It’s feeling a bit more like fall these days, with lower temps and dropping humidity continuing, ideal for hanging out at the park, as above, or just getting out in general.
The East Cobb area also will be getting some rain toward the end of the week.
Sunny skies and high temperatures in the mid-80s are in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Peachtree City.
On Thursday, there’s a 40 percent chance of rain, with highs in the mid-70s, and by Thursday night the chance of rain is expected to be 80 percent, with lows in the mid-60s.
Friday’s forecast has more rain projected, with a 70 percent chance, and highs also in the mid-70s.
Saturday morning is the EAST COBBER parade, and the rain is expected to hold off during that time.
But there’s a 30 percent chance of rain Saturday afternoon, and the same is forecast on Sunday and Monday.
Highs will return back to the low-80s by then and into next week, with lows in the mid-60s.
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The League of Women Voters of Marietta-Cobb has invited candidates in three contested Cobb Board of Education general election races to a forum.
The forums for posts 1, 5 and 7 are scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 1 from 6-8 p.m. at the Switzer Library (266 Roswell Street, Marietta) and also will be livestreamed on YouTube.
The moderator is Chesley McNeil of 11Alive.
The three races are Post 1 in North Cobb, Post 5 in East Cobb and Post 7 in West Cobb. Republicans hold all three seats, and there are Democrats entered in each one.
The Post 5 seat, which includes the Walton, Pope and some of the Wheeler attendance zones, is open. Four-term Republican David Banks is retiring, and his successor will be one of two newcomers.
GOP hopeful John Cristadoro and Democrat Laura Judge, parents in he Walton area, both announced their candidacies more than a year ago.
Post 1 Republican incumbent Randy Scamihorn is facing Democrat Vickie Benson in a rematch from the 2020 election, and in Post 7, two-term GOP member Brad Wheeler is being opposed by Democrat Andrew Cole, a first-time candidate.
The term in Post 3 in South Cobb also expires at the end of the year, but first-term Democrat Tre’ Hutchins did not draw any opposition in either party.
School board races this year have drawn increased attention. Republicans hold a 4-3 edge, and partisan squabbling has been a regular feature at meetings in recent years. Democrats hold the majority on the Cobb Board of Commissioners and the county’s legislative delegation in what had been a GOP stronghold.
The Post 5 and 7 races were close four years ago, as Banks and Wheeler were narrowly re-elected.
But the Post 5 lines have been changed since then due to reapportionment, to include most areas south of Sandy Plains and Shallowford Road and north of Lower Roswell Road.
(The school board post boundaries, which are drawn by the Georgia legislature, are not the same has school attendance zones, which are drawn administratively by the Cobb County School District).
The forum, which is free and open to the public, includes partnerships with Cobb Collaborative Vote Your Voice, Cobb Democracy Center, Marietta-Roswell Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Mi Familia en Acción, and redefinED Atlanta.
To register for in-person or virtual attendance click here; you can find the Spanish-language version by clicking here.
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Diane Spencer, co-founder of Frameworks Gallery, which is marking its 50th anniversary.
Thursday will be a special day at Frameworks Gallery.
The East Cobb art gallery and frame shop is marking the start of its 50th anniversary in business with a new exhibition, “Symphony of Colors,” that will run through Oct. 18.
The opening reception on Thursday lasts from 6-8 p.m. (1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 110).
The special show features the work of four artists who’ve had their work displayed at Frameworks in the pas: Pat Fiorello, Marsha Savage, Barbara Royal, and Judie Jacobs.
Founded by sisters Diane Spencer and the late Sunny Walker, Frameworks Gallery is a fixture not just in the local art and business scene, but also the larger civic community.
In April we spoke to Spencer about her initiative to raise funds for a special garden at East Cobb Park to honor Walker, a leading figure in the creation of the park.
What’s to be called “Sunny’s Butterfly Garden” is getting underway under the auspices of the East Cobb Garden Club, part of the all-volunteer Friends for the East Cobb Park.
Frameworks has been in East Cobb all along, and moved into its present space in the Woodlawn Square Shopping Center 20 years ago.
Walker passed away in 2019, and Spencer has kept the business in the family, with her son running the framing operation.
The artists featured in “Symphony of Colors” have distinguished backgrounds in the local arts scene.
Fiorello’s work was selected as Best Floral in the April 2023 PleinAir Salon competition sponsored by PleinAir Magazine, and she’s the author of a book, “Bella Italia, Italy Through the Eyes of an Artist.”
Savage has been an artist for more than 50 years, specializing in landscape painting. Her work has been displayed at the Georgia State Capitol and she has been entered in many local and regional art shows.
Royal paints landscapes and abstract works, and is a member of the High Museum of Art of Atlanta.
A member of the metro Atlanta artist community for more than 40 years, Jacob is a painter, ceramic sculptor and mixed media specialist.
Parading around
Saturday’s EAST COBBER parade and festival (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) includes some local businesses. Here’s a partial list of who you’ll see stepping down Johnson Ferry Road and/or having booths at the festival afterwards at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church:
Aqua-Tots East Cobb; Auto Accident Attorneys; Custom Disposal; Dance Stop Company; Just Fences Inc.; My Best Friend’s Vet; Neighborhood Tire Pros & Auto Service; Prime IV Hydration & Wellness; Sparkles Family Fun Center; Stretch Zone East Cobb; Ted’s Montana Grill; Willow Orthodontics.
The chief sponsor for the second year in a row is CertaPro Painters.
Festival x 2
Saturday’s going to be extra busy for The Auto Accident Attorneys Group. In addition to being a sponsor of the EAST COBBER event, AAA is holding its third annual Fall Kickoff Festival from 12-3 Saturday at its offices (1454 Johnson Ferry Road).
Admission is free, and the event features a live band, face painting, a petting zoo, bounce houses, shaved ice and food vendors. The sponsor is Team Rehabilitation Physical Therapy.
Managing partner Jamie Salimi said it’s a community give-back event. Food and drinks are complimentary with a wristband while supplies last, and you’re asked to register online.
Started by former East Cobb Business Association president Brian Kramer and other experienced local business leaders, the CCBB provides free start-up assistance to qualified applicants, with a focus on sales, marketing, operations, finance/legal, human resources and entrepreneurial evolution.
On Tuesday there will be a free workshop to go over the bootcamp program details to those interested.
It’s from 5-7 at the North Cobb Regional Library (3535 Old 41 Highway, Kennesaw) and is free to attend. You’re asked to RSVP in advance at https://bit.ly/CCBBIdeaWorkshop9102024.
Since officially opening in March, CCBB has accepted more than 100 business owners as member participants. The goal is to have more than 300 owners on board by the end of the year.
Selected participants will have their scholarships paid for with funding from an American Recovery Program Act small- and minority-owned business grant through Cobb County government.
According to the CCBB website, “this membership covers all aspects of the program such as our online courses, peer-to-peer roundtables, access to our live events and the done-with-you services provided by our partners.”
“We want any minority small business owner in Cobb County to know we’re open, our services are free, and we are eager to help them succeed,” Kramer said in a release.
“One of our key differentiators is that CCBB is set up to help many types of businesses, from mom-and-pop startups in a home office or kitchen to retail businesses or franchises across the community.”
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
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The entrance to the Johnson Ferry North trails of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area will close for about a month starting on Monday due to the construction of a culvert.
The National Park Service said in a social media posting Friday that there will be heavy machinery and cranes in the area and that there “will be no access to the trails at JFN from this entrance while this work is being done.”
The entrance is located at 301 Johnson Ferry Road, just north of the Chattahoochee River, and across from the entrance to Columns Drive (see blue star on map above).
The parking lot for the trails and a nearby boat ramp will remain open, and hikers can access the Johnson Ferry North trails via Hyde Farm.
Completion of the culvert work is expected to be finished by Oct. 9, according to the NPS, which has posted signs at the entrance explaining the closure.
The Johnson Ferry North portion of the Chattahoochee NRA has nine separate trails that stretch north along the river to Mulberry Creek, and connects with the Gold Branch Unit that’s located off Lower Roswell Road to the north and the Johnson Ferry South trails along Columns Drive.
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After a five-year hiatus, the Make-A-Wish Georgia 5K is back, promising a fun-filled, family-friendly event on Oct. 5that supports granting wishes for critically ill children in Cobb County.
Currently, 15 critically ill children in Cobb are waiting for their wishes, which range from travel experiences and medical equipment to meeting celebrities.
“We are thrilled to partner with Cobb County once again with the return of the Make-A-Wish Georgia 5K,” said Tim Earley, CEO of Make-A-Wish Georgia. “This event not only helps fund life-changing wishes but also brings our community together in a fun and meaningful way.”
This year’s race will feature a shirt design by Sneha Shastri, the winner of the road race design contest. Participants can choose from seven different sponsor levels, as well as options for individual and team entries in both timed and untimed categories. The Make-A-Wish 5K is also a qualifying event for the Peachtree Road Race.
The race will start and finish at the Marietta Square, offering runners and walkers the chance to experience the scenic beauty of historic Marietta.
Participants can join for a memorable day of fun and fitness, and help make wishes come true for children in Cobb County.
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The owner of the Bay Breeze seafood restaurant in Northeast Cobb wants to operate a liquor store at that location.
But after the Cobb Business License Division Manager and the agency’s review board denied that request earlier this year, the matter will be going to the Cobb Board of Commissioners next week.
An agenda item for Tuesday’s meeting indicates that there will be a public hearing after Bay Breeze appealed the denials, which were issued due to distance requirements to nearby homeowners.
More than a dozen citizens also sent e-mails to the Cobb Business License office opposing a liquor store.
Documents filed for Tuesday’s meeting indicate that the building at 2418 Canton Road is 177 feet from a residential property line. The county code allows denial of an alcoholic beverage license if a location is within 300 feet.
Some businesses, especially restaurants, often appeal those decisions to get waivers that are typically approved on a routine basis.
But retail liquor stores can be a different matter.
BSC Packing LLC and owner Steve Constantinou said in the appeal that it is seeking a license to operate a daily package store at the current Bay Breeze site, which is just under 10,000 square feet.
The building sits in front of the Chimney Cottage neighborhoood, where much of the opposition has come from.
In July, the license review board upheld the initial denial for an alcohol license. BSC Packing has retained attorney Parks Huff of the Sams Larkin Huff law firm to represent it at Tuesday’s hearing, which is conducted like a court proceeding.
But opposition to a liquor store has been brewing for months.
Agenda item documents include e-mails from last November to the business license agency from nearby residents, who said there are other liquor stores in the area and another such business would be detrimental to the community.
They include Carol Brown of Canton Road Neighbors, a civic association, who said that there are safety concerns because of more frequent vehicular traffic stemming from a liquor store.
She noted that the Bay Breeze property was zoned neighborhood retail commercial (NRC) in 2007 “and therefore may escape close scrutiny” for the final plans,
Another resident counted seven package stores and 11 gas stations selling alcohol in a two-mile radius. Bay Breeze is located on Canton Road just below a busy intersection with Piedmont Road.
A Chimney Cottage resident wrote to the license review board that a liquor store “would attract an undesirable element and detract from an otherwise wholesome family environment. With everything going on in today’s society, this is just not something I want to worry about.”
East Cobb News has left a message with Huff seeking comment.
In its notice of appeal, BSC Packing said the store would start with three employees who would be trained on proper alcohol sales policy and would be subject to termination for sales to minors.
The applicant also said that a video recording, storage and retrieval system would be established that is “commensurate with the size and layout of the store and parking lot after converting from a restaurant.”
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The Cobb Department of Transportation has announced the first public information meetings for the Cobb Mobility SPLOST, the proposed 30-year transit tax that’s up for a referendum vote in November.
What it’s calling “MSPLOST talks” will take place at four Cobb library branches on Wednesday, Sept. 18, from 5-7 p.m.
The locations include the Mountain View Regional Library (3320 Sandy Plains Road).
Cobb DOT said the meetings are open houses and will have no formal presentations. Other locations will be at the Smyrna, North Cobb and Stratton library branches at the same time.
“Drop in to learn about the proposed initiatives, ask questions, and share your thoughts on how MSPLOST funds will be utilized to benefit our community,” Cobb DOT said Thursday in a social media posting.
Under state law, government agencies cannot advocate a position on a referendum vote.
But Cobb commissioners have approved a $287,000 contract with Kimley-Horn, an Atlanta consulting firm, to provide what’s called “educational” information and resources about the proposed tax, including holding public meetings.
Last week, Cobb DOT unveiled its MSPLOST website and is expected to hold further public meetings to be announced.
The tax, if approved by voters in the Nov. 5 general election, would collect one percent of sales tax to fund expanded bus services, transfer stations and related services and facilities, for a total of $11 billion.
Currently Cobb consumers pay six cents’ worth of sales taxes, including SPLOSTs (Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax) for Cobb government and schools.
Among the projects that would be funded with the transit tax is the construction of a bus transfer station in the Roswell-Johnson Ferry Road area and the restoration of two bus routes through East Cobb that were eliminated during recession budget cuts.
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3rd Act Productions, an Alpharetta-based community theatre organization, is staging “Final Audition, Last Chance for the Role of a Lifetime,” a comedy that opens Friday at 8 p.m. at The Art Place Theatre (3330 Sandy Plains Road).
According to promotional information, “this is a heartfelt and hilarious play about pursuing a dream.”
The comedy is set in 1993 in Chicago, and opens with the “voice of legendary Chicago TV & radio host, Bob Sirott, informing all about the big news of the year while playing the greatest hits of 1993, one of the best musical years of the 90s.
“FINAL AUDITION centers on the story of Sally Cochrane, whom after 30 years of heartache and struggle trying to make it as an actress in Chicago, is ready to give up on her dream and go back to Normal (Illinois). But when she learns that famous director, Nick Michaels, is returning to his hometown to cast his next Broadway play with Chicago actors, Sally is torn between doing one final audition or just going back to Normal.”
The play will run in 10 performances from Sept. 6 through Sept. 14. For more information and tickets visit Finalaudition.net.
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The 26th annual EAST COBBER Magazine parade and festival returns on Saturday, Sept. 14.
As in the past, the parade starts at 10 a.m. at Mt. Bethel Elementary School, then marches down Johnson Ferry Road to Olde Towne Parkway.
The event’s community festival takes place at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Laren Brown, the magazine’s owner, said that more than 60 local groups are expected, totaling 3,000 participants, with an audience expected of more than 10,000 attendees.
The participants include scout troops, marching bands, local businesses and civic organizations and more.
A special feature is the VIP treatment for teacher of the year honorees at local schools. “We know many families move to East Cobb for the excellent schools, and this is a unique way to celebrate and recognize our outstanding educators,” Brown said.
The festival includes entertainment, arts and crafts, concessions, carnival games, and local businesses. The presenting sponsor is CertaPro Painters returns, along with Custom Disposal and The Auto Accident Attorney as additional sponsors.
A traffic reminder that we’ll be repeating as the date gets closer—police will be shutting down north- and southbound lanes of Johnson Ferry Road between Roswell and Lower Roswell between 9:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. See route below.
Woodlawn Drive will be open, but traffic will be affected. For information, contact Laren Brown at 770-640-7070 or laren@eastcobber.com.
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A coalition opposed to the Cobb transit tax referendum in November will kick off its campaign next weekend in East Cobb.
The Cobb Taxpayers Association announced Tuesday that a number of elected officials and others will be in attendance at the event on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 12-2 p.m. at Grace Resurrection Methodist Church (1200 Indian Hills Parkway).
The group is leading efforts against a 30-year, one-percent sales tax that, if approved by voters, is expected to collect more than $11 billion to expand bus service in Cobb.
Among the projects that would be funded with the tax is the construction of a bus transfer station in the Roswell-Johnson Ferry Road area and the restoration of two bus routes through East Cobb that were eliminated during recession budget cuts
Guest speakers at the kickoff event include:
Yashica Marshall, candidate for Board of Commissioners, District 4
Ed Setzler, State Senator
Bob Barr, former US Congressman, current president of the NRA
Alicia Adams, candidate for BOC, District 2
Jim Jess, chairman emeritus, Franklin Roundtable (formerly the Georgia Tea Party)
Salleigh Grubbs, chair of the Cobb County GOP
Pam Reardon, candidate for BOC, District 2
Denny Wilson, South Cobb local political activist
According to the CTA, the event is designed to “get YOU fired up and ready to roll up your sleeves to volunteer in our campaign to defeat this odious tax.”
There will be sign-up sheets for phone-banking, canvassing, distributing leaflets, waving signs at major intersections and putting up yard signs.
“It will give you the opportunity to experience the fact that you are not alone in this fight to save our county,” CTA said in its announcement Tuesday.
Last week, Cobb government unveiled an education page about the referendum that was produced by Kimley-Horn, an Atlanta consulting firm the county is paying $287,000 for outreach efforts, including town halls this fall.
Cobb commissioners voted 3-2 to put the proposed sales tax to a referendum, with three Democratic commissioners voting in favor, and two Republicans opposed.
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Senior Sam Mitchell is wearing Matt Hobby’s jersey No. 70 this season in his honor.
The Pope High School football team is playing host to Sprayberry on Friday in a key region game and East Cobb rivalry matchup.
Friday’s game also has been designated as the “Matt Hobby Classic,” a fundraising event honoring the late Greyhounds player and to benefit the Rally Foundation, which raises funds for research and treatments for childhood cancer.
Hobby was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma in 2003 and died in 2006, shortly after graduating. The foundation was being formed at the same time by a Pope parent, and each season a home game serves as a fundraiser.
Buckets will be passed around the stands during the fame Friday in the “4Quarters4Research” for fans to fill with loose change. More than $300,000 has been raised for the Rally Foundation since its inception.
You can learn more about Matt hereand the annual fundraiser here. Special T-shirts also are on sale with proceeds going to the Rally Foundatin.
The varsity football player who is wearing Hobby’s No. 70 jersey this season is senior offensive lineman Sam Mitchell.
He was chosen over the summer for embodying Hobby’s spirit.
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Cobb Schools’ Athlete of the Week (AOW) program is a weekly recognition of male and female student-athletes performing at high levels in their sport, classroom, and school communities. The program is made possible by support from BSN Sports.
This week’s winners are seniors from Kell and Pope. Mary Babcock plays volleyball for the Longhorns, and John Stuetzer plays football for the Greyhounds.
Mary Babcock, Volleyball, Kell
A four-year starter for the Longhorns, Mary recently logged 1500 career assists, a Kell school record. She also has a 94% serve percentage. She has helped lead the team to the Sweet 16 in 2022 and final 4 in 2023. Mary has been playing volleyball for 6 years and started in the 7th grade. She has also played Club Volleyball with several local teams.
“Mary has been an integral part of our team’s success for the last 3 seasons,” said her coach Joseph Auriemma. “She is a player every coach would want on their team. She has a fast instinct and plays with high intensity.”
“She also balances responsibilities between family, volleyball, work, and school. She is a role model for others and is well-respected by her teammates, coaches, teachers and friends. This is a well-deserved honor for this young lady,” Coach Auriemma said enthusiastically about his Athlete of the Week.
“She is an outstanding student both on and off the court,” agreed Kell Athletic Director Oneisha Young. “She excels in the classroom and always has a smile on her face, no matter what challenges come her way.”
John Stuetzer, Football, Pope
In last week’s home win over Dunwoody, John had an exceptional game with five touchdowns. He scored three on receptions and two on the ground, contributing 30 points to the Greyhounds’ first victory of the season, 41-27. He tallied more than 300 total yards with 266 through the air and 35 rushing. John is committed to Florida State next year to play baseball for the Seminoles.
“He is a top-tier talent and a spirited student-athlete who plays with great passion,” said Pope AD Josh Mathews. “A lot of people are excited to see him compete in football and baseball and the fact that he is wearing a Pope jersey exemplifies the great talent that we have here.”
AD Mathews mentioned that John also demonstrates his great passion for Pope by showing up as a fan to support his classmates. “He treats others with great respect and constantly exhibits humility and appreciation for others,” he said proudly.
In the classroom, John is a solid student who balances a rigorous academic load while playing multiple sports, which is uncommon in today’s world of specialization in high school sports.
“He is very deserving of this award after his spectacular effort last week, but we are most proud of the growth he has shown in his career at Pope. We look forward to watching him reap the success he has earned through hard work and commitment to his crafts,” AD Mathews concluded proudly.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
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Cobb Commission District 3 boundaries and voting precincts (in light green), just posted to the Cobb Elections website. For a larger view click here.
More than two years after they were approved by the Georgia legislature, Cobb Board of Commissioner districts are finally being reflected on county government websites and in other official documentation.
That’s because commissioners on Tuesday voted to adopt the maps after losing an appeal over the “home rule” maps commission Democrats adopted in 2022 but that were ruled unconstitutional by a Cobb judge last month.
For voters in East Cobb, however, a lengthy saga of chaos and confusion is only partially over.
While almost all of East Cobb is in District 3—represented by Republican commissioner JoAnn Birrell—District 2 Commissioner Jerica Richardson, whose “home rule” district included some of East Cobb where she lives—is declaring herself a “de facto” commissioner.
Her colleagues declined on Tuesday to give notice of a vacancy in the new District 2, where she is not a legal resident. The legislative maps drew her out, prompting her and her two Democratic commissioners to attempt to use home rule authority to assert reapportionment powers the Georgia Constitution has delegated only to the legislature.
If that vacancy is declared, she would have the right to challenge her removal in court. But during the discussion, Birrell said she thought Richardson should serve out the rest of her term.
“We don’t have answers to a lot of questions” regarding her status on the Cobb commission, Jerica Richardson said, calling it “a deep, deep Constitutional crisis.”
The vote was tied at 2-2 (Richardson had to recuse herself), and commissioners didn’t indicate if they would take up the matter again.
Her term expires on Dec. 31. Richardson, who did not seek re-election amid the home rule controversy, said on a “community huddle” call with constituents Thursday that as far as she’s concerned, “the seat is vacant, but I don’t know that it is,” a reference to having no formal notice of a vacancy.
She said she’s not sure at the moment what powers, if any, she may still have, especially about sitting in official meetings and taking votes.
“I still want to know if there is some authority under which I’m operating,” Richardson said on the call, adding that it’s a “deep, deep Constitutional crisis.”
Cobb commissioners don’t have another official meeting until Sept. 10.
But the question of whether some of her appointees may not be able to continue to serve—also due to district residency requirements—is uncertain as well.
Among them is David Anderson, Richardson’s appointee to the Cobb Planning Commission, which meets next Tuesday.
He’s a resident of what is now being recognized by the county as District 3, living in the area around Murdock Elementary School.
Planning Commission members serve concurrent terms as the commissioners who appoint them, so Anderson’s term also expires at the end of the year.
East Cobb News has inquired with the county about whether Anderson and other Richardson appointees may be affected by the new maps but has not received a response.
As for East Cobb voters who had been in District 2 under the “home rule” maps: While they got to vote in that race in the May primaries, they won’t be eligible to cast votes in the special elections that were ordered for early next year by Cobb Superior Court Judge Kellie Hill.
She vacated the primary results in Districts 2 and 4 because the Cobb elections board also used the “home rule” maps.
The official District 2 runs along I-75 and includes most of the Smyrna/Cumberland area, pushing as east as the western side of Powers Ferry Road.
Here are the precincts in East Cobb that went from District 2 under the “home rule” maps to District 3 under the state maps commissioners adopted this week:
Chestnut Ridge 01
Dickerson 01
Dodgen 01
Eastside 01
Eastside 02
Fullers Park 01
Hightower 01
Murdock 01
Mt. Bethel 01
Mt. Bethel 03
Mt. Bethel 04
Powers Ferry 01
Roswell 01
Roswell 02
Sewell Mill 01
Sewell Mill 03
Sope Creek 01
Sope Creek 02
Sope Creek 03
Terrell Mill 01
Timber Ridge 01
Birrell and Keli Gambrill, the other Republican commissioner from District 1 in North and West Cobb, were re-elected in 2022 using the state maps.
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Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump
The Georgia Secretary of State’s office this week finalized the names appearing on the Georgia general election ballot for U.S. President.
That’s the first time that more than four candidates have qualified for the Georgia presidential ballot since 1948.
Georgia figures to be a swing state again as the race between the two leading party candidates is polling closely, following their recent political conventions.
In addition to Democratic Party nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump, two third-party candidates qualified, as did two independent candidates.
Chase Oliver of Atlanta is the Libertarian Party candidate, while Jill Stein qualified for the third time to head the Green Party ticket.
The independent candidates are Cornel West, a longtime professor, author and political activist, and Claudia de la Cruz, a political organizer and pastor from New York.
The latter is officially with the Party for Socialism and Liberation but qualified as an independent. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger overruled a state administrative court ruling that denied her, Stein and West Georgia ballot access, according to the AP.
The administrative law judge had ruled that third-party and independent candidates should be left off the Georgia ballot, following challenges from Democratic interests. All but Oliver are on the political left, and in 2020 Georgia’s presidential race was one of the closest in the country.
Chase Oliver, Libertarian; and Jill Stein, Green Party.
Democrat Joe Biden was declared the winner by fewer than 12,000 votes, but Trump—who edged out Hillary Clinton in Georgia in 2016—and his supporters have been claiming election fraud ever since.
Trump and 18 others were indicted in Fulton County earlier this year for allegedly trying to overturn the Georgia results. While some have pleaded guilty or negotiated other pleas, Trump has been able to delay that prosecution by trying to get Fulton County District Attorney disqualified.
Those proceedings have been put on hold, until likely after the election, by the Georgia Court of Appeals.
Another candidate who had been attempting to qualify was Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who was running as an independent after leaving the Democratic primary races.
But he dropped out of the race last week and endorsed Trump.
Under Georgia law, Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians automatically qualify for the presidential ballot.
Cornel West and Claudia de la Cruz, independents
In 2020, Cobb voters gave Biden a majority of the vote, while Trump won a slim majority of the precincts in East Cobb.
Harris, the sitting vice president who was nominated by the Democrats when Biden declined to seek re-election, appeared in Savannah this week with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, also have appeared in Georgia since the Republican convention in July.
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Cobb County government has begun its rollout of an “education” campaign for the proposed 30-year, $11 billion transit tax referendum.
What’s being called the Cobb Mobility SPLOST (Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax), or M-SPLOST, is the main ballot issue for local voters in the November general election, and this week the official information website for that referendum was launched.
It contains a project list, maps, financial figures, ballot language and more. Here’s what voters will see on their ballots:
“Shall a special 1 percent sales and use tax be imposed in the special district consisting of Cobb County for a period of time not to exceed thirty years and for the raising of funds for transit and transit supportive projects? These projects will be as defined in O.C.G.A. § 48-8-269.40, and will be inclusive of the approved project list within the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority Regional Transit Plan (ARTP).
“If imposition of the tax is approved by the voters, such vote shall constitute approval of the issuance of general obligation debt of Cobb County in the principal amount not to exceed $950,000,000 for the above purpose.”
Like the Cobb government and Cobb school SPLOSTs, the M-SPLOST would collect one percent of sales tax revenue on the dollar to fund the creation of more than 100 miles of new bus routes, along with transfer stations.
That includes restoring bus routes through East Cobb that were cut during the recession, as well as construction of a transfer station in the Roswell-Johnson Ferry area.
Those supporting the tax say Cobb needs more transit options with a growing population that’s expected to surpass one million by 2025. Opponents say the tax is too long and that ridership figures haven’t demonstrated enough demand for such a system.
The proposed high-capacity bus route through East Cobb, along Roswell Road, that’s on the M-SPLOST transit tax referendum.
Earlier this year, the MDJ reported that ridership across the overall Cobb bus system has plummeted from 3.7 million annual trips in 2014 to just under 1 million trips in 2022, and that the decline began well before COVID-19.
A total of $6 billion from the referendum would be used to build out and expand “high capacity” transit, including the East Cobb route.
But that route—designated as an Arterial Rapid Transit route, or ART—wouldn’t be built during the first decade of the transit tax, according to build-out projection maps on the M-SPLOST website.
Another East Cobb route is a “Rapid Route” that would connect the East Cobb transfer station with the Dunwoody MARTA Station, heading down Johnson Ferry Road.
Here’s a further breakdown of what transit-tax revenues would fund if the referendum passes:
73 Miles of Bus Rapid Transit
34 Miles of Arterial Rapid Transit
325 Miles of Expanded Local, Commuter, and Rapid Transit
6 New/Enhanced Transit Facilities
100% Countywide Microtransit Coverage
Increased Paratransit Service
$1 Billion investment in Transit Supportive Projects
Earlier this year, the MDJ reported that ridership across the overall Cobb bus system has plummeted from 3.7 million annual trips in 2014 to just under 1 million trips in 2022, and that the decline began well before COVID-19.
The county estimates that average daily ridership on the transit system could surpass 40,000 by 2025, near the end of the sales tax period. Currently, that figure is only around 3,000 riders a day.
The consulting firm Kimley-Horn put together the website and is responsible for flyers, brochures and other forms of communication, as part of a $287,000 contract with the county.
The M-SPLOST website and other materials are supposed to be neutral on the subject of the referendum—not advocating a position on the issue.
But transit tax referendum opponents are skeptical. Language in the “M-SPLOST Funding” section explains what would happen either way:
If the MSPLOST is approved by voters, the MSPLOST will ensure that the cost of Cobb County Transit is shared by all consumers who purchase goods within the county. This shift would distribute the funding responsibility across all residents, businesses, and non-residents (including commuters and tourists). Additionally, increased transit funding provided through dedicated financial streams like the proposed MSPLOST enhances Cobb County’s ability to secure matching funds, making us more competitive for grant awards.
If the MSPLOST is rejected by voters, Cobb County will, for the foreseeable future, continue to operate CobbLinc with local property taxes as the primary revenue source, supplemented by standard federal funds and customer fares.
Cobb transportation staff will hold public meetings regarding the referendum in the fall, but those details have not yet been announced.
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!
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!
A reader alerted us earlier this week to the fact that the Power-Jackson Cabin located on Post Oak Tritt Road, and that has been the subject of an urgent historic preservation effort, was no longer there.
Cobb Landmarks, a local historic preservation non-profit, has been raising funds to have the cabin removed and relocated elsewhere in East Cobb, to Hyde Farm, with other 1840s-era farming structures.
On Thursday, the organization said the task was completed this week, during a process of tagging, disassembling, relocating.
Cobb Landmarks raised more than $70,000 to do the work, after getting approval from the Cobb Board of Commissioners in April for $321,000 in 2011 SPLOST funds for professional restoration work on the cabin at Hyde Farm.
It’s been more than a year since the preservation effort got underway, following a rezoning request on the wooded property where the cabin stood.
The Power-Jackson Cabin, possibly built before 1840 by farmer William Power, was located on 13 undeveloped acres on Post Oak Tritt Road near McPherson Road that was part of a recent zoning case.
Landowner Kenneth B. Clary sought rezoning for a single-family subdivision, but issues over the cabin and possible Power family burials complicated the issue.
Hyde Farm is where another Power family cabin exists, as part of a working 1840s farm that was in family hands until the 1990s. Cobb PARKS oversees that property off Lower Roswell Road.
At one zoning hearing, cemetery preservationists also noted that a young mother—likely Power’s daughter—and two infants are buried on the site, further complicating development efforts.
Cobb Landmarks said there’s evidence suggesting the Power-Jackson Cabin may be the oldest standing structure in Cobb County, even predating the establishment of the county in 1832.
As for the possible burial grounds, the organization said that while “their exact location remains uncertain, we took precautions to avoid disturbing the suspected burial area during the disassembly of the cabin.”
The restoration work will be performed by Leatherwood Inc., a Tennessee-based company that restored 13 structures at Hyde Farm in 2014.
Cobb PARKS also is awaiting word on a request submitted to the National Park Service to add Hyde Farm to the National Register of Historic Places.
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