voters in East Cobb were mistakenly assigned to Post 4 in a Cobb Board of Education election when they in fact live in Post 5.

A total of 112 incorrect votes were cast, but Post 4 incumbent David Chastain comfortably won re-election.

Eveler has cited high turnover on her senior staff for some of the errors, as well as expanded early voting dates and locations.

Six days of early voting in the U.S. Senate runoff begin on Sunday, Nov. 27, at 12 locations in the county.

Cobb Elections could add Saturday voting after a judge’s ruling on Friday.

The runoff will be decided on Tuesday, Dec. 6 with voters going to their normal precincts to choose between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker.

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At East Cobb service, ‘our faith has to stand for something’

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East Cobb Ecumenical service 2022

Clergy from various faith communities in the East Cobb area delivered reflections of “Finding Common Ground” during Temple Kol Emeth’s 18th Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service Thursday.

In the first in-person service since 2019, an audience that nearly filled the vast synagogue was told that hearing such messages and uplifting music (they all sang “This Land Is Your Land”) and sharing fellowship aren’t enough.

“This isn’t a show,” Kol Emeth Rabbi Larry Sernovitz said near the end of the two-hour service. “This is a call to action.”

In recalling the tale of Abraham smashing idols, he said that “we live in a world that still worships idols . . . and doesn’t value people like we need to.

“Our faith has to stand for something. If our faith doesn’t stand for humanity, it’s not faith, it’s politics.”

He urged the attendees to follow Abraham’s example, because “that’s how our faith has meaning. If we don’t use it, what good is it?”

2022 Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service
Youth from the Sikh Educational Welfare Association do the Bhangra Dance before the service.

Started by now-retired Kol Emeth Rabbi Steven Lebow following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the service included many familiar components, including the Muslim call to prayer, a Bhangra dance by Sikh youth, original music and the “Give A Gobble” offering, this year to benefit Special Needs GA and other local charities for Thanksgiving meals.

Members of the participating faith communities—22 in all—also formed a choir to perform, including “Common Ground” (see video below, and you can watch a full replay of the service by clicking here).

Father Ray Cadran of the Catholic Church of St. Ann said his understanding of finding common ground is “a work of the heart.”

2022 Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service
Temple Kol Emeth Rabbi Larry Sernovitz

Those duties include “being called to together to acting justly,” engaging in unifying dialogue and “loving tenderly all God’s people.”

Rev. Trey Phillips of St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church said “we all come from a common ground” and asked the audience to “let us cling to one another and seek God on this common ground we call Marietta.”

But Rev. Bronson Elliott Woods of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta—where Martin Luther King Jr. was pastor—injected some political references into his remarks, mentioning Black Lives Matter and women’s reproductive choice, and said that finding common ground includes “working against laws that oppress people,” especially those in what he called the “LGBTQIA” community.

“The common ground we share,” Woods said, “is through the breath of God.”

East Cobb resident Brenda Rhodes, the founder of Simple Needs GA and a long-time volunteer in the community, urged those in attendance to find ways to contribute to those less fortunate.

2022 Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service
Rev. Bronson Elliott Woods of Ebenezer Baptist Church

“It doesn’t matter how you help,” she said. “Just think about helping. . . . Go where God leads you to help others in your community.”

Among the organizations benefitting from Give-A-Gobble include the Center for Family Resources, Families First, Family Promise, Food2Kids, Genesis Shelter, Helping Hand Foundation, Inner-city Muslim Action Network (IMAN), Jewish Family & Career Services, Jubilee Partners, New American Pathways, Must Ministries, North Fulton Charities, Pianos for Peace, and United Military Care, Inc.

The faith communities represented at the service include the Catholic Church of St. Ann, Chestnut Ridge Christian Church, East Cobb Islamic Center, Emerson Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Congregation Etz Chaim, St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and Unity North Atlanta Church.

2022 Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service

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Smyrna murder suspect arrested in Delk-Powers Ferry area

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A man wanted for the July murder of another man at a Smyrna apartment complex was arrested Wednesday in the Delk-Powers Ferry Road area.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

Cobb Police said in a statement that they were acting on a tip from the Cobb Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Task Force when Tavis Crankfield, 20, of Decatur, was located around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Crankfield is a suspect in the July 17 shooting death of Jason Escoffrey at a swimming pool at the Village West Apartments in Smyrna.

The statement said that Crankfield was apprehended after a brief foot chase.

He was charged with two counts of felony murder, one count of malice murder, one count of aggravated assault and other felony charges and is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office booking reports.

Smyrna police have been asking for the public’s help in finding the suspect in Escoffrey’s killing. Escoffrey, 21, who had been living in Opelika, Ala., was found shot multiple times, police said.

According to police, Crankfield left the scene at the Smyrna apartment complex after law enforcement arrived, and Escoffrey died after being taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.

Police said that witness statements and Crime Stopper tips identified Crankfield as the suspect.

Jail booking reports indicate that in addition to the murder warrant, three other warrants were taken out against Crankfield on Wednesday, including obstructing a law enforcement officer, a probation violation and failure to appear.

Crankfield also is wanted in Forsyth County for an April 2020 police chase in which he was one of four teens arrested for speeding on Georgia 400 to elude a traffic stop.

In October of last year, Crankfield was sentenced to five years probation after being found guilty of violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act for a June 2019 incident.

Police said he was one of several members of the Mucho Gang, based in the South Cobb area, who attacked two people attending a birthday party in Smyrna. Crankfield also was charged with misdemeanor battery but that was dropped, according to court records.

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East Cobb Food Scores: Mazzy’s; Lemon Grass; Wing Cafe; more

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Mazzy's, East Cobb food scores

The following food scores for the week of Nov. 14 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Aroma Indian Bistro
4750 Alabama Road, Suite 114, Roswell
November 17, 2022 Score: 91, Grade: A

Cue’s Billiards
3372 Canton Road, Suite 140
November 18, 2022 Score: 82, Grade: B

Dunkin’ Donuts
2378 Shallowford Road
November 18, 2022 Score: 96, Grade: A

Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant
2145 Roswell Road, Suite 190
November 17, 2022 Score: 96, Grade: A

ManorCare Rehabilitation Center
4360 Johnson Ferry Place
November 17, 2022 Score: 100, Grade: A

Mazzy’s Sports Bar & Grill
2217 Roswell Road, Suite A-200
November 16, 2022 Score: 92, Grade: A

Starbucks Coffee
1453 Terrell Mill Road, Suite 200
November 15, 2022 Score: 91, Grade: A

Sunrise at East Cobb
1551 Johnson Ferry Road
November 16, 2022 Score: 92, Grade: A

Waffle House
4875 Alabama Road, Roswell
November 17, 2022 Score: 99, Grade: A

Wing Cafe & Tap House
2145 Roswell Road, Suite 170
November 17, 2022 Score: 97, Grade: A

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Cobb early voting schedule released for U.S. Senate runoff

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Cobb early voting U.S. Senate runoff
For a larger view, click here.

There will be six days of early voting in Cobb County for the U.S. Senate runoff election.

A runoff was declared for Dec. 6 after neither Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock nor Republican Herschel Walker could get 50 percent plus one vote in the general election.

There are 12 early voting locations for the runoff, including the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) and the Tim D. Lee Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road).

At the East Cobb center, there will be early voting on Sunday, Nov. 27 from 12-5 p.m. and from Monday, Nov. 28 through Friday, Dec. 2 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There also is an absentee ballot drop box inside the polling station that will be open during early voting hours.

Early voting at the Tim D. Lee center will be Monday, Nov. 28 through Friday, Dec. 2 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Those voting early in-person can plan ahead by tracking the Cobb GIS estimated wait-time map.

There will be no early voting Dec. 3-5. On Dec. 6, voters who cast ballots in-person must go to their regular precincts.

For those requesting absentee ballots, they’re urged to apply immediately. Absentee ballots must be received at the Cobb Elections office (995 Roswell Street) by 7 p.m. on Dec. 6.

Those who cast absentee ballots can monitor the progress of their ballot at the Georgia Secretary of State’s BallotTrax feature.

There will be a special-called meeting of the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration on Friday to re-certify the general election results.

The five-member board certified the election on Monday, but on Wednesday said re-certification is necessary becuase it was discovered that a memory card had not been uploaded.

The meeting takes place at 2 p.m. at the Cobb Elections office.

For more information on the runoff election, visit the Cobb Elections website.

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2022 Georgia CCRPI test scores released with limitations

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East Side ES 5th grade remote learning
East Side ES students scored 100 percent in content mastery in the 2022 CCRPI, one of 9 schools in East Cobb with a perfect score in that category.

On Wednesday, the Georgia Department of Education released partial results of the 2022 College and Career Ready Performance Index, its primary academic performance measurement tool.

The CCRPI is a comprehensive indicator that includes content mastery, progress, closing performance gaps and readiness. It takes in an array of standardized test scores and other metrics.

For 2022, only content mastery and readiness were scored, as well as graduation rates for high schools.

Individual schools also did not receive an overall score. That’s because state received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education from scoring schools on a 0-100 scale, saying that data was limited due to closures and disruptions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Several East Cobb schools at all grade levels scored among the best in Cobb in the two categories that were scored.

Students at nine schools scored a perfect 100 in content mastery, which “includes student scores on state assessments in English Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies,” according to the state education department.

Those schools are East Side, Mt. Bethel, Mountain View, Murdock, Sope Creek, Timber Ridge and Tritt elementary schools, Dodgen Middle School and Walton High School. 

The content mastery calculation is unchanged from 2019, the last year the Georgia Department of Education is recommending that comparisons be made.

The state education department release said that results of the Georgia Milestones test, which forms the basis for the content mastery score, are up from 2021.

Those East Cobb. schools also scored 90 percent or higher in readiness, as did Dickerson, Hightower Trail and Mabry middle schools and Lassiter High School.

At the elementary- and middle-school level, readiness “includes literacy scores and data on the percentage of students passing ‘Beyond the Core’ instruction,” according to Georgia DOE, comprised of fine arts, world language, and computer science. The middle school level includes those ares plus physical education/health and career exploratory.

High-school readiness areas includes literacy scores, pathway completion data, and accelerated enrollment data.

In the Cobb County School District, elementary school students scored 73 percent in content mastery and 78.3 percent in readiness.

Middle-school level scores were 79.6 and 79 percent, and at the high school level they were 71.1 and 80.6 percent.

In a release, the Cobb school district said its all-level content mastery score was 14.9 percent higher than the state average and the readiness score was 5.8 percent higher than the state average.

Content mastery scores statewide are down to 64.7 percent, compared to 70 percent in 2019.

Cobb’s graduation rate of 88.2 percent is 3.5 percentage points ahead of the state average, according to the release. The College and Career Readiness metric was not included in the 2022 report due to incomplete data, according to the state education department.

The Georgia Department of Education said 2022 scores will form the baseline for evaluating academic progress.

Elementary Schools

Content Mastery Readiness
Addison 80.4 79.9
Bells Ferry 68.9 77.1
Blackwell 63.4 76.5
Brumby 36.0 66.2
Davis 86.4 84.6
East Side 100 90.5
Eastvalley 78.2 79.8
Garrison Mill 99.0 89.6
Keheley 72.0 86.0
Kincaid 87.5 86.7
Mt. Bethel 100 93.9
Mountain View 100 92.4
Murdock 100 91.9
Nicholson 78.2 83.1
Powers Ferry 51.5 68.3
Rocky Mount 97.1 89.2
Sedalia Park 59.4 72.0
Shallowford Falls 97.8 88.9
Sope Creek 100 93.5
Timber Ridge 100 93.9
Tritt 100 92.4

Middle Schools

Content Mastery Readiness
Daniell 71.8 81.8
Dickerson 99.7 92.8
Dodgen 100 92.9
East Cobb 56.7 76.2
Hightower Trail 94.3 91.9
Mabry 98.0 90.2
McCleskey 70.1 79.7
Simpson 93.0 88.9

High Schools

Content Mastery Readiness Grad Rate
Kell 79.7 82.8 91.3
Lassiter 97.8 91.9 97.0
Pope 96.9 88.8 97.1
Sprayberry 78.8 77.7 89.1
Walton 100 92.5 97.2
Wheeler 85.9 80.1 87.9

You can look through more school-, district- and state-level data by clicking here.

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Cobb to object to Marietta annexation of Bells Ferry land

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Cobb objects Marietta annexation Bells Ferry land
A proposed annexation by the City of Marietta for nearly 160 acres (in red stripes) off Bells Ferry Road is being opposed by Cobb commissioners. City land is in blue. 

Cobb commissioners are expected to formally file a letter of objection Thursday to an annexation request by the City of Marietta for nearly 170 acres of land off Bells Ferry Road for a major subdivision.

Beazer Homes, the developer of what had been originally proposed as a nearly 700-home development, is requesting rezoning in Marietta after dropping a rezoning request before the county earlier this year.

The Marietta City Council was scheduled next month to hear Beazer’s plans for a 596-home development on several tracts of undeveloped land at Bells Ferry Road and Laura Lake Drive, near I-575.

But under a HB 489, a state home rule law, county governments can file objections for municipal annexations for density and other reasons.

In a certified letter to Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin and included with the agenda item for Thursday’s meeting, Cobb commissioners said they were objecting because the proposed density of the development is 3.4 units an acre, over the maximum density of 3 units per acre under the low-density residential (LDR) category of the property that’s designated in the county’s future land-use map.

The various parcels of the assembled land are owned by the Montgomery family and represent one of the largest relatively undeveloped tracts in Cobb. Several homes are currently scattered across the properties, according to a county analysis of the annexation request.

A total of 6.6 acres of the 168 acres, all of which are zoned R-20, is already inside Marietta city limits. The county was deeded 24 acres that includes Laura Lake and a dam.

Nearby civic groups have objected due to traffic concerns.

The case is similar to an objection filed by Cobb commissioners in 2019 over a proposed annexation by Marietta of land at Lower Roswell Road and the South Marietta Parkway.

Traton Homes wanted to convert vacant lots into a high-density residential development with a single access point at the entrance of the Sewell Manor neighborhood in unincorporated Cobb.

Residents there also objected, but the county staff made a mistake in not requesting a formal vote from commissioners. Marietta could have annexed the land because of that error and the case was set to go to mediation.

Commissioners did send a letter of objection that Tumlin said he would honor and Traton ultimately withdrew its rezoning and annexation request.

Commissioners are meeting Thursday instead of their regularly scheduled fourth Tuesday meeting due to the Thanksgiving holiday next week.

The full agenda for Tuesday’s meeting can be found by clicking here. It will take place starting at 7 p.m. in the second floor board room of the Cobb Government Building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta.

You also can watch on the county’s website, Facebook Live and YouTube channels and on Cobb TV 23 on Comcast Cable.

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Cobb Animal Services holding parking lot adoptions every Monday

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Submitted information:Cobb Animal Services parking lot adoptions

“The holiday season is quickly approaching and now is the perfect time to get take home your forever best friend! Each Monday from 11 am to 3 pm, Cobb County Animal Services has a free adoption event in their parking lot at 1060 Al Bishop Drive, Marietta 30008. All the pets featured in the adoption trailer are free!  You don’t have to be a Cobb County resident to adopt. All we need is a license & a willingness to open your heart and home to a homeless pet. We have cats & kittens, dogs & puppies on the trailer ready for their forever home!  Visit us at CobbCounty.org/pets, call 770-499-4136 or follow us on Facebook & Instagram for more information.” 

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Shallowford/Trickum gas station/car wash rezoning approved

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Shallowford Trickum car wash plans delayed

After several months of delays, a car wash and gas station/convenience store proposal at the intersection of Shallowford Road and Trickum Road was approved Tuesday by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

By a 4-0 vote, commissioners approved the rezoning request by Southern Gas Partners to build a dual-purpose facility at the southwest intersection on two parcels totaling 3.1 acres, including the former site of a long-vacated gas station.

The plans call for a 2,258 square foot convenience store/gas station that would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the Trickum Road parcel.

Another 2,287 square feet would be used for a car wash to be built on 2.3 undeveloped acres fronting Shallowford Road that would be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.

Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, whose district includes the properties, was absent due to a death in her family.

The case was originally heard in July but delayed several times due to objections from nearby residents over traffic and stormwater issues.

But nobody attended in opposition at Tuesday’s zoning hearing. You can read the case file by clicking here.

That’s because Cobb DOT agreed to construct a one-foot median on Trickum Road to prevent northbound traffic from turning left into the facility.

Instead, Trickum Road access will be southbound only, on a right-in, right out basis.

On Tuesday, James Courson, the Southern Gas Partner representative, told commissioners that was the last item of concern from the community.

He was surprised, however, when Cobb DOT asked that his client pick up the tab for constructing the median, saying most of the traffic issues on that part of Trickum Road were due to “improper” traffic movements coming from a Dunkin Donuts across the street.

The DOT-proposed median, Courson said, “will have no bearing on us.”

He suggested that Dunkin Donuts pay for the median funding.

In making her motion to approve the rezoning, Commissioner Keli Gambrill said the county would negotiate with Southern Gas Partners for a funding solution.

Southern Gas Partners also agreed to give up a two-foot easement for median construction.

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Cleaver and Cork opens in East Cobb; Roll On In closes

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Cleaver and Cork opens East Cobb

The fourth location of the Cleaver and Cork butcher shop opened in late October in the Shops at Woodlawn (1062 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 162-D, next to Big Peach Running Company).

Cleaver and Cork describes itself as a family-owned artisanal butcher with a full line of premium meats as well as seafood, side dishes, cheese, produce, coffee, spices, charcuterie products and more.

The company is run by Chad and Audrey Stine, both former meat industry and sales representatives. They founded their first butcher shop in Sharpsburg, Ga., in 2018, then in nearby Newnan the next year. A store on Haynes Bridge Road in Alpharetta also recently opened.

Another high-end butcher shop, the NY Butcher Shoppe, is tentatively scheduled to open in December at The Avenue East Cobb, but a specific date hasn’t been announced.

Cleaver and Cork is open Tuesday-Friday from 10-6, Saturday 10-5 and is closed on Sunday. Phone: 678-402-6996.

A vacancy at Woodlawn Point

A reader got in touch to say she heard that the Roll On In Sushi and Burrito eatery (1100 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 365) had recently closed, and saw a hand-written note on the door indicating that when she stopped for a look.

We saw the same thing; inside the restaurant’s furniture and insignia were still there. The location’s social media accounts have been taken down, although it’s still listed on the company’s website.Roll On In closes East Cobb

Roll On In is an Ohio-based Asian-Tex-Mex casual fusion chain whose first location in Georgia was in East Cobb, in March 2020.

Suzanne and Monte Jump, a married couple with roots in the community, were the proprietors, after years of working in the corporate restaurant industry.

We’ve left a message with Roll On In’s corporate office for more information.

Started in 2016, Roll On In featured such dishes as wanton tacos, sushi donuts and dumplings.

It currently operates 14 restaurants in six states, including two others in Georgia. Earlier this year it closed its original restaurant in Lebanon, Ohio, where it now has a cafe inside a local YMCA.

Ted’s closing for the holidays

Ted’s Montana Grill has announced it will be closing for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at all of its locations, including Parkaire Landing (640 Johnson Ferry Road).

It’s the second year in a row the Atlanta-based steakhouse chain, which has 11 metro locations, has opted to close for the holidays so employees can spend time with their families.

“We recognize the importance of spending quality time with loved ones,” Ted’s CEO and Co-founder George McKerrow said in a statement. “The holidays are all about giving back and making memories with the people who matter the most.”

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East Cobb residential real estate sales, Oct. 24-28, 2022

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The Park at Paper Mill, East Cobb real estate sales
The Park at Paper Mill

The following deeds for residential East Cobb real estate sales were filed Oct. 24-28, 2022 with the Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s Office Real Estate Department

The addresses include ZIP Codes; subdivision names and high school districts are in parenthesis:

Oct. 24

4596 Kettering Drive, 30075 (Coventry Green, Pope): Michael McGrath to David Todd; $840,000

2221 Deep Creek Drive, 30068 (Pioneer Woods, Wheeler): Nasback LLC to German Rivera and Sofia Garcia; $560,000

Oct. 25

4933 Preswick Court, 30066 (Tremont, Kell): Opendoor Property C LLC to Charles Warren; $375,000

4367 Burnleigh Chase, 30075 (Westchester, Lassiter): Opendoor Property Trust to Casey Bradley; $485,000

2532 Camata Way, 30066 (Hillcrest Oaks, Sprayberry): Lisa Gray to Heather and Darren Swartzbaugh; $497,000

2731 Ashbury Point Lane, 30066 (Ashbury Point, Sprayberry): Danielle Carter to Mohd Kondkher and Sumaiya Quader; $380,000

1951 Kinridge Road, 30066 (Piedmont Bend, 30066 (Opendoor Property Trust to Nicholas Mank; $360,000

Oct. 26

4592 Salmo Drive, 30075 (Childer’s Walk, Pope): Jeff A. Hedden Builders CP to Sergey Starysh and Tamila Urazayeva; $1.099 million

4670 Ponte Vedra Drive, 30067 (The Columns at ACC, Walton): John Keller to Cynthia and Anthony Villaverde; $1.315 million

4927 Meadow Lane, 30068 (The Meadows, Walton): Ganga Shrestha to Michael and Rebecca Podowski; $335,000

1730 Latour Drive, 30066 (Keheley Bend, Kell): OP Gold LLC to LPF Blvd Atlanta LLC; $365,000

2190 Chartwell Drive, 30066 (Churchill Falls, Lassiter): Jasmine Ards to Hardeman Real Estate; $300,000

Oct. 27

3055 Brockton Close, 30068 (The Park at Paper Mill, Walton): Elaine Leeds to Fernando and Dina Rodriguez; $595,000

5371 Tall Oak Drive, 30068 (Woodland Trails, Walton): Charles and Lynn Miller to Jami Dowling; $405,000

4940 Willow Cove Way, 30066 (Willow Creek, Kell): Jason White to Kathleen and August Bloomquist; $469,000

4832 Wigley Road, 30066 (Edgewood East, Lassiter): Toll Southeast LP to Srinivasa Thulluri; $1.295 million

4241 Arbor Club Drive, 30066 (Arbor Bridge, Lassiter): Diana Paquin to Walter Kopp $670,000

3135 Montana Way, 30066 (Rio Montana, Sprayberry): Christopher Staley to Claire Weed; $370,000

4265 Naz Court, 30066 (Kinjac Estates, Sprayberry): Yuejin Gong to Derek Baker; $780,000

2609 Chambers Road, 30066 (Pine Knoll, Sprayberry): Robert Aarron Bettis Jr., estate representative to Joshua Orfe; $200,000

Oct. 28

100 Gateside Courts, 30067 (Column Gate, Walton): Patricia Lummus to Matthew and Erica Probst; $1.47 million

4560 Vendome Place, 30075 (Tiffany Place, Pope): Carl and Leslie Tokarek to Kumaran Shanmuhan and Harshitha Elango; $1.057 million

5236 Shasta Way, 30062 (Plantation Place, Walton): Nadzeya Sommers to Jacqueline Heitner; $625,000

4860 Monticello Circle, 30066 (Jefferson Township, Lassiter): Norman and Carrie Cox to Bianca Montoya; $690,000

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Sprayberry Craft Show to mark 40th anniversary in 2022

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Sprayberry Craft Show 40th anniversary

The Sprayberry PTSA began a craft show in 1982 in the parking lot of Sprayberry High School.

When the doors open next Saturday to its 40th anniversary, vendors will be spread throughout the school campus.

The show, which is the organization’s only fundraiser of the year, has grown to more than 200 vendors from around the Southeast.

The proceeds benefit a number of school activities and programs, including grants for teachers and financial assistance for students taking standardized tests.

Like many of the other craft shows in the area, the Sprayberry show includes baked goods, concession stands and other food service for shoppers who often make a day out of choosing their holiday gift and other purchases.

The show will take place Saturday, Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

An all-new website for the show developed by the Sprayberry Girls Who Code Club breaks down the vendors by category—ranging from arts and photos to jewelry and clothing—as well as the food items.

In addition to concessions sold by the Sprayberry Lady Jackets basketball team, there will be The Patty Wagon and The Food Truck mobile food services.

And most importantly for the shoppers, a map of all the vendors has been laid out in detail, including a shopper rest area.

There will be a variety of raffles, games and prizes, and “Santa Lane” will include letters to Santa that can be submitted. Photos with Santa are $3 a child.

Admission to the show is free. Sprayberry High School is located at 2525 Sandy Plains Road.

 

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Cobb Library Foundation to hold Casino Night fundraiser at ACC

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Cobb Library Foundation Casino Night
For a larger view click here.

The Cobb Library Foundation, which raises money to assist the Cobb County Public Library System, is holding a “Casino Night” fundraiser Nov. 18 at Atlanta Country Club (500 Atlanta Country Club Drive).

The event is from 6-10 p.m. and tickets start at $100 per person and include admission tickets, house money and drink tickets. Attire is black tie casual and a cash bar will be open from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

All participants must be age 21 and older.

For information and to purchase tickets click here.

 

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East Cobb, NE Cobb YMCAs accepting hygiene items for needy families

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Submitted information:East Cobb YMCA branches taking part in Days of Service event

“Looking for an opportunity to make a difference during the holiday season? The Northeast Cobb Family YMCA and McCleskey East-Cobb Family YMCA are seeking items to develop hygiene kits for more than 700 families in need. From now until November 23, both Y locations are accepting shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes and more. Donations can be dropped at the McCleskey-East Cobb Family YMCA located at 1055 East Piedmont, Marietta, GA 30062 and the Northeast Cobb Family YMCA located at 3010 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, GA 30062.”

 

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Cobb schools to have ‘virtual learning’ on U.S. Senate runoff day

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Cobb virtual learning day, Eastvalley ES
Eastvalley ES in East Cobb is one of 17 schools in the Cobb school district still being used as a voting precinct.

The Cobb County School District announced Friday there will be what it’s calling “a virtual learning day” on Tuesday, Dec. 6, the date of the Georgia U.S. Senate runoff.

A release by the district said that because some school facilities will be in use for the election, that day will be an “asynchronous virtual learning day for all students. Students will work independently, at home, and teachers will have reviewed expectations with students the previous school day. There will not be required, live, virtual sessions.”

The Cobb school district uses a proprietary digital learning platform called the Cobb Teaching and Learning System.

The runoff was declared after neither Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock nor his Republican opponent, former UGA football star Herschel Walker, failed to get a majority of the vote in Tuesday’s general election (results here).

Schools are traditionally closed for the primary and general elections. Warnock and fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff won U.S. Senate runoffs on Jan. 5, 2021, but that was during a school holiday break.

The Cobb school district has 112 school campuses, and 17 of them are voting precincts. They include Kell High School, Shallowford Falls Elementary School, Sope Creek Elementary School and Eastvalley Elementary School in East Cobb.

“As was the case on Election Day, this run-off election also impacts the entire county, not just a few schools,” a district spokeswoman said. “We are confident this is the safest decision for all students who have access to standards aligned content and a high quality platform, CTLS.”

In recent election cycles Cobb Elections has moved voting precincts away from schools at the request of the Cobb and Marietta districts for access, security and scheduling issues.

In 2020, 15 precincts in East Cobb that had been at schools were relocated to community and senior centers, houses of worship and other facilities.

Those schools were Lassiter and Pope high schools; Daniell, Dickerson, Dodgen, Hightower Trail, McCleskey and Simpson middle schools; and Addison, Blackwell, Davis, Kincaid, Garrison Mill and Nicholson elementary schools.

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Two Democrats elected to open East Cobb legislative seats

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Jason Esteves, State Sen.-elect
Jason Esteves

All incumbent legislators with East Cobb districts won re-election on Tuesday, including five Republicans and a Democrat.

The two open seats were won by Democrats, one in each chamber.

Current Atlanta school board member Jason Esteves defeated Republican Fred Glass to win State Senate District 6, which includes some of East Cobb and Buckhead (see map).

Esteves got 56 percent of the vote (results here) in a seat that was vacated by Jen Jordan, who lost her bid for Attorney General on Tuesday.

Glass won several East Cobb precincts, including Eastside 1 and 2, Mt. Bethel 3 and 4 and Sope Creek 1, 2 and 3.

Esteves said he is resigning his seat on the Atlanta school board on Dec. 31.

Since 1997, House District 43 has been represented by Republican Sharon Cooper, the House Health and Human Services Committee chairwoman.

Georgia Senate districts in Cobb. For a larger view, click here.

But after narrowly defeating Democrat Luisa Wakeman in 2018 and 2020, Cooper was redrawn into District 45.

She easily won another term over Democrat Dustin McCormick (results here), getting nearly 59 percent of the vote in a district formerly held by Matt Dollar.

The new District 43 was won by Democrat Solomon Adesanya, a restaurant owner, over Republican Anna Tillman (results here). He got more than 56 percent of the vote in a district that includes areas around Wheeler High School and parts of the city of Marietta.

Democratic Rep. Mary Frances Williams was re-elected in District 37, as she defeated Republican Tess Redding with 57 percent of the vote (results here).

East Cobb 2022 legislative elections, Solomon Adesanya
Solomon Adesanya

Esteves, Adesanya and Williams will be part of a Democratic majority of the Cobb legislative delegation.

But Republicans lost only a few seats statewide as they continue to control both houses of the legislature.

GOP Rep. Don Parsons in House District 44 (results here) and Republican Rep. John Carson in District 46 (results here) were easily re-elected on Tuesday.

Georgia House districts in Cobb. For a larger view click here.

So were Republican senators Kay Kirkpatrick and John Albers.

Kirkpatrick won a third full term in District 32, which now includes some of Woodstock and Cherokee. She got more than 61 percent of the vote (results here).

District 56 was redrawn to include much of the Johnson Ferry Road corridor in East Cobb. Albers, a Republican from Roswell, also won with more than 61 percent of the vote (results here).

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Mableton cityhood referendum passes after 3 others failed

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East Cobb cityhood
Mableton cityood leaders Tre’ Hutchins and Galt Porter spoke at an East Cobb cityhood town hall meeting at Walton High School in early 2019.

The last of four Cobb cityhood bills to pass the Georgia legislature this year was the only referendum approved by voters.

After cityhood bills failed in May in East Cobb, Lost Mountain and Vinings, a majority of voters in the proposed city of Mableton voted to create a new municipality on Tuesday.

It will the first new city in Cobb in more than 100 years and also the county’s largest city, with around 77,000 residents.

Voters approved the measure 53-47 percent (full results here), and by about 1,487 votes.

The reason the Mableton referendum didn’t get on the May ballot is because the bill took longer to make its way through the legislature.

The three failed Cobb cityhood referendums were pushed through in quick order by Republican lawmakers who wanted to accelerate the referendum date to May 24, the date of the Georgia primaries.

But that’s not the only different set of circumstances separating the Mableton cityhood effort from the others.

The South Cobb Alliance, created to support cityhood, began holding town hall meetings and other community events in 2015. Its leaders, unlike organizers in East Cobb, weren’t reluctant to be in the spotlight.

Mableton cityhood referendum passes
For a larger view of the Mableton city map, click here.

Also unlike East Cobb, Mableton cityhood leaders weren’t proposing expensive public safety services.

They included Galt Porter, at the time a member of the Cobb Planning Commission, and Tre’ Hutchins, who’s now a member of the Cobb Board of Education.

In early 2019, they were invited to speak at an East Cobb cityhood town hall meeting at Walton High School, and extolled the benefits of more local control.

Their message was that their area wasn’t getting proper services from Cobb County government, especially development.

The proposed services in Mableton are planning and zoning, code enforcement and sanitation.

The East Cobb and Mableton cityhood groups revived their efforts in 2021, and vocal opposition arose in those communities, as well as in Lost Mountain and Vinings.

Cobb government officials also held town halls in all four communities, insisting they were impartial, but drawing objections from pro-cityhood groups.

The Preserve South Cobb group, which opposes Mableton cityhood, says it may be pursuing a deannexation process in precincts of the new city in which 70 percent or more voted against the referendum.

A full transition to cityhood will take two years, with Gov. Brian Kemp appointing a transition committee to get the process started. Mableton will have a mayor selected at-large and six city council members elected by districts (see map).

Those elections will start next March, and they will be non-partisan.

Mableton was a city from 1912 to 1916, then became unincorporated after flood damage was too cost prohibitive in the city’s budget. No other cities in Cobb have been created since.

More on Mableton’s next steps from the Cobb County Courier.

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Mike and Judy Boyce named 2022 East Cobb Citizens of the Year

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East Cobb Citizens of the Year 2022
Judy Boyce is flanked by Kim and Michael Paris of the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

Mike Boyce, the late Cobb Commission Chairman, and his wife Judy Boyce were named the 2022 East Cobb Citizens of the Year Thursday morning.

The announcement came at a breakfast of the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce at Indian Hills Country Club.

Mike Boyce, who died earlier this year at the age of 72, and his wife were active in the East Cobb community long before he was elected in 2016.

Their activities included MUST Ministries, Mt. Bethel Church and veterans and military organizations. He was a retired Marine Corps colonel who was a leader of a men’s ministry at Mt. Bethel and helped found a veterans support center.

Judy Boyce is a retired Delta Air Lines flight attendant who has been active with the Cobb Republican Women’s Club and other political campaigns and volunteer activities.

They include the Daughters of the American Revolution, Cobb Master Gardeners, the Chattahoochee Plantation Women’s Club, the Cobb Center for Children and Young Adults and the Cobb Library Foundation.

Also on Thursday, Cobb officials were on hand at the North Cobb Regional Library to dedicate the Mike Boyce Military Collection, including his many books on military history, and reading room named in his honor.

The Boyces were avid supporters of libraries. At the January 2018 ribbon-cutting for the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center, they contributed $5,000 and had a study room named for them.

A Republican, Mike Boyce ran for a second term in 2020 but was defeated by Democratic commissioner Lisa Cupid.

In January, he was participating in a leadership seminar in Indiana, at the University of Notre Dame, his alma mater, when he suffered two strokes and died.

“He had never been happier than he was in the past few months, participating in this program, bicycling to campus and interacting with and mentoring students,” Judy Boyce said at the time. “He was having the time of his life.”

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