‘Music in the Park’ concerts resume Sunday at East Cobb Park

The spring season of Music in the Park at East Cobb Park kicks off Sunday with a concert by Surrender Hill, a duo of Robin Dean Salmon and Afton Seekins featuring folk, country and Americana songs.

The concert takes place at the concert stage from 4-6 p.m. and is free to the public. Attendees may bring lawn chairs, blankets and food and drink.

Music in the Park is presented by the Friends for the East Cobb Park volunteers and is sponsored by Wellstar Health Park, the Rotary Club of East Cobb, Frameworks Gallery and Site One Landscape and Supply.

Music in the Park continues on April 14 with the local duo The Woody’s, on May 19 with the Dark Star Brothers and on June 2 with Jeannie Caryn.

A fall series of concerts will be announced later.

 

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Spring forward: Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday morning

Before going to bed Saturday night, remember you’ll lose an hour of sleep due to the return of Daylight Saving Time.

So set your clocks ahead an hour, and get ready to enjoy eight months of later sunsets.

DST officially begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, and lasts through Nov. 3, with sunrises beginning an hour later, and sunsets an hour later accordingly.

Standard Time is still the norm in 48 states from November-March—Arizona and Hawaii observe it year-round.

But a bill in Congress would make DST an annual thing.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is the sponsor of the Sunshine Protection Act, would make DST “the new, permanent standard time” except in states where it’s exempt.

His bill passed the Senate in 2022 but hasn’t been up for a vote in the House.

Rubio renewed his call for passage this week, in light of 45 states—including Georgia—considering similar legislation.

“We’re ‘springing forward’ but should have never ‘fallen back,’ ” he said.

 

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East Cobb Quilters Club challenge quilts on exhibit in March

Three locations in East Cobb are among the six venues from the Cobb County Public Library (CCPL) and Cultural Affairs Division of Cobb PARKS’ arts centers to feature quilt exhibits throughout the county in March.East Cobb Quilters Club challenge quilts on exhibit in March

They’re “challenge quilts” from an East Cobb Quilters’ Club competition, and they’ll be on exhibit from March 4-29.

The Sewell Mill Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road) will exhibit all of the challenge quilts which were created in this yearly competition among guild members. The theme for 2023 was “Musical Madness” that challenged members to choose a favorite musical selection or type of music and create a quilt inspired by their choice.

This year’s winner (in photo) is “Canyon Melody” by Janice Chiaffredo, which was inspired by Native American flute songs. For more visit https://ecqg.com/quilts-on-display/.

Quilts also are on exhibit at The Art Place (3330 Sandy Plains Road) and the Mountain View Regional Library (3320 Sandy Plains Road).

From April 13-May 29 The Mable House Arts Center will present an exhibit as part of “Quilts on Display” that will feature award winning quilts from prior “Georgia Celebrates Quilts” shows.

“This is such an exciting year for the Guild,” East Cobb Quilters’ Guild president Devon Pfeif said.

“We are so appreciative of our strong relationships with both Cobb Libraries and Arts Centers and to have the opportunity to share our talents with the community through these exhibits. I am proud to be part of this amazing and talented group of women and men quilters.”

“Quilts On Display” exhibits lead up to Georgia’s largest continuing juried and judged quilt show, the East Cobb Quilters’ Guild “Georgia Celebrates Quilts show with over 300 quilts by artists from all over Georgia. The show is held every other year and this year will occur June 6-8. For information visit https://www.georgiacelebratesquilts.com/.

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East Cobb On the Spot: East Cobb Park Garden and Nature Club

East Cobb Park Garden and Nature Club
Lyn Cohen, at right, discusses possible projects for the East Cobb Park Garden and Nature Club, which was founded in 2023.

This week’s East Cobb On the Spot feature is the East Cobb Park Garden and Nature Club, which was founded last year by the Friends for the East Cobb Park volunteer organization that offers programming and provides support for the Cobb County PARKS-run park on Roswell Road.

The club meets the second Saturday of every month in the upper pavilion, and on Saturday group leader Lyn Cohen met with several others to discuss projects for 2024.

The group is charged with beautification of the park, and last year planted some natural plant and perennial flower beds.

This year Cohen wants to add an educational component to the club’s work and on Feb. 24 will be holding a winter sowing event that’s free and open to the public.

Guests will learn how to seed a variety of vegetables and flowers in milk jugs, then transfer them to the ground as the spring rolls around.

The club also changed its name to include “nature” as it aims to highlight the native wonders of the 20-acre park, which marked its 20th anniversary in 2023.

“I love plants and I love to teach how they can make your lives better,” Cohen said.

She explains more about what the club is about in the video below, followed by photos provided by the club of some of the plants and vegetation all around the park.

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To see more photos, click here.

 

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Georgia Celebrates Quilts Show seeks quilts for competition

East Cobb Quilters' Guild, Georgia Celebrates Quilts Show

Submitted information:

Georgia Celebrates Quilts® Show, presented by the East Cobb Quilters’ Guild, is a juried and judged quilt show, with over 300 quilts competing for Best of Show and other top ribbon and cash awards totaling $4,000. All styles of quilts are eligible to be submitted including traditional, contemporary, done by machine or by hand. Entries are now being accepted until Friday, March 29, 2024. For complete details on how to enter the competition visit https://www.georgiacelebratesquilts.com/enter-a-quilt/

About East Cobb Quilters’ Guild

Since its founding in 1982, the East Cobb Quilters’ Guild has promoted and advanced the art of quilting and fostered community goodwill. There are more than 340 members from throughout the greater Atlanta metropolitan area and beyond. The guild meets monthly and sponsors lectures, workshops, and exhibits that educate members and the community about quilting and encourage the highest standards in design and techniques. Every two years they produce Georgia Celebrates Quilts® – the state’s largest judged and juried quilt show – set for June 6 – 8, 2024 at the Cobb County Civic Center. In the months leading up to the show the guild will present “Quilts on Display” with quilt exhibits at four regional libraries and three arts centers. Additionally, the guild contributes hundreds of quilts, placemats, Beads of Courage bags and pillowcases to nonprofit organizations. For additional information about the guild – www.ecqg.com and the show – https://georgiacelebratesquilts.com.

 

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2024 Taste of East Cobb festival scheduled for May 4

Taste of East Cobb 2023

The Walton Band Parent Association, which puts on the Taste of East Cobb food festival, announced Tuesday that May 4 is the date for the 2024 event.

It’s being held once again at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road), and applications are being accepted for restaurants, vendors and sponsors.

The hours are 11-5, with food samplings from local restaurants, live music, and demonstrations and swag from local businesses (East Cobb News was a proud first-time participant!)

Interested applicants can sign up and get more information by clicking here.

The proceeds benefit the Walton band programs, and since last year’s event here’s what they accomplished:

August – December 2023

  • The Walton Raider Marching Band played almost every Friday night last fall and cheered on the Walton Raiders all the way to the State Championship game. (Our marching band had its longest football season ever!) Go Raiders!

October 2023 (We won the top honor at every competition!)

  • Walton Raider Marching Band competed at the Super Bowl of Sound Marching Band Competition and won: Grand Champion Band, Most Entertaining Band Award, Best Overall Color Guard, Best Overall Percussion, Best Overall Front Ensemble, Best in Class AAAAA Band.

  • Walton Raider Marching Band competed at the Buford Music for All Affiliate Marching Band Competition and won: AAAA Outstanding Musical, Visual, General Effect, and Overall First Place.

  • Walton Raider Marching Band competed at the Kennesaw Mountain Marching Invitational and won: Best in Class, Best Color Guard, Best Musical Performance, Best General Effect, and Best Visual Performance.

Check out the show “Alice Underground” here

November 2023

  • Walton Raider Marching Band marched at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World.

December 2023

  • Walton band students performed their winter concert at Walton High School. There were four levels of concert bands.

January 2024

  • The Walton Percussion Ensemble was invited to perform at the GMEA (Georgia Music Educators Association) In-Service Conference in Athens, GA.

  • Many Walton band students performed in the All-State Jazz Band and the Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra.

February 2024

  • Many Walton band students performed in the GMEA District 12 Honor Bands just this past weekend.

2024 Taste of East Cobb festival date announced.
Photo: Walton Band Parents Association

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East Cobb On the Spot: Tin Pin Game Bar Grand Opening

Tin Pin Grand Opening

We’re rolling out a new feature at East Cobb News, posting short videos from around the East Cobb community, highlighting events, people and a variety of topics.

We’re calling it East Cobb On the Spot, and this will be posted near the end of the week, ideally with a focus on weekend activities.

For this first (and admittedly very unpolished) installment, we’re visiting the new Tin Pin Game Bar at Avenue East Cobb, an expansion of Tin Lizzy’s, in the former Bennie’s Cubano space.

In the coming weeks, we want to talk with citizens and others from around the local scene, and I promise: We’ll improve this a lot.

I want the focus to be on people in East Cobb and what is important and enjoyable to them, such as the young lad who was waving behind me in the video.

Maybe he can show me how to look into the camera!

We’ll have more photos and videos on the grand opening on Monday, when we’re also launching a regular column called the East Cobb Biz Scene.

It’s a roundup of openings and closings, stressing small and locally- owned and operated enterprises, community service and charity events, and more.

There’s so much going on around here that it’s time to put all those happenings in one place.

Stay tuned and please let us kmow what you think!

 

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Cobb Landmarks renews effort to save Power-Jackson Cabin

Power-Jackson Cabin preservation effort

Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society, a Marietta-based historic preservation non-profit, has begun a fundraising drive to collect an estimated $65,000 in donations to relocate an 184os log cabin on Post Oak Tritt Road to the county-run Hyde Farm in East Cobb.

The organization believes the Power-Jackson Cabin may be the oldest existing structure in Cobb County.

But a recent rezoning case involving the land where the cabin sits has triggered a new effort to save it, as well as an evaluation by a log cabin expert, Vic Hood.

In May attorneys for Kenneth B. Clary withdrew a rezoning request for a proposed subdivision on 13 acres of undeveloped land on Post Oak Tritt Road near McPherson Road after opposition surfaced for historical and stormwater issues.

That’s where the cabin, which initially belonged to William Power before it was given to his daughter, Martha Jane, still sits, in badly deteriorating shape.

At a zoning hearing, cemetery preservationists also noted that a young mother—likely Power’s daughter—and two infants are buried on the site, further complicating development efforts.

In a message that the organization sent out Tuesday, Cobb Landmarks is asking for donations to disassemble, tag and relocate the logs to Hyde Farm. Clary’s family has agreed to allow Cobb Landmarks to remove the cabin.

“The purpose of Hood’s visit was to determine if the cabin could be saved and the scope of work a restoration project might entail,” Cobb Landmarks said in its Tuesday update. “Hood determined the cabin is still salvageable, but that time is running out.”

Hyde Farm is where another Power family cabin exists, as part of a working 1840s farm that was in family hands until the 1990s.

Cobb PARKS oversees that property off Lower Roswell Road, and the Cobb Landmarks message noted that the department has been discussing the possibility of using 2016 Cobb SPLOST funds to restore the cabin.

“Having the Power-Jackson Cabin join her sibling cabins at Hyde Farm creates a unique opportunity for the public to view three pioneer log cabins that, at one time, all belonged to members of the same family,” the Cobb Landmarks message said.

“Commissioner Jerica Richardson believes this to be a worthwhile investment to the community. With approval of restoration, Cobb PARKS would be responsible for maintaining the cabin in perpetuity.”

East Cobb News has left a message with Richardson’s office seeking comment.

SPLOST funds have been used to preserve other structures at Hyde Farm, which was turned over to the county in 1999 by the Trust for Public Land. Cobb Landmarks maintains the cabin and conducts tours of the property.

“This partnership between Cobb Landmarks and Cobb County PARKS represents a meaningful and significant investment in the preservation of local history and offers a path for the rescue and protection of the Power-Jackson Cabin,” Cobb Landmarks said in its update.

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Time to fall back: Daylight saving time ends Saturday night

Daylight savings time ends

The last full day of Daylight Saving Time is Saturday, and some warmer weather will return with the weekend.

Eastern Standard Time returns at 2 a.m. Sunday, so you’re advised to set your clocks back by an hour before turning in Saturday evening.

For the next four months, through March 5, daybreak will occur around 7 a.m., with sunsets taking place in the late afternoon.

Saturday’s weather will be sunny, with highs near 70, marking some Indian summer temperatures for most of the next week.

Highs are expected to reach into the high 70s as the week goes on, with lows from the mid 40s to the high 50s.

With the time change comes renewed discussion on the whole idea of whether there should be time changes or not.

U.S. Congress currently doesn’t allow for states to switch to permanent saving time, only permanent standard time (observed only in Arizona and Hawaii).

That’s under provisions of the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which would need to be repealed before states could enact permanent saving time laws.

Georgia is among the states that has approved a measure to go to permanent saving time if that happens.

The legislature in 2021 passed a law that was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, contingent on Congressional action. Most of East Cobb’s representatives voted in favor of that law.

The Sunshine Protection Act, sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, passed the U.S. Senate in 2022 but hasn’t been voted on in the U.S. House.

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Scene in East Cobb: Enjoying a gorgeous first day of autumn

East Cobb first day of autumn
Little ones get a close-up view of Saturday’s college football screenings at Avenue East Cobb. ECN photos.

The autumnal equinox—also known as the first day of fall—still felt very summer-like.

The day that the Sun moves north across the celestial equator—signalling the coming of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere—brought with it plenty of sunshine to the East Cobb are.

Temperatures hovered around 80 degrees Saturday, and the low humidity and a gentle breeze made outdoor activities irresistible on what’s also the first day of fall break in Cobb County.

Sparser weekend crowds than usual gathered at East Cobb park for walking, picnicking and relaxation, as Cobb schools will be out of session all next week.

The local forecast calls for more of the same over the next week—sunshine, mild temperatures and little to no chance of rain.

Highs from Sunday through Tuesday are expected to be in the mid 80s with lows in the high 50s.

Cooler weather and clouds will move in after that, with highs forecast around 80 through next weekend and lows in the low- to mid 60s.

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East Cobb abuse survivor publishes new ‘self-help guide’

Angela Williams describes how her life has changed since she was the victim of childhood abuse as “a 40-year journey I’ve been on.”East Cobb abuse survivor publishes self-help guide

She’s shared her story as an advocate for those who’ve gone through similar ordeals, helping them to learn how to reach out for support.

The East Cobb resident is the author of several books on the subject, including an initial memoir, “From Sapphires to Sorrows,” which explained how she began climbing out of her situation.

But Williams admits she’s long been haunted by the challenges of living with what happened to her, even as she continues to guide fellow victims to develop resiliency for a lifetime.

Last week, she published another memoir, “Loving Me: After Abuse,” which she says is a deeper, even more personal telling of the path out of abuse, with the aim of it being “a self-help guide.”

She held a book launch last week at the DK Art Gallery in Marietta and on Sept. 30 will be leading a “Time to Heal” Conference in Woodstock.

For 14 years, starting at the age of three, Williams was the victim of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. She said 93 percent of abusers are people their victims “know and trust.”

Williams said coming to terms with the emotional as well as physical pain of being abused hasn’t been easy to confront, but after a conversation with a friend she decided she needed to do just that in her latest book.

In order to truly help others even more, Williams realized she had to make herself even more vulnerable in sharing her story.

“It’s about wanting to live a life where you’re not tormented,” Williams said in a recent interview with East Cobb News. “It’s about walking in a life where you’re living to your fullest potential.”

Even as she went all-in on helping fellow survivors, including getting a degree in forensic psychology, Williams said “it took many years” for her to feel that she was truly moving in that direction.

In the book, Williams details “the amount of shame and feeling so unlovable” that led to a suicide attempt at the age of 17.

It left her homeless, and she persevered with her work ethic, and as a young adult got married and had children (who attended Pope High School and the University of Georgia).

“I worked on burying it,” Williams said of her memories of being abused. “It felt like holding a beach ball under water 24/7. I tried to mask it, but I wasn’t healthy.

“I wasn’t the wife and mother I wanted to be.”

She said she underwent “intense counseling” after thinking about suicide again—Williams said she never attempted to carry it out—and in her 30s, began to feel the clouds lifting.

“I learned to give myself grace,” Williams said. “I really built my faith in God.”

Her advocacy led to the creation of Angela’s Voice, which provides resources for the awareness, prevention and healing of child sexual abuse.

They include workbooks to teach children to defend themselves against abusive behavior, and she conducts support groups for survivors.

Williams has taken her message to schools, non-profits, faith communities and medical offices, and is developing more curricula.

“It’s about helping survivors to heal,” Williams said, adding that only one in 10 people who are abused will ever tell anyone about it.

“I hope that my book will give them the hope that they need,” Williams said.

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Prominent quilting artist to address East Cobb Quilters’ Guild

Submitted information:East Cobb Quilters' Guild

International quilt artist, fabric designer, author, and color expert, Anna Maria Horner will appear at the East Cobb Quilters’ Guild evening meeting on September 28th and their daytime monthly meeting on September 29th.  During the day meeting, Anna Maria’s presentation on Blueprint Quilting will go in depth about her unique composition styles and her adventurous variations on those themes. She will illustrate her creative process as a fine artist, fabric designer, and quilter. Many of the quilts in her lecture will show off the inspiring stories, processes, and tools that she uses to create her quilts. The lecture is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the creative process and bring home some of the inspiration for your next project, whatever the medium might be.

During the evening meeting on September 28th, Anna Maria will host a Meet & Greet allowing attendees the opportunity to talk to her about herself and her inspirations in a small group setting. Additionally, at both meetings, there will be many quilts on display, and Anna Maria & co pop up store! featuring a curated selection of her current fabric bundles, quilt kits, patterns and templates.  

To learn more about Anna Maria, please visit her website: www.annamariahorner.com and follow her on Facebook

The Guild holds both their evening meetings beginning at 6:30 PM and their day meetings beginning at 10:00 AM at the Catholic Church of St. Ann located at 4905 Roswell Rd, Marietta, GA 30062. These meetings are always free to members. Guest tickets are $10 and can be purchases tickets online for the evening meeting at https://ecqg.com/event/anna-maria-horner-evening-meet-greet/#tribe-tickets__tickets-form   The day meeting tickets are available at https://ecqg.com/event/anna-maria-horner-day-lecture/#tribe-tickets__tickets-form

 

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Editor’s Note: A welcome return for East Cobb’s parade

East Cobb's parade returns
Wheeler High School cheerleaders marched with the band at the 25th EAST COBBER parade Saturday. ECN photos, video

While most major community activities have returned to normal in the wake of COVID-19, there has been one major event whose absence has been notable.

The year 2020 was to have been the 25th anniversary of the EAST COBBER parade and magazine, but was cancelled due to the pandemic. The event was delayed again in 2021, with public health guidance still uncertain.

The logistics of pulling off such a large, comprehensive community event are daunting enough. But last spring, when I spoke to founder and then-publisher Cynthia Rozzo, she was optimistic about a return.

However, she sold the magazine to Laren Brown, her advertising manager, not long after that, in the summer of 2022, and there just wasn’t time to take over the helm of the publication and pull together its signature event.

So the parade and festival would have to wait until 2023.

On Saturday morning under pleasant skies, Johnson Ferry Road was closed off for the silver anniversary of the parade, and a familiar vibe returned with it.

More than 50 community organizations and businesses made the mile march from Mt. Bethel Elementary School to Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, where a festival took place with a similar number of exhibitors.

Those numbers aren’t what they were before the pandemic, but the friendliness was hard to miss. Kids enjoyed bouncy houses and snow cones, spectators brought their dogs and small businesses and non-profits laid out their wares and information.

Brown came to our table with a swag bag and said her first shot at organizing the event was quite an undertaking. She had assisted Rozzo, who was on the scene Saturday to lend a hand for which her successor was grateful.

Recreating a small-town flavor of an old-fashioned community parade was what Rozzo wanted to provide to a Sunbelt suburb where people come from all over.

After four years of waiting, they got to enjoy that atmosphere again, and our community really feels like it’s got its groove back.

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Gritters Library branch demolished as rebuilding project begins

Gritters Library demolished
Photo: Cobb County Public Library System

The remnants of the Gritters Library building in Northeast Cobb stood in a heaping pile Monday as demolition crews completed their work.

The nearly 50-year-old building in Shaw Park, which closed in June, was torn down as the Cobb County Public Library System begins a rebuilding project that’s expected to take a year.

The new branch on the same site will be much more than a library. The 15,000-square-foot replacement, at a cost of $9.8 million, will include county workforce development programs and the Northeast Cobb Community Center, which is being relocated from another part of Shaw Park.

Gritters patrons are being directed to the Mountain View Regional Library and library staff will be reassigned to other branches until the new library opens next year.

More photos and info about the demolition can be found by clicking here.

Gritters Library project to proceed
An architectural rendering of the new Gritters Library-Northeast Cobb Community Center.

 

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East Cobb Sterling Estates resident aims for Transplant Games

East Cobb Sterling Estates resident aims for Transplant Games
Risa Rambo wants to compete in the Transplant Games in Birmingham, Ala., next summer because “this one is so close and I hope my boys and sister can go.” ECN photo.

After undergoing a heart transplant in her mid-40s, Risa Rambo found refuge—as well as a rigorous physical rehab regimen—in competitive sports activities.

She earned medals in two different runnings of The Transplant Games of America, including being the most Valuable Participant for the Team Georgia in 2012.

East Cobb Sterling Estates resident Transplant Games
Some of the medals Rambo has earned at The Transplant Games of America.

A year later, the former high school and college basketball player was at her home on St. Simons Island when she suffered a hemorrhagic stroke, a life-threatening rupture of a blood vessel in the brain.

“My son found me, I was unconscious,” Rambo, 63, says in an interview with East Cobb News in the lobby of the Sterling Estates assisted living community on Lower Roswell Road, where she has lived for the last eight years.

After being rushed to a hospital in nearby Brunswick, Ga., she had emergency brain surgery. Rambo was unconscious for several weeks, and later had to undergo a more grueling rehab in Atlanta at the Shepherd Center, which helps patients recover from spinal cord and brain injuries.

She would be lifted out of bed by rehab specialists, and “they would work you real hard,” from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. almost daily.

“They had to teach me how to walk again,” Rambo said. “I was real scared.”

Part of the therapy was putting a basketball in her hand when she walked, to keep her head up.

Rambo, who as Risa Turton was a hoops star at Crisp Academy and Crisp County High School in Cordele, Ga., and played at the University of Mississippi and Mercer University, knew she would never be able to live the same way again.

After college, she married and raised three sons, and after her divorce, stayed active playing golf on St. Simons. She returned there after leaving Shepherd.

But she could no longer do basic things for herself, such as cook or even change bed linens.

East Cobb Sterling Estates resident Transplant Games
Rambo as a basketball player at Ole Miss.

“I just needed help,” she said. “I couldn’t live by myself.”

Paige Sander, her sister and legal guardian, lives in East Cobb, and in 2015 Rambo came to live at Sterling Estates to be closer to her. There, the staff cooks her meals, does her laundry and cleans her room once a week.

She walks with something of a limp, but is alert and responsive in a busy facility where she greets everyone, including a 106-year-old resident.

Rambo takes walks around the Sterling Estates pedestrian loop and enjoys the facility’s small pool.

But she says she wants to try cooking again soon, and desires some more independence.

Most of all, Rambo wants to get back to the Transplant Games, which became a major source of support and social life with her fellow transplant recipients.

The next Transplant Games take place in the summer of 2024 in Birmingham, Ala., and Rambo is excited about an in-person return. A virtual competition took place during the pandemic, and she was mailed some medals.

But she misses the camaraderie and wants her family to take part in the experience, which like the Olympics also includes opening and closing ceremonies.

East Cobb Sterling Estates resident Transplant Games
Rambo had a long recovery from a stroke in 2013.

“This one is so close,” Rambo said. “I hope my boys and my sister can go. The closer it gets, the harder I train.”

She wants to compete in swimming, cycling and basketball. She and her sister attend Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, where Rambo shoots basketball two or three times a week.

“I’m still trying to get it up to the goal,” she said. “I’ve got a year to work on it.”

Rambo says she can drive, but prefers not to, and gets where she needs to go with her sister and via the Sterling Estates vans that circulate around East Cobb.

She has checkups twice a year at Emory University for her heart, and said that she “checked out well” after a recent EKG.

While she knows the activities are helpful for her brain and body, it’s the connection to others that she values just as much.

After having to retire due to her medical situation, Rambo said “I didn’t do anything for a while, and I got depressed. I wasn’t sleeping.”

At Sterling Estates, she pulls out the facility’s daily activities calendar, which is crammed with outings, bingo, movies and physical therapy and exercise sessions.

East Cobb Sterling Estates resident Transplant Games
Rambo’s stroke rehab included walking with a basketball to help keep her head up.

She also enjoys spending time with friends she has made on the Team Georgia of the Transplant Games. They’ve gone to Braves games and are having a fish fry in August.

Rambo speaks matter-of-factly about the myriad of health issues she’s endured—”I’ve come a long way”—and even the death of one of her sons last year to suicide at the age of 30.

A good support system, Rambo said, has been vital for her recovery.

“You trust in God, and my friends and my family,” she said.

East Cobb Sterling Estates resident Transplant Games
Water workouts are part of Rambo’s continuing recovery from a stroke.
East Cobb Sterling Estates resident Transplant Games
Family visits and social activities with fellow transplant recipients have been a big part of Rambo’s support system.

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50 years of memories as Gritters Library closes—for now

Gritters Library temporarily closing
Gritters Library branch manager Maria Benac shows a scrapbook page of ballet classes at the Shaw Park facility in 1976. (ECN photos)

As children busily made gingerbread replicas of Gritters Library, branch manager Maria Benac was paging through scrapbooks on Saturday containing the history of the Northeast Cobb community hub that for nearly 50 years has housed much more than books.

Saturday was the final day that the Gritters building that was completed in 1973 was in service. A new 15,000-square-foot facility on the same site—and double the size of Gritters—will open in about another year.

“I cried a little bit this morning,” Benac said, explaining that they were mostly tears of joy. Reconstruction plans hit a snag last fall before Cobb commissioners approved an improvised construction contract of $9.8 million for the new facility.

Nestled under a canopy of trees at Shaw Park, Gritters Library serves a rapidly growing population of more than 62,000.

The new Gritters building also will house workforce development programs in conjunction with CobbWorks, a county government agency, and the Northeast Cobb Community Center, which is relocating from another part of Shaw Park.

Gritters patrons are being directed to the Mountain View Regional Library and library staff will be reassigned to other branches until the new library opens next year.

“It’s just been a blessing,” Benac said. “This is a dream come true.”

Gritters Library temporarily closing

Gritters Library temporarily closing

Gritters Library temporarily closing

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Cobb Library System’s Summer Reading Challenge gets underway

Cobb Library System summer reading challenge

The Cobb County Public Library System’s Summer Reading Challenge goes from June 1-July 31, and is open to readers of all ages.

The program includes a partnership with the Cobb County School District and Marietta City Schools and is particularly aimed at keeping children reading during the summer vacation months.

Readers earn “BINGO” credits that are good for badges and prizes, as well as eligibility for the grand prize.

Participants track their reading with a Beanstalk account, and a traditional paper log is also available.

More information about the challenge can be found by clicking here; you can create a Beanstalk tracking account at this link and a traditional paper log at this link.

Cobb Newcomers Club holds 2023 installation of new officers

Cobb Newcomers Club

Thanks to Lee Tarbell of the Newcomers Club of Cobb County for the following information and photos:

The Newcomers Club of Cobb County held their annual installation of new officers meeting on May 16, 2023 at the John Knox Presbyterian Church in Marietta. This is the Club’s largest and most well-attended event of the year with approximately 60 women participating. It was no ordinary monthly meeting due to the talent and creativity of one member and her team, Dotti Catini. A routine meeting was turned into a dress-up costume luncheon with a theme of “Alice in Wonderland.” There were many “Alices,” “Queen of Hearts,” “Tweedledum” and “Tweedledees” and “White Rabbits” racing down the rabbit hole. This theme was carried throughout with the table and hall decorations and desserts. 
 
The event became so popular after Dotti suggested to the Board in 2016 a way to liven things up and have a lot of fun. Since then each year (except for 2020 and 2021) the event became memorialized with various themes over the years: Hollywood and the red carpet (2017), a Flight Crew on their way to Paris (2018), Run for the Roses Derby Race (2018), Breakfast at Tiffany’s—with various Audrey Hepburns in attendance and finally, the Alice in Wonderland theme (2016 and 2023). If you would like more information or would like to join a great group of women, you can find us at www.newcomersofcobbcounty.com.  

Cobb Newcomers Club

Cobb Newcomers Club

Cobb Newcomers Club

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Sewell Mill Library marks 5th anniversary with historical exhibit

Sewell Mill Library Historical Exhibit
The Sewell Mill Library historical exhibit will include a rendering of the original Wheeler High School campus from 1964.

The Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center is celebrating its 5th anniversary this year (our story from opening day in late 2017) with a special exhibit of historical photos of the community.

Starting Thursday, April 6 and running through May 13, the center’s art gallery will exhibit scans of historic photos of the Marietta and and East Cobb communities, featured in three large wall collages.

The Cobb County Public Library System said that “drawn from local archives and private collections—including the library!—the images invite you to step back in time and get a sense of the deep roots in Sewell Mill’s neighborhoods.”

Bruce Thompson, the branch manager for the Sewell Mill Library who had a similar position with the former East Marietta Library, provided the photos and had this to say about the exhibit:

“These images will introduce the historic neighborhoods around Sewell Mill Library & Cultural Center to newcomers—and to each other. I’ve solicited and scanned photos and newspaper clippings from Kennesaw State University Archives, Marietta History Center, various local places of worship, and Cobb Library’s own wealth of historic images. The exhibit will include familiar scenes and maybe some that are less so, even for long-time residents.”

The exhibit will be open during regular library hours: Monday-Wednesday 10-8, Thursday-Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-5.

All Cobb library branches will be closed on Good Friday, April 7, and Easter Sunday, April 9. They will be open Saturday, April 8.

Sewell Mill Library Historical Exhibit

Sewell Mill Library Historical Exhibit

Sewell Mill Library historical exhibit

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Cobb to seek national historic designation for Hyde Farm

Hyde Farm nomination National Register of Historic Places

The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a resolution for the county to submit an application for the Hyde Farm property in East Cobb to be included on the National Register of Historic Places.

What’s officially called the Power-Hyde Historic District contains 136 acres and is what’s left of an 1840s working farm on Hyde Road, located off Lower Roswell Road near the Chattahoochee River.

The national register, which is part of the U.S. National Park Service, was created in 1996 to identify, evaluate and protect historic places “worthy of preservation.”

Nominations for inclusion start with state historic preservation authorities and must include several criteria for consideration.

In addition to the publicity for earning the designation, properties on the register may be eligible for preservation grants and tax credits.

The Hyde Farm property is jointly owned and run by the county (42 acres) and the U.S. government, the latter being the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

More than 40 acres were sold to the Trust for Public Land in the late 1980s, and 95 more acres were told to the same entity in 2004. Cobb purchased 40 acres and the rest went to the National Park Service.

JC Hyde, the last member of the Power-Hyde families to run the farmstead, died in 2008.

Cobb Parks restored the farmstead in 2013 and conducts monthly walking tours.

Cobb Parks also holds a summer fishing rodeo for kids at Hyde Farm, and the property is used for educational purposes, summer camps and classes.

Tuesday’s action means that the county will submit the application to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Historic Preservation Division for nomination to the national register.

There are more than 40 properties in Cobb that are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Sope Creek Ruins off Paper Mill Road.

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