Wendy Parker, Author at East Cobb News

Mt. Bethel pastor likens church saga to Civil Rights movement

September 15, 2021September 14, 2021 by Wendy Parker

The day after Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church was sued by the denomination’s North Georgia Conference, Pastor Rev. Dr. Jody Ray sent a letter to the East Cobb church’s membership, accusing Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson of “a power play.”

Mt. Bethel Church prayer service, Jody Ray — *Rev. Dr. Jody Ray at a prayer service at Mt. Bethel in July.*

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, seeks Mt. Bethel property and assets, as the denomination has claimed is its right under the UMC Book of Discipline governing document.

Ray resigned his UMC ministerial credentials this spring after being reassigned out of Mt. Bethel by Haupert-Johnson, touching off a fierce public controversy that has landed in court, after a failed attempt at mediation.

“So here we are today, mired in what many would characterize as a conflict over ‘appointments and property,’ ” Ray wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by East Cobb News (you can read it here).

He then wrote the following:

“Well, it is! But it’s for so much more than that. Describing our present challenges that way would be like saying Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott was all about where African-Americans could sit on the bus. Well, it was—but it was about so much more!”

He went on to explain how that event, in 1955, at the start of the modern Civil Rights movement, “changed the course of history for our nation.” Ray continued:

“Mt. Bethel, our conflict may center around ‘appointments and property,’ but it’s about so much more! It’s about contending for our faith.”

Referring to Mt. Bethel, he wrote toward the end of his letter that “our stand today—united in Christ—as proclaimed in the Scriptures will not only impact today but will also have an impact on generations of Christians in this community and globally in the future.”

You can read the lawsuit in full by clicking here; the case has been assigned to Cobb Superior Court Judge Mary Staley but no initial hearings have been scheduled.

Some prominent Marietta legal teams have been hired on both sides. The North Georgia Conference has hired Cauthorn Nohr & Owen, led by former Cobb Superior Court Judge Thomas Cauthorn.

Mt. Bethel has retained the law firm of Moore, Ingram Johnson & Steele.

On Monday, Keith Boyette, the head of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, filed an application in Cobb Superior Court seeking pro hac vice admission. That’s when an attorney not licensed in a particular state asks to be admitted in a special instance.

The WCA is a consortium of conservative UMC congregations who’ve been planning in recent years for disaffiliation over theological disputes, centered highly on gay and lesbian clergy and same-sex marriages.

Mt. Bethel has been a leading member of WCA and has been a host of its annual conference. The church’s public comment issued after the lawsuit was filed urged for a vote for disaffiliation. The national UMC is to consider approving a protocol for that process in September 2022.

In his Cobb court filing, Boyette noted that he’s a qualified attorney licensed to practice in Virginia and that he has been retained by Mt. Bethel.

Cobb extends paid leave for vaccinated county employees

September 15, 2021September 14, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb extends paid leave vaccinated employees — *“We are giving people a choice,” Cobb commission chairwoman Lisa Cupid said.*

The Cobb Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to extend paid leave hours for county employees who are out due to COVID-related reasons through the end of the year.

The measure revising the county’s emergency paid leave provision would use $750,000 of federal American Rescue Plan funding allotted to Cobb County, and employees could get up to 80 hours of paid leave.

But that’s only for county employees who have been vaccinated against the virus. The board’s vote was 4-1, opposed by Keli Gambrill of North Cobb, who said the policy is discriminatory and would hurt the county’s ability to hire and retain employees.

“Using COVID as a red herring and justification to take away personal choice—it begs the question: Why would an employee want to continue working for Cobb County?” Gambrill said in reading prepared remarks.

“It is no wonder our turnover rate is so high and we are unable to attract new employees when we fail to appreciate their service in exchange for political posturing.”

She got no support from her colleagues, including her fellow Republican JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb, who said that “I see this as a benefit, not a penalty.”

Democrat Monique Sheffield of South Cobb said the policy is “simply an effort to stop the spread” of COVID-19. She said the public “elected us to do the responsible thing, and this agenda item reflects that.”

Tony Hagler, head of the Cobb government human resources office, requested the change due to “the significant increase in COVID-19 cases associated with the more contagious Delta variant within Cobb County. In addition, this Emergency Paid Administrative Leave will help alleviate the stress on staff when faced with the decision of staying home to quarantine and/or caring for family member(s).”

The new policy would pay workers who are out due to COVID-19 symptoms or quarantine their full salary, and two-thirds of their pay if they’re tending to a relative who’s got the virus.

Cobb workers now get between 13-25 days of paid sick leave annually, based on their years of employment.

Cobb’s latest 14-day average of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people has fallen under 800, but still remains extremely high, Cobb and Douglas Public Health director Dr. Janet Memark told commissioners earlier in Tuesday’s meeting.

Commission chairwoman Lisa Cupid disputed a suggestion by Gambrill that the policy change is politically motivated, calling it an “apolitical agenda item.”

She also said employees do have a choice, and that COVID-related absences are draining county resources, noting that the county is spending heavily in overtime pay to cover for COVID-related absences.

“It is a choice,” Cupid said. “You may not like the choice, but not liking the choice doesn’t mean you don’t have one.”

Commissioner Jerica Richardson, who represents part of East Cobb, voted for the policy change but did not offer any comments beforehand.

Water bills to go up

Commissioners also voted 4-1 to approve a request by the Cobb County Water System to raise rates starting in January.

The agenda item states that rates for a typical residential customer will go up by $5.43 a month.

Birrell was the only vote against, saying she couldn’t support a rate increase as long as commissioners continue to transfer revenues from the water system to fund the county budget.

The last increase was in mid-2018; here’s a detailed list of the new charges.

Elections Office renovation funds approved

Gambrill and Birrell voted against spending $3.8 million from the county’s fund balance to complete renovations of the new Cobb Board of Elections and Registrations office on Roswell Street in Marietta.

They said that the project was eligible for American Rescue Plan funding, which was noted in the agenda item but scratched out.

But the three Democrats on the board voted to use reserve county funding. Cobb government received nearly $75 million in ARP money.

Tim D. Lee Senior Center fully reopens after renovations

September 14, 2021 by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Senior Center

The Tim D. Lee Senior Center in East Cobb (3332 Sandy Plains Road) fully reopened on Monday morning after repairs and renovations that lasted more than a year.

Visit the center’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TimLeeSeniorCenter/ for more details.

Below is a glimpse of events offered there in September.

Tim D. Lee Center

East Cobb Cub scouts camp under the stars at McFarlane Park

September 14, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cub scouts McFarlane Park

Submitted information and photos:

Cub Scouts is a program that brings families together to learn new things and accomplish fun challenges. Pack 797, chartered to St. Peter and St. Paul Episcopal Church on Johnson Ferry Road, serves over 100 elementary-aged children from East Cobb.

On Saturday, September 11, 98 Scouts and parents gathered for their first campout of the year held right in East Cobb at McFarlane Park. The “Movie Under the Stars” Campout was designed for families to have fun, get to know each other, and for new campers to experience camping close to home. Families arrived at 5:00 PM to set-up their tents, enjoyed hot dogs from the grill, a moving campfire with a 9/11 moment of silence, watched a movie under the stars, and slept comfortably in their tents overnight.

Sometimes it is hard for parents to see how much value Scouting can bring to their family, especially if it is all new to them. The outdoor component of the program can be intimidating for some, and while Cub Scouts is designed to introduce families to the outdoors, children gain much more benefit from the program than just an appreciation of nature and how to be prepared in all elements. Scouting introduces children to countless skills and experiences, brings families closer together, and ultimately builds children into values-based leaders. Pack 797’s Campout was a terrific first experience for many of the new Cub Scout families and a great kick-off to the fall for the returning Scouts as well.

McFarlane Nature Park was a terrific host located off of Paper Mill Road on Farm Road. It’s 11.5 acres was once the centerpiece of extensive agricultural acreage owned by the late Atlanta attorney Hughes Spalding, Sr. William and Florence McFarlane bought the property in 1958. When Florence McFarlane died in 1990, she willed her land to the community. The Park has been a terrific and appreciated resource for Pack 797 and other Scouting groups in the area.

Packs and Troops in Marietta are welcoming new Scouts throughout the fall. If you are interested in learning more about joining Cub Scouts or Scouts BSA, visit www.AtlantaBSA.org/Join.

Cub scouts McFarlane Park

East Cobb teen part of initial class of female Eagle Scouts

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Cobb school board delays September meetings for Yom Kippur

September 13, 2021September 13, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb school board COVID-19

The Cobb County School District said Monday is it pushing back the Cobb Board of Education’s monthly meetings in September due to Yom Kippur, the holiest observance of the Jewish calendar.

The board’s work session and voting meeting were to have taken place Thursday, but that’s during Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. Instead, those meetings will take place next Thursday, Sept. 23, at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.

Yom Kippur begins at sunset Wednesday and continues through sunset Thursday.

From a Cobb school district release Monday afternoon:

“We recognize that Yom Kippur is of vital importance to our Jewish community members and have decided to postpone our regular meeting to ensure that as many of our community members as possible can participate.”

The district’s announcement also said that “while we understand that this schedule change may cause inconvenience to some, the Board and District are committed to making our meetings as inclusive as possible.”

The change comes a few days after the Pope High School principal announced an investigation was underway following the discovery of anti-Semitic graffiti on the wall of a boys bathroom.

There were two swastikas scrawled above urinals with the words “Hail Hiter!,” and prompted a visit to the campus Friday by Rabbi Larry Sernovitz of Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb.

The Southern Division of the Anti-Defamation League in Atlanta said on Monday that the Cobb school district’s response to the Pope incident was inadequate.

In a Friday letter to assistant superintendent Christian Suttle, ADL regional vice president Allison Padilla-Goodman was critical of the district for failing to specify the incident as being anti-Semitic.

The ADL said that letter has gone unanswered, and in a statement issued to the media, she blasted the school board’s vote in June to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory.

She said it was a decision that “could tie their hands in responding to and countering incidents of hate through educational initiatives for the school community.” More from Padilla-Goodman:

“This is a direct example of how these shortsighted, politically-driven policies will have a detrimental impact on our children — antisemitic incidents, and hate of all forms, must be called out and countered as teachable moments and through educating the school community to create equitable, inclusive environments where all students can learn and thrive.”

She also noted that Cobb has dropped a public education campaign, “No Place for Hate,” that the ADL had offered to school districts.

There will be a special school board meeting this Thursday at 2:30 p.m. for a student disciplinary matter that is closed to the public.

Cobb Library Book Fair returns to Civic Center in October

September 13, 2021 by Wendy Parker

East Cobb weekend events, Cobb Book Fair

Submitted information:

The Cobb County Public Library Book Sale will be held at Cobb Civic Center October 8 – 10, 2021. Per Cobb County policy, masks must be worn and all shoppers must enter through the front doors of the Civic Center.

Materials for sale include books for all ages in both hardcover and paperback, DVDs, Books on CD and audiocassette, and magazines. Prices range from 10 cents to $4.00.

Cobb Civic Center is at 548 South Marietta Pkwy SE, Marietta, GA 30060. Hours for the sale are Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm, and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. There is plenty of free parking.

Acceptable forms of payment are debit, credit, cash, and checks. On Friday until 1 pm electronic devices are not permitted. While we hope you will buy lots of materials, we are only able to sell up to 2 boxes of items at a time on Friday until 1 pm. Please plan to pay and take items to your vehicle before coming in to shop some more. On Sunday we will be working to sell out the Civic Center so please come to buy, buy, buy!

All profits from this book sale go directly to buying more items for Cobb County Public Library’s 15 branches. For more information, please visit cobbcounty.org/library.

Canine CellMates program has ribbon-cutting for Cobb location

September 13, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb Canine Cellmates ribbon cutting

Submitted information and photos:

Canine CellMates held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of their new location in Cobb County on Thursday, September 9. Susan Jacobs-Meadows, Founder and Executive Director of Canine CellMates cut the ribbon.

The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Fulton County, Robb Pitts, and Deputy Chief, Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, Jill Holander, spoke at the event.

In addition, Cobb County District Attorney Flynn Broady; Cobb County Chamber Executive Board Chairman John Loud; Cobb County Chamber Director of Member Engagement Elizabeth McMahon; Honorable Jason Marbutt, Cobb Superior Court Judge; Honorable Kellie S. Hill, Cobb Superior Court Judge; Cobb County Commissioner Keli Grambrill, Cobb County Government Assistant Allie Korucu; Representatives from U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk’s office; Alton Adams, Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Public Safety; Fulton County Public Defender’s Office Liz Markowitz; and Khadijah Abdur-Rahman were in attendance.

Canine CellMates is a nonprofit organization that has been dedicated to reaching incarcerated men using the magic healing power of dogs since 2013.

During their time participating in the Canine CellMates program, inmates train rescued shelter dogs as well as sitting in classes and curriculum designed to help give them the tools to avoid future incarceration. Through this program, Canine CellMates transforms the community by offering hope and a second chance. They are very excited to be expanding their services to an out of custody program called “Beyond The Bars.” This program will help to positively impact the lives of more men, and more rescue dogs.

During their time participating in the Canine CellMates program, inmates train rescued shelter dogs as well as sitting in classes and curriculum designed to help give them the tools to avoid future incarceration. Through this program, Canine CellMates transforms the community by offering hope and a second chance. They are very excited to be expanding their services to an out of custody program called “Beyond The Bars.” This program will help to positively impact the lives of more men, and more rescue dogs.

Building tours will be given in the coming weeks after the ribbon cutting, to provide an overview of how this program will work inside the new space.

Cobb Canine Cellmates ribbon cutting

Cobb Chamber to hold Transportation and Mobility Summit

September 13, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

The Cobb Chamber will host the 2021 Transportation & Mobility Summit on Tuesday, October 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The luncheon will cover local, state and federal transportation initiatives impacting Cobb County and the surrounding region.

Through in-depth sessions, transportation experts and regional leaders will guide conversation addressing the transportation needs of our community, connectivity within the metro region, trends in technology, and proposed projects that have regional impact and address traffic congestion in Cobb County.

A number of speakers will be present at the luncheon summit, including:

Jannine Miller, State Planning Director, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)

Cain Williamson, Chief Planning Officer, Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority (The ATL)

Lisa Cupid, Chairwoman, Cobb County Board of Commissioners

Kim Menefee, Executive Director, Cumberland CID

Tracy Rathbone Styf, Executive Director, Town Center CID

Caroline Whaley, Executive Director, Gateway Marietta CID

Registration is now open at www.cobbchamber.org/events. Tickets are $60 for Cobb Chamber members and $100 for non-members. The Transportation & Mobility Summit is presented by Presenting Sponsor, Mold Boss; Lunch Sponsor, Comcast; Gold Sponsors, Cobb EMC, Croy Engineering, Cumberland Community Improvement District, Cushman & Wakefield, C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. Inc., Development Authority of Cobb County, Georgia Power, HNTB, Town Center Community Improvement District, and W&A Engineering; and Silver Sponsors, ARCADIS, Council for Quality Growth, Deloitte, Gateway Marietta Community Improvement District, Genuine Parts Company, KCI Technologies Inc., McCarthy Building Companies, and Lumin8 Transportation Technologies.

For more information about the Transportation & Mobility Summit, contact Stephanie Cox at [email protected] or 770-859-2337.

Pope HS vandalized with swastikas, ‘Heil Hitler’ graffiti

September 13, 2021September 11, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Pope HS swastikas

The principal at Pope High School said a full investigation is underway into a vandalism incident at the school this week that included anti-Semitic graffiti being scrawled on a bathroom wall.

The damage included swastikas and the words “Hail Hitler” written above urinals and other unspecified destruction of facilities on the Hembree Road campus.

Photos of the vandalism were posted on social media, and apparently was part of a trending activity in which students vandalize school property and boast about it on the Tik Tok application.

Pope principal Thomas Flugum sent a message to the school community on Friday that “we will hold those responsible accountable to our district policies and applicable state laws.”

He also met with Rabbi Larry Sernovitz of Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb, who said in a message to his congregation that he spoke to students at the end of lunch periods on Friday.

Sernovitz said Flugum told him that “several students have already been identified” and that interviews are continuing with other students to get more information.

“While there are many wonderful students at Pope High School, including some of our own, there are those who perpetuate hate and still others that remain silent,” Sernovitz wrote, quoting Holocaust survivor and human rights activist Elie Wiesel, who said that “we must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

In his message, Flugum touted Pope as “a welcoming, safe and considerate community for all our students. Disturbing acts like what happened this week have no place in our district or at our school and will not be tolerated.”

The incident comes at the end of Rosh Hashanah, a celebration of the Jewish New Year, and as Yom Kippur, the solemn Day of Atonement and the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, begins at sunset Wednesday and concludes on sunset Thursday.

The Pope PTSA sent out a message Friday night saying that “we can’t begin to understand what, how, why any of this would happen at our school, seemingly all in one day, but we can use this as an opportunity to teach our children.

“Many will call these teenage pranks, but these are hate crimes – and destroying property and stealing from your school is a felony.

“We stand together with ALL of our families and will not tolerate or accept hate.”

It’s been a year since swastika and pro-Trump graffiti was scrawled on fencing and trees in an East Cobb neighborhood near Post Oak Tritt Road and Holly Springs Road.

Sernovitz and the Atlanta office of the Anti-Defamation League launched an education program that included bias training.

On Friday, Sernovitz said he’s contacted ADL again for assistance regarding the Pope incident.

In his letter, he urged his congregants to “let us remember that repentance, prayer, and tzedakah (righteous giving), can make our world a little bit better and can give us hope in the midst of the darkness and challenges that we as a Jewish community have faced and continue to face. May our actions merit being inscribed in the Book of Life for another year.”

East Cobb student tutors hold blood drive, CPR training

September 11, 2021 by Wendy Parker

East Cobb student tutors blood drive

Submitted information and photos:

American Assimilation Helpline (AAH!) is an International non-profit org. established in 2017 by three students—Abhishek Kona (a Senior at Walton High School), Abhinav Kona (a Senior at Walton High School) and Elly Kang (a Junior at Marist School). AAH! is dedicated to provide free, virtual, one-on-one academic assistance to students from low income, immigrant and refugee backgrounds.

We’ve conducted a health fair and successful blood drive in conjunction with the American Red Cross on Sunday, Sept. 5, from 2-7 p.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Incarnation (1200 Indian Hills Parkway, Marietta, GA).

About ~25 elementary and middle school students attended the CPR training sessions within our health camp. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is one of the most important first aid tasks that must be known by everyone. CPR skills will help children to not just save a person’s life and also provided information about how to respond to the emergency situation. This includes calling 9-1-1 or the local hospital in case a person has suffered a heart attack.

As a Blood Drive Coordinator, the AAH! Health department takes leadership in working with Red Cross to bring people together in a spirit of teamwork and make the event successful, as well as promote a cause that could help save millions of lives each year. It’s a deeply rewarding experience in that patients are able to receive the lifesaving blood they urgently need. Through this blood drive, American Assimilation Helpline (AAH!) has collected nearly 30 pints of blood from 28 donors and saved around 84 lives, as each donation can save up to 3 lives on average.

East Cobb student tutors blood drive

East Cobb Daughters of the American Revolution chapter seeks members

September 11, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

The Old Noonday Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution invites you to join our chapter. Our meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month, September through May, at the Atlanta Country Club. Our meetings begin at 10:30 and include interesting speakers and presentations. Daughters are vibrant, active women who are passionate about community service, preserving history, educating children, as well as honoring and supporting those who serve our nation. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible to join. Patriots include soldiers, sailors, supporters of the American Revolution as well as those who served on juries or paid taxes that supported the war effort. If you are interested, please contact me at [email protected].

More about the Old Noonday chapter can be found here.

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The Avenue East Cobb begins fall ‘Comedy Live’ series

September 10, 2021 by Wendy Parker

The Avenue East Cobb summer events

The Avenue East Cobb announced in July it was partnering with a new management company, North American Properties, which developed Avalon in Alpharetta and whose overhaul projects include Colony Square and Atlantic Station in Atlanta.

Among the priorities for revamping the East Cobb center—along with a bevy of new “chef-driven restaurants”—was to substantially add to live events.

Starting Monday, a free “Comedy Live” series will begin between Kale Me Crazy & Banana Republic, weather permitting (the forecast is gorgeous, sunny and in the 80s).

It’s part of a First Monday schedule (this month, the second Monday due to Labor Day) that continues on Oct. 4 and Nov. 1.

The show is from 7-8 p.m and is recommended for ages 13 and older. You can bring your own tailgate chairs or other seating.

The entertainers are from the Punchline Comedy Club, and this event, like many others at The Avenue, is aimed at getting customers to shop and grab a bite from local restaurants before the show.

More about events at The Avenue East Cobb can be found here.

Cobb schools report 658 COVID-19 cases; 32 at Addison ES

September 10, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Addison ES; Cobb schools COVID cases

A total of 32 active cases of COVID-19 are being reported at Addison Elementary School in Northeast Cobb, the largest number for any school this week in the Cobb County School District.

The district released its weekly COVID report on Friday, showing 658 active cases.

That’s down from the range of around 1K in each of the last three weeks, but it reflects a shortened school week due to the Labor Day holiday on Monday.

Since July 1, there have been 4,402 cases among students and staff. Addison had eight cases prior to this week, and is not the first elementary school in East Cobb with such large numbers.

For 10 days last month the entire 5th grade at East Side Elementary School went to remote learning due to an outbreak.

Rocky Mount Elementary School in Northeast Cobb has 24 active cases, more than doubling its previous cumulative total.

There are 13 cases at Lassiter High School and Dickerson Middle School is reporting 11 active cases this week.

Earlier this week the Cobb Board of Health approved a position statement urging universal masking in schools, a direct response to the Cobb school district’s masks-optional policy.

The guidance comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and includes several other provisions to combat growing numbers of cases and hospitalizations among school-age children.

Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale, a member of the board of health, abstained from voting, saying the district is following the other protocols, and indicated that “97 percent [of students and staff] are COVID-free.”

In Cobb County, the spread of COVID-19 remains high due to the Delta variant. Cobb and Douglas Public Health report that as of Thursday, there is a 14-day average of just under 800 cases per 100,000 people. “High community spread” is a two-week average of 100/100K.

Youth mental health town hall is Tuesday at Sewell Mill Library

September 11, 2021September 10, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Last week we briefly mentioned an upcoming town hall focusing on youth mental health, as September is Suicide Prevention Month. Sewell Mill Library Youth Mental Health Town Hall

That’s taking place on Tuesday starting at 6 p.m. in the amphitheater at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road).

It’s being presented jointly by District 2 Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson and the Cobb Collaborative, a non-profit that works with struggling families and children.

Here’s more from the Cobb Collaborative about the issue, and how you can sign up to attend:

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. A very important component to preventing suicide is taking proper care of mental health. Approximately half of all individuals who die by suicide have a diagnosed mental health condition and research shows that 90% of them have experienced symptoms consistent with their conditions. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), “Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10–34 and the 10th leading cause of death overall in the U.S.”

Awareness, advocacy, and action for mental health should begin early in life. Per the American Academy of Pediatrics, “It is imperative that we improve efforts around early recognition of mental health needs among children and adolescents and foster greater awareness of early warning signs. Early identification of mental health problems needs to be encouraged in preschool, childcare, K-12 education, health, child welfare, juvenile justice and substance use settings. Staff in these settings require additional training and technical assistance to understand the early warning signs of mental health problems, what to do about them and where to make referrals for further assistance.”

The event starts at 6 p.m. with a tabling session, followed by a speaker panel at 7 p.m.:

All are invited to come to listen to the panelists, have questions answered, and have an educational and enjoyable evening while learning about the importance of youth mental health. Register at: bit.ly/2YBNaQJ or via registration event link at www.cobbcollaborative.org.

For more information, contact Irene Barton, Cobb Collaborative Executive Director, at [email protected]

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

East Cobb Park sustains extensive damage from heavy storms

September 9, 2021 by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Park storm damage

The sun returned on Thursday and a handful of people were taking in a pleasant afternoon at East Cobb Park as the area starts to dry out from a major storm.

But parts of the park were damaged by the heavy rains and flooding from the adjacent Sewell Mill Creek, and repairs are getting underway.

According to Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt, most of the mulch in the main playground is gone, there are “multiple washouts” around the stage and pavilion area in the back of the park, a slate walking trail “was washed out badly” and there was serious erosion to the creek banks and Roswell Road bridge.

That’s been cordoned off, as seen below; a slice of the front quad closest to the creek is a muddy mess. Cavitt said the county is in touch with the stormwater and DOT offices about the erosion along the creek banks.

East Cobb Park storm damage

He also said new mulch will be sprayed in Thursday night “and we will hopefully be able to open part of East Cobb Park tomorrow. Some parts will stay closed for up to a week for repair.”

The East Cobb area got between 4-5 inches of rain late Tuesday and early Wednesday, as flooding shut down more than a dozen roads (including Columns Drive near the Chattahoochee River).

That was the heaviest amount of rain in Cobb, and the storm did more damage to east, in north Fulton and parts of Gwinnett County.

On the back side of East Cobb Park are ball fields along Robinson Road that’s part of Fullers Creek, and Cavitt said those fields remain closed due to flooding and should reopen by Saturday.

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Marietta Kiwanis to hold 9/11 memorial service on Saturday

September 9, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Marietta Kiwanis Field of Flags — *From the 2016 Field of Flags event, which is held every five years. Courtesy: Marietta Kiwanis*

The Marietta Kiwanis Club is continuing 9/11 observances this month with a memorial service on Saturday, the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks on the United States.

The event takes place from 7:55 am to 11:00 am in front of the Visitors Center at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, and here’s the lineup of speakers and activities:

Memorial Service at the Field of Flags with Bagpiper Detective Tommy Burns, Speaker Retired NYFD Capt. James D’Avolio, Soloist Heather Graham Tamburello, Marietta Fire Department Color Guard, 21-Gun Salute by Cobb County Police Honor Guard, Riderless Horseman presentation by the Cobb County Sheriff’s Department, and Retired Homeland Security Agent Richard Rubio will play taps after the reading of the names of the 2,977 innocent victims at the end of the Ceremony at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, 900 Kennesaw Mountain Drive, Kennesaw, GA 30152.

The flags that were placed at the park last Saturday during the “Field of Flags” event will remain until Sept. 18.

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

Comment period ending for Georgia Power coal ash permit

September 9, 2021September 9, 2021 by Wendy Parker

From Hyde Farm-area resident Morning Washburn comes this report about the looming deadline for the public to comment on a proposed coal ash storage program in northwest Georgia by Georgia Power.

That deadline happens to be on Friday, as the Georgia Environmental Protection Division considers a permit application for the Plant Hammond AP-3 landfill near Rome.

It’s partially located in a 100-year floodplain, according to the Coosa River Basin Initiative, which is organizing efforts to speak out against the permit.

Washburn notes that Georgia Power has applications pending for pits at Plant McDonough in Smyrna, near the Chattahoochee River.

Those requests are slated to be considered in December and January.

“As a life-long advocate for healthy water, land, air and communities, I’m angry and appalled that anyone wants to keep coal ash in unlined pits next to the Chattahoochee River at Plant McDonough in Cobb County and other areas of Georgia,” Washburn told us.

She said she’s “contacting EPD, our Cobb Chamber of Commerce and Georgia Power about their need and this opportunity to take an active stand for long term ecological and economic leadership.”

Here is Georgia Power’s resource page providing updates on environmental compliance, including ash pond dewatering results and permits.

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

Mt. Bethel Church sued by North Georgia UMC after mediation fails

September 9, 2021September 8, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Mt. Bethel Church

The North Georgia Conference the United Methodist Church is suing Mt. Bethel Church in East Cobb after attempts at mediation between the two feuding parties failed.

The lawsuit was filed in Cobb Superior Court on Wednesday by the trustees of the North Georgia Conference, which includes 800 churches and more than 340,000 members, and seeks Mt. Bethel properties and assets.

The Conference issued a brief announcement:

While the Conference and its representatives have engaged in negotiations with local church officials and have made good faith efforts to resolve the issues without litigation, the current situation has not changed and it is untenable. The Conference Board of Trustees will continue to take all necessary and appropriate actions to ensure compliance with the tradition and the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church.

The legal action (you can read the lawsuit here) seeks declaratory judgment against Mt. Bethel, which announced its intent to disaffiliate from the UMC this spring, after refusing to accept the reassignment of its senior pastor, Rev. Dr. Jody Ray.

Mt. Bethel leadership also refused to accept the reassignment of Rev. Dr. Steven Usry, declining to provide him office space and to pay him a full salary.

In addition, the church retained Ray as its CEO and top lay pastor, roles the Conference said violate the UMC’s Book of Discipline governing policies.

The Conference further ruled that Mt. Bethel was not a church in good standing, and ordered it to turn over its properties and other physical assets.

The cover letter to the lawsuit is dated July 12, the start of a 10-day window given to Mt. Bethel to turn over church assets.

That’s also when the Conference announced it was installing the trustees to manage Mt. Bethel operations.

Two weeks later, the Conference and UMC announced mediation and said neither would be commenting further.

In the legal filing, the Conference said that “in order to make provision for the spiritual guidance and pastoral care of many of the Respondent’s [Mt. Bethel] former members, it is essential that this Court declare that all the assets are the property of the Petitioner.”

The lawsuit also seeks a permanent injunction “restraining and enjoining Respondent from exercising or claiming to exercise any right, record title, ownership, possession, enjoyment, use, control to and of the assets.”

Ray and Mt. Bethel leadership remain in charge of worship and other activities on both of the church’s campuses. Usry has not assumed his duties, saying he would not do so during the dispute, and he has been highly critical of Mt. Bethel.

East Cobb News has left a message with Mt. Bethel seeking comment.

UPDATED, THURSDAY, SEPT. 9, 7:15 P.M.

Here’s a statement Mt. Bethel has just released:

“We are deeply saddened that we were not able to come to a mediated solution with Bishop Sue Haupert-Jonhson and the Trustees of the North Georgia Conference.

“Mt. Bethel is a healthy, vibrant church with a 180-year history. Despite the ongoing pandemic, worship continues, ministry thrives, the school buildings and the playing fields are full, and attendance at our weekly services remain among the highest in the conference.

“We have been watching and praying for the final passage of the Protocol for Reconciliation and Grace through Separation when a special General Conference can finally take place (in fact, had the Protocol been passed in 2020 as originally envisioned prior to the pandemic, Mt. Bethel would have already parted ways with an increasingly progressive post-separation UM Church). Bishop Haupert-Johnson sees a different future, and she is entitled to her beliefs. Our beloved church is now simply asking for its voice to be heard; let us vote on disaffiliation. Give our members a chance to speak to the heart of our faith and stake a claim for the future of Mt. Bethel Church.”

ORIGINAL REPORT:

Mt. Bethel, with around 10,000 members, is the largest congregation in the North Georgia Conference.

The East Cobb church also is at the forefront of theological disputes within the UMC, the second-largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., that have led to a separation process delayed to 2022.

If that process—called Protocol for Reconciliation through Grace and Separation—is approved by UMC delegates, conservative congregations would be allowed to undertake a disaffiliation process, most likely to an entity called the Global Methodist Church.

That’s a denomination that’s been planned by the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a group of conservative churches that includes Mt. Bethel, and that was formed in recent years.

Among the points of contention within the UMC have been lesbian and gay clergy and performing same-sex marriages, both of which the denomination currently prohibits.

Ray, who’s been at Mt. Bethel for five years, was reassigned to a non-ministry role with the North Georgia Conference in April.

He said neither he nor Mt. Bethel were properly consulted about the move, as they claim the UMC Book of Discipline requires.

Ray turned in his UMC ministerial credentials immediately, and in his first sermon at Mt. Bethel after that, looked at his children and said “I want you also to remember this day, that your Daddy didn’t bow the knee, or kiss the ring, of progressive theology. . . . which is no theology.”

Cobb Schools Foundation receives $125K in Publix gift cards

September 8, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information by the Cobb County School District:

Publix Super Markets recently named the Cobb Schools Foundation a recipient of the “Tools for Schools” campaign. Last week, Bruch Humphries, District Manager of Atlanta Central West Region, and two local store managers delivered over $125,000 in gift cards for Cobb students and teachers.

Anyone who has shopped at Publix and opted to support the Tools for School has helped Cobb students who may not have basic learning materials like pens, markers, crayons, or notebooks. In some classrooms, teachers have been known to use their own money to provide those resources. Thanks to Tools for School, teachers and students can focus on doing what’s most important—teaching and learning. Contributions through the Tools for School campaign support local charities dedicated to helping kids succeed.

“The Cobb Schools Foundation is overjoyed to receive the generosity of our local Publix shoppers. These gift cards will be distributed throughout the county to serve students in need as well as teachers who are doing all that they can to create the best learning experience for students,” shared Frank Wigington, President of Cobb Schools Foundation.

Out of the approximately 107,000 students who are enrolled in the Cobb County School District’s 112 schools, over 40% are considered economically disadvantaged. The gift cards donated by Publix will go directly towards supporting the needs of those students and teachers in the district.

For those interested in working together with the Cobb Schools Foundation to take student success to new heights, go here. The Cobb Schools Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit and is the philanthropic arm for the school district and focuses on family stabilization, learning interventions, scholarships, and career development for students.

Heavy rains rip through East Cobb, cause flooding, closed roads

September 8, 2021September 8, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb heavy rains flooding — *Cobb County Police Department*

A fast-moving thunderstorm pushed through East Cobb late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, dumping several inches of rain and causing flooding on some major roadways.

Several inches of rain left portions of 15 streets and roads underwater, according to Cobb County officials.

Most of them were passable as the Wednesday rush hour began. Cobb County government said at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday that Columns Drive was closed, and has since reopened.

That’s along the Chattahoochee River, and other low-lying areas near the river were also affected. Here’s what the county posted around that time:

“DOT crews worked 15 reports of flooded roadways overnight and cleared more than a half-dozen roads blocked by trees.

“Cobb Fire and Emergency Services, along with Cobb Police, made multiple rescues of people trapped in flooded cars.

“There are reports of homes and apartments damaged by the flash floods that hit from several inches of rain that fell in a short amount of time.”

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the the Chattahoochee River in the Morgan Falls area in Cobb and Fulton counties until further notice.

Portions of Delk Road, Terrell Mill Road and Powers Ferry Road also were under water for some time, according to Cobb County officials.

Sope Creek also was overflowing this morning, as seen below.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is reporting that he Northwest Corridor Express Lanes along I-75 were closed due to a power outage at I-75 at Terrell Mill Road.

The county also reported that the East Cobb Government Service Center on Lower Roswell Road was experiencing a power outage due to a lightning strike and is likely to be closed all of Wednesday.

Indian Hills Country Club experienced some flooding and said its golf course and driving range would be closed Wednesday as cleanup crews worked to drain excess water.

Motorists are urged not to try to drive through standing water on the roads and are advised to turn around.

A flash flood warning expired in the East Cobb area around 9 a.m., but more rain is expected during the day Wednesday, starting in the mid afternoon.

The forecast calls for a 30-60 percent chance of rain from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., with highs in the high 80s during the afternoon, and low temperatures in the low 70s.

The sun returns on Thursday morning, and is expected to be that way for the rest of the week.

Sope Creek Paper Mill this morning after last nights heavy rain. It’s all the way up the ruins. @NWSAtlanta pic.twitter.com/T6ABu9nvnD

— Matt Jones (@wxmattjones) September 8, 2021

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

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