Join us for the 2024 Holiday Artisan Market Friday, December 13 – Sunday, December 15 at Cobb County Civic Center! This festival will feature retailers and artists and will showcase handmade goods, fine arts, performing arts, and more!
Applications are open!
To apply for our Holiday Artisan Market, complete the application and email it, along with photo references, to holidaymarket@cobbcounty.org. Be sure to pay the vendor fee here.
Vendors will need to complete the application and pay the fee for submissions to be considered complete. Applications will have a rolling acceptance until November 6th or until full.
To apply for our Merry Marketplace: Youth Market, a free entrepreneurial opportunity for ages 13-17., complete the following application and email it, along with photo references, to tonya.mccain@cobbcounty.org. Space is limited so apply today!
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The Kendra Scott store at Avenue East Cobb is taking part in a “Kendra Give Back” event Friday to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s AFLAC Cancer and Blood Disorders Center during Childhood Cancer and Sickle Cell Disease Month.
It’s part of the Kendra Cares charity, a creative arts program that “brings the magic and joy of Color Bar to pediatric hospitals across the country, giving patients and their caregivers a break from their everyday to design their own piece of customized jewelry at no cost.
“Patients are guided through creative activities consisting of multiple stations including choosing from colored stones and metal styles to create a custom piece of jewelry and reflecting on their experience through writing a note of gratitude to someone special in their life.
On Friday from 1-3 p.m., shoppers at the Avenue store who mention Children’s Healthcare at checkout will have 20 percent of their purchase to go to the cancer and blood disorders center.
You can also shop online Friday and Saturday use the code GIVEBACK-CHOA24 at checkout at www.kendrascott.com.
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Unicyclists from Mt. Bethel Elementary School are a regular feature at the EAST COBBER parade.
Fall is in the air, but it may be something of a wet weekend greeting a slate full of activities in the East Cobb area (check our full listings for all the details).
The signature event is the 26th EAST COBBER magazine parade and festival, marching off from 10 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Bethel Elementary School, and down Johnson Ferry Road. More than 100 sets of bands, school and community groups, baton twirlers and even unicyclists are lining up for what’s being called “the candy parade”—bring plenty of bags to take home treats.
At 11 a.m., a community festival takes place at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road) until 3 p.m., featuring food, music, vendors and family fun (more details from our story last week).
Traffic alert: Johnson Ferry Road will be shut down between 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., so plan to arrive early and/or find an alternate route for parade parking.
Another community festival will be going on at the same time on Saturday, from 12-3 p.m. It’s the Auto Accident Attorneys Group Fall Kickoff Festival at the law firm’s offices at 1454 Johnson Ferry Road. The third annual event features food, music, and fun for all ages. RSVP by clicking here to reserve a wristband for free food and drinks.
The third annual Angels of Life Bake Sale returns Saturday to Three-13 Salon and Spa (2663 Canton Road). Stop by between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to purchase sweets, savories and crafts made by the staff, with proceeds benefit the Georgia Transplant Foundation.
The November election ballot includes a referendum on a proposed 30-year transit tax in Cobb County, and organizations are starting public meetings on both sides of the issue.
On Saturday, the Cobb Taxpayer Association will kick off its campaign to oppose the Cobb Mobility SPLOST from 12-2 p.m. at Grace Resurrection Methodist Church (1200 Indian Hills Parkway).
Political candidates and other local activists will be speaking and there will be sign-up sheets for volunteers.
On Sunday, the fall schedule of Music in the Park debuts at East Cobb Park. From 4-6, the sounds of local band Man Bites Dog will emanate from the concert pavilion. Depending on the weather, you can bring a blanket/chairs and food and drink to enjoy.
(And here’s the rest of the fall event schedule at East Cobb Park, up through Holiday Lights in December.)
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Reader Helen passed along this flyer and photo of a free community glass recycling spot in East Cobb.
It’s provided by Ripple Glass, a national recycling and waste management company, and the purple bin is hard not to notice.
It’s located next to Whole Foods at Merchants Walk (1311 Johnson Ferry Road), near the rear parking area.
The flyer below shows you what you can and can’t deposit there.
Basically, everyday items like glass food and beverage containers, drinking cups and glasses, general bottles, jars and glass containers and windows and shower doors are good to go.
But cardboard, ceramics, porcelain, mirrors, dishwares, lightbulbs and television sets are not accepted.
The Merchants Walk location is the third such “purple bin” in the East Cobb area, following Jackie’s Wine and Spirits (3140 Johnson Ferry Road) and Janice Overbeck Real Estate (2249 Roswell Road).
Here’s more on Atlanta operations, including places where you can pick up a purple Ripple Glass tote bag.
Ripple Glass says it collects more than 800 tons of glass every week from its bins around the country, and offers curbside service in its home market of Kansas City.
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The Cobb County School District said Wednesday that a Dickerson Middle School student is facing criminal charges for “making threatening statements.”
A “Dickerson safety message” that was sent to the school community didn’t specify what those statements were, but said that the student is “not a threat to the school.”
The message said that the Cobb school district’s police department and administrators investigated the statements of the Dickerson student in the wake of last week’s fatal school shooting in Winder.
The Cobb school district said in response to a request for comment and further information from East Cobb News that the Dickerson administration learned of the threat “from one student to another.”
But “the details of those charges and the serious, disciplinary consequences are not publicly available,” according to a district spokeswoman, due to state and federal student privacy laws.
She said in a statement to East Cobb News that the district has received more than 50 reported threats in the last six days—since the deaths of two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Winder.
But all of them have “not been proven to be actual threats to a Cobb school,” the district said.
“All applicable policy, and the law, have been strongly enforced and we can confirm there is no active threat to Dickerson’s students or staff,” the spokeswoman said.
The message sent to Dickerson families urged them to help “by talking to your children” about the district’s Cobb Shield safety resource page and the district’s tipline to report incidents.
School districts around metro Atlanta and north Georgia have been pressing charges in similar incidents since the Apalachee incident. A 14-year-old student, Colt Gray, has been charged with four counts of murder, accused to taking an assault rifle to the Winder campus.
His father has been charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and child cruelty after Barrow County authorities said he bought an AR-15 rifle.
According to a family member, the boy’s mother called the school to warn a counselor less than an hour before the shooting about her son’s mental health issues, according to published reports.
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!
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At 10:05 a.m. on Wednesday, crew members of Cobb Fire Station 21 in East Cobb turned on their sirens.
It was at that precise moment 23 years ago that the South Tower at the World Trade Center collapsed.
Twenty-three minutes later, at 10:28, the sirens went off again, signifying the time the North Tower fell.
Before that, crews honored the memory of those on four planes that crashed that day with a moment of silence.
The commemorations that took place at Station 21, located at the East Cobb Government Service on Lower Roswell Road, also were held simultaneously at other Cobb fire stations on Wednesday.
A total of 343 members of the New York Fire Department lost their lives in the Sept. 11 attacks, after hijacked commercial airliners struck the World Trade Center.
Fire departments across America have held special observances since then.
Across the street from Station 21, students from Mt. Bethel Christian Academy watched as the sirens blared, with the front facade of Mt. Bethel Church by a massive American flag.
Fire crews stopped traffic on Lower Roswell for the students to cross, and then took them on a tour of Station 21.
At the Georgia State Capitol, Gov. Brian Kemp led a special ceremony featuring music and the appearance of first responders (you can watch a replay by clicking here).
“Twenty-three years ago today, in a moment that changed the very course of history, we were painfully reminded that freedom is not free,” Kemp said, “and that the principles we hold dear, and that make America the last best hope for the world, also make us a target for those with evil intentions.
“But in the face of that horror, and the terrorism our enemies hoped would break us, we all observed the unique spirit of patriotism, of strength and of courage that we must continue to drive us forward for this day.”
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A consortium of local business interests called the Cobb Business Alliance will begin a campaign in favor of the proposed Cobb transit tax next week.
The kickoff event takes place on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Glover Park Brewery (65 Atlanta St.), near the Marietta Square.
The event will feature “elected officials, community leaders, transit advocates and voters sharing more about the MSPLOST referendum and how it will decrease congestion, invest in transit, and move Cobb County forward,” according to a release.
The proposed 30-year, one-percent sales tax, if passed by Cobb voters in November, would collect $11 billion and fund a significant expansion of existing bus and transit services and build various transfer facilities.
Among the projects that would be funded with the transit tax is the construction of a bus transfer station in the Roswell-Johnson Ferry Road area and the restoration of two bus routes through East Cobb that were eliminated during recession budget cuts.
The Cobb Business Alliance includes a number of local companies, including Kimley-Horn, the Atlanta consulting firm that’s being paid $287,000 by Cobb government to conduct a public outreach drive ahead of the referendum.
That effort includes a series of open houses that also take place next Wednesday at various library branches.
Other members of the Alliance include the Council for Quality Growth, Georgia Power, Croy Engineering, CKL Engineers and CWM Contracting Co.
Transit tax opponents will have a campaign kickoff in East Cobb on Saturday. The Cobb Taxpayer Association will hold a town hall meeting from 12-2 p.m. at Grace Resurrection Methodist Church (1200 Indian Hills Parkway).
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Students from five high schools in East Cobb are among the more than 16,000 semifinalists for the 2025 National Merit Scholarships.
It’s the first phase of a multi-step process to award college scholarships to 6,870 high school seniors totalling more than $26 million.
According to a release, “semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
“To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.
“A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.”
JOHNSON FERRY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
Abigail Fisher
LASSITER H. S.
Ella Arnett, Elizabeth Ballenger, Obadia Cao, Wilson Coombs, Samuel Garrow, Elizabeth George, Jack Hansen, Isaac Hoshide, Andrea Joya; Annika Le, Vikram Sharma, Nanea Trask, Caroline Young
POPE H. S.
Aanchal Acharya, Elizabeth Jones, Ariel Sadan, Duncan Wilson, Anna Wright
WALTON H. S.
Vipul Bansal, Adam Bethea, Jack Brawner, Christopher Chen, Michelle Gu, Madeline Halloran, Nathan Hsu, Sean Jiao, Medha Krishna, Navya Kumar, Hung Le, Eugene Li, Spencer Lieth, Eric Mo, Owen Murphy, Madeline Painter, Chloe Park, Connor Park, Dhriti Raguram, Carter Ray, Riley Rice, Sanjeev Shankar, Yaocen Shen, Siddhant Singh, Grayson Snow, Tyler Sprague, Nikhil Srinivasan, Christina Strakes, Rashidul Sultan, Ryan Tan, Simon Teh, Rishab Thiyagarajan, Theodore Thomas; Ella Tse, Isha Varughese, Adam Wang, Owen Wu, Grace Xie, Edward Yao, Tiffany Yao, William Zhao
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After three of her colleagues voted to declare her seat vacant on Tuesday, Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson said she would appeal the decision to Cobb Superior Court.
In an expected move, commissioners voted to declare District 2 vacant due to county residency rules, after adopting electoral maps in August that were passed by the Georgia legislature that drew Richardson out of her seat.
It was a re-do of a vote that ended in a 2-2 deadlock last week; Richardson recused herself from both votes.
The declaration means that the county is giving Richardson a 10-day notice of a vacancy (you can read it here). Richardson will continue to serve as a commissioner during the appeals process.
If she prevails, she will be allowed to keep her seat until her term expires on Dec. 31. If she loses, an interim commissioner who resides within the legally approved District 2 boundaries would be appointed to finish the term, or possibly longer, depending on a special election in 2025 to elect her successor.
On Tuesday, Richardson, the board’s vice chair this year, presided over the meeting with Chairwoman Lisa Cupid absent as she was with the Cobb Chamber of Commerce on its annual visit to Washington.
“I trust that we can find a way to consider the real legal questions that are at hand,” Richardson said near the end of the meeting, reading from prepared remarks (you can watch the video below at the 2:17:45 mark), calling the result of Tuesday’s vote “a forced vacancy.”
“Setting the precedent that any elected official could possibly be removed at any time is dangerous and now we are watching the process happen before our very eyes.”
Commissioners voted at their last meeting to adopt the state maps after the “home rule” maps the Democratic majority adopted in 2022 were ruled a violation of the Georgia Constitution by Cobb Superior Court Judge Kellie Hill.
The state maps placed most of East Cobb in District 3, represented by Republican JoAnn Birrell. The “home rule” maps would have kept some of East Cobb, including Richardson’s home off Post Oak Tritt Road, in District 2, similar to lines in which she was elected in 2020.
The Democrats used a novel legal theory of declaring home rule powers in challenging the state maps, but the Georgia Constitution specifically authorizes the legislature to conduct county reapportionment.
The legislature did not consider maps drawn by former Cobb delegation chairman Erick Allen that would have kept Richardson in her seat; instead it passed maps sponsored by Cobb Republican lawmakers, breaking with a long-standing courtesy with local lawmakers.
Hill also vacated May primaries in District 2 and District 4 under which the “home rule” maps were used; those special elections will take place in early 2025.
Disrict 2 now encompasses along I-75 and includes most of the Smyrna/Cumberland area, pushing as east as the western side of Powers Ferry Road, close to where Richardson formerly resided.
Last month, Birrell voted against a declaration of a vacancy, saying she didn’t think what happened to Richardson was fair and wanted her to complete her term.
But she said she changed her mind because under the state map, Richardson no longer lives in her district. For the last two years, Birrell said she’s “entered a statement that I will uphold the Constitution and follow the law.”
(The brief discussion begins at the 1:52:20 mark of the video below.)
“I thought I was doing the right thing by trying to keep her in office but I have to follow the law.”
Democratic commissioner Monique Sheffield said “this is the next step in the process.”
During her remarks, Richardson reflected on her one term in office—she didn’t seek re-election amid the map dispute—to emphasize her commitment to constituents she said have been harmed along the way.
“Knowing the consequences of today—voter nullification, forced vacancies, missing representation and long-term precendence—I will work to make sure my community receives the answers they deserve and that you are not forgotten.”
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Seeking community volunteers for the Adopt-A-Mile Fall event from 9-10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5 along Powers Ferry at Terrell Mill Road. Meet up and enjoy complimentary refreshments at 8:30 a.m. at the Kroger Fuel parking lot, 1310 Powers Ferry Rd., Marietta, GA 30067.
Powers Ferry Corridor Alliance is pleased to host this bi-annual event, in conjunction with Keep Cobb Beautiful, and supported by Kroger and Take 5 Oil Change. All supplies and safety equipment will be provided. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.
Keep Cobb Beautiful’s Adopt-A-Mile program is a partnership that allows individuals and/or groups to improve the appearance of our community. In the event of inclement weather, an email will go out the night before to all registered participants.
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Cobb PARKS is offering two fall break camps in the East Cobb area from M0nday, Sept. 23 through Friday, Sept 27 at the following locations: Fullers Recreation Center Fall Break Camp:
Monday – Friday, Sept. 23 – 27, 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
for ages 6 – 12 (Activity Code #41678).
The Art Place Fall Break Mixed Media Art Camp:
Monday – Friday, Sept 23 – 27, 1 – 4 p.m.
for ages 8 – 11 (Activity code #38756).The cost for each camp is $125 per child (Cobb residents) and $187 for non-residents.
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Following up last week’s story about the possible conversion of the Bay Breeze seafood restaurant on Canton Road into a liquor store:
The applicant has withdrawn his request to appeal two denials of a retail liquor permit.
During a Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, Parks Huff, an attorney for restaurant owner Steve Constantinou, said his client wished to withdraw with prejudice.
That means that the case cannot come back up again. Huff did not explain why his client is withdrawing.
Commissioners were scheduled to hear the appeal on Tuesday, which followed months of attempts to get a liquor permit and after substantial community opposition.
The he Cobb Business License Division Manager and agency’s review board both turned down the application by BSC Packing LLC to operate a liquor store at the Bay Breeze site at 2418 Canton Road.
The 10,000–square-foot building is 177 feet from a residential property line. The county code allows denial of an alcoholic beverage license if a location is within 300 feet.
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On Saturday, the Catholics4Habitat raised the first walls on their 50th Habitat home in the City of Austell. Kevin Reilly serves as Coalition Chairman and says the Coalition is incredibly proud to reach this landmark. “This group of Catholic churches has remained together to faithfully raise the money and build a Habitat home every year, he says. “We are proud to live out our faith through building affordable homes for deserving families.”
Life will soon be improved for future homeowner, Emmanuel and his four-year-old daughter, who currently live in a one-bedroom apartment in Mableton. Emmanuel has been working as a Lyft driver for six years and desires to own a home with more space for them in a safe neighborhood. When asked what he would like to say to the sponsors and volunteers that make homeownership possible for families like his, Emmanuel said, “God bless you for improving the lives of individuals, families, communities, and the needy by providing affordable homes.” <
The churches represented in the Coalition include: Holy Family Catholic Church, Catholic Church of St. Ann, St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church, St. Joseph Catholic Church and Catholic Church of the Transfiguration. Long time Coalition leader Jim Nee will be serving as house lead.
“This amazing coalition is our longest running coalition and I could not be prouder to see them reach this important milestone,” says Jessica Gill of the Northwest Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. “Fifty families have achieved financial stability and provided a decent home for the next generation because of their dedication.”
NW Metro Atlanta Habitat director Jessica Gill and Catholics4Habitat coordinator Kevin Reilly.
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Wednesday is the 23rd anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, and the Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services Department will be holding simultaneous commemorations to match the exact timetable of the events at the World Trade Center in New York.
That’s where commercial airliners struck both towers after being hijacked by terrorists. After firefighters and other first responders climbed up the more than 100-story buildings, they collapsed.
The Fire Department of New York estimates that 343 firefighters and paramedics died as a result, as well as 60 police officers from various departments. A total of 2,753 people were killed in the Twin Tower attacks, according to The Encyclopedia of 9/11.
Cobb government said in a release Monday that at the fire stations, sirens will sound for one minute at 10:05 a.m. and 10:28 a.m. to mark the collapse of each tower, followed by church bells. Here’s the full schedule:
8:46 a.m. Moment of silence for American Airlines Flight 11 crash victims.
9:03 a.m. Moment of silence for United Airlines Flight 175 crash victims.
9:37 a.m. Moment of silence for American Airlines Flight 77 crash victims.
10:03 a.m. Moment of silence for United Airlines Flight 93 crash victims.
10:05 a.m. Sirens sound for one minute; church bells ring.
10:06 a.m. Lower station flag to half-mast.
10:28 a.m. Sirens sound for one minute; church bells ring.
There are eight fire stations in the East Cobb area, and you can find all locations by clicking here.
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The Cobb Board of Elections meeting on Monday was adjourned prematurely after someone in the audience shouted “Heil Hitler” during a public comment period.
The board had just heard a comment from citizen Hugh Norris, who was critical of an elections board member who does not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance at board meetings.
His comments were directed at board member Jennifer Mosbacher of East Cobb, whom Norris called a “closeted Communist” who wasn’t demonstrating proper loyalty to her duties and who should be replaced.
After he was finished, some applause broke out, followed by the “Heil Hitler” remark.
Mosbacher, who is Jewish, immediately began waving her arms in protest.
“Who said that?” she said.
“That is extremely unacceptable,” board chairwoman Tori Silas said. “It’s completely out of order.”
Board attorney Daniel White said that commenters can speak out what they like, even if it’s “ugly,” but they can’t proceed in a way that disrupts the flow of the meeting. He thought that comment fit the latter description, since it amounted to hate speech.
“We’re going to calm it down, and let people have a chance to take a pause, don’t make it personal, people can say what they want and we’ll move forward,” he said.
But Mosbacher said that “anti-Semitic rhetoric, not acceptable. I’m won’t continue to sit in this seat if that person is in this room.”
Silas agreed, and said it is not “a matter of what can happen, it is a matter of what will not happen. . . . We can just stop this meeting.”
White looked at the audience and asked whomever the commenter was to leave the room.
When no one did, Silas said, “So you’re going to hide behind the statement?”
Elections board member Stacy Efrat, also of East Cobb, said “we cannot allow this person to stay in this room. It is hate speech and it is unacceptable.
“We can all disagree with each other’s political views, but we cannot allow hate speech.”
As county staff tried to locate commenter, Mosbacher made a reference to Leo Frank, a Jew who was lynched in Marietta in 1915.
Board member Debbie Fisher of East Cobb said it should be “standard duty” for the board not to engage with the audience. “I just think we may be adding a little fuel to the fire.”
Silas replied that “unfortunately, we are in uncharted territory with that type of hate speech being hurled at this board.”
When the “Heil Hitler” commenter could not be located, the board voted 4-0-1 to adjourn, with Fisher abstaining.
It was unclear when the elections board, which holds monthly regular meetings, would resume this one.
You can watch the sequence at the 1:02-hour mark in the video below.
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We got a lot of interest in last week’s post about the Matt Hobby Classic, the Pope High School football fundraiser to honor a late Greyhounds player and benefit pediatric cancer research.
Volunteer Jennifer Dunaway tells us that more than $29,000 was raised from sales from the special T-shirt (a new one is designed each year) for the Rally Foundation.
The check shows $23K, but she said an additional $6 was raised after that. Since the Matt Hobby Classic began, more than $400,000 has been raised for the Rally Foundation.
The co-chairs for the event this year are Rylee Johnson and Lisa Aldridge.
And to top off the evening, the Pope football team defeated Sprayberry to run its record this season to 2-2.
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It’s feeling a bit more like fall these days, with lower temps and dropping humidity continuing, ideal for hanging out at the park, as above, or just getting out in general.
The East Cobb area also will be getting some rain toward the end of the week.
Sunny skies and high temperatures in the mid-80s are in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Peachtree City.
On Thursday, there’s a 40 percent chance of rain, with highs in the mid-70s, and by Thursday night the chance of rain is expected to be 80 percent, with lows in the mid-60s.
Friday’s forecast has more rain projected, with a 70 percent chance, and highs also in the mid-70s.
Saturday morning is the EAST COBBER parade, and the rain is expected to hold off during that time.
But there’s a 30 percent chance of rain Saturday afternoon, and the same is forecast on Sunday and Monday.
Highs will return back to the low-80s by then and into next week, with lows in the mid-60s.
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The League of Women Voters of Marietta-Cobb has invited candidates in three contested Cobb Board of Education general election races to a forum.
The forums for posts 1, 5 and 7 are scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 1 from 6-8 p.m. at the Switzer Library (266 Roswell Street, Marietta) and also will be livestreamed on YouTube.
The moderator is Chesley McNeil of 11Alive.
The three races are Post 1 in North Cobb, Post 5 in East Cobb and Post 7 in West Cobb. Republicans hold all three seats, and there are Democrats entered in each one.
The Post 5 seat, which includes the Walton, Pope and some of the Wheeler attendance zones, is open. Four-term Republican David Banks is retiring, and his successor will be one of two newcomers.
GOP hopeful John Cristadoro and Democrat Laura Judge, parents in he Walton area, both announced their candidacies more than a year ago.
Post 1 Republican incumbent Randy Scamihorn is facing Democrat Vickie Benson in a rematch from the 2020 election, and in Post 7, two-term GOP member Brad Wheeler is being opposed by Democrat Andrew Cole, a first-time candidate.
The term in Post 3 in South Cobb also expires at the end of the year, but first-term Democrat Tre’ Hutchins did not draw any opposition in either party.
School board races this year have drawn increased attention. Republicans hold a 4-3 edge, and partisan squabbling has been a regular feature at meetings in recent years. Democrats hold the majority on the Cobb Board of Commissioners and the county’s legislative delegation in what had been a GOP stronghold.
The Post 5 and 7 races were close four years ago, as Banks and Wheeler were narrowly re-elected.
But the Post 5 lines have been changed since then due to reapportionment, to include most areas south of Sandy Plains and Shallowford Road and north of Lower Roswell Road.
(The school board post boundaries, which are drawn by the Georgia legislature, are not the same has school attendance zones, which are drawn administratively by the Cobb County School District).
The forum, which is free and open to the public, includes partnerships with Cobb Collaborative Vote Your Voice, Cobb Democracy Center, Marietta-Roswell Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Mi Familia en Acción, and redefinED Atlanta.
To register for in-person or virtual attendance click here; you can find the Spanish-language version by clicking here.
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Diane Spencer, co-founder of Frameworks Gallery, which is marking its 50th anniversary.
Thursday will be a special day at Frameworks Gallery.
The East Cobb art gallery and frame shop is marking the start of its 50th anniversary in business with a new exhibition, “Symphony of Colors,” that will run through Oct. 18.
The opening reception on Thursday lasts from 6-8 p.m. (1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 110).
The special show features the work of four artists who’ve had their work displayed at Frameworks in the pas: Pat Fiorello, Marsha Savage, Barbara Royal, and Judie Jacobs.
Founded by sisters Diane Spencer and the late Sunny Walker, Frameworks Gallery is a fixture not just in the local art and business scene, but also the larger civic community.
In April we spoke to Spencer about her initiative to raise funds for a special garden at East Cobb Park to honor Walker, a leading figure in the creation of the park.
What’s to be called “Sunny’s Butterfly Garden” is getting underway under the auspices of the East Cobb Garden Club, part of the all-volunteer Friends for the East Cobb Park.
Frameworks has been in East Cobb all along, and moved into its present space in the Woodlawn Square Shopping Center 20 years ago.
Walker passed away in 2019, and Spencer has kept the business in the family, with her son running the framing operation.
The artists featured in “Symphony of Colors” have distinguished backgrounds in the local arts scene.
Fiorello’s work was selected as Best Floral in the April 2023 PleinAir Salon competition sponsored by PleinAir Magazine, and she’s the author of a book, “Bella Italia, Italy Through the Eyes of an Artist.”
Savage has been an artist for more than 50 years, specializing in landscape painting. Her work has been displayed at the Georgia State Capitol and she has been entered in many local and regional art shows.
Royal paints landscapes and abstract works, and is a member of the High Museum of Art of Atlanta.
A member of the metro Atlanta artist community for more than 40 years, Jacob is a painter, ceramic sculptor and mixed media specialist.
Parading around
Saturday’s EAST COBBER parade and festival (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) includes some local businesses. Here’s a partial list of who you’ll see stepping down Johnson Ferry Road and/or having booths at the festival afterwards at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church:
Aqua-Tots East Cobb; Auto Accident Attorneys; Custom Disposal; Dance Stop Company; Just Fences Inc.; My Best Friend’s Vet; Neighborhood Tire Pros & Auto Service; Prime IV Hydration & Wellness; Sparkles Family Fun Center; Stretch Zone East Cobb; Ted’s Montana Grill; Willow Orthodontics.
The chief sponsor for the second year in a row is CertaPro Painters.
Festival x 2
Saturday’s going to be extra busy for The Auto Accident Attorneys Group. In addition to being a sponsor of the EAST COBBER event, AAA is holding its third annual Fall Kickoff Festival from 12-3 Saturday at its offices (1454 Johnson Ferry Road).
Admission is free, and the event features a live band, face painting, a petting zoo, bounce houses, shaved ice and food vendors. The sponsor is Team Rehabilitation Physical Therapy.
Managing partner Jamie Salimi said it’s a community give-back event. Food and drinks are complimentary with a wristband while supplies last, and you’re asked to register online.
Started by former East Cobb Business Association president Brian Kramer and other experienced local business leaders, the CCBB provides free start-up assistance to qualified applicants, with a focus on sales, marketing, operations, finance/legal, human resources and entrepreneurial evolution.
On Tuesday there will be a free workshop to go over the bootcamp program details to those interested.
It’s from 5-7 at the North Cobb Regional Library (3535 Old 41 Highway, Kennesaw) and is free to attend. You’re asked to RSVP in advance at https://bit.ly/CCBBIdeaWorkshop9102024.
Since officially opening in March, CCBB has accepted more than 100 business owners as member participants. The goal is to have more than 300 owners on board by the end of the year.
Selected participants will have their scholarships paid for with funding from an American Recovery Program Act small- and minority-owned business grant through Cobb County government.
According to the CCBB website, “this membership covers all aspects of the program such as our online courses, peer-to-peer roundtables, access to our live events and the done-with-you services provided by our partners.”
“We want any minority small business owner in Cobb County to know we’re open, our services are free, and we are eager to help them succeed,” Kramer said in a release.
“One of our key differentiators is that CCBB is set up to help many types of businesses, from mom-and-pop startups in a home office or kitchen to retail businesses or franchises across the community.”
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