Bradley’s Bar and Grill is reopening its dining room while maintaining takeout/pickup/delivery service. (ECN photo)
Following up an earlier post from this week about the reluctance of East Cobb restaurant owners to fully reopen, including dining room service:
Not many will be doing that when they’re allowed to do so on Monday, per Gov. Brian Kemp’s reopening provisions.
(There are 39 guidelines that restaurants must follow under Kemp’s Reviving a Healthy Georgia Order that he issued on Thursday.)
Bradley’s Bar & Grill on Lower Roswell Road indicated it will be opening its dining room Monday, “with restrictions,” and “will follow the strict guidelines for social distancing and have already begun to remove chairs and bar stools.”
Bradley’s will continue takeout, curbside and delivery service and online ordering, as many restaurants have been doing since the state’s shelter-in-place order went into effect earlier this month.
All of the Ted’s Montana Grill locations—including the East Cobb restaurant at Parkaire Landing—have been completely closed since the shutdown began.
Ted’s CEO co-founder George McKerrow sent out a note Friday that its dining rooms will remain closed for now, but that it also will begin curbside pickup on Monday, with more details to come.
“While the Governor has allowed restaurants to open their dining rooms, we do not feel it is safe for our Team Members and Guests,” McKerrow said. “We look forward to the day we can experience made-from-scratch food in a great atmosphere together again. Until then, be safe and see you soon.”
A number of the restaurants we’ve listed in our East Cobb Open for Business Directory are going to continue some combination of takeout/pickup/delivery without opening up their dining rooms for the time being. They include:
AJ’s Seafood and Po’Boys
Camps Kitchen & Bar
Lucia’s Italian Restaurant
Mellow Mushroom Johnson Ferry
Mezza Luna Seafood & Pasta
Paradise Grille
Rosa’s Pizza
Tijuana Joe’s
We’ll be updating this list as restaurants and businesses begin changing their service; please pass along your updates to: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll note that in this and future posts as well as our directory.
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Katy Colvin and Kesha Darji, owners of the K Squared Artisan Boutique at The Avenue East Cobb, have begun a fundraiser to purchase wellness gifts for healthcare workers and to support the work of their fellow artisans.
Colvin sent along word to East Cobb News that the gifts will be distributed to workers at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital and the WellStar North Fulton Hospital. Details here:
“Donations will be collected through the GoFundMe website at www.gf.me/u/xx5ipu. One donation of $10 will go towards a wellness gift valued at $12 to $20. Not only will this donation provide a gift for a local healthcare worker to show that the community supports them, but the money will also be used to purchase gifts made by local artisans to help them deal with the financial impacts of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.”
Katy further says that “it’s a rewarding situation for both sides. So many artists have been impacted by the cancellation of art shows and were forced to close their doors, leaving them without anyway to earn income. Doctors, nurses, and hospital staff are the real action heroes of the crisis and we have the opportunity to lift their spirits and show them we care. We are hoping that this can do a little bit to help.“
She said the GoFundMe fundraiser has raised over $1,000 with a goal to raise $10,000 to provide 1,000 wellness gifts for both hospitals.
The gifts will be distributed next week and another fundraiser may begin soon to extend the gift-buying program.
She said some of the artisanal businesses they sell include, but are not limited to:
Regina’s Farm Kitchen
The Toasted Nut
Jack Be Nimble
LRW Designs
Elizabeth Matthews Designs
The Sassy Buck
Lexicon of Love
True & Radient
Iron Angel
Stoneridge Foods
“It’s hard to choose though. We love all our artisans we sell and they are just great people who are so passionate about what they do! They are all small local businesses and we adore them all!”
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Under the direction of Governor Brian Kemp, the Georgia National Guard has selected Kennesaw State University to host a new, drive-thru site to test Georgians for COVID-19. The testing site, located on the university’s Kennesaw campus, will be commanded by the Georgia National Guard, with testing performed by medical personnel from Augusta University. This is a continued collaboration between the State and the University System of Georgia to utilize the assets of institutions like Kennesaw State and Augusta University in the fight against the coronavirus.
Testing will be by appointment only; no walk-up testing will be allowed in order to protect workers. The testing facility at Kennesaw State will operate daily, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and will be able to facilitate 240 tests each day. This location will be operated as a controlled environment with personnel following the strictest health and safety protocols.
Individuals may request a virtual screening for the virus at www.augustahealth.org or download a virtual screening app for their smart phone through AU Health ExpressCare. Through this virtual screening, medical officials can assess symptoms and assist individuals who meet the testing criteria, in finding an appointment to be tested at a state facility near their home, including at Kennesaw State.
Individuals who need additional assistance or information should visit the Georgia Department of Public Health or call the COVID-19 hotline at (844) 442-2681.
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The YMCA of Metro Atlanta is serving the community amid the coronavirus outbreak by providing hunger relief for children and families. To date, the Y has distributed 26,180meals and more than 6,264backpacks of food.
In Cobb county, McCleskey-East Cobb Family YMCA and Northwest Cobb Family YMCA have packed over 2,464 backpacks supporting Marietta City School students and families. Additionally, nearly 1,480 grab and go meals have been served from four Early Learning Centers – one of which is Chattahoochee Early Learning Center in Cobb county.
Northeast Cobb YMCA/ Marietta City Schools
Northeast Cobb YMCA serves as a delivery site for the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Volunteers package 250 bags of food each week to be delivered to school district families with their lunch.
Chattahoochee Early Learning Center
All snacks and meals are distributed through drive-thru pickup to maintain social distancing. Early learning families can pick up their lunch and backpack meals at Chattahoochee Early Learning Center from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Mount Paran North Church
All donations given to Mount Paran North Church are being delivered by Cobb YMCA staff and volunteers to the following nearby hotels and apartment complexes: Green Roof Inn, Superior Creek Lodge, Woodlands of Kennesaw, InTown KSU and InTown Marietta.
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A fundraiser begun by an Eastvalley Elementary School teacher to help the family of one of her students who was tragically killed over the weekend has netted more than $50,000.
A GoFundMe drive created by Jennifer Swafford indicates that a little more than $51,000 of a goal of $55,000 has been pledged thus far to aid the Mahoney family of East Cobb.
Blake Mahoney, age 11 (in the bowtie), died Sunday after a car hit him and the bicycle he was riding near his home on Lucky Drive.
Since then, friends, co-workers, and those who know the family through Eastvalley—where Blake’s mother Dawn is the school nurse—have sent in contributions.
“The generosity of people near and far is mind blowing!,” said Swafford, Blake’s 5th grade teacher this year. “Thank you for your love and support for the Mahoney family!”
One donor who pledged $500 wrote that “I donated because he was my best friend in school and I miss him so much and let him rest in piece. It was good meeting you Blake in this short time God bless you and your family.”
Also contributing were those who know the Mahoneys through the East Marietta National Little League, where Blake played baseball.
On Wednesday a memorial sign was set up at the entrance of Sewell Park, with flowers being left behind.
“If your child learned something from Blake as his teammate we would love to hear about that as well,” the youth baseball organization said in a Facebook post. “The loss is immeasurable but so is the love left behind. Today let’s celebrate our love!”
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Ebenezer Downs Park on Ebenezer Road in Northeast Cobb.
Cobb residents will have some more elbow room to get outdoors and recreate as soon as Saturday.
County government spokesman Ross Cavitt said Wednesday that selected passive parks and trails will be reopened, including the Noonday Creek Trail and Ebenezer Downs Park and Hyde Farm in East Cobb.
What won’t be open are East Cobb Park, Mabry Park and other parks with playground facilities, as well as parks with sporting fields.
“The passive parks allow for more social distancing under public health guidelines,” Cavitt said. “Based on Public Health guidance, those who use these facilities and trails will be required to adhere to social distancing guidelines and wear masks.”
Here’s a full list of what’s reopening:
TRAILS
Silver Comet Trail
Noonday Creek Trail
Bob Callen Trail
PASSIVE PARKS
Allatoona Creek Park, 5690 Old Stilesboro Road, Acworth
Camp McDonald, 2726 Watts Drive, Kennesaw
Ebenezer Downs Park, 4057 Ebenezer Road, Marietta
Furr Family Park, Old Westside Road, Austell
Green Meadows Preserve, 3780 Dallas Highway, Marietta
Heritage Park, 60 Fontaine Road, Mableton
Hyde Farm, 721 Hyde Road, Marietta
Kemp Family Park, 4331 Burnt Hickory Road, Acworth
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Due to current coronavirus shelter-in-place restrictions, the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary has revised plans for its annual Kettle Krush 5K walk/run fundraiser so the race can go on – just in a different format.
The event will now be a Race in Place awards event broadcast on Facebook Live (www.Facebook.com/KKAtlanta5K) on May 16 at 9 a.m. that can be viewed from the comfort of everyone’s own homes, according to east Cobb resident Cindy Theiler, the auxiliary’s president and event co-chair. “We decided not to postpone or cancel the event because The Salvation Army needs our financial support more than ever now – particularly during this COVID-19 crisis – to help “krush” poverty, homelessness, and sex trafficking, and support veterans and youth enrichment in the metro Atlanta area, including in Cobb County.
“Any participant can now win the top race awards in our awards drawing because no running or walking is required,” said Dawn Menear, east Cobb resident and event co-chair. “We will still promote individual and team participation and have a drawing for top male and female runners and top male and female masters runners as well as 16 age groups from 10 & under to 80 & over.”
In addition, drawings for special giveaways and team awards for the top 2 teams that have the most participants registered (minimum 10) will be provided. Alicia Roberts, CBS46 news anchor, will emcee the event once again this year.
Registration is available at ItsYourRace.com; $30 per participant if received by May 6 and $35 through May 14. Donations can also be made by check payable to The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary with “Kettle Krush” on the bottom “for” line of the check and mailed to Kettle Krush c/o Salvation Army, 1000 Center Place, Norcross, GA, 30093.
The auxiliary, that includes about 40 east Cobb women, annually coordinates the Kettle Krush 5K. Mt. Bethel UMC is the title sponsor for this year’s event.
Anyone is invited to tune into the broadcast, which will feature the awards drawing for race awards and giveaways as well as information about The Salvation Army’s initiatives, including during COVID-19.
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Four high school students from East Cobb—three from Walton and another from Pope—were named recipients of corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarships.
They’re among 1,000 high school seniors nationwide to earn the corporate scholarships, which range from $1,000 to $10,000.
Russell Emerine, Walton, Georgia-Pacific Foundation Scholarship. Probable career field: Computer Science;
Sanjeet C. Harry, Pope, James E. Casey Scholarship, United Parcel Service. Probable career field: Undecided;
Nidhi Manikkoth, Walton, Leidos, Inc., scholarship. Probable career field: Medicine;
Anant P. Rajan, Walton. Sogeti USA Scholarship. Probable career field: Neurosurgery.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation will announce more winners in April, May and June and expects to award 7,600 students an estimated $30 million in scholarships.
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Even though they’ve been given permission to reopen in the next few days, some businesses and restaurants in East Cobb that have been closed due to shelter-in-place orders will wait to resume their full operations.
Among those staying closed for the time being are Seed Kitchen & Bar, Stem Wine Bar and Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar.
In a message to customers sent out Tuesday afternoon, owner Doug Turbush said that while Gov. Brian Kemp’s order lifting mandatory dining room closures of restaurants “is an encouraging sign, we feel it is not in the best interest of our employees, guests or our community to reopen at this time.”
Turbush completely closed all three of his restaurants on March 17, before Kemp restricted restaurants to takeout, delivery and pickup services only.
In his message, Turbush said the timing of reopening depends on getting safety gear, supplies and guidance “on how we can operate and interact with each other in such close proximity. We want nothing more than to open our dining rooms, provide for the people who work with us and get back to what we do best, but service considerations will take time to develop, implement and train.”
On Monday, Kemp said restaurants that meet a list of safety, hygiene and social-distancing criteria can reopen this coming Monday, April 27. The governor will provide more details for restaurants later this week.
Some restaurants that had prioritized dining room service had to adapt to the new measures. One of them, Brewsters Neighborhood Bar & Grille on Canton Road, also said Tuesday it would not be opening its dining room back up for now.
“We apologize, but we feel that this is the right decision at this time. We miss all of you very much and can’t wait to see everyone again soon!” the restaurant said in a social media message, adding that its curbside to go service would continue through May 1.
Kemp’s new measures will allow nail and hair salons, gyms and other “personal touch” businesses he closed last month to reopen on Friday, also if they meet safety criterial.
The new Spenga gym at Merchant’s Walk won’t be one of them. A message yesterday said that “we will not be opening at this time as we feel it is too soon. Your health and that of the staff is our top priority.”
Spenga, which shut its doors March 16, is also eyeing a May 1 reopen date, but that is tentative. Like many gyms and fitness facilities that have been closed, it has been conducting virtual classes and workouts with its clients.
Some businesses haven’t announced reopening dates as they prepare their staff and juggle schedules and appointments.
Among them is Intrigue Salon, which we profiled last week. After Kemp’s announcement Monday, the Johnson Ferry Road establishment said Monday that it will be opening again soon, but “we need to get the needed safety supplies and products to be up and running. . . . We have many procedures to implement before we start booking to keep everyone safe.”
Nancy’s Salon asked its clients to “please be patient with us as we organize our schedules, get the needed supplies, products and have safety measures to go get us started,” and that it would provide an update on its reopening date.
Tracy Kreiner Barnes, owner of The French Table, a furnishings and home decor store on Lower Roswell Road, said she would reopen “when the local CDC advises that it is safe for all of us,” and she will “personally monitor” what doctors and scientists recommend.
She ended her message to customers with the hashtag #livesbeforeeconomy.
The current Georgia shelter-in-place order expires on April 30, and a statewide public health emergency has been extended to May 13.
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The Walton Ambassadors Program was created to help make students at East Cobb’s biggest high school feel more welcome on campus.
One of their main objectives is to help freshmen get used to being in high school.
But with the rest of the school year limited to online learning because of the Coronavirus, some current members of the Walton Ambassadors put together a video to salute those working on the frontlines of fighting the virus.
The video, which was posted on Monday, pays tribute to medical workers, first responders and those helping to stock stores with food and other essentials while Georgia is under a shelter-in-place order.
The video starts out with a Zoom message, then individual ambassadors record a personalized thank-you holding signs. The background music is from “Home,” a popular song written and performed Phillip Phillips, an American Idol winner.
The ambassadors also thanked Walton teachers for their efforts to teach classes online.
“For everyone else,” said one ambassador, “please stay at home!”
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Three non-profits that assist Cobb residents with essential living services are asking the Cobb Board of Commissioners to provide $1 million in funding to help them deliver emergency food supplies to those who need them.
The Cobb Community Foundation, the United Way of Metro Atlanta Northwest Region and the Cobb Collaborative will make the request at the commissioners’ meeting next Tuesday, April 28.
Here’s the message the non-profits have been sharing:
An unprecedented response to the COVID-19 crisis on the part of non-profits and faith-based organizations is focused on the most significant need of those in poverty… food.
Both of Cobb’s school systems quickly pivoted to ensure thousands of school children who rely on school nutritious meals are still able to access food. Also, Cobb County non-profit and faith-based organizations quickly began collaborating to efficiently deploy resources to the most vulnerable in our community, including children and families. However, the facts are staggering.
An estimated 16,500 families were served at non-profit food distribution sites in March, up from an average of 6,500 in January and February.
In the last 2 weeks of March alone, roughly 460 tons of food were distributed, nearly three times the average for a typical two-week period.
Because of job loss among Cobb’s already most vulnerable populations, it is estimated that the hunger will go on long after COVID-19 is under control.
Despite the heroic efforts, many organizations are overwhelmed by the unrelenting demand and the uncertainty of an end date.
Food has become scarcer, requiring many non-profits to purchase historically donated food in addition to incurring the additional expenses associated with distribution. Some have even incurred debt to provide the food needed.
Funding will provide immediate support for individuals in need.
The commissioners will be holding a work session at 9 a.m. and regular meeting at 1:30 next Tuesday, and it will be held in a virtual setting. No agenda is available yet, but when there is it will be posted here.
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Seed Kitchen & Bar closed on March 17, before Gov. Brian Kemp ordered restaurants to discontinue dining room service. (ECN photo0
Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday that some businesses in Georgia that have been ordered closed under his Coronovirus shelter-in-place order can reopen as soon as Friday if they meet certain safety guidelines.
Those businesses include hair salons, barber shops, bowling alleys, nail and body art service providers, massage therapists and gyms.
Starting Monday, theaters can reopen, and restaurants can serve in their dining rooms. Bars, nightclubs, amusement parks and live performance venues will remain closed for now.
Places of worship can hold in-person services, but they must be done “in accordance with strict social distancing protocols.”
Kemp held a briefing Monday at the Georgia Capitol with Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and House Speaker Dennis Ralston.
He said his decision to relax business closures was “due to favorable data and more testing” but that it will not be “business as usual” for those businesses that do reopen.
Among the factors Kemp referenced were the availability of hospital and intenstive-care beds—including a temporary hospital at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta—as well as increased testing capability in the state.
At Jim Miller Park in Cobb County, people no longer have to have a medical referral but they must have an appointment for a drive-up Coronavirus test if they show symptoms.
“Our small business owners are seeing sales plummet, and the company that they built with blood, sweat, and tears disappear right before them,” Kemp said. “These are tough moments in our state and nation. I hear the concerns of those I am honored to serve.”
Kemp said that all businesses that decide to reopen must meet “Minimum Basic Operation” criteria, including screening workers for fever and respiratory illnesses, wearing masks and gloves if appropriate, maintaining social distancing guidelines of six feet between persons and working in staggered shifts.
Restaurants, theaters and private social clubs must also meet the same social distancing and sanitation mandates in order to open on Monday.
“Unlike other businesses, these entities have been unable to manage inventory, deal with payroll, and take care of administrative items while we shelter in place,” the governor said.
Kemp’s shelter-in-place continues through April 30, and those who are sick or medically fragile should stay at home until May 13, when a statewide public health emergency is set to expire.
Some East Cobb “personal touch” businesses—in particular hair salons—have been telling their customers that when they reopen, all staff and customers will be required to wear masks.
Not long after Kemp’s announcement, East Cobb Barber Shop owner Dee Reitz said her store is opening Friday at 9:30 a.m. “with all hands on on deck!!”
She said customers will be given numbers to maintain social distancing edicts, and no more than six customers will be allowed inside at any time.
“PLEASE bear with us as we figure this out!! We are excited to be able to re-open,” she said on her business’ Facebook page.
Frenchie’s Modern Nail Care on Johnson Ferry Road said it also would reopen on Friday “with stringent protocols and only two guests at a time.”
Management at the East Cobb-McCleskey Family YMCA and Northeast Cobb YMCA branches said it was “carefully considering all the health and safety precautions and guidelines” to determine when they may reopen.
“We look forward to being able to open our facilities to our members as soon as we can ensure that it is safe to do so.”
Kemp said local governments cannot enact measures that are any more or less restrictive than what he is allowing to open back up for now.
“The private sector is going to have to convince the public that it’s safe to come back into these businesses,” he said.
As for churches, synagogues and other faith communities, Kemp said he’s urging them to continue to hold virtual worship events, as many have since early March.
In-person services were never prohibited, although they were limited to no more than 10 people following social distancing measures.
On Monday, Kemp said that “I urge faith leaders to continue to help us in this effort and keep their congregations safe by heeding the advice of public health officials. Of course, online, call-in, or drive-in services remain good options for religious institutions.”
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An 11-year-old boy riding his bicycle in his East Cobb neighborhood died Sunday afternoon after crashing into a car, according to Cobb Police.
Cobb Police Sgt. Wayne Delk said in a statement Monday morning that the crash happened at 5:06 p.m. on Lucky Drive, off Lower Roswell Road and between Holt Road and Old Sewell Road.
Delk said David Mondecar, 65, a Lucky Drive resident, was driving a red 2005 Volvo XC90 and was approaching a sharp left curve on that street when the boy was making a sharp right curve as he rode from the other direction.
Police said the crash happened when the front of Mondecar’s car collided with the bike.
The boy was pronounced dead at 5:40 p.m. Sunday after being taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, Delk said, adding that Mondecar was not injured.
Police did not identify the victim, but social media postings in the community were mourning Blake Mahoney, whose family lives on Lucky Drive. He played in the East Marietta National Little League and was a student at Eastvalley Elementary School, where his mother is the school nurse.
A GoFundMe also has been established by Jennifer Swafford, Blake’s 5th grade teacher at Eastvalley. The Blake Mahoney Memorial Fund also will help the family.
Blake was to have begun attending East Cobb Middle School this fall. His older brother Will is a student at Wheeler High School.
Delk said Cobb Police are continuing to investigate the crash and anyone with information should call 770-499-3987.
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Today’s weather won’t be as severe as last weekend, but it’s still going to be wet.
Cobb County is included in a flash flood watch that began at 11 a.m. Sunday and continues until 8 a.m. Monday.
We got rain earlier this morning and more will be on the way Sunday afternoon, with around two inches or so expected as the storm system makes its way through Georgia.
In a flash flood watch, conditions exist for flash flooding to occur, and includes the possibility of overflowing waterways and roads.
In this current watch, the National Weather Service in Atlanta is forecasting that any flooding is likely to be localized.
There is a 100 percent chance of rain for the rest of Sunday, with highs in the mid 50s. More rain is in the forecast for Monday, an 80 percent chance in our area, with highs in the high 60s.
Monday night will be clear but colder, with lows in the high 40s.
Sun will return on Tuesday and Wednesday with highs in the low 70s, with more rain expected later in the week.
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Like restaurants everywhere since the Coronavirus outbreak, the ubiquitous 24/7 Waffle House enterprise has had to scramble to accommodate mandatory dining-room closures and shelter-in-place orders while trying to stay in business.
After the Norcross-based company temporarily closed more than 600 restaurants—an unprecedented action in an unprecedented time—those that have remained open have a much smaller window of operations and staff.
There are nine Waffle Houses in the East Cobb area, and they’re all open for now, albeit with limited hours, typically from early in the morning to mid-afternoon.
The Waffle House on Sandy Plains Road at Post Oak Tritt Road is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and with barely a skeleton crew, consisting of manager Nancy Lynne Newton and three servers.
That’s it.
“I’m the cook, and on my days off, I volunteer to cook,” Newton said.
All of her workers on the second and third shifts—evenings and overnights—are on unemployment, at the very least until restaurants can resume some semblance of dining-room service.
Newton doesn’t know when that might be. Georgia’s shelter-in-place order limiting restaurants to takeout, pickup and delivery only has been extended to April 30, and the state’s public health emergency is due to expire on May 13.
Those orders could be extended again, as the state grapples with a COVID-19 caseload that’s approaching 20,000 and nearing 700 deaths.
At the Sandy Plains Road Waffle House, business “has definitely gone down,” Newton said.
“We are remaining optimistic. We’re doing everything we can to work with the community, and to keep our doors open.”
As an example of the former, she said some customers have donated to an “Adopt-A-Hero” program set up by Waffle House, to pay for the meals of medical workers and first responders.
Recently a police officer was a beneficiary of that generosity, and picked up a free meal—to go, of course.
“We want to do anything we can to help people like that,” Newton said.
Letting the public know her restaurant is open has been a big challenge. The parking lot is practically empty, but makeshift signs in the windows alert the public about its opening hours and the phone number to place an advance order.
Newton said customers can do that, or they can show up and order while in the store. The full menu also is available.
The store also has family-oriented specials—4 All-Star Special breakfasts and hashbrown bowls for $30 is just one. And if five families or more from a neighborhood get together and order at once, someone from Waffle House management will provide delivery.
Newton said to address safety and hygiene concerns, all caterings are individually wrapped. The restaurant is thoroughly cleaned “every hour on the hour” and after customers leave.
She said customers “have been absolutely phenomenal” about observing social distancing guidelines” while they are inside.
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The Center for Family Resources(CFR) announced today that it has received funding to provide emergency financial assistance for Cobb County families, including assistance with rent, mortgage and utility payments to ensure housing stability. The CFR is providing access to basic needs for families who currently fall below 200% of the Federal Poverty guidelines. Funding has been provided through grants from Cobb Community Foundation through the Cobb COVID-19 Response Fund, Cobb EMC Foundation, and the Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Recovery and Response Fund.
“Stabilizing families and providing a safety net during challenging times ties directly into our mission,” says Lee Freeman-Smith, Vice President of Operations for the CFR. “This critical funding will immediately impact families in critical need of services throughout Cobb County. With more than 22 million Americans filing for unemployment and lower wage earners disproportionately impacted, the need for financial assistance will be tremendous,” she continued.
Currently, the CFR has over $170,000 in financial assistance available. However, it anticipates the requests for assistance are easily triple that amount. Many of those impacted were already living on a limited income, and any reduction to hours and pay can cause a huge disruption to a family’s budget. The CFR serves over 12,000 people a year and helps more than 700 families with housing and rent assistance. In the past two weeks, they have received over 160 calls for assistance related to COVID-19. Those calls are in addition to the inquiries from individuals who were already in need of services prior to the pandemic.
Melanie Kagan, CEO at the CFR, adds, “Keeping families stably-housed and with access to basic needs is imperative. Our goal is to help families stay as current as possible with rent and mortgage payments. What we don’t want is for these families to be 2-4 months behind in paying these expenses, and have no way of climbing out of that hole. The financial impacts on our community and many others are going to be severe.”
For people seeking assistance, contact the CFR at (770) 428-2601. All inquiries are being taken over the phone, and the agency is not open to walk-ins in an effort to maintain a safe environment for staff and clients. Anyone who would like to donate to the emergency assistance fund at the CFR can make their tax-deductible donation at www.thecfr.org/give.
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Those figures are among the highest in the state of Georgia, and according to Dr. Janet Memark, Director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, Cobb is likely a couple weeks away from reaching its peak.
The reference was to hospital capacity, which she said is escalating but has not yet topped out.
In a videotaped message at Jim Miller Park that was released by the county Thursday afternoon, Memark also said the public can now without needing a doctor’s reference.
That had been the case until earlier this week, when expanded criteria also was contingent on a medical referral.
She said anyone with symptoms for COVID-19—such as a shortness of breath, fever or dry coughing—can call Cobb and Douglas Public Health or go to its website “and you can get an appointment very quickly.”
Jim Miller Park had been designated as one of several drive-up testing centers around the state, but has only been able to do around 50 tests a day.
Memark previously told the Cobb Board of Commissioners that patients with medical referrals, health care workers and first responders had been the first priorities.
Those scheduled to be tested came in during a short window of operations. Memark said testing hours have been expanded at Jim Miller Park and Hunter Park in Douglasville, and soon will have the capability to test 100 people an hour.
Testing will be available Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
In addition, people can call the Cobb and Douglas Public Health call center at 770-514-2300 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday to schedule an appointment.
According to Georgia DPH, more than 16,000 cases have been confirmed in Georgia, with 617 deaths as of Thursday evening.
“Testing is extremely important,” Memark said, especially lieu of a vaccine (not likely to be ready for another 12-18 months).
With more widespread testing, “we can have a better idea how it’s affecting our community.” Those testing results will help public health officials better determine how the virus is spreading, Memark said, “and when we talk about reopening we need this kind of information going forward.”
Georgia’s shelter-in-place order has been extended to April 30, and a public health emergency has been declared through May 13.
Memark said the number of cases in Cobb is rising at lower rates than a few weeks ago, an indication, she said “that social distancing is working, and we’re very happy about that.”
Georgia National Guard troops also have been called to Jim Miller Park as the testing procedures expand.
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The Cobb Board of Education on Thursday approved the appointment of several principals for the 2020-21 school year, including two at East Cobb elementary schools.
Jessica Appleyard, a longtime teacher and administrator at Mt. Bethel Elementary School, is leaving after seven years as principal to become the new principal at Pitner Elementary School in Acworth.
She will be succeeded by Tucker Smith, who has been the principal at Keheley Elementary School since 2015.
The new principal at Keheley will be former Shallowford Falls Elementary School principal Dr. Felicia Angelle. For the last two years she has been the director of instruction and innovation in the Cobb County School District’s academic division.
In 2016, Angelle was named the Outstanding Elementary School Principal of the Year by the Georgia PTA.
All of those appointments will be effective on July 1.
A longtime former East Cobb educator will be retiring on June 1. Robin Lattizori, a former principal at Mt. Bethel and Dodgen Middle School, among other schools, has been an assistant superintendent since 2013, overseeing elementary schools in west Cobb.
In a brief business meeting conducted via the Zoom teleconferencing platform, the board also approved $4.5 million in SPLOST V funding to be used for roofing projects at four schools in west and south Cobb.
At a work session Thursday morning, also on Zoom, board members heard superintendent Chris Ragsdale provide a briefing on the status of online digital learning through the end of the school year.
Cobb students will be in session through late May, but last week the district cut back the virtual instructional schedule to Monday-Thursday, with Friday designated as a catch-up day.
The district also has facilitated a program to deliver 600 electronic devices to students needing them to complete the school year. Selected students and their families were distributed the computers earlier this week after a fundraising effort by the Cobb Schools Foundation.
In April each year the school board is given a formal presentation of the next fiscal year budget.
That didn’t happen on Thursday, and there’s no word for now on when that might happen. That’s because Cobb, like all other public school districts in Georgia, was awaiting final legislative action on the state budget that includes education funding.
The legislative session has been suspended indefinitely due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
The Cobb school board typically adopts an operating budget in May, after holding three public hearings required by law.
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The Georgia presidential and general primaries have been pushed back to June 9, but some absentee ballots that have been requested will start to be mailed back to voters next week.
The Georgia Secretary of State’s office has said the mailings will begin on April 21. The state’s estimated 6.9 million active voters were sent forms in the mail to request an absentee ballot.
Voters who wish to vote absentee must return their filled-out ballots by 7 p.m. on the primary date.
The broad absentee ballot access is just for the primaries for now, with a much higher return rate than usual expected due to safety and social distancing concerns over the Coronavirus.
Cobb voters over the age of 60 received two absentee ballot request forms, one from the county elections office and one from the state, due to an inadvertent overlap.
Cobb Elections said it mailed out absentee ballot applications to those older voters in late March, but its print vendor was late in fulfilling the order due to virus-related staffing shortages.
By the time those were sent out, the state mailed applications to all registered voters in Georgia regardless of age.
In a note on its website, Cobb Elections said both applications are valid, and voters 60 and older can fill out and return either of them to request an absentee ballot.
If you have not received an absentee ballot application, you can request one by clicking hereand filling out the form.
The Cobb Elections office also said it is processing absentee voting applications in the order in which they are received. The preferred email to send in your application is absentee@cobbcounty.org.
More information can be found here on absentee balloting in Georgia at the Secretary of State’s website.
If you haven’t registered to vote, you now have until May 11 to do so, and can do that here.
On Wednesday the Georgia State Elections Board held an emergency meeting related to the delayed primaries and approved the use of drop boxes by county elections officials to handle returned absentee ballots.
The measure, which also is for the primary only, doesn’t require county elections offices to provide them, but offers some guidelines on how to set them up.
Cobb Elections is asking for a couple of other things while staff responds to so many absentee ballot requests.
One of them is patience. You’re asked not to call or e-mail to find out when your application was processed, and when you may get our absentee ballot. The office is updating its list of processed applications and making it public; a daily file of those forms can be found here.
Staff also is in need of homemade cloth masks. Starting May 4, Cobb Elections will be accepting masks at a donation bin at its main office at 736 Whitlock Ave. in Marietta. They’re seeking 1,400 masks to protect poll workers for the primaries.
If you’d like to help out, you can drop off masks in a plastic bag in the donation bin from 12-1 p.m. Monday-Friday.
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Thanks to Kirsten “KT” McClellan for the above photo and details about a food drive at the Meadowgrove Club this weekend to help MUST Ministries feed the needy during the Coronavirus crisis.
The dates are Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day in the club parking lot at 2850 Meadow Grove Way.
That’s in the Grove Meade neighborhood, located off Terrell Mill Road near East Cobb Middle School and Brumby Elementary School.
Kirsten says they’re accepting dry canned and food donations with social distancing and disinfecting protocols in place.
Here’s the list of items they’re collection to be turned over to MUST Ministries, which is continuing its Food Rapid Response drive that began in March with school and business closings.
Also on the first link is a traffic flow map to follow for a safe and expedient collection process.
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If you have Coronavirus-related event changes, business openings or closings to share with the public, e-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Contact us at the same e-mail address for news about efforts to assist those in need, health care workers, first responders and others on the frontlines of combatting Coronavirus in East Cobb.
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!
