‘Friends of Mt. Bethel’ growing more vocal against church leaders

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Friends of Mt. Bethel

A group of members of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church opposed to the church’s leadership in its legal battle with the regional denomination have begun speaking out in greater numbers in recent weeks.

Several dozen individuals have listed their names in the About page of a new website called the Friends of Mt. Bethel, which began earlier this summer in newsletter form.

They include “member stories” written by individuals expressing their concerns about the situation that’s been brewing since the spring, when senior pastor Rev. Dr. Jody Ray refused a reassignment by the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Ray turned in his UMC credentials and has stayed on as a lay pastor and CEO, in defiance of what the Conference has said is a violation of the denomination’s Book of Discipline governing document.

Mt. Bethel also was accused by the Conference of refusing the reassignment of Rev. Dr. Steven Usry and declining to provide him office space or pay his full salary.

After Mt. Bethel declined to turn over property and assets, a mediation process was attempted and when that failed, the Conference filed suit in Cobb Superior Court on Sept. 8.

In a newsletter issued to church members shortly after that, Ray compared Mt. Bethel’s situation to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, saying the struggle is over more than appointments and properties and “it’s about contending for our faith.”

Until recently, only a few Mt. Bethel members opposed to church leadership had gone public with their concerns. One of them is Donna Lachance, whom East Cobb News interviewed in June.

But with a lengthy and likely expensive legal battle only beginning, others have been speaking up.

Some of the Friends of Mt. Bethel members have been in the church for decades, including Charlotte Hipps, whose membership dates back 53 years, long before Mt. Bethel grew to having nearly 10,000 members, the largest congregation in the conference.

In her testimonial, she wrote about the pre-suburban days when that part of East Cobb was known as Mt. Bethel, and that church members openly embraced newcomers to “this loving farm community.

“The spirit of Mt. Bethel has not been extinguished completely, but for the last five years it has been dimming rapidly,” Hipps wrote, referring to the length of Ray’s tenure as senior pastor. “Now, it has become unbelievably divided. So many have given up and walked away.”

Member Terry Dubsky wrote that “Frankly, with no insult to anyone, I believe we’ve lost our focus. I feel we are playing politics, instead of keeping Christ first.”

Mt. Bethel has declared an intent to disaffiliate from the UMC, but a vote cannot happen until next fall.

That’s because the national UMC has delayed a vote on allowing conservative congregations to leave amid theological disputes that have centered largely on gay and lesbian clergy and same-sex marriages.

The UMC currently prohibits both, though Mt. Bethel is a leading member of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a consortium of conservative UMC churches formed in 2016 in anticipation of a split.

Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, Mt. Bethel members received another newsletter from church leadership accusing the Friends of Mt. Bethel of “inaccurate and misrepresentative third-party communications” about the disaffiliation request and litigation:

“We also have reason to believe that this group may be in contact with the Trustees of the North Georgia Conference, as they shared a document this week, related to pending litigation, that was not part of the public record. Our concern is whether the Friends of Mt. Bethel may be acting as an extension, facilitator, or possibly an agent of the very party that is suing Mt. Bethel and attempting to seize its property. As such, we recommend cautious and careful review of any further statements and communications from this group.”

The e-mail was written by Robert Ingram, a prominent Marietta attorney Mt. Bethel has hired to handle the lawsuit, and with Ray and eight other church leaders also listed as signatories.

In response, the Friends of Mt. Bethel issued their own newsletter saying that the church was upset that it got out the word about the lawsuit before the church. “The documents we shared are public documents and you have a right to see them.”

The Friends group said it was comprised of church members who “who disagree with the path of civil disobedience our leadership has chosen for our church.”

They further insisted that “the attacks, derision, and downright bullying of church members who simply oppose the path we are on have got to stop. Mostly, we seem to have differences of opinion and interpretation, which should be allowed in civil society.”

On Wednesday, the day the Friends of Mt. Bethel site went live, Mt. Bethel Church posted on its Facebook page a note of thanks for:

“Continued prayers and support we have received over the past several weeks and months. God has given us an incredible community to walk beside us during these uncertain times. No matter what we may face, we take comfort knowing we will never walk through it alone. If you, too, are navigating the unknown today, rest assured we serve a faithful God that is bigger than our circumstances.”

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Cobb Accountability Courts recognized as model courts in Ga.

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Submitted information:Cobb Accountability Courts, Cobb Veterans Court

The Cobb County Veterans Accountability and Treatment Court and the Cobb County Family Treatment Court have both been selected as Model Courts by the Council of Accountability Court Judges for 2021 – 2024. The honor was bestowed on these Courts for their commitment to Georgia’s Accountability Court Standards. Model Courts serve as a resource to other Georgia accountability courts in need of programmatic and technical assistance.

In addition, retired Marine Sergeant Major Ernie Hines, who has served as Mentor Coordinator for Cobb’s Veterans Court since its creation, was awarded the 2021 STAR Award by the Council of Accountability Court Judges in recognition of his excellence and long-standing dedication to the program.

Judge Tain Kell, who presides over Veterans Court, said he is “extraordinarily proud of the Sergeant Major.”

“The entire Veterans Court team is incredible, and we are thrilled to be recognized as a model court,” Judge Kell said.

Cobb’s Veterans Accountability and Treatment Court (VATC) serves veterans facing criminal charges by providing treatment and other support to help return participants to productivity rather than remain incarcerated. During the program, each participant is paired with an honorably discharged veteran through the VATC Mentor Program. Cobb’s VATC was established in 2014 and has graduated more than 50 participants. With the designation as a Model Court, VATC will continue to improve the lives of local veteran participants.

Cobb’s Family Treatment Court (FTC) operates within Juvenile Court and serves parents with substance-use disorders who have lost custody of their children. FTC manages and monitors the parents’ progress through a five-phase program over a minimum of 19 months. Staff of the FTC, its treatment providers, the Department of Family and Children Services, and the Court collaborate toward securing and ensuring safe, stable and reunified families. The FTC program saves taxpayer dollars by decreasing the time children are in foster care and increasing permanency outcomes with healthy, drug-free, reunified families. Cobb’s FTC program began in 2006 and has served more than 130 graduates.

Judge Jeffrey Hamby presides over FTC. “The team is highly trained, knowledgeable, compassionate, and truly trying to help these parents,” Judge Hamby said. “Together with the therapists and community partners, they make my job easy: show some tough love, provide a structured regimen for success, sanction when necessary, and let folks know that the team really cares.”

Superior Court Chief Judge Robert Leonard said, “I am proud of the hard work of the entire Veterans and Family Treatment Court teams. This award is a testament to their continuous dedication to excellence in all they do.”

Both the Veterans Accountability and Treatment Court and the Family Treatment Court are proud to be named as Model Courts for exhibiting excellence in both programmatic management and for the positive outcomes achieved by participants.

For more information, contact VATC Coordinator Katelyn Parker at 770-528-7988 or FTC Coordinator Jennifer Tillery at 770-528-3342.

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Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition dedicates 21st home

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Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition

Submitted information and photos:

On Sunday September 19, Habitat for Humanity of NW Metro Atlanta and the Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition (CIHC) dedicated the coalition’s 21st Habitat home in Austell. The house was the first build started in 2021.  

Future Homeowner Rachel Coates has built alongside coalition volunteers for nine weeks and is looking forward to moving into her own home with her children. Rachel is a 47-year-old single mom to Jeremy (13), and Polleen (12), and she works as a caregiver at Arbor Terrace at Burnt Hickory.

The Kenya native has lived in Cobb County for 13 years. Their family currently lives in a two-bedroom apartment in Marietta, which has become too small for them. She is very grateful for the opportunity to partner with Habitat and is excited about her future prospects of finally owning her own home. 

The 2021 Coalition includes 12 religious organizations and four corporate members.  

Faith partners include: 

  • First Presbyterian Church of Marietta  
  • St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church  
  • Unity North Atlanta Church  
  • Covenant United Methodist  
  • McEachern United Methodist  
  • Due West United Methodist  
  • Smyrna First United Methodist   
  • Bethany United Methodist  
  • Temple Kol Emeth  
  • Log Cabin Community Church  
  • St. Catherine’s Episcopal  
  • East Cobb Islamic Center
  • West Cobb Islamic Center 

Corporate sponsors include:  

  • Moore Colson CPAs and Advisors  
  • Pinkerton & Laws  
  • Truist (BB&T)  
  • Atlanta West Carpets  

The annual coalition uses the motto, “We Build to Coexist, We Coexist to Build.”

“For 21 years, this faithful, cross-denominational coalition has represented the best of our county, and always finds a way to build, no matter the challenges,” said Coalition co-chair and Habitat board member, Henry Hene. “It was very rewarding to again be building side by side with this special homeowner who worked so hard to make a better life for the next generation.”  

“For more than two decades, this coalition has been a light in this community and a shining example of what people can do when they come together to improve lives,” said Jessica Gill, CEO, Habitat for Humanity of NW Metro Atlanta. “We are grateful for their unwavering dedication to our mission and bettering our community though stable and sustainable housing.” 

Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition

Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition

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Cobb school superintendent defends mask, COVID-19 policies

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After coming under repeated attack for several weeks for not requiring masks, Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale made a lengthy and emphatic defense of that and other COVID-19 measures Thursday.

He took issue with what he said were false reports in the news media about school case figures, and showed a series of slides to illustrate how sharply infection numbers have been falling in the Cobb County School District.

Last week, the Cobb school district sent out a release showing that the case rate had dropped 44 percent since a peak in late August.

He also showed figures from a U.S. Centers for Disease Control study of elementary schools in Georgia conducted last school year—when Cobb schools had a mask mandate—concluding that “masks could not be said to be effective” at slowing the spread of COVID-19.

“We need to understand what is happening, why it is happening, and what will happen next. We need to understand our data and what it means,” he said during the school board’s Thursday night meeting.

“I felt it was time to get an accurate depiction of our data. When we are not presented with a forward-looking process, we will use our own data-driven process.”

He said his slide presentation would be posted on the Cobb school district website, but as of Friday afternoon that had not be done. Some of those slides are shown below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

You can watch Ragsdale’s presentation in its entirety by clicking here; his remarks begin at the 1:07 mark.

“Good news today does not guarantee good news tomorrow,” he said, although Cobb school district data released Friday continues a downward trend.

Over the past week there have been 394 cases of COVID-19 among students and staff, the lowest single-week total since the school year began.

There are 13 active cases at Dickerson Middle School, down from 38 a week ago, and 11 cases have been reported at Eastvalley Elementary School.

No other school in East Cobb was in double figures this week, after previous outbreaks at several schools.

The district sent out a release late Friday indicating that the rate decrease is 62 percent since the peak five weeks ago.

In Cobb County the 14-day average of cases per 100,000 was at 605, according to Cobb and Douglas Public Health, well above the “high community spread” threshold of 100 cases but falling from more than 800 a few weeks ago.

Earlier this month Ragsdale was the only member of the Cobb Board of Health not to vote for a statement supporting universal masking in schools, as the CDC has recommended.

“This district will not be anti-mask,” Ragsdale said Thursday, adding that the current policy “strongly encourages” masks. Vaccinations are also encouraged, he said, but those will not be mandated either.

“We will not be requiring vaccinations to be employed in the Cobb County School District,” he said.

At the end of Ragsdale’s presentation—which was not specified on the school board’s meeting agenda in advance—the three Democratic members attempted to question him.

At a Thursday afternoon work session, the Democrats voted against adopting the evening meeting agenda because it mentioned nothing about COVID-19 policies.

When Republican board chairman Randy Scamihorn denied their requests to directly talk to Ragsdale, they walked out of the meeting room.

“We a get a surprise update and I think it would be nice to have a little Q and A,” board member Jaha Howard said to Scamihorn moments before. “Were you curious? Did you have questions? Because we’re hearing this for the first time.”

Ragsdale said he would be happy to talk to board members one-on-one about the data, but Howard pressed on for a public dialogue.

“The chair is not going to entertain questions at this time,” Scamihorn said. “Moving on . . .”

At that point, three Democratic members—Howard, Charisse Davis and Tre’ Hutchins—left the room, and Scamihorn paused. When he heard shouting from the back of the room, he slammed his gavel and said, “Dr. Howard, you’re out of order, sir.”

On her Facebook page, Davis, who represents the Walton and Wheeler clusters, wrote about the incident, referencing earlier statements by Ragsdale and Scamihorn about anti-Semitic incidents at Pope and Lassiter high schools but that like the COVID issue wasn’t listed on the meeting agendas for a public board conversation:

“Yes, the three of ‘us’ board members walked out of the voting session. It was the second time today we were refused an opportunity to ask questions about some of the biggest things going on in the district right now: acts of hate in the schools and COVID. We represent the public, so if we cannot ask questions then I hope you understand why that’s a problem for YOU.”

She also posted a graphic that said the following:

“I am on a school board, where in the same meeting, leadership both condemned hate due to antisemitism and did not let Black board members ask questions.”

East Cobb News contacted Davis seeking further comment, including what questions she would have asked him if she were permitted.

“It seemed like a big mistake for the superintendent to not take questions about his data. You either stand by it or you don’t,” she said.

Davis remained out of the room when the four Republican members later voted 4-0 to approve $378,000 in funding for a new robotics lab at Wheeler, converting the original auditorium.

The motion to approve came from board member David Chastain, a Wheeler graduate.

Cobb schools will be on fall break next week.

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ADL: Cobb schools response to hate incidents ‘disappointing’

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Allison Padilla-Goodman, Anti-Defamation League
Allison Padilla-Goodman, Anti-Defamation League

The Southeast Region of the Anti-Defamation League isn’t satisfied with the initial response from the Cobb County School District regarding anti-Semitic incidents at Pope and Lassiter high schools.

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said Thursday the students responsible have been identified and are facing disciplinary action, and Cobb Board of Education chairman Randy Scamihorn said he is crafting a resolution to address anti-Semitism.

But Thursday night, ADL vice president Allison Padilla-Goodman said in a statement that those responses don’t go far enough:

“It’s disappointing that after multiple antisemitic hate incidents in Cobb County schools this month, the Board of Education has still not indicated how it will respond. This goes beyond antisemitism — for years, incidents of racism, sexism, homophobia, and overall hate have gone unaddressed in county schools, and the disregard shown by the board illustrates a pattern of neglect in countering hate. 

“If Cobb County’s goal is ‘One team. One goal. Student success’, disciplining those responsible for the hate incidents is not enough, a community-wide response that uses education is necessary. Stating values in a symbolic resolution is only part of combatting hate — we hope that the future actions from Cobb Schools contain commitments to action to achieve those values. The Cobb County community deserves a real response from their Board of Education and a commitment to specific actions and educational initiatives which can address the hate in their schools.”

Several members of the public, including two rabbis in East Cobb, spoke during the two board meetings Thursday about anti-Semitic experiences they or their children have had in schools. Some urged the board to introduce a broad educational program throughout the district going beyond anti-Semitism.

Until earlier this year, the Cobb school district had made use of the ADL’s “No Place for Hate” initiative, but that has been discontinued. More from the ADL statement:

“Beyond these recent antisemitic incidents, many Cobb County parents feel that the school district has a history of incidents of racism, sexism, homophobia, and overall hate, and a record of failing to effectively address those incidents.”

The statement included a video link provided by Stronger Together, which focuses on racial justice in Cobb schools, with parents making public comments expressing frustrations with how the board has handled some of those matters.

Ragsdale said he could not provide details about the disciplinary action but stressed that the Cobb school district “does not and will not tolerate hate in any form.”

Scamihorn, who attended a Yom Kippur service at Temple Kol Emeth last week, said his resolution is still in the works and that he wants to “take the time to do it right.”

He didn’t specify what elements and language might be included in that resolution.

In 2020, the Cobb school board could not reach a consensus on an anti-racism resolution in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis that sparked nationwide protests.

Democratic members Jaha Howard and Charisse Davis insisted on language that said that the Cobb school district has a history of “systemic racism” and urged the district to undertake “targeted anti-racist programs and policy.”

Republicans, including Scamihorn, objected, saying those words and demands undermined the ability to send a unified message.

The ADL is asking parents, students, teachers and staff to report hate incidents at its online portal.

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Ga. special legislative session called for reapportionment

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Gov. Brian Kemp signed a proclamation Thursday calling for a special session of the Georgia General Assembly to conduct reapportionment tasks.Kemp extends Georgia public health emergency

The special session will start Nov. 3 and will not include any other topics.

Georgia legislators redraw Congressional and state legislative districts, and local delegations draw county commission and school board districts every 10 years with a new Census.

The U.S. Census Bureau released some of that data in August, and is expected to release more data at the end of September.

The information is being released later than usual due to collections delays because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The General Assembly has strong Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate, and some Congressional reapportionment redrawings will be closely watched.

They include the 6th Congressional District, which includes most of East Cobb, as well as North Fulton, Sandy Springs and north and central DeKalb.

The 6th has been represented since 2019 by Lucy McBath, the first Democrat to hold the seat in 40 years.

She unseated former U.S. Rep. Karen Handel in 2018 and defeated her in a rematch in 2020. Several Republicans have announced they will be running in 2022.

All of the state legislators from East Cobb are Republicans, although Democrats have been making strides in the last two elections.

Among them is Luisa Wakeman, who has come close in 2018 and 2020 to unseating veteran GOP lawmaker Sharon Cooper, the chairwoman of the House Health and Human Services Committee.

The Cobb legislative delegation, which has a one-seat Democratic majority, will be redrawing lines for the Cobb Board of Commissioners and the Cobb Board of Education.

In the 2020 elections, party control of the commission flipped from 4-1 Republican to 3-2 Democrat. In 2022, both of the GOP members, Keli Gambrill of District 1 in West Cobb and JoAnn Birrell of District 3 in Northeast Cobb, will be up for re-election.

The Cobb school board has a 4-3 Republican majority and three of those seats will be affected by reapportionment in 2022.

Two of them are in the East Cobb area: GOP member David Chastain of Post 5 (Kell, Sprayberry clusters) and Democrat Charisse Davis of Post 6 (Walton, Wheeler clusters).

Along party lines, the school board voted 4-3 in August to hire Taylor English, a Cobb-based law firm, to draw up a proposed map of reapportioned school board posts to submit to the legislative delegation.

State Rep. Matt Dollar, a Republican from East Cobb, is a member of the House reapportionment committee.

State Sen. Michael “Doc” Rhett, whose Cobb district includes some of East Marietta, sits on the Senate reapportionment committee.

More state reapportionment information, including procedures, maps, meeting schedules and population updates, can be found by clicking here.

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Cobb schools bring disciplinary charges in anti-Semitic incidents

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Cobb schools anti-Semitic incidents
“We are united in our disappointment” by the response of the Cobb school district, Congregation Etz Chaim Rabbi Daniel Dorsch told the Board of Education Thursday.

Cobb County School District superintendent Chris Ragsdale said Thursday that student disciplinary charges have been brought in anti-Semitic incidents at two East Cobb high schools, but he didn’t elaborate.

Ragsdale said during a Cobb Board of Education work session Thursday afternoon that student disciplinary procedures required by state law preclude him from providing further information.

He also asked school board members to refrain from making public comments about the situation unless and until after any students subjected to disciplinary action would have an opportunity to appeal.

“The district does not and will not tolerate hate in any form,” Ragsdale said, reading from prepared remarks.

Before a public comment period at the work session, board chairman Randy Scamihorn said he was preparing a resolution condemning anti-Semitism but that it wasn’t ready.

There was nothing specific on the board’s meeting agendas about the anti-Semitic incidents at Pope and Lassiter.

Ragsdale’s comments came after several public commenters, including two rabbis in East Cobb, were critical of the district for its response to swastika and “Heil Hitler” graffiti found at Pope and Lassiter high schools over the last two weeks.

Those incidents also took place amid more general vandalism in lavatories as part of a social media stunt on the Tik Tok application that’s spread nationwide.

He said the district’s disciplinary recommendation is “sufficiently significant that the board’s members could likely hear it on appeal.

“I realize this may have begun as some kind of social media dare,” Ragsdale continued, saying that while such incidents are extremely rare in a school district with more than 100,000 students, “this district refuses to dismiss this incident as as some kind of prank.”

Those were his first public remarks since the incidents took place at Pope and Lassiter. Jewish and community leaders decried an earlier district reference only to “hate speech” and a similar response from Pope principal Thomas Flugum that didn’t specify anti-Semitism.

Lassiter principal Chris Richie did specify anti-Semitism in his letter to the school community, but Jewish leaders and community figures speaking before the board Thursday continued to express displeasure.

Rabbi Daniel Dorsch of Congregation Etz Chaim in East Cobb said he was speaking on behalf of several Jewish organizations that were “united in our disappointment” that “the school’s response specifically failed to address the hate by name—anti-Semitism, hatred against Jews.

“The failure by the administration to label it by name has left us feeling unheard and unseen.”

Rachel Barich, a past president of Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb, recalled an incident when her brother experienced an anti-Semitic vandalism of his locker after his Bar Mitzvah. That prompted their parents to pull them out of public schools in the St. Louis area.

“The district has a responsibility. There is much more work to be done,” said Barich, whose children are Cobb public school graduates.

“No child should attend a school full of hate and none of us can continue to believe that the problem has gone away.”

Scamihorn attended a Yom Kippur service last week at Kol Emeth at the invitation of Rabbi Larry Sernovitz, who thanked him at the board meeting. They have been discussing a possible resolution.

But Sernovitz also demanded specifics of what the school district would be undertaking along safety and educational lines.

“Right now, some of our students don’t feel safe in schools in Cobb County,” Sernovitz said. “It starts with swastikas and grows from there.”

Cobb schools parent Keith Hanks referenced the 1915 lynching of Leo Frank, a Jewish pencil factory manger, at a spot near what is now Roswell Road and Frey’s Gin Road in Marietta.

That’s the only known lynching of a Jew in American history, and in 2018, former Kol Emeth Rabbi Steven Lebow led the rededication of a memorial to Frank as he continues exoneration efforts.

“The wounds of Leo Frank still ring true today,” Hanks said. “Cobb does not get the luxury to kick the can [down the road] because of its past.”

Scamihorn said he wants to discuss his resolution with colleagues and “take the time to do it right” before he brings it to the board for action. “But I wanted our community to hear that from me.”

At the Thursday evening school board meeting, Lassiter sophomore Hannah Levy said that as a Jew, she and some of her fellow Jewish students “do not feel safe at Lassiter.”

She said her parents were concerned about her speaking out, and that she’s afraid to wear her Star of David necklace to school.

“What is the school board going to do to fix this,” she said. “The longer you wait the more it’s going to fester.”

Levy said she and other Lassiter students want anti-hate and Holocaust education to be provided throughout the Cobb school district.

You can watch replays of both meetings by clicking here.

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88th North Georgia State Fair continues through Oct. 3

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North Georgia State Fair
The Georgia Mountain Ride at the North Georgia State Fair.

After being cancelled in 2020 for the first time since World War II, the North Georgia State Fair has returned to Jim Miller Park in Cobb County, and will continue through Oct. 3.

The 88th annual event is sponsored by Superior Plumbing, and the schedule is

Monday through Thursday 4pm-11pm, Fridays 4pm to midnight, Saturdays 10am to midnight, and Sundays 12:30pm-10pm.

The fair typically attracts more than 300,000 people, and heavy turnout is expected again this year, due in part to the COVID-related cancellation a year ago, and superb weather in the forecast for the next week.

Gate admission is $10, children 10 and under are free. Ride tickets are $1.25 each, $20.00 for 21 tickets, $50.00 for 55 tickets and $100 for 120 tickets. All rides require more than one ticket. Parking is $5. ATM machines are located on the midway. Online advance discount tickets can be purchased for $7, children 10 and under free.

Here’s a thumbnail overview of what’s at the fair this year, including some new events and features, including concerts and further ticket information.

There are some health protocols that have been put into place. Visitors will not be required to wear masks in the outdoor areas of Jim Miller Park, but since it is a Cobb County facility, masks will be required while indoors.

That’s because of a Cobb County Government order mandating indoor mask use at county facilities.

There will be hand-sanitizing stations located throughout the fairgrounds and social-distancing will be implemented where necessary.

From Oct. 1-3 those signing up for an onsite vaccination appointment will gain free admission and unlimited rides. The Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available at the Jim Miller Park Events Center.

Advance sign-up is required; for English, go to cobbvax.coreresponse.org and for Spanish, go to cobbvaxesp.coreresponse.org.

All those who receive the vaccine at the fair will be entered into a drawing for a $500 Visa gift card courtesy of Superior Plumbing.

The fair website can be found here; Jim Miller Park (2245 Callaway Road, SW, Marietta).

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Cobb Diaper Day to be held virtually with October collections

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Cobb Diaper Day

Submitted information and photo:

The Cobb Diaper Day Committee announces that it is holding its 13th Annual Diaper Day virtually, due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual community-wide effort to collect diapers for low-income families is occurring throughout September and October. All diaper donations will be given to the Cobb Douglas Public Health Teen Pregnancy Program, Communities in Schools of Georgia in Marietta/Cobb County,  LiveSafe Resources, MUST Ministries, Ser Familia, Simple Needs GA, South Cobb United, Sweetwater Mission and The Center for Family Resources for distribution to help ease some of the burdens of the thousands of families in critical need.

Organizations, companies and individuals are encouraged to donate to the Barbara Hickey Children’s Fund (managed by Cobb Community Foundation), purchase diapers through their Amazon Wish-list and hold diaper drives, especially during Diaper Need Awareness Week, being held September 27 – October 3, 2021. Also, community-wide collection dates are October 13 from 8 am to 4 pm and October 27 from 4 pm to 6 pm at Cobb EMC Solar Flower Garden in Marietta, Georgia.

Through the efforts of the Cobb Diaper Day Committee, founded by the late Barbara Hickey, more than have been donated to assist low-income families in Cobb County. The goal this year is to donate more than 100,000 diapers.

Low-income families often have the daily stress of choosing between food and diapers. Prolonged wearing of a wet diaper causes diaper rash, and a crying baby leads to more stress in the home. Low-income families also face the facts that:

  • Food stamps do not include hygiene products, such as diapers.
  • On average, the cost to purchase diapers is approximately $100/month.
  • Daycare centers require parents to provide their own diapers.

Barbara Hickey reminded us all that, oftentimes, it is the little things in our lives that make the biggest difference, when she envisioned the community coming together to support local families in need.

Donations are being accepted online at www.cobbdiaperday.com.

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Scene in East Cobb: An autumn-like feel as fall begins

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first day fall East Cobb

An after-school kickabout at East Cobb Park on Wednesday afternoon took place not only on the Autumnal Equinox—the first day of fall—but also on the first sunny day in a while.

After another bout of sustained rain in September, the local forecast calls for cooler, drier and sunny weather as the calendar switches to October.

High temperatures are expected into the 70s for the rest of the week, and into the low 80s next week.

Evenings will also be cooler, with low temperatures forecast in the 50s for the next week or so.

The humidity also is starting to fade, and it was under 60 percent later Wednesday afternoon, very pleasant for outdoor activities.

There’s also no rain in the extended forecast, as the area starts to dry out.

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East Cobb Food Scores: Flying Biscuit; J. Christopher’s; more

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East Cobb Flying Biscuit opening

The following food scores for the week of Sept. 20 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Boston Market
2014 Powers Ferry Road
September 23, 2021 Score: 88, Grade: B

Flying Biscuit Cafe
4880 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 70
September 22, 2021 Score: 96, Grade: A

J. Christopher’s 
1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 113-114
September 20, 2021 Score: 99, Grade: A

Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant
3101 Roswell Road, Suite 104
September 20, 2021 Score: 90, Grade: A

Mzizi Coffee Roaster
2995 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 220
September 22, 2021 Score: 88, Grade: B

Rio Steakhouse and Bakery
1275 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 230
September 20, 2021 Score: 76, Grade: C

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Cobb District Attorney’s Office welcomes comfort dog ‘Rose’

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Cobb District Attorney comfort dog
Rose made her first public appearance Saturday at Noonday Creek Trail in to support men and women in alcohol and substance abuse recovery.

Submitted information:

Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady, Jr. announces that Rose, a three-year old black Labrador retriever, will join the office as a support resource for victims and staff.

The District Attorney’s Office was inspired to acquire a comfort dog for the office by the efforts of the Northeast Cobb Business Association’s 5K-9 event. Ultimately, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with the Pups with a Purpose program donated Rose to the office. Pups with Purpose is a program which matches Forsyth County Jail inmates with volunteer citizen dog trainers and Forsyth County Animal Shelter dogs. As the inmates receive social and job skills, the shelter dogs receive a second chance at finding a home. Rose received specialized training from Scot Rucker with Rucker Dog Training, which has prepared her to assist victims of crime in court.

“When exposed to a comfort dog, the disclosure rate for kids went from 30% to 68-70%,” Sheriff Ron Freeman said. “We’ve seen first-hand how crime victims who are under such stress and strain, introduced to the dog and can see their emotions taper down before they sit in a court room.”

The DA’s Victim Witness Unit has been working hard to bring this resource to Cobb County. “The level of stress and anxiety that victims of domestic violence experience is drastically reduced with the introduction of assistance animals.” Kimberly McCoy, Director of the Victim Witness Unit, said. “It’s been a long process, but we are excited.”

“Child victims will have the opportunity to have Rose there to calm them down and assure them that they are in a safe place so they can tell their story and not feel afraid of what happens if they tell it,” DA Broady said.

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Wheeler HS robotics lab funding on Cobb school board agenda

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The Cobb Board of Education on Thursday will be asked to consider spending nearly $378,000 to convert an unused theater on the Wheeler High School campus for a robotics lab.Cobb County School District, Cobb schools dual enrollment summit

The matter will be up for discussion at a 2:30 p.m. work session, with action scheduled for a 7 p.m. voting meeting Thursday.

Both meetings will take place at the Cobb County School District central office (514 Glover St., Marietta), and you can read through the agendas by clicking here.

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

An executive session will take place between the two public meetings. 

The agenda item for the Wheeler robotics lab calls for completion of the project by March 2022.

It’s part of a continuing effort to establish robotics programs in all Cobb County School District high schools. The funding would come from current Ed-SPLOST V funds. 

As East Cobb News reported Monday, several Jewish groups in metro Atlanta have called on the school board to publicly condemn anti-Semitism after swastika and “Heil Hitler” graffiti was found on bathroom walls at Pope and Lassiter high schools in East Cobb.

But there’s not an item on the board agenda to discuss the matter. Chairman Randy Scamihorn told us while he condemns the incidents, he wants ongoing school-level investigations to be played out.

Some of those Jewish groups and individuals have organized an online petition and are expected to speak to the incidents during the public comment periods at Thursday’s meetings. 

A traveling party from Temple Kol Emeth in East Cobb is organizing an appearance for the evening meeting “to call out the board’s inadequate response to the recent acts of anti-Semitism at two of its schools and to ask for the reinstatement of anti-hate educational programming to help prevent more in the future,” according to a social media posting for the synagogue.

“Please bring signs. Anti-Semitism has no place in our schools!” 

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Ebenezer Road rezoning case delayed by Cobb commissioners

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Ebenezer Road rezoning case hold

A proposal to build a 92-home development on Ebenezer Road is being delayed by the Cobb Board of Commissioners, which voted Tuesday to hold the application for 30 days.

The 5-0 vote came at the behest of Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb, who asked a group of nearby residents to form a committee to work with the developer and county staff on traffic, density, design and stormwater issues.

Pulte Homes had initially proposed 99 homes on nearly 50 acres on the west side of Ebenezer between Maybreeze and Blackwell roads. Last week the developer submitted a new site plan with a reduced number of units and the R-15 residential zoning category.

That would include building in a stormwater runoff area near a lack at the back of the property and which has concerned residents on Catalina Circle.

One of them, Veronica Lilley, said she and her neighbors have endured runoff issues for years, especially after the Blackwell Chase subdivision was built in the 1990s.

“Water is the great destroyer,” she said, adding that at a Sept. 11 meeting with the developer, issues she wanted to raise were denied. “We are in danger of being washed away.”

One of the main issues is that the county can’t manage a retention pond that isn’t on a county road—the streets proposed by Pulte would be private.

Another concern is traffic, and specifically coordinating a new proposed entrance for the subdivision with Maybreeze Road.

While the East Cobb Civic Association spoke in support of the proposal with some conditions, other nearby residents are still opposed.

They include John Stuetzer, who said that while the R-15 category and no variances are acceptable, 92 homes is too dense. He suggested no more than 85 homes with a minimum size of 3,000 square feet.

He and Lilley were asked to serve on the committee by Birrell, who told Rod Hosack, the former Cobb County Manager representing Pulte, that she thinks “a lot of this can be worked out.”

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New traffic concerns delay East Cobb Church rezoning case

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East Cobb Church rezoning
In their latest site plan, attorneys for North Point Ministries have proposed closing off public access to Waterfront Drive (at left) from Johnson Ferry Road.

Another site plan, another set of new issues have been raised for the East Cobb Church mixed-use rezoning case in the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford corridor.

A few days after attorneys for North Point Ministries submitted major changes to their proposal, the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted yet again to hold the case.

By a 4-0 vote, commissioners approved a 30-day hold on what’s become a contentious matter stretching since late 2020.

Traffic, stormwater and density issues have prompted the greatest concerns from nearby residents, who renewed their concerns in a packed board room Tuesday.

A total of 56 people turned out in favor of the request, and 46 were in opposition, according to a hand count conducted before the hearing.

The latest site plan (our previous post here) would cut off public access to Waterfront Drive at Johnson Ferry Road at the southern end of the 33-acre assemblage, where planned single-family detached homes and townhomes would go.

North Point’s plans would be to sell off 19 of those acres to Ashwood Atlanta, a local residential developer, with the East Cobb Church and proposed new retail space taking up the rest of the development.

But nearby residents protested that the road closure needs to go through a public hearing process, and that public safety and emergency access to their neighborhoods would be affected.

East Cobb Church rezoning delay
A new site plan would allow Waterfront Drive access at Johnson Ferry Road (red star) to the new housing development only.

“The people who are being most impacted aren’t being listened to,” said Ruth Michels of the MarLanta neighborhood, who has been leading the opposition for several months.

Commissioner Jerica Richardson, whose District 2 includes the “JOSH” area, asked Amy Diaz of Cobb DOT if her agency has had time to study the proposed closure of Waterfront Drive, which connects Johnson Ferry with MarLanta and other subdivisions.

“We’ve had it for less than a week and haven’t had time for a review,” Diaz said.

That was enough for commissioners JoAnn Birrell and Monique Sheffield to support a second consecutive hold, after Richardson could not get enough support in August to approve the rezoning.

“I’m concerned about access to services for people who live on that road,” said Sheffield, of District 4 in South Cobb. “There need to be other ways to mitigate cut-through traffic.”

North Point attorney Kevin Moore said the closure was being proposed after getting feedback that some MarLanta residents wanted to be the only ones using Waterfront Road access.

“That’s not what a public road is for,” said Moore, who said continued cut-through use of that road would “serve to harm our project more than benefit it.”

He said sufficient access to those neighborhoods exist via Shallwford and Lassiter roads.

Earlier in the hearing, Moore upset residents in attendance when he described opponents of the rezoning as “clanging symbols and loud gongs that signify nothing.”

North Point had proposed 71 townhomes and 59 single-family detached homes in the RA-6 housing category—with more than 20 acres to be sold to Ashwood Atlanta, a residential developer.

But now the request is for 51 single-family detached homes and 44 townhomes under RA-5.

That would be on 19 units and the density of the homes would be reduced to 4.98 units an acre.

Michels called that “a disingenous calculation,” because a flood plain study required the Federal Emergency Management Agency would not take place until after a rezoning, and that the figure includes land where R-20 residences on Waterfront Circle would remain.

Moore said that if FEMA determined a flood plain exists, the developer would reduce the number of units to cap density at 4.98 units an acre.

But Chris Lindstrom of the East Cobb Civic Association said that while the project’s density is being reduced, the intensity would be increasing, including nearly 25,000 square feet of proposed retail that didn’t exist in previous site plans.

She also cited more than 100 variances for the civic group’s opposition.

Moore said the variances were necessary because they’re required for the single-family detached homes.

Richardson’s motion to hold the case includes provisions that include connectivity to the nearby neighborhoods from Waterfront Drive and downstream impacts from stormwater.

Chairwoman Lisa Cupid recused herself from the vote, citing a family member who attends a  North Point church. She left the room while the case was being discussed and turned the gavel over to Sheffield, the vice chairwoman.

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Cobb Emergency office launches tool for Sept. 8 storm damage

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Cobb heavy rains flooding

From Cobb County Government:

Reports of damaged homes and property continue to come into Cobb Emergency Management from last week’s torrential rainfall event. EMA continues to respond to reports, but now there is a tool to allow you to report damaged property directly to our emergency management teams.
Important things to remember:
  • This is only a reporting tool for the flooding event of September 8th.
  • If you have already spoken with a Cobb Emergency Management team please do not fill out another report.
  • This is only to report damage to “essential living spaces.” There were many reports of damage to yards, however, this report focuses only on residences.
  • The form will ask for a “Team Number/Name,” simply choose “other.”
  • Type in the address on the “Map Your Location” image
  • A picture representative of the damage is preferred.
The information gathered will be used for a report to GEMA after which any disaster declaration will be considered. If such a declaration is issued, we will contact those impacted.

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Jewish groups ask Cobb school board to condemn anti-Semitism

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Cobb school board chairman Randy Scamihorn
Cobb school board chairman Randy Scamihorn

As we reported over the weekend, the chairman of the Cobb Board of Education appeared at a Yom Kippur service in East Cobb last week following two anti-Semitic incidents at nearby high schools.

When East Cobb News spoke with Randy Scamihorn, who was invited to the high holy day service at Temple Kol Emeth by Rabbi Larry Sernovitz, we asked if he was considering asking the school board to issue a statement about the discoveries of swastikas and “Heil Hitler” scrawlings at Pope and Lassiter high schools.

Leadership teams at the individual schools are conducting investigations.

Scamihorn condemned the attacks, saying those who committed them are “woefully ignorant of what the swastika means.”

As chairman he could bring an item to Thursday’s school board meeting agendas unilaterally, but said in our interview Friday that “at this time, I’m going to let the investigations play out.”

Other board members need the vote of a majority of the board to add agenda items, following a late 2020 policy change.

Board members also are prohibited from offering public comments during their meetings on any subject. A policy change was made in 2019 that’s part of ongoing conflict among the seven-member body, typically along partisan lines.

On Sunday, Kol Emeth and other Jewish organizations in metro Atlanta launched an online petition that’s already surpassed 1,700 signatures out of a targeted 2,500:

“We are asking the Cobb County School Board and its associated schools to recognize and condemn all forms of antisemitism that occur on campus and to allow school principals the authority to condemn these acts and offer programming to proactively educate the student body and community about antisemitism and to prevent further occurrences.”

The groups include the Atlanta Initiative Against Anti-Semitism, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and other metro Atlanta synagogues.

Sernovitz and other Jewish leaders have been critical of the Cobb school district’s response, saying a message by Pope principal Thomas Flugum didn’t specify that they were anti-Semitic incidents.

The Cobb school district issued a response that didn’t make a reference to anti-Semitism but only to “hate speech” and urged “families to talk to their students about the impacts of inappropriate and dangerous trends circulating on social media.”

In a statement issued Monday, Lauren Menis, a co-founder of the Atlanta Alliance Against Anti-Semitism said the following:

“In refusing to call out the hate by name, as antisemitism, the Cobb County School Board is sending a clear message that these acts of hate are not significant. This is a teachable moment, and we need to seize it. By not naming it and not allowing anti-hate educational programming to address this in their schools, the schools have denied a valuable opportunity to help students learn from these events. Downplaying hate is unacceptable. We will hold Cobb County’s school board accountable. Their silence is unacceptable.” 

The Cobb school board is delaying its September meetings—a work session at 2:30 p.m. and a business meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday—by a week in observance of Yom Kippur.

That schedule change was announced last Monday, after the Pope incident. On Wednesday, Lassiter school officials announced a similar incident had taken place.

Also on Monday, the Democratic House Leadership Caucus of the Georgia legislature issued a statement condemning the Pope and Lassiter incidents, including David Wilkerson and Erica Thomas of South Cobb.

Democrat Jon Ossoff, Georgia’s first Jewish U.S. senator, also condemned the Cobb incidents in a Yom Kippur appearance at a Sandy Springs synagogue.

The Pope PTSA organization is planning a Nov. 20 event in response to the anti-Semitic incident there that will include a campus cleanup project as well as assemblies involving faith leaders from local Jewish, Catholic and Episcopalian congregations.

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Flash flood watch including Cobb extended to Monday evening

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Cobb flash flood watch

A flash flood watch that began Sunday morning for northwest Georgia and that was to have ended Monday morning has been extended until 8 p.m. today.

The National Weather Service extended the watch for 22 counties, including Cobb County, as rain continues to fall, mostly between 1-2 inches but up to 3 inches in some areas.

The local forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of rain Monday afternoon, falling to 60 percent Monday night and all through Tuesday. There is a 70 percent chance of rain Wednesday, with partly cloudy skies emerging Wednesday night.

Thursday is expected to be sunny and clear, and the weather is forecast to stay that way into the middle of next week.

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The Avenue East Cobb launches Fall Fest, other new events

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The Avenue East Cobb Fall Fest

Earlier this month we posted news about a fall comedy series that’s underway at The Avenue East Cobb, now managed by North American Properties, the Avalon developer and redeveloper of Colony Square and Atlantic Station.

NAP’s plans at The Avenue call for an expansion of public events, and they’ve released further details, including several other first-time events.

That includes the inaugural Fall Fest, on Saturday, Oct. 9 from 3-6 p.m. Family friendly activities, culinary delights, live music, and a cornhole tournament hosted by CornholeATL are part of the festivities, and NAP says more details are coming soon.

On Thursday is the first Ladies’ Night Out with details below, along with other seasonal events that have been lined up:

Avenue Active:

Every Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. in September and October, wellness enthusiasts can experience barre classes led by onsite fitness studio barre3. Instructors will lead a full-body workout that combines strength conditioning, cardio and mindfulness, designed to leave attendees feeling balanced and empowered. Guests are encouraged to bring their own mats and to grab an Active Avenue punch card upon checking-in. For every class attended, guests will receive a punch on their card, which can be redeemed for exclusive branded items for every four classes attended. 

Comedy Live at The Avenue:

Start your month off with big laughs during Comedy Live at The Avenue, happening the first Monday of the month now through November. From 7 to 8 p.m., attendees can unwind during live performances from Punchline Comedy Club, while enjoying beverages available for purchase from onsite restaurant Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar. The next Comedy Live at The Avenue will be hosted on October 4. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the show. Shows are recommended for ages 13 and older.

In addition to seasonal events, The Avenue East Cobb will host its first-ever Ladies Night Out on Thursday, September 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. The event invites women to indulge in an evening full of shopping, beauty, entertainment, giveaways and more. Upon arrival, attendees should check-in at the pop-up Concierge station, located at the Central Boulevard, to receive a stroll map highlighting all available offers from participating retailers and restaurants, such as Ann Taylor, Injectables Express, KSquared Artistan Boutique, and Stockyard Burger and Bones. The first 50 ladies to check-in will receive a swag bag.

All events will be hosted in the Central Boulevard between Kale Me Crazy and Banana Republic. For more information on upcoming happenings at The Avenue East Cobb, visit: https://www.avenueeastcobb.com/events/

All events are complimentary and open to the public to attend.

“We’re excited to bring new adventures to East Cobb and look forward to creating a new community hub where familiar faces gather to shop, eat and socialize,” said Sara Hemmer, director of marketing at NAP, in a statement.

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ECBA Quarterly Breakfast guest is Cobb Police commander

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Maj. Brian Batterton, commander of Cobb Police Precinct 4 in East Cobb, is the featured speaker at the East Cobb Business Association Quarterly Breakfast on Tuesday, Sept. 28.Cobb Police Maj. Brian Batterton, Precinct 4 Commander

The event takes place from 7:30-9 a.m. at J. Christopher’s at the Pavilions at East Lake (2100 Roswell Road, Suite 2115).

The cost in advance is $15 for ECBA members and $20 for visitors and includes a full breakfast. The cost at the door is $20 for members and $20 for visitors.

The registration link can be found here, and here’s Batterton’s bio info, courtesy of ECBA:

Major Brian Batterton has served with the Cobb County Police Department since 1995. Throughout his career, he has served in the Uniform Patrol Bureau both as an officer and as a supervisor, the Criminal Investigations Unit, the Training Unit, the Chief’s Office as an Adjutant and Legal Officer, and the Training Center Commander.

Batterton has also served in both the Alabama and Georgia National Guard. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University and a Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School in Atlanta, Georgia. He is currently a member of the State Bar of Georgia.

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