Wendy Parker

Editor/publisher, East Cobb News, hyperlocal site serving the East Cobb community of metro Atlanta with 24/7 news, events and information.

East Cobb weather returns to sunny, warm conditions after Irma

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Little Willeo Road near Johnson Ferry Road, East Cobb weather
Crews work on a power line on Little Willeo Road near Johnson Ferry Road Tuesday afternoon. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

As work crews repaired power lines and cleared tree and other debris from roads Tuesday, East Cobb started to return to normal after riding out Tropical Storm Irma. Although partly cloudy skies and some rain are expected Wednesday, by the end of the week East Cobb weather will pick up where it left off before Monday’s storm.

Cobb County was spared the worst of the powerful storm’s damage that has crippled much of Georgia and other parts of metro Atlanta.

Cobb EMC reported no power outages as of late Tuesday afternoon, while several hundred Cobb customers of Georgia Power, mostly in South Cobb, were still without electricity.

Cobb officials said fewer than 100 trees were reported down throughout the county, and no major roads or streets were closed as a result of that or other damage.

Little Willeo Road 9.12.17, East Cobb weather
An AT & T service truck flashing caution lights to passing motorists on Little Willeo Road on a rainy Tuesday afternoon. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

The Cobb County School District is the only major school system to return to classes Wednesday (East Cobb News post here), as sizable areas of metro Atlanta remain without power and have road hazards.

There are still plenty of minor branches and light debris scattered about East Cobb. In addition to electric crews, trucks from AT & T, Comcast and other utility companies were repairing lines, cables and other connection points that experienced lost service.

Irma carried sustained winds of more than 30 mph in many places around metro Atlanta, and gusts in some cases exceeding 50 mph, but those winds never got as strong in Cobb.

In nearby Sandy Springs, wind damage knocked down trees along many major roads, and a falling tree killed a man sleeping in his home. Motorists were advised not to travel to Sandy Springs from East Cobb via those affected areas (East Cobb News post here).

As Cobb students return to classes and business fully open on Wednesday, the rain will gradually dissipate and warmer temperatures will return. A 30 percent chance of showers is forecast for East Cobb, mainly in the afternoon, along with partly sunny skies. The high temperature should be around 75 (here’s the 7-day local forecast by the National Weather Service).

Thursday also is expected to be party sunny, with a high near 79, and Friday will be mostly sunny with temperatures in the low 80s.

By the weekend, with the East Cobber Parade & Festival on Saturday and the East Cobb Garden Tour and a Sunday Funday event at East Cobb Park on Sunday, mostly sunny skies are forecast and temperatures will be in the mid-80s.

Cobb schools resume classes on Wednesday

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Shortly after 3:30 p.m. today, the Cobb County School District announced that all classes and operations will return Wednesday to their normal schedules. Cobb schools resume classes after being closed Monday and Tuesday due to Tropical Storm Irma.

Some schools have had to reschedule their administering of the Iowa Basic Skills Test, which was to have started on Monday. Cobb County School District logo

East Cobb Middle School has announced that the start of the IBST period will be Thursday; we’ll add more details about other East Cobb schools and their new testing periods as we get them. Please send an e-mail to editor@eastcobbnews.com if you have information to add here.

There’s no word yet on how the weather days on Monday or Tuesday may be made up; Cobb schools will be having their annual fall break from Sept. Sept. 25-29.

Cobb made it through Irma in much better shape than surrounding areas of metro Atlanta, some of which are still without electricity. Atlanta, DeKalb, Clayton, Fulton, Gwinnett and Henry are among the school districts that will will remain closed tomorrow.

As of late Tuesday afternoon, nearly half of all DeKalb school buildings still had no power, and in many parts of the metro area work crews were still clearing roads of trees, power line and other debris.

Two killed in Lower Roswell Road accident early Tuesday morning

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Two people were killed in a one-car accident off Lower Roswell Road in East Cobb early Tuesday morning, according to Cobb Police.Lower Roswell Road at Asheforde Drive, East Cobb fatal accident

The victims, both males, died when the white Dodge Challenger in which they were riding slammed into a stone wall at the entrance to the Gold Branch Trail of of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area shortly after midnight and caught fire.

Police said the men were pronounced dead at the scene, and that the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office was working to identify them.

Police said the vehicle was traveling on Lower Roswell Road near Asheforde Drive when the driver apparently lost control.

In addition to the roads being wet, police said the vehicle apparently was exceeding the posted 40 mph speed limit.

Anyone with information about the accident should call Cobb Police at 770-499-3987.

Cobb cleans up after Irma; travel alert issued for Sandy Springs

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Johnson Ferry Road at Princeton Lakes Drive
A northbound view of Johnson Ferry Road at Princeton Lakes Drive, at 11 a.m. Tuesday. (Georgia 511 photo)

Cobb County got plenty of rain and high winds and power outages on Monday as Tropical Storm Irma engulfed metro Atlanta and Georgia, but it could have been a lot worse.

Cobb schools and government remain closed today as the cleanup continues following the passage of the large storm, which has been downgraded to a tropical depression.

Two people died in metro Atlanta and more than 1.5 million customers in Georgia lost power during Irma, whose arrival prompted a statewide declaration of a state of emergency.

Some motorists are out on the roads and some businesses are open today, but local and state officials are warning of downed trees and power lines, debris and standing water.

Compared to other communities in metro Atlanta, Cobb dodged the worst of Irma. As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, Georgia Power reported around 50 power outages in the county remaining (after several thousand initially), compared to several hundred in Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Clayton (here’s more).

Georgia Power outage map
In this Georgia Power outage map as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, the red colors indicate power outages between 5k-15k, orange 500-5k and green under 500.

Cobb EMC reported late Monday evening that fewer than 200 customers were without power, but hasn’t updated that figure this morning.

Many of the dozens of roads in Atlanta, Fulton County, DeKalb and elsewhere that closed Monday still hadn’t reopened as of late Tuesday morning. Cobb DOT as yet hasn’t identified any road closures but all major East Cobb thoroughfares are open; we’ll be getting out soon to take a look around.

Also hard-hit in Monday’s storm was Sandy Springs, adjacent to East Cobb, where a man died when a tree fell on his house while he was sleeping.

Several major roads in Sandy Springs remain closed this morning, and Cobb officials urged motorists who may be headed there to seek alternative routes.

Trees were reported down on Johnson Ferry Road in Sandy Springs, not far from the Chattahoochee River and the border with East Cobb. Here’s the advisory sent out by Cobb government this morning:

“The City of Sandy Springs is asking all motorists to stay off the roads on Tuesday. Georgia Power is not able to begin repairs on any down power lines until Tuesday morning.

“Sandy Springs has more than 30 roads impacted by down power lines. Of those, ten roads are major connections for residents throughout the metro area as part of their daily commute including: Spalding Drive, Riverside Drive, Johnson Ferry Road, Powers Ferry Road, Lake Forrest, Northside Drive, High Point Road and Glenridge Road.

“There is no timeline on when to expect roads to reopen. The City has closed its offices on Tuesday and encourages other businesses within the city to do the same.”

And as we noted here yesterday, the Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting scheduled for today, including the final public hearing and adoption of the fiscal year 2018 budget and passage of the Cobb 2040 Comprehensive Plan has been postponed to Sept. 22.

How did you fare during the storm? Let us know! Send your news, including photos if you have them, to: editor@eastcobbnews.com.

We’ll post another update later today after we take a drive around the community.

Vote on Cobb County budget, other commission meetings delayed due to weather

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A final public hearing and vote on the fiscal year 2018 Cobb County government budget was scheduled to take place on Tuesday but is being put on hold because of Tropical Storm Irma.

Cobb government offices are closed Monday and Tuesday (East Cobb News coverage here) due to severe weather.

Shortly after 12 p.m. on Monday, Cobb government announced that Tuesday’s regularly scheduled Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting was being rescheduled for Friday, Sept. 22, at 10 a.m.

Cobb commission chairman Mike Boyce
Cobb commission chairman Mike Boyce.

At that meeting, commissioners will conduct a final public hearing on the budget and vote on final approval. Chairman Mike Boyce is recommending an $890 million spending package, with $405 million coming from the general fund, and no millage rate increases (East Cobb News coverage here and here).

The Sept. 22 meeting also will include a vote on the Cobb 2040 Comprehensive Plan, a road map for suggested future land use and other long-term community growth and development strategies to be submitted to the Atlanta Regional Commission.

The commission’s agenda work session that was to have taken place Monday morning has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 3 p.m., following the commission’s monthly zoning hearing (which starts at 9 a.m.)

The commission’s work session also slated for today will take place instead on Monday, Sept. 25, at 1:30 p.m., and will feature additional budget presentations.

All of the board’s meetings will take place in the second floor boardroom of the Cobb BOC Building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta.

East Cobb motorists stay off roads as Tropical Storm Irma arrives

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Johnson Ferry and Roswell Road, East Cobb motorists
The intersection of Johnson Ferry Road and Roswell Road, one of East Cobb’s busiest, shortly after 10 a.m. Monday. (Georgia 511 camera photos)

The typical morning rush hour was anything but on Monday, as East Cobb motorists heeded the warnings of Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and other officials to stay off the roads as Tropical Storm Irma pushed into metro Atlanta.

With schools and government offices closed (previous East Cobb News coverage here), as well as a growing number of businesses, what normally would be traffic bottlenecks around East Cobb took on the appearance of lonely stretches of backwater roads.

For most of Monday morning, moderate to heavy rain from Irma engulfed the entire state of Georgia, although the center of the storm was passing through central Alabama.

(At 10:40 a.m. Monday, Cobb County government announced all offices and services, including courts and libraries, would be closed on Tuesday.)

The rain began overnight, along with winds around 15-20 mph, but they were expected to pick up substantially into Monday afternoon. Up to 5-7 inches of rain are being forecast by the National Weather Service throughout the metro area into Monday evening, and sustained winds of 35-40 mph and gusts possibly surpassing 60 mph.

Because of the low temperatures—in the mid-to-high 50s late Monday morning—the likelihood of tornado weather has been drastically reduced.

Powers Ferry Road at Windy Hill Road, East Cobb motorists, Tropical Storm Irma
Powers Ferry Road at Windy Hill Road.

Deal declared a statewide state of emergency on Sunday afternoon, and tropical storm warnings issued by the National Weather Service on Saturday were to continue indefinitely.

Cobb, metro Atlanta and most of Georgia also remain under a flash flood watch until early Tuesday. The potential wind damage to trees and power lines, as well as debris and glass falling from buildings, has prompted some rare actions. MARTA bus and rail service has been suspended for Monday. As of 11 a.m. Monday the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remains open, although hundreds of flights have already been cancelled.

Roswell Road at 120 Loop
Roswell Road at the 120 Loop.

After tearing through Florida on Sunday, Hurricane Irma entered south Georgia Sunday night as a Category 2 storm, and was expected to be downgraded to Category 1 and tropical storm status as it traveled north.

But the power of the storm has caused plenty of serious damage to Georgia already. State emergency officials and law enforcement agencies have been reporting big trees and power lines being down in roadways, and damage from buildings and other debris endangering motorists, pedestrians and emergency crews.

By mid-morning Monday, those reports included locations in the metro Atlanta area.

Hundreds of thousands of Georgians are already without electricity, and those numbers figure to skyrocket as the effects of Irma move through the state and into Alabama and western Tennessee by Monday evening.

Georgia citizens are being urged to stay where they are for the remainder of Monday. However, Georgia DOT is advising that “if you are out and about and come to a traffic light out—treat as four way stop.”

Terrell Mill Road at Paper Mill Road
Terrell Mill Road at Paper Mill Road.

Cobb residents are being urged to acquaint themselves with safety information provided by the Cobb Emergency Management Agency. The basics include having flashlights, batteries, fully-charged cell phones, mobile devices and portable radios ready, along with procedures for moving to a safer part of a home or other building if necessary.

To prevent against being injured by falling trees, broken glass or other debris from high winds, move to a room without windows.

You can track CEMA updates here.

If you lose power, know the emergency phone number and procedures for contacting for your service provider.

Georgia Power is asking customers to report outages at its outage information link. (At 11:30 a.m., Georgia Power reported that about 330,000 customers statewide were without power, including around 85,000 in metro Atlanta, numbers that were “growing fast.”)

If you are a Cobb EMC member, report outages on its free app or call. 770-429-2100. Do not report outages to its social media channels.

Sandy Plains at Shallowford Road
Sandy Plains at Shallowford Road.

Cobb braces for Irma with heavy rain, high winds; school closed Mon. & Tues.

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    Cobb braces for IrmaNational Weather Service projection as of 11 a.m. Sunday.

It may not seem like it today, but East Cobb, metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia are about to get major tropical storm weather.

On Sunday it’s been beautiful, with sunny skies and temperatures rising to the low 70s, and humidity levels around 40 percent. But those conditions will change dramatically on Monday.

Late Saturday night, the National Weather Service in Peachtree City issued a tropical storm warning for the metro Atlanta area that is expected to last until early Tuesday.

The NWS is forecasting heavy rains and high winds as what’s left of Hurricane Irma pushes into Georgia, after the powerful Category 4 storm made landfall in south Florida Sunday morning.

Shortly before 1 p.m. on Sunday, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for the entire state, and said state government offices will be closed on Monday and Tuesday. Many local governments and school districts quickly followed suit.

Tropical storm conditions are expected all day Monday in Cobb and metro Atlanta, with between 1-2 inches of rain possible (and likely more), as well as winds possibly gusting to 55 mph and even higher.NWS Atlanta Irma rainfall

The possibility of flash flooding is also in the forecast, and already some metro Atlanta school districts and colleges, including Kennesaw State University, have cancelled all classes and activities. A flash flood watch is in effect for Cobb until 8 a.m. Tuesday.

UPDATED: Cobb County School District officials announced at 1:40 p.m. Sunday that there will be no school on Monday or Tuesday; all other activities also will be cancelled on those days and the school system’s main offices will be closed as well.

UPDATED, 7 PM SUNDAY: Cobb County government offices will be closed on Monday. Libraries also will be closed, and the Cobb Board of Commissioners work session scheduled for Monday has been cancelled.

In a Facebook message to Cobb school parents Saturday night, deputy superintendent John Adams said the district was considering possible power outage concerns as well as rain and wind conditions affecting travel.

Atlanta Irma wind speed
National Weather Service rainfall and windspeed estimate maps as of 1 p.m. Sunday.

“We are also interested to see if the Governor expands the State of Emergency to include metro Atlanta. Rest assured that we will always err on the side of student safety and will seek to make a decision about school on Monday as soon as reasonably possible.”

On Friday, the CCSD issued a message urging parents to visit its website homepage for updates, and to refer to the school system’s inclement weather page for details.

Already some brisk winds are whipping up in the East Cobb area. By early Sunday afternoon, the winds were reported at around 15 mph, and they’re expected to get even stronger as tropical storm-like weather approaches north Georgia.

The rain in metro Atlanta is expected to arrive overnight, with thunderstorms most likely after 7 a.m. Temperatures are expected to be only in the mid 60s, but the chance of precipitation is 100 percent.

On Monday night, tropical storm conditions are expected to continue, with more showers and the possibility of thunderstorms. The low temperature is expected to drop to 60.

On early Tuesday morning, as the tropical storm warning is projected to end, more showers are in the forecast, with highs in the high 60s. Winds between 15-20 mph could gust to 30 mph, and the chance of rain is 80 percent.

Over the weekend, Cobb County government urged residents to take safety measures and provided a page with emergency links and other related information.

East Cobb pipeline installation finalized as project nears completion

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East Cobb Pipeline Project
Lower Roswell Road near the Sope Creek Bridge was the last area for the East Cobb Pipeline Project water main to be installed. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

The new 54-inch water main along a 6.1-mile stretch of Lower Roswell Road and Terrell Mill Road has been put in place. But the East Cobb Pipeline Project isn’t quite finished.

Post-installation work continues and will conclude with repaving. The $47 million project, which began two years ago, will still involve some traffic disruption in the coming weeks. More about what’s ahead from Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott, who sent out this message on Friday:

Over the next several weeks, the East Cobb Pipeline project will come to a close. Commuters will continue to see crews on site performing final backfill, testing, paving and cleanup activities with single lane closures decreasing in frequency. By the end of this week, the entire pipeline will be filled with water for pressure testing the week of 9/11 while other crews continue to prepare the road for repaving. During the week of  Sept. 18, disinfection of the pipeline will take place, as well as possible paving from Sope Creek to Lindsey Road, depending on weather and progress. After testing and commissioning of the pipeline, final resurfacing will take place by Cobb County Department of Transportation. For questions or concerns, please call the project hotline at 770-514-5301. 

Walton, East Cobb ACT scores top record Cobb results

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Walton High School, East Cobb ACT scores

East Cobb ACT scores represented the four highest Cobb County school-wide composite figures for 2017, led by Walton High School.

ACT results were released Friday by the Cobb County School District. Walton’s composite score of 27 (out of a possible 36), led the way for all 16 high schools in Cobb, followed by East Cobb neighbors Pope (25.6), Wheeler (25.1) and Lassiter (25.0.)

Cobb’s composite score of 22.9 is a record for the district, and for 2017 it is four points higher than the national ACT composite and 1.5 points above the Georgia composite (full Cobb release).

The other two East Cobb high schools posted composite scores just below the Cobb average: Kell (21.6) and Sprayberry (21.0). The 2017 scores for all six East Cobb high schools represented increases from 2106, according to data released by the CCSD.

The ACT, a major barometer for college admissions and merit scholarships, is taken by high school students and consists of four subject-area sections (English, math, reading and science). A total of 7,800 Cobb graduating seniors took the ACT in 2017, about 54 percent of the high school enrollment.

Ten individual students recorded perfect ACT scores, including five from Walton and one each from Lassiter and Wheeler.

“These scores are just one indication of the quality of public education in the Cobb County School District and underscore our mission of One Team, One Goal: Student Success,” Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale said in a statement Friday. “The credit for the results goes to our hard-working students and dedicated teachers and administrators.”

Wheeler’s score of 25.1 represents the biggest gain in the CCSD from 2016, a full point higher than a year ago. Principal Peter Giles said in a statement that the school in recent years began giving freshmen pre-ACT tests to prepare them for their senior exam.

“This gives students exposure to the format of the ACT,” Giles said, “while showing students that they are not limited to the SAT.”

Here’s how many East Cobb high school students took the ACT, school-by-school:

  • Kell: 214 students tested (62.6% of all seniors): 21.6 composite score;
  • Lassiter: 363 students tested (72.2%): 25.0;
  • Pope: 334 students tested (69.4%): 25.6;
  • Sprayberry: 164 students test (40.3%): 21.0;
  • Walton: 483 students tested (74.9%): 27.0;
  • Wheeler: 221 students tested (48.6%): 25.0.

More information on the Cobb ACT results can be found here.

St. Ann Catholic Church to hold Cobb emergency preparedness training sessions

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As hurricane season season continues (and with the looming possibility of Hurricane Irma taking an inland path into Georgia and metro Atlanta), the Cobb Emergency Management Agency is reminding citizens of upcoming Cobb emergency preparedness training sessions.Community Emergency Response Team

The latest round of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training was slated as part of  National Preparedness Month in September, and one of those three-week sessions starts Saturday at the Catholic Church of St. Ann (4905 Roswell Road).

The all-day training sessions last from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 9, 16 and 23, and covers all aspects of basic disaster preparation and response skills to emergencies at home, work or elsewhere. The sessions are free and open to the public, but registration is required.

“Being prepared for emergencies can literally mean the difference between life and death for many people,” Cobb Emergency Management Agency Director Cassie Mazloom said. “If nothing else, planning ahead can help reduce the problems that arise with a crisis and can make the event more bearable.”

Those completing the full course will receive certificate be issued by the Cobb Emergency Management Agency.

Contact Linda Walsh at 770-552-6400 ext. 6019 or LwalshRN@st-ann.org for more information and registration.

Here’s more about Cobb CERT.

East Cobb bank robbery prompts lockdown of Wheeler High, East Cobb Middle School

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Fifth Third Bank Kroger Roswell Road, East Cobb bank robbery
Surveillance photos provided by Cobb Police Department.

An East Cobb bank robbery Thursday morning resulted in the short lockdown of two nearby schools as police pursued a suspect.

According to the Cobb County School District, the exterior doors to Wheeler High School and East Cobb Middle School were locked for about 15 minutes after Cobb Police began investigating the robbery at the Fifth Third Bank location inside a Kroger supermarket at 2100 Roswell Road.

The schools are located across the street from one another on Holt Road and 1.3 miles from the Kroger at the Pavilions at East Lake Shopping Center at Roswell and Robinson roads.

Police said the robbery took place shortly after 10 a.m., when a man walked into the bank and demanded money from a teller.

According to police, the suspect never showed a weapon and left the bank with cash on foot, through the shopping center parking lot, and possibly in the direction of Wheeler.

The suspect remained at large late Thursday afternoon. According to a CCSD statement, the lockdown was “done out of an abundance of caution” at the request of Cobb Police.

“There was never any threat at either school and both schools continued with instruction as normal,” the CCSD statement continued. “Student and staff movement within the building was never restricted.”

Cobb Police described the suspect as an Asian male, around six feet tall, with a husky build. He’s believed to be between 30-40 years old, and was last seen wearing a black hoodie, a black Washington Nationals baseball cap and jeans.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Cobb Police at 770-499-3945.

EAST COBB WEEKEND: Summer-to-fall events, emergency training & more

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Fall is just about here, and not just because of the dropping (and very pleasant!) temperatures we’ve enjoyed in East Cobb this weekend. That in-between summer and fall feeling is also evident in this weekend’s local events calendar: Kip Rogers, The Art Place-Mountain View

  • The finale of the 2017 Summer Stars Concert Series takes place Saturday at The Art Place-Mountain View (3330 Sandy Plains Road), featuring local musician Kip Rogers. “In Season” will feature some of his mellow, lyrical tunes, perfect for-season changing relaxation. Doors open at 7; the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Lawn seating is free, and tables of 8 cost $40;
  • If you prefer mellow relaxation of another kind, the East Cobb-based Atlanta Parrot Head Club is throwing a Jimmy Buffett tailgate party from 12:30-5:30 p.m. Saturday at Red Hare Brewing (1880 Delk Industrial Blvd.), in part to celebrate the enactment of a new Georgia craft beer law. Admission is free, and there will be live music (albeit not Buffett, brew and BBQ for purchase;
  • Visit our events calendar for more live music options, including regularly scheduled sessions at selected East Cobb restaurants and taverns;
  • With hurricane season upon us (and coastal Georgia under evacuation orders), the Cobb Emergency Management Agency is offering certified emergency training for citizens around the county, including at East Cobb’s Catholic Church of St. Ann on Saturday. It’s an all-day commitment, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and continues Sept. 16 and Sept. 23. Call the church at 770-552-6400 ext. 6019 for more information;
  • Another weekend-ish event that actually takes place on Monday is an author event at The Book Exchange (2932 Canton Road), and featuring Amber Brock, author of “A Fine Imitation.” It begins at 6 p.m. and refreshments follow;
  • There’s a light schedule on the high school football front, with Lassiter, Walton and Wheeler all enjoying a bye week. Two teams have home games: Sprayberry vs. Campbell and Pope vs. Johns Creek. Kell visits Rome, and all three East Cobb teams in action Friday are trying to bounce back from losses.

Cobb sheriff to hold gun safety class at East Cobb Senior Center

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Submitted by Cobb County Government:Cobb sheriff

Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren is offering firearms safety and education classes. The program will include discussions on gun safety and storage, gun types, choosing the right gun for you, gun ownership and transfer laws, use of force, firearm alternatives, Georgia weapons license, active shooter situations and answering questions from class participants. Each participant will also receive one free safety gun lock. The programs is free to attend and there is no need to register. The next class will be:

  • 6 p.m., Sept. 14
    East Cobb Senior Center, 3332 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta

For more information, email Glenn.Daniel@cobbcounty.org.

Atlanta Parrot Head Club event to celebrate new craft beer law

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Atlanta Parrot Head Club
Atlanta Parrot Head Club members at the 2016 Jimmy Buffett Tailgate party.

Members of the East Cobb-based Atlanta Parrot Head Club like to say they don’t need a reason to relax at local watering holes and enjoy the sounds of Jimmy Buffett and related musical acts.

But this Saturday, they really have a good reason to throw a public party and that’s just what they’ve decided to do.

They’re staging what they’re calling a Jimmy Buffet tailgating event at Red Hare Brewing (1998 Delk Industrial Blvd.) in part to mark the recent enactment of SB 85, also known as the Georgia craft beer law.

That law, which passed the Georgia legislature earlier this year after several years of industry lobbying, went into effect Sept. 1. It allows establishments that brew their own beer to make limited direct sales to the public.

As the Atlanta Parrot Head Club notes, “nor do [patrons] have to have a wrist band checked off off or exchange tickets for drinks. They will be able to pay for individual drinks—much like going to a bar—and they will be able to buy a limited amount of six packs, growlers, etc. to go.”

According to the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild, Red Hare is one of two Cobb craft breweries, and there are about three dozen across Georgia. The other Cobb craft brew business is Ironmonger Brewery, located just across from Red Hare on Delk Road (2129 Northwest Parkway).

The Atlanta Parrot Head Club event Saturday takes place from 12:30 p.m.—5:30 p.m. and admission is free. The Tiki Brothers Band, whose playlist includes Jimmy Buffett and rock classics, will play from 1-5, and Carne 250 Texas BBQ products will be sold.

The club, which describes itself as “a Jimmy Buffett fan club with a community service problem,” participates in several community service events throughout the year, including next Saturday’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s run at Kennesaw State University.

The next monthly gathering of the Atlanta Parrot Head Club is Sept. 21 on the patio of The Wing Café and Tap House (2145 Roswell Road) where it meets the third Thursday of each month.

Renamed Cobb Chamber golf tournament slated for Indian Hills CC

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Cobb Chamber of Commerce

The Cobb Chamber of Commerce has announced that its annual fundraising golf tournament will return to East Cobb’s Indian Hills Country Club next month, and under a new name.

The Cobb Chamber/Taylor English Classic will take place Oct. 23, with a cost of $265 for individuals or $1,000 for a foursome (click the link for more information, including registration). The proceeds will go to the Cobb Chamber Foundation to fund leadership training, education programs, building maintenance and equipment needs.

The name change reflects the title sponsor, Taylor English Duma LLP, an East Cobb-area law firm located off Powers Ferry Road near Windy Ridge Parkway.

More delays sought for major East Cobb rezoning cases

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When the Cobb Planning Commission meets Thursday morning, two of the most notable cases on the docket may not be heard at all.

That’s because of continued delays in those proposals for major retail, shopping and restaurant developments in East Cobb.

The Planning Commission meeting starts at 9 a.m. in the second floor board room of the Cobb BOC Building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta.

One of those East Cobb proposals, to redevelop the northwest corner of Powers Ferry Road at Terrell Mill Road, is definitely being continued to October. That’s Z-012-2017, submitted by SSP Blue Ridge LLC, and calling for a mixed-use complex covering 21 acres, anchored by a Kroger supermarket.

The case has been rescheduled to be heard by the Planning Commission on Oct. 3.

The site of the former Mountain View Elementary School also is being proposed for a new center to include restaurants, shops, banking and grocery options on 13 acres of the east side of Sandy Plains Road, just south of Shallowford Road.

Old Mountain View Elementary School
Plans to redevelop the former Mountain View Elementary School site include seven buildings and 103,100 total square feet. Click to see larger map.

That case, Z-053-2017, is included in the regular agenda to be taken up by the Planning Commission, but it may be continued. The Cobb zoning staff has offered full comments and a recommendation of approval with conditions.

But at last week’s East Cobb Civic Association meeting (previous East Cobb News coverage here), members were notified that the applicant, Brooks Chadwick Capital, LLC, has asked for an extension to continue working with the community.

Another application by SSP Blue Ridge that was on Wednesday’s agenda also has been continued to October. That’s SLUP-008-2017, a special land use permit request near the Powers Ferry-Terrell Mill proposal to build a self-serve storage facility on an acre along Terrell Mill Road (the land is currently zoned for residential use).

Another proposal for a storage facility in the Canton Road corridor is on the Thursday agenda.

Z-050-2017, by Storage Development Group, would allow for a 760-unit facility on 3.39 acres on the west side of Canton Road, north of Sylvan Drive (staff recommends approval with conditions). Rezoning would be from Offices Services (OS) to Neighborhood Retail Commercial (NRC). The applicant also is seeking a land-use permit (LUP-010-2017) for the site (staff recommends approval with conditions).

As was noted here last week, on Sept. 19, at their monthly zoning hearing, the Cobb Board of Commissioners will consider a site plan amendment that would allow for Taqueria Tsunami resturant to be built at the former Caribou Coffee/Einstein Bros. Bagel site on Johnson Ferry Road, below Merchants Walk (previous East Cobb News coverage here).

At that meeting, the commissioners also will consider a continued application by Lidl Grocery (OB-016-2017) to redevelop the Park 12 Cinema on Gordy Parkway that has generated community opposition. The case has been continued since May.

Ott opposes raising millage rate to close $21M Cobb budget gap

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This shouldn’t come as a surprise: Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott is opposed to raising the millage rate to balance the fiscal year 2018 Cobb County budget.

Bob Ott
Commissioner Bob Ott at his East Cobb Library town hall meeting in August. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

With commissioners scheduled to adopt a budget next Thursday, Ott sent out a lengthy message right before the Labor Day holiday weekend explaining why he would not support a rise in the property tax millage rate to cover an estimated $21 million shortfall.

Commission chairman Mike Boyce has proposed an $890 million spending package (PDF here) that includes using contingency funding to close the entire deficit gap.

In July, Ott helped foil Boyce’s plan to raise the millage rate to fully fund the $40 million 2008 Cobb Parks referendum (East Cobb News coverage here).

The proposed FY 2018 budget would be balanced by using reserve funding from the following sources:

  • $10.4 million from the reserve for a county employees pay and classification implementation study;
  • $5.7 million from the county Title Ad Valorem Tax Reserve;
  • $5.3 million from the county economic development contingency.

Ott, who’s been vigorously opposed to property tax increases in general, said he can’t support raising the millage rate now, for a full fiscal-year budget, with contingency money available. In his weekly e-mail newsletter that came out on Friday, he said:

“I believe it is wrong to raise the millage rate before the BOC uses the money from these funds to pay-down the deficit. Together, at their height, these funds totaled approximately $22 million being held in reserve on top of the county’s ‘normal’ reserve funds.”

He also hinted at this position at an Aug. 17 town hall meeting at the East Cobb Library, just days after the budget was revealed, telling constituents “it’s your money.”

In his Friday e-mail, Ott urged finding ways to reduce expenses in some county services, including two familiar targets of his, the annual transfer of Cobb water system revenues to the general fund, and transit subsidies:

“I don’t believe the answer to addressing this $21 million deficit is simply an increase in the millage rate. A complete review of the budget and expenses should be done to identify and eliminate wasteful spending. Two areas that I believe illustrate inefficiencies in the budget are the need to transfer $20 million per year from the Water System to the general fund and the roughly $17 million a year subsidy of the county transit system. CobbLinc provides invaluable service to many county residents. However, many buses travel the routes virtually, if not completely, empty.”

Ott’s also been in a budget fight on another front, with fellow East Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell, who is proposing to close the East Cobb Library, citing duplication of services.

After hearing from upset East Cobb residents opposed to shuttering the second-busiest branch in the Cobb library system, Birrell defended her proposal at an Aug. 22 public hearing on the budget. She cited a recent report calling for more police officer hires in Cobb (Birrell has long wanted to create a new police precinct in Northeast Cobb) and said she wants to be good steward of taxpayer money.

At his town hall, Ott said he is considering moving some services at the East Cobb Government Service Center to the East Cobb Library and possibly closing an “underperforming” library elsewhere in his district, but he hasn’t elaborated.

Here’s his full statement from Friday; he said he’ll be detailing more suggestions on budget cuts.

Pedestrian killed in Monday night Canton Road accident

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A pedestrian has died after being struck by a van Monday night in a Canton Road accident in Northeast Cobb.

Cobb Police said Russell L. Mathews, 31, of Marietta, was walking southbound in a northbound lane on Canton Road at 6:57 p.m. Monday when he was hit by a white 2003 Chevrolet Express van. Canton Road fatal accident

According to police, the accident occurred north of the Canton Road intersection with Farm Ridge Drive, located between Jamerson Road and the Cherokee County line.

A statement issued by Cobb Police Tuesday afternoon said that when officers from Precinct 1 arrived at the scene, they saw a man lying on the grass near Canton Road. The victim was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, where he died, according to police.

Neither the driver of the van, Scott A. Turner, 48, of Douglasville, nor a female passenger riding with him were injured, according to police, who said charges are not expected to be filed.

Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call Cobb Police at 770-499-3987

Marietta-Cobb Career Expo is next week; includes readiness workshops

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Details about the Marietta-Cobb Career Expo are being distributed to the public by Cobb County Government:Marietta Cobb Career Expo

Learn how to sharpen up your resume and interview successfully at free readiness workshops and then put those skills into action during the Marietta/Cobb Career Expo. WorkSouce Cobb staff will host Expo Readiness Workshops 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 12, at the Cobb County Civic Center. Topics will include career expo success, resume writing, interviewing, netserving, job search over 40 and resume critique. Registration is required. Register by visiting worksourcecobb.org. For more information, call 770-528-4300.

The Marietta/Cobb Career Expo will be held 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 14, at the Cobb County Civic Center. Employers including Atlanta and North Georgia Building Trades Council, Bank of America, Cana Communications, Carmax, Caraustar, Georgia Tech Police, Hooters, Lockheed Credit Union, Omni Hotel, Verizon, Roswell Police Department and Walden Security will be in attendance looking for qualified candidates. The Civic Center is located at 548 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta. 

Upcoming library events in East Cobb: ‘Mindful Meditation’ series, adult book clubs & more

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East Cobb Library
The ‘Mindfulness Meditation’ sessions this fall at East Cobb Library are part of the “Build A Better You” adult program.

Starting on Wednesday, East Cobb Library (Parkaire Landing, 4880 Lower Roswell Road) will be holding a four-part series for adults this fall called “Mindfulness Meditation” (ECN calendar listing here) that’s part of the “Build A Better You” program. It’s one of many library events in East Cobb in September that’s gearing up for patrons of all ages.

The sessions are the first Wednesday of each month, starting at 11:30 a.m. and lasting until 12:30 p.m. and registration is required (call 770-509-2730. The other dates are Oct. 4, Nov. 8, and Dec. 6.

This is an introductory meditation class aimed at helping reduce stress and increase awareness. Here’s more about the program, taught by instructor Lisa Wellstead:

It is based on the core principles found within Jon Kabat-Zinn’s “Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction” course (MBSR) and Mark Williams’ “Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy” course (MBCT). Both MBSR and MBCT are well-researched and evidence-based mindfulness programs. These sessions are offered free of charge as part of a Wellness series in collaboration with local instructors at the East Cobb Library this fall.

Also on Wednesday, the monthly meeting of the Page-Turners Book Club takes place starting at 10:15 a.m. at the Mountain View Regional Library (3320 Sandy Plains Road). This month’s book is “Between, Georgia,” the new book by Atlanta novelist Joshilyn Jackson. Future book selections for the fall are listed here; you need to register by calling the MVRL’s adult reference desk at  770-509-2725.

Adult reading clubs also meet monthly at the Gritters Library (Sept. 12), at the East Marietta Library (Sept. 20) and at the East Cobb Library (Sept. 21, morning and afternoon sessions).

We’ve got more library events included in our full calendar listings; but for a quick look at library events in East Cobb at the four local branches, here’s a link from the Cobb County Public Library System.

In addition to the usual storytime sessions for children, there are Tai Chi sessions, family movies and, on Sept. 25 at Mountain View, another Cobb Cooks Book Club and Potluck event.

Another special program of note, regarding the quality of the public water supply: Kathy Nguyen of the Cobb County Water Efficiency Program will speak at the East Cobb Library Sept. 26 in “Water, Water, Everywhere?,”  which includes the latest updates on drought conditions, ongoing Georgia-Alabama-Florida water issues and more.

Like all library programs, this one is also free, but registration is recommended by calling 770-509-2730 so enough informational handouts can be printed.