East Cobb News

7 East Cobb schools recognized as Georgia ‘Literacy Leaders’

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East Cobb schools recognized as Georgia 'Literacy Leaders'
Dr. Shannon McGill, Principal at Timber Ridge Elementary School, is flanked by Ga. School Superintendent Richard Woods, at left, and Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale. CCSD photo

Ten schools in the Cobb County School District—seven of them in East Cobb—were visited last week by Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods for earning the state’s designation as Literacy Leaders.

A total of 155 schools in the state were recognized for “exceptional achievement or growth in third-grade reading.”

Schools with 90 percent or more of their third-grade students reading at grade level or above were recognized for outstanding achievement, and schools with a 15 percent or higher increase from 2021-22 to 2022-23 were recognized for outstanding growth.

Seventy schools in Georgia were recognized for achievement, 84 for growth, and one school was recognized in both categories. In Cobb, eight schools were recognized for literacy achievement and two for literacy growth.

As reported in July, East Cobb elementary schools had some of the best scores in Cobb on the Milestones tests, with Timber Ridge (96.7 percent), Mt. Bethel (95), Tritt (94.9), Shallowford Falls (93.1), Murdock (92.2), Mountain View (91.6) and Sope Creek (90.1) leading the way with students at or above grade-level.

Austell, Ford and Riverside elementary schools were recognized for major increases in grade-level reading scores.

“The ability to read opens up the doors not only to the rest of a student’s education but to their ability to continue learning throughout their life,” Woods said in a release. “That’s why we are laser-focused on literacy at the Georgia Department of Education and as a state. These schools—our Literacy Leaders—are doing exceptional work to ensure every student is equipped with the lifelong skill of literacy, and it’s an honor to recognize them.”

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East Cobb restaurant update: Sidelines Grille coming soon

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Sidelines Grille coming to East Cobb

The former Egg Harbor Cafe space at Stonewood Village (once the site of the longstanding Ritter’s restaurant) has been vacant since right before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared.

But shortly after the first of the year, it will be the home to a new Sidelines Grille in Cobb County, and the fifth for Canton-based GFY Hospitality.

The family-style sports bar concept has been around since 1994, with locations in Canton, Hickory Flat, Woodstock and Cartersville. (There was a Sidelines Grille on Roswell Road across from Williamson Bros. that closed; the space later was the spot for Hoyle’s Kitchen + Bar).

The Sidelines Grille menu goes beyond traditional sports bar food (burgers, sandwiches, wraps) and drink (two dozen draft beers on tap, craft made cocktails) to include full pasta, seafood, chicken and steak entrees, along with salads and soups, Tex-Mex items and desserts.

Renovations were continuing when we stopped by (4719 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 4200), and in a social media posting last week, management indicated that the anticipated opening is between late January and early February 2024.

“We’re more than just a sports bar; we’re a family-friendly retreat that celebrates local teams, fosters community connections, and serves up smiles with every meal,” the message said.

Sideliness Grille will be moving into competitive turf in East Cobb. Bradley’s Bar and Grill and McCray’s Tavern are close by on the other side of Johnson Ferry Road; further up Johnson Ferry is Montana’s and Westfield Tavern opened earlier this year.

When Egg Harbor closed in December 2019, the company said it was leaving due to leasing issues, and specifically, roof leaks and water damage to the building that “has rendered it an unacceptable situation for our business standards.”

East Cobb News has left a message with GFY Hospitality over that matter and other information about the Sidelines Grille opening.

In response to a question from a reader about mold issues in that space, Sidelines management responded on the East Cobb News Facebook page that “we have totally gutted the space and are in the process of rebuilding. No mold here!”

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Urthy Scents opens at Woodlawn Square Shopping Center

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Urthy Scents opens East Cobb
“We make everything ourselves,” Urthy co-owner Jen Rotondo said. ECN photos.

The aromas—all 27 of them—are unmistakeable when you walk into Urthy Scents.

And they’re all natural, too.

On its grand opening day last week, the boutique body- and skincare store made shopping even more enticing with special discounts–some as much as 50 percent off.

The location at Woodlawn Square Shopping Center (1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 105, next to Half Price Books) is the second for Urthy Scents, which opened its first store last year in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., near Sarasota.

Jen Rotondo and her sister Ali East developed the idea of making and selling non-scented body products because thy both have autoimmune issues and can’t use any traditionally manufactured scents.

Their venture started out as a hobby, as they began making clean-burning coconut wax candles during COVID-19. Quickly they began to expand their product line along the same concept using clean, scented non-toxic and naturally-derived plant ingredients.

Those include an olive squalane oil, firming lupin seed extract, and healing chamomile bisabolol. They’re part of what the sisters are calling their KWENCH body products line, emphasizing moisture and hydration.

Urthy Scents opens East Cobb

Urthy Scents opens East Cobb

“Everything we sell is non-toxic,” said Rotondo, who lives in Sandy Springs. “It’s all plastic-free.”

The decision to drop all phthalates—chemicals that make plastics more durable—means that all the products are made on-site.

“We make everything ourselves,” said Rotondo, as her staff milled about the 1,600-square-foot space, helping customers.

Those includes body lotions, scrubs and oils, perfumes, bath bombs, scent notes, candles, scent towers, as well as room sprays and diffusers.

The scents are organized into eight different groups, ranging from mystic sea, lavendar and cactus bloom to midnight sky, velvet orchid and blushing goddess.

(If you want to know what scents suit you, Urthy has put together a scent quiz.)

And about those coconut wax candles? Rotondo said because they burn slower, they last longer, with the 12-ounce candle lasting up to 60 hours.

Urthy Scents is featuring holiday candles and other holiday products as it opens, and has a loyalty program and online ordering.

Urthy Scents is open 10-6 Monday-Saturday and 11-4 Sunday. Phone: 770-857-3447. E-mail: info@urthyscents.com.

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East Cobb restaurant update: LongHorn opening; Reunion Kitchen forthcoming

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Longhorn opening East Cobb

The sign has recently gone up in front of the relocated LongHorn Steakhouse in East Cobb: The opening is next Monday, Nov. 20, starting at 3 p.m. for dinner service.

There was no further information available; we’ve left a message seeking comment.

The standalone building at 4370 Roswell Road is on an outparcel at the Merchants Exchange Shopping Center, and it where a BB & T bank branch and originally a Black Eye’d Pea restaurant once stood.

The new restaurant will be roughly the same size as the former Lower Roswell Road location, a little less than 6,000 square feet, according to planning documents submitted with the variance request.

LongHorn had been at 4721 Lower Roswell Road since 1983, and when it marked its 30th anniversary there is 2013, it was the longest-standing original location for the Orlando-based chain.

After opening day, the hours will be the same as the other LongHorn locations: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Phone: (770) 977-3045.

Reunion Kitchen and Bar

Coming Soon: Reunion Kitchen and Bar

Late last year, a new restaurant concept was announced for the former Red Sky Tapas and Bar space at Market Plaza on Johnson Ferry Road.

It was to be called 1255 Social (the number matching the street address) featuring a wood-fire grill and oven and locally- and regionally-sourced dinner fare.

A sign also went up bearing the 1255 Social name. But that sign has since been removed, and when a reader inquired with us about it, Ilene Kapper Oxman, a former East Cobb resident and a partner in the venture, told East Cobb News that “we changed the name to Reunion and opening soon.”

That was in September; now a sign has gone up and a website with some basic information on a forthcoming opening (but no timeline). Here’s the concept, per the website:

“Reunion is a place where locals gather regularly and first-timers are made to feel like regulars. We exist to create positive personalized experiences, in a setting that takes warm & inviting and mixes it with vibrant & fun to create the consistently high-quality food and drinks our neighborhood deserves.”

The menu features the “freshest ingredients, often locally grown/crafted, and reunites them with time-honored cooking techniques that emphasize individual ingredient flavors. Our plates are not architecturally placed lab experiments, but instead simple dishes full of flavor invoking memories of the best meals of our past. Our menu takes its inspiration from classic bistros serving soups, salads, sandwiches, and ‘comfortable’ entrees. The menu is priced to encourage any-day dining while the assortment range inspires special occasion users to stay awhile.”

East Cobb News got in touch with Kapper Oxman—an owner of Harry’s Pizza and Subs in Sandy Springs—and she said she’ll be providing more information soon.

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East Cobb residential real estate sales, Oct. 23-27, 2023

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St. Charles Square, East Cobb real estate sales
St. Charles Square

The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports. They include the subdivision name and high school attendance zone in parenthesis:

Oct. 23

717 Princeton Mill Run, 30068 (Princeton Mill, Wheeler): $682,000

1831 Walter Road, 30066 (Sprayberry): $3345,000

2662 Shadow Bluff Drive, 30062 (Shadowwoods, Pope): $489,000

1314 Shadowood Trail, 30066 (Blackwell Road, Sprayberry): $440,000

1150 Pathfinder Road, 30066 (Philmont Estates, Sprayberry): $483,000

2404 Stockton Drive, 30066 (Stocktons Ford, Lassiter): $4467,000

Oct. 24

154 Dickson Court, 30066 (Sprayberry): $252,000

Oct. 25

3311 Sulky Circle, 30067 (Ward Meade Farm, Wheeler): $1.1 million

934 Edgewater Circle, 30062 (Barnes Mill Lake, Wheeler): $274,000

2653 Spencers Trace, 30062 (Holly Springs East, Pope): $870,000

2727 Briar Lane, 30062 (Chimney Springs, Pope): $475,000

Oct. 26

2130 Arbor Oaks Drive, 30062 (Arbor Oaks, Sprayberry): $465,000

152 Weatherstone Parkway, 30068 (Weatherstone, Wheeler): $450,000

628 Anderson Walk, 30062 (Barnes Mill Townhouses, Wheeler): $275,000

3811 Valley Green Drive, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): $911,500

1652 Cedar Bluff Way, 30062 (Cedar Bluff, Wheeler): $300,000

1934 Oak Ridge Court, 30062 (Woodmont, Wheeler): $505,000

2246 Cedar Forks Drive, 30062 (Cedar Forks, Pope): $430,000

3014 Cynthia Court, 30062 (Mountain View, Sprayberry): $430,000

3872 Manhassett Place, 30066 (Cambridge Crossing, Lassiter): $594,000

1490 East Bank Drive, 30068 (Jacksons Creek, Walton): $765,000

Oct. 27

271 Cross Gate Drive, 30062 (Heritage Woods, Wheeler): $505,000

1529 Monarch Drive, 30062 (Glen Crest, Sprayberry): $660,000

2040 Dayron Court, 30062 (Piedmont Chase, Sprayberry): $512,000

2412 Mirrabeau Court, 30066 (St. Charles Square, Sprayberry): $625,000

3957 Brintons Mill, 30062 (Chadds Ford, Pope): $700,000

3170 Wendwood Drive, 30062 (Wendwood, Pope): $500,000

1802 Tilliewood Trail, 30066 (Stocktons Chase, Kell): $480,000

4910 Tremont Drive, 30062 (Tremont, Kell): $475,000

4964 Secluded Pines Drive, 30068 (Rose Oak, Walton): $675,000

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Wellstar Health System holds 2nd annual Day of Service

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Wellstar Day of Service

Submitted information and photos:

Wellstar hosted its second Day of Service on Thursday, November 9th. Wellstar Day of Service creates volunteer opportunities for team members to support local community-based organizations that address social determinants of health. This year, Wellstar team members served community partners that provide access to food and housing, which were identified as priority health needs in Wellstar’s 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Plan.

Wellstar Health System hosted its first Day of Service in 2019, where team members served over 1,000 hours supporting 13 healthy food access agencies. Due to the pandemic, Wellstar could not host an annual Day of Service from 2020-2022. As we emerged from the pandemic, Wellstar relaunched the annual Day of Service this year with over 300 registered volunteers.

As a nonprofit, community-based health system, our mission is to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve. “We are so blessed to be part of a community that cares,” said Candice L. Saunders, president and CEO of Wellstar Health System.

The impact of this event will expand beyond a single Day of Service, nurturing these community partnerships through ongoing volunteer opportunities and program collaboration.

The Giving Garden:

– The garden was established in October 2016 with just a handful of volunteers working on the land behind a local church. Since then, the Giving Garden has donated over 10,000 pounds of organic produce and 12,000 eggs to the Sweetwater Mission Food Pantry. In addition to the Sweetwater Mission, the garden has also been responsible for gathering donations such as other food items, books, and coats for families in need across the community.

– About the Our Giving Garden volunteer project: Volunteers worked on garden maintenance (weeding, harvesting, mulching, or planting), helped with an improvement project, and stock the pantry.

The Gateway Center: 

– The Gateway Center connects people experiencing homelessness with the support necessary to become self-sufficient and find a permanent home.

– About the Gateway Center volunteer project: Volunteers worked on food assistance projects, making sandwiches and plating meals.

MUST Ministries: 

– Founded in 1971 by the Rev. Wayne Williams, MUST Ministries’ initial programs included a grocery bus ministry for older adults, a youth tutoring program, and outreach ministries to young people. Since its inception, MUST has fulfilled Wayne’s vision of connecting people who have a desire to help those who need help the most.

– About the MUST Ministries Community Room volunteer project: Volunteers worked on projects that benefit MUST clients, such as packing hygiene kits, making birthday kits, and preparing stocking stuffers and reading kits for the MUST Toy Shop. Volunteers at the donation center sorted and packed 500 hens and fresh produce for Thanksgiving (from Tip Top Poultry and Concrete Jungle) and non-perishable food boxes and bags, which were distributed at Cherokee High School to approximately 125 families in the Canton area.

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Cobb school district to ask for legislation on book ratings

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The Cobb Board of Education on Thursday approved a slate of legislative priorities requested by Cobb County School District officials that include a number of rollover items.

There also is a new item that follows in the wake of a school library controversy in the district over sexually explicit materials.

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale is asking that the Georgia General Assembly consider developing a book rating system, similar to movies, that he said would clear up confusion about what’s appropriate to have on school library shelves.

He said public school districts are required by federal law, for example, to follow the Children’s Internet Protection Act for discounted rates on internet and telecommunications services.

“We have nothing for books whatsover,” Ragsdale said during a board work session Thursday afternoon.”It just makes common sense to put a rating system in place.”

He said such a rating system—which he didn’t think would get legislative approval right away—would also provide guidance for publishers of school books and other materials.

There wasn’t any opposition from board members, but at a voting session Thursday night, Post 2 member Becky Sayler made a motion to remove language substituting a ban on “inappropriate” materials for “sexually explicit” and “pornographic.”

Sayler, one of three Democrats on the board, said “inappropriate” is a vague word that could create more confusion. Her motion failed 3-4 along partisan lines.

So did three other motions relating to the book rating priority, and she ultimately asked for a delay in a vote for another month for more public feedback.

“I truly cannot believe that we’re having a conversation again about what books should contain,” Ragsdale said during the work session. “It’s common sense. It speaks for itself.”

The Cobb school district has come under fire for removing three books that contained sexually explicit content fromseveral middle- and high school libraries, despite protests from some parents that the district was engaging in book banning.

At the October board meeting, Sayler proposed a change in the book policy that would have created local media committees to provide feedback for library operations, with the district media committee having the final say.

She said that content should be allowed that has won awards and is used in book fairs and other related competitions.

But Ragsdale, who issued a lengthy statement in September defending the decision to remove the books, was adamant that materials deemed to be “vulgar, sexually explicit, lewd, obscene, or pornographic” will continue to be removed.

Before Thursday’s vote on the legislative priorities, he took The Marietta Daily Journal and the head of a local teachers association to task regarding the book issue.

On Oct. 29 the newspaper published a lengthy report about “hundreds of books” being removed from Cobb school district libraries since the school year began in August.

The MDJ obtained the information through an open records request and also published a 62-page school-by-school list of the titles that were no longer on shelves.

In reading from prepared remarks, Ragsdale said that in spite of the headline, the reality was “a bit more bland.”

He said the district purchases around new 100,000 library titles a year and there’s only so much space on the shelves.

Many of the materials, he said, were older items that “were weeded to make room for new items.”

Ragsdale said that the routine replacement of materials was, “unfortunately, not grabby enough” and the media outlet mentioned the removing of books containing themes “that are commonly challenged in school districts around the country.”

But he said that amounted to 14 titles in all, and “this was a wonderful opportunity for those wishing to agitate and wildly and unhelpfully speculate, arguing that it is part of some secret culture war or political attack.”

Ragsdale denied accusations by Jeff Hubbard, head of the Cobb County Association of Educators, that what was happening in Cobb is part of a broader effort nationwide to restrict materials in school libraries, especially in Republican-friendly locals.

“Unfortunately for Jeff, one of the books that was replaced was Webster’s New Book of Facts,” Ragsdale said, tongue-in-cheek.

Ragsdale said that anyone looking at the 62-page list can, “if they try hard enough . . . find something to give offense.”

He said the district will not permit “taxpayer supported unrestricted access” to sexually explicit books “for children.”

Related:

Before the board vote, Ragsdale

Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland coming to Cobb PARKS

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girl dressed up waving

Submitted information:

Infuse your holiday season with a mega dose of Christmas cheer as Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland makes its grand debut at Jim R. Miller Park and Event Center. This all-new, award-winning drive-through light show is sure to be a highlight of your festive celebrations. Take a magical journey through custom-built light displays perfectly synchronized with Christmas musical favorites nightly 6 – 10 p.m. Nov. 17 – Jan. 7, including holidays, rain or shine.

This dynamic show features a 300-foot tunnel that surrounds you in a kaleidoscope of colors, Christmas trees sparkling at 50 feet tall, towering walls of lights and much more! Also along the tour, you’ll catch a glimpse of how the elves, reindeer, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus live at the bustling North Pole.

After the show, visit Santa’s Village and engage in activities, enjoy tasty treats and take photos with Santa. So load up your sleigh, tune in your radio, and prepare to be amazed!

More information and advanced discount tickets available here.

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East Cobb Food Scores: Vespucci’s; Windy City Grill; more

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Vespucci's, East Cobb food scores

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

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
2044 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 100
November 7, 2023 Score: 97, Grade: A

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
2716 Sandy Plains Road
November 7, 2023 Score: 90, Grade: A

Marco’s Pizza
3595 Canton Road, Suite 300
November 8, 2023 Score: 98, Grade: A

Mazzy’s Sports Bar & Grill
2217 Roswell Road, Suite A-200
November 9, 2023 Score: 86, Grade: B

Vespucci’s Italian Kitchen
4805 Canton Road, Suite 100
November 9, 2023 Score: 88, Grade: B

Windy City Grill
4017 Canton Road
November 8, 2023 Score: 90, Grade: A

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East Cobb Weekend Events: Two Veterans Day concerts on tap

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From our calendar listings and beyond, here’s a glimpse of what’s coming up in the East Cobb area this weekend:East Cobb Weekend Events

The Junior League of Cobb-Marietta Mistletoe Market takes place from 9-6 Friday and from 9-4 Saturday at the Cobb Civic Center (548 S. Marietta Parkway) with tickets available at the door only. A one-day ticket for a wide variety of holiday gifts and decor items is $10, and the proceeds will assist JLCM efforts to support women and children in need in the community.

The first of two Veterans Day concerts in the community starts off the observances on Friday as the Lassiter High School Chorus and the 116th United States Army Band will be performing in a free event at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road) starting at 7 p.m. Other military units will also be participating.

The City of Marietta is the focal point for related events on Saturday, which is Veterans Day.

The 9th Annual Veterans Memorial 5K Run, sponsored by Post 29 of the American Legion, starts at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at the Marietta Square, with proceeds to benefit veterans and organizations that serve them.

After that’s over the Square will the end point of the 19th Marietta Veterans Day Parade, which starts at the Post 29 headquarters on Gresham Avenue at 11 a.m., then on Roswell Street to the Square.

A ceremony follows on the Square with a keynote speaker and other dignitaries.

On Sunday, the Cobb Wind Symphony will be performing a Veterans Day concert starting at 3 p.m at the Lassiter Concert Hall (2601 Shallowford Road). “Let Freedom Ring,” which will include a military guest conductor, is free and open to the public.

If you like music and drama, you can get both with this weekend’s presentations of “High Society,” the Cole Porter classic performed by Wheeler Theatre. Porter’s American standards are included in this adaptation of “The Philadelphia Story.”

Remaining shows are at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and the finale at 3 p.m. Sunday. Advance tickets are $10 and can be reserved by clicking here; otherwise they’re $15 at the door. Cobb County School District faculty and staff receive one free ticket with ID.

Other holiday events are already popping up on various schedules, and on Monday a Holiday Craft Fair takes place from 10-3 at the Tim D. Lee Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road), for those wishing to get a head start on their shopping.

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East Cobb Citizen of the Year is Cobb Collaborative director

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2023 East Cobb Citizen of the Year named
From L-R: Sharon Mason, President & CEO of the Cobb Chamber; Irene Barton, 2023 East Cobb Citizen of the Year; Greg Teague, 2023 Cobb Chamber Chairman. Photo courtesy Cobb Chamber.

Irene Barton, long active in East Cobb civic and community activities, has been named the East Cobb Citizen of the Year for 2023.

Barton, the executive director of the Cobb Collaborative, a non-profit agency, was honored Thursday morning by the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce at a breakfast at Indian Hills Country Club.

She’s been in that post since 2018, and her work has included launching the Connecting Cobb Veterans program (previous ECN post here), brought mental health, suicide prevention and trauma-credentialed training to more than 4,000 individuals through the Mind Your Mind mental health awareness campaign, distributed more than 8,300 books to children, installed more than 50 Little Free Libraries across the county and grown the membership from 78 to 125.

Barton is a member of the East Cobb Civitan Club and is currently its president.

She has been a board member of the McCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA Board of Directors and the creation care team at the Catholic Church of St. Ann.

Barton also has been involved with the Georgia PTA, Cobb Community Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse, Get Georgia Reading Cabinet, Cobb Executive Women,and Honorary Commanders Alumni Association.

Barton, a member of the Leadership Cobb Class of 2024, “has consistently put service above self in all she does, dedicating herself to helping improve the quality of life in East Cobb” in 25 years in the community, the Chamber said in a release.

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Teen gets life for gang killing at East Cobb apartment complex

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Teen gets life for gang killing at East Cobb apartment complex
Brayan Rivas

A teenager who was 15 years old when he was charged with the murder of another juvenile has been given a life sentence for the crime, the Cobb District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.

Brayan Rivas, now 18, was given a life sentence without parole plus 20 years by Cobb Superior Court Judge Kimberly Childs after he pleaded guilty in court to charges of malice murder and street gang terrorism, the DA’s office said in a release.

Rivas was indicted in January 2021 on 12 felony counts and was on trial for the April 8, 2020 murder 14-year-old of Janina Valenzuela.

She was riding her bicycle at the Arbors of East Cobb apartments, accompanied by her boyfriend, who was walking with her, according to testimony presented at the trial.

The DA’s office said Marietta Police concluded that they were confronted by a male juvenile, later identified as Rivas (and who is identified as Brayan Segura in court filings).

Janina Valenzuela

Prosecutors said Rivas threatened them both with a knife and tried to start a fight with the other boy. Valenzuela ran away on foot and her boyfriend used a bicycle to escape, according to the DA’s office, with Rivas in pursuit.

The DA’s office said investigators determined that the girl was chased into the woods behind the apartments and was stabbed to death by Rivas. Valenzuela’s body was found in a creek at the back of the complex, according to police.

After Rivas was arrested, he initially denied responsibility, but in a letter he mailed from jail that was obtained by law enforcement, he confessed to killing the girl as part of an initiation rite with the MS-13 criminal street gang, the DA’s office said.

Prosecutors also said that the knife that was used in the killing and that was found at Rivas’ residence was confirmed by the GBI as having the victim’s DNA.

“This was one of the most heinous and senseless murders that I have ever worked,” Cobb Assistant District Attorney Jay Winkler said. “I only hope that the family has some peace knowing that the man responsible will spend the rest of his days behind bars.”

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Mixed-use project at ex-Harry’s Farmers Market site vetoed

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Mixed-use project OK'd at former Harry's Farmers Market site
An aerial rendering of the proposed Accent Marietta Crossing.

UPDATED, Nov. 9:

Marietta mayor Steve Tumlin vetoed the rezoning approval on ‘Thursday, the day after the City Council voted 6-1 to approve it.

The council can override the veto with at least five votes at its monthly meeting in December.

ORIGINAL REPORT:

It’s been more than six years since Harry’s Farmers Market closed on Powers Ferry Road in the East Cobb area, in a former retail center that has sat virtually empty since then.

On Wednesday, the Marietta City Council approved a rezoning request to use that property for a mixed-use developement featuring luxury apartments and townhomes.

The long-delayed request for what’s being called Accent Marietta Crossing got a vote of 6-1.

But Mayor Steve Tumlin, who has been adamantly opposed to new apartment construction in the city in recent years, said right after the vote that he may veto the measure.

During a discussion after the rezoning presentation, he said that “I just can’t support these numbers. This just isn’t right. I can’t support this as presented.”

Westplan Investors of Atlanta had been seeking some changes to the conditional mixed-use zoning designation to build more than 200 apartments, 28 townhomes, and 14,389 square feet of retail space in an $80 million investment.

The property was zoned for a specific site plan when Studio Movie Grill came in in 2017, as Harry’s was set to close, so the Council was being asked to approve a new site plan.

(You can read the filing by clicking here.)

Parks Huff, Westplan’s attorney, said in a presentation to the Council that the project would transform an area that for “the last 30 years has looked the same.

“This is something that will invigorate this area,” he said, noting that the Marietta Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval and that there’s no community opposition.

“That’s because it fits.”

“Please don’t stand in the way of progress,” Studio Movie Grill owner Brian Schultz said.

The Studio Movie Grill and an outparcel on Powers Ferry with existing businesses will remain, but the rest of the nearly 20-acre center—including the former Harry’s and adjacent empty space—would be demolished.

Westplan is envisioning the new development as a critical part of an effort by Marietta officials to redevelop Roswell Road eastward from Cobb Parkway. A CobbLinc transit station is being planned for the former Sear’s property across from the Big Chicken.

Westplan’s plans call for “rehabbing” a vacant retail building of nearly 15,000 square feet that fronts Powers Ferry Road, and will keep the existing parking lot that serves the Studio Movie Grill.

Brian Schultz, the Studio Movie Grill owner, said “this property needs a spark.” He addressed also Tumlin’s reluctance.

“I’m literally imploring you to let us bring this community together,” he said. “Please don’t stand in the way of progress.”

In April, Tumlin vetoed a mixed-use project at the former Kroger store on Powers Ferry Road and Delk Road that called for more than 300 apartments, after the council voted 5-2 to approve it.

The council tried to override the veto, which needed five votes, but the vote to override passed only by a 4-3 count.

Several other citizens spoke in favor of the Westplan project, citing the need for quality rental residential space.

The 236 apartments (down from an initial 300), spread out over five buildings, and the townhomes would form a density of 16.93 units per acre. Amenities call for a leasing office, swimming pool, two gazebo/grill areas and patio space.

The two apartment buildings to face Powers Ferry would have commercial/office space on the ground floor.

The total parking would come to 844 spaces, both in surface spaces and two-level parking deck. A total of 13 percent of the site is deemed for recreational purposes, including walking trail areas and a dog run.

Westplan also has agreed to construct new sidewalks along Powers Ferry and Roswell Road to increase pedestrian connectivity.

“If this doesn’t get approved, we have to question what mixed-use is, because this is it,” City Council member Cheryl Richardson said before the vote.

Council member Andre Sims noted that his own children, in their late 20s and early 30s, “can’t afford to buy a $300,000 house” and that younger generations are struggling to afford to become homeowners.

Harry’s was once the anchor of a shopping center that opened in the 1990s, featuring Builders Square and Sports Authority stores and a Revco/CVS drug store. But after those businesses closed, Harry’s became the lone occupant of what was later named Harry’s Crossing.

Harry’s downsized its original space following the opening of the East Cobb Whole Foods store at Merchants Walk in 2012.

Whole Foods, which acquired Harry’s in 2001 but allowed the farmers market concept to retain its name, decided to close the Marietta store and open a Whole Foods in Kennesaw.

Harry's Marietta store

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McCormick closes district office ‘due to serious threats’

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McCormick closes district office 'due to serious threats'
McCormick speaking from the House floor Tuesday on a resolution to censure Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib over the Israel-Hamas conflict.

U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, a Republican whose 6th District includes East Cobb, is temporarily closing his district office in Cumming due to what he said are “serious threats of violence against my staff.”

He didn’t specify what they were in a social media posting Tuesday on X (formerly Twitter), but he added that the “threats have been reported to Capitol Police and will be investigated fully.”

McCormick said his district staff will be working remotely and constituents can contact them via phone and e-mail.

McCormick is in his first term representing the 6th, which was redrawn to include East Cobb, some of North Fulton, as well as Forsyth and Dawson counties and a portion of Gwinnett, where he lives.

He is in Washington this week as the House voted to censure Palestinian-American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for comments critical of Israel.

He opposed a resolution by fellow Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene accusing Tlaib of “leading an insurrection at the United States Capitol.”

McCormick filed his own resolution Monday and on Tuesday, he posted on X saying that “that this is not a First Amendment issue. Rashida Tlaib has the right to spew antisemitic vitriol and even call for the destruction of the Jewish State. But the House of Representatives also has a right to make it clear that her hate speech does not reflect the opinion of the chamber, and that is what my resolution is about.”

In remarks from the House floor Tuesday, McCormick—a former emergency room physician—also said that while his “heart goes out to the Palestinian people,” especially those injured and killed in a hospital bombing—Tlaib’s public statements that it was from an Israel attack were incorrect.

The House voted 234-188 to censure Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan, the 26th time that has happened to a member of Congress.

“I was proud to lead a bipartisan coalition of our members to hold Rashida Tlaib accountable for her dishonest and antisemitic behavior,” McCormick posted on X late Tuesday night. “Thank you to all the other members who helped me refine the language of the bill, who cosponsored and spoke on the floor in support, and the 22 Democrats that had the courage to join us in voting for final passage. This is the right way to get things done.”

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Literacy rates to be discussed at Cobb school board meeting

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The issue of literacy rates—especially in the wake of educational disruptions stemming from the COVID-19 response—is the subject of an agenda item at a Cobb Board of Education work session Thursday.Campbell High School lockdown

The agenda item, entitled “Literacy Updates,” doesn’t detail what will be presented; East Cobb News has left a message with the Cobb County School District seeking more information.

The board also will hear a presentation about the district’s 2024 legislative priorities, which also weren’t specified on the published meeting agenda.

The board is meeting in public at a 1 p.m. work session Thursday and a 7 p.m. business session at the Cobb County School District Central Office (514 Glover St., Marietta).

The agendas for both meetings can be found here; an executive session will take place in between.

The meetings also will be live-streamed on the district’s BoxCast channel and on CobbEdTV, Comcast Channel 24.

While schools in East Cobb had some of the best Milestones test scores in Cobb for the 2022-23 school year, educators across the state and in Cobb County have been emphasizing ways to address learning loss due to COVID-19 disruptions, especially in third-grade reading, a key benchmark of early literacy.

But others struggled, with several elementary schools having percentages of third-graders at proficiency levels at 65 percent or lower.

Georgia has adopted new standards for teaching English after only a third of third-graders were regarded as proficient or better in Milestones English Language Arts results in 2022.

Across the state, ELA Milestones scores among third-graders in 2023 rose three percentage points and the percentage of third-graders reading at or above grade-level was up slightly, from 64 to 66 percent.

In ELA, 78.9 percent of Cobb students were rated as developing learners or above, and 78.7 percent met the same threshold in all subjects.

Marietta City Schools has embarked on a program called the “Science of Reading” that school district officials there said has yielded higher scores for third-grade readers. It’s a concept that’s been adopted by the Georgia Department of Education and will be implemented statewide into Milestones by 2025.

At the school board’s evening meeting, recognitions will include STEM certifications at Bells Ferry Elementary School and Mountain View Elementary School and for Lassiter High School teacher Jean Linner, who was recently awarded the Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics 2023 Gladys M. Thomason Award.

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Tin Lizzy’s adding game and arcade bar at Avenue East Cobb

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Tin Lizzy's The Avenue East Cobb temporarily closing

The restaurant group behind the Tin Lizzy’s Cantina concept is adding a game and arcade bar next to its existing location at Avenue East Cobb.

The Tin Pin Game Bar will open early next year in the former Beni’s Cubano space and will feature menu items from Tin Lizzy’s in a family-friendly entertainment space.

Southern Proper Hospitality said in a release that popular pinball and arcade games will be featured, including The Mandalorian, Godzilla, Foo Fighters, James Bond 007, Deadpool and Guardians of the Galaxy. Stern’s new Venom game, released in September, also will be available for gamers.

“We’re excited to introduce Tin Pin to the East Cobb community. Our guests are going to love playing these classic games while enjoying some of their favorite Tin Lizzy’s dishes,” Southern Proper partner Chris Hadermann said in a statement. “There will be fun for all ages, plus it’s a great spot to celebrate birthdays and host events.

“We’ve curated these games to appeal to multiple age groups with super-popular themes.”

Featured arcade games include Namco 20-Year Reunion (with Ms. Pac Man and Galaga); The Sega Out Run standup racing game; Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting; and Donkey Kong.

The menu items at the Tin Pin Game Bar will include gourmet soft tacos, bowls and quesadillas and the restaurant’s full beverage menu of beers, wines, margaritas and specialty cocktails.

Tin Lizzy’s, which opened at Avenue East Cobb in 2016, is one of eight locations for the concept, and will debut the company’s game bar component.

Eater Atlanta reported that Tin Pin Game Bar is the latest in an emerging trend of local restaurants carving out gaming and entertainment space, most of them in Atlanta. They include a pickleball center near the Armour Yards venue in Midtown that’s set to open in December.

Southern Proper Hospitality, located on Powers Ferry Road in East Cobb, operates eight restaurant concepts in metro Atlanta, including the Gypsy Kitchen, the Blind Pig, The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill and Chido & Padre’s in Buckhead.

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East Cobb Guthrie’s Chicken rezoning request continued

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Guthrie's Chicken files for rezoning for East Cobb restaurant

The Cobb Planning Commission Tuesday voted to continue a rezoning request by Guthrie’s Chicken for a drive-through location in East Cobb.

The board voted 5-0 to push back an initial hearing on the application to December.

The item had been on the meeting’s consent agenda, but opposition arose from the East Cobb Civic Association.

The fast-food chain purchased 0.3 acres on Lower Roswell at Johnson Ferry Road last year with plans to convert a vacated medical building into a drive-through-only restaurant.

DG East Cobb Guthrie’s LLC (you can read the application here) is requesting a change from a planned shopping center (PSC) to a neighborhood retail commercial (NRC) category.

The request also seeks a reduction from the existing 15 parking spaces to 12 and a reduction of the front setback from 50 feet to 20 feet, and would increase the impervious surface maximum from 70 to 92.9 percent.

But the ECCA last week submitted a letter recommending that the request be delayed, due to concerns over some of those proposed variances and other details.

The civic group said the initial application “contained a barely readable site plan,” did not provide a rendering or landscaping, floor, lighting and signage plans.

Guthrie’s filed the application before hiring noted zoning attorney Kevin Moore.

The ECCA said that it hasn’t had much time to respond to some of Moore’s clarifications about what is being proposed, including building height, specific modifications to the structure and traffic concerns.

Moore said that between 22-25 vehicles could be accommodated on the site at any given time.

“However, without further study or analysis of this issue, ECCA is not convinced this number of vehicles can be safely moved through the drive-thru at one time and that traffic will not block access to CVS and in addition, cause a backup into the right turn lane on Lower Roswell Road,” the ECCA noted in its letter.

The ECCA also said it’s concerned about a lack of detail about how customers would pick up food at a walk-up window.

“There is no indication whether there will be a striped walkway for customers to safely cross the traffic of the drive-thru to pick up their food,” the ECCA said. “This concern must also be addressed.”

You can read the full ECCA letter by clicking here.

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Cobb government offices closed Friday for Veterans Day

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Cobb tag offices reopening

Submitted information:

In honor of Veterans Day, Cobb County Government offices will be closed Friday, Nov. 10. This will give our employees, veterans and non-veterans alike, a chance to spend time with their families for the extended holiday weekend. Veterans Day, Nov. 11, celebrates all those who have served in the United States armed forces.

Starting today, Nov. 6, Cobb County is illuminating its buildings green as part of Operation Green Light. We encourage individuals and businesses to join us by changing one light bulb in the entryway of your house or business to a green bulb. By shining a green light, we intend to let veterans know that they are seen and supported.

Click here to see Veterans Day events happening this week.

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Cobb to distribute $4.5M in ARPA funding to child care centers

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Cobb to distribute $4.5M in ARPA funding to child care centers
The Primrose School at Paper Mill Village is one of several ‘learning child care centers’ in East Cobb to receive an ARPA grant of $28,875.

Cobb County government and the Cobb Chamber of Commerce announced Monday that $4.5 million of the county’s funding from the American Rescue Plan Act will be distributed to a number of child care centers.

The county and the Chamber sent out releases Monday saying that 197 child care centers—chosen by Select Cobb, the Chamber’s economic development unit—will be receiving the funding.

The collaboration includes the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Childhood and CobbWorks.

The recipients were chosen based on a number of criteria, including having dedicated “learning” components as designated by the Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning program.

The selection process took place this spring and summer, and the grants ranged from $10,000 to $28,275.

Several of those child care centers are in East Cobb, and a number of them received a maximum grant of $28,275 (each) to be used to help working families:

  • Bells Ferry Learning Center; Crème de la Crème; Etz Chaim Preschool; East Cobb Prep; East Cobb UMC Preschool; The Goddard School of East Cobb; Parker Chase Preschool Sprayberry; Primrose School of East Cobb at Paper Mill; Primrose School at Eastlake; Primrose School at Lassiter.

There will be an official ceremony Wednesday at Chamber offices on Circle 75 Parkway in the Cumberland area to formally present the grants.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners is in the process of allocating $147 million in ARPA grants in a number of areas to address the effects of closures and restrictions stemming from COVID-19.

Those five areas include community health, support services, economic development, public safety, and county infrastructure. Cobb County government said in a release Monday that the child care center funding is earmarked under economic development.

Here’s how the money will be used, according to the Chamber/SelectCobb release:

“The grants will be directly provided to the early childhood education and day care industry, with an additional 10% of this amount to fund program management. The purpose of the grant program is to help offset the cost of retaining and recruiting workers in this difficult labor market for a specific segment of the economy that has a profound impact on families. The Child Care Grant Program is intended to help offset some of the impacts of higher wages, retention bonuses, and training to allow childcare centers to access or upskill the talent needed to care for the youngest children in Cobb County.”

The county release quoted Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid as saying that “This investment helps ensure Cobb’s working families have a place that will educate and nurture their children, who are our future. This support would not have been possible without the American Rescue Plan Act, which provides help for Cobb citizens, businesses, and infrastructure.”

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East Cobb Weather Update: Some rain to tamp down a drought

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East Cobb Weather Update: Some rain to tamp down a drought
Drought conditions in North Georgia range from extreme (in red) to moderate in Cobb County (beige). Source: U. S. Drought Monitor.

The buzz of air-conditioning units could be heard around East Cobb on Monday, as summer-like temperatures returned, and they’ll be here most of the week.

Highs in the high 70s and even into 80 are being forecast by the National Weather Service in Atlanta, with lows still dipping into the 40s.

That follows freeze warnings a few nights last week, as the early fall continues to bring in a mix of weather seasons.

Sunny skies will continue through Wednesday, with cloudy skies in the forecast on Thursday.

Some needed rain is expected from late Thursday night through Sunday, with highs dropping into the 60s and high 50s through the start of next week.

There’s been a drought in North Georgia in recent weeks. October had only 1.71 inches of rain recorded in metro Atlanta, which is in a moderate drought.

Mountainous areas are undergoing what the U.S. Drought Monitor considers an “extreme drought.”

There’s a 30 percent chance of rain Thursday night, a 50-60 percent chance of rain on Friday, followed by a 20 percent chance on Saturday and a 30 percent chance on Sunday.

For more local weather information, click here.

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