It’s a faith-based organization in Atlanta that assists those who are homeless and dealing with addictions.
Sunday’s donation collection, Joy tells us, included a “truckload of food, hygiene items, blankets, clothes, diapers, cleaning supplies, jackets, and more.”
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Bob Ott at the construction site of the new Braves stadium; at a town hall meeting; and at one of many community events during his 12 years as a Cobb commissioner.
Bob Ott’s tenure on the Cobb Board of Commissioners began with a major crisis, and it’s ending with one.
The District 2 commissioner took office in 2009 not long before catastrophic flooding heavily damaged parts of Cobb County, especially along the Chattahoochee River.
As he prepares for his final meetings on Tuesday, he said he’s pleased with efforts by the board to assist Cobb citizens, business owners and non-profit groups reeling from COVID-19 and related shutdowns and closures.
“From the great floods to the pandemic,” Ott noted in an interview with East Cobb News this week.
He’s been making parting remarks to community groups and sharing memories and photos with readers of his weekly e-mail newsletter in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, there will be a final zoning hearing in the morning, and a regular meeting in the evening. Ott said he’ll be publishing an open letter and is planning a farewell address to deliver as the gavel comes down on a 12-year career as a commissioner.
The only regret he has, he said, is not being able to close out with town hall meetings that he says is among his proudest accomplishments.
Ott speaking to an East Cobb business group in September.
“That’s probably the hardest part of all this,” said Ott, who pledged accessibility when he was first elected.
In addition to the town halls, he started a weekly newsletter, following what he had seen from former Congressman Tom Price, and for five years was the host of the “2Talk” program on the Cobb government’s public access channel in which he interviewed county department heads and other officials.
A Delta Air Lines pilot who had not been involved in politics until a zoning case near his home in the Powers Ferry corridor, Ott said opening up the process of government to citizens has been an important part of what he sought office to achieve.
But since he defeated former commissioner Joe Lee Thompson—who had appointed him to the Cobb Planning Commission—in 2008, the demands of the job have become considerable.
“I don’t think people know what the job entails,” Ott said. “It’s more of a full-time job than working at Delta.”
Each of the four district commissioners is paid a part-time salary, and has a full-time administrative assistant. When he announced in January he wouldn’t be seeking a fourth term, Ott made similar overtones.
It’s a job that Ott, a Republican, is handing off to his successor, Democrat Jerica Richardson, who is being sworn in on Dec. 31. He’s met and spoken with her several times since her election on Nov. 3, and has invited her to meetings with staff.
“I’m a firm believer that I needed to include her in on that,” said Ott, who endorsed her Republican opponent, Fitz Johnson.
Ott said while he advised Richardson to keep some of his appointments for the sake of continuity, “I told her I won’t be telling her how to do that job.”
Ott at a citizens meeting during the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford Master Plan process.
From civic groups to a stadium
A native of Westfield, N.J., Ott came to metro Atlanta in 1991 as a Delta pilot. After he got married and settled into a home in Terrell Mill Estates, a major residential zoning proposal came that he and other nearby residents opposed.
He parlayed that activity into serving as the president of the East Cobb Civic Association before his appointment to the planning board.
Starting the town halls as a commissioner, he said, was important for citizens to feel as though they had a connection with the government.
“The felt like they had a voice,” he said.
Ott oversaw community-driven processes to create master plans in District 2, including areas along Powers Ferry and Johnson Ferry roads, in Vinings, and most recently, the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford area.
Ott, right, and former Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee with Boy Scouts at a Braves-related event.
The biggest vote Ott cast was for the 2013 memorandum of understanding with the Atlanta Braves for a new baseball stadium in the Cumberland area.
The normally accessible Ott stayed out of the public eye for two weeks after the proposal was revealed, holding a town hall meeting the night before he joined the board majority in a 4-1 vote to approve the deal.
He said he understands why some citizens still remain chastened about the process, but maintains that the stadium—now called Truist Park—and subsequent development surrounding it “has been a huge revenue generator for the county.”
Ott said the area has seen an increase of more than 22,000 jobs, and has sparked redevelopment interest in ancillary areas, including the Powers Ferry corridor.
After the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in shutdowns that closed many businesses and threw many workers out of jobs, Cobb County received $132 million in federal CARES funding.
Ott proposed spending $50 million for small business owners to stay afloat, and a special panel formed by the Cobb Chamber or Commerce’s SelectCobb economic development arm selected 3,715 businesses to receive the grants.
Commissioners also approved CARES Act funding to provide mortgage and rental assistance and to help non-profits who provide food for those in need.
But if those affected by pandemic closures “don’t have a job,” Ott said, “they can’t take care of their families. We had to figure out a way to keep these businesses open.”
A low-tax Republican—Ott frequently told citizens he’d never vote to raise their property taxes—he says that government works best “when it helps people help themselves.”
Ott said his biggest town hall crowd was in early 2019 regarding East Cobb cityhood.
Political and personal change
Ott’s transition to a private citizen comes as the county is undergoing a political, demographic and generational transition.
He’s been part of a 4-1 Republican majority; in January, Democrats will have a 3-2 majority following commissioner Lisa Cupid’s election as board chair over Republican incumbent Mike Boyce.
Ott—who feuded with Boyce and predecessor Tim Lee, another fellow Republican, on taxes and spending issues—said of the partisan dynamics on the board that “there’s a lot more to the job than what you see from the outside.”
He wouldn’t predict what issues might be prominent on a Democratic majority, other than continuing budget and COVID responses.
While he admitted there probably will be some 3-2 party-line votes, “there’s no guarantee” it will happen on all major votes.
Former commissioner Thea Powell was Ott’s aide during the Atlanta Braves stadium deal.
“You’ve got to give Democrats a credit,” he said, noting how the Cobb precinct maps in countywide elections looked very similar. “They campaigned where they knew they needed to.”
Ott’s been coy about his involvement with a group pushing for East Cobb Cityhood. He held a packed-house town-hall at the Catholic Church of St. Ann in March 2019, explaining that “you have to be able to talk to the people.”
The day after that meeting, an incorporation bill requested by the Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb was introduced in the Georgia legislature by State Rep. Matt Dollar.
A good bit of vocal opposition brewed after that, and last December the pro-cityhood group said it wouldn’t pursue legislation after some commissioners and legislators said they didn’t support it.
Those include Republicans and conservatives who’ve said a city would add another layer of government.
Ott never publicly offered his thoughts at the time, but says now that if people in East Cobb “get concerned about the direction of the board, that conversation might start back up again.”
For the time being, Ott is stepping away from public activities. He noted he has only a few items on his January calendar, involving Boy Scouts and other groups at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church, where he’s a longtime member.
He said he’s working on some projects around the house, including woodworking, and enjoys a wine-making hobby, and other “things I haven’t had time time to do.”
He and his wife Judy are also becoming empty nesters. Their daughter Katie is a recent graduate of Berry College and their son Chris attends Auburn University.
Since the pandemic, Ott has been tracking local and state COVID-19 data in a daily e-mail he sends to around 50 people, including elected officials and school superintendents.
Ott hasn’t flown for Delta since March but is on call as a pilot for international routes that include Amsterdam and San Juan, and has 16 months until his federally mandated retirement at age 65.
He said it’s unlikely he’ll seek elective office again, but eventually thinks he’ll be involved in public life in some fashion in the future.
“Twelve years in politics is a long time,” said Ott.
Ott and his wife Judy at a farewell reception for Cobb commissioners this week.
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!
For the 11th year, Karen Fox has set up a holiday lights display that’s synchronized to music.
Thanks to readers who have let us know about their holiday lights displays that have already been lighting up their neighborhoods.
We’re teaming up with the Cobb GIS (Geographic Information Systems) unit to map these and other displays, for as long as people have them going, for your drive-by entertainment.
Feel free to send in your photos and information (address, how long you’ll have your displays going, etc.) to: [email protected] and we’ll add them here.
Last year we heard from Karen Fox, who decorates her home in the Clary Lakes Subdivision with a display that’s synchronized to music.
She’s doing this again, she tells us, for the 11th consecutive year, and has added some new features to her animated show. When you drive by (2994 Clary Hill Court), you can still tune into to 88.3FM, and listen to the music and watch the lights.
She is partnering with Santa Claus—yes, indeed—who will be making several socially distanced visits with children. Karen has created a Facebook page with more information and updates.
He’s supposed to make a visit Saturday night, weather permitting. You can see a video at the bottom of this post of her display from last year.
As she has in the past, Karen is accepting donations for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church.
Address: 2994 Clary Hill Court (Clary Lakes subdivision, off Post Oak Tritt Road near McPherson Road)
The home of Christine Morris, 140 Millbrook Trace, Gant Quarters
Reader Christine Morris is inviting the public to come by her home in the Gant Quarters subdivision, at 140 Millbrook Trace.
“We would love to share the joy of Christmas with the community and bring smiles to peoples faces during this pandemic,” she says.
Not too far away, in the Weatherstone subdivision, Jed Berry also says he has an FM transmitter that plays coordinated music timed with his lights display.
His home is at 746 Willow Ridge Court.
The home of Jed Berry, 746 Willow Ridge Court, in Weatherstone.
As mentioned above, Cobb GIS has been mapping holiday lights displays around the county, and when they saw what we were doing, they sent along this link with locations that will be updated.
You’re free to add your information there, and we’ll be continuously updating this during the holiday season.
The more lights the merrier, as we try to spread some holiday cheer, especially given our present circumstances. If it’s a daytime-only display without lights, that’s fine too.
We’ll make it clear this is a “drive-by” event only and ask viewers to be considerate on the roads. Ideally, evening displays will be available for viewing between dusk and 9 p.m.
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!
MUST is humbled and honored to share huge news for those living in homelessness in our community.
The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund is investing in our mission! An advisory group of leading homelessness experts and advocates selected us and 41 other needle-moving organizations across the country to continue the fight to end #familyhomelessness.
MUST is 1 of 8 organizations that received an optimum $5 million grant! Part of this grant will help us to fund our brand-new shelter and resource campus serving homeless families in our community. The rest of the grant will be used to stabilize homeless families in housing.
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!
Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott sends along word that Ansie Krige, the longtime branch manager at the East Cobb Library, died suddenly on Dec. 5.
“She loved that library,” said Ott. “It’s a huge loss.”
Thomas Brooks, a spokesman for the Cobb County Public Library System, said in a statement that Krige’s passing “was unexpected and we haven’t heard an update from her family. Ansie had a major, positive impact for the East Cobb community for many years.”
A private celebration of her life will be held in Denver.
Here’s more from what Ott distributed Friday in his e-mail newsletter:
Cobb Library staff members and community leaders expressed shock over the unexpected loss of Ansie Krige. She led the staff of one of the Cobb library system’s busiest locations. She was known as an advocate for education, health, and positive social connections for the East Cobb community. Many library patrons regularly sought her out during their visits to the library to share in conversations about family, literature, animals, and more. Known as a gracious host to library patrons, guest authors and speakers at the library, Mrs. Krige developed innovative programs and built a library collection aligned with community needs. Among the signature programs for the library system she developed is the Senior Wellness Series offering exercise, yoga, physical therapy assessments and more to capacity crowds of senior citizens. In lieu of flowers, the Krige family requests donations in memory of Ansie Krige to the Humane Society.
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Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health
As the number of COVID-19 cases in the Cobb County School District surged past 1,000 since July, the director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health sent a message to parents urging them to continue to take precautions to slow the spread of the virus.
Cobb County set a single-day record for reported new COVID-19 cases with 375 on Thursday, and on Friday the Cobb school district reported 250 new cases over the last week.
In a letter that went out Thursday, Dr. Janet Memark said that she has “seen little in-school transmission, but we do see weekly increases in the number of cases coming back positive in the school system from out of the school.”
The full letter can be seen at the bottom of this post.
Those 250 new cases were reported in 81 schools, and according to the district’s weekly update, all of the schools reported 10 or fewer cases. All of the 16 traditional high schools in the Cobb school district reported cases this week.
Since July, there have been 1,212 cases in the district confirmed by Cobb and Douglas Public Health. The Cobb school district does not break down the totals between students and staff, nor do the figures indicate how many individuals may be in quarantine due to possible exposure to the virus.
The district also has said it has not closed any classes or schools since students began returning to campus in October.
In her letter—a similar version was also sent to Marietta City Schools parents this week—Memark said the rising cases are causing hospitalizations and ICU bed occupancy to be near capacity, although she did not provide numbers.
She said that more cases are coming into the schools via slumber parties, athletic teams, holiday parties and social gatherings. In addition to wearing masks and practicing social distancing Memark asked parents in the letter “to try to limit the amount of time that your family members have had with those outside of your immediate families. The case rate is too high to let our guard down.”
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The district revealed those numbers, including school-by-school choices, and that you can find here.
Another 25 percent of students will be learning remotely during the spring, while 21 percent had not revealed their choices at the end of the sign-up period.
The district said those decisions will be made at the school level with students and their parents.
Another sign-up period will take place during the spring semester, but no dates or other specifics were announced by the district on Thursday.
Like the fall, the school level with the highest percentages of face-to-face choices are for elementary school, at 60.9 percent.
In middle school, the face-to-face totals come to 53.5 percent, and for high school they’re 44.1 percent, also similar to fall figures.
In East Cobb, the schools with the highest rates of face-to-face choices are at Garrison Mill ES (85.9 percent), Keheley ES (85.8), Mt. Bethel ES (84.3), Tritt ES (83.5) and Hightower Trail MS (80.5).
On the other end were Brumby ES (38.6 percent), Eastvalley ES (40.3 percent), East Cobb MS (44.2), and Wheeler HS (37.3), although schools with lower face-to-face figures also had high numbers of students who hadn’t made a choice.
Three of the six high schools in East Cobb have a majority choosing face-to-face for the spring: Lassiter (67.8 percent), Pope (67.6) and Walton (57.6).
But nearly a third of students at Walton and Wheeler hadn’t made a choice.
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Georgia also set a single-day “date of report” record Thursday, with 6,126 new cases, along with 55 deaths. Cobb’s death total rose from 509 to 511, the second-highest in the state behind Fulton County, which has 697 deaths.
The previous single-day date of report record in Cobb, 363, was reported on Dec. 4, and lasted less than a week.
The sharp rise in cases also is occurring in the “date of onset” category for Cobb and Georgia. That data is shown in the Daily Status Report with a 14-day window; those figures are provisional and are likely to be revised.
On Nov. 30, there were 266 cases in Cobb that were confirmed on that day, or “date of onset.” That’s the highest single-day number in the county since a summer surge of cases in July that occasionally saw more than 300 cases a day.
In Cobb there were 250 cases on Dec. 1 according to date of onset, and 254 cases the following day.
Cobb has reported 29,175 cases of COVID-19 since March. In the last two weeks, 3,212 cases have been reported, and the level of community spread continues to grow.
As of Thursday, the 14-day average of cases per 100,000 population is 406, the highest since the summer.
A Georgia DPH chart shows Cobb COVID cases by “date of onset.” For details click here.
Public health officials consider a 14-day average of 100 cases per 100,000 to be high community spread. Cobb dipped under 100 for a day in August, but that figure has gradually increased through the fall.
Last Friday, Dr. Janet Memark, the director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, issued a “surge alert” expressing concern about “an alarming number of cases being reported to public health this week. The timing is right for the beginnings of the results of any activities over the Thanksgiving break.”
She said that emergency room visits and hospitalizations are on the rise, and “critical care beds for the district remain critically low” and there is “a continuing rise in patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization.” She did not provide any figures.
Date of report cases in Georgia have been at their highest since late November, far surpassing the summer surge. The state’s previous one-day record was 4,780 in July, but that figure has been eclipsed three times in the last two weeks.
Before Thursday’s reported case record, there were 5,015 cases on Dec. 1 and 4,867 on Dec. 4. The state 7-day moving average also is at its highest point, 4,148.4 cases a day.
In the date of onset category, 4,213 cases were reported on Dec. 3, the highest since those figures pushed beyond 5,000 for several days during the summer.
To date there have been 462,175 COVID-19 cases in Georgia and 9,123 deaths.
This week Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said the state could get its first shipments of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines within the next 7-10 days. They are expected to be given emergency approval for distribution by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Several hundred thousand doses will be sent to Georgia initially, with long-term care home residents and health care workers the first to receive them.
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The following East Cobb food scores from Dec. 7-10have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:
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U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath’s office said Wednesday she’ll be holding a virtual town hall meeting Thursday on the status of vaccine development for COVID-19.
The event will include presentations from medical experts, including Dr. Carlos del Rio and Dr. Colleen Kelley of Emory University and the Moderna vaccine trial at Grady, as well as Dr. Michelle Au, a physician and public health expert who was recently elected to the Georgia State Senate.
The town hall begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. You can dial into the event by calling (877) 299-5762 at the time of the event, or stream it live by going to mcbath.house.gov/live.
The meeting also will include a Q and A session after the presentations.
On Tuesday Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said the state could get its first shipments of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines within the next 7-10 days. They are expected to be given emergency approval for distribution by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Several hundred thousand doses will be sent to Georgia initially, with long-term care home residents and health care workers the first to receive them.
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Cobb Elections said Wednesday it is adding locations for early voting for the U.S. Senate runoffs and making some other changes as voters can cast their ballots in person as early as Monday.
The Art Place-Mountain View in East Cobb and the Smyrna Community Center are being added as early voting locations during the third week of early voting (Dec. 28-31). Another early voting location, the Ward Recreation Center in Powder Springs, will be moved to the Ron Anderson Community Center, also in Powder Springs.
County spokesman Ross Cavitt said in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon that Cobb Elections “will quickly start training poll managers to handle the additional locations.”
Cobb Elections had set up five early voting locations for the runoffs, including the East Cobb Government Service Center, after having 11 sites ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
The changes come after voting access groups demanded that Cobb open more early voting locations, especially in African-American and Hispanic communities.
On Wednesday morning, before Cobb announced the additions, Nsé Ufot, Chief Executive Officer of The New Georgia Project, issued a statement saying that Cobb’s smaller number of early voting locations for the runoffs “is an affront to voters of color, plain and simple. It risks disenfranchising voters of color living in neighborhoods with limited to no public transit.”
“And as cases of COVID-19 rise across the state, this decision makes it more difficult for voters to cast their ballot safely.”
During the general election early voting period, Cobb also added locations after heavy turnout, going from nine to 11 sites.
Cobb Elections director Janine Eveler said in the county statement that staffing issues were the reason for fewer runoff early voting sites. Staffers have been working long hours doing recounts and some were reluctant to work over the holidays.
“Between COVID, the workload, and the holidays, we have simply run out of people,” Eveler said. “Many workers told us they spent three weeks working 14- or 15-hour days and they will not do that again. We simply don’t have time to bring in and train up more workers to staff the number of locations we had for November.”
Both of Georgia’s U.S. Senate races are on the ballot for the Jan. 5 runoffs. Republican Sen. David Perdue edged Democrat Jon Ossoff in the general election but couldn’t get a majority.
Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler finished second in a jungle primary to Democrat Raphael Warnock in a special election to fill the remaining two years of former Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term.
Party control of the U.S. Senate also is on the line in the runoffs, which have drawn heightened national media attention and campaign contributions.
The runoffs also come after a bruising presidential recount process in Georgia. Democrat Joe Biden was recertified as the winner of the state’s 16 electoral votes, although supporters of Republican President Donald Trump continue to claim election fraud.
Perdue and Loeffler are supporting lawsuits filed by the Texas Attorney General challenging election results in several states, including Georgia, before the Electoral College is slated to meet on Monday.
Also on the Georgia ballot is a runoff for a seat on the Public Service Commission between Republican incumbent Bubba McDonald and Democrat Daniel Blackman.
The county said all 16 absentee ballot drop boxes that were used for the general election will be open for the runoffs. They include the East Cobb Government Service Center, Mountain View Regional Library, Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center and Gritters Library in East Cobb.
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Food distribution at Reflections of Trinity, Powder Springs, November 21.
Submitted information and photo:
In early October, Cobb Community Foundation (“CCF”) distributed a survey to Cobb non-profits providing food, meals or financial assistance as part of their mission. “We were anxious to hear from those with ‘boots on the ground’ what they saw as the continuing need, but also wanted to share with our community the work that these organizations are doing” explains Shari Martin, President and CEO of CCF. “The staff and dedicated volunteers are truly among the many heroes of this pandemic.”
While the survey asked questions about prepared meal delivery and financial assistance, the biggest story of the survey, Martin says, revolves around food. The 32 non-profits responding to the survey reported that over 8.3 million pounds of unprepared food had been delivered or distributed at over 110 locations since April. This number excludes summer lunch deliveries. Because the reporting process varies among organizations, it’s difficult to determine exactly how many non-duplicated families have received assistance. However, using Feeding America’s estimate that an average meal is 1.2 pounds of food, it’s fair to say that over 6.9 million meals have been provided.
Non-profit staff members and volunteers alike shared stories in the survey of the incredible level of need as well as the overwhelming gratitude expressed by those receiving the food. Luther Washington of Family Life Restoration Center reported, “Within the past six months, we have provided emergency food for families that NEVER had to rely on food banks. This pandemic has caused major strains not only on the working poor who we normally see but those that have been on furlough, lost jobs and had a reduction in hours. We had a young lady that worked for a rental car company that after work was sleeping in one the cars with her two children.”
Betsy Mathews serves as Development Director for Cobb’s YMCA’s and, like almost every YMCA staff member, has been working the food distribution lines. “Families have shared how they’ve had to decide if they pay the power bill or buy groceries, and how this has made all the difference.”
In addition to the food they deliver during the week to several different senior communities, Reflections of Trinity in Powder Springs distributes food to 650 – 750 families each Saturday. One client, “David,” is typically among the first 10 cars in line every Saturday morning, as he arrives around 6:00 a.m. each week. CEO Laurie Wong shares that in addition to both having battled COVID-19, David and his wife both lost their jobs in April. “They have no other food support other than SNAP [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program] and the food they receive from us.”
Survey respondents estimated that, in addition to their existing resources and anticipated receipts, they would need an additional $675,000 to fund the necessary purchases of food through the end of the year. Many of the organizations distributing food are members of the Atlanta Community Food Bank and receive food for pennies on the pound. “Most also receive food through the Cobb Community Food Fleet which distributes the Farmers to Families food boxes,” says Howard Koepka.
Koepka is with Noonday Association of Churches which operates Storehouse Ministries, a distributor to over 25 Cobb County churches. Koepka also manages the Cobb Community Food Fleet. These food boxes, he says, have made up about 15% of the 8.3 million pounds distributed between April 1 and September 30. Koepka says that even with the volume of food accessible to the non-profits for little or no cost, non-profits are still having to purchase from commercial suppliers to meet the need.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners, who received a report from CCF of their survey results as well as results from a poll conducted by the county’s CDBG office of earlier Cobb County Food Grant recipients, awarded $560,000 In November from remaining CARES Act funds to numerous non-profits for the purchase of food or prepared meals. “This came at a critical time. The number of families requesting assistance with food almost doubled at Thanksgiving,” notes Debbie Ginocchio, whose organization, Sweetwater Mission, received $70,000 from the November Cobb County Food Grant.
The survey quantified another need: assistance for expenses associated with food distribution. “Food pantries that were open all week have had to convert to weekly food distribution drive-thru’s. That not only requires more storage space, but refrigerated storage space,” explains Koepka. Many organizations have also begun delivering food boxes to underserved communities, which requires box trucks, sometimes refrigerated. “The cost of providing food is much more than just the cost of the food.”
Survey respondents estimated costs related to 4Q food distribution at over $200,000. CCF, which has raised $370,000 for its Cobb COVID-19 Community Response Fund, is distributing another $70,000 in grants to assist with these expenses. “We wish we could do more, but with almost $315,000 in grants having now been distributed, our resources are running low,” says Martin. CCF has also been told that, although the program was to continue through December 31, the USDA’s funding of the Farmers to Families food boxes has also been discontinued. “We are exploring various options to purchase the food boxes through the end of the year, but we know that the need for food will not end on December 31. For many, it’s gotten worse, and our $55,000 balance just isn’t enough.”
“There has probably never been a more important time to give,” she says. For more information and to donate to the Cobb COVID-19 Community Response Fund, please visit cobbfoundation.org/coronavirus-information/.
CCF is primarily funded by the revenues generated through its charitable fund services, as well as the organization’s Corporate Community Champion program and other direct contributions. Learn more by contacting Shari Martin at [email protected], or by visiting www.cobbfoundation.org.
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Pope athletic director Josh Mathews with the Greyhounds softball team after winning the 2019 Georgia 6A state championship. (ECN file)
Information from the Cobb County School District:
The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) recently announced that Josh Mathews, Athletic Director and Assistant Principal at Pope High School, has been recognized as a Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA).
To earn the CMAA, Josh demonstrated exemplary knowledge, contributions, and on-going professional development in the field of interscholastic athletic administration. He put in many hours of his own time to earn this certification. The process included a thorough evaluation of his educational background, experience, NIAAA Leadership Courses, and professional contributions. He also had to create and submit a final presentation project.
“This is a very big deal,” said Cobb Schools Director of Athletics Don Baker. “There are only a little over 1,000 in the country, and Josh is the only one in our county with this distinction. It is a testament to Josh’s hard work and dedication to the field of athletic administration.”
Mr. Baker also received his certification as a Certified Athletic Administrator (CAA). He hopes to complete his CMAA early next year. “Both Don and Josh are now part of an elite group of interscholastic athletic administrators nationwide to attain this level of professionalism,” said NIAAA Executive Director Mike Blackburn.
“Gaining the CMAA designation was a goal of mine as an athletic administrator, and achieving a goal is always satisfying,” said Josh. “I appreciate those who helped me walk through my years in athletic leadership. There is no substitute for learning from others who have lived the same experiences. I would encourage more of our Athletic Directors to go through these certification processes.”
When asked how this distinction would benefit the Pope sports community, Josh immediately lightened the mood. “It means that when they receive an email from me, there will be an extra initial in the signature,” he said, smiling.
“Seriously though,” he continued, “the key takeaway from obtaining this certification is the professional development and the athletic operations required to complete it. Serving at Pope is a humbling honor because of the great people in this community—from our students to our staff, to the parents, the alumni, and so many other supportive community members. Our family truly loves being a part of the Pope Family.”
“Cobb Schools is very proud to call Josh Mathews one of its own,” said Don Baker proudly. “His passion for athletics and the Pope community is unmatched, and he does a great job leading the Greyhounds each and every day. We are lucky to have him in our District.”
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Cobb Commissioner-elect Jerica Richardson has announced that she will be sworn in on Dec. 31, representing District 2 that includes part of East Cobb.
She’s one of several newly elected office-holders who will be having swearing-in ceremonies that will be live-streamed on Cobb TV and Cobb County Government’s online channels.
That’s due to COVID-19 restrictions that will limit ceremonies to small gatherings.
Richardson, a Democrat, will officially take office on Jan. 1, succeeding Republican Bob Ott, who is retiring after three terms.
Her swearing-in takes place on Dec. 31 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cobb Civic Center.
Richardson was the featured speaker Tuesday at a breakfast of the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. You can watch her full remarks, which were given at the Indian Hills Country Club, in the video below.
A first-time candidate for public office, Richardson is a technology manager at Equifax. She edged Republican Fitz Johnson in the Nov. 3 general election on a platform of “Connecting Cobb.” (See campaign stories at the bottom of this post for more details.)
The East Cobb Area Council also on Tuesday honored Mitch Rhoden as its 2020 East Cobb Citizen of the Year. That presentation is at the end of the video.
Also appearing at Tuesday’s breakfast was Ott and commissioner Lisa Cupid, who recently defeated incumbent Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce.
She will be sworn in as chairwoman on Jan. 7 at 3 p.m., also at the Cobb Civic Center.
Boyce and Ott will be serving in their final meetings next Tuesday, Dec. 15, when the commission has its last business meeting and zoning hearing of 2020.
Cupid, Richardson and District 4 commissioner-elect Monique Sheffield will form a Democratic majority when the Cobb Board of Commissioners meets on Jan. 12.
Cobb Government issued the following schedule of live-streaming of swearing-in ceremonies it is showing, starting this Thursday. It’s tentative and subject to change:
3:45 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 10
Judge Jason Marbutt
Ceremonial Courtroom
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Mitch Rhoden (second from right) with his family at the Indian Hills Country Club Tuesday morning, including his father Jim Rhoden, also a previous East Cobb Citizen of the Year.
The East Cobb Area Council has selected small business owner and entrepreneur Mitch Rhoden as its 2020 East Cobb Citizen of the Year. The Citizen of the Year Awards, created by Cobb County Rotary clubs and co-sponsored by the Cobb Chamber Area Councils and Cobb County business associations, have been presented to extraordinary individuals for the work they have done in Cobb County. And through a continued partnership with Cobb County civic and business organizations and the Cobb Chamber Area Councils, the Citizen of the Year Awards continue to recognize outstanding, service-minded individuals who have exceptionally impacted one of several areas of Cobb County.
“Mitch Rhoden has been an outstanding leader for our community for more than 20 years,” said Sharon Mason, President and CEO of the Cobb Chamber. “In addition to leading a small business and chairing many key initiatives and organizations over the years, for 2020 in particular, Mitch has been a champion for helping our non-profits and small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic with spearheading the launch of Operation Meal Plan, a program that raised funds to source meals for local non-profit organizations and keep local restaurant workers employed. Also this year, he volunteered many hours of his time to lead the critical Cobb SPLOST renewal campaign, and it passed by a wide margin. He is much deserving of this recognition and is a role model for our community.”
Mitch Rhoden
Mitch Rhoden, President & CEO of Futren Hospitality, has been named East Cobb Citizen of the Year for his years of community service and stepping up to support his community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March, Rhoden spearheaded Operation Meal Plan, a small business and non-profit support initiative created to provide food to those in need, help local restaurants keep their workers employed, and provide a vehicle for citizens to help each other. Supported through a community-backed fund, local restaurants received orders in increments of 25 meals, which they delivered to non-profit organizations around Cobb who serve meals as part of their missions. The restaurants were paid at unit cost from Operation Meal Plan.
Since March, 21 participating restaurants provided over 11,000 meals to 23 non-profits. Through Operation Meal Plan, restaurants were able to keep their workers employed and Cobb’s local non-profits were able to provide food to those in need.
In his professional capacities, Rhoden is responsible for the management and operations of Futren Hospitality, Indian Hills Country Club, The Orchard Golf & Country Club, Woodland Hills Golf Club, the National Alliance of Private Clubs, and Highground Land and Hardscapes, as well as other corporate interests.
Since starting his professional career in 2001, Rhoden has been involved in many efforts to improve life for others. He is devoted to his family and spends a lot of time setting an example for his three young sons as a scout leader, and further gives back to that organization through board service. Rhoden has also been a leader within the Cobb Chamber, and has served in almost every possible volunteer role, including East Cobb Area Council Chairman; Membership Campaign Chairman; Marketing Chairman; Member & Community Programs Chairman; and Board of Directors Chairman in 2019.
Recently, he served as Chairman of the 2020 Cobb County SPLOST Renewal committee, working to ensure renewal of the special purpose local option sales tax that will ensure future funding for Cobb’s parks, libraries, roads and other quality of life initiatives.
In addition to his volunteer service at the Cobb Chamber, Rhoden has devoted himself to several local non-profits. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Atlanta Area Council for the Boy Scouts of America, is an advocate for and supporter of Shepherd’s Men; is Past President of the Rotary Club of Marietta, and has served on the Board of MUST Ministries.
If there is an initiative underway in Cobb County with a mission to better the community, increase opportunities for businesses and residents, and to make Cobb the best it can be, Rhoden is likely to be involved, generously volunteering his time and talents.
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Cobb Christmas, Inc. and CobbLinc have teamed up again this year to create the county’s most unique and memorable holiday program, Stuff-a-Bus. Think of Stuff-a-Bus as the opposite of Santa’s sleigh—Santa uses his sleigh to deliver gifts and Cobb Christmas makes a CobbLinc bus our sleigh for collecting gifts.
During this event, a specially-wrapped CobbLinc bus travels to designated host sites to collect donations of new unwrapped toys for Cobb Christmas’ annual distribution. These donations go directly to help Cobb families in need. This year, we are hitting the road Wednesday-Thursday, Dec. 9-10. Please donate new unwrapped toys at any of the Stuff-a-Bus host sites listed on cobbcounty.org.
Toys needed for ages 2-13 (the biggest need is ages 9-13) include:
Educational toys
Legos
Ethnic baby/Barbie dolls
Sports equipment
Play kitchens
Kid puzzle
Remote control toys
The full pickup schedule can be found here, with both East Cobb stops taking place on Thursday, Dec. 10:
8-8:30 a.m.: Wellstar East Cobb Health Park (3747 Roswell Road)
12:30-1:30 p.m.: Three13 Salon Spa & Boutique (2663 Canton Road)
Donations of new unwrapped toys also can be dropped off at the Cobb Christmas distribution site (IAM Lodge 709, 1032 South Marietta Parkway) on December 8-10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cobb Christmas Inc. is a non-profit, non-denominational all-volunteer organization that assists low-income and working-poor families during the holidays.
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An Acworth woman whom Cobb Police said caused a fatal crash on Shallowford Road the day before Thanksgiving has been charged with vehicular homicide.
Danielle Erickson, 24, was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center Thursday afternoon on three misdemeanor charges of second-degree vehicular homicide, driving on the wrong side of the road and speeding, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.
She was released a short time after her booking on a $5,720 property bond, those records show.
Police said last week that Erickson was behind the wheel of a white 2014 Chevrolet Cruze in a westbound lane of Shallowford on Nov. 235 at 11:48 a.m. when the car veered into an eastbound lane at the intersection of Lassiter Road.
The Chevrolet struck a beige 2008 Kia Optima, which was headed east on Shallowford. The Kia then collided with a black 2017 GMC Yukon that also was also traveling eastbound, according to police.
Police said the driver of the Kia, Andrew Halloran, 47, of Roswell, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to her arrest warrant, Erickson was driving between 47 and 60 mph in a zone with a speed limit of 45 mph. The warrant said the speeds were confirmed by information retrieved from her car’s event data recorder after police got a search warrant.
The warrant stated that Erickson caused another person’s death “without an intention to do so.”
Police said that Erickson and Jennifer Mire, 45, of Marietta, driver of the Yukon, did not require medical attention at the scene.
An online fundraiser for Halloran’s family has raised more than $47,000. He was active with the Lassiter High School Band booster club.
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The latest lawsuit filed in Georgia over disputed presidential election results has been dismissed by a federal judge.
On Monday Judge Timothy Batten of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta ruled that the case lacked standing, among other issues.
His ruling came during a Monday morning hearing. The so-called “Kraken” lawsuit, filed by Sidney Powell, a lawyer formerly associated with President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, claimed election fraud and sought to overturn the presidential results.
Batten ruled that the matter should be for the state courts and said that “the plaintiffs essentially asked the court for perhaps the most extraordinary relief ever sought in any federal court in connection with an election.”
“Today is an important day for election integrity in Georgia and across the country,” Raffensperger said in a statement. “The claims in the Kraken lawsuit prove to be as mythological as the creature for which they’re named. Georgians can now move forward knowing that their votes, and only their legal votes, were counted accurately, fairly, and reliably.”
It’s the third time nearly 5 million Georgia votes for president have been counted. The initial certified results showed Biden won by around 12,000 votes statewide, and a hand recount ordered by Raffensperger slimmed that lead to around 10,000.
Officially Biden’s winning margin statewide was 11,779 votes, following the machine recount. Biden had 2,473,633 votes and Trump received 2,461,854 votes. Jo Jorgenson, the Libertarian Party nominee, got 62,229 votes.
The Trump campaign requested a recount that was allowed since the margin was 0.5 percent or less, but the official recount didn’t differ all that much from the original results.
Powell, the Trump campaign and Lin Wood, an Atlanta libel attorney best known for representing former Atlanta Olympic bombing suspect Richard Jewell, have claimed widespread fraud in the presidential election.
But those claims have all been rejected in court, for failure to provide evidence. The Trump campaign also has wanted Georgia’s 16 Democratic electors to be dismissed and has demanded Gov. Brian Kemp call a special legislative session to replace them with Republicans.
The Electoral College will meet on Dec. 14; Kemp declined to intervene, saying it violates state law for the General Assembly to name electors. That, he said, is the duty of the governor once the results are certified by the Secretary of State.
Raffensperger has come under fire from Trump and Republican U.S. Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who demanded he resign. They’re both in Jan. 5 runoffs that could determine party control of the Senate.
While Trump campaigned with Loeffler and Perdue in Valdosta over the weekend, Kemp did not appear with them. Trump, who has refused to concede, said he was embarrassed to have endorsed Kemp in his 2018 race for governor.
As the official recount wound down last week, Gabriel Sterling, a Georgia elections official, slammed Trump for not denouncing death threats made against Raffensperger and his wife and a 20-year-old elections contractor in Gwinnett County.
Sterling reiterated his concerns on “Meet the Press” on Sunday, saying Trump’s comments amount to disinformation: “They are stoking anger and fear among his supporters and, hell, I voted for him.”
Sterling, like Raffensperger, is a Republican who has supported Trump. In a piece for The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Raffensperger said that Trump was using the “same playbook” as Stacey Abrams, a Democrat who lost to Kemp in 2018 but never conceded:
“Many media outlets have rightly highlighted that the Trump campaign has provided precious little proof of its voter-fraud allegations,” Raffensperger wrote. “Yet for two years, few asked the same of Stacey Abrams. Through all this, confidence in the integrity of American elections suffered.”
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While the construction continues, Overture at Powers Ferry is beginning the leasing process, via in-person and online appointments only for now.
They’re spreading the word by advertising in East Cobb News, which is reaching more than 75,000 unique visitors a month.
We appreciate their sponsorship, and we invite you to learn more about what Overture at Powers Ferry is offering by clicking here. Here’s a brief introduction:
“A welcoming active adult community filled with intriguing people and countless ways to get to spend your time. A gorgeous apartment home, with resort-inspired amenities and services focused on you. A location with easy access to Interstate 75 and just mintues from shopping at Cumberland Mall. And maintenance-free living that keeps your focus where it belongs: on enjoying life your way.”
Overture at Powers Ferry is a development of Greystar, an apartment developer.
The community is for active adults, ages 55 and over, with one- and two-bedroom apartment units. The community also has wellness and active lifestyle programs, amenities that include a resident lounge, coffee bar and bistro, an outside terrace and community garden, a fitness center and yoga studio, as well as a swimming pool and sun deck.
A number of regular activities include continental breakfast, social hours, and there are additional paid services. The community is also pet-friendly,
Those who schedule a tour and move in will get a month free, a waived community fee and $1,000 toward moving expenses.
You can sign up for a tour at the link above or by calling 407-419-2556.
The welcome center at Overture at Powers Ferry is located at 2022 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 220. The hours are Monday-Tuesday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday-Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m; closed Sunday.
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We believe in the power of local—local news and local businesses, which strengthen our community.
Don’t throw away your hard-earned marketing dollars to Silicon Valley corporations that don’t care about local. Keep them here in East Cobb, where we’re all about local!
You can find more advertising information by clicking here; e-mail us at [email protected], or give us a call at 404-219-4278. We’d love to work with you for a promotional package to fit your needs and budget.
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Friday, Dec. 11, is the deadline for Cobb County homeowners who have been affected by COVID-19 to apply for up to $4,800 in mortgage payment assistance. Cobb homeowners who have fallen behind in their mortgage payments due to a COVID-19 related involuntary financial hardship, medical hardship, death of a spouse/co-borrower, can still apply for up $4,800 of mortgage payment assistance, as well as optional homeownership counseling. Applications will be accepted through Dec.11 at www.CobbHomeSaver.org.
The funding will come out of the $132 million allocated to the county in the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The “Cobb HomeSaver Program” provides mortgage payment assistance and/or homeowner counseling to Cobb County homeowners that have been adversely affected by COVID-19.
Cobb County Homeowners should visit CobbHomeSaver.org for a complete list of the eligibility criteria and to apply. Grant applications will be accepted on a “first-come, first-served” basis. The grant amount awarded to homeowners may vary.
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