East Cobb Opinion

Editor’s Note: Support local news during Small Business Week

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Editor's Note: Support local news during Small Business Week

I write this a few days removed from another terrific Taste of East Cobb, where we were a sponsor once again, and as National Small Business Week begins.

Running a small business can seem like a roller coaster, and those two events exemplify the emotional ride that can take place perfectly.

It was heartening to hear from readers who stopped by our table on Saturday to tell us how much they appreciate East Cobb News, and the deeply hyperlocal approach we take to covering stories and promoting local businesses.

On the other hand, it was head-scratching to learn what amounts to be lip service once again being paid to small business from the political and business establishment.

When asked during an interview recently about offering tariff relief for small businesses, President Trump was annoyed by the question. “You pick up a couple of little businesses? What about the car business? They’re going to make a fortune.”

With all due respect to the auto industry—which has received government subsidies the Moms and Pops could never dream of—so much for looking out for Main Street over Wall Street. This isn’t a partisan complaint, because previous presidents of both parties, as well as members of Congress, have demonstrated the same lack of concern for many years.

Already in the chaos of the tariff rollouts we’ve seen the corporate rich get exemptions in China (Apple) or ask for them (Nike, Adidas, etc.). These are multi-billion global brands that spend lavishly on campaign contributions and lobbyists to get what they want from politicians, at a minimum concessions to cover their lost profit margins.

But as we reported last week with the story of The Queen’s Pantry import retailer here in East Cobb, small businesses are facing uncertainty that could sink them entirely.

Some think it could be as devastating as business shutdowns during COVID. I hope that’s not the case.

I write this as a small business owner who didn’t stop publishing during the pandemic, even as my financial sustainability was seriously threatened. Advertisers were facing extinction as well, and I know some business owners who had to shut down for good after having lost everything.

At East Cobb News, I felt like we owed it to our community to provide all the latest updates, and we did this for months. There were times I wondered how much longer I could shoulder on.

But we’re not just a local news provider, we’re one of the hundreds of small businesses in East Cobb that persevered and carried on during a very difficult time, and grateful to still be around.

Looking back, that’s when I probably should have begun asking readers for their financial support, like I’m asking for yours today.

Please donate today!

The value of what we do every day was noticeable by so many of you during COVID, and on so many other occasions, and you have told us so.

I know and have met so many local business owners in East Cobb, including Sam Garmon at The Queen’s Pantry, who bend over backwards to serve their customers and who want to make an impact in the community.

They volunteer their time, show up at community events, give away products and services and reach out to truly help others, especially those in need.

Whatever you do this week, please patronize your favorite local businesses, and tell them how much you appreciate them! The next few months could be make-or-break for many.

What we do is about so much more than the bottom line, but some admittedly are seeing a bottom line that could be looking very grim real soon.

As newspapers continue to decline or just wither away altogether—a 157-year-old publication in upstate New York folded recently with newsprint tariffs being the final straw—the prospect for local news is getting more challenging as well.

At East Cobb News, we’re not expected to be affected by the tariffs, and we don’t have the kind of overhead that a newspaper requires.

But we do ask readers to consider what they appreciate when they visit our site, get the newsletter, or check our social media pages for updates.

What you get is unlike anything else in this community—daily news as it happens—without being charged for it. There’s no paywall, and we want to keep it that way because our mission includes making local news accessible to all.

If this really matters to you, we’d like for you to become a regular supporter of our community-driven approach to local news.

If you could take just a moment to set up a recurring donation on our payment system linked just below—we’re suggesting $6 a month, but it can be any amount you like, monthly, annually or one-time—we would appreciate it very much!

Become a regular supporter!

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

Editor’s Note: May the force of your donation support ECN!

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As April comes to an end, we’d like to thank readers who’ve pledged their support to East Cobb News during this month.

It’s hard to believe that May is almost here—starting with the Taste of East Cobb festival Saturday that we’re proud to be sponsoring again, and culminating with the end of another school year.

We know you’re busy during this time of year, but we’d like to ask for your financial support as we continue into another month, and into the summer season.

If you like what you get here, we’d like you to consider becoming a regular supporter of our community-driven approach to local news.

If you could take just a moment to set up a recurring donation on our payment system linked just below—we’re suggesting $6 a month—we would appreciate it very much!

Please donate today!

East Cobb News has been deeply focused on this community for nearly eight years now, fully committed to giving you the local news that you love!

We do this with jedi-like passion for our community, the place we’ve long called home!

That includes giving you useful information beyond the headlines with such features as our calendar listings and community guide.

When you donate to East Cobb News, the powerful force of local news is with you, every day. We publish several times a day, Monday through Saturday, and round up all the top headlines of the week on Sunday with our East Cobb News Digest newsletter.

East Cobb News doesn’t charge for our content or our newsletter, and we want to make local news accessible to all. But we do ask readers for financial contributions if they value what we do.

We know that y0u do—we hear from many of you all the time—and we also know that there is a limit on your time and money.

So we can keep providing this community resource, East Cobb News—the only daily news outlet serving this community—we’d love to have your help, if you haven’t donated before.

Press Patron, our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below! And thank you so very much!

Become a regular supporter!

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

Editor’s Note: Please shower us with April reader donations!

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Editor's Note: As springtime blooms, a thanks to readers

The last full week of April is supposed to bring some rainy relief to this hot spell we’ve been having—and wash away the pollen too!

As we head into the final third of the month, we’d like to ask East Cobb News readers to support the work we do giving you the local news you love.

Spring’s been blooming this month, and we know you’ve been busy enjoying the great outdoors that surround us here in East Cobb, as well as spring break.

But if you could take just a moment to set up a recurring donation on our payment system linked just below—we’re suggesting $6 a month—we would appreciate it very much!

Please donate today!

While corporate media outlets hammer you with prompts and paywalls, promising to “unlock” for you their content with frustrating and cumbersome technology, East Cobb News comes to you for free.

We don’t charge for our content or our newsletter, and we want to keep it that way. But we do ask readers for financial contributions if they value what we do.

We know that y0u do—we hear from many of you all the time—and we also know that there is a limit on your time and money.

For us to keep growing, or flowering, if you will, East Cobb News—the only daily news outlet serving this community—we’d love to have your help, if you haven’t donated before.

Press Patron, our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below! And thank you so very much!

Become a regular supporter!

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

 

 

Editor’s Note: Please contribute to our April fundraiser!

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Editor's Note: Please contribute to our April fundraiser!

Yes, I am showing you a photo of a cute pet to get your attention for something else.

My little cat Whisper (aka the Big Bopper) is as camera-shy as I am, but I couldn’t help myself when he jumped into the car the other day as I had the window down.

He knows I keep of a bag of treats with me, and went right for it after I snapped this picture.

Once rewarded, he wanted no further attention—that’s how felines are, after all, and I didn’t mind.

He knows where to come when he needs something, and that’s what pet owners sign up to do.

We do it out of love for these creatures, and ask for nothing in return.

I find some parallels to publishing this local news site. I began East Cobb News to serve the community with daily news and information that wasn’t available anywhere else.

It has been a labor of love, especially building it into a sustainable business that will stand the test of time.

One of my objectives was to make local news accessible to everyone. That’s why there’s not a paywall, unlike many corporate media outlets.

But even though East Cobb News has a true hyperlocal, down-home focus, we do have expenses. Local business advertising provides most of the revenue, but we’re asking for readers to help support us financially.

Over the last few months, so many of you have generously done that. I know it can seem annoying, but we’d like for those of you who have not contributed to consider doing so.

We raised around $1,000 from readers last month. That may not sound like much, but it goes a long way. And every dollar is appreciated! Click below if you’re ready to help out right now!

Please donate today!

We’re off to a slow start this month—especially coming off spring break—but I’d like to ask those of you who enjoy East Cobb News, and value what you get here, to consider becoming a recurring donor.

We’re suggesting $6 a month, but you can donate at whatever amount you like, whether is on a monthly, annual or one-time basis.

If we could get to $1,000 a month again in April, that would be fantastic!

Why do we do this, every week, to ask for your support?

The state of local news in many communities is dire. In East Cobb, we launched this site more than seven years ago to address that dearth here, and many of you have responded.

We think we’ve built up a good following of engaged residents who appreciate what happens here, and that turns to East Cobb News to find out.

We have nearly 9,300 newsletter subscribers, for example, and that has grown organically. We appreciate people spreading the word about East Cobb News, which is produced for you—the citizen, voter, homeowner and stakeholder in this community.

We get reader comments all the time—many positive, some with complaints, but we welcome and value them all the same. They help us to serve you better.

I just got an e-mail from a reader who’s moved out of the area, but continues to read East Cobb News. Why? Here’s what she told us:

“You are so great at traditional ‘just the facts’ news with a balance of information and happenings. It is so refreshing. I hope your work is rewarding in every aspect. Local news is so critical to all of us. Thanks for all you do to continue to make it happen.”

Yes, this work is very rewarding—the most gratifying of my professional career in journalism, which spans more than 40 years. And yes, local news is very critical for everyone who lives in any community.

And absolutely yes, I want to continue to make it happen.

But I’d like to ask you to help me with this.

I feel blessed to have grown up in East Cobb, like my reader’s children did, and have always appreciated what the people and institutions here did to nurture me along the way.

Unlike my cat’s treats, I like to think of what we produce for you at East Cobb News to be more than just occasional noshing. You come here when you want to know what’s going on, but I’d like for you to think of this site—and the community resource we aim to be—as contributing to the social capital of East Cobb.

If you find value in what you get from East Cobb News, please consider making a donation today, if you haven’t already.

Press Patron, our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below! The Big Bopper and I thank you so very much!

Become a regular supporter!

 

Editor’s Note: Noting 50th anniversaries, reader complaints

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Walton gym, East Cobb volleyball
The new Walton fine arts performing center and gym sits on land that once housed the original classroom building.

I’m old enough to remember how things were in East Cobb before some of the landmarks of the community we all know today came into being.

Next weekend, there will be an extravaganza at Walton High School to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the school.

An open house from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 19 will include food, music and plenty of shared memories, as alumni revisit and reconnect with one another. The entire community is invited, and the event is free to the public.

It was in the fall of 1975 that Walton opened, on land across from a subdivision on Bill Murdock Road and near Pine Road.

The school was meant to relieve overcrowding at Wheeler High School, where I had just finished my freshman year, and remember that well.

We were on split sessions during that time, and like Walton would soon come to know, we had vastly outgrown a small, single-story campus building.

In those days, school buildings were constructed with money derived from bond issues. In other words, you built the school you could with the money you had at that time, and not necessarily the one that you needed for the long term.

Not long after Walton opened, it too became overcrowded, and in 1981 Lassiter opened, followed by Pope in late 1980s.

This was the second major “boom” period of growth in East Cobb.

As a result, so much has changed, as we now live in a community with nearly 200,000 residents, many drawn here to the public schools.

Both Wheeler and Walton have been rebuilt with sales tax revenues and house state-of-the-art space for classrooms and other activities. Sprayberry High School is undergoing the same process.

Pope and Lassiter have received sparkling performing arts and gymnasium space to accompany their main facilities.

These are more than buildings for education and extracurriculars; they’re community hubs that have helped create a sense of place.

So are our many faith communities. When I was a kid, it was basically Protestant churches. As I entered high school, Holy Family and Transfiguration were being planned to cater to Roman Catholics.

And in that same year of 1975, the Jewish community in Cobb finally had a place of worship they could call their own. Congregation Etz Chaim came into being that year, and moved to its current location on Indian Hills in 1980.

It’s one of three synagogues in East Cobb, and later this month will be observing its Golden Anniversary.

As our Jewish friends and neighbors observe Passover and as Christians prepare for Holy Week, it’s a reminder of how far East Cobb has evolved as a welcoming community for people of all faiths and creeds.

* * * * * *

Not long ago I received a note from a reader who had unsubscribed from our weekly newsletter, saying that she “hated” the format.

I e-mailed her to find out what she didn’t like about it, and she replied that “I struggled with the different font sizes and so many different sections, multiple bullet points.”

It was hard for her to read this on her phone—which is how three-quarters of you read the newsletter and all East Cobb News content.

She said she still follows what we post on Facebook, and “realize what you’re doing is a thankless job. I do love being informed and know what’s going on in our community—so thank you.”

Again, this is all very helpful for me, and I apologize if any of you have a negative or unsatisfying experience. I want to know if you’re unhappy or disappointed with what we do here at East Cobb News—it’s how we get better—so don’t hesitate to reach out.

Whether it’s about technology or content or anything else, I do keep these things in mind as I contemplate changes.

For the time being, I will experiment with giving you the newsletter in a condensed fashion, with non-featured items listed under either “This Week’s News” or “Living” tabs, to see how that goes.

Let me know what you think—I’m always open to suggestions that would improve your experience. Get in touch via e-mail: wendy@eastcobbnews.com. Our aim is to make it more relevant and useful for you, because that’s what we’re all about.

* * * * * *

The Power of Local—which is not only our theme but a core of our mission—comes from being in this community every day, and being all-in in this community, whether it’s covering stories, talking with prospective advertisers or sharing some goodwill about what makes this place so special for all of us.

If you find value in what you get from East Cobb News, please consider making a donation today, if you haven’t already.

We’re asking for a $6 donation on a recurring monthly basis, but you can contribute whatever amount you like, either monthly, annually or on a one-time basis.

Press Patron, our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below and thank you so much!

Become a regular supporter!

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

 

Editor’s Note: As springtime blooms, a thank-you to readers

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Editor’s Note: As springtime blooms, a thank-you to readers

A beautiful first Saturday in April wasn’t meant to spend indoors.

I got up this morning and drove around East Cobb, taking in the gorgeous scenery in so many neighborhoods, of flowers, trees and landscaping bursting with the spring in full bloom.

I later ventured to the Marietta Square area, where the Marietta Farmers Market was underway, and legions of pedestrians were milling about, sampling the hand-made goods from vendors and visiting the many shops, restaurants and artisanal businesses that make it such a popular weekend destination.

Back in our community, and after a late breakfast at Biscuits and More on Johnson Ferry Road, I did some serendipitous subdivision grazing, checking out neighborhoods like the one above off Murdock Road I hadn’t visited before.

No matter what street you turn down these days, you’re sure to view such splendorous sights. That’s one of the things my late mother missed the most about East Cobb and the Marietta area after she retired to Florida, and occasionally I took photos like the one above and e-mailed them to her.

These indeed are the most pleasant weeks of the year, as far as I’m concerned—once the pollen doses fall off, that is—and there isn’t much time to savor it.

We tried the spicy Brunswick stew at Heavenly BBQ this week, and it was delicious!

At the end of another busy week in East Cobb, milling around also a good way to clear my head before I write this column, and finish the newsletter that many of you get on Sunday.

In case you missed it, this week we talked to the proprietor of the new Heavenly BBQ on Sandy Plains Road (where Willie Jewell’s used to be), and covered the grand opening of the new Cobb Police Precinct 6, close to the Mountain View Aquatic Center.

We also reported on how citizen protests prompted a delay by Cobb DOT in cutting down trees in the medians on Columns Drive, where so many go to walk, bike and take in a scenic thoroughfare near the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

Instead of wholesale cutting, they’re going to remove only the trees that pose a safety hazard, with the details to come.

Those are just a few examples of the kind of feature stories that we provide for East Cobb residents every week, demonstrating what I like to call The Power of Local.

We’ve also signed up to be a sponsor of the Taste of East Cobb for the third year in a row, and they’re still accepting food and other vendors and other sponsors. It’s May 3 at the usual place—Johnson Ferry Baptist Church—and as far as I’m concerned it’s the signature spring event around here.

It embodies everything we do at East Cobb News, where readers and local businesses always come first.

As I write this I’m also taking stock of the tremendous privilege and opportunity I have to serve all of you with community news and information, and to help promote local businesses.

I’ve been using this space in recent weeks to ask for financial contributions more frequently than usual, and for those of you who have donated, thank you!

Cobb delays Columns Drive median tree-cutting after protests
East Cobb residents gave Cobb officials an earful about not cutting down trees on Columns Drive, and they heard them—loud and clear.

We received $900 from readers in March, and because we want to keep East Cobb News free and accessible to all, please know that your support goes a long way to continue to give you the local news that you love!

I don’t want to belabor this too much longer, because my real intent is to turn this weekly column into a summary of stories we’ve posted during the week, as I started above, and include other little tidbits of community life that you can’t get anywhere else.

The Power of Local comes from being in this community every day, and being all-in in this community, whether it’s covering stories, talking with prospective advertisers or sharing some goodwill about what makes this place so special for all of us.

Let us know what you think about East Cobb News, suggest stories, etc.: wendy@eastcobbnews.com. Our aim is to make it more relevant and useful for you, because that’s what we’re all about.

And if you find value in what you get from East Cobb News, please consider making a donation today, if you haven’t already.

We’re asking for a $6 donation on a recurring monthly basis, but you can contribute whatever amount you like, either monthly, annually or on a one-time basis.

Press Patron, our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below and thank you so much!

Become a regular supporter!

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

Editor’s Note: Please contribute to our March fundraiser!

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Editor's Note: Please contribute to our March fundraiser!

Over the weekend I shared with readers that we need to finish strong in our March fundraiser to reach a monthly goal of $1,500 in contributions.

In the days since, we’ve gotten a nice boost, and thanks to all of you who have donated!

With March almost over, we’re around $750 in reader contributions. I’d like to see us get to $1,000 for the month, and I think that can be done—and we’d like to get your help to do it.

Please donate today!

The state of local news in many communities is dire. In East Cobb, we launched this site more than seven years ago to address that dearth here, and many of you have responded.

We think we’ve built up a good following of engaged residents who appreciate what happens here, and that turns to East Cobb News to find out.

We have nearly 9,300 newsletter subscribers, for example, and that has grown organically. We appreciate people spreading the word about East Cobb News, which is produced for you—the citizen, voter, homeowner and stakeholder in this community.

We don’t charge readers, because we believe local news should be accessible to all. But we do have expenses, and we are trying to expand what we cover as we develop a news business that is unique to this community.

We got some encouraging messages in recent days from readers who appreciated our coverage of concerns over anti-Semitic incidents in local schools.

That’s the kind of coverage readers have come to expect from East Cobb News, which blends traditional news reporting with useful community news and information.

We’re no non-sense, and try to ensure that the news we provide you is straightforward and relevant to you.

If you find value in what you get from East Cobb News, please consider making a donation today, if you haven’t already.

We’re asking for a $6 donation on a recurring monthly basis, but you can contribute whatever amount you like, either monthly, annually or on a one-time basis.

Press Patron, our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below and thank you so much!

Become a regular supporter!

Editor’s Note: Ending March fundraiser with a big flourish!

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Editor's Note: Ending March fundraiser with a strong flourish!
Click here or on the links in this column to support East Cobb News today!

For the month of March we’ve been asking readers to contribute a total of $1,500 for our donation drive.

With a little more than a week to go, we’re less than halfway there, and we’d like to ask those of you who have not contributed to consider doing so.

As of this writing, we’ve received $625 in donations thus far in March, and thanks to all of you who have provided support! Your generosity helps us as we strive to give you local news that you love, and the kind of daily community connection that you can’t find anywhere else.

East Cobb News was created in 2017 to serve readers and advertisers directly, without the filter of a corporate media organization. We don’t do the news for anyone else but those people who live and work here and who are invested in this place that we call home.

We are truly local, independent, and totally focused on the news needs of our citizens, and the local businesses who provide the primary financial support for what we do.

As little “indies” or mom-and-pops, hyperlocal publishers around the country that I know are utterly devoted to their communities too.

We’re embedded with our friends, neighbors, fellow church members, Little League parents and PTA volunteers on a daily basis. It’s one of our biggest advantages, in fact, but there are tradeoffs.

Please donate today!

I know one such publisher in Wisconsin, whom I met at a publishers’ conference a few years ago. This week she revealed something truly startling to me.

For the first time since she launched her site nearly eight years ago, she finally took a day off.

Fortunately we haven’t been in that situation, but we can relate to what it takes to keep East Cobb News up and running, with fresh and relevant stories that really matter to you, and to continue to build a small business that’s sustainable for many years to come.

Unlike much of corporate media and like my friend’s publication, we don’t have a paywall, because we believe local news needs to be accessible to everyone.

But if you value what you get nearly every day from East Cobb News (we try to take Sundays off!), please consider supporting us today.

March is the start of spring, and East Cobb News is springing into a new season with vigor and commitment, with a passion for serving this community that is from the heart.

We want to continue to make it better and more useful for our readers, and we’d like to have your help in doing so.

We’re asking for a $6 donation on a recurring monthly basis, but you can contribute whatever amount you like, either monthly, annually or on a one-time basis.

Press Patron, our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below and thank you so much! As my Wisconsin publishing friend told her readers this week, “thank you for reading, for sharing, and for believing in the power of local journalism.”

Become a regular supporter!

Editor’s Note: Your donation supports news you can trust!

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Editor’s Note: Your donation supports news you can trust!Click here or on the links in this column to support East Cobb News today! Thank you!

In journalism circles, trust is a high value. So is credibility.

They’re core values, in fact, for reporters, editors and news organizations everywhere—hard to obtain, easy to squander and almost possible to retrieve if they’re ever lost.

But many in the public are skeptical, especially as traditional outlets continue their rapid decline.

I was reading recently about how the decline of “objectivity” as an organizing principle for journalists has coincided with mass layoffs at many of our leading newspapers, and as political tensions have been roiling over the last decade.

By “objectivity,” I’m referring more to the process of news gathering than anything else. Pure objectivity is impossible, because journalists are subjective creatures like all other humans.

We all have our biases, but I was trained early on to set aside my views for the job at hand—informing the public. That’s just basic professionalism, but it seems to be a lost value these days.

The issue at the heart of the above link—and it’s rather long and dense piece that’s primarily of interest to people like me—is that some journalists seem to be doing their work for other journalists, or to go along with the trendy issues in our profession.

Quite often, they have little to do with journalism. The career fallout has been harsh, and I know a number of people who have been affected by these reductions. I feel their pain, because twice I’ve been forced to leave corporate media jobs.

At East Cobb News, being independent and being devoted to local news means we can take a different, more authentic approach. In fact, I started this site to get back to what’s really important—reporting directly for the readers of this community.

Last week I mentioned that one such person here in East Cobb donated $300 to our March fundraising drive. I was so deeply touched, and I e-mailed to ask why. Here’s what she told me:

“I was responsive to your request for donations because I so appreciate your service to the East Cobb community in keeping us informed of happenings (big and small) that matter to our daily lives and bring us closer together. And you do so in a manner that is non-partisan and straightforward.”

If I could copy and paste and laminate my mission statement for all to see, this is how it would read.

Please donate today!

I’m deeply honored to know people here feel this way about what we’ve done at East Cobb News, and I’ve heard from others who feel the same way.

Of course, there are those who think we could do better, or that we’re biased somehow. Some think we’re in cahoots with the Democratic-led Cobb commissioners, others think we go too easy on the Republican-majority Cobb school board.

Others still say we go too hard on either.

Depending on who you ask, we’re either Commie libtards or MAGA Trumpers.

That’s a very vast ocean indeed, and we’re somewhere in between.

We’ve built East Cobb News on the premise that party affiliation or political/social/cultural views aren’t as important as community affinity.

And we built it especially for readers, regardless of their views, much less those of this editor and publisher.

This month we set a goal of raising $1,500 from readers. About halfway through, we’re only a third of the way there. But I think we can reach that number, and even exceed it, because I know there are plenty of you who share the above reader’s appreciation for what East Cobb News means to you.

If you have already donated, thank you! If you have not, please support the work we do. If you value what we do—based on the values of trust and credibility—consider a modest monthly recurring donation. You can give an amount of your choosing, either monthly, annually or on a one-time basis.

Unlike other corporate-owned outlets, East Cobb News does not charge for reader access. While we’re a for-profit entity, we’re not unlike those who ask readers for their assistance in not just preserving, but strengthening local news.

Nor do we charge for our newsletter—one of the more popular ways readers keep up with East Cobb News—and we invite public comments on all our stories. We’ve got a healthy, vibrant community that comes online to discuss the top headlines of the day, and I’m proud of what’s been built up here.

Press Patron, our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below and thank you so much!

Become a regular supporter!

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

Editor’s Note: A great start to our March fundraising drive!

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Editor’s Note: A great start to our March fundraising drive!
Click here or on the links in this column to support East Cobb News today! Thank you!

Well, I don’t know what to say to this but: Wow!

When I asked readers last week to help us get to $1,500 in donations for the month of March, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I checked the totals thus far.

We’re already around a quarter of the way there, after only a few days!

Thank you to all of you who have donated in March, and especially a reader who contributed $300! That’s the biggest single donation we’ve received in this and previous requests for reader support.

I’m so touched by that gesture, but we know that not everybody can donate that much.

When I started the “1500 Club” it was with the goal of having 1,500 readers make recurring monthly donations.

I still want to reach that figure, but for the month of March, we’re simply asking for $1,500 in reader donations.

In February we surpassed the $800 mark, and I think this new goal is definitely achievable.

It’s a big goal, but this news site was founded on big dreams, and we’ve been able to do so much more than I initially envisioned.

I want to continue to grow this site and its role in our community and give it a lasting presence for many years!

If what you see here at East Cobb News is of any value to you, please click below to show your support.

We’re asking for $6 a month as a recurring monthly donation, but you can give an amount of your choosing, either monthly, annually or on a one-time basis.

Please donate today!

Your contribution powers the work of East Cobb News in serving this community like no one else—with daily stories about local government, schools, public safety, small business, transportation, the arts, community service and more—and grows an engaged audience as a result.

East Cobb News is among dozens of local independent online news sites that have emerged in recent years to offer grassroots news for their communities with an authentic local touch from publishers who are fully invested in everything that goes on there.

Unlike other corporate-0wned outlets, East Cobb News does not charge for reader access. While we’re a for-profit entity, we’re not unlike those who ask readers for their assistance in not just preserving, but strengthening local news.

Nor do we charge for our newsletter—one of the more popular ways readers keep up with East Cobb News—and we invite public comments on all our stories. We’ve got a healthy, vibrant community that comes online to discuss the top headlines of the day, and I’m proud of what’s been built up here.

Press Patron, our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below and thank you so much!

Become a regular supporter!

Editor’s Note: Thanks for a fantastic February fundraiser!

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Got a couple minutes?

I promise, my message to you for this last week of February won’t go longer than that!

I just wanted to thank readers for their contributions as we surpassed January’s donations totals!

We’re nearing the $800 mark, but I’d like to ask those of you who haven’t contributed to consider doing so today!

I think we can get to $1,000 in donations during these last few days of the shortest month, so please give what you can today, on a recurring monthly or annual or one-time basis.

Your donation will go a long way to help us continue to give you the local news you love!

Thanks so much!

If what you see here at East Cobb News is of any value to you, please click below to show your support.

Please donate today!

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

Editor’s Note: The stretch run of our February fundraiser

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We’re almost there!Editor's Note: Inviting our readers to join the 1500 Club!

Not just near the end of another month, but also close to surpassing our fundraising drive goal for February.

With just about a week left, we’re around $150 short of January’s totals, and in the shortest month of the year!

What we’d like to do during this stretch run of February is not only eclipse that $750 mark, but get to $1,000 for the month in reader donations.

We’ve been asking readers to donate as little as $6 a month—it can be more if you like or any amount you choose—as we strive to add 1,500 new recurring contributors through the spring.

That’s a big goal, to be sure, but East Cobb News was born on big dreams—to serve you, our readers, with professionally reported news and useful community information—that serves you and our advertisers.

We rely on multiple sources of revenue to keep giving you local news that you love, and we’d love to have your support if you haven’t donated yet.

After several years of diligently building not just an engaged audience, but cultivating dynamic relationships with so many of you, we’re asking for your support today to help sustain this community resource.

If what you see here at East Cobb News is of any value to you, please click below to show your support.

Please donate today!

Your contribution powers the work of East Cobb News in serving this community like no one else—with daily stories about local government, schools, public safety, small business, transportation, the arts, community service and more—and grows an engaged audience as a result.

East Cobb News is among dozens of local independent online news sites that have emerged in recent years to offer grassroots news for their communities with an authentic local touch from publishers who are fully invested in everything that goes on there.

We’re also citizens, parents, homeowners, business owners and volunteers like our neighbors. It’s just not where we work, but the place we call home.

At Eastsider LA, publisher Jesus Sanchez personally thanks his readers who contribute, because he knows they also are the sources of news tips, engagement ideas and suggestions for how to make his publication better.

Indeed, we’ve gotten advertising interest and business at East Cobb News because of the stories we publish—we’re truly hyperlocal, and many small businesses here find that to be an ideal way to reach new customers.

So thank you to recent contributors Barbara, Walter, Trevor, Eric, Arlys, Karen, Kristie, Amy, Michael and so many others for your support of East Cobb News.

With donations from just a few more of you, we can get to $1,000 this month.

Unlike other corporate-0wned outlets, East Cobb News does not charge for reader access. While we’re a for-profit entity, we’re not unlike those who ask readers for their assistance in not just preserving, but strengthening local news.

We’d like to suggest a monthly payment of $6—you can contribute more if you like, or at whatever amount of your choosing.

Our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below and thank you so much!

Become a regular supporter!

 

Editor’s Note: Mid-February ECN fundraising drive update

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Greetings again, East Cobb News readers.Editor's Note: Inviting our readers to join the 1500 Club!

With about a week and a half left in February, we’re asking you to help support the work we do here at East Cobb News, and have embarked on a fundraising drive to solicit your donations.

Last week I indicated that we want to surpass January’s total of $750 in reader support, and that remains the goal. It’s definitely doable!

But we need your help!

We’ve suggested a $6 monthly donation on a recurring basis, and many of you have answered the call. Thank you so much for contributing!

In fact, most of our contributions are of the recurring variety, and that’s ideal.

But you can give any amount you like, and in other time increments. Here’s a sampling of some recent contributions:

  • $50 one-time
  • $20 one-time
  • $12 monthly
  • $60 annual

. . . in addition to the $6 monthly donations.

If you value what you get from East Cobb News, please consider donating today.

Click here to donate today!

Unlike other media outlets, we don’t charge for the news. We want to keep it that way, and you support will further our efforts to keep our content accessible for all.

We want to make it easy for you to donate. We have a safe and secure online payment system, Press Patron, that specializes helping local news publishers.

After you sign up, you can designate the size and frequency of your contribution, and manage your account easily from there.

Here’s what we need to match January’s total: 35 of you coming on board at $6 a month on a recurring basis.

That’s all! We have tens of thousands of followers, from social media platforms to newsletter subscribers. We know there are plenty more than 35 of you that value East Cobb News.

Just click the link below to pledge your support.

Become a regular supporter!

As we head into the stretch run of the shortest month, we’d love to have more come on board as financial supporters of East Cobb News, where everything we do is for you!

Please consider giving today, at whatever amount suits you. We appreciate your support!

And thanks!

 

 

Editor’s Note: Help us reach our February fundraising goal!

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Wow, what a response!Editor's Note: Inviting our readers to join the 1500 Club!

That’s the first thing I thought this week when I saw the outpouring of support for our February fundraising drive.

We’re trying to surpass the January total of $750 in reader contributions, and halfway through the campaign we’re more than halfway past that mark.

Thank you so much to all who have contributed!

Can we get past $1,000! I think so, and I hope you will help!

Especially encouraging is that most of this reader revenue is for recurring monthly donations.

We’ve been asking readers to donate as little as $6 a month—it can be more if you like or any amount you choose—as we strive to add 1,500 new recurring contributors through the spring.

That’s a big goal, to be sure, but East Cobb News was born on big dreams—to serve you, our readers, with professionally reported news and useful community information—that serves you and our advertisers.

We rely on both sources of revenue to keep giving you local news that you love, and we’d love to have your support if you haven’t donated yet.

After several years of diligently building not just an engaged audience, but cultivating dynamic relationships with so many of you, we’re asking for your support today to help sustain this community resource.

If what you see here at East Cobb News is of any value to you, please click below to show your support.

Please donate today!

Unlike other corporate-0wned outlets, East Cobb News does not charge for reader access. While we’re a for-profit entity, we’re not unlike those who ask readers for their assistance in not just preserving, but strengthening local news.

Simply put, there’s nothing else like East Cobb News in this market. There’s nobody else coming to you every day, several times a day, with general-interest news like local government and schools, public safety, small business and real estate, arts and entertainment, recreation, community events and those who are helping others in need.

That’s because East Cobb News was designed to serve everyone invested in this community,

We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, and we hear so many compliments from you about what you get here.

Now is the time to show that you value what East Cobb News means for you.

We’d like to suggest a monthly payment of $6—you can contribute more if you like, or at whatever amount of your choosing.

Our online platform is safe, secure and easy to use, and you can manage your account however you like.

Just click the link below.

Consider becoming a regular supporter!

We’re halfway through the shortest month, and it’s gratifying to know how many of you have stepped up to support the work of East Cobb News.

We’d love to have more of you do the same, if you haven’t already done so!

Please consider giving today, at whatever amount suits you. We appreciate your support!

Editor’s Note: The unrealized legacy of Jerica Richardson

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Cobb adopts state electoral maps; Richardson in limbo

I wish the Georgia General Assembly had not drawn Jerica Richardson out of her seat on the Cobb Board of Commissioners during reapportionment in 2022.

It was unfair and unprecedented, as she stated many times during a two-plus-years legal battle over county electoral maps that confused citizens and cost them fruitless taxpayer-funded court challenges.

But it was not illegal.

When Cobb Republican lawmakers sidestepped local courtesy in ignoring county delegation maps and filed their own maps, it smelled of the partisan odor that comes with redistricting.

As it has for decades, and always will.

Richardson, an articulate and intelligent thirty-something Georgia Tech graduate, entered office in December 2020 full of new energy, new ideas and a younger generational vibe, and was stepping in the very big shoes left behind by Bob Ott.

She was conscientious in forming a “community cabinet” of citizen advisors on such topics as education, land use and traffic, and held online “community huddles” to preview meeting agendas.

She brought young people into the fold in myriad ways, including inviting high school students to conduct “capstone” projects on pressing local issues.

Richardson also worked with the local Brazilian community, a sizable contingent of citizens in the East Cobb and Cumberland-Smyrna area in particular.

These were admirable and endearing efforts to invite greater participation in civic life, and they are a positive part of the legacy she leaves behind in her sole term in office.

Halfway through, the District 2 Richardson had been elected to serve no longer included her East Cobb home.

But when Richardson and her two fellow Democratic colleagues conjured up dubious “home rule” claims in adopting those unapproved delegation maps, and using them to conduct county business, those actions were just as wrong.

They were also violations of the Georgia Constitution–as ruled by two judges in Cobb County–which gives sole county reapportionment powers to the legislature.

Richardson’s final appeal to remain in office—her term officially expired Dec. 31, and she didn’t seek re-election—was ignored Tuesday by the Georgia Court of Appeals.

She was trying to hold on until a special election to decide her successor is determined in April.

In recent months, following those emphatic court rulings of unconstitutionality, Richardson chose her most bristling rhetoric of the whole saga.

While she said at times her legal battle wasn’t about her but the rights of communities to draw electoral maps, at the very end Richardson claimed she had been the primary target all along:

“For the last four years, this office has been under attack by the entire state infrastructure because change is scary for so many. Unfortunately, the unknown is exploited so that power can be transferred from the hands of many to the hands of few.”

That three black Democratic women formed the ruling majority on the commission in a Cobb County dominated for decades by white male Republican elected officials is hard to ignore.

For most of her time in office, Richardson didn’t play to those or other cultural issues.

But at the height of the tensions in August, Democratic Commissioner Monique Sheffield referred to the partisan sparring on the all-female board, especially over the maps, as “political Bloods and Crips.”

Richardson’s vague comments this week are a bit much to absorb. “The entire state infrastructure” was out to get her. Really? In a state with 159 counties? And what exactly is the change that is feared?

We are left to guess.

As for the charge of transferring power, it’s very likely Democrats will still hold a 3-2 majority after the special elections.

The new District 2 includes areas along I-75, from Kennesaw and Marietta to Smyrna, which are not very Republican.

What I wish Richardson would have had done as she took her final bows was to offer an apology.

To those residents of East Cobb who for the last two years were uncertain over who their commissioner was supposed to be.

And for what’s estimated to be $1.5 million for the special elections in District 2 and District 4, after the primaries last year were voided because the “home rule” maps were used.

Acknowledging the chaos and turmoil that was caused by this dispute was a missed opportunity for Richardson.

When Republican Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of East Cobb, who’s not one to relish conflict or use profanity, called this episode “two years of hell,” it’s worth noting.

Yes, Richardson had the right to appeal her removal.

And yes, as Cupid once claimed, “a great harm” was done to Cobb by the legislature in bypassing local delegation courtesies during reapportionment.

But Cupid, who also has a law degree, had to have known where this dispute would end.

In decrying norm-breaking, you don’t break other norms. Especially the law.

That will also be a part of Richardson’s legacy, and that’s disappointing.

ECN 1500 Club Update: Please donate to our February drive!

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Last month I asked East Cobb News readers to consider becoming monthly recurring donors so we can keep giving you community news that you can’t find anywhere else.Editor's Note: Inviting our readers to join the 1500 Club!

We’ve been committed to making our content free to all, and to build sustainability for the long haul. East Cobb News is reader-focused community news, whose ultimate aim is to serve you.

What I’m calling our “1500 Club” is continuing into the spring, with the goal of getting 1,500 readers to join the ranks of recurring donors.

Yes, that’s an ambitious goal, and so is our goal for February—500 new monthly contributors. Thanks to those of you who have contributed.

We raised $750 in reader revenue in January, higher than in recent months, and I’m very grateful to all of you for supporting the work of East Cobb News.

We also had an outstanding traffic month to start off the year, particularly with multiple weather events, so we know that you come to rely on East Cobb News. 

With your help, we want our fundraising total to surpass that in February.

Please donate today!

We recommend a monthly contribution of $6 a month—that’s a couple of cups of drive-through coffee— on our safe and secure payment platform, Press Patron. Signing up is easy, and you can manage your account from there as well.

Local news outlets of all kinds are asking readers to help support the work they do, and not just online startups like East Cobb News.

Did you know that The Marietta Daily Journal, which has been around for more than 100 years, has begun what it calls the Cobb Journalism Fund, to support its editorial efforts?

Through the non-profit Cobb Community Fund, that effort has generated more than $100,000 to fund a reporting position and related expenses for enterprise and investigative journalism.

The paper has done some good work through that vehicle, yet it still charges readers a subscription.

East Cobb News does not do that and has no plans to impose a paywall. We want local news to be accessible to everyone.

We’re not asking for anywhere near that total of money.

But frankly, we really need more readers to step up and support the work of East Cobb News. We’ve got a sizable and engaged audience, and know that you appreciate what you get here every day and in our Sunday newsletter.

We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, and we hear so many compliments from you about what you get here.

Now is the time to show that you value what East Cobb News means for you.

We’d like to suggest a monthly payment of $6—you can contribute more if you like, or at whatever amount of your choosing.

Consider becoming a regular supporter!

As you can tell from the stories and other content here, East Cobb News gives you local news and useful community information in a simple, straight-forward way.

Similarly, inviting you to join the 1500 Club is a simple ask. I’ll get straight to the point:

We really need you to help us sustain this community news resource, now it its eighth year of operation.

East Cobb News is a for-profit business, just like the MDJ and many of the traditional local media outlets that are also asking readers for financial support.

Please consider giving today, at whatever amount suits you. We appreciate your support!

 

Editor’s Note: Our February fundraising goal—500 new donors!

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I took a little bit of time out on Saturday to enjoy the warmth and the sun at East Cobb Park, and couldn’t think of a better way to start the month of February.

Editor's Note: Our February fundraising goal—500 new donors!
We’re asking for 500 donors in February—will you be among them? Thanks for your support!

January was a terrific start to 2025 in terms of traffic, with more than 70,000 unique visitors coming to East Cobb News to find out what’s going on in the community.

That’s roughly one-third of a very big coverage area, and it was gratifying to see the response.

Sometimes the first month of the year is a little slow, but winter weather and other events made East Cobb News a must-visit for many of you, and we’re grateful for your readership.

We are a truly reader-focused independent news site devoted to covering what makes this community tick, and one of our revenue sources comes from you, our readers.

We ask because unlike other local news outlets we don’t have any paywalls and we want East Cobb News to be accessible to one and all.

Please donate today!

This is becoming more common with sites like ours. Our friends at decaturish.com recently completed a successful fundraising effort, as readers there appreciate the value of that community news resource that covers not just Decatur, but a large portion of DeKalb County.

Editor Dan Whisenhunt does a great job not only of covering his community, but reminding readers what it takes to do this on a regular basis.

Similarly, last week East Cobb News unveiled a new reader fundraising drive called the 1500 Club that we’re asking all of you to consider supporting.

Into the spring, we want to get 1500 of our readers to become recurring monthly donors—for as little as $6 a month—to support the work of East Cobb News.

We thank those of you who have signed up in the last week, and as February gets underway, we’ve set a big goal to reach—500 new donors.

You can contribute whatever amount you’d like, but please consider giving on a monthly recurring basis. It’s the best way to support the work of East Cobb News to give you the local news that you love!

We have a secure online payment system, Press Patron, that works with local news publishers to solicit support from their readers.

Press Patron is safe, secure and easy to use, and your donation will go directly toward our efforts to cover the East Cobb community like no one else!

Thanks f0r your support and your readership!

Please donate today!

Editor’s Note: Inviting our readers to join the 1500 Club!

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I’m deeply honored to be your editor and publisher at East Cobb News! I greatly appreciate your readership as we turn the calendar to 2025.Editor's Note: Inviting our readers to join the 1500 Club!

As a new year unfolds, we are launching a renewed effort to ask readers for their financial support of this community news resource.

We’re calling it the 1500 Club and are asking 1500 of you to sign up to becoming recurring monthly donors of East Cobb News.

That’s a little more than 15 percent of the more than 9,300 newsletter subscribers who get the East Cobb News Digest every week.

East Cobb News content will always be free to readers—unlike other news outlets, we don’t have a paywall. We want this to be accessible for anybody, but we do ask for your support if you feel this of special value to you.

We’d like to suggest a monthly payment of $6—you can contribute more if you like, or at whatever amount of your choosing.

We have a safe, secure online payment system called Press Patron via Stripe that makes it easy to donate, and to keep track of your account.

Consider becoming a regular supporter!

Press Patron enables local news publishers like me to ask readers like you for support. Many local news outlets, from the more traditional to the likes of East Cobb News, generate revenues from multiple sources to build sustaining businesses.

Your donations will power our expanding coverage of news in East Cobb, the place we call home, and that’s a very busy place!

There’s so much more that we want to cover for you, and in the next couple of months we’d like to have at least 1500 of you sign up to become continuing supporters.

It’s similar to a pledge drive for public radio, but for East Cobb’s only daily, all-online news source.

I’ve explained more about the 1500 Club in the video, and will be sharing more details about this initiative in the coming weeks.

Will you be among the 1500? Consider starting your financial support today, so we can keep giving you the local news that you love! Thanks East Cobb!

 

Click here to donate now!

 

 

Editor’s Note: Thanks, East Cobb News readers, for a great 2024!

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While enjoying some days off for the Christmas holiday, I wanted to take some time to thank East Cobb News readers as 2024 draws to a conclusion.

As I write this, we’ve surpassed 1.4 million page views and more than 725,000 unique visitors for the year. 

In a year with some eventful happenings, including some major elections, those are good numbers to have.

Our newsletter growth also has been very solid this year, as we recently surpassed 9,300 subscribers.

We’ve done this through the daily grind of sustained news coverage and word-of-mouth promotion, as readers come to us when they want to know what’s happening in this community.

Whether it’s coverage of local government and politics, schools news, crime, traffic, zoning, or new businesses and restaurants, readers have told us repeatedly how much they value what they get in one place—whether it’s daily on our site, via social media postings or through the newsletter.

I also want to thank those of you who have contributed to our continuing readership campaign this year, and our advertisers who appreciate the value of regular exposure to a dedicated, growing audience that makes up the East Cobb News readership. 

The deeply hyperlocal focus of all that we do—editorial and advertising—has been a successful formula as we continue in our eighth year of operation.

East Cobb News is all-online, publishing every day, with timely, professionally reported news and useful community information that makes a difference for the people who live here.

That’s who we do this for, and if you like what you see here and you haven’t donated before, consider making a contribution at whatever amount you like.

Simply put, East Cobb News readers are at the center of what this is all about. Unlike many other media outlets, we don’t charge to read our coverage, and we never will. No paywalls here.

Donate today!

As 2025 commences, we want to go more in-depth with the news and features that our readers come to expect. 

Our community continues to grow and evolve in many ways, and some of our best story ideas come from you.

So if you have story ideas, news tips, photos or anything else to share that you think might be of interest to our readers, let us hear from you!

I want to hear from you about what you value in East Cobb News, and ask how we can make this site better. I will be sending a reader survey out in early January, and I would appreciate the feedback.

In the meantime, I’d like to wish you all a Happy New Year! We’ll be on a lighter posting schedule for the rest of the year, but stay tuned for our roundup of top stories of the year and other features as we approach New Year’s.

Seasons Greetings East Cobb and thanks for your readership!

 

Editor’s Note: Have a blessed and Merry Christmas, East Cobb!

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Have a blessed and Merry Christmas, East Cobb!
Keeping it light and fun: The Atlanta-based Gate City Brass takes a bow after performing a Christmas concert last weekend.

Well, all that’s left now is to enjoy Christmas.

All the rushing around in busy stores and weaving through East Cobb traffic is over.

I don’t know why, but I’m like many who wait until the last minute to tie up loose ends.

But what’s been a festive season is reaching its peak.

While Christians will be celebrating the birth of Jesus on Wednesday, our Jewish neighbors will begin eight days of Hanukkah as well.

It’s a time for all of us, regardless of our religious views—or whether or not we even have them—to step back and take stock of the many blessings we have in our community.

I write this, on Christmas Eve, shortly before attending a candlelight service.

This day has been difficult personally for the last few years because it’s the day my mother began her final journey after a long battle with lung cancer.

But this was always her favorite time of year, and I know she would have enjoyed the Christmas concert at the church I’ve been attending.

Last Sunday, the Atlanta-based Gate City Brass performed at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, which has magnificent acoustics in its sanctuary.

For several years, they’ve had a group of members organize three or four concerts a year and invited the public. They asked me to help out with publicity, but for someone who can’t carry a tune across the room, I’ve enjoyed the experience immensely.

The talent and dedication it takes to learn to play music, and do it well, has always amazed me.

The Gate City Brass members arranged many of the Christmas classics that we’re familiar with, and I recorded a couple of those tunes for you to enjoy below.

They’re a bit different than what you may be used to hearing, but these renditions certainly added more fun and enjoyment for the Christmas season for me.

We’ll be taking off Christmas Day but will be back later in the week with more holiday coverage, including a Hanukkah Menorah lighting and other festivities to bid farewell to 2024 and say hello to the new year to come.

Merry Christmas East Cobb!

Related:

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