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!
Kay Morgan, a Republican who has announced her candidacy for Cobb Commission Chair, will be speaking in East Cobb next week.
She’s the featured guest at a Feb. 20 meeting of the Association of Mature American Citizens at the East Cobb Library (4880 Lower Roswell Road) starting at 6:45 p.m.
Morgan, a realtor from West Cobb, is the only Republican thus far to announce her campaign, with qualifying taking place the first week in March (her campaign website).
She is vying for the seat held by Democrat Lisa Cupid, who last year announced she would be seeking a second term.
Morgan is a first-time candidate who has the backing of influential figures in Cobb business and Republican political circles. They include former Cobb Chamber of Commerce president John Loud, who’s also taking a major role in the Cobb Board of Education campaign of GOP candidate John Cristadoro in Post 5 in East Cobb.
Morgan, who has been involved with Cobb Executive Women and Leadership Cobb, has reported raising more than $102,000 in 2023, including a $22,000 personal loan, and has more than $82,000 in cash on hand.
An amended disclosure report filed by the Cupid campaign on Feb. 7 noted more than $54,000 in fundraising, but it’s unclear how much cash on hand she has, according to an addendum statement that her campaign said would be updated.
The 2024 election includes most countywide elected offices, in which all but one are held by Democrats (Tax Commissioner Carla Jackson, who has been elected as a member of the GOP the last two elections, has switched to the Democratic Party for this year’s ballot).
According to its website, the Association of Mature American Citizens is a conservative advocacy organization founded in 2007 and that “is here to protect and defend the sanctity of our Constitution and fidelity to our Nation’s Founders. We are unabashed in our fight to protect freedom of the individual, free speech and exercise of religion, equality of opportunity, sanctity of life, rule of law, and love of family.”
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!
“I am trusting that the community will be operating in good faith as partners to come to an agreeable solution,” Richardson said.
After hearing from the Cobb DOT director about the need to improve traffic safety on Lower Roswell Road near Parkaire Landing Shopping Center, Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson on Tuesday persuaded her colleagues to delay the long-awaited project again.
During a regular business meeting, the commissioners voted 5-0 to indefinitely table voting on two agenda items—one seeking right-of-way condemnations involving six businesses and the other approving a $7 million construction contract for the project.
Richardson said that the delay would be used to create a project fact sheet to be distributed to the public by a “construction ambassador” designated to work with the community and business owners.
“What I am asking from my community is that I am making this decision despite the trust that I have in the expertise and care of our DOT staff,” Richardson said, before the vote, reading from a prepared statement.
“And because I am trusting that the community will be operating in good faith as partners to come to an agreeable solution, I am asking that we stay focused on the facts, and not inject external influences into this conversation.”
It’s been more than a decade since Cobb DOT proposed traffic improvements at a busy intersection it says has a high number of vehicle crashes.
The project, with funding coming from the Cobb 2011 SPLOST, would add turn lanes, install a multi-use trail and make other improvements along Lower Roswell between Woodlawn Drive and Davidson Road.
Cobb DOT maintains that the proposed raised median—which would prevent left turns out of Parkaire Landing onto Lower Roswell Road—would substantially reduce crashes (from a 2021 project fact sheet.)
Cobb commissioners approved a conceptual plan in 2022. Further public feedback prompted DOT later in 2022 to redesign the project, including removal of a planned bike path and expanding a multi-use trail to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.
But business owners have been concerned about the impact of the median all along.
On Monday, Richardson met with business owners, and said she “wanted to do some additional research regarding the impact of the median to local businesses.”
She said she read through engineering reports that show that “medians tend to have a positive impact on business sales and patronage.”
The proposed median would have two breaks, at Parkaire Landing, near Kroger, and at the McDonald’s across the street.
Barista’s owner Joel Gilmer said a median along Lower Roswell Road would make cut-through traffic conditions near his coffee shop even more dangerous than he says it is now.
But Joel Gilmer, owner of the Barista’s Coffee Shop on Lower Roswell Road at Davidson Road and nearby H2Oasis, told commissioners repeatedly that installing a median “is a bad idea.”
He said he visited several businesses that would be affected by the median and said they agreed with him.
Gilmer said he and his Barista’s employees, as well as customers, are constantly being threatened being hit by cars using a parking lot in the Parkaire Triangle retail center where the coffee shop sits as a cut-through, or what he calls “the bypass.”
“The people coming out of Kroger [at Parkaire Landing] to that traffic light to Lower Roswell [at Davidson] are not going to use that traffic light,” he said. “They’re going to use the bypass.
“The owners of that parking lot are going to close entrance and exit points along Davidson Road to keep the cars from coming through,” Gilmer said.
“It’s going to cause people to go down the Davidson Road drag strip, down to Bayliss Drive, over to Sunset Trail and then up to Lower Roswell to beat the light.”
Those vehicles will be passing through communities and by individuals walking, some with pets and children, he added, “in constant danger of being hit.
“It’s going to happen. This is a bad idea.”
When Richardson asked Cobb DOT Director Drew Raessler if he could confirm that a median would reduce crashes, he cited previous traffic analyses—some going back to 2009—reflecting higher numbers than along a longer stretch on Lower Roswell near Woodlawn.
The vote by the commissioners refers the agenda items back to Cobb DOT for further study, but and Richardson again implored the community to work together “over these next several weeks.
“What I do not want,” Richardson said, “is to yet again kick the can down the road, and the situation will continue to get worse. Someone will be seriously hurt, and that point we will all be wondering why something wasn’t done sooner.”
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!
The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports. They include the subdivision name, high school attendance zone and sales price:
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!
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.
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!
Lace ‘em up and let ‘em fly! The East Cobb Classic 5K & Fun Run will return for its second year on March 9. This family friendly event promises a fun-filled morning for all ages while supporting the East Cobb community.
The East Cobb Classic supports the annual fund of Eastside Christian School, which has plans to build a brand new playground and greenspace area.
Registration options include a timed 5K race, untimed 5K run/walk, and a quarter-mile fun run obstacle course. The timed 5K is USATF certified and an Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race qualifying event with awards for the top 3 male and female overall finishers, in addition to age group awards. The fun run is filled with exciting obstacles that take kids up, down, and around. All fun run participants receive a finishers medal. Registration for all race day participants includes a super soft race t-shirt.
“I absolutely loved that this was a family event! Very very impressed that it was the first one! Music was great, the race started on time, and they did a fantastic job with the cones and having folks out there at all the turns and intersections. I was super impressed by this,” said competitive runner and USATF certified coach Courtney Strosnider.
“It is well organized, fun crowd, rockin’ DJ! Great race and family fun day! My kids loved getting to do their own race as well,” said Chris Darragh.
“Running and hospitality are both passions of mine. Organizing the race gives me an opportunity to combine both. I love the way it brings together the community of participants, volunteers, and sponsors,” said race director Sara Gentry.
The race takes place at Eastside Christian School, 2450 Lower Roswell Road in Marietta/East Cobb. Register by February 24 to guarantee your t-shirt! For more information and to register to run the East Cobb Classic 5K, visit eastcobbclassic.com.
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February is the shortest month, but the sweetest one.
A cliché perhaps, but with Valentine’s Day right in the middle, we’re asking readers once again for their support of East Cobb News.
This is our first request of 2024, and we’re very appreciative of those who have contributed when we began this effort last year and who continue to do so.
While access to all content on East Cobb News remains and will always be free of charge—including our Sunday newsletter—we’d like to ask readers who value what they get from our community’s only daily, all-online news source to consider making a contribution.
Every day we go deep into East Cobb, bringing you professionally-reported news and useful community information: local government and schools, crime and fire, courts, business and restaurant openings, quality of life issues and more.
We’re coming off our best traffic year ever in 2023, thanks to so many of you for your readership, with more than 1.7 million clicks.
Our audience keeps growing, as we average nearly 150,000 page views a month and more than 70,000 unique visitors a month.
That’s an important metric, as that latter figure is roughly one-third of our coverage area. We’ve also enjoyed growth with our newsletter as we approach nearly 9,000 subscribers, and are pushing near 20,000 in our overall social media reach.
Increasingly, local advertisers are seeing the value in having a dynamic digital presence to reach a growing, engaged audience. They tell us they love how hyperlocal we go with the news, and that translates into a hyperlocal focus for promoting their businesses.
As carry on with a new year, East Cobb News is adding features we think the community will enjoy. The East Cobb Biz Scene column, publishing on Monday, rounds up openings, closing and other news about local businesses with a focus on the people behind them and what makes them tick.
We’ve also launched a weekly short video feature called East Cobb On the Spot, where we visit with people involved in a variety of community activities. Look for that to be published on Friday-Saturday every week.
This year is an election year, and we will be providing coverage of local races and the Georgia presidential primaries in March.
We have some other plans in the works to give you even more of the local news you love, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, please consider making a contribution to support the work of East Cobb News—we recommend a recurring monthly donation of at least $6 a month, or $60 a year.
We’ve set up our subscription options along the lines of public radio fundraising drives, to accommodate whatever level you wish to support. You can donate on a recurring basis, or submit a one-time donation via the link below.
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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!
Nearly a year after pleading guilty to wire fraud in a Ponzi scheme that defrauded several hundred of his clients, an East Cobb investment adviser was sentenced to federal prison this week.
John Woods, who’s been active in Walton High School sports and civic affairs in East Cobb, will serve seven-and-a-half years, plus three years on supervised probation, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for North Georgia.
That’s where federal prosecutors presented evidence that Woods victimized more than 400 investors, at a cost of more than $49 million, over 13 years.
In 2021, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission shut down the Ponzi scheme, run out of a fund called Horizon Private Equity, promising rates of return of six to seven percent.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a release Thursday that Horizon would invest the funds in government bonds, stocks, or small real estate projects, and that clients were assured the investments were safe “because Horizon maintained a diverse portfolio.”
But prosecutors said in court last year that those funds were used instead to repay other investors and that “Horizon was able to pay guaranteed returns to investors only by raising and using new investor money.”
The defrauded clients were sent monthly statements that did not disclose that their investments didn’t provide a return to cover the cost of interest.
“Although Woods did not use the money to live a lavish lifestyle, he diverted investor funds to pet projects not approved by the investors, such as purchasing an interest in a baseball team in his home town,” the release said.
Woods, a native of Chattanooga, was a minority owner of the Chattanooga Lookouts minor league baseball team.
Woods, 58, was formerly on the executive board of the Walton Touchdown Club and was a member of the original East Cobb Cityhood committee in 2019.
When the Ponzi scheme was shut down, the Securities and Exchange Commission estimated that Horizon investors were owed $110 million in principal payments.
The sentence handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah E. Geraghty also requires Woods to pay restitution. A restitution hearing is scheduled for April 15.
“Woods abused the trust of his victims, including retirees, seniors, and military veterans, who lost their life savings and retirement accounts due to his greed,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan said in the release.
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!
Artist Diane Yancey’s work of Cobb’s iconic Lost Mountain Store is part of the traveling M2R gallery at Aviation Park through March 9.
Submitted information:
Town Center Community will host the M2R Traveling Fence Art Gallery in Aviation Park February 10 to March 9. The curated outdoor installation features high-resolution, printed images of original artwork from artists and photographers of all ages.
“This is our third year hosting the gallery,” said Jennifer Hogan, Director, Town Center Community. “It takes hard work and collaboration to install and remove the panels, but it is worth it because this is how we create a vibrant community people want to visit.”
Produced by the Marietta Arts Council, the yearly gallery debuts at M2R Trailfest and stays in Marietta for a 60-day exhibition before traveling to different locations throughout Cobb County. Newly printed weather-safe panels are installed at each location on a predetermined schedule.
After visiting Aviation Park, the gallery continues to Concord Road Linear Park and Arboretum in Smyrna, the last stop on the tour.
For more information or to view the online catalog of all works selected for the 2023-2024 gallery, visit M2rfence.com.
The Marietta Arts Council is currently accepting applications for the 2024-2025 exhibit until midnight March 24, 2024.
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!
The Marietta History Center recently announced that it will participate in the Georgia History Festival’s Super Museum Sunday on February 11, 2024.Super Museum Sunday is part of the annual Georgia History Festival, the signature K-12 educational program of the Georgia Historical Society, reaching hundreds of thousands of students statewide.
The Marietta History Center will join over 100 historic sites, house museums, art museums, and other points of interest throughout Georgia that will open their doors to the public. These sites will offer a variety of in-person and virtual experiences that encourage Georgians of all ages to explore and experience the history, arts, and cultural opportunities of our great state.
At the Marietta History Center, guests will have the chance to discover the largest collection of artifacts relating to Marietta and Cobb County. From intriguing exhibits to engaging experiences, our mission is to ignite curiosity and foster connections through the compelling stories of our local history. Don’t miss this opportunity to uncover the hidden gems of Marietta’s past and create lasting memories with your loved ones.
Super Museum Sunday is supported by Delta Airlines.
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 Side Elementary PTA Co-President Caitlin Smith, PeachSkinSheets David Bartow
Submitted information and photo:
The Original PeachSkinSheets donated $720 to East Side Elementary PTA as part of the company’s launch of Partners In Education. Many more East Cobb schools will be partnering with PeachSkinSheets this school year.
Known for its super-soft, moisture-wicking antimicrobial bedding, PeachSkinSheets understands the importance of a good night’s sleep for students and educators. Sleep impacts more than just students’ ability to perform well; it improves the ability to learn, memorize, retain, recall and use new knowledge to solve problems creatively. With 32 ultra-soft colors from which to choose, PeachSkinSheets is a necessity for optimal sleep and creativity this school year.
How it works: Families receive a unique online discount code for their school, and with every qualifying purchase, PeachSkinSheets donates $20 per set back to the individual school. All proceeds will be used at schools for various projects including classroom supplies, podcast equipment, teacher appreciation, libraries and more. Online purchase with home delivery makes it simple and easy for Principals/PTAs as well as school families.
On-going commitment: In May 2024, a Teacher Appreciation discount event will give educators a great night’s sleep at an affordable price, while also providing additional funding for teacher’s needs.
The PeachSkinSheets Partners In Education program proudly supports schools across the country while enriching communities. Partners In Education plans to donate $1 Million to schools. For more information, please visit partnerwithpeachskin.com.
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 DOT is seeking condemnations for portions of commercial property on Lower Roswell Road near Johnson Ferry Road.
Efforts by Cobb DOT to acquire right-of-way to begin long-planned improvements along Lower Roswell Road have hit a snag with some commercial property owners.
The department said it’s still negotiating, but will ask the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to approve condemnation proceedings for six parcels of land at Parkaire Landing Shopping Center and across the road near the intersection of Johnson Ferry Road.
Those include properties housing a Bank of America branch, a McDonald’s, a medical building and a small strip retail building, as well as a Taco Bell.
In an agenda item (you can read it here), Cobb DOT said the condemnations are needed “to ensure project deadlines are met,” but didn’t indicate when those deadlines might be. The condemnations would be enacted “in the event negotiations are unsuccessful.”
The condemnations would include property for permanent rights-of-way as well as temporary construction easements.
It’s been more than a decade since Cobb DOT proposed traffic improvements at a busy intersection it says has a high number of vehicle crashes.
The project, with an estimated cost of $9 million from the Cobb 2011 SPLOST, would add turn lanes, install a multi-use trail and make other improvements along Lower Roswell between Woodlawn Drive and Davidson Road.
The agenda item states that there is funding available for permanent right-of-way acquisitions for the six parcels, but doesn’t indicate a cost.
Until a few years ago, there wasn’t much public skepticism of the plan, although the county has been talking with business owners concerned about a proposed raised median affecting their businesses.
Cobb DOT maintains that the proposed raised median—which would prevent left turns out of Parkaire Landing onto Lower Roswell Road—would substantially reduce crashes (from a 2021 project fact sheet that hasn’t been publicly updated).
After some residents expressed opposition in 2022, Cobb DOT held a town hall meeting about the project at the East Cobb Library. Many of the objections were over the creation of bike and pedestrian lanes.
Additional public feedback prompted Cobb DOT to announce in late 2022 it would redesign the project, including removal of a planned bike path and expanding a multi-use trail to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.
That redesign hasn’t been unveiled.
The specific parcels being sought for condemnation resolutions Tuesday include the following:
Parcel 22 (4811 Lower Roswell Road; Papa John’s Pizza, My Emergency Dental, 101 Bagel Café) 5,097 square feet of right-of-way
Parcel 28 (4939 Lower Roswell Road, Parkaire Medical Center): 1,226 square feet of right-of-way
The commission meeting begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta), and the full agenda can be found by clicking here.
You also can watch on the county’s website and YouTube channels and on Cobb TV 23 on Comcast Cable.
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!
The Cherokee Sheriff’s Office has charged an 18-year-old with vehicular homicide and other felony charges stemming from a single-vehicle crash in January that killed two other teens and injured three others, including the suspect.
Gabe Escandon, a senior soccer player at Pope, was killed on the scene of the Jan. 8 crash in Woodstock.
Booking reports show that Oliver Luis Roman, 18, of Powder Springs, was being held without bond after being charged Wednesday morning. He is charged with two counts of first-degree vehicular homicide, two counts of serious injury by vehicle and reckless driving.
Roman allegedly was driving a Mazda 6 sedan that slammed into a tree in a median along Towne Lake Parkway in Woodstock on Jan. 9. Gabriel Escandon, 17, a member of Pope’s varsity boys soccer team, was pronounced dead on the scene, while Esteban Cortez-Rendon of Woodstock, who turned 18 that day, died at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, Cherokee authorities previously said.
Chris Peixoto, a soccer player at Lassiter High School, was hospitalized with serious injuries, as were the other two occupants of the car, including Roman.
Friends and family responded to an online fundraiser that netted more than $81,000 for his recovery. A message on Jan. 28—Peixoto’s 18th birthday—said asked for continuing donations of $18 and said that “Chris is continuing to improve day by day, but he still is going to need lots of support and prayers from the entire community.”
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!
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!
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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L to R: Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K members Jim Perry and Rosie Teague; Elayna Wilson, Principal of Powers Ferry Elementary School; Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K members Paul Smith, KCMGK President and member John Kone
Submitted information and photo:
Twenty four Powers Ferry Elementary School students were presented with a “TERIFFIC KIDS” certificate on February 1st, 2024. Terrific Kids, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K recognizes students who have demonstrated excellence in showing “RESPECT” during the month of January.
Jim Perry, Past President of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K explained, “Terrific Kids is a character-building program that recognises students for modifying their behavior. The program encourages kids to become the best version of themselves. Kids determine what being terrific means to them, then develop their own goals and use peer mentoring to hold themselves accountable for the actions they take each week. When a participant achieves a goal, he or she is recognized for being a Terrific Kid.”
Elayna Wilson, Principal of Powers Ferry ES and Aimee Pieree of the Powers Ferry ES staff presided over the presentation. A brief party followed the ceremony whereby students that received a certificate received a scrumptious “good bag” filled with delicious snacks.
The presentation was held at 8 am so as not to interfere with students “rest of the day” activities. A great way to start the school day … a “Teriffic Kids” certificate and morning snack. Congratulations to all of the Powers Ferry Elementary School “TERIFFIC KIDS.”
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!
Super Chix, a fast-casual restaurant that specializes in chicken dishes, will be opening its third location in metro Atlanta this summer at Avenue East Cobb.
North American Properties, which manages the retail center at 4475 Roswell Road, said the Texas-based franchise will occupy 3,800 square feet near the Sephora store and that the franchisee is East Cobb resident Missy Newks.
Super Chix, which features grilled chicken sandwiches (which the chain dubs “The Last True Chicken Sandwich”), hand-cut fries and frozen custards, has locations in Peachtree City and near Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.
It was started in 2014 and was purchaed in 2018 by Darryl Neider, formerly with Five Guys,
It’s the fourth new restaurant/eatery to open at Avenue in recent weeks, along with Peach State Pizza, Press Waffle Co. and Tin Pin Gaming Bar.
Round Trip Brewing Co., which originated in Westside Atlanta in 2021. is slated to open a German-style craft brewhouse and restaurant in the spring, but an opening hasn’t been announced.
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!
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.
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.
Photo: Walton Band Parents Association
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Welcome to East Cobb Biz Scene, a weekly roundup of openings, closings and other news involving local businesses in East Cobb, and the people behind them.
We’ll be running this feature on Monday, when we focus on small businesses, and invite members of the business community to let us know what’s going with their businesses, including community activities.
At the end of a hectic week, I spent some time Friday afternoon checking out the grand opening of the Tin Pin Game Bar at Avenue East Cobb (4475 Roswell Road).
It’s been open for about a week, but the after-school hour schedule for this event was ideal for families and others wanting to unwind with pinball and other arcade games that were free during the grand opening hours.
It’s a sliver of a space next to Tin Lizzy’s in the former Benni’s Cubano space, and Friday’s pleasant weather was very inviting for leaving the door open, as well as patio dining.
Tin Pin has a sports bar atmosphere, although kids were running around everywhere (and in the case of my quickie video last Friday, waving behind me!).’
Also new at Avenue
Tin Pin wasn’t the only new entry at Avenue to open over the weekend. A women’s boutique, Boho Trace, has opened in Suite 1725 (the former Olea Oliva! space). It’s a women-owned shop started by CEO Devon Sawyer, who’s dedicating her new business in the memory of her mother, who died suddently in 2021.
In addition to women’s outfits, Boho Trace sells accessories, shoes, swimwear, and more. Hours are Monday -Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 12-5 p.m.
Also at Avenue, a family lounge has opened, between Tin Lizzy’s and Panera Bread, with public restrooms, a mother’s l0unge, electronic charging stations and a kids’ play area with lounge seating.
Lounge hours are Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 12-6 p.m.
Biz luncheons in February
The guest speaker at the Feb. 20 luncheon of the East Cobb Business Association is Dr. Eric Plasker of Plasker Family and Performance Chiropractic, who will speak about “healty longevity in business and life.” He’s the author of “The 100 Year Lifestyle,” speaks regularly on wellness topics.
The luncheon takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rich Hart Global Studios (2030 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 270-280). The cost ranges from $20-$30 and you can sign up by clicking here.
The following day, Wednesday, Feb. 21, the Northeast Cobb Business Association will hold its monthly luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Piedmont Church (570 Piedmont Road).
The guest speaker is Roger Tutterow, economics professor at Kennesaw State University. The cost is $20-$35; more info by clicking here.
Jewelry fundraiser to help Sprayberry TD club
Rebecca Deutsch of Park Lane Jewelry, has announced her latest fundraiser in the East Cobb area to help a community organization.
Between now and Wednesday (Feb. 7), she’s doing a give-back fundraiser on behalf of the Sprayberry High School Touchdown Club, donating 50 percent of the proceeds.6-7:30
The booster club is aiming to raise $1,000, and Park Lane offers more than 200 different products between $22-$200. For the full listings, visit https://parklanejewelry.com/f/3276.
Your order will be shipped directly to you. For information call 404-769-3502.
Strong Hearts, Strong Lives session
Several East Cobb wellness professionals are holding a special session Thursday to promote better lifestyle and fitness habits related to heart health.
“Strong Hearts, Strong Lives” takes place from 6-7:30 p.m. at the StrongVibe Fitness Studio in Paper Mill Village, 147 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 2110. (We profiled StrongVibe and owner Erica Manning last fall, shortly after she opened.)
Also on hand will be Dr. Dolapo Babalola of the Living at Your Finest Wellness office on Johnson Ferry Road, and Dr. James Cullison of Mojo Vitality, also at PMV.
The event will include free scans, meditation sessions, food and giveaways. It’s free to the public and you can RSVP by emailing erica@strongvibefit.com.
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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!
The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports. They include the subdivision name, high school attendance zone and sales price:
Jan. 16
2991 Lassiter Road, 30062 (Pope): $490,000
2906 Octavia Circle, 30062 (Vestavia Estates, Walton): $1.495 million
2798 New South Drive, 30066 (Piedmont Station, Sprayberry): $247,500
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!
