The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports. They include the subdivision name and high school attendance zone in parenthesis:
Dec. 11
805 Exposition Pointe, 30067 (The Townes at Marietta, Wheeler): $447,310
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!
As we close out our news coverage this year, we’ve surpassed 1.7 million pageviews and 900,000 unique monthly visitors for the past 12 months.
Our previous best was in 2020, dominated by coverage of the local response to COVID-19 and a competitive election year.
We didn’t have those things in 2023, but East Cobb News readers visited our site for a variety of timely news stories, features, calendar listings and other information that’s reflected in our yearly roundup of top stories.
We’re doing this in two posts. In this one, we’ll share some of our and reader favorites—feature stories, people, the always-changing restaurant and business scene, lifestyle news and more.
Mark Aston has been the public-address voice of Walton High School sports for several years, and this spring a friend encouraged him to take a shot at the opening with the Atlanta Braves.
A former football walk-on at Auburn, Aston does some sports voice-over work for his alma mater and for other sports.
The man Walton athletes call VOMA—the “Voice of Mark Aston”—made the final group of Braves hopefuls. The organization chose someone else, but Aston said he enjoyed the experience and was taken back by the recognition he got in the community.
He continues his PA work with Walton, and was the emcee at the 2023 Taste of East Cobb, staged by the Walton Parent Booster Association.
Restaurant openings and closings
Cafe Rivkah opened in March, serving up baked goods and Mediterranean-style breakfast and lunch items.
2023 was a busy year on the East Cobb restaurant scene.
Several East Cobb favorites reopened in new locations: Tasty China and Rose and Crown on Powers Ferry Road; and LongHorn, now at Merchants Exchange.
At Avenue East Cobb, the New York Butcher Shoppe opened, the first of a wave of new eateries coming with the redevelopment of the retail center. In early 2024 Avenue will welcome Round Trip Brewing Co., Press Waffle Co., Peach State Pizza and a gaming-friendly expansion at Tin Lizzy’s.
Also coming in early 2024 is a new location of Sidelines Grill, at Stonewood Village, in the former Egg Harbor Cafe and Ritters space.
Plans for the former Red Sky site have also been delayed into 2024. What was to have been called 1255 Social and featuring a wood-fire grill and oven and locally- and regionally-sourced dinner fare has been renamed Reunion Kitchen. It’s keeping the same concept and ownership group, but an estimated opening date hasn’t been announced.
The grocery chain’s first “superstore” in metro Atlanta opened its doors in August, the crown jewel of the MarketPlace Terrell Mill redevelopment.
The 90,000-square-foot store features a specially-designed mural of local landmarks at the entrance, leading into a cornucopia of fresh-cut flowers, an abundance of produce offerings and fully stocked sushi, delicatessen, bakery and meat and seafood counters. There’s also a location of Murray’s Cheese Shop.
Dance Stop Studio turns 50
One of East Cobb’s longest-lasting businesses hit the half-century mark. In August, Dance Stop Studio held an open house at its location at Merchants Exchange—its third facility under owner Lynette Strickland, whose staff includes former students.
“They started with us when they were young and came back because they love the children,” she said.
The Dance Stop Company that Strickland started to conduct auditions and hold performances for the public at larger venues recently held a holiday special event at the Lassiter Concert Hall.
EAST COBBER parade and festival returns
For the first time since COVID-19, bands, schools and other organizations marched down Johnson Ferry Road on the first Saturday in September.
It was the return of the EAST COBBER parade and festival, and included many familiar participants. The event was the first for publisher Laren Brown, who purchased the magazine in 2022 from founder Cynthia Rozzo.
Old buildings complicate zoning cases
A couple of zoning cases in East Cobb were abandoned in 2023 after historic preservationists asked for time to save some of the county’s oldest known existing buildings.
They included the Power-Jackson Cabin on Post Oak Tritt Road and the McAfee House on Bells Ferry Road.
Both rezoning requests—for a subdivision on the former and a car wash on the latter—were eventually dropped.
In November, Cobb Landmarks, an historic preservation non-profit, announced a fundraising drive to pay to relocate the 1840s-era Power-Jackson Cabin to Hyde Farm, a working farm from the same time period operated by Cobb PARKS off Lower Roswell Road.
The goal is to have it added to the grounds, with the possibility of using 2016 Cobb SPLOST funds to restore the cabin.
SPLOST funds have been used to preserve other structures at Hyde Farm, which was turned over to the county in 1999 by the Trust for Public Land. Cobb Landmarks maintains the cabin and conducts tours of the property.
Gritters/Shaw Park redevelopment
Gritters Library was demolished in 2023 to make room for a new facility combining library services with the nearby Northeast Cobb Community Center.
That’s just one part of a proposed revitalization of Shaw Park, an aging Cobb PARKS facility that features ball fields, playgrounds and picnic pavilions.
In March, county officials held a community town hall to explain the situation, and to hear suggestions.
Sand Plains Softball players pleaded to save their fields. Pickleball players expressed the need for more courts in a fast-growing recreational sport.
They and others cited safety and crime issues that have been a growing concern, as have outdated bathrooms.
County officials went “back to the drawing board” but haven’t yet presented a proposal that would require further public meetings and a master plan.
A 20th work anniversary surprise
When Jerri Heacock showed up for work at the East Cobb Barber Shop on Sept. 19, she wasn’t aware of a big surprise that was in store for her.
The longtime stylist was marking her 20th anniversary, and before long customers and co-w0rkers were showering her with gifts, a cake and praise.
“She just always has a smile, really knows how to build a rapport with customers,” owner Dee Reitz said. “That’s why she’s the first chair.”
Heacock said that working at the four-employee shop feels like family, and her boss said it’s not easy to find a stylist who can build up a loyal clientele.
“I don’t like turnover,” Reitz added. Having a reliable, friendly and familiar face “makes people feel comfortable.”
Taste of East Cobb
Point of personal privilege as I wrap up this year-end review. The year 2023 was so good for us at East Cobb News, including our participation in the Taste of East Cobb festival.
It was our first time as a sponsor, and was such a great example of the community connection that we take pride in with our coverage and everything we do.
It was great working with the Walton Band Parent Associaiton, which put on a top-notch event, and we look forward to being at the 2024 festival.
It was also so gratifying to meet readers, the community at-large and others who told us how much they value our truly local news and information.
As I wrote then, I was tickled to hear some of you say things like “I love how local you are.”
We’re aiming to do even more in 2024, and I wanted to say thanks to my readers, advertisers and citizens of this community for getting in touch and being part of what we do for all of you.
Happy New Year East Cobb!
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As we close out our news coverage this year, we’ve surpassed 1.7 million pageviews and 900,000 unique monthly visitors for the past 12 months.
Our previous best was in 2020, dominated by coverage of the local response to COVID-19 and a competitive election year.
We didn’t have those things in 2023, but East Cobb News readers visited our site for a variety of timely news stories, features, calendar listings and other information that’s reflected in our yearly roundup of top stories.
We’re doing this in two posts. In this one, we’ll link to those stories and individuals who were among the notable newsmakers and headliners in events taking place in East Cobb.
In a separate post, we’ll share some of our and reader favorites—feature stories, people, the always-changing restaurant and business scene, lifestyle news and more.
These items are in no particular order—this isn’t in a countdown format—and admittedly some of the stories had a countywide impact. But East Cobb residents made their views known, and often took part in some contentious and momentous events.
Anti-Semitic protests/Cobb Israel resolution
Anti-Semitic protestors waved a Nazi swastika flag in front of the Chabad of Cobb synagogue in June, prompting an Ecumenical service at an East Cobb Methodist church that included more calls for stronger state hate speech laws.
After the Hamas-Israel conflict broke out in October, Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell proposed a resolution in defense of the Israelis. But Cobb Muslim and Palestinian citizens heatedly objected, and ultimately commissioners decided not to take up the matter.
Books removed from Cobb school libraries
Not long after a new school year began in August, the Cobb County School District removed three titles from more than 20 school libraries, including some in East Cobb, because they had sexually explicit contents.
Some parents and social advocates complained of censorship and hostility to LGBTQ students, and after a Due West Elementary School teacher was fired for reading a book to her 5th-grade students that the district said violated a new state divisive-concepts law.
Katie Rinderle asked for a public hearing, but the Cobb Board of Education ultimately voted along partisan lines to uphold the termination.
Redistricting lawsuits continue
Squabbles over Cobb commission and school board electoral maps took up most of 2023, and will continue in 2024.
Cobb’s controversial home rule claim for redrawing commission districts is still awaiting court action. In January, Birrell and Keli Gambrill, the other Republican commissioner, were ordered from the dais at the body’s first meeting for refusing to vote.
They claimed that their Democratic colleagues were illegally ignoring lines approved by the legislature but that also drew out East Cobb commissioner Jerica Richardson.
Gambrill filed a lawsuit in Cobb Superior Court but was later dismissed for not having standing; Judge Ann Harris has held two hearings but has not issued a ruling. Richardson, whose term ends in 2024, has announced a Congressional run.
The plaintiffs are alleging that 2021 reapportionment diluted minority voting strength under the U.S. Civil Rights Act. Post 6, which had been in East Cobb, is now confined to the Cumberland-Smyrna-Vinings area.
Cobb school board candidates announce
Two political newcomers have been campaigning for much of 2023 for a seat that’s up next year on the Cobb Board of Education.
It’s the Post 5 seat held by four-term incumbent David Banks, and includes the Walton, Wheeler and Pope clusters.
Republican John Crisatodoro has the backing of prominent business and political leaders in the county, while Democrat Laura Judge is a member of the education advocacy group Watching the Funds-Cobb.
Both are parents in the Walton cluster; Banks, who is 82, said he is undecided on running again.
New Eastvalley ES campus opens
After a few months of delays, the new campus of Eastvalley Elementary School opened to students during the fall break in October.
Cobb school district leaders and the Eastvalley community took part in a ribbon-cutting and tours on the former site of East Cobb Middle School on Holt Road.
The nearly 150,000-square-foot building cost $37 million and features a learning commons with “a top of the line recording studio” as well as a courtyard with two playscapes and a pedestrian track.
The two Republicans wanted a rollback on the general fund millage rate after a sharp spike in property tax assessments that prompted plenty of complaints from homeowners.
Birrell faced the heat from constituents at a town hall meeting at which she pledged to try to get a millage rate reduction. “I need two other votes,” she said.
That would include restoring bus service along Roswell Road in East Cobb and from Johnson Ferry Road to the Dunwoody MARTA Station; those routes were discontinued in budget cuts during the recession.
Citizens at a September town hall in East Cobb in September expressed concerns, but a member of Richardson’s “community cabinet” said “the opportunity is now to envision the transit system of the future.”
Acclaimed Georgia author Mary Kay Andrews had the ribbon-cutting honors, and shoppers toured through the shelves and enjoyed treats from the store’s cafe.
It’s the first of a new concept store from B & N with a smaller footprint than its usual stores and with specially-curated selections from store managers responding to local reader preferences.
In September, the retail center’s new plaza—at the heart of its redevelopment—made its debut in a garden-party format, with ticket proceeds benefitting MUST Ministries.
The open-air plaza includes a stage for live music and television screenings, and for shoppers to
A number of new restaurants also announced early 2024 openings, including Press Waffle Co., Peach State Pizza and Round Trip Brewing Co., all located in the newly refurbished area.
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On New Year’s Day, fireworks can be discharged until midnight, and there are other restrictions regarding the use of fireworks under that provision.
They include a prohibition against setting off fireworks within 100 feet of an electrical plant, water or waste-water treatment plants; electric substations; gas stations; jails or prisons; hospitals; nursing homes; and other health-care facilities.
In addition, Cobb County Government prohibits use of fireworks in any county park.
Fireworks can be set off only by adults ages 18 and older.
The Cobb Department of Fire and Emergency Services advises those discharging fireworks to refrain from placing any part of your body over a device when lighting the fuse. More safety tips:
Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishaps.
Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.
Unfortunately, fireworks cause serious noise issues that disturb pets. Cobb Fire advises owners to keep their pets indoors and away from windows, playing music and closing curtains if need be to drown out the noise.
Domestic animals should be collared, tagged and microchipped in case it becomes frightened, escapes and gets lost or injured.
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Legislative and Congressional electoral maps redrawn by the Georgia legislature during a special session this month have been approved by a federal judge who ordered them.
Atlanta-based U.S. District Judge Steve Jones on Thursday upheld a “remedial plan” for the 2024 elections to redistrict seats in the Georgia General Assembly and for Georgia’s representatives in the U.S. House.
That was prompted by a lawsuit alleging violations of the U.S. Voting Rights Act by plaintiffs including some Cobb African-American citizens.
They include redrawing East Cobb’s U.S. House boundaries dramatically.
Georgia’s 2024 primaries for Congress, the legislature and local offices are in May, with qualifying in March.
Maps approved in 2021 split East Cobb into the 6th and 11th districts. But the new maps (click here) put most of East Cobb in the 11th District, represented by Republican Barry Loudermilk.
For the 2024 election, his strongly-conservative district also will include his home base of Bartow County, all of Pickens and Gordon counties and some of Cherokee County.
The redrawn 11th Congressional District. For a larger view click here.
The East Cobb area had been largely represented in the Senate with one seat, District 32. But after the 2021 Census, legislators redrew the East Cobb area to include District 32, District 56 and District 6.
For the 2023 session, those incumbents were Republicans Kay Kirkpatrick and John Albers and Democrat Jason Esteves, respectively.
The new lines remove District 6 and place some of East Cobb in District 33, which stretches from Powder Springs and through the city of Marietta.
That’s represented by Democrat Michael “Doc” Rhett, who represented a smaller part of the East Cobb area until reapportionment.
Republicans will still likely have nine of Georgia’s 14 U.S. House seats after the 2024 election.
The Georgia legislature has had Republican majorities since 2005. Currently the GOP has a 102-78 advantage in the House, and a 33-23 majority in the Senate.
Former 6th District U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, who moved to the Gwinnett-based 7th District in 2022, announced after the judge’s decision this week that she will run in the new 6th, which includes most of South Cobb and covers an area represented by longtime Democratic incumbent David Scott.
The new 7th District is designed to maintain a Republican representative and covers north Fulton, Forsyth and Dawson counties, all in the current 6th. That’s held by first-term GOP U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick.
Cobb’s new boundaries in the Georgia State Senate.
Before the special legislative session, Cobb Democratic Commissioner Jerica Richardson announced her intent to run fort the 6th District.
She said after the interim maps were approved that they “didn’t pass the smell test” and that she hasn’t decided which district to run in.
Richardson, who hasn’t commented on Jones’ decision this week to approve the maps, said she would not run in a district with a Democratic incumbent.
McBath, a Marietta Democrat and an ardent gun-control advocate, defeated GOP incumbent Karen Handel in the 6th District in 2018.
While members of Congress don’t have to live in their districts, the Gwinnett area currently in the 7th District was carved up into four districts designed for Republican representation.
“I refuse to allow an extremist few Republicans decide when my work in Congress is finished,” McBath said Thursday in a statement issued by her campaign.
She’s switching to the 6th, she said, “because too much is at stake to stand down.”
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!
The brother partnership of David and Michael Cohen has announced they will be opening Peach State Pizza at Avenue East Cobb on Jan. 9.
The new concept, as we noted in February, focuses on “Southern-style pizza with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients.”
The menu will include appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and desserts, as well as locally brewed beer, domestics and specialty cocktails.
The space will include 3,650 square feet formerly occupied by Stockyard Burgers and Bones with décor “reflect[ing] the warmth of a Southern farmhouse and the relaxation of a front porch swing, punctuated by vintage photos, signs and artwork of classic Georgia landmarks.
It’s one of the key new restaurant additions to Avenue as it continues its overhaul. Press Waffle Co. is delaying its opening in one of the retail center’s new “jewel boxes” until after the first of the year, but a new opening date hasn’t been announced.
Peach State Pizza also will have two outdoor patios that will have events such as cornhole competitions and live music.
The menu items include plenty of Southern-inspired fare across the board, from a pimiento cheese grit fritters starter (and that we sampled at Avenue’s Plaza celebration in September); green tomato, brisket and pulled pork pizza offerings; and a variety of greens, sides, sandwiches and desserts.
Customers can also “build their own pie” with traditional pizza ingredients.
Peach State Pizza’s opening comes as Drift Fish House and Oyster Bar is winding down operations at Avenue after nearly eight years. The last day of service is Saturday, following an announcement last month by owner Doug Turbush that he would not be renewing his lease.
Elsewhere at Avenue, Tin Lizzy’s is expanding its space for a family-friendly gaming bar and will be opening that early in 2024; a specific timeline hasn’t been announced.
Also coming early next year is the second location of Round Trip Brewing Co., a German-style restaurant and taproom whose concept debut has been successful in the trendy Atlanta Westside foodie scene.
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!
The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports. They include the subdivision name and high school attendance zone in parenthesis:
Dec. 4
2491 Pauls Way, 30062 (Barbara Estates, Pope): $425,000
2588 Club Valley Drive, 30068 (Beverly Hills Estates, Wheeler): $625,000
1510 Garden Lane Circle, 30062 (Sewell Mill Heights, Walton): $531,000
3771 Manor House Drive, 30062 (Bradford, Pope): $535,000
3331 Emory Drive, 30062 (Hembree Hills, Pope): $425,000
3768 Rivaridge Drive, 30062 (Village North Highlands, Lassiter): $485,000
881 Richmond Hill Drive, 30068 (Yorkshire Hills, Walton): $550,000
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Residents in the Loch Highland neighborhood in East Cobb are helping out one of their own for the Christmas holiday after his home was destroyed in a fire Saturday.
Neighbors have set up a fundraising drive for Bobby Bell, who lives on Loch Highland Pass, and according to a resident escaped the blaze with his two dogs, wallet and phone.
Everything else was lost in the fire, which broke out Saturday evening, according to the Cobb Fire & Emergency Services Department.
Cobb Fire spokesman Troy Lange said a call was made at 6:54 p.m. Saturday but by the time crews arrived the home was fully engulfed in flames.
He said the preliminary cause is from a fire in the fireplace.
The Loch Highland resident sent us the above photo and said that a fundraising goal of $20,000 has been set for Bell, with more nearly $7,000 having been raised (there’s also a QR code below that’s accepting donations).
She said Bell has been staying in a hotel paid for by the Red Cross and that an empty home in Loch Highland has been offered as a temporary shelter “until he can get his own place and someone else has offered their basement apartment.”
“Please consider giving a little or a lot to help him re-establish his home to cover his basic needs,” the fundraising appeal on GiveSendGo states. “If you can’t give, you can send Bobby your prayers.”
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Below is another clip from a concert last Saturday at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church featuring Coro Vocati, an Atlanta-based choral ensemble (previous videos here).
Here at East Cobb News, we’d like to wish all of our readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Unless there’s major breaking news, we’ll publish again on Tuesday, the day after Christmas.
All of the past week’s news, calendar listings and more can be found on our newsletter, the East Cobb News Digest, which is published on Sunday.
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!
On Saturday, Dec. 9, the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) spread extra joy by distributing toys to chosen underserved communities in Cobb County through its annual program, Santa on Wheels, also known as Santa Sobre Ruedas. This initiative, a collaboration between the Sheriff’s Office and the Foundation, aims to provide free toys to households facing financial challenges during the holidays. Thanks to the collective efforts of the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, Cobb Sheriff’s Foundation, and the generous contributions from Cobb County residents, thousands of toys were collected and passed out this holiday season.
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It’s hard to believe 2023 has come and is almost gone—it’s really flown by for me—and I wanted to leave you with a final message as we celebrate the holidays.
First of all, thanks to East Cobb News readers for your readership and your financial support.
This has been the best year for our 6-1/2-year-old site in terms of traffic and readership growth, and it’s very gratifying.
As I write this, we are approaching 1.7 million page views and more than 875,000 unique visitors.
That last figure is important, because it averages out to around 75,000 individual accounts that visit this site at least once a month. That’s around a third our coverage area of 200,000.
Our newsletter growth also has been very solid this year, as we recently surpassed 8,700 subscribers.
Our previous annual best for traffic was 2020, which was the year of the start of COVID-19 and an election year.
In 2023, we had none of those things, and readers have been coming to East Cobb News for a variety of reasons, and that’s what’s been so heartening.
Whether it’s coverage of local government and politics, schools news, crime, traffic, zoning, or new businesses and restaurants, readers have told us repeatedly how much they value what they get in one place—whether it’s daily on our site, via social media postings or through the newsletter.
There are more details in the video below, but I also wanted to thank those of you who have contributed to our “6 for 6” readership campaign this year.
We really appreciate the financial support as we strive to serve you with more news that’s relevant to you, and as we continue this experiment in redefining what local news can mean for the East Cobb community.
As I have said previously in this column, the local news landscape looks bleak and barren in many places, as legacy media—traditional newspapers, radio and television—have struggled to adapt to the digital age.
East Cobb News is all-online, publishing every day, with timely, professionally reported news and useful community information that makes a difference for the people who live here.
That’s who we do this for, and if you like what you see here and you haven’t donated before, consider making a contribution at whatever amount you like.
Simply put, East Cobb News readers are at the center of what this is all about. Unlike many other media outlets, we don’t charge to read our coverage, and we never will. No paywalls here.
We offer this news resource as a public service to the community, but we’re also a small business. We want to continue telling the stories of the people that make East Cobb a special place to call home for many years to come.
We also believe that local news and local business go hand-in-hand, and our advertisers are much like our readers—they tell us how much they like how deeply local we are. They want to reach local audiences, and there’s not a better-engaged readership in East Cobb than those who are part of East Cobb News.
But there’s so much more we want to do!
In the coming year, we want to go more in-depth with the news and features that our readers come to expect, especially with an election year coming.
I want to hear from you about what you value in East Cobb News, and ask how we can make this site better. I will be sending a reader survey out in early January, and I would appreciate the feedback.
In the meantime, I’d like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We’ll be on a lighter posting schedule for the rest of the year, but stay tuned for our roundup of top stories of the year and other features as we approach New Year’s.
Seasons Greetings East Cobb and thanks for your readership!
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In 2018, officers from the Community Affairs Unit started the Cobb County Police Department SWAT Santa Project. This now annual project takes place leading up to Christmas each year. It is a chance to give deserving families an opportunity to have an enjoyable and blessed Christmas. The SWAT Santa Project is a huge undertaking by Cobb County Police Department employees and volunteers that begins each October with the Cool Cars and Cops car show. The drawing for the SWAT Santa Raffle is held at the car show and the funds raised from the raffle are used to purchase gifts for the children at Christmas time. Over the years, raffle prizes and gifts have been donated by many generous businesses and individuals that help support this worthy cause.
Children are identified with the help of local school counselors. Each child creates a wish list that is compiled by the department’s Community Affairs Unit. Officers, non-sworn volunteers, and of course “SWAT Santa” himself, went shopping on December 14 at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 6520 Ernest Barrett Parkway in Marietta. Oftentimes, the gifts the children put on their list are not for themselves, but for parents and siblings so that they can experience the joy of giving. This daylong shopping spree always brings joy to those involved.
All the gifts purchased at Wal-Mart will be transported to Due West United Methodist Church located at 3956 Due West Road in Marietta, where volunteers from the congregation, the community, and department, will wrap the gifts. On Thursday, December 21, and Friday, December 22, the gifts were delivered to the homes of the children taking part in the SWAT Santa Project
SWAT Santa will be adorned in a blue Santa suit with Cobb County Police patches to demonstrate the partnership with the police department and the community. Instead of a sleigh pulled by reindeer, SWAT Santa will be making his rounds in one of the department’s armored SWAT response vehicles, known as Bearcats. Santa cheerfully visits houses, apartment complexes, and hotels, bringing his helpers and an endless supply of ice cream with him.
Anyone seeking further information about the SWAT Santa Project can reach out to Lt. McCloskey or Sgt. Grimstead at (770) 499-3984.
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Fullers Park in East Cobb will once again be a location for Keep Cobb Beautiful’s “Bring One for the Chipper” Christmas tree recycling drive.
Citizens can drop off their trees starting Christmas Day through Jan. 6, 2024 for conversion into mulch, beautification projects, wildlife habitats and other useful materials.
The locations include two Home Depot stores in East Cobb: at Providence Square Shopping Center (4101 Roswell Road) and Highland Plaza Shopping Center (3605 Sandy Plains Road)
There will be a limited supply of samplings at those Home Depot stores from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.
Trees must be dropped off in the designated areas of the locations only and all lights, ornaments and tree stands must be removed.
Flocked trees will not be accepted because they are harmful to wildlife. No other items will be accepted.
For more details about locations and addresses, click here.
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Portland Trail Blazers Rookie Point Guard Scoot Henderson and his fourth annual O.D.D Holiday, hosted by the Henderson family and Next Play 360 was a magical and festive-filled event for more than 100 families across Marietta, Georgia and Portland, Oregon on Monday December 18.
O.D.D Holiday stems from Scoot Henderson’s personal mantra, O.D.D (Overly Determined to Dominate). In an effort to be the best version of himself and impact others throughout his communities to do the same, Scoot and Next Play 360 started the first O.D.D Holiday in 2019. O.D.D Holiday operates under the idea that every family deserves the warmth of the holiday spirit, and the ability to create cherished memories.
“As someone who is a passionate advocate for community engagement, I’m excited to host Portland’s inaugural annual O.D.D Holiday event, and see my family continue the tradition back home in Marietta, GA at Next Play 360,” said Scoot Henderson. “My dedication to community service in the two places that I call home go hand-in-hand with my commitment to making a lasting impact beyond the court. This initiative represents love, unity and our family mission to help build up our communities, not just during the holiday season, but always.”, said Scoot Henderson about the event.
To prepare for the holiday celebration, on December 16, TedX Portland hosted a O.D.D Holiday wrapping event, where eight of the Scoot’s Suits participants were invited for a community giveback event, private tour and professional development workshop. Earlier this year, Scoot’s Suits was created in partnership with INDOCHINO, which provides custom suits to young professionals in Marietta and Portland. The participants wrote holiday cards and wrapped presents for the O.D.D Holiday event, and had the opportunity to hear from a TedX Portland speaker, take professional headshots, undergo a professional development workshop, and attend a NBA game.
On December 18, children and families were able to pick-up their holiday gifts. Scoot and Next Play 360 partnered with PUMA, Footlocker, and Ayesha Curry’s brand Sweet July to provide donations for more than 100 families. Donated items included coats, PUMA t-shirts, sweatshirts, winter hats, cookware and more.
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After years of planning and building, there is now a safe place for people to go to get the care they need when leaving destructive and abusive situations. Last week, officials and supporters cut the ribbon on the Cobb County Family Advocacy Center—a central location for crime victims to get assistance. The FAC is designed to address barriers faced by victims, by locating critical service providers under one roof with a coordinated intake process.
The FAC will meet the wide and varied needs of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, stalking, and human trafficking. Read more about the Cobb Family Advocacy Center at CobbFAC.org.
Some more background information about the center, which operates out of the Cobb District Attorney’s Office, and is the first such center in the state of Georgia providing coordinated services:
The office was awarded a four-year grant worth up to $400,000 to create the advocacy center, which is partnering with LiveSAFE Resources, SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc., the Cobb Sheriff’s Office and Police Department, the Solicitor General’s Office, Legal Aid of Cobb County and other law enforcement and non-profit organizations.
“Make no mistake—there’s a problem with domestic violence in this county,” Cobb Chief Magisrate Court Judge Brendan Murphy said at the Dec. 15 ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“We came together to do something about it.”
Instead of having to go from government offices and courts “telling their story over and over,” Murphy said the center is designed as a single point of navigation for victims.
Cobb District Attorney Flynn Broady, who said he grew up in a home with domestic violence, said when he began to go public with his family’s story, others told him he was telling their story too.
“We knew we had to find a way to get people help,” he said. “Our vision is that we will provide a safe place for our community, especially for those who are most vulnerable.”
The facility is located at 277 Fairground Street, location of Cobb’s Department of Family and Children Services.
The hours are Monday-Friday from 9.m. to 4 p.m. Phone: 770-528-8121.
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East Cobb Quilters’ Guild is proud of its long history of community service. Its members freely give their time and energy to create quilts, placemats,
Beads of Courage bags, and pillowcases for donation to area charities. This year it was decided that some of the placemats with a patriotic theme would be used by Cobb County Senior Services as gifts at their annual Veteran’s Christmas Luncheon.
“Our Veterans were so touched with having placemats that were especially made for them and loved being able to take them home as a keepsake. A heartfelt thanks from our Veterans and everyone at Cobb County Senior Services to the East Cobb Quilters’ Guild for their generous gift,” commented Andrea Rapowitz, Cobb County Senior Services Volunteer Services Manager.
In 2023, the Guild donated a total of 2,430 items to local organizations, an almost 100% increase compared to 2022. Donated items included: 344 quilts for Cobb County DFCS, for children who have been taken into foster care; 737 pillowcases for Ryan’s Case for Smiles, for children in hospitals in the Atlanta area and around the state of Georgia; and 524 placemats for Cobb County Meals on Wheels program, for older adults and disabled individuals who receive home meal delivery. A new recipient this year was Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The Guild donated 825 Beads of Courage bags to give to their patients who are coping with serious illnesses.
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Despite concerns from a local civic group about traffic issues, the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a rezoning request for a drive-through chicken fast food restaurant at the Lower Roswell-Johnson Ferry intersection.
By a 5-0 vote, commissioners voted to rezone a 3.17-acre parcel from planned shopping center (PSC) to neighborhood retail commercial (NRC) for a Guthrie’s Chicken location.
East Cobb Guthries LLC wants to convert an empty medical building for a two-lane drive-through-only restaurant and purchased the property last year.
The Cobb Planning Commission recommended approval earlier this month on the consent agenda.
But the matter was placed on the commissioners’ regular agenda after the East Cobb Civic Association expressed concern about traffic near a busy intersection and was unsure about the restaurant’s opening hours in a revised stipulation letter.
At Tuesday’s hearing, ECCA president Richard Grome asked if Cobb DOT had seen a new traffic study, which determined that traffic-stacking wouldn’t be an issue.
The revised site plan calls for right-in, right-out access only on Lower Roswell Road.
That’s also where Cobb DOT is planning a major improvement project.
Grome also wanted to know why the operating hours—initially specified as between 10 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.—weren’t mentioned in the new stipulation letter.
Kevin Moore, attorney for East Cobb Guthries, didn’t specify, but said “it’s not a 24-hour operation.”
The 1,500-square-foot building would have 10 parking spaces, and there will be no inside dining.
During a brief discussion, it was noted that there are several restaurants in the Lower Roswell-Johnson Ferry Road that have widely differing opening hours.
A Zaxby’s at the same intersection is open from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily, and there’s a Waffle Hours that’s open 24 hours and sit-down restaurants with shorter opening hours.
Also on Tuesday, commissioners voted to hold an application for a gas station and convenience store in Northeast Cobb yet again.
A request by Quiktrip to convert a former pharmacy at Canton Road and Jamerson Road from general commercial to neighborhood retail will be scheduled for February (Commissioners do not hear zoning cases in January.).
The applicant revised a site plan to reduce the proposed number of pumps from 16 to 12 and is working through a shared parking agreement with business owners at an adjacent retail center.
But commissioner JoAnn Birrell asked for the delay to locate the pumps closer to Jamerson Road, among other issues.
The Canton Road Neighbors civic group opposed the request, saying there are traffic dangers in that area and that it has a glut of similar gas-convenience stores.
“Gas stations on every corner—that’s America,” Birrell said, acknowledging that “the traffic still has some concerns” and suggested right-in, right-out access only along Canton Road.
Commissioners also voted to delay a major mixed-use proposal along I-575 near Chastain Road.
SDP Acquisitions wants to develop 57 acres for warehouses, townhouses and apartments in a case that’s drawn significant community opposition.
Birrell said she couldn’t support any warehouses (365,000 square feet have been proposed) and wants the developer to revise a site plan with the only planned village community (PVC) category.
Her motion also calls for the applicant to conduct a traffic study, provide landscaping and tree buffers and prohibits any variances.
More than 30 people turned out in opposition, including the Bells Ferry Civic Association, which also expressed concerns about the density of the proposed housing (135 townhomes, 200 senior apartments) and 30,000 square feet of retail space.
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Last Saturday the Atlanta-based professional choral ensemble Coro Vocati performed a Christmas concert at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church.
The nearly 90-minute performance was entitled “The Christmas Story,” and included sacred and secular selections as well as those involving the congregation.
Nearly 300 people turned out for the concert. Coro Vocati was begun 14 years ago by choral conductor and educator Dr. John Dickson, who announced that he would be retiring from the post.
The concert was the first of the 2023-24 season of the St. Catherine’s Concert Series, which offers free concerts to the East Cobb community.
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Gritters Library 
