Wendy Parker, Author at East Cobb News

Mabry Park construction contract returns to Cobb commission agenda

November 14, 2017 6:24 PMNovember 13, 2017 3:45 PM by Wendy Parker

After being delayed last month, a $2.85 million Mabry Park construction contract is expected to be voted on Tuesday by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

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

Approval of the contract was tabled last month at the behest of commission Chairman Mike Boyce until after a budget retreat.

One of the topics at the retreat was how to fund permanent operations out of the annual county budget for projects like Mabry Park that are approved by Cobb voters in the Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) referenda.

Mabry Park, which would be built on 26.5 acres on Wesley Chapel Road at Sandy Plains Road, comes with a projected operating cost of nearly $105,000 a year once it opens in 2019.

At the Oct. 24 commission meeting, Northeast Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell, a strong advocate for the Mabry Park project was was formerly in her district, was upset by the decision to delay, as were Northeast Cobb residents who’ve been waiting more than a decade for the park.

Boyce and East Cobb commissioner Bob Ott, whose recently redrawn district includes Mabry Park, said it was necessarily to hold off final approval, if only temporarily.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the commissioners will consider proposals to raise fees for a number of county-related services, including business licenses, filing fees for zoning, and for parks and recreational uses, arts classes and other public services.

Another item on the agenda would appropriate $850,000 in county funds for a number of non-profit service organizations, including the Cobb Center for Family Resources, Family Promise of Cobb County, MUST Ministries, Communities in Schools for Marietta/Cobb and SafePath Children’s Advocacy.

Commissioners delayed voting on that funding during its budget deliberations in September.

The full agenda can be found here.

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NEW EAST COBB BUSINESSES: Punchline Comedy Club, OkKo Ramen opening soon

November 13, 2017 11:39 AM by Wendy Parker

The building that used to house the Spaghetti Warehouse and the Cosmopolitan restaurant on Delk Road is being renovated for a forthcoming expansion of the Punchline Comedy Club.

The official name for the new place is Punchline Club@DelRay Diner, including a full-service diner-style restaurant.

What Now Atlanta reported last week that Atlanta Chef Nicholas Lambrou will be in charge of the diner while he opens a similar concept in Midtown.

An estimated opening date hasn’t been announced.

Black Swan Tavern, La Novia Taqueria now open

In just a couple of weeks, OkKo Ramen will open at 3045 Gordy Parkway, in the same small strip shopping center as New Lucky China (and in the same spot as the former Omega Learning Academy, whose signage still remains). OkKo Ramen got its business license on Oct. 20.

Here are some other new East Cobb businesses, restaurants and otherwise, that have opened or will be opening, based on Cobb Community Development Department filings:

Be Kind Photography, James Hunt (freelance photography);
Magnolia Moments, Michael Tharp (freelance photography);
The Painters Daughter, Alena Lara (retail arts and crafts);
Big Johns Christmas Trees, 2197 Roswell Road;
Dental Home, 2100 Roswell Road, Suite 108;
Drive Copywriting, John Nabinger (consulting);
Hybrid Nation Automotive, 3286 Canton Road (used car sales);
Paprik’a, 4674 Sandy Plains Road (restaurant; see previous East Cobb News post);
TS Hair Studio, 551 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 108 (hair salon);
Atlanta Piano Restorations, 2410 Canton Road (musical equipment);
Noelle Boyd Salon, 4101 Roswell Road, Suite 301 (hair salon).

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East Marietta Library demolished; Lower Roswell Road improvements continue

November 13, 2017 9:59 AM by Wendy Parker

As the new Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center gears up for its Dec. 4 opening, the old East Marietta Library building that stood for 50 years went away last week.

Opening events scheduled for Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center

Work crews demolished the old facility as part of a connected road construction project along Lower Roswell Road.

The old library site will be the entrance to the new library and to Sewell Park. That entrance will be part of a newly figured four-way intersection at Lower Roswell with Shawnee Lane.

The Lower Roswell Road West project stretches from Holt Road to the South Marietta Parkway includes road widening, turn lanes around Eastvalley Elementary School and Sedalia Park Elementary School and repaving.

The 1.29-mile project is expected to finish in December.

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PHOTOS: Club Pilates East Cobb Veterans Day car cruise event

November 11, 2017 3:44 PM by Wendy Parker

Mike and Chuck Maloy, Club Pilates East Cobb Veterans Day — *Mike Maloy, with his son Chuck, is a Purple Heart recipient for his service in the Vietnam War. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)*

Mike Maloy is active in a local veterans organization and is something of a classic car enthusiast, so he and his son turned out on a chilly Saturday morning at Sandy Plains Village for a first-time event that blends both of those interests.

For D.J. Little, the co-owner of a fitness business at the shopping center, this is the start of what he envisions becoming an East Cobb Veterans Day tradition.

He and his wife Stephanie, who opened the Club Pilates East Cobb at 2960 Shallowford Road exactly a year ago, decided to celebrate that anniversary and honor veterans with a “car cruise” event that also raised money for veterans in need who are stationed at the Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

Club Pilates East Cobb Veterans Day — *Master Sgt. D.J. Little (center left, in uniform) and other veterans pose for a group photo.*

It’s part of the Littles’ community outreach that’s done every month out of their business. For November, the beneficiary is the Top Three program at Dobbins, where Master Sgt. D.J. Little is on active duty.

“We just wanted people to be here,” he said, after the inaugural event drew around 40 people, many of them veterans, and featured a dozen or so classic cars, including his own 1973 Gold Duster 340. “It’s going to get bigger.”

Top Three provides food and other assistance to veterans who are disadvantaged or otherwise in need. Little said “it’s been a rough couple years” for some of those veterans, with situations that have included suicide.

Maloy, an East Cobb resident and retired design engineer with the Georgia Department of Transportation, came to Saturday’s event with his son Chuck, a Pope High School graduate who works at the Kroger next to Club Pilates.

Military service is a family tradition. The elder Maloy’s 99-year-old father-in-law is a World War II veteran, and their plans for later Saturday included attending a Veterans Day event at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre on the Marietta Square.

Having something like this on Veterans Day, so close to home, “is fantastic,” he said.

Maloy also lends a hand with those efforts at Dobbins. He’s a Vietnam veteran, and received a Purple Heart after being wounded in the shoulder when his gun truck convoy was attacked in 1968.

At a Purple Heart chapter in Alpharetta, he and others raise funds for food baskets for those at Dobbins who need some help paying bills. His group also visits veterans who need company and other support.

A silent auction at the Club Pilates event also raised funds for the Top Three program.

Little, who’s lived with his wife and children in East Cobb for four years, wanted to do more than run in the occasional 5K sponsored by Top Three.

He said the outpouring of support, even for a first-time event, was gratifying.

“We wanted to do more in our community,” he said. “We want to be involved in East Cobb. The support has been just great.

“We’re going to keep doing this from now on.”

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East Cobb high school football: Walton holds off North Cobb; Pope and Kell eliminated

November 11, 2017 9:58 AM by Wendy Parker

It wasn’t easy, but the Walton football team held off a Cobb County rival Friday night in the first round of the Georgia High School Association Class 7A state playoffs. The Raiders, who defeated North Cobb 28-14, were one of three East Cobb high school football teams in action.

Dominick Blaylock scored two touchdowns, including on a key drive in the fourth quarter, and quarterback Austin Kirksey was 11-for-11 passing for 181 yards, as the Raiders remained unbeaten on the season.

They’re 11-0 and will remain at home next Friday against Colquitt County, which routed Pebblebrook 49-7.

Walton, which is led by first-year head coach Daniel Brunner, a former assistant, will see a familiar face on the Colquitt County sideline. Mo Dixon, who was the Raiders head coach for the last two seasons, left East Cobb over the spring to become an assistant coach at the South Georgia powerhouse.

In the Class 6A playoffs, Pope fell behind early in a 42-14 loss at Dacula, which scored on six of its first seven possessions. The game was the first in the playoffs in five years for the Greyhounds, who finished 4-7 under first-year coach Tab Griffin, a Pope graduate and former player.

Kell reached the Class 5A playoffs but also went out in the first round, falling to Flowery Branch 21-14. The Longhorns mounted a comeback after trailing 21-0, and had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but were stopped on fourth-and-goal on the goal line. Kell’s season ends at 5-6 under Brett Sloan, who was in his first season as head coach after being an assistant at Walton.

Cobb Police coat drive includes Precinct 4 dropoff point

November 11, 2017 7:24 AM by Wendy Parker

For the first time, the Cobb County Police Department is conducting an annual coat drive, and East Cobb’s Precinct 4 is one the places you can drop off old coats for distribution.

The drive is called “Giving the Gift of Warmth,” and it’s part of the expanded outreach efforts of the Cobb PD’s community affairs department (previous East Cobb News post here of new chief Mike Register’s recent talk on that and other subjects before the East Cobb Civic Association).

Precinct 4, located in the East Cobb Government Service Center at 4400 Lower Roswell Road, will be accepting items through Dec. 1. Cobb PD says the best times to drop off items are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for county holidays. Here’s more from Cobb PD about what they’re looking for and what they’re going to do with what they collect:

“The donation of your gently used coats and other winter wear (scarves, hats, and gloves) to kids and families in need is appreciated by all. Your donated items will be shared with numerous organizations throughout Cobb County.”

The other precinct locations are as follows, and the same Dec. 1 cutoff date applies:

Pct. 1—2380 Cobb Parkway, Kennesaw;
Pct. 2— 4700 Austell Road, Austell;
Pct. 3—1901 Cumberland Parkway, Atlanta;
Pct. 5—4640 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs;
H.Q.—140 North Marietta Parkway, Marietta.

If you want to donate but can’t go to a dropoff point, contact Sgt. Jeff Tatroe, the Cobb PD Community Affairs Unit supervisor at 770-499-3981 or email jeff.tatroe@cobbcounty.org to have your items picked up.

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PHOTOS: Mt. Zion UMC Craft Show, which continues Saturday

November 10, 2017 6:11 PM by Wendy Parker

Several dozen vendors were displaying their handcrafted wares Friday at the 32nd Mt. Zion UMC Craft Show.

East Cobb Veterans Day observations continue Saturday and Sunday

November 10, 2017 5:10 PM by Wendy Parker

A number of schools and other organizations in East Cobb have had Veterans Day observations, but there are still quite a few going on Saturday—the Nov. 11 formal holiday—and also on Sunday.

In case you missed our weekend events preview, here’s what’s on tap for Veterans Day:

Two concerts, one Saturday at Transfiguration Catholic Church (1815 Blackwell Road) that starts at 2:30 p.m. featuring the Metropolitan Atlanta Community band and is followed by a commemorative mass at 5; and Sunday at 3 at the Lassiter Concert Hall (2601 Shallowford Road). It’s the annual Veterans Day concert performed by the Cobb Wind Symphony, and it’s free to the public;
On Saturday, a couple new Veterans Day events in East Cobb: A car cruise theme is featured from 8-12 at Club Pilates East Cobb (2960 Shallowford Road, Suite 200); and a public celebration at Merchants Walk Shopping Center (1280 Johnson Ferry Road) from 11-8 includes sidewalk sales, a food truck and more;
If you’re up for a parade, the City of Marietta is holding its 13th Annual Veterans Day parade starting at 11 a.m. at Roswell Street Baptist Church, and winding its way to the square. That’s where a Veterans Day ceremony will take place at noon.

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St. Ann Catholic volunteers continue food provisions for Cobb elementary students

November 10, 2017 11:27 AM by Wendy Parker

Thanks to the Cobb County School District for submitting the info and photos about a continuing program involving volunteers from East Cobb’s Catholic Church of St. Ann, who’ve been raising money for and delivering food for students at LaBelle Elementary School since 2015.

It’s part of the “Sharing Our Blessings” program with the church’s St. Paul de Vincent Society, and the items the volunteers also deliver include school supplies, board games, uniforms and books.

LaBelle is located southwest of Marietta, not far from Osborne High School, and a majority of the students are on a free or reduced-price lunch program.

When the volunteer effort began, around 150 bags of food were delivered each week by St. Ann volunteers. Now it’s grown to more than 400, more than enough to provide a bag for every student.

That’s around 5,000 bags since the school year began, according to Karen Miller, the “Sharing Our Blessings” coordinator at St. Ann. Around 20 volunteers prepare the food bags every Friday at the church before they are delivered to the school.

“They feel very special when they get the bag, even if it is only five items,” LaBelle art teacher Jerrilyn Price said. “They look forward to Fridays. They say, ‘Oh it is Friday! We get the bags today!’”

The St. Ann volunteer effort is gearing up for the upcoming holidays with another food collection drive, filling a truck with nine days’ worth of food for the students during their break.

Some of the money raised for the food collection comes via the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Hunger Walk.

“There are a lot ways a community can support a school,” Miller said.

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EAST COBB WEEKEND: Veterans Day events; craft fair and concerts; football playoffs and more

November 9, 2017 7:56 PMNovember 9, 2017 7:15 PM by Wendy Parker

The Charlestones, East Cobb weekend — *The Charlestones, an a capella group from Charleston, S.C., perform at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church on Friday.*

The leaves are changing, and very quickly the season, as the upcoming East Cobb weekend slate of events takes on an autunmnal pre-holiday flair.

Saturday is Veterans Day, and events throughout the weekend are scheduled to observe and honor those who served in the military.

A number of East Cobb schools have had their special events during the week, and from 5-8 Friday the East Cobb Senior Center and both East Cobb YMCAs will serve up dinner, music and tributes. They had “sold out” of the free tickets before November rolled around, but you may want to call 770-509-4900 770-977-5991 to see if there’s any space that’s opened up at the last minute.

Also on tap for Veterans Day in East Cobb:

Two concerts, one Saturday at Transfiguration Catholic Church (1815 Blackwell Road) that starts at 2:30 p.m. featuring the Metropolitan Atlanta Community band and is followed by a commemorative mass at 5; and Sunday at 3 at the Lassiter Concert Hall (2601 Shallowford Road). It’s the annual Veterans Day concert performed by the Cobb Wind Symphony, and it’s free to the public;
On Saturday, a couple new Veterans Day events in East Cobb: A car cruise theme is featured from 8-12 at Club Pilates East Cobb (2960 Shallowford Road, Suite 200); and a public celebration at Merchants Walk Shopping Center (1280 Johnson Ferry Road) from 11-8 includes sidewalk sales, a food truck and more;

And with the brisk weather now seemingly here for good, there’s post-season football, holiday crafts and music for all tastes:

Three East Cobb high school football teams reached the state playoffs, and they’re all in action Friday. Unbeaten Walton is at home against North Cobb, while Kell visits Flowery Branch and Pope travels to Dacula. Universal kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.;
Friday night temps will be dipping into the 30s, so if staying indoors is your thing, the 2017-18 Concert Series of St. St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church (571 Holt Road) continues with a free to the public 7:30 p.m. concert featuring The Charlestones, an a capella group from Charleston, S.C.;
The Pope Band XPlosion! event is from 7-9 p.m. Saturday at the school (3001 Hembree Road), and features all components of the band program, from the marchers to the jazz orchestra and smaller ensembles, with raffle proceeds supporting the young musicians;
This weekend also marks the return of the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church Craft Fair, from 9-5 Friday and 9-4 on Saturday at the church (1330 Johnson Ferry Road); it’s organized by the church’s women’s ministry and includes a bake sale and silent auction.

Did we miss anything? Do you have a community calendar listing to share, for this weekend and beyond? Send it to us, and we’ll post it ASAP! E-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com.

Check out our full calendar listings for more things to do! Have a great weekend!

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Northeast Cobb residents sound off on zoning cases

November 9, 2017 1:33 PM by Wendy Parker

Some high-density zoning cases we’ve written about here in the last week got their first formal hearing on Tuesday, as Northeast Cobb residents gave an earful to the Cobb Planning Commission.

The commission engaged in virtually no discussion before voting 5-0 to recommend denying a proposal that would rezone 26 acres on Keheley Drive for 51 single-family homes, or nearly 3 units an acre. David Pearson Communities Inc. is seeking zoning from R-20 to R-12, but there’s nothing nearby that’s zoned for that density.

A similar plan was rejected a decade ago, on the same land that’s in the possession of the Ruggles family. But it’s not just density that prompted around 50 nearby residents to show up in opposition.

It’s also about flooding.

Eric Bergin, a resident of the Lakewood Colony neighborhood who spoke on behalf of several homeowners associations (totaling around 800 residents), showed dramatic slides from floods in 2009 that ravaged the nearby Country Meadows community, after which six low-lying homes had to be condemned.

The Ruggles property, which sits partially in a flood plain, is largely undeveloped, and includes Rubes Creek, a tributary of Noonday Creek.

Part of the Cobb zoning staff’s recommendation of denial also included flood plain and water retention issues that residents said would grow worse.

“We get the runoff from everywhere,” Bergin said, referencing Lakewood Colony. “This is going to cause even more water to come down.”

In June, he said, the nearby Enchanted Woods community sustained some flooding damage, as did Country Meadows again during October rains.

“The flooding and the traffic impact are too hard to ignore,” he said.

Judy Williams, who represents District 3 on the planning commission, offered the board’s only comment on the matter: “There are so many problems. Flooding has been a problem here forever.”

The planning commission’s vote is only advisory; the Cobb Board of Commissioners will make the final decision on Nov. 21.

In another Northeast Cobb zoning case, however, the planning commission voted to recommend approval of a higher-density proposal on a smaller scale that still drew community opposition.

By a 4-1 vote, the planning commission endorsed a proposal by EAH Acquisitions to rezone 12 acres on Wigley Road at Jamerson Road for 19 single-family homes.

Residents from the Falconcrest and other neighborhoods spoke in opposition, mainly for traffic reasons, and pointed to other nearby zoning and development plans that are still in the works.

“It’s not a bad plan but it just not the right timing,” said resident Patrick Cahill. “There are a lot of issues in this area already.”

However, the strongest objection came from Thea Powell, the only planning commissioner who voted no. A former District 3 member on the Cobb commission, she also cited the Country Meadows flooding issue in regards to the EAH Acquisitions application.

The land sits in a 100-year floodplain and includes a stream that flows into Rubes Creek. While other planning commissioners liked the proposal, including the architectural features, Powell was adamant.

“It doesn’t matter what the house looks like,” she said. “It’s the impact on the area.”

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Wheeler High School Fall 2017 Senior Projects program needs community judges

November 9, 2017 10:43 AM by Wendy Parker

Next Thursday, the Wheeler High School Fall 2017 Senior Projects program will be presented and they need what they’re calling “community judges” to help rate those projects.

This is a pretty big affair, according to the judge signup page—formal attire and dinner included.

The judges need to show up at the school (375 Holt Road) 5 p.m., with a short training period and the meal, followed by the presentations at 6 p.m. It’s over by 9 p.m.

Thus far they’ve got 136 of 150 needed judges confirmed, and you can sign up right on that link. You don’t have to have any previous training; that will be provided as mentioned above when you arrive.

For information contact Vicki Massey, the community judge coordinator, at: Vicki.massey@cobbk12.org.

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EAST COBB RESTAURANTS UPDATE: Black Swan Tavern, La Novia Taqueria now open

November 8, 2017 3:12 PMNovember 8, 2017 2:29 PM by Wendy Parker

Two new East Cobb restaurants we’ve been mentioning in recent weeks finally opened their doors this week.

The Black Swan Tavern (1401 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 128, Merchants Festival Shopping Center), the first Cobb location for the Dunwoody Restaurant Group, is open for lunch and dinner daily, serving up traditional English pub fare, salads, sandwiches and a robust beer menu.

La Novia Taqueria (255 Village Parkway, Paper Mill Village, Suite 330) is open for dinner daily and is the newest venture from the Moxie Burger ownership group, which operates the original location nearby in Paper Mill Village.

Both new places are located in spaces that have seen a number of restaurants come and go. The Black Swan Tavern is where Churchill’s Pub operated for many years. La Novia Taqueria is in space that once was Caffe Fortunato and Valenti’s.

They also are attempting to fill a gap menu-wise. The only other pub-style restaurants in East Cobb are Keegan’s on Shallowford Road at Johnson Ferry Road, and the Rose & Crown Tavern on Powers Ferry Road.

The taqueria concept is getting another go in East Cobb after the closure of Cheeky Taqueria at The Avenue (where Tin Lizzy Cantina is located now). The Taqueria Tsunami group based at the Marietta Square is making plans to convert the old Caribou Coffee location on Johnson Ferry, and recently opened a location in Sandy Springs.

The Taqueria Tsunami group of restaurants also includes Stockyard Burgers and Bones, which is slated to open next spring at The Avenue.

Here’s what the management The Black Swan Tavern says it’s trying to convey with its atmosphere:

“We believe in ‘snugness not smugness’ and want you to feel that this is part of your neighbourhood and after all we all need our ‘local’!”

The hours are 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday and 12:30 p.m.-midnight Sunday. Phone is 678-401-5286.

La Novia Taqueria is open 5:30- 9 p.m. seven days a week, phone 678-903-5858. The Moxie Burger group, which has a second East Cobb location on Shallowford Road and another in Roswell, is also stressing the “neighborhood gathering place” theme, ” . . . a place where families and friends of all ages can eat, drink, visit, and relax together.”

The dinner menu features 10 taco variations, including duck and chorizo, and there are soups, salads, full plates, a children’ menu and a drink menu with a variety of margarita options.

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Georgia State Senate special election runoff features two Democrats

November 8, 2017 2:00 PM by Wendy Parker

A Georgia State Senate seat that includes a small part of East Cobb is heading for a runoff, and two Democrats remain.

Jen Jordan, an Atlanta attorney, got 5,860 votes, or 24 percent, in the special election “jungle” primary in District 6. In the Dec. 5 runoff, she will face Jaha Howard, a Vinings dentist, who got 5,398 votes, or 22 percent.

Their all-Democratic runoff means the Republicans will lose a seat in the Senate. Incumbent Hunter Hill resigned from the long-held GOP seat, which covers some of Cobb, Buckhead and Sandy Springs, to run for governor.

The East Cobb portion of the district includes an area along Powers Ferry Road. In voting in that precinct, Terrell Mill 1 (Eastvalley Elementary School), Howard got 55 votes (52 percent) to 36 for Jordan (34 percent).

There were municipal elections Tuesday in Austell, Kennesaw, Marietta, Powder Springs and Smyrna, and a few of those races will have runoffs.

Those Dec. 5 runoffs will wind down a busy and dramatic election year that featured the nationally-watched 6th Congressional District special election won by Republican Karen Handel over Democrat Jon Ossoff.

Handel strongly carried Republican-heavy East Cobb, getting 58 percent of the vote.

East Cobb voters also elected a new state senator in Kay Kirkpatrick, a Republican and retired orthopedic surgeon, who succeeds Judson Hill. He ran for Congress and is contemplating a bid for Georgia Insurance Commissioner in 2018.

That will be one of many elections on the ballot next year, as statewide and legislative offices will be decided, in addition to Congressional seats and some state and local judgeships.

There will be a contested election for the District 3 Cobb Board of Commissioners seat in Northeast Cobb held by JoAnn Birrell. Tom Cheek, a civic activist who filed a lawsuit last year against Cobb County and filed an ethics complaint against former Chairman Tim Lee over the Atlanta Braves stadium vote, has announced his intention to run in the Republican primary.

Cheek, who resided in West Cobb, recently moved into the District and has set up a campaign website. Birrell, who is in her second term, has had a fundraising event this fall.

Two East Cobb posts on the Cobb Board of Education will also be on the ballot. They are currently held by Republicans Scott Sweeney of Post 6 (Walton and Wheeler high school districts) and David Chastain of Post 4, which includes the Kell and Sprayberry districts.

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EAST COBB REAL ESTATE: Home in new Stone Hall Estates sells for $1.4M

November 8, 2017 2:30 PMNovember 8, 2017 9:30 AM by Wendy Parker

The following deeds for recent residential East Cobb real estate sales were filed with the Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s Office Real Estate Department last week. Among the transfers were a $1.4 million sale of a five-bedroom, six-bathroom home covering 6,397 square feet on Stone Hall Drive, in the new Stone Hall Estates community off Roswell Road, between East Piedmont Road and Old Canton Road.

According to the subdivision’s website, home prices in the 18-home neighborhood, which is still under construction, start at $1.3 million.

The addresses are in Marietta ZIP Codes, unless otherwise indicated:

Oct. 30

428 Indian Hills Trail, 30067, $499,000; Lamarro Ventures, LLC to Joan and Michael Myler

3591 Lassiter Road, 30066, $315,000; Wayne Smith to Daniel and Mary Benjamin

5003 Meadow Lane, 30068, $149,000; Mary Ayewoh to Olga Sakharov

2875 Laureate Court, 30066, $330,000; Patrick Abbott to Joel and Wendy Fox

1426 Waterford Green Drive, 30068; Glenn Wilensky to Paul Hartley, $640,000

1315 Timberland Drive, 30067; Ryan Hunt to Paula Hidalgo and Serge Sautre, $465,000

301 Rolling Rock Road, 30067; Barbara Bryant to John and Tiffany Harran, $640,000

270 Pine Valley Road, 30067; Julie McLean to George and Deborah Judd, $875,000

1850 High Trail, Atlanta 30339; Coe Bockmier to Sirva Relation Credit, LLC, $1,000,000

2300 Salem Drive, 30062; Adrian Bairn to Andrew Talman, $265,000

3010 Waterfront Circle, 30062; Mahlon Gregersen to Ryan Gregersen, $275,000

5201 Tealing Drive, Roswell 30075; Marshall Birbrager to Isak and Mandri De Villiers, $460,000

3924 Dunbarton Way, Roswell 30075; Amy Kline to Katherine Ingram, $381,000

3371 Paxton Court, 30066; Obirazilda Almeida to Oscar Cardena, $215,000

1190 Little Acres Place, 30066; Billie Moyer to Christian Albury and Warda Boughilta, $200,000

2592 Bavaria Court, 30062; Lynn Bodenstein to Rodney Bernot, $220,000

Oct. 31

3609 Longfellow Trail, 30062; John and Dawn Hartert to Chad and Sara Taylor, $330,000

1515 Blackwell Road, 30066; Robert Pierson to Craig Forte, $259,900

4935 Surrey Drive, Roswell 30075; Lisa Goodson to Madeline Rodriguez and Ramses Negron, $240,000

2994 Bonaire Glen, 30066; Eric Lundhagen to Mary and Noel Trusty, $517,000

2309 Leacroft Way, 30062; Eric Anderson to Terrence McGovern, $262,000

1431 Cameron Glen Drive, 30062; Kazuhiro Abe to Elroy and Viomy Bell, $432,000

874 Hyde Road, 30068; Henry Klausman to Changill Won, $679,000

1563 Cloverdale Drive, 30067; JB Red Door LLC to Carol Shepherd, $173,000

2238 Winslow Cottage Circle, 30062; Village Green at East Cobb LLC to Mary and James Muster, $469,700

2794 Staunton Drive, 30067; Philip Maske (trustee) to AJ and Kristin Nardone, $185,000

704 Coventry Township Lane, 30062; Clairece Brown to Johnny Myers, $187,500

2563 Willow Field Crossing, 30067; Oaks at Powers Ferry BFP, LLC to James Holcomb Jr. and Jordan Holcomb, $324,000

3361 Shallowford Green Drive, 30062; Robin McMillen to Roan and Riquette Brown, $336,000

Nov. 1

2829 Colleton Drive, 30066; Betty Gurley to Thomas and Myra Reddick, $240,000

1659 Broussard Way, 30066; Kathleen Kavanaugh to Joshua Abels, $313,000

2604 Sunny Lane, 30067; Timothy O’Rourke and Kathleen Dishman to Michael Mondragon, $182,500

4725 Outlook Way, 30066; Roger Millikan to Eric Martinez, $435,000

4620 Jamerson Forest Parkway, 30066; David Smith to Laura Morris, $221,000

969 Brentwood Drive, 30066; Amanda Newman to Georgette Blay, $244,900

2701 Fernvalley Road, 30066; Peggy Pilgrim to Rudy and Dolores Alvarado, $212,000

4527 Mystique Way, Roswell 30075; Ronald Lee to James and Sandra Findlay, $740,000

2815 Stone Hall Drive, 30062; AM & S Enterprises Inc. to Michael and Karen Sileck, $1,413,148

1321 Merrifield Lane, 30062; Andrew Ward to Gregory Brennan and Amanda Wolfe, $361,500

1884 Dior Drive, 30062; BRS Better Neighborhoods Inc. to Linet Montalvan, $237,000

East Cobb senior living home worker indicted for death of resident

November 8, 2017 2:31 PMNovember 8, 2017 6:20 AM by Wendy Parker

A Cobb County grand jury has returned murder and other indictments against a Powder Springs man charged with the death of a resident of an East Cobb senior living home.

Landon Jean Pierre Terrel was arrested in August after Adam Bennett, 91, died after being found badly beaten at the Sunrise of East Cobb facility (1551 Johnson Ferry Road.)

According to media reports, Bennett suffered broken ribs, a lacerated kidney and a punctured lung. He died after being taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, and Terrel was later charged with felony murder and aggravated battery.

The indictments against Terrel, which were posted late last week by the Cobb District Attorney’s Office, include felony murder, elder neglect and elder abuse.

Terrell is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

Other East Cobb-related indictments from last week include the following:

David Sutton Meredith, of Autumn Leaves Lane, 4 counts of child molestation and aggravated child molestation (held without bond);
John Joseph Geng Jr., of Water Wheel Court, 2 counts of methamphetamine or amphetamine trafficking, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (held without bond).

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 woman shot and killed by police after making threats

November 23, 2018 4:20 PMNovember 7, 2017 5:15 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb woman shot by police — *Cobb Police blocked access to Robin Hood Lane after an officer-involved shooting of a woman who later died. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)*

Cobb Police said Tuesday afternoon that three officers shot a woman at her East Cobb home after she threatened them while they responded to a suicide call.

The woman, whom police said made an “overt action” with a handgun toward the officers, was transported to WellStar Kennestone Hospital and later died.

Cobb Police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce said the woman’s name has not been released and that an investigation will be conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is customary in an officer-involved shooting.

Pierce said the Cobb emergency communications center received a 911 call at 12:22 p.m. Tuesday for a home on Robin Hood Place, located off Hood Road and near Roswell Road. He said the call was due to suicide threats.

Four officers arrived at the home and found a 32-year-old woman inside, according to Pierce.

He said the woman left through the front door and returned inside, “and at one point made an overt action” with a handgun, threatening the officers. Three of the four officers then shot her, Pierce said.

The officers were not injured, and Pierce would not elaborate on the woman’s threatening action, saying that’s part of the GBI investigation.

Pierce said the woman’s three-year-old daughter was unharmed, and was with a family member at the time of the incident.

Pierce said this was not the first time police have been called to the home for similar reasons. “We have been at this residence before,” he said. “There’s a history here.”

He didn’t immediately have the dates of those previous incidents.

There was a heavy police presence on Robin Hood Lane.

Pierce said that in addition to the GBI, the Cobb internal affairs division is also investigating the shooting.

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 Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service emphasizes youth community service

November 7, 2017 10:59 AM by Wendy Parker

Community service has always been a strong component of the East Cobb Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service held at Temple Kol Emeth.

This year, it’s the featured theme, especially as it pertains to youth, when this year’s service takes place next Thursday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. Kol Emeth is located at 1415 Old Canton Road.

“Dare to Do!” is the theme of the 13th annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service, which will include a special interfaith effort involving Center for Children and Young Adults, a non–profit agency in Marietta providing services for homeless, abused, neglected and at-risk youth.

More than a dozen faith communities in and around East Cobb will take part in the service, which includes music, reflections and post-service fellowship, refreshments and writing on the “Wall of Words.”

The service is free and open to the public, and attendees are asked to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to MUST Ministries.

Carpooling also is encouraged, and overflow parking will be available across the street from Kol Emeth at Eastminster Presbyterian Church (3125 Sewell Mill Road).

The following faith communities will be taking part:

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
The Art of Living Foundation
Baha’i Faith Center for Learning
East Cobb Islamic Center
East Cobb United Methodist Church
Emerson Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Interfaith Community Initiatives
Islamic Center of Marietta (Al-Hedaya)
Temple Kol Emeth
Masjid Al-Muminum
Pilgrimage United Church of Christ
Roswell Community Masjid
Sikh Educational Welfare Association
Gurudwara Sahib
St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Transfiguration Catholic Church
Unity North Atlanta Church

Northeast Cobb residential proposals highlight Planning Commission agenda

November 8, 2017 2:45 PMNovember 6, 2017 1:03 PM by Wendy Parker

Wigley Road rezoning, Northeast Cobb residential proposals — *An old farm-style house on Wigley Road. (East Cobb News file photo)*

Last week we wrote about two rezoning applications for Northeast Cobb residential proposals that go to the heart of density disputes.

Those two items are part of a larger agenda to be heard by the Cobb Planning Commission Tuesday that includes other similar applications in the area.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the 2nd floor boardroom of the Cobb BOC Building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta.

The Cobb zoning staff is recommending denial of a proposal to squeeze nearly three single-family units an acre, or 51 homes in all, on 26 acres on Keheley Drive, near Keheley Road and Keheley Elementary School.

That case, Z-74 (agenda item packet), is being opposed by nearby residents, who live in lower-density homes.

The zoning staff initially recommended denial of Z-71 (agenda item packet), which would rezone 13 office and low-density residential acres for higher-density residential for a 45-unit subdivision on Hilltop Drive and Hilltop Circle, off Canton Road.

The rezoning would allow for nearly three and a half units an acre, a density staff said would not be suitable, since lower-density housing surrounds the land. Homes in the adjoining Addison Heights neighborhood are zoned for only 1.5 units an acre.

A number of variances would also be required, as would improvements to Hilltop Drive and Hilltop Circle, which are both described in the staff analysis as “substandard” streets.

However, that case has been continued to December.

Two parcels of land once belonging to the Wigley family in and around Sweat Mountain were scheduled to be heard Tuesday, but one of them, Z-56 (agenda item packet), also is being delayed to December.

That application would rezone 55 acres of undeveloped land plus an old Wigley family home on either side of Wigley Road, north of Summitop Drive, for a single-family subdivision with more than 80 homes. This is the third time the application is being continued.

A nearby application, Z-69 (agenda item packet), would rezone 12 acres at Wigley Road and Jims Drive for 19 homes, and zoning staff is recommending approval with numerous conditions.

The following East Cobb items are included in the Other Business category and will be heard by the Cobb Board of Commissioners Nov. 21:

OB-55, by Feroz Ali, a revised site plan for vacant property at 1445 Powers Ferry Road to redevelop a gas station and convenience store adjacent to the Valencia Hills condominium community;
OB-57, by St. Clair Holdings, a site plan amendment for 12 high-density residential lots at 1149 Woodlawn Drive, in the Woodlawn Commons neighborhood.

Another major East Cobb zoning case that had been scheduled for November will be heard next month. That’s for the proposed Terrell Mill Towne Center at Terrell Mill and Powers Ferry that will include a Kroger supermarket anchoring shops, restaurants and residential units.

That application goes before the planning commission Dec. 5.

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 schools closed Tuesday for local elections, special State Senate race

November 8, 2017 2:33 PMNovember 6, 2017 11:50 AM by Wendy Parker

Because of Tuesday’s elections, Cobb schools will be closed for classroom and other extracurricular events.

The Cobb County School District calls this a “student holiday,” and it will also be a professional learning day for teachers and staff.

Municipal elections are taking place across Georgia, including Marietta (whose schools will be open) and other Cobb cities.

There also is a special election being decided on Tuesday to fill a Georgia State Senate seat that includes a small portion of East Cobb. Here is a sample ballot for that race, which includes five Republicans and three Democrats.

A portion of the Powers Ferry Road corridor, below Terrell Mill Road, is located in the State Senate 6 district. That seat has been vacated by Hunter Hill, who is running for Georgia governor.

The candidates are Republicans Leah Aldridge, Matt Bentley, Kathy Eichenblatt, Charlie Fiveash and Leo Smith and Democrats Jaha Howard, Jen Jordan and Taos Wynn.

The district (map) includes most of Smyrna and the Cumberland area of Cobb and portions of Buckhead and Sandy Springs.

East Cobb’s Eastvalley Elementary School (2570 Lower Roswell Road), will serve as a polling station in the Terrell Mill 1 precinct for the state senate race. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Turnout is expected to be light.

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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