Walton graduates reunited as Mr. and Ms. Georgia Tech

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Mr. and Ms. Georgia Tech
Francis Yang and Rachel Luckuck (with plaques), Walton HS graduates who were named the 2019 Mr. and Ms. Georgia Tech. (Photo, video and story courtesy Georgia Tech communications)

Thanks to reader Julie Alvoid for alerting us to this story about Walton graduates Rachel Luckuck and Francis Yang. They knew each other a little in high school, then had an unexpected reunion recently when they were named Mr. and Ms. Georgia Tech.

The photo, video and text come from Tech’s communications office:

“We sort of knew of each other, just not very well,” explains Rachel Luckcuck, newly named Ms. Georgia Tech 2019.

“I think we had Calc together, right?” Mr. Georgia Tech Francis Yang asks Luckcuck.

“I used to think that Francis was just so cool. I can’t believe looking back that now we’re Mr. and Ms. Georgia Tech,” Luckcuck says.

“I remember when you got into Georgia Tech and how excited you were!” Yang recalls happily.

Luckcuck had taken extra online classes to boost her high school resume in hopes of being accepted to Georgia Tech. She also played the Georgia Tech fight song for inspiration — while studying. Both tactics paid off.

“That was a great day. January 8,” she remembers.

“That’s my birthday!” Yang exclaims.

Both Luckcuck and Yang attended Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia, and both are now business administration majors at Tech. Their election as Mr. and Ms. Georgia Tech was purely coincidental; they ran separately on their own merits and service. The winners were selected from a pool of 20 semifinalists who were required to write essays about their personal experiences and interviewed about their service to campus. Luckuck and Yang won the 2019 title from among a narrowed pool of ten finalists after a popular vote by their peers.

The photographs from Bobby Dodd Stadium were the talk of their hometown. “I was getting tons of messages on Facebook and Instagram from my former high school teachers,’ Luckcuck says. “They were just so proud to see us there together.”

Yang has found this whole experience surreal. “I couldn’t have asked for a better experience at Georgia Tech. Previous Mr. and Ms. Georgia Techs are the people I looked up to when I first got here. Now that’s me.”

He has helped incoming students make the transition to college through his work as a FASET Orientation leader. “One of the best parts of all of this is having some of those students come congratulate me,” he says.

Luckuck says she has found joy working with the Excel Program, a Georgia Tech initiative that provides a post-secondary education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“There are thousands of colleges but only about 200 options nationwide for these students. Georgia Tech being one of them is incredible, and being part of the program has been life-changing,” she says.

One of Yang’s favorite moments of the entire process was seeing his mom on the field. “It was her first game day,” he says. “She was so excited. To share that moment with her was so special.” And he was so excited that he almost forgot it was his first time on the field too.

For Luckcuck, self-admittedly a bit shy and reserved, her Tech experience has taught her more about herself and how she can best serve others. “It’s living our motto of progress and service. Now as Ms. Georgia Tech I can find a way to give back because Georgia Tech gave so much to me.”

 

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Dollar: Proposed East Cobb city map revisions still in progress

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The sponsor of the East Cobb cityhood bill says changes to the proposed city map are still ongoing, and he doesn’t think anything will be finalized until the Georgia legislature returns in January.

East Cobb cityhood
State Rep. Matt Dollar is the sponsor of the East Cobb cityhood bill.

State Rep. Matt Dollar (R-East Cobb) said he hasn’t seen a proposed revision of the map that was presented at a town hall meeting on Nov. 11 by the group pushing for cityhood.

The Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb wants the map to include the areas around Pope and Lassiter high schools. The initial map included most of unincorporated East Cobb in Cobb Commission District 2.

The new map would venture into Commission District 3, represented by JoAnn Birrell, who’s come out against cityhood.

During the town hall meeting at Wheeler High School, David Birdwell of the cityhood committee flashed a revised map for the audience, which he said he received only that day.

A more detailed map, he said at the time, would not be immediately available from the state apportionment office.

Nearly a month later, there still isn’t a revised map proposal for the public to view. The cityhood committee’s website includes an interactive map for citizens to see whether or not they live in the proposed city, but it’s the original map.

East Cobb city interactive map
The East Cobb cityhood group’s website still has the original proposed map; click here for details.

When contacted by East Cobb News, Dollar said he was out of town and unable to attend that meeting and “I’m not sure what they were showing.”

“We’re still taking feedback,” Dollar said about the process for drawing a revised map. “We’ll have a better idea what the map will look like once the legislative session begins.

“We’re all working together to see what the map’s going to look like.”

Dollar filed HB 718 (you can read it here) on the next-to-last day of the 2019 legislature and the day after the cityhood group’s first public meeting.

Under state law, cityhood bills have to go through a two-year process. The full legislature must pass the bill in the 2020 session before a referendum would go to voters—most likely in November—living in the proposed City of East Cobb.

The original city map would have a population of nearly 90,000, and if it expands as Birdwell has suggested, it would top more than 110,000.

David Birdwell, new East Cobb map
East Cobb cityhood leader David Birdwell presented an expanded map at a Nov. 11 town hall meeting, but has not provided more details of the proposed revisions.

That would make a City of East Cobb the second-largest municipality in the metro Atlanta area. But a more accurate estimate, along with detailed boundaries of the proposed new map, remain unclear.

East Cobb News has left a message with Birdwell seeking comment.

State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick (R-East Cobb) told East Cobb News earlier this week she hasn’t seen a new map. Cityhood bills must have a local Senate sponsor, but she hasn’t taken a position and may be doing some polling.

Dollar said reaction from his constituents in East Cobb’s District 45 has been mixed. He acknowledges there’s opposition, including the group East Cobb Alliance, but said he’s gotten “a lot of e-mails from people who do like” the cityhood proposal.

He said the objective is to have a formalized map for the proposed City of East Cobb by the time the bill would be considered by the House Governmental Affairs Committee, the first step in the legislative process.

He said he doesn’t anticipate, at least for now, any other significant changes to the rest of the cityhood bill and proposed City of East Cobb charter.

Ultimately, the legislature would draw up a final city map and make other changes if it passes the cityhood bill.

“We’ll have a lot more clarity soon,” Dollar said about the map. “Right now, it’s just not there.”

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Ga. Democratic women’s PAC endorses East Cobb candidates

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Mary Frances Williams, Georgia House District 37 winner
State Rep. Mary Frances Williams

A political action committee that supports Democratic women running for the Georgia General Assembly has endorsed to two candidates in East Cobb.

The Georgia WIN List announced that it has placed first-term State. Rep. Mary Frances Williams on its “protect” list of incumbents for the 2020 election and is supporting Luisa Wakeman, who is running again for the District 43 seat held by longtime Republican State Rep. Sharon Cooper.

Luisa Wakeman
Luisa Wakeman

Last year, Wakeman lost by less than 792 votes in a mostly-East Cobb district that Cooper, the House Health and Human Services Committee chairwoman, has represented since 1997.

Williams, who lives in Marietta, upset GOP incumbent Sam Teasley in 2018 in District 37, which includes some of Northeast Cobb. She was declared the winner in a recount, with a 137-vote margin.

Georgia WIN held an endorsement event Thursday at the Georgia state capitol, focusing on 12 candidates who either won seats from Republican incumbents in 2018 or who came close.

Qualifying for 2020 legislative campaigns will take place in early March.

 

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High Meadows School appoints Lisa Baker new head of school

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Submitted information:Lisa Baker, High Meadows School
High Meadows School, an independent, International Baccalaureate (IB) school focused on child-centered education for students in preschool through eighth grade, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Lisa Baker as Head of School and Camp effective July 1, 2020. She will lead planning and programming, community building, financial management, attracting and developing faculty and staff, stewardship of the 42-acre campus, and ultimately carrying out the High Meadows mission.  
A specially formed search committee and the High Meadows Board of Trustees selected Baker unanimously because of her commitment to progressive education, student voice and choice, and a strong understanding of the school’s mission and educational philosophy. She has more than 30 years of experience in schools including leadership experience in several independent schools.  
“It is an honor to be asked to serve as the next Head of School for High Meadows School and Camp. High Meadows has a rich, nearly 50-year history and remarkable commitment to creating an environment where students thrive and where their natural sense of wonder and curiosity is fueled.  Joining this school family of passionate learners and inquisitive minds is a remarkable opportunity for which I am deeply grateful.”
Baker currently serves as Head of Upper School at Bancroft School in Worchester, Mass. She is a visionary and charismatic leader. Recently she co-chaired on the Strategic Planning Team and launched the Social Justice and Equity Task Force. Additionally, she has collaborated closely with the Board. Baker began her career in education as a middle school teacher and coach and did the practicum for her counseling degree in a middle school setting. She began her path to educational leadership as the Camp Director at Camp Greenway at The Madeira School in McLean, Va.
“When we embarked on the journey to find a new head of school and camp, we asked the High Meadows community for input about the kind of leader we were looking for, and the feedback we received was very thoughtful and consistent,” says Javier Estrella, chair of the head of school search committee and vice-chair of the High Meadows Board of Trustees. “Lisa Baker is an experienced independent school leader who identifies as an educator and celebrates childhood and child-centered learning, both highly-regarded values of High Meadows. We believe she embodies our values and are confident she will lead our faculty, staff, and the entire school and camp community to a bright future.”

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Man, dog found dead after Northeast Cobb house fire

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Northeast Cobb house fire

The Cobb Fire Department said a man and a dog were found dead in a Northeast Cobb home after a fire broke out there on Tuesday morning.

The 46-year-old man has not been identified and the cause of the fire has not been announced. Capt. Joseph Bryant of the Cobb Fire Department said fire and EMS units were called to the home at 2235 Snug Harbor, off Sandy Plains Road, at 8:08 a.m. Tuesday.

That’s in the St. Charles Square subdivision, off Sandy Plains and near Scufflegrit Road.

The man and the dog were found in the master bedroom on the main level of the two-story, home, Bryant said.

He said the cause remains under investigation and foul play is not suspected.

 

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East Cobb’s almost full, and undeveloped land map shows it

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Cobb undeveloped land map
The Crystal Korean Church purchased nearly 20 acres of undeveloped land on Old Canton Road at Blue Sky Drive in 2018.

There’s precious little empty land in East Cobb, which isn’t a surprise. But the amount that’s undeveloped due to being in a flood plain, wetlands or parkland or designated for conservation protection shrinks those totals even further.

Cobb undeveloped land map (100%)
To view a larger PDF version, click here.

Cobb County government annually updates a map of undeveloped land and recently released its 2019 estimates, broken down by the four Cobb Board of Commissioners districts.

Districts 2 and 3 have the fewest acres of undeveloped and underdeveloped lands in the county (illustrated by the green spots), a total of less than 5,000 acres combined, as seen in the chart at the bottom.

In addition, developable land in District 2 comes to just 980 acres, with only 2,599 acres available in District 3.

That’s a staggering 96.8 percent of land in District 2 that’s considered developed, and only 2.3 percent that is developable. In District 3, those figures are 93.5 percent and five percent, respectively.

The maps reflect land only in unincorporated Cobb; a good chunk of the city of Marietta is in District 3, while District 2 contains most of the city of Smyrna. District 2 also contains the Cumberland/Vinings area, which is the most urbanized portion of Cobb County.

Cobb undeveloped land map
To view a larger PDF version, click here.

The percentages are in double figures in District 1 and District 4, northwest and south Cobb, respectively.

It’s in those areas of the county where the most contentious zoning cases are taking place. East Cobb, especially that portion of District 2, has seen more sparring over proposed development on smaller tracts, as well as site plan changes and redevelopment cases.

One trend that doesn’t show up on undeveloped land maps or in county zoning files is residential redevelopment as it relates to teardowns. It’s not hard to find older ranch homes being leveled all around East Cobb, to be replaced by larger homes, sometimes in multiple numbers on a single lot.

The demand for housing has become so acute that commercially zoned land is prime for residential development.

On Tuesday, the Cobb Planning Commission recommended approval of an application to rezone 6.6 acres on Canton Road from office and industrial for 39 single-family homes. The developer, Smith Douglas Homes, had proposed 61 townhomes, but altered its plans after meeting community opposition.

In remarks before the planning board, Garvis Sams, an attorney for Smith Douglas, said there simply isn’t the demand for more commercial space like there is for residential.

Cobb undeveloped land map
A single-family home was recently demolished on Clubland Drive in Indian Hills, where teardowns of older homes are becoming common.

A similar situation is occurring regarding the proposed redevelopment of the run-down Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center. Atlantic Residential, which specializes in building upscale rental properties, wants to build apartments and a senior-living community on the Sandy Plains Road property, with a small amount of retail.

Some nearby residents have pushed back against apartments as well as the density of the project, and say they want more shopping than what’s been presented.

Atlantic Residential is going back to the drawing board for reasons that also include a cemetery. Those in favor of the plans say there isn’t as much demand for those commercial categories.

The Sprayberry Crossing land isn’t on the new undeveloped land map (it’s on a separate county inventory of properties eligible for tax incentives if redeveloped). But it illustrates concerns some East Cobb residents have over what may transpire with redevelopment in the future.

Some have pointed to redevelopment in Sandy Springs and Roswell, which have overhauled their zoning codes in recent years.

Those concerns also have been expressed in connection with an East Cobb cityhood effort whose figures include some individuals with development backgrounds.

Keep in mind that a number of green spots you see on the map in East Cobb are parkland and conservation areas or are located along flood plains or in wetlands. Other parcels on the new map may not be completely up-to-date.Wigley Farm rezoning

A collection of nearly 100 acres of former Wigley Family farm land that abutts the Cherokee County line was approved for rezoning last year for 91 single-family homes (where the blue arrow is pointing).

The property is an assemblage that includes hilly terrain, leaving only half of the land for development, and which was zoned for low-density residential in an open space community category.

Cobb undeveloped land map

 

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Isakson urges bipartisanship in U.S. Senate farewell speech

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In his farewell speech in the U.S. Senate, Georgia’s Johnny Isakson issued a final call for bipartisanship, a theme that has been the hallmark of his 45-year public career, in the legislature and in Congress.Isakson farewell speech

“I never saw people get things done without agreeing to something,” the East Cobb Republican said Tuesday afternoon in a Senate chamber that included Vice President Mike Pence.

He paid tribute to Georgia Democratic Congressman John Lewis, an icon of the Civil Rights Movement, “as one of my real heroes in life because I watched what he went through to help us see the light in the South, in my part of the South, Georgia.”

Isakson said bipartisanship is more than just a strategy for getting things done, but also “a state of mind . . . a state of being.”

He said his approach to accomplishing things for his constituents was a simple one: “I did what I thought was right. That’s the way to do it.”

The 74-year-old former real estate executive is leaving office Dec. 31 for health reasons stemming from his continuing battle with Parkinson’s Disease and after fracturing ribs in a fall last summer.

After stints in the Georgia House and Senate, as well as the U.S. House, Isakson said his 15-year tenure in the U.S. Senate “is the most enjoyable thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

In his most impassioned part of his speech, Isakson implored his colleagues to “find a way to find common ground.” He said, “America, we have a problem,” but that “we can do anything” by dropping hard party labels. “Bipartisanship will be the way you accomplish things, the way you live.”

Dozens of senators of both parties offered remarks from the floor in tribute, including Georgia’s David Perdue, who said Isakson is “the best partner anyone could ask for.”

Isakson’s departing a Washington that’s embroiled in impeachment hearings in the House against President Donald Trump, and as his own Republican Party is in an uproar over his successor.

Perdue’s new partner will be Atlanta businesswoman Kelly Loeffler, whose appointment was made official Wednesday by Gov. Brian Kemp. He was pressured by Trump and the president’s allies to choose Georgia Congresswoman Doug Collins.

Loeffler owns a bitcoin trading company and is co-owner of the Atlanta Dream of the Women’s National Basketball Association. A major Republican donor, she has not held public office.

Her term goes through next November’s elections, with the winner to fill the final two year’s of Isakson’s term.

On Wednesday morning, Isakson issued a statement congratulating Loeffler on her appointment:

“Kelly’s business experience and acumen will be an asset to Georgia and the Senate. The same tireless work ethic that has helped her succeed in business will also help her succeed in serving Georgians and our nation. It has been the honor of a lifetime for me to serve this great state in the U.S. Senate, and my staff and I will work closely with Kelly to ensure a smooth transition.”

 

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East Cobb’s most wonderful time of the year continues

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Members of the East Cobb Business Association, Northeast Cobb Business Association and Marietta Business Association gathered at the WellStar East Cobb Health Park Tuesday for a joint holiday party.

Participants enjoyed food, drink and musical entertainment and donated unwrapped toys for the Toys for Tots.

The health park (3747 Roswell Road) will be the venue for a public holiday party Thursday from 5:45-7:45 p.m. It’s free with refreshments and includes Santa & Mrs. Claus, tree lighting and entertainment from the Dickerson Middle School Chorus and Dance Stop studios.

Here’s more about what’s coming up at the end of a busy week and weekend in East Cobb for holiday events, including the Apple Annie craft show, Holiday Lights, the Wheeler Fine Arts Holiday Showcase concerts, the Bethlehem Walk and more.

More events can be found at the East Cobb News Holiday Guide and in our regular calendar listings.

To submit calendar items for holiday events that are open to the public, please send an e-mail to calendar@eastcobbnews.com.

And if you’ve got holiday news, events, photos and videos to share, let us know: editor@eastcobbnews.com.

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Visit the East Cobb News Holiday Guide page

 

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Coach, park advocate named East Cobb Citizens of the Year

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East Cobb citizens of the year
Tom Bills and Mack Cobb (center, with plaques) are joined by, from left, East Cobb Area Council president Dan Byers, Cobb Chamber CEO Sharon Mason and incoming Cobb Chamber president John Loud. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

The new recipients of the East Cobb Citizen of the Year award have been revealed, and a long streak of keeping the news a surprise to the winners has been maintained.

At a Tuesday morning breakfast of the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, Mack Cobb wore a Pope letter sweater, with a light-blue P against a backdrop of darker blue. He was asked to speak about the youth football programs he’s been involved with for nearly 50 years.

Tom Bills was part of a special presentation about the past, present and future of East Cobb Park, as the organization’s first treasurer.

Both men did that, but as the co-citizens of the year, an honor that’s been shared only once since the award began in 1991.

“I don’t know what to say,” said Cobb, holding up papers with prepared remarks. “I came here to talk about football.”

He’s coached middle-school feeder football programs for Pope, Lassiter and Walton, as well as for the Cobb YMCA.

When asked later about why he’s coached sixth-through-eighth graders for so long, his reply was swift: “They’re kids,” Cobb said, with a spark in his eyes.

A favorite moment came during a practice when a player rushed to Cobb, put something in his hand and asked him to hold onto it. It was a bloody tooth.

“I want to put it under my pillow,” the boy told Cobb.

Mack Cobb, East Cobb Citizen of the Year
Mack Cobb poses with members of the Pope community, including head football coach Tab Griffin (back row, at right), who played for him as a middle-schooler.

One of his former players was in attendance at the event at Indian Hills Country Club. Tab Griffin, who’s been the Pope varsity coach for the past three years, said Cobb’s been one of the more influential figures in his life, far beyond football.

“He always taught you so much about non-football things,” Griffin said. “Hard work. Making good grades. Respecting others. You don’t realize how much you’ve learned from him until you’re out in the real world.”

Griffin said those life lessons came every day in practice and at games, not in any overbearing fashion, but as part of developing trusting relationships with other people. That was the strength of Cobb’s influence.

“Now that I’m a father and a coach, I try to instill them with the things that I learned from him,” Cobb said.

Tom Bill, East Cobb Citizen of the Year
Tom Bills was surprised at being named the East Cobb co-Citizen of the Year, as he is presented his plaque by 1992 recipient Johny Johnson.

Bills was an engineering consultant in private practice when he got involved with efforts nearly two decades ago to buy land to purchase what became East Cobb Park.

He lives in the nearby Mitsy Forest neighborhood, and served as the first treasurer of the Friends for the East Cobb Park.

Over the years, he’s served the non-profit board in various capacities, including president from 2003-05. Now, Bills is a senior construction project manager for the Cobb Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.

“I always thought that my award was the park,” Bills said.

He got involved in the volunteer group’s work, he said, because a park nearby “would be good for our neighborhood.”

It turned out to be a long-term commitment that included an ambitious fundraising project that continues today.

Before long, Sunny Walker, Mary Karras and Kim Paris—founding members and driving forces of the Friends group—got him fully involved, after initially asking him to evaluate an environmental impact study.

“Mary signed me up for 20 years,” he said.

He said as the organization’s treasurer, every single contribution, no matter the size, was important.

Among them were from kids who turned over big bags of change they solicited from golfers on the Indian Hills driving range.

“That meant as much to us” as the bigger checks, Bills said, “because it showed the support of the community.”

Bills’ other community work includes volunteering with activities at Walton High School, Keep Cobb Beautiful, and the Cobb Veterans Foundation.

 

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Georgia GOP submits only Trump’s name for 2020 primary ballot

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Georgia Republican primary voters will have only one name to choose from in the 2020 primary next March: Incumbent President Donald Trump.Georgia GOP 2020 primary ballot

The state party’s executive committee on Monday submitted only Trump’s name for consideration on the March 24, 2020 ballot.

Georgia would be one of several states to exclude the names of other Republicans from primary ballots.

According to a release issued by Georgia GOP, state party chairman David Shafer said the vote was unanimous and that “Trump was the only candidate with any significant level of support among Republican voters in Georgia who ‘unambiguously’ pledged to support the Republican nominee for President.”

Five candidates were considered by the state party, including former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, now a talk show host, and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, the 2016 vice presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party.

The others were California businessman Roque De La Fuente and Fred Boddie-Yahshua of Atlanta, whose campaign is known as “President R19 Boddie.”

In a Twitter response on Monday, Walsh said:

“GaRepublicans just chose Trump over Georgians. Trump is a vulnerable criminal. Is the #GAGOP so scared they have to protect him from the ‘significant support’ they say he’d have in a contested primary?”

Weld chimed in similarly on his Twitter account:

“Apparently Trump’s bromance with Putin extends to emulating the Russian’s approach to elections. The #GAGOP just decided the Georgia Republican Presidential Primary ballot will have only one candidate on it: Donald Trump. What is DJT afraid of?”

According to The Hill, a political publication in Washington, the Minnesota GOP also has put only Trump’s name forward for its primary, while state Republican parties in Kansas, Alaska, South Carolina, Arizona and Nevada have cancelled their 2020 primaries or caucuses.

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East Cobb food scores: Paper Mill Village restaurants; more

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The following East Cobb food scores from Dec. 2-6 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing to view details of the inspection:Camps Kitchen and Bar, East Cobb food scores

Camp’s Kitchen & Bar
255 Village Parkway, Suite 310
December 2, 2019 Score: 84, Grade: B

Capozzi’s
4285 Roswell Road
December 2, 2019 Score: 100, Grade: A

Dogwood Catering of Marietta
4961 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 125
December 2, 2019 Score: 84, Grade: B

Domino’s Pizza
4724 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 101
December 2, 2019 Score: 100, Grade: A

Indian Hills Country Club
4001 Clubland Drive
December 3, 2019 Score: 93, Grade: A

McDonald’s
3010 Canton Road
December 3, 2019 Score: 75, Grade: C

Mirko Pasta
1281 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 120
December 3, 2019 Score: 77, Grade: C

Moxie Taco
255 Village Parkway, Suite 330
December 2, 2019 Score: 90, Grade: A

Moon Wings & Hibachi
3012 Canton Road
December 2, 2019 Score: 82, Grade: B

Moxie Burger
255 Village Parkway, Suite 110
December 2, 2019 Score: 87, Grade: B

Papa John’s Pizza
4811 Lower Roswell Road
December 2, 2019 Score: 95, Grade: A

Pizza Hut
1480 Terrell Mill Road, Suite E
December 2, 2019 Score: 94, Grade: A

Powers Ferry Elementary School
403 Powers Ferry Road
December 4, 2019 Score: 93, Grade: A

Sam’s BBQ-1 
4958 Lower Road, Suite 108
December 2, 2019 Score: 78, Grade: C

Starbuck’s Coffee
31 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite A
December 2, 2019 Score: 91, Grade: A

Yeero Village
4751 Sandy Plains Road
December 5, 2019 Score: 92, Grade: A

Zaxby’s
2981 Delk Road
December 6, 2019 Score: 100, Grade: A

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Isakson to give farewell speech in U.S. Senate Tuesday

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From U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson’s office this morning comes word that he’ll speak for the last time on the floor Tuesday afternoon, around 2:30 p.m. You can can watch on C-SPAN or the Senate floor webcast by clicking here.Sen. Johnny Isakson

Other senators will be offering tributes after his remarks, led by Georgia Sen. David Perdue.

Isakson announced in August he would be stepping down at the end of the year due to health issues. He has been battling Parkinson’s Disease and fractured ribs this summer in a fall in his Washington apartment.

Praise for the East Cobb Republican has been bipartisan, including his embrace with U.S. Rep. John Lewis in November during a House floor tribute.

But the process for filling Isakson’s post through next year’s election grew ugly over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

This week Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to appoint Atlanta businesswoman Kelly Loeffler, and recently flew with her to Washington to meet with President Donald Trump.

Trump wanted Georgia Congressman Doug Collins, a strong Trump ally, to get the post. On Twitter, another Trump backer, Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, threatened to find a primary opponent for Kemp if he chose Loeffler, who has never held public office.

Kemp and one of his advisers answered back on Twitter, as the discourse dwindled down to insults over Gaetz’ jorts attire.

Some critics of Loeffler—an executive with a bitcoin company and the co-owner of the Atlanta Dream women’s pro basketball team—don’t think she’s conservative enough. She served on the board of directors at Grady Memorial Hospital, which one pro-life advocate called “an abortionist training hub.”

Others want Collins because he would be a vocal defender of the president if the Senate conducts a trial following possible impeachment in the House.

Kemp, who got a big boost from Trump last year to win the GOP nomination for governor, is said to prefer Loeffler to appeal to moderate and female voters in the Atlanta suburbs, which has become a partisan battleground.

That includes the East Cobb area and the 6th Congressional District, where a 2017 special election was won by Republican Karen Handel, who in turn was defeated by Democrat Lucy McBath, a gun control advocate, last year.

Isakson is among the GOP establishment who’s endorsed Handel as she attempts to win back her seat next year.

Loeffler will become only the second woman from Georgia to serve in the Senate. Her seat will be contested in a jungle primary and possibly a runoff late next year, with the winner to fill the final two years of Isakson’s term.

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Cobb schools seeks public input for 2020-25 strategic plan

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The Cobb County School District is developing its strategic plan for 2020-25 and wants to hear from parents and the public.Cobb County School District, Cobb schools dual enrollment summit

The district compiles strategic plans for each school year, and for each school (click here to read more).

The five-year plan is a longer-range document that also reflects priorities outlined by the superintendent, district initiatives and school board goals.

Here’s what the district is sending out to solicit comments:

 

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Cobb commissioner Bob Ott podcast series features public safety

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Cobb commissioner Bob Ott’s “2Talk” program is now a podcast.Bob Ott, East Cobb Restaurant Row

The District 2 commissioner started the program on the county’s public access television outlet, interviewing county officials and community leaders about a broad range of topics.

The first few “2Talk” podcasts are on the subject of public safety, including a discussion with Cobb Deputy Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer on crime trends, safety trips and how police use technology, including license plate readers and facial recognition tools.

The podcast segments can be heard by clicking here.

 

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East Cobb bookstore’s longevity due to ‘reinventing yourself’

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Bookmiser, East Cobb bookstore
The Bookmiser store in East Cobb carries an ample supply of literary and popular fiction and has authors’ events. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

When Annell Gerson and her husband Jim opened their first Bookmiser bookstore in Roswell in 1998, Borders was the chief competition.

That was three years after Amazon, then a little-known Seattle company, was modestly selling books online. As the Gersons expanded to open an East Cobb location on Roswell Road, the book industry would undergo profound changes.

By the time Borders went out of business in 2011 (including a store at The Avenue East Cobb), Amazon had become not just a virtual bookselling colossus but a dominant force in the online retail world.

“You just keep morphing, you just keep reinventing yourself,” said Annell Gerson on Small Business Saturday, referring to Bookmiser’s sustainability amid the changes.

It was nine years ago that American Express came up with the Small Business Saturday promotion to help small, independent retailers in the wake of Black Friday at the start of the holiday shopping season.

Bookmiser has taken part each year, and takes part in Independent Bookstore Day, the last Saturday in April. The Small Business Saturday logo adorns the store’s website, and a floor mat is situated at the checkout counter.

Gerson says the promotions are good for raising awareness long-term more than prompting same-day sales, but every little bit helps.

What started exclusively as a used bookstore with a trading program has expanded into providing required reading materials for school classes, New York Times bestsellers, special orders and authors’ events.

Every book is sold at a 20 percent discount, used or new, without any membership requirements. Bookmiser customers also get further discounts and sales offerings via the store’s e-mail newsletter, which included 25 percent off all this weekend.

“As a bookstore, you have to establish relationships with people,” Gerson said. “We know exactly what they like to read.”

The store at 3822 Roswell Road (at the eastern intersection of Robinson Road) includes a wide variety of literary and popular fiction. Many of the featured authors are what Gerson refers to as “women’s fiction,” and events at the Milton and Sandy Springs libraries feature local and national authors.

Bookmiser
New and bestselling books by featured authors are displayed in the front of the store.

Gerson said several years ago, as she was doing an event with former Congressman Tom Price, she counted up the number of bookstores in and around his north metro Atlanta base that had closed in recent years.

“Twenty-two,” she said.

Even with a focus on customer service (1-2 days for special orders to arrive, no delivery charges) and special event, the competitive challenges for indie bookstores have grown. While Bookmiser is located in an affluent, well-educated community, that’s not necessarily an advantage.

“It’s so easy to push the button,” she said, referring to Amazon. “It’s a David and Goliath story every day.”

Unlike Amazon and other online sellers, “we pay property tax. We pay school tax. We pay for air conditioning.”

And Bookmiser, like many small and independent businesses, chips in to partner with community organizations, including the Walton volleyball and baseball programs, Dance Stop, the Chattahoochee Nature Center and Curing Kids’ Cancer.

Bookmiser also took part in helping run the Milton Literary Festival until this year’s event. Last year, the Gersons closed the Roswell store (located on Sandy Plains Road near the Sandy Plains Village shopping center), and donated the last of its stock to the Friends of the Milton Library.

In 2016, Half-Price Books opened in East Cobb at the Woodlawn Square Shopping Center. While other indie book stores exist in East Cobb at the Book Exchange and the Book Nook, another used-bookstore, Once and Again Books, closed last year on Shallowford Road.

Gerson said continuing to adapt to the retail book market and customer demands are imperative. Starting in 2020, Bookmiser will gradually increase its new book stock to take up about half of the store.

“That’s what we’re seeing the community wants,” she said of the growing demand for new books. “And they want it now.”

Bookmiser is open from 10-7 Monday-Friday, 10-6 Saturday and 12-5 Sunday. Phone: (770) 509-5611.

Bookmiser

 

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East Cobb Holiday Events: Apple Annie; Holiday Lights; more

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Holiday Lights East Cobb Park
Holiday Lights at East Cobb Park returns Sunday, Dec. 8. (ECN file photos)

The first full week in December is the busiest of the holiday season in East Cobb, with many public events, services and shows on tap.

Here’s a glimpse of what’s coming up between now and next Sunday:

Thursday, Dec. 5

WellStar East Cobb Health Park Holiday Event, 5:45pm – 7:45pm, WellStar East Cobb Health Park (3747 Roswell Road), free with refreshments and includes Santa & Mrs. Claus, tree lighting and more! Entertainment will be provided by Dickerson Middle School Chorus & Dance Stop.

Georgia Festival Chorus: The Glory of Christmas, 7 p.m, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road). The public is invited to an evening of music to celebrate Jesus Christ. Free admission. No tickets required. Doors open at 6:45 p.m.

Friday-Saturday, Dec. 6-7

Apple Annie Arts & Crafts Show, 9-6 Friday, 9-2 Saturday, Catholic Church of St. Ann (4905 Roswell Road). Artisans will be showcasing handmade items in a variety of categories, from holiday décor, woodworking, painting, jewelry, stained glass, fabric crafts, and more! Admission is $3 per person 13 & up, with proceeds going to local charities. Baked goods, soup, sandwiches and beverages will be available. Parking is at the church and overflow lots are at the Episcopal Church of St. Peter and St. Paul (1795 Johnson Ferry Road), with shuttle bus service provided. For information, click here.

Friday, Dec. 6

Crafting With Heidi, 3-4 p.m. East Cobb Senior Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road), enjoy some holiday crafting, led by a 4th grade Girl Scout troop. Free, but registration is required by calling 770-509-4900.

Carols for Christmas, the Glorious Mystery, 7:30– 9:30 p.m., Mt. Bethel UMC (4385 Lower Roswell Road); the church’s Chancel Choir and Orchestra are featured during an evening of joy and reflection.

Apple Annie Arts & Crafts Show
The Apple Annie Arts & Crafts Show takes place at the Catholic Church of St. Ann.

Saturday-Monday, Dec. 7-9

Bethlehem Walk, 7-9 p.m. each day, Mountain View UMC (2300 Jamerson Road). An East Cobb tradition since 1992, this interactive event allows visitors to walk through the streets of Bethlehem and haggle with shopkeepers, sign the census and pay taxes to Caesar Augustus’s collector. Dried fruits, apple ciders and fresh bread from the bakery also are available. The event is free but donations are accepted. For information, click here.

Saturday, Dec. 7

Art Place Gets Frozen, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The Art Place, (3330 Sandy Plains Road). Frozen fun for the whole family, featuring a 20-minute version of Frozen: The Musical presented by From the Top Theatrics. After the show, take a picture with a princess, make crafts, shop at a holiday market and enjoy hot coco. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are $15. Sessions are 11-1 (click for tickets) and 2-4 (click for tickets).

Wheeler Fine Arts Holiday Showcase, 2-5:30 p.m., Wheeler HS Performing Arts Theatre (375 Holt Road). Prelude Concert: 2 p.m. by the Symphonic & Concert Bands, Full Orchestra, Philharmonia & Sinfonia Orchestras, and Chorale Choir. Finale Concert: 4:30 pm by the Bel Voce Choir, Chamber Orchestra, and Wind Ensemble This is a combined fundraiser for the school’s fine arts programs. One ticket is good for both concerts! For information and tickets, click here.

Vivaldi Christmas Concert, 7-8:30 p.m., Eastminster Presbyterian Church (3125 Sewell Mill Road), featuring the church’s Chancel & Road Choirs.

Sunday, Dec. 8

Holiday Lights at East Cobb Park, 5-7 p.m., East Cobb Park (3322 Roswell Road). Tree lighting, holiday music and the arrival of Santa Claus. Proceeds from refreshment sales will be used for future park improvements.

Carols for Christmas, the Glorious Mystery, 6-8 p.m., Mt. Bethel UMC (4385 Lower Roswell Road); the church’s Chancel Choir and Orchestra are featured during an evening of joy and reflection.

More events can be found at the East Cobb News Holiday Guide and in our regular calendar listings.

To submit calendar items for holiday events that are open to the public, please send an e-mail to calendar@eastcobbnews.com.

 

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Ebenezer Road senior living project on planning board agenda

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Ebenezer Road senior living

A request for a 33-unit senior living community on Ebenezer Road near Sandy Plains Road is slated to be heard Tuesday by the Cobb Planning Commission.

Traton Homes wants to convert less than 10 acres at 2891 Ebenezer Road that’s currently zoned for single-family residential (R-15 and R-20) for senior residential living (RSL).

(Read the case file here.)

All that’s there now is a house built in 1931, and the land owned by Luther Higgins Jr. is surrounded by the single-family Kerry Creek subdivision. Below the property are two undeveloped tracts of land, totalling 6.67 acres, owned by Sandy Plains Baptist Church.

The current zoning category of the Wiggins land would allow up to 16 units. Traton is proposing to more than double that total under RSL, a density of nearly 3.5 units an acre.

The “non-supportive” RSL community would not include services like transportation, medical or food preparation, as is the case with some “supportive” senior-living facilities.

The Traton Homes proposal calls for units of at least 1,500 square feet, and the developer is asking to reduce the distance between the homes from 15 to 10 feet and remove a landscape buffer of 20 feet along the south property line.

The property has been designated for low-density residential use in the Cobb future master plan. The Cobb zoning staff is recommending approval of the Traton request, without any variances and to maintain the landscaping buffer.

Another high-density residential request in the Northeast Cobb area is on Tuesday’s agenda, after being delayed and substantially revised.

Smith Douglas Homes had proposed building 61 townhomes on 6.6 acres on Canton Road at Kensington Drive. According to a Nov. 19 stipulation letter from its attorney, the developer is now proposing 39 detached single-family homes, or 5.9 units an acre.

You can view the rest of the agenda and read case files by clicking here.

The planning commission meets Tuesday at 9 a.m. in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta. Its recommendations will be considered by the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Dec. 17.

 

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Good Mews holiday decor market winding down this weekend

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The holiday shopping season has just begun, but the Good Mews Holiday Decor Market is ending this weekend, with all proceeds to benefit the non-profit cat shelter in East Cobb.Good Mews 30th birthday

Everything is marked down 50 percent and the hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 12-5 on Sunday. The market is located at 1860 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 202 (in the Sandy Plains Exchange Shopping Center).

More details:

https://goodmews.org/special-events-fundraisers

 

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East Cobb food scores: Aspens; Marietta Fish Market; and more

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Marietta Fish Market, East Cobb food scores

The following East Cobb food scores from Nov. 25-27 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing to view details of the inspection:

American Wings
2555 Delk Road, Suite A-8
November 25, 2019 Score: 86, Grade: B

Asahi Japanese Steak & Sushi
2960 Shallowford Road, Suite C9-11
November 27, 2019 Score: 76, Grade: C

Aspens Signature Steaks
2942 Shallowford Road
November 27, 2019 Score: 93, Grade: A

Brazilian Bakery Cafe
1260 Powers Ferry Road, Suite A
November 25, 2019 Score: 71, Grade: C

Domino’s Pizza
1230 Powers Ferry Road
November 25, 2019 Score: 90, Grade: A

First Serve
1600 Terrell Mill Road
November 26, 2019 Score: 95, Grade: A

Great American Cookies/Marble Slab Creamery 
4101 Roswell Road, Suite 308
November 26, 2019 Score: 92, Grade: A

Hardee’s
2520 Delk Road
November 26, 2019 Score: 96, Grade: A

Liberty Pizza
1275 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 130
November 25, 2019 Score: 100, Grade: A

Marietta Fish Market
3185 Canton Road
November 26, 2019 Score: 95, Grade: A

Minas Emporium
2555 Delk Road, Suite B4
November 25, 2019 Score: 75, Grade: C

Moe’s Southwest Grill 
688 Johnson Ferry Road
November 27, 2019 Score: 88, Grade: B

Moxie Burger
2421 Shallowford Road, Suite 158
November 25, 2019 Score: 92, Grade: A

Perk’s Coffee & Bagels
3000 Windy Hill Road, Suite 176
November 26, 2019 Score: 100, Grade: A

Radiance East Cobb Memory Care
200 Village Parkway
November 26, 2019 Score: 91, Grade: A

Rio Steakhouse and Bakery
1275 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 230
November 26, 2019 Score: 70, Grade: C

Starbuck’s Coffee 
1453 Terrell Mill Road, Suite 200
November 27, 2019 Score: 93, Grade: A

Waffle House
2642 Windy Hill Road
November 25, 2019 Score: 87, Grade: B

Wendy’s
1123 Roswell Road
November 25, 2019 Score: 95, Grade: A

Whey To Go!
1453 Terrell Mill Road, Suite 953
November 26, 2019 Score: 76, Grade: C

Zaxby’s 
3030 Johnson Ferry Road
November 26, 2019 Score: 100, Grade: A

 

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First East Cobb holiday event: Tree lighting at The Avenue

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From 3-7 Friday The Avenue East Cobb (4475 Roswell Road) is kicking off holiday season festivities with its first tree lighting, Santa’s arrival and carriage rides.The Avenue East Cobb holiday event

There also will be holiday music and the tree lighting event will feature the Angel Tree Program from the Salvation Army of Marietta:

The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program provides new clothing and/or toys for children of needy families. Each Angel Tree is decorated with numbered paper angel tags with the first name, age, and gender of a child who is in need of a gift. Contributors remove one or more tags from the tree and purchase appropriate gifts for the child or children described on the tags.

Santa Claus will be in Suite 400 and photos with him will be available for purchase. Other entertainment includes face painting. Carriage rides with Santa at The Avenue also will take place next Friday, Dec. 6, from 3-7 p.m.

For information, click here.

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