Walton HS Foundation begins fundraising drive for sculpture garden project

Walton Sculpture Garden
A rendering of one of the proposed Walton sculpture gardens, via the Walton High School Foundation website

The Walton High School Foundation has begun a fundraising drive to create six sculpture gardens on the new school campus.

The goal is to raise $23,000 by Sept. 1, ideally with each student’s family donating a minimum of $25, in order to fund the first three gardens this fall. Here’s the message that’s being spread across the community:

“Help US GROW THE Walton Gardens! The Sculpture Garden will be the first of the six gardens that will be installed to enhance the learning environment at the new Walton High School. This unique Workshop provides all students and teachers, across all subject areas, access to a permanent, hands-on outdoor learning space, featuring sculptures, crafted from recycled metal, incorporating pulleys, lenses, pendulums, ramps, levers, an auger base for testing student-built Goldberg machines, gyroscopes and a waist-height sculpture of a fractal “tree”, all built on a concrete layout of the golden rectangle. These interactive sculptures provide the basis for our teachers’ design, development and delivery of innovative lessons and experiments, facilitating student explorations of mathematical principles, as they relate to the fields of art, architecture, biology, physics, engineering and mathematics. Lessons formerly taught on paper are transformed through use of this space into dynamic, tangible student experiences, with the potential for fostering creativity and inspiring a deeper, more profound appreciation of relationships between subject areas and students’ daily lives.”

Here’s an online form the foundation has set up to donate or to help volunteer.

Pope, Sprayberry, Walton softball teams open season with victories

High school sports in East Cobb got underway on Monday, with three softball teams taking the field at home, and all three were winners.

The Pope Greyhounds, which reached the Georgia Class 7A Final Four last season, downed Sequoyah 7-6 in walkoff fashion, as Lea McFadden got the game-winning RBI.

Pope’s Hannah Rogers.

The winning pitcher was Hannah Rogers, an all-region pick in 2016, and Leah Higgs went 2-for-2 at the plate with a homer and two RBI.

The Greyhounds remain at home on Wednesday for their first region game, against Alpharetta, that starts at 5:30 p.m.

Sprayberry defeated North Cobb 8-5 and the top individual performers were:

  • Payton Wade: 2-3 with a walk, 2 stolen bases, and 2 runs scored;
  • Cate Willhoff: 1-2 with a stolen base and an RBI
  • Denisa Wilson: 1-1 with a walk and an RBI
  • Nicole DeCuircio: 2-5 with a double and an RBI.

The Yellow Jackets were scheduled to play at Sequoyah tonight but the game has been been delayed to Wednesday due to rain.

Walton won easily over Campbell Monday by an 11-2 score, and the Raiders jump right into region play with a big rivalry game on Wednesday at Wheeler starting at 5:30 p.m.

Lassiter opens its season on Wednesday at home against Mill Creek in a game that starts at 5:30 p.m., while the Kell Longhorns open their season on Thursday, also at home, against Cass. First pitch is 6 p.m.

The Wing Cafe gets perfect score after failing health inspection

The Wing Cafe, East Cobb restaurant inspections

A couple of weeks after failing a health inspection, a longtime East Cobb restaurant and bar got a perfect score in a follow-up visit from Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

The Wing Cafe and Tap House (2145 Roswell Road, in the East Lake shopping center) got a 100 score during an inspection last Friday. Management posted the new report in a front window (above) and on the establishment’s Facebook page, with the following message:

“Please accept our apologies for anything that may have wavered your trust in us! We look forward to seeing you all back here soon! Thank you to all of our patrons who stuck with us during this trying time! We appreciate all of our loyal customers!”

On July 21, an inspection at The Wing Cafe resulted a score of 62 with six violations, including employees failing to wash hands, improper temperatures for food storage and a moldy ice machine.

Formerly known as the Wild Wing Cafe, The Wing Cafe marked its 22nd anniversary earlier this summer.

Bells Ferry-Piedmont Road intersection project on Cobb commission agenda

Bells Ferry Road

The congested Bells Ferry Road intersection at Piedmont Road and Barrett Parkway is scheduled for a proposed improvement project that would include left- and right-hand turn lanes.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday will consider at $2 million funding request to make the changes, which include the following additions:

  • northbound and southbound dual left turn lanes on Bells Ferry Road;
  • a northbound right turn lane on Bells Ferry Road;
  • a westbound right turn lane on Piedmont Road.

The project was approved in the 2005 Cobb SPLOST transportation list, and the low bidder is Acworth-based Glosson Enterprises. The timetable for completion is projected to be a year.

Another East Cobb-related road project on Tuesday’s agenda (here’s the full book) includes approving a $63,700 contract for Excellere Construction to build a sidewalk on the east side of Providence Road, between Providence Corner Drive and Pine Road.

The commission meeting starts at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the 2nd floor meeting room of the Cobb BOC Building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta.

PHOTOS: Walton football teams celebrate Raider Day

Raider Day, Walton football
(East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

Walton football players from all grade levels and the larger school community turned out at Raider Valley Sunday afternoon for the annual Raider Day celebration.

Games, concessions, music, a dunking booth, paint-facing, T-shirt projectile scrums (courtesy of the Walton Robotics team) and lots of footballs in the air abounded, as Walton football boosters created an atmosphere of anticipation for the season ahead.

The Raiders varsity team will hold a scrimmage on Friday against Archer, with the season opener less than two weeks away, against North Gwinnett on Aug. 19 in the Corky Kell Classic.

Walton’s home opener at Raider Valley is Aug. 25 vs. Brookwood.

Raider Day, Walton football

Raider Day, Walton football

Raider Day, Walton football

Raider Day, Walton football

Raider Day, Walton football

Raider Day, Walton football

Raider Day, Walton football

Raider Day, Walton football

Raider Day, Walton football

Raider Day, Walton football

Raider Day, Walton football

Raider Valley, Walton football

Cobb commissioners set public hearing dates for fiscal year 2018 budget

A contentious process over setting the county property tax millage rate has just ended for the Cobb Board of Commissioners, and a new budget process is about to begin.

The commissioners will hold public hearings as they begin work on the fiscal year 2018 budget, which takes effect Oct. 1.

Mike Boyce, tax millage increase
Cobb Commission chairman Mike Boyce will soon deliver his first budget proposal. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

The budget will be formally presented during a special called work session at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 15, and public hearings will take place during regular commission meetings at 7 p.m. on Aug. 22 and at 9 a.m. on Sept. 12, the date the budget is expected to be adopted.

All hearings and meetings will take place in the 2nd floor board meeting room in the Cobb BOC building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta.

The budget proposal will be made available online, in the Cobb finance office, also located at 100 Cherokee St., and at the Cobb Superior Courthouse, 70 Haynes St., also in downtown Marietta.

Last month, the commission voted not to raise the 2017 millage rate, as Chairman Mike Boyce had proposed, after plenty of opposition from residents (see previous East Cobb News coverage here and here.)

The last-minute decision to keep the millage rate the same was engineered by East Cobb commissioner Bob Ott, who is holding his next town hall meeting on Aug. 17 at East Cobb Library.

East Cobb dentist urges good oral health tips for students going back to school

From left: Dr. Brittany Broomfield, Great Expressions East Cobb office; Ursula Ray, operations manager; and Ariel Quinn, practice administrator. (Submitted photo)

Press release:

Dr. Kevin Dancy, clinical partner, Great Expressions Dental Centers, with offices in East Cobb at 3823 Roswell Road, provides these simple, preventative measures to help keep children healthy and happy this school year:

  • Dental education. No matter the age of your child, dental hygiene education is always applicable! Teach your child the importance of a routine and why brushing at least twice a day can help prevent issues like cavities down the road. 
  • Gear up for sports. Back to school can also mean back to sports, but an injury can take your student athlete out of the game. With the proper protection, like mouth guards, a number of injuries can be prevented. Mouth guards are important in preventing scrapes and cuts to the mouth, gums and cheeks, chipped or fractured teeth and more serious injuries, like fractured jaws and concussions. It’s especially important to have a mouth guard if your child has braces. Be sure to get your student athlete a well-fitted mouth guard (a custom dentist-fitted guard is the best option) before schedules get too busy.
  • Add a toothbrush to your school supply list. Folders, check. Notebooks, check. Pencils, check. Add a new toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss to the school supplies list and pack it in your child’s backpack. It’s always handy to have a toothbrush for after-lunch, food-in-teeth emergencies.
  • Encourage healthy snacking. Sugary and starchy foods slowly destroy teeth’s enamel. Every time those foods are consumed an acid bath starts, which lasts 15 minutes. Give your mouth a break and opt for healthy snacks instead of junk food. Stock up on pre-cut fruits, vegetables, and cheese to pack in your child’s lunch box.
  • Drink water. Water is your friend against tooth decay; it plays an important role in removing bacteria from the mouth after meals and snacks. A simple trip to the water fountain after lunch can wash out much of the debris and food residue that bacteria feed off of to form cavities. Also, be sure to stay away from sugary sports drinks and soda!
  • Regular visits with your dentist. Be sure to stay on top of scheduling your child’s six-month exams. The dentist is the first line of defense in identifying dental health problems and families can enjoy healthy smiles that will last a lifetime. Also, consider scheduling an appointment with an orthodontist if your child has not seen one and they are over the age of seven. If there are overcrowding or bite issues developing, an orthodontist can talk to you about a treatment plan.

PHOTOS: Lutzie 43 Road Race at Lassiter High School

Lutzie 43 Road Race
Runners take off at the start of the Lutzie 43 Road Race Saturday morning at Lassiter High School. (East Cobb News photos and slideshow by Wendy Parker)

The East Cobb chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Lutzie 43 Foundation were the beneficiaries of the 3rd annual Lutzie 43 Road Race Saturday morning.

The race is named in the memory of Philip Lutzenkirchen, the former Lassiter and Auburn football star killed at the age of 23 in a 2014 car accident. His family started the foundation to help educate young people with a focus on developing leadership, community service and character-building skills.

Lutzie 43 Road Race

Lutzie 43 Road Race
The race began and ended at Lutzie Field, which Lassiter renamed in Lutzenkirchen’s honor in 2015.

Lutzie 43 Road Race

Lutzie 43 Road Race
The overall female champion was Danielle Delgado, who’s only 11 years old.
Lutzie 43 Road Race
Overall men’s winner Brian Duhe with Ann, Amy and Abby Lutzenkirchen, the sisters of Philip Lutzenkirchen.
Lutzie 43 Road Race
Mike Lutzenkirchen, executive director of the Lutzie 43 Foundation, and Mary Lutzenkirchen, Philip’s parents, cheer those receiving medals after the run, which was sponsored by Cobb County Kia. View the winners below, followed by more photos.

Lutzie 43 Age-Group Winners

WOMEN

  • 10-under: Gracie Petroff
  • 11-14: Allison Brown
  • 15-19: Julia Balot
  • 20-24: Avery Sechrest
  • 25-29: Shelby Madison
  • 30-34: Gabrella Klas
  • 35-39: Jenny Baker
  • 40-44: Denise Hoying
  • 45-49: Jennifer Christensen
  • 50-54: Jill Sechrest
  • 55-59: Kathy Carlson
  • 60-64: Kathy Webster
  • 65-69: Kathie Coleman
  • Masters: Tracy Morgan
  • Grand Masters: Mary Shortt

MEN

  • 10-under: Collin Crossk
  • 11-14: Trenton Nolen
  • 15-19: Jacob Balot
  • 20-24: Cody Corden
  • 25-29: Yibram Maldonado
  • 30-34: Michael McGreevey
  • 35-39: Jeff Goin
  • 40-44: Jim Hoying
  • 45-49: Frank McManus
  • 50-54: Donny Neal
  • 55-59: Kurt Handler
  • 60-64: John Tramontanis
  • 65-69: Bill Shaughnessy
  • Masters: Thomas Bourne
  • Grand Masters: Scott Vogel

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PHOTOS: Sandy Plains Baseball-Atlanta Braves Foundation field rededication at Harrison Park

Atlanta Braves, Sandy Plains Baseball
Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell, Sandy Plains Baseball players and present and former Atlanta Braves cut the ribbon at Field 2 at Harrison Park Saturday. (East Cobb News photos and slideshow by Wendy Parker)

Several dozen uniformed players from the Sandy Plains Baseball Association gathered on Field 2 at Harrison Park Saturday morning to celebrate a renovated field, courtesy of the Atlanta Braves Foundation, and in the name of former Braves great Chipper Jones.

Jones wasn’t in attendance, but several current and former Braves were, including Sid Bream, Brian Hunter, Marvin Freeman, Sean Newcomb and Luke Jackson, as well as Braves executive Mike Plant.

The “Chipper Jones Field” was the second the Braves foundation has paid to renovate in East Cobb (there’s also one at Fullers Park), and that’s one of the 10 the organization will refurbish in a 10-year period throughout metro Atlanta.

Sandy Plains Baseball Association
Sandy Plains Baseball players do the Tomahawk chop.

Sandy Plains Baseball Association

Atlanta Braves Foundation, Sid Bream
Sid Bream, playoff hero for the Braves in 1992, signs autographs for the Sandy Plains players.

Atlanta Braves Foundation, Sandy Plains Baseball Association, Harrison Park

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EAST COBB WEEKEND: Triathlon; Lutzie Run; Sandy Plains BB & SB; prep football picture day; Good Mews clinic

Sandy Plains Baseball Association, Harrison Park

This weekend’s events in East Cobb are heavy on sports and recreation, including a cluster of events Saturday morning in the Mountain View area:

  • The East Cobb Triathlon starts early at the Mountain View Aquatic Center. About the same time, 5k and fun runners will be on their marks at Lassiter High School for the Lutzie 43 Road Race, honoring the memory of former Trojans football star Phil Lutzenkirchen and benefit the East Cobb chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes;
  • Later in the morning, at the adjacent Harrison Park, two events are going on simaltaneously, both starting at 11. The dedication of a new “Chipper Jones” ball field courtesy of the Atlanta Braves Foundation, for the Sandy Plains Baseball Association, takes place on Field 2. From 11-1, the Sandy Plains Softball Association is holding its “fun day” and walkup registration for the fall season;
  • The high school football season is fast approaching, and the Pope Greyhounds are having their pancake breakfast and picture day starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday. From 2-4 Sunday, Raider Day takes place at Walton High School;
  • Also on Sunday, the Good Mews cat shelter is having a microchip and vaccination clinic from 10-3, and nail clippings also will be available.

Check out more calendar listings here, for this weekend and beyond. Didn’t see your event? Would you like to share your calendar listing with the community? Please e-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com.

Please stay in touch, and have a great weekend!

East Cobb restaurant inspections: Hong Kong Star, Mirko Pasta and more

 

Hong Kong Star

The following are scores from Cobb and Douglas Public Health inspections of restaurants in East Cobb in the last two weeks. Click here for general information, and the restaurant name for the full inspection report:

 

Three Delk Road businesses pass alcohol compliance checks

According to Cobb Police, two businesses in the Delk Spectrum Shopping Center (2900 Delk Road, at Powers Ferry Road) and another nearby on Delk Road were part of an alcohol compliance check last Thursday, July 27.

All three of them passed the check—meaning they didn’t sell alcohol to an underage volunteer.

They were the Bowlero Lanes at 2749 Delk Road, and the Publix store and the Willy’s Mexicana Grill at Delk Spectrum.

The police compliance check also included several businesses in the Atlanta Road area, and three of them failed.

The checks are conducted by the Cobb Police Department’s Regulatory Services/Permits Unit.

Deadline is Friday to sign up for Cobb emergency preparedness training

From the Cobb Emergency Management Agency:Cobb Emergency Management Agency

Cobb County will hold its free Community Emergency Response Team training for three sessions in August and registration is open now. The class size is limited, and all applications are due by noon, Friday, Aug. 4. This program trains people to be better prepared for emergency situations in their communities. When emergencies happen, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims and organize volunteers at a disaster site.

CERT members can also help with non-emergency projects that improve the safety of the community. The classes will be held 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on SaturdayAug. 12, 19 and 26 at the Cobb County Emergency Operations Center. Members must attend all sessions to complete the program. Participants must be at least 16 years old. The Emergency Operations Center is located at 140 North Marietta Parkway, Marietta. If you would like to register for the program, contact Kimberly Repak at kimberly.repak@cobbcounty.org or 770-499-4567.

The Art Place-Mountain View to hold reception for new photography exhibit

The work of photographer David Batley, a longtime local instructor, is being featured at The Art Place-Mountain View in a new exhibit this month.The Art Place-Mountain View

“Let There Be Light: A Photographic Journey,” will be on exhibit from Aug. 10-31, with an opening reception at 7 p.m. on the opening day.

Batley has taught at The Art Place-Mountain View, The Art Place-Big Shanty in Kennesaw and the Peachtree School of Photography in East Marietta, in addition to other venues in metro Atlanta. He is a longtime member of the Cobb Photographic Society.

Registration is also underway for fall art classes at The Art Place-Mountain View (click here for details). Most begin in late August and a number of them have limited space available.

 

Cobb to test outdoor warning sirens at noon Wednesday

If you hear sirens around noon today, this is the reason. Issued by Cobb County government:

Cobb County has more than 70 outdoor warning sirens to alert residents during a weather-related emergency, including ten sirens that can also broadcast voice messages.

The intent of warning sirens is to alert people who are outside that an imminent danger is approaching; they are not designed to be heard within a home or other building.

Cobb County conducts outdoor warning siren system tests at noon on the first Wednesday of each month, sounding the sirens for 3 to 5 minutes. In the event that there is inclement weather on the first Wednesday of the month, the test will be postponed until the following day, the first Thursday of the month.

More here.

Former Terrell Mill Road restaurant site demolished at Powers Ferry Road

Terrell Mill Road development
The northwest intersection of Terrell Mill & Powers Ferry is the proposed site for a new mixed use development anchored by an expansive Kroger store. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

A stand-alone building at the northwest intersection of Terrell Mill Road at Powers Ferry Road that once housed barbecue and other restaurants is being torn down.

Most recently, the small structure at 1410 Terrell Mill Road was briefly the site of a battery retail store.

The site is part of a 21-acre tract that’s being proposed for a major retail, commercial and townhouse complex by SSP Blue Ridge, LLC, with the anchor business a major Kroger supermarket.

The Blue Ridge application was to have been taken up today by the Cobb Planning Commission but has been continued to September (here’s a summary of the rezoning proposal).

The proposed $70 million development is a joint project between Connolly Investment & Development and Eden Rock Real Estate Partners.

The property also includes the current site of Brumby Elementary School, which is relocating next year, and existing retail and restaurant space also at the Powers Ferry-Terrell Mill intersection.

East Cobbers from way back remember the building now being demolished as the site for barbecue joints that came and went, enjoying varying degrees of popularity: Big Ed’s, Pig and Pit, Shane’s Rib Shack and Old Hickory House.

Earlier in this decade, the 1410 Terrell Mill location was the site of the Botekim Brazilian Bistro for about a year, until it closed in 2012.

Mt. Bethel UMC to hold six-week caregiving workshop

Press release:

Caregivers are encouraged to register for the free six-week educational series designed to support a parents who are caring for a child, minor or adult, with developmental disabilities. The “Powerful Tools for Caregivers” workshop provides caregiver support while focusing on the unique challenge parents face caring for a child with health or behavioral challenges. The workshop will be held 1-3 p.m., on Mondays from Aug. 7 to Sept. 18, at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church. It will help you:

  • Reduce stress, guilt, anger and depression and improve emotional wellbeing
  • Manage your time, set goals and solve problems
  • Master caregiver transitions and make tough decisions
  • Communicate effectively with the child needing care, family members, doctors and paid helpers
  • Develop greater self-efficacy
  • Develop awareness and use of community resources

Registration for the educational workshop series is required and space is limited. Register at mtbethel.org/event/powerful-tools-caregivers/2017-08-07/.

Cobb commissioner Bob Ott to hold town hall meeting at East Cobb Library

District 2 Cobb commissioner Bob Ott has announced he’s holding his next town hall meeting at the East Cobb Library.Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott

The meeting takes place on Thursday, Aug. 17, starting at 7 p.m. in the community room of the library, located in the Parkaire Landing Shopping Center, 4880 Lower Roswell Road.

Ott briefs citizens on happenings in county government, and fields questions from the audience.

PHOTOS: Walton High School ribbon-cutting and open house

Walton High School
Walton Principal Judy McNeill (in black dress) helps cut the ribbon with Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale (with scissors), Cobb school board members and other dignitaries Sunday afternoon. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

The new Walton High School building is open, and on Sunday afternoon, the day before classes were set to begin, several hundred students, parents, elected officials and others celebrating ribbon-cutting ceremonies and an open house.

Among the honored guests, in addition to local officials, were Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson and newly elected Congresswoman Karen Handel.

Walton High School
Walton Principal Judy McNeill said new Walton “is the best building we could have dreamed of.”

The three-story, $48 million classroom and administrative office structure replaces a 42-year-old main building that has been overcrowded for years. The old building will eventually give way to the second phase of the Walton project that is to include a new gymnasium and fine arts building scheduled for completion in 2019.

Walton High School
U.S. Rep. Karen Handel and Major Jerry Quan of Cobb Police Precinct 4.

The 300,000-plus-square-foot main building is around 40 percent bigger than what it is replacing. Walton opened in 1975, at a time when rapid growth in East Cobb was vastly overburdening school capacity.

Isakson, whose children and granddaughter attended Walton, told the audience that while he was working as an East Cobb real estate broker in the early 1970s, then-Cobb school superintendent Kermit Keenum warned him that new schools in the area—especially high schools—had to be built, and fast.

Isakson helped the school system with finding land, and noted that the Bill Murdock Road properties on which Walton and nearby Dodgen Middle School are located cost around $4,500.

“That would cost at least 10 times that amount today,” said Isakson, who was formerly the president of Northside Realty. He called the new Walton building “a pearl of beauty.”

Walton High School
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson addressing the Walton community inside the new entrance.

He was among the speakers who kept referencing the education SPLOST (or special local option sales tax) funding that paid for the new Walton building. Isakson said more than $6.8 billion has been spent on school construction across Georgia with SPLOST funding, and he thanked Cobb leaders for leading the way in changing the state constitution to allow for such referenda.

Isakson also said it’s not just bricks and mortar, but “teachers, parents and students” that make a school community strong.

Walton High School

Walton High School
The new information center (aka library).
Walton High School
Walton teacher Alan Farnsworth in his new classroom during the open house.
Walton High School
Wide hallways and ample common areas at the new Walton High School building have plenty of elbow room and places to take a break from a very busy school routine.
Walton High School
More than 2,500 Walton students start a new school year on Monday, in a building the community has long been awaiting.

Pope High School roundabout project nearing completion

Pope High School roundabout
The final phase of the Pope roundabout project has taken place all summer. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

Updated, 5:15 p.m.: The roundabout has opened! We got there about two hours before traffic in all directions was open to the public.

We swung by the Pope High School roundabout project Sunday afternoon, the day before school begins, and the construction work at Hembree Road and Meadow Drive is just about complete. There were intermittent closures as work crews were doing finishing-up work, but some traffic was allowed to go through along Hembree.

The roundabout, with an estimated cost exceeding $3 million, replaces a traffic signal at Hembree and Meadow and includes some crosswalk work in the vicinity of the Pope entrance.

Anyone traveling on Hembree from Post Oak Tritt to Pope should be advised that the road still needs repaving with a top coat; it’s a grinding drive to the school and beyond.

Cobb DOT prepared the following video about the roundabout: