East Cobb News Archives

Cobb commissioners to consider limiting public comment time

August 9, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb commissioners public comments

There’s an item on Tuesday’s agenda of the Cobb Board of Commissioners that’s already promising to generate some public comment.

The item is asking the board to consider changes that would reduce the time for public comments in half.

Currently the board policy is to have up to 12 public speakers who are given a maximum of five minutes, for a limit of 60 minutes.

Up to six speakers are given time at the start of meetings, with the rest commenting near the end.

But the proposed revisions would cut back the allotted slots to 10 speakers who would be given no more than three minutes to offer comments, for a maximum of 30 minutes.

In addition, all of the public comment period would come at the end of meetings.

The agenda item is here; and further details are here.

Those changes have sparked some heated reaction from citizens who got in touch with East Cobb News over the weekend.

One of them is Christine Rozman of East Cobb, who has been an occasional public speaker, and who said in an e-mail that “this is not sitting well with ALL citizens.”

She most recently addressed commissioners last month about the county budget, imploring them to “rein in” spending (comments are around the 40-minute mark).

Another resident, Michael Ashton, noted that by pushing the public comments to the end of meetings, “there would be no public comments on any of the current agenda items until after the items had either been approved or denied.”

East Cobb resident Jan Barton, who has been a frequent public commenter over the years, especially on county finances, taxes and spending, said that “it is outrageous that they plan to limit our free speech.”

The agenda item said that the current public comment period has been in effect since 1991, “before the advent of many means of communication we take for granted today including, email, newsletters, and social media. This agenda item will update the county’s Rules of Procedure involving public comment to include revising the time per speaker to three minutes to match the allotted time per speaker in public hearings, consolidating all public speakers into one agenda position, limit the overall time allowed, and eliminate certain prohibitions for those allowed to speak before the Board.”

The proposal stressed that “there is no limitation on the number of times an individual may speak throughout the year nor a limitation on the number of times a person may address any given subject matter,” policies that also date back to the 1990s.

The proposed changes come shortly after the Cobb Board of Education changed its public comment procedures, including a requirement that speakers sign up online and in advance.

Unlike other votes needing a simple three-vote majority, revising this policy will require approval of four of the five commissioners.

The agenda item will come up near the end of the meeting, before the second public comment period.

The full agenda for Tuesday’s commission meeting can be found here, and it includes an appointment by District 2 Commissioner Jerica Richardson of East Cobb resident David Anderson to the Cobb Planning Commission; previous post here.

Tuesday’s meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta, and will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.

East Cobb gusto! grand opening events include free drive-thru service

August 9, 2021 by Wendy Parker

gusto! East Cobb grand opening

There’s still fencing around what remains a construction site, but the new gusto! East Cobb location has a specific opening date: Next Thursday, Aug. 19, at 10:30 a.m.

In addition, the Atlanta-based fast casual chain announced that there will be free drive-thru service from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21. Here’s how that will work, per a gusto! release:

“Each car will receive up to two complimentary adult meals, and all kids’ meals will be free. All cars will receive a BOGO card to redeem on first purchase. Only one visit per day is permitted.”

Other features from the Thursday grand opening:

The first 50 guests will receive 10 complimentary meal vouchers and exclusive “First Fifty” gusto! swag;
10% of sales from opening day will go to benefit Bert’s Big Adventure, an organization that provides a free, week-long trips to Walt Disney World for children with chronic illnesses in the Atlanta area.

We mentioned in an April post how the gusto! menu concept works, and the company announced in the release that the local operating partner will be Misty Granados, an East Cobber who was a former Panera Bread manager.

For more information, visit www.whatsyourgusto.com and social media channels: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Cobb Master Gardeners lists fall Gardeners’ Night Out events

August 7, 2021 by Wendy Parker

The Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County are resuming some of their in-person events, and on Tuesday will begin its fall Gardeners’ Night Out series at the East Cobb Library.

It’s one of four monthly educational sessions featuring selected topics—Tuesday’s features fall bloomers—at various library branches around the county.

See the flyer below for more information; in a recent message president Gayle Bender said the organization also will be restarting its “How Does Your Garden Grow” series in person in September, and others will continue to be held virtually.

More details about the Master Gardeners can be found here; they’re also planning next spring’s annual plant sale and garden tour.

Back-to-School tips from Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission

August 7, 2021August 7, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

As summer draws to a close and children start heading back to school, family life can get hectic. It’s important to remember – and share with your children – some key tips that will help keep them safe and healthy throughout the school year.

Transportation Safety

Whether children walk, ride their bicycle or take the bus to school, it is extremely important that they take proper safety precautions. Here are some tips to make sure your child safely travels to school:

Walkers

Review your family’s walking safety rules and practice walking to school with your child. Walk on the sidewalk, if one is available; when on a street with no sidewalk, walk facing the traffic. Before you cross the street, stop and look left, right and left again to see if cars are coming. Make eye contact with drivers before crossing and always cross streets at crosswalks or intersections. Stay alert and avoid distracted walking.

Bike Riders

Teach your child the rules of the road and practice riding the bike route to school with your child.
Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, and in a single file;

Come to a complete stop before crossing the street; walk bikes across the street

Stay alert and avoid distracted riding

Make sure your child always wears a properly fitted helmet and bright clothing.

Bus Riders

Teach your children school bus safety rules and practice with them. Go to the bus stop with your child to teach them the proper way to get on and off the bus. Teach your children to stand 6 feet (or three giant steps) away from the curb. If your child must cross the street in front of the bus, teach him or her to walk on the side of the road until they are 10 feet ahead of the bus; your child and the bus driver should always be able to see each other. Here are some injury facts on bus safety.

Driving Your Child to School

Stay alert and avoid distracted driving. Obey school zone speed limits and follow your school’s drop-off procedure. Make eye contact with children who are crossing the street. Never pass a bus loading or unloading children. The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them to safely enter and exit the bus.

Teen Drivers

Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for teens. Fortunately, there is something we can do.
Teens crash because they are inexperienced; practice with new drivers every week, before and after they get their license. Set a good example; drive the way you want your teen to drive. Sign the New Driver Deal, an agreement that helps define expectations for parents and teens.

For additional information please see:
School Safety – National Safety Council (nsc.org)

East Cobb food scores: Zeus Greek Street Food; Chin Chin; more

August 6, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Zeus Greek Street Food, East Cobb food scores

The following Cobb food scores for the week of Aug. 2 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Chick-fil-A at Sprayberry Square
2530 Sandy Plains Road
August 5, 2021 Score: 98, Grade: A

Chin Chin Chinese Restaurant
617 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 1
August 6, 2021 Score: 92, Grade: A

McDonald’s
3101 Roswell Road
August 4, 2021 Score: 91, Grade: A

Monticello
2000 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 1200
August 5, 2021 Score: 80, Grade: B

Planet Smoothie
1050 E. Piedmont Road, Building 200
August 6, 2021 Score: 98, Grade: A

Subway
4101 Roswell Road, Suite 902
August 5, 2021 Score: 91, Grade: A

Zeus Greek Street Food
2022 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 130
August 3, 2021 Score: 82, Grade: B

Cobb schools report 185 new COVID-19 cases in first week

August 11, 2021August 6, 2021 by Wendy Parker

As first week of the 2021-22 school year in the Cobb County School District comes to a close, the district is reporting 185 new cases of COVID-19.

As it did last year, the district is updating those figures every Friday at this link, which includes a cumulative figure of 235 cases since July 1.

The numbers are not broken down between students and staff.

The school-by-school numbers include a district-high of seven cases each at Sprayberry High School, Hillgrove High School and Lost Mountain Middle School.

On Wednesday, the district revised its quarantine and other COVID-19 protocols.

Among the provisions is to allow staff or students who are identified as a “close contact” and who are asymptomatic to return to school within 24 hours if they remain asymptomatic and wear a mask on campus for 10 days following exposure.

The Cobb school district’s COVID-19 figures don’t include how many people are quarantined or how many are identified as close contacts.

The district also said it would be “strongly encouraging” but not mandating indoor mask use for everyone, as it did last year.

Cobb, Marietta, Cherokee, Paulding and Forsyth are the only school districts in metro Atlanta that do not have overall mask requirements.

That policy runs counter to recent Centers for Disease Control guidance recommending “universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.”

On Thursday, Cobb and Douglas Public Health released a message saying while it is “committed to being a trusted resource for planning, mitigation, case identification, and contact tracing” that according to a state public health order issued Monday “all schools have local, final authority over their COVID-19 policies and quarantine protocols within certain parameters.”

The CDPH message also linked to the CDC guidance and stated that “each school system has their own unique challenges to meet the needs of students and faculty and we respect their authority to make the final decisions.”

Here’s the case breakdown for schools in East Cobb:

Elementary: Addison 2; Bells Ferry 0; Blackwell 2; Davis 0; East Side 3; Eastvalley 4; Garrison Mill 2; Keheley 1; Kincaid 2; Mt. Bethel 1; Mountain View 2; Murdock 5; Nicholson 0; Powers Ferry 0; Rocky Mount 1; Sedalia Park 0; Sope Creek 0; Timber Ridge 1; Tritt 0.
Middle: Daniell 1; Dickerson 1; Dodgen 4; East Cobb 1; Hightower Trail 3; Mabry 0; McClekskey 0; Simpson 0.
High: Kell 3; Lassiter 5; Pope 3; Sprayberry 7; Walton 4; Wheeler 3.

Chick-fil-A at MarketPlace Terrell Mill announces opening

August 6, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Chick-fil-A Marketplace Terrell Mill opening

From our inbox: Another opening at the MarketPlace Terrell Mill, a drive-through only (for now) location of Chick-fil-A, which will begin serving on Wednesday.

It’s located at 1440 Terrell Mill Road, adjacent to Panera Bread, and will be open Monday-Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

There’s not going to be a traditional grand opening, but instead Chick-fil-A has chosen to honor 100 local citizens “making an impact in Marietta” with free food for a year. Chick-fil-A also will donate $25,000 to Feeding America, a non-profit that will distribute funds to partner organizations in metro Atlanta who address hunger issues.

The owner-operator of the new restaurant is Mark Reed, who previously was owner-operator of Chick-fil-A on Windy Hill Road.

In addition to Panera Bread, a Wendy’s has opened at MarketPlace Terrell Mill (along Powers Ferry Road near what was the entrance to Brumby Elementary School). Other restaurants are planned for the mixed-use development, including a Los Abuelos Mexican Grill.

A Regions Bank also has opened at the development, and the 289-unit apartment building that’s been completed, Marketplace Vista Apartments, recently was sold for $87 million.

The final phase of MarketPlace Terrell Mill will be a Kroger superstore, but there’s construction work that’s begun.

Richardson to appoint new member of Cobb Planning Commission

August 5, 2021August 5, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Richardson Cobb Planning Commission appointment

Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson is set to announce a new appointment to the Cobb Planning Commission next week, days after her holdover representative steered through a vote on a major rezoning case in East Cobb.

According to Tuesday’s meeting agenda, Richardson will appoint East Cobb resident David Anderson to succeed Tony Waybright.

Waybright had been appointed in March 2020 by former District 2 commissioner Bob Ott, whose time in office ended last December. Planning commissioners, who serve as an advisory board on planning and zoning cases, serve terms running concurrently with the commissioners who appoint them.

According to an agenda item, Anderson would serve through the end of 2024, when Richardson’s term expires.

Anderson is a real estate executive and entrepreneur with a background in commercial real estate investment and development, urban planning and data analytics.

He has been a project manager with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and according to a biographical profile sent by Richardson’s office, “his goals as Planning Commissioner include enhancing the transparency of, engagement with, and usefulness of planning guidelines and data for all stakeholders.” David Anderson, Cobb Planning Commission

Anderson earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. East Cobb News has contacted Richardson seeking more details.

Anderson would be the fourth person on the five-member Planning Commission to be appointed this year.

They include Deborah Dance, a former Cobb County Attorney who was appointed by Northeast Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell after longtime board member Judy Williams died of COVID-19 in January.

Dance assumed her position just as the Sprayberry Crossing rezoning case went before the Planning Commission. After a third hearing, the board passed her motion in June not to make a recommendation, although county commissioners approved that mixed-use proposal.

Waybright, a civic and school activist in the Smyrna/Vinings area, stayed on when Richardson began her term in January, and as the rezoning application of North Point Ministries at Johnson Ferry and Shallowford roads continued.

They held a virtual town hall meeting in February in which Waybright offered some conceptual changes to the North Point Ministries application for a mixed-use proposal for East Cobb Church, high-density residential, retail space and a community park and multi-use trail.

After full Planning Commission hearings in May, June and July ended with votes to delay, the Planning Commission voted on Tuesday to recommend approval. Cobb commissioners will take action on Aug. 17.

The North Point Ministries rezoning is the first major East Cobb case for Richardson, whose district stretches from the “JOSH” corridor through the Smyrna/Vinings/Cumberland area.

Nearly 60 people turned out in support of the rezoning at Tuesday’s Planning Commission hearing and nearly 30 came in opposition.

In his motion to recommend approval, Waybright made numerous changes, including capping the number of units and density.

Also on Tuesday, commissioners will consider a proposal to make changes to the public comment portion of their meetings. The agenda item is here; and further details are here.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta, and will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.

East Cobb teen part of initial class of female Eagle Scouts

August 5, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cecelia Pumpelly, East Cobb female Eagle Scout

Submitted information and photo:

Marietta teen Cecelia Pumpelly will make history on August 8, 2021 when she is set to be recognized as one of Metro-Atlanta’s first female Eagle Scouts – a prestigious achievement attained by some of the country’s most noteworthy figures. Cecelia is among hundreds of young women who make up the Inaugural Class of female Eagle Scouts.

Cecelia graduated from Campbell High School IB program, is a National Merit Scholarship winner, and will be attending the honors program at University of Georgia in the fall to study economics and Spanish.

“Earning the rank of Eagle Scout takes hard work and perseverance, and we are honored to recognize Cecelia for this significant accomplishment,” said Tracy Techau, Scout Executive/CEO of the Atlanta Area Council, BSA. “Along the journey to Eagle Scout, young people gain new skills, learn to overcome obstacles and demonstrate leadership among their peers and in their communities. These benefits are invaluable for everyone, and we are thrilled that they are now available to even more youth.”

Young women have been part of Scouting for decades in co-ed programs offered by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The BSA expanded that legacy further in recent years by welcoming girls into Cub Scouts and then into Scouts BSA. Since then, tens of thousands of young women across the country have joined the organization’s most iconic program with many, including Cecelia, working their way toward the rank of Eagle Scout.

“Being a part of Scouting has changed me as an individual and likely the trajectory of my life. On a surface level, merit badges like Emergency Preparedness made me rethink how I wanted to change the world, shifting my focus from a medical degree to a position in public health.” “I have had the opportunity to know what it truly means to be a leader and a teacher, and that being able to grow in both those areas is just as much about developing the people you’re leading as it is developing yourself. Yet, most of all, Scouting has taught me that whatever the boys can do, the girls can do too!”

Cecelia is the first Eagle Scout in her Troop 2019, chartered to The Episcopal Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in East Cobb. Eagle Scout is the program’s highest rank, which only about 6% of Scouts achieve on average. To earn it, an individual has to take on leadership roles within their troop and their community; earn a minimum of 21 merit badges that cover a broad range of topics including first aid and safety, civics, business and the environment; and they must research, organize and complete a large community service project.

Cecelia’s Eagle Scout project consisted of building a flag retirement box and three portable benches for the church. The box serves as a way for community members to properly dispose of their flags, as well as education on proper flag etiquette.

Packs and Troops around Metro-Atlanta are welcoming new Scouts throughout the fall. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Scout, visit www.AtlantaBSA.org/Join.

Inaugural Cobb County Youth Commission accepting applications

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Cobb temporary COVID-19 call center closing after four months

August 5, 2021August 5, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

Cobb County’s temporary call center to help residents make vaccination appointments and deal with rental assistance questions will end its four-month run on Friday. The center, funded with a Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act allocation, took more than 1400 calls and was expanded to help link people to the county’s Emergency Rental Assistance program.

“We proposed the call center at a time when people were desperate to make an appointment to get the COVID-19 vaccine and supplies of the vaccine were low,” Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said. “When the volume of calls dropped, we transitioned the call center to help with rental assistance. Even though it is closing, we have the infrastructure in place to reopen it if the situation with the latest COVID surge starts overwhelming our resources once again.”

After an initial surge of calls, the call volume dropped precipitously after cases of COVID declined and the supply of the vaccine increased. The contract with the vendor also includes software that could form the basis of a future 311 information center should the county decide to move in that direction.

Residents seeking a COVID test, vaccination, or information should visit www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.com.

Residents who might need rental assistance should visit www.cobbcounty.org/ERA.

Cobb schools revise quarantine policy; masks ‘strongly encouraged’

August 4, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Three days into a new academic year, the Cobb County School District has gotten more specific about its quarantine policy.

Before classes resumed on Monday, the original guidance released July 20 required quarantine for “any student or staff member who is identified as a close contact” according to Centers for Disease Control and Cobb and Douglas Public Health guidelines.

Those individuals were to receive a “close contact” letter outlining further instructions.

The new policy, released by the district with little further explanation, says the following:

“Students or staff who are identified as a close contact and are asymptomatic are able to return to class or work the next day if the student or staff member remains asymptomatic and wears a mask while on school district property for ten days after exposure. Students or staff who are identified as a close contact and are symptomatic must follow directions contained in the close contact letter.”

The new guidance issued Wednesday continues the Cobb school district’s masks-optional policy for staff and students outside of quarantine provisions, but said that mask use is “strongly encouraged.”

The changes also come a week after the CDC issued new guidance regarding indoor mask use in general, and “recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.”

Cobb is one of the few school districts in metro Atlanta, along with Marietta City Schools, that does not have a mask mandate.

The transmission of COVID-19 in Cobb County in recent days has surpassed the “high community threshold,” a 14 day average of 100 cases per 100,000 people. That figure is now more than 300, and late last week Cobb and Douglas Public Health director Dr. Janet Memark urged citizens to mask in public and get vaccinated.

The new Cobb policy also limits volunteers on school campuses, and parents and guardians are not allowed to eat lunch in the cafeteria with their children, topics not included in the initial guidelines:

“Non-staff volunteers will be limited in their ability to enter the school and volunteer in roles that involve any degree of proximity to students during the instructional day. At the discretion of the principal, volunteers are allowed to enter the school and work in an isolated location away from students and staff. Volunteers are still welcome on campus for afterschool activities and special school events. Additionally, and until further notice, no parents/guardians will be permitted to eat lunch with their child in the school cafeteria.”

The Cobb school district said as it did last year, it will post weekly updates of COVID-19 cases every Friday at this link.

East Cobb Church rezoning gets Planning Commission approval

August 3, 2021August 3, 2021 by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Church rezoning held — *Proposed townhomes fronting Johnson Ferry Road would be bounded by a brick wall and a community walking trail.*

The Cobb Planning Commission voted 4-1 Tuesday to recommend approval of a request to build a church and a high-density residential development at Johnson Ferry and Shallowford roads in East Cobb.

The vote came during the fourth presentation by North Point Ministries for its proposed mixed-use development on 33 acres, and after more than an hour of discussion Tuesday morning.

Despite concerted community opposition, based mostly on density and traffic issues, the advisory board signed off on the application, which will go before the Cobb Board of Commissioners for final action on Aug. 17.

North Point Ministries is planning a 130,000-square foot East Cobb Church, a smaller activities building and a parking lot along the Shallowford Road portion of the land, and will sell 22 acres at Johnson Ferry Road and Waterfront Circle to Ashwood Atlanta, a residential developer, for 71 townhomes and 59 single-family detached homes.

(For the proposal submitted by North Point Ministries, there’s a revised site plan that came in last Tuesday and a lengthy new stipulation letter last Wednesday.)

At the hearing Tuesday there were 58 people attending in favor of the request, and 29 opposed.

The residential portion of the project has raised the most concerns, and on Tuesday nearby residents and civic leaders repeated their objections.

They included numerous variances being requested for the homes, which North Point attorney Kevin Moore said were necessary after community pushback against what originally had been 125 townhomes.

Those variances include setbacks, separation between single-family buildings, lot sizes and guest parking.

“There will still be some lot-size variances,” said Planning Commission member Tony Waybright, who represents District 2 in East Cobb where the development would take place. “We’ve got to give a little to get somewhere.”

He also noted that North Point donated right-of-way along Shallowford and Johnson Ferry for a multi-purpose trail that will be open to the community.

“That’s the benefit to the public in return for looking at the variances,” he said, noting that they were a better option than seeking other zoning categories.

Waybright had recommended a fee-simple townhome designation for the townhomes, but North Point kept its request at RA-6, with a proposed density of 5.8 units per acre.

Moore said that’s less than a townhome development behind the Kroger on the southeast corner of Johnson Ferry and Shallowford with six units an acre.

“This is not some isolated suburban neighborhood with single-family homes,” Moore said, saying that 75 percent of the assembled property in the rezoning is bordered by commercial property.

But Ruth Michels, who lives in the adjacent MarLanta subdvisision, countered that while she and her neighbors want the land to be redeveloped, “this is not the right development.”

She said she is concerned that the amount of developable land is unclear because a flood plain study has yet to be done. That process, which would provide an assessment of land in a drained lake, typically comes after a rezoning vote, in what’s called the site plan review stage.

Michels cited what she called a “lack of transparency” in submitting a stipulation letter late Monday.

“What is the real density?” she asked, adding that “it’s impossible to have an accurate picture of how this property is to be developed.”

*A July 27 site plan shows the church at left, townhomes at the top and single-family homes on the bottom.*

Jill Flamm of the East Cobb Civic Association also expressed opposition to the number of variances, a lack of lot-size specifics, no landscape plan, few details on a proposed community park and no sidewalks within the residential areas.

In his motion to recommend approval, Waybright incorporated some of those issues. His conditions would cap density at 129 units and 5.82 units per acre, conceding those figures could go down depending on the results of a flood plain study.

He also said the residential building heights should be no more than 35 feet and no more than two stories (some of the renderings include three stories).

Other stipulations include at least one pavilion and gazebo in the park, streetlights and benches along the multi-purpose trail, sidewalks on at least one side of all internal roads in the residential development and limitations on external lighting, including a ban on floodlights.

Another stipulation Waybright added was to prevent right-turn traffic coming out of the church on Sundays, to keep vehicles out of the nearby neighborhoods.

The only vote against was Planning Commission chairman Fred Beloin, who said while he “liked the look” of the townhomes, wanted to keep the density under 5 units an acre. His motion to cap that figure failed.

Another East Cobb case that was to have been heard Tuesday is being delayed again. The Cobb zoning staff has continued a request by Pulte Homes for a proposed 99-home single-family detached development on nearly 50 acres on Ebenezer Road, between Blackwell Road and Maybreeze Road.

Pulte Homes revised that site plan and submitted a new stipulation letter last week, after questions were raised about density of around 2 units an acre, small lot sizes and a lack of amenities.

That case has been put on the September zoning calendar.

2021 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival includes in-theater screenings

August 3, 2021August 3, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) is excited to announce its return to the movie theater for the first time in 18 months with AJFF North, a mini-festival on Aug. 28-29, 2021, that will combine in-theater and virtual screenings. Made possible by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta through its “Making Jewish Places” initiative, AJFF North brings the best in Jewish cinema directly to residents of Alpharetta, East Cobb, Johns Creek, Roswell and surrounding North Metro communities, though is open to all audiences.

Moviegoers can enjoy a diverse mix of dramas, documentary, family-friendly fare, a Hollywood classic comedy, and even short films in a series of screenings at the Aurora Cineplex in Roswell (5100 Commerce Pkwy, Roswell, GA 30076), as well as via streaming in the AJFF Virtual Cinema. Tickets are available for purchase on Aug. 4 and are $16/person for in-person screenings and $16/household for films presented in the Virtual Cinema.

In-person screenings at the Aurora Cineplex represent the festival’s first return to movie theaters since February 2020 and provides an opportunity for audiences to rediscover the joy of seeing films back on the big screen, as AJFF plans for a larger theatrical experience at next year’s 22nd edition of the annual festival in February 2022.

“We’re thrilled to be the official venue for AJFF North,” says Barbara Scoggins, operations manager of the Aurora Cineplex. “As the world starts going back to the movies, community events like this one provide us an opportunity to serve film lovers in the North Atlanta metro area and beyond.”

As AJFF continues to prioritize the safety of audiences and staff, organizers will follow COVID protocols in accordance with CDC and local guidelines, as well as theater partners. This will include measures to encourage all audiences to wear masks inside the theater venue, as well as social distancing during entry and exit from the theater.

“After nearly two years of planning with our partners at Jewish Federation and community volunteers, AJFF North is a milestone initiative that both welcomes audiences back to theaters while also serving fans in North Metro neighborhoods,” says AJFF Executive Director Kenny Blank. “AJFF has always taken care to listen to the needs of the community, and this mini-festival further provides an opportunity to understand how the moviegoing experience will evolve as we plan for next year’s annual festival and beyond.”

For more information on tickets, show times and feature films, visit the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival website.

NW Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity to hold fundraising concert

August 2, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information: NW Metro Atlanta Habitat Humanity fundraising concert

Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta is pleased to announce its inaugural fundraising concert, Harmonies for Homes, to be held on the 18th green of Atlanta Country Club on Monday, August 9 at 7:30 p.m. The concert is produced by event production company, Moon Crush, and will feature music from artists Edwin McCain, Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, and Clay Cook of Zac Brown Band, with accompaniment by Faye Petree on fiddle. The event is nearly sold out, with remaining tickets available at http://www.habitatnwma.org/concert.

Funds raised by the event will benefit Habitat for Humanity Northwest Metro Atlanta, to build and repair homes for families in need in Cobb, Douglas, and Paulding counties.

The concert is a part of the affiliate’s 35th anniversary celebration. The fundraiser’s Presenting Sponsor is local custom home builder, Bercher Homes. The Gieryn Family Foundation, Young Contracting Foundation and an anonymous sponsorare Habitat Hero Sponsors. Genuine Parts Company, S.A. White Oil Company, Inc., The Walker School, Keybank, London and Jerry Andes, and Alayne and George Sertl are Hope Giver Sponsors.

Innovative Construction, Jan-Pro, Stadium Spot, LLC,George and Donna MacConnell, and Ann and Sheldon Taylor are Helping Hand Sponsors.

Mauldin & Jenkins, Dr. Eric Brown, Sandy Cooper, Meredith and Ed Houseworth, the Leech family, Kelly and Sean Sullivan, and Jonathan Tibus are Heart-to-Heart sponsors. For more information, contact Christine Morris at [email protected].

Cobb jail returns to ‘strict COVID-19 protocols’ after 51 new cases

August 2, 2021August 2, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

As cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant continue to rise, the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office has also seen an increase in positive cases among staff and detainees in the Adult Detention Center.

After mass polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing on July 28th, 51 individuals tested positive for the novel coronavirus; however, the majority are not exhibiting symptoms.

To keep people safe and reduce the spread of the virus, Sheriff Owens has implemented the following measures:

individuals receive a rapid test upon booking in the Adult Detention Center;

upon booking, detainees are placed in a separate pod for 14 days;

detainees may request a COVID-19 test at any time;

any detainee exhibiting symptoms will receive a test and be placed in a separate pod; and

masks are now mandatory, regardless of vaccination status.

“The data is clear; the Delta variant is especially dangerous for the unvaccinated,” said Sheriff Craig D. Owens, Sr. “I urge our employees and all detainees to take advantage of the free, safe COVID-19 vaccine for their safety and the safety of the general public.”

The Sheriff’s Office has already vaccinated more than 475 detainees and continues to work with the county judges to vaccinate those with upcoming court trials.

“Unfortunately, misinformation has resulted in vaccine hesitancy within the Adult Detention Center,” the sheriff added. “We are organizing a vaccine education clinic with outside professionals to address detainees’ concerns and encourage full participation in our next vaccine clinic.”

The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to doing everything possible to keep detainees safe during this unprecedented time.

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 Chamber seeks businesses for Partners in Education program

August 2, 2021August 2, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

As the school year begins in Cobb County, the Cobb Chamber’s Partners In Education program is looking for businesses to become partners and serve local schools.

The Partners in Education Program is a collective effort of the Cobb Chamber, the Cobb County Public School District and Marietta City Schools that matches businesses and organizations with schools to provide extra funding, unique services and volunteer support. The vision behind the Partners in Education program is to enrich the learning experience of Cobb’s children so that all develop a strong academic foundation, skills and core values that will benefit them in their community life and in a career.

“The Chamber’s Partners in Education program has a long history of connecting businesses with local schools, sourcing Cobb’s schools with much needed resources,” said Sharon Mason. “As partners, businesses can make a positive impact on students by donating supplies and other items and volunteering at the school. These partnerships help schools and students to flourish.”

Participation in the program provides opportunities for businesses to:

Heighten awareness of present and future job needs.

Understand the quality and needs of the public school systems, whose health is vital to the community’s economic well-being.

Be recognized as a community involved company, which adds to public relations efforts.

Improve the education of future employees and customers.

Any business in Cobb County and the surrounding area is eligible to participate as a Partner in Education. Businesses that are also members of the Cobb Chamber receive a special badge and category in the Chamber’s membership directory to help promote their business as a key contributor to the education community.

For more information about Partners in Education, contact Twana Roots at [email protected] or Caroline Knowles at [email protected].

New gruvnYOGA Soul Center to hold open house on Aug. 21

August 2, 2021August 2, 2021 by Wendy Parker

gruvnYOGA Soul Center open house

Submitted information:

gruvnYOGA Soul Center today announced an Open House celebration will be held on Saturday, August 21, 2021 9am – 2 p.m.

gruvnYOGA Soul Center, a family-owned yoga studio, opened its doors at 3000 Johnson Ferry Road #101, offering a variety of yoga classes for all skill levels.

The Open House celebration will feature a series of free 30-minute yoga classes and free chair massages. The day will also be filled with give-aways, prizes, and discounts offered by gruvnYOGA and other local East Cobb businesses focused on health & wellness, including Clean Juice, Corrective Chiropractic, Icebox Cryotherapy, The Art of Health and Holland Botanicals.

The afternoon will feature a specialized class experience – guest Tommasina Marlow will lead a Universal Yoga practice at 2pm and the evening will be capped by a Healing Sound Journey provided by Michael Burke at 7pm, followed by a wine & cheese social.

Owner Heather Peace opened gruvnYOGA in February 2020 after leaving her corporate career. “There was a deeper calling for me. I wanted to help people in my community find a judgment-free space where they could practice yoga and mindfulness,“ Peace said. “Come as you are. No judgment. No pretension. You are accepted and welcome here.”

gruvnYOGA managed to remain open throughout the pandemic, adding virtual streaming services that still draw students today from all over the U.S.

gruvynYOGA Soul Center offers over twenty classes of yoga classes each week, including:

Vinyasa: Flow-style classes where poses are linked together with breath in a sequence of movementPower: A more vigorous class, with a faster pace, and added poses and repetition of movements to add strength

Yin: A class with fewer poses, held for longer amounts of time, leveraging the use of supportive tools to deepen the stretch and release tension

“We’re your friendly neighborhood yoga studio – no mirrors, labels or gimmicks – simply YOGA, focused on mindfulness, personal growth and feeling comfortable in your own skin,” Peace said.

Learn more at www.gruvnyoga.com

Cobb public health director urges public masking, vaccines

July 31, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb public health director masks vaccines — *Cobb COVID-19 cases by month, according to date of onset, per Georgia Department of Public Health.*

As the rate of COVID-19 cases rises around the country, thanks largely to what’s being called the Delta variant, the director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health said this week that citizens should take precautions.

Those including wearing masks when going out in public, including schools, and getting vaccinated if they haven’t already done so.

After dropping to pre-pandemic levels in June, the case rates have climbed back into what’s called the “high community spread” range, or a 14-day average of more than 100 cases per 100,000 people.

As of Friday, Cobb’s combined PCR and Antigen testing results showed that average to be 267 cases per 100,000.

You can check the Georgia Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Daily Status Report for more details.

On Thursday, Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, sent out a message urging people in high transmission areas “to mask up while going out in public spaces.”

Those areas include Cobb and Douglas counties. At one point earlier this summer, Cobb’s test positivity rate was under two percent, with five percent being a threshold for concern. Now that figure is 8.4 percent.

She estimates that 80 percent of the virus that’s spreading around now is the Delta variant, which transmits at a faster rate than the main COVID-19 and is considered more contagious.

“It’s more deadly for people who are unvaccinated,” Memark said. “If you keep letting the virus circulate, to reproduce, it is going to find a way to beat us.”

She said Delta has made “some progress” against the vaccine, meaning that some fully vaccinated people can still get a positive test and have mild symptoms.

“But your chances of dying or being hospitalized are extremely rare, if you are vaccinated,” Memark said in a video produced by Cobb County government (you can watch it all below).

Of those “breakthrough” cases, Memark said it’s not true that the vaccines don’t work. Instead, they are reducing severe illness and symptoms.

Memark also said that COVID-19 hospitalizations in Cobb are up 300 percent from a few weeks ago, and many of them are younger patients, in their 30s-50s, who are not vaccinated.

Memark’s message comes as the Cobb County School District begins a new academic year on Monday. Earlier this week, the district reiterated it would follow a masks-optional policy for students, teachers and staff.

The district had a mask mandate for the 2020-21 school year but announced plans in May to drop that requirement. Cobb schools were sued by parents for the mandate, and that legal action was later dropped.

Gwinnett schools switched to a mask mandate this week following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control recommending mask-wearing at schools. In her messages this week, Memark urged parents to follow the new recommendations, which she admitted have been confusing.

“These recommendations were meant to try to keep as many children in school as possible to allow them to keep learning,” said Memark in a CDPH newsletter this week. “Because so many children have not or cannot get vaccinated, masking is one of the only prevention tools we have to decrease spread.”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said last week he would not order new restrictions, including a mask mandate, something he has been unwilling to do during the pandemic.

Some cities in Georgia have reimposed previous mask mandates, including the city of Atlanta. Cobb County has never done that, except in government facilities, with former chairman Mike Boyce saying last July it would impose an unfair enforcement burden on public safety personnel.

When East Cobb News asked if Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid may be considering a mask mandate, county spokesman Ross Cavitt said Thursday “not at this time.”

Cobb and Douglas Public Health is offering free Pfizer vaccines to the public (ages 12 and older) at its various centers and at selected other pop-up locations, either by appointment or via walk-up. For more information, click here.

“Please safely enjoy the last weekend before school starts,” Memark said. “Remember that we are not done with this pandemic yet. It is not too late to get your vaccine.”

Cobb Community Health Expo to be held at Switzer Library

July 31, 2021July 31, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information: Cobb Community Health Expo

Cobb County Public Library is presenting the Community Health Expo at the Charles D. Switzer Library, 266 Roswell Street in downtown Marietta, on Saturday, August 7 from 11 am to 2 pm.

The Expo will feature physical and mental health resources offered in the Cobb community by organizations engaged in promoting improved quality of life, said Renate Elliott, supervisor of the library’s Accessibility Services Department. The drop-in program is free and open to the public; no registration is required.

Georgia Mobile Audiology, a program of the state Department of Education, will provide free hearing screenings for children during the event and share information with parents and providers on positive language and literacy outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children.

“The Georgia Mobile Audiology team is on the road to address barriers of healthcare access of underserved deaf and hard of hearing children and provide critical support for families facing hearing loss challenges,” Elliott said. “We are very glad for this opportunity to elevate conversations and awareness of audiological services in our community.”

Participating organizations in the Expo also include Georgia Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Safe Kids Cobb County, NAMI Cobb, Cobb Community Services Board, and Cobb Senior Services.

The Expo is intentionally designed to introduce organizations providing a range of resources for health, including behavioral challenges and developmental disabilities, and will be empowering for Cobb adults and children seeking wellness and safety net services, library officials said.

For information on the Community Health Expo and resources of the Cobb County Public Library, visit www.cobbcounty.org/library or call 770-528-2320.

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 Rotary Club presents quarterly police officer’s award

July 31, 2021July 31, 2021 by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Rotary Police Officer Award

Submitted information and photo:

The East Cobb Rotary Club recently awarded its 2nd Quarter Police Officer’s Award from the County’s 2nd district to Officer Rene Maestre. Also looking on is his superior, Major Batterton, who recommended officer Maestre.

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