East Cobb residential real estate sales, Oct. 17-21, 2022

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Lafayette Square, East Cobb real estate sales
Lafayette Square

The following deeds for residential East Cobb real estate sales were filed Oct. 17-21, 2022 with the Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s Office Real Estate Department

The addresses include ZIP Codes; subdivision names and high school districts are in parenthesis:

Oct. 17

4806 Calais Court, 30067 (Lafayette Square, Walton): Excellent Flooring LLC to Michele Curtis McMurray Revocable Trust; $890,000

2451 Stockton Drive, 30066 (Stocktons Ford, Lassiter): Johnny Lynn Crum to Nancy Salloum; $430,000

4211 Loch Highland Parkway, 30075 (Loch Highland, Lassiter): Edward Krolikowski to Daniel and Natalie Delgado; $615,000

2957 Perrington Place, 30066 (Northampton, Lassiter): William Melson to Christopher and Jarrod Crocker; $876,000

2761 Georgian Terrace, 30068 (East Valley Estates, Wheeler): Vivica Richardson to Cory Hobbs and Elizabeth West; $450,000

912 Burns Drive, 30067 (Tuxedo Estates, Wheeler): Irana do Couto to Matthew and Jacob Czerwonka; $515,000

Oct. 18

653 Dover Street, 30066 (Dover Downs, Kell): Eric Jack to Miguel Perez; $310,000

4365 Chapel Grove Court, 30066 (The Highlands at Wesley Chapel, Lassiter): Christoper Camerieri to Jermaine Walker and Faith Flack-Walker; $1.175 million

2053 Longford Club Drive, 30066 (Longford, Kell): Emily and David Osborne to Alyssa and Austin DeVore; $433,000

Oct. 19

4792 North Sound Street, 30066 (North Landing, Kell): Raivo Sams to Christopher Miletto; $397,500

3762 Ebenezer Road, 30066 (Magnolia Court, Sprayberry): David Wain to Nicole and Alan Curtis; $745,000

1911 Kinridge Road, 30066 (Sandy Plains Estates, Sprayberry): Terry Stancil to Steven and Vicky Andrews; $331,900

1901 Kinridge Road, 30066 (Sandy Plains Estates, Sprayberry): Terry Stancil to Steven and Vicky Andrews; $331,900

1891 Kinridge Road, 30066 (Sandy Plains Estates, Sprayberry): Terry Stancil to Steven and Vicky Andrews; $331,900

645 Smithstone Road, 30067 (Dogwood Station, Wheeler): Louise Farmer to Lynda Kenney; $373,900

Oct. 20

4765 Outlook Way, 30066 (Highland Ridge, Lassiter): Joseph Zummo to Catherine Spencer; $740,000

3042 South Meadow Court, 30062 (Rolling Acres, Pope): Yali Lu to Joshua and Cristina Lett; $560,000

3032 Fredrick Drive, 30062 (Rogers Acres, Sprayberry): Timothy Michael, trustee to Narrow Gates Homes LLC; $200,000

3436 Clubland Drive, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): Capital Acres Homes LLC to Sajal and Yogi Patel; $1.723 million

127 Ridgetree Lane, 30068 (Sentinel Lake, Wheeler): Sandra Deebel to Luke and Corinne Jackson; $975,000

Oct. 21

4747 Outlook Way, 30066 (Highland Pointe, Lassiter): Thomas Will to Thomas and Claudia Will; $745,000

3471 Cochran Shore Cove, 30062 (Cochran Lake Shores, Lassiter): Bercher Homes LLC to Eric and Crystal Rood; $1.244 million

2142 Tully Wren, 30066 (Cork Wren, Lassiter): Tracy Turpin to Robert and Samantha Tuttle; $520,000

814 Daisy Drive, 30066 (Noonday, Sprayberry): Melanie Smith and John O’Callaghan to Hayley Rutherford and Joseph Purcell; $320,000

926 Blackwell Court, 30066 (Blackwell Road, Sprayberry): Gregory Spence to Victor McRae and Andrew Johnson; $369,900

2705 Wendy Lane, 30062 (Creek Park, Pope): Samantha Tuttle to Russell and Phyllis Duke; $425,000

1061 Stoneridge Drive, 30066 (Ramblewood, Sprayberry): Ray Taylor to David Lottie and Kristin Nelson-Dorrance; $360,000

2671 Salzburg Drive, 30062 (Alpine Forest, Pope): Richard and Michelle Greenblatt to William and Lois Livingston; $593,900

2910 Prince Howard Drive, 30062 (Corinth, Pope): Karen and Niles Roberts to John and Carly McCain; $550,000

572 Hidden Hills Court, 30066 (Hidden Hills, Sprayberry): Ann Swanlaw to Christina and Robert Hurd; $375,000

2345 Brownstone Court, 30062 (Brownstone, Pope): Jared Kee to Megan and William Bass; $525,000

2030 Kinridge Place Court, 30066 (Kinridge Place, Sprayberry): EK Real Estate Fund LLC to MCH SFR Property Owner 1B LLC; $428,000

3007 Asheton Place, 30068 (Ashebrooke, Walton): Lucil Truong Phillips to Judith Dugan and Jerry Berndt; $680,000

1152 Rebel Ridge Drive, 30062 (Rebel Ridge, Sprayberry): Fred Royals Jr. to Seed Enterprises LLC; $178,000

353 Indian Hills Trail, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): Joseph and Karen Neely to Jeremy Edwards and Adriana Miu; $728,500

4486 Winged Foot Circle, 30067 (Paper Mill at ACC, Walton): Eyal Postelnik to Maripoma Enterprise LLC; $3.85 million

2720 Suwanee Way, 30067 (Bentley Ridge, Wheeler): Thomas Wainman to Kurian Thomas; $191,500

1355 Old Virginia Court, 30067 (Salem Ridge, Wheeler): Opendoor Property Trust to Denise Mutombo; $316,500

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Scene in East Cobb: The return to standard time

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Headlights are on vehicles leaving East Cobb Park around 5:30 p.m. Sunday as an early dusk approaches on the first day of Eastern Standard Time.

Warm temperatures will remain at the start of the week, with highs in the 80s Monday and Tuesday.

Fall-like weather is in the forecast by the end of the week.

PHOTOS, VIDEOS: A salute to veterans at East Cobb Park

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East Cobb Park veterans salute

Military veterans going back nearly 70 years turned out at East Cobb Park Saturday for an early Veterans Day tribute.

They were treated to hot dogs, hamburgers and other picnic fare, a local band playing Vietnam-era popular music and the thanks of an East Cobb and Marietta community for their service.

“It takes 10 seconds to thank the people who served to make our country a better place,” said Kim Scofi, executive director of United Military Care, which put on Saturday’s event.

It’s an East Cobb-based non-profit that assists veterans in need of food, housing and other assistance with such things as getting their veterans benefits.

The event included World War II-era memorabilia on display from the personal collections of local volunteers called Kelly’s Zeroes.

Several veterans were honored individually, including two veterans of the Korean War.

Walt Cusick Jr., who served in an Army transportation unit in Vietnam and later as an MP, is a longtime member and a commander in the Horace Orr American Legion Post 29 in Marietta.

Like UMC, Post 29—named after the first Mariettan killed in action in World War I—works to keep veterans connected and provides resources and services to those in need.

“It’s really good to see some of those guys,” he said, looking around at the assembled tables of veterans, many of them also from the Vietnam era.

“Think about it, you’re 18, 19 years old and then suddenly you’re in combat. A lot of guys came back and they just went to hide,” Cusick said, referencing anti-war sentiment that greeted some of the returning veterans.

He mentioned the case of Army Lt. William Calley, who was court-martialed for the My Lai massacre of nearly 400 Vietnamese civilians in 1968, who “gave a lot of good people a bad name.”

Veterans from later conflicts, Cusick said, “have more respect.”

He said his experiences in the military—which included stints in the Army Reserves and the National Guard—served him well.

“I grew up a lot,” Cusick said. “I learned a lot about trust and loyalty.”

Post 29 junior commander Tom Blackstock also saluted the families and employers of veteran reservists “who allowed them to go out and take care of our freedom.”

The Tunnel Rats, which has played at previous UMC events, also paid tribute with their rendition of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.”

Blackstock said Post 29’s Veterans Day 5K Run and Trot next Saturday at the Marietta Square will benefit the Legion’s Service Officer Training program, Shepherds Men and the Georgia National Guard Family Support Program.

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Cobb Elections: More than 1K absentee ballots never mailed

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Cobb Elections director Janine Eveler said that 1,046 absentee ballots requested by Cobb voters were never mailed because elections workers failed to upload ballot information to a mailing machine.

Those procedures were not followed on two days in what Eveler called a “human error.”

Absentee ballots must be received at the Cobb Elections office by 7 p.m. Tuesday to be counted.

“Last call” absentee ballots also can be hand-delivered to several Cobb library branches from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, including the East Cobb and Mountain View branches.

A release sent by Cobb government Saturday afternoon said that absentee ballots were overnighted to 83 out-of-state addresses of voters who didn’t get those ballots and included pre-paid overnight return envelopes.

Another 194 residents had overnighted absentee ballots that they requested, and 271 other residents in that group cancelled their request and voted during the early voting period that ended Friday, the Cobb release said

The other 498 residents identified, the Cobb release said, “are urged to vote in person on election day.”

The Cobb release said Cobb Elections is attempting to contact them by phone or e-mail to inform them of the issue and direct them to their correct voting precincts.

The errors were discovered after voters who had requested absentee ballots but not received them contacted the Cobb Elections office.

Early voting ended on Friday, with a record of nearly 175,000 Cobb in-person votes cast.

Eveler wrote a note explaining the situation to the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration, a five-member appointed body, saying that “I am sorry that this office let these voters down. Many of the absentee staff have been averaging 80 or more hours per week, and they are exhausted. Still, that is no excuse for such a critical error.”

Tori Silas, the chairwoman of the elections board, said in the Cobb statement that “I am very disappointed that we have placed these voters in a position where they may not have an opportunity to cast their ballots in this general election.”

She pointed to the reduced time for absentee ballots to be requested and returned under a new Georgia elections law and staff turnover in the Cobb Elections office.

“With only three days until election day, we are constrained in what we can do,” Silas said. “That being the case, we are taking every possible step, notwithstanding those constraints, to ensure these voters have an opportunity to cast their ballots.”

As early voting got underway earlier this month, Cobb Elections discovered that 1,112 voters registered in the Sandy Plains 1 precinct in East Cobb were incorrectly given ballots to vote in the Cobb Board of Education Post 4 race.

They live in Post 5, and Eveler said 111 of those voters cast ballots that cannot be changed.

That race features Republican incumbent David Chastain and Democrat Catherine Pozniak in what’s become an intense campaign.

It’s unclear what might happen if the margin of difference in that election is less than 111 votes, but the results could be challenged and a new election could be called.

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East Cobb 2022 general election day voters guide and info

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Georgia runoff elections

On Tuesday voters will be going to the polls in the 2022 general elections.

This post rounds up everything we’ve put together before you head to your precinct—if you haven’t already voted. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at all precincts.

Absentee ballots must be received at the Cobb Elections office, either in person or via mail, by 7 p.m. on Tuesday (more details about that below).

Voters in East Cobb will be deciding on a county commissioner and a school board seat, two seats in the U.S. Congress and eight legislative members among local elections.

There’s just one countywide seat being contested, for Cobb Solicitor.

Statewide offices will be decided, including governor, and a U.S. Senate seat is on the ballot.

You can find a consolidated Cobb ballot by clicking here. To get a sample ballot customized for you, and to check which races you will be able to vote in and precinct information, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page portal by clicking here.

Cobb Elections estimates that more than 175,000 Cobb voters took part in three weeks of early voting at a dozen locations, slightly more than the record numbers of early voters in 2020.

More than 21,000 people voted at bot the East Cobb Government Service Center and the Tim D. Lee Senior Center, trailing only the Smyrna Community Center (22K+) among satellite polling stations.

Cobb Elections has sent out more than 30,00 absentee ballots, with a little more than 19,000 returned and 18,706 accepted, as of Thursday.

But the AJC reported Saturday that around 1,000 absentee ballots that had been requested were not mailed, due to what Cobb Elections director Janine Eveler said were election workers not uploading ballot information to a mailing machine.

Those voters will have to vote in-person at their precinct on Tuesday. So will anyone who received an absentee ballot but either didn’t mail it or cannot deliver it in-person at designated “last call” return locations.

Cobb Elections said absentee ballots can be brought to several library branches, including the East Cobb Library and the Mountain View Regional Library, until 5 p.m. Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday.

Each location has a registrar who will prepare the ballot on-site for electronic tabulation that will commence with the closing of the polls on Tuesday.

The only way to return an absentee ballot in-person on election day is at the main office for Cobb Elections (995 Roswell Street), from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Voters must present a valid photo identification or a special voter ID card with them to the polls.

Any general election runoffs, if necessary, are scheduled for Dec. 6.

For more local information, visit the Cobb Elections website.

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Marietta History Center interviews chronicle black veteran experience

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The Marietta History Center is continuing its series of “Diverse Cobb” programming in November with interviews chronicling the experiences of black military veterans.Marietta History Center black veterans interviews

“Color My Soldier” is a new series of oral history interviews featuring black Cobb veterans by Tim Penn. He’s the creator of previous Diverse Cobb programming, including “Lemon Street Chronicles” and “Color My Teacher.”

The veterans featured are Clinton Jones, Army; Rev. Jerry Dodd, Army; Vonna Wallace, Air Force; Jessie Bonner Sr., Air Force; and Commander Napoleon Parker Jr., Army.

The interviews can be seen every Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Nov. 30 at the Marietta History Center (1 Depot Street).

Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 55 and older and students; and free admission for Marietta History Center members, children under 5, and those with a military ID.

The veterans interviews will be available to watch on the Marietta History Center YouTube channel in the future.

For information call 770-794-5710 or the center’s website.

 

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KSU to feature Dignity Museum exhibit for homelessness awareness

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KSU Dignity Museum exhibit

Kennesaw State University will kick off its observance of National Homelessness Awareness Week with an exhibit from the Dignity Museum.

It’s a traveling project of Love Love Beyond Walls, and illustrates the stigma of poverty in Atlanta and around the country with interactive technology, research and storytelling.

Exhibit tours will take place Monday, Nov. 7 to Friday, Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the KSU East Parking Deck (305 Hopkins Drive, Kennesaw).

Admission is free but tickets for the tour are required and can be reserved by clicking here.

Terence Lester, founder of Love Beyond Walls and the Dignity Museum, explains that the “one of the most distinguishable characteristics of our organization is our focus on telling the stories of the unseen. We are committed to the people that the world passes by because we believe the people struggling with poverty and sleeping on the streets have lives and stories that are just as valuable as ours.”

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Open-seat campaigns headline East Cobb legislative elections

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East Cobb 2022 legislative elections, Solomon Adesanya
Solomon Adesanya

Reapportionment carved up East Cobb substantially across the board for the 2022 elections, including legislative seats.

Two of them—one each in the Georgia House and Senate—are guaranteed to have new representatives.

The Senate District 6 seat was vacated by Jen Jordan, who is the Democratic nominee for Georgia Attorney General. It’s a district that now includes some of East Cobb and the Cumberland area but is mostly in Buckhead, and the two candidates are both from the city of Atlanta.

They are Democrat Jason Esteves, the former chairman of the Atlanta Board of Education, and Republican financial services business owner Fred Glass.

You can see the new District 6 map by clicking here.

House District 43 has been represented by GOP Rep. Sharon Cooper since 1997, but she was drawn into District 45 (map here), where Republican Matt Dollar served until resigning early in the 2022 legislative session.

A special election was held in April that was won by Republican Mitch Kaye, a former lawmaker who said he would not be running for the seat this fall.

His Democratic opponent, Dustin McCormick, is challenging Cooper, the chairwoman of the House Health and Human Services Committee and who had close calls in the 2018 and 2020 elections.

District 43 (map here) has been redrawn to include much of the East Marietta area, Wheeler attendance zone and the Powers Ferry Road corridor.

East Cobb legislative elections, Anna Tillman
Anna Tillman

The candidates vying for that seat are running for office for the first time in a race that could determine party control of the Cobb legislative delegation.

Cobb Democrats hold a one-seat advantage in House representation, and District 43 is in an area of East Cobb that has produced stronger Democratic results in the last two election cycles.

Democrat Solomon Adesanya is a restaurant owner whose priorities are expanding Medicare, protecting abortion rights and addressing climate issues.

Republican Anna Tillman is a retired geologist who is campaigning to support small business, promote job training and technical education and champion public safety, saying she would “oppose radical efforts to defund the police or any other Public Safety organization.”

Two Republican House members from East Cobb are seeking re-election in districts that include some of Cherokee County. They are Don Parsons of District 44 (map here), who was first elected in 1994 and who is the chairman of the House Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee.

His Democratic opponent is Willie Mae Oyogoa, who owns a travel business in Woodstock.

In District 46 (map here), GOP incumbent John Carson is seeking another term against Democrat Micheal Garza, who owns a web development business.

District 37 (map here) retains some portions of Northeast Cobb. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Mary Frances Williams is seeking re-election against Tess Redding, who works in the criminal justice field.

State Senate District 32 (map here), which had included most of East Cobb, also has been redrawn to include Woodstock and other areas of Cherokee.

Republican incumbent Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick is seeking a third full term after winning a special election in 2017. The Democratic candidate is Sylvia Bennett, an ordained minister and former social worker.

Georgia Senate District 56 has been expanded from its North Fulton base to include some of East Cobb (map here). Incumbent Republican Sen. John Albers of Roswell, who has been in office since 2011, is running for another two-year term.

His Democratic opponent, also from Roswell, is Patrick Thompson, a clean energy entrepreneur with technology sales and marketing experience.

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Cobb school district to hold job fair for support positions

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The Cobb County School District will be conducting interviews for a number of staff support positions at a job fair in early December.Campbell High School lockdown

The fair takes place on Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Centre (2800 Galleria Parkway).

Open positions include bus drivers, food nutrition workers, school nurses, substitute teachers, custodians, and campus police. The job fair will also include positions with the maintenance, fleet maintenance, and special education departments.

Ahead of the job fair, candidates can preview current vacancies by clicking here.

Online registration is available by clicking here; and a district job application can be completed in advance by clicking here.

Cobb school district staffers will be at the fair to assist those who are unable to submit an advance application.

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Cobb police chief to speak to East Cobb Area Chamber Council

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Cobb Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer is the featured speaker at the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s East Cobb Area Council breakfast next Thursday.Stuart VanHoozer, Cobb Police Chief

A 32-year department veteran, VanHoozer was appointed in May. He will provide updates about the department, including the construction of a new precinct in East Cobb, as well as policing issues that include gang activities in schools.

The Council meeting begins at 7:30 a.m. next Thursday, Nov. 10, at the Indian Hills Country Club (4001 Clubland Drive).

The event also includes the announcement of the 2022 East Cobb Citizen of the Year.

Tickets are $25 for Cobb Chamber members and $35 for general admission. Registration closes and refunds will no longer be available after November 8. Walk-up admissions and payment cannot be granted.

For information and to register, click here.

This event is sponsored by Series Presenting Sponsor, Kaiser Permanente, and Program Sponsor, Cobb EMC.

 

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‘Give Thanks to Those Who Served’ returns to East Cobb Park

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The Tunnel Rats
The Tunnel Rats have performed Vietnam-era pop tunes and country/bluegrass songs at previous United Military Care events. (ECN file photo)

United Military Care, an East Cobb-based non-profit, is holding its sixth annual free picnic to salute veterans at East Cobb Park (3322 Roswell Road)  on Saturday.

The event is free to veterans and takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes Kelly’s Zeroes, military memorabilia, and re-enactors from Columbus as well as The Aviation Museum in Marietta.

The Tunnel Rats, a Vietnam Veteran band, and Jason Von Stein will debut “She Cried Douglas,” a song written about a photograph found in an old basement of a military couple and a soldier who didn’t come home.

It’s the second consecutive year for the event to be staged at East Cobb Park, after initially being held at the UMC office on Old Canton Road.

For more information about United Military Care, click here.

 

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East Cobb Food Scores: Marietta Fish Market; El Rodeo; more

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Marietta Fish Market, East Cobb food scores

The following food scores for the week of Oct. 31 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Beer Barrel
1294 Roswell Road
October 31, 2022 Score: 100, Grade: A

Captain D’s
2811 Canton Road
November 1, 2022 Score: 95, Grade: A

Cherokee Chophouse
2710 Canton Road
November 4, 2022 Score: 100, Grade: A

East Cobb Fit Nutrition Club
2145 Roswell Road, Suite 130
November 1, 2022 Score: 99, Grade: 

El Huarache Veloz
1157 Roswell Road
November 1, 2022 Score: 92, Grade: A

El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant
2719 Canton Road
November 1, 2022 Score: 83, Grade: B

Heritage of Sandy Plains
3039 Sandy Plains Road
November 3, 2022 Score: 93, Grade: A

Hoagie Bros.
3595 Canton Road, Suite 330
November 4, 2022 Score: 92, Grade: A

Marietta Fish Market
3185 Canton Road
November 2, 2022 Score: 94, Grade: A

Mr. Wonton
3595 Canton Road, Suite 328
November 4, 2022 Score: 85, Grade: B

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Cobb school board member blasted for comments about Catholics

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David Banks, Cobb school board member

A social media comment by a Cobb Board of Education member that “the Roman Catholic Church cannot be Christian” is being used by the political opponent of one of his colleagues in next week’s general election.

David Banks, the board’s current vice chairman who represents Post 5 in East Cobb, was the subject of an MDJ political insider’s column on Tuesday after making the remarks.

The newspaper reported in an unsigned piece on its editorial page that Banks was responding to a Facebook post by Jason Shepherd, the former Cobb Republican Party Chairman, about Martin Luther and the Reformation.

The report carried a screen shot of Banks saying that Catholicism is “more paganism in its beliefs. If Roman Catholics read the Bible They would realize the false doctrines. Only Jesus Christ is the head of the church.”

The comment either has been hidden or removed from the Facebook thread. The MDJ quoted Cobb school board Chairman David Chastain saying that he couldn’t comment because “Mr. Banks is expressing an opinion, and it has nothing to do with school board business. All of our board members are free to express their opinions on social media.”

A school district spokeswoman echoed similar comments in a statement that the personal views of board members don’t reflect the school district or its policies.

Banks didn’t respond to the paper’s request for comment.

Chastain, a Republican, is seeking a third term representing Post 4 in Northeast Cobb in what’s become a testy campaign with Catherine Pozniak, a Democrat who’s running for public office for the first time.

On Wednesday, Pozniak denounced Chastain’s comments on her Twitter account, saying that “here’s what Chair #theotherDavid Chastain misses time and again: it’s OK to say hate is wrong. That’s the leadership test Chastain fails when he says this is a board member simply expressing an opinion. Well, so can you, Mr. Chair.

“Whether formal action follows, condemnation of such remarks should be clear and unequivocal. Families and staff should hear that @CobbSchools welcomes and embraces all faiths/religions/beliefs. And that message should come from leadership, not an anonymous spokesperson.”

East Cobb News has left messages with Chastain and Banks seeking comment.

In 2021 the Cobb school board approved a social media policy that limits the public comments that can be made by the nearly 18,000 Cobb school district employees.

One provision bans employees involved with official social media accounts from sharing content “containing personal or political viewpoints, or any information unrelated to the District or school it was created to serve.”

The provisions also include refraining from making comments that “place in doubt the reliability, trustworthiness, or sound judgment of the district, the Cobb County Board of Education, or any of its employees.”

Employees also can’t post anything on social media “that may discredit the district,” including comments that violate privacy laws or that use any type of “hate speech.”

There are no such provisions for board members in their adopted code of ethics.

This isn’t the first time Banks has made comments that caused a storm. He sent out a newsletter from his official board member account last year urging people not to get the COVID-19 vaccines, and previously dismissed the disease as the “China Virus.”

He also came under fire in 2017 for sending out an e-mail about immigrants in California, saying that 95 percent of murder warrants in Los Angeles were for illegal immigrants.

In that instance, Chastain, who also was chairman at the time, said the comments didn’t fall under the purview for the school board to address.

When Banks ran for re-election in 2020, he said in an East Cobb News interview that the biggest challenge facing the Cobb County School District is for it “not to become a school system like Atlanta, DeKalb and Clayton” that he says have declined due to “white flight.”

In response, Post 6 board member Charisse Davis, who also represents part of East Cobb, charged Banks with spewing “racist trash.”

Banks, who attends Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, has not weighed in on religious topics.

Last year, after swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti were scrawled on bathroom walls at Lassiter and Pope high schools—both in his Post 5—Banks condemned the acts, saying the perpetrators have “no Christian values.”

Some citizens, parents and educators unsuccessfully requested the Cobb school board to reinstitute a “No Place For Hate” program prepared by the Anti-Defamation League that the district had dropped.

Those individuals included Cobb resident Hershel Greenblat, a Cobb resident and Holocaust survivor, but the board hasn’t discussed or taken up the matter since then.

Banks, a retired technology consultant, is serving his third term, which ends in 2024.

The newly redrawn Post 5 includes most of the Walton, Pope and Wheeler attendance zones.

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Avenue East Cobb donating holiday event proceeds to Habitat

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The Avenue East Cobb holiday events

The Avenue East Cobb is donating all proceeds from special holiday event ticket sales to the Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta.

The Habitat branch announced the news on Wednesday, with the retail center set to put tickets on sale starting next week. Sales begin at 9 a.m. next Monday, Nov. 8.

Those events include Experiences With Santa and Storytime With Santa, which runs from Dec. 1-23.

“We are so grateful Avenue East Cobb selected us as its holiday giveback partner, which will help empower the families we serve during a season that can be tough for many to enjoy,” Jessica Gill, CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta, said in the release.

Other ticketed events at The Avenue East Cobb include Letters to Santa on Dec. 1, Christmas Crafts With Santa on Dec. 8, Canvases + Cocoa on Dec. 15 and Milk + Cookies on Dec. 22.

The Habitat chapter will participate in each event, offering more information on the organization’s mission and how to get involved.

“Everybody loves a reason to get together for the holidays, and what could be better than celebrating the season while also supporting those in need,” Madison Murphy, marketing manager at Avenue East Cobb, said in the release. “We’re thrilled to bring these experiences back to AEC and look forward to contributing toward the wonderful work Habitat for Humanity does in the community.”

For more about The Avenue East Cobb’s holiday programming and to purchase event tickets click here.

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4 East Cobb high schools among state 2022 ACT score leaders

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Wheeler name change

Walton, Wheeler, Pope and Lassiter students in the Class of 2022 posted average scores on American College Testing (ACT) exams that are among the best in Georgia.

According to a Cobb County School District release, they were among the five Cobb high schools with average scores of 25 or higher.

Walton High School led the district with an overall score of 26.0, followed by Wheeler (25.2), Pope (25.0) and Lassiter (24.7).

The district said those four schools, along with Kennesaw Mountain (24.0) were among the top 30 in the state.

The composite score at Sprayberry was 21.4 and Kell’s was 21.2 (see table at bottom).

The Cobb district’s average score was 23, down from 24.3 in 2021, as were most individual school composites, including those in East Cobb.

Cobb students averaged scores of 22.7 in English, 22.0 in math, 23.9 in reading, and 22.7 in science.

The district’s composite score is tied for the top in metro Atlanta along with Fulton County Schools, according to the release, and 1.4 points higher than the statewide average of 21.6.

Marietta City Schools had a composite score of 22.9, comprising students at Marietta High School.

The ACT is a standardized test similar to the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) that is taken by college-bound high school students.

The ACT tests students in English, mathematics, reading and scientific reasoning on an overall score range of 1-36.

The Georgia Department of Education released district- and school-level numbers on Wednesday, with more detailed numbers from ACT testing in the six high schools in East Cobb.

Avg. Composite Avg. English Avg. Math Avg. Reading Avg. Science
Kell (95) 21.2 20.7 20.9 22.1 20.9
Pope (214) 25.0 25.2 23.6 26.2 24.4
Lassiter (231) 24.7 24.5 24.2 25.4 24.3
Sprayberry (72) 21.4 21.4 20.2 22.4 21.2
Walton (294) 26.0 26.1 25.2 26.6 25.5
Wheeler (101) 25.2 24.9 24.6 25.9 25.0

The state released statewide data in October showing that Georgia students surpassed the national ACT average in 2022.

The 21.6 statewide average is a point below 2021 scores. More than 35,000 Georgia students took the ACT in 2022, compared to more than 29,000 last year.

Walton (294), Lassiter (231) and Pope (214) were among the small number of schools that had 200 or more students taking the ACT in 2022, according to the Cobb release.

Four Cobb students had perfect scores of 36, the district said, including one at Walton and another at Wheeler.

The Top 15 ACT scores by school in Georgia is as follows:

  • Gwinnett School of Science, Mathematics and Technology—30.2
  • Northview (Fulton)—26.5
  • Alliance Academy for Innovation (Forsyth)—26.4
  • Lambert (Forsyth)—26.3
  • Walton (Cobb)—26.0
  • South Forsyth—25.5
  • Decatur—25.4
  • Johns Creek (Fulton)—25.3
  • Columbus, Wheeler, McIntosh (Fayette), North Forsyth, North Gwinnett, Savannah Arts Academy—25.2

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Developer sues Cobb officials, East Cobb Civic Association for $100M

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Christopher Hunt, Kinridge Court rezoning
Christopher Hunt of Green Community Development

A developer whose plans for a “sustainable” subdivision in Northeast Cobb was recently rejected is suing Cobb commissioners and a prominent civic group.

Christopher M. Hunt of Green Community Development LLC of Atlanta filed what he said is a $100 million class-action suit on Oct. 20 in Cobb Superior Court that also names the East Cobb Civic Association and its current president, Richard Grome, as defendants.

Hunt claims in the court filing (you can read it here) that the rezoning rejection is “an unconstitutional denial” that has caused “economic devaluation of property” and “extreme financial damages” to the plaintiffs.

Commissioners voted 4-0 in September to turn down his request to build 13 eco-friendly homes on 7.5 acres on Kinridge Court.

The case was frequently contentious, as Hunt accused the East Cobb Civic Association of sabotaging his efforts to build what he initially declared would be an award-winning development.

Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, who represents the area, held a public meeting before the vote but said she left when “name-calling began” that was directed at Cobb zoning staff and the ECCA.

She didn’t specify Hunt by name but said that comments were made that “I don’t appreciate or tolerate.” During the rezoning process, he spoke in often animated and at times confrontational fashion, especially toward those who opposed his case.

In his lawsuit, Hunt referred to Birrell—whom he misspelled as “Burrell” throughout the court filing and who is up for re-election Nov. 8—of “whoring herself to gain a few ECCA votes to the detriment of 700,000 citizens of Cobb County. ECCA does not represent homeowners but own agenda.”

Also named as a defendant in the lawsuit is Brian Johnson, the Cobb County Senior Associate Attorney.

The ECCA is a citizens group that represents roughly 9,000 homeowners that makes advisory recommendations on zoning cases. The group assigns caseworkers to examine cases and frequently speak at public meetings about them

The ECCA was opposed to the Green Community Development rezoning due to traffic, density and stormwater runoff concerns that were echoed by zoning staff in recommending denial.

According to Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s records, Hunt is representing himself in the lawsuit, which thus far has not received a formal reply from the county.

When East Cobb News asked for the county’s response to the lawsuit, a Cobb government spokesman said “per legal we will have no comment.”

East Cobb News also left messages with the ECCA and Grome. He replied that neither he nor the organization would be commenting.

The lawsuit accuses Grome of “unethical hypocricy[sic]” and is demanding that he resign his position.

He also said the ECCA and Grome “have proven to have a private unethical and illegal anti-development agenda of ‘means justify the ends’ against any development even when super sustainable, legally mandated and net positive to existing!”

He complained during the rezoning process that he wasn’t invited to attend a community meeting at which, he claimed, the ECCA “unethically and illegally gave patently false and misleading information to trusting neighbors to gain petitions of opposition” to the rezoning request.

While Hunt focused much of his ire in the court filing at Birrell, he said “the other commissioners were unethical and proved incompetent by abiding by unwritten but proven rule of ‘whatever a commissioner votes in their district the rest support’ no matter how crazy illegally bad!”

He said he wouldn’t pursue the $100 million in damages he is seeking if all of them decline to run for re-election.

In his lawsuit, which included several other spelling errors and incorrect e-mail addresses, Hunt said he will be asking for a jury trial.

He also wants homeowners’ associations to be “mandated to provide a list for rezoning approval at least 30 days in advance of any BOC hearing and agreed perjury will be prosecuted—there can be objections but not lying nor slandering.”

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Cobb strategic plan hearings set; online survey released

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Cobb County Government is holding what it’s calling community listening sessions in each of the four commission districts to gauge citizen input into its Comprehensive 5-Year Strategic Plan.Cobb strategic plan hearings set

It’s a chance for the public to provide feedback on various county priorities and services and what county officials are saying is “the primary strategy to lead the ongoing vision and priorities of Cobb County.”

A public session for District 2 starts at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 10 at  the Boy Scouts of America Atlanta Area Council (1800 Circle 75 Parkway). That’s followed at 6:30 p.m. by Commissioner Jerica Richardson’s quarterly town hall meeting.

You can RSVP for both by clicking here.

Another strategic plan session will take place at 6 p.m. on Nov. 15 at the Mountain View Community Center (3400 Sandy Plains Road).

An online survey for the strategic plan also is available and can be downloaded and filled out by clicking here. The survey will be open through Dec. 23, and paper copies will be available at library branches and senior centers.

Cobb commissioners recently voted to spend $1.45 million to hire Accenture LLP, an outside consulting firm, to conduct a comprehensive long-range strategic plan that includes a shorter-term element for the years 2023-2027.

A county release said Accenture helped formulate the survey, which takes about 10 minutes to complete.

“A significant component is getting input from those who live or work in Cobb about what they see as the county’s priorities,” the release said. “Residents can provide feedback to formulate initiatives based on community needs and help the county develop and deliver better services.”

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KSU student from NE Cobb killed in South Korean stampede

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KSU student NE Cobb killed South Korean stampede
Steven Blesi sent out a photo of his son on social media after a Saturday stampede in South Korea. Steven Blesi Jr. was among 154 people killed in the incident in Seoul.

Among the more than 150 victims of a Halloween incident in Seoul, South Korea that turned into a deadly stampede was a college student from Northeast Cobb.

Kennesaw State University announced on Sunday that Steve Blesi, 20, a sophomore majoring in international business, was among those killed on Saturday.

The Lassiter High School graduate was studying in a semester abroad program in South Korea. KSU said it has 11 students in that program this semester and the other students are safe.

“On behalf of the entire Kennesaw State community, our thoughts and prayers go out to Steven’s family and friends as they mourn this incomprehensible loss,” Kennesaw State University President Kathy Schwaig said in the social media message.

At least 154 people were killed when the celebration in the Itaewon district of Seoul got out of hand, and resulted in many of them being crushed to death in narrow alleyways.

Earlier Sunday, Blesi’s father Steven Blesi sent out a desperate message on Twitter saying he’d heard about the stampede but had not been able to get in contact with his son.

Later he Tweeted that “We just got confirmation our son died” and asked for time to grieve. Later on Monday, he interacted with the media and public on social media.

“He was a great young man with a big heart. Never said anything bad about anyone, was so full of love and loved by many.”

He responded to another user on Twitter saying that “We have to be strong for our other son who I will pick up at college today. Somehow we have to press on, but our lives have forever changed.”

The elder Blesi confirmed his son’s death to The Washington Post on Sunday.

“I just never thought something like this would happen,” he said. “I can’t understand how they didn’t have crowd control. I don’t even know how the hell it happened.”

He described his son as having “an adventurous spirit” and who “could have done anything he wanted in this world.”

According to a social media post by the Lassiter PTSA, the younger Steve Blesi graduated in 2020 and his brother Joseph graduated in 2019.

State Rep. John Carson of Northeast Cobb sent out a statement of condolence Monday afternoon to Steve Blesi Jr. and his wife Maria, saying the younger Blesi “was a devoted member of the Eagle Scout, Northeast Cobb County and Kennesaw State University communities, and in his short time on this earth, he was truly a bright light to all of those around him. He will be dearly missed, always remembered and forever loved.”

 

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Cobb Elections to offer ‘last call’ absentee ballot returns

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Cobb Absentee Last Call Flyer
For a larger view click here.

Cobb Elections is offering two additional days and extra locations for voters to return absentee ballots before the Nov. 8 general election.

In addition to being able to drop off absentee ballots at previously designated locations—including the East Cobb Government Service Center—during early voting hours through Friday, there will be drop off availability on Saturday and next Monday.

It’s called “Last Call,” and it’s being done because of the proximity to the general election and to give absentee voters the assurance their ballots will be collected on time.

Absentee ballots can be dropped off at the early voting designated location drop boxes by 7 p.m. Friday or received by mail at the Cobb Elections office by 7 p.m. next Tuesday, Nov. 8.

In addition, the “Last Call” locations—all of them at public library branches around the county—will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday.

They include the East Cobb Library (4880 Lower Roswell Road) and the Mountain View Regional Library (3320 Sandy Plains Road), along with the North Cobb Regional Library, the Powder Springs Library, the South Cobb Regional Library, the Switzer Library and the Vinings Library.

Jennifer Mosbacher, an East Cobb resident and a member of the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration, said voters using the “Last Call” service will hand-deliver their ballots to an official registrar at the library branch of their choice.

That registrar will then prepare the ballot on-site for electronic tabulation that will commence with the closing of the polls on election day.

Mosbacher said the voter will be notified that their ballot has been received and that it will be counted after 7 p.m. on Nov. 8.

On Election Day, Nov. 8, absentee ballots may be returned only to one location, the Cobb Elections main office (995 Roswell Street), between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

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East Cobb residential real estate sales, Oct. 10-14, 2022

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Highland Pointe, East Cobb real estate sales
Highland Pointe

The following deeds for residential East Cobb real estate sales were filed Oct. 10-14, 2022 with the Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s Office Real Estate Department

The addresses include ZIP Codes; subdivision names and high school districts are in parenthesis:

Oct. 10

4791 Fairville Court, 30062 (Chadds Walk, Pope): Calvin R. Patterson Jr. to Ujam Group LLC; $530,000

4016 Columns Drive, 30067 (River Plantation, Walton): Beth Simmons Nickles to Patricia Broderick Chapman; $650,000

Oct. 11

4850 Rushing Rock Way, 30066 (Tanglewood Park, Lassiter): Barbara and Howard Goldt to Afu Mohammad Abdul; $975,000

1851 Ebenezer Farm Circle, 30066 (Ebenezer Farm, Sprayberry): Mark Campbell to Rama Konda and Purvi-Busa Konda; $868,000

3193 Bluff Road, 30062 (Hickory Bluff, Pope): Shannon Blackstone and Todd Lyman to Ferocity Assets LLC; $323,190

2310 Windmere Court, 30062 (East Lake Ridge, Wheeler): Carlos Torres Fletcher to Hagins House LLC; $155,000

640 Creekwood Trail, 30068 (Willow Ridge, Wheeler): Wallace Charles Cannon Jr. to Kristin Willis; $425,000

3730 Clubland Drive, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): Parho Properties Inc. to Debora Paralta-Garcia and Albert Vidiella-Oromi; $2 million

1922 Clearwater Drive, 30068 (Hamby Acres, Wheeler): Sandra Gay Farley to Courtney Alicia Newton; $200,000

1928 Clearwater Drive, 30068 (Hamby Acres, Wheeler): Courtney Alicia Newton to Sandra Gay Farley; $200,000

Oct. 12

4501 Outlook Drive, 30066 (Highland Ridge, Lassiter): Bradley Wedge to Samit Lal and Reema Mathur; $731,000

515 Dover Street, 30066 (Dover Downs, Kell): Esse Celender to Richard and Stanley Sharp. $345,000

4500 Club House Drive, 30066 (Highland Pointe, Lassiter): Clint and Meredith Sammons to Bradley Barrett and Celina Killilea; $675,000

4420 Old Mabry Road, 30062 (Old Mabry, Lassiter): Pamela Wiggins to Samuel Wilson; $450,000

503 Old Canton Road, 30068 (Country Place East, Wheeler): Built Holdings LLC to Adam Bates; $570,000

1944 Hamilton Place, 30062 (Meadow Brook, Wheeler): Bobbi Jo Pentecost, executor to Silvio Gomes; $251,000

1474 Wood Thursh Way, 30062 (Chestnut Springs, Walton): Bhavin Sanghavi to Colby Christian and Anna Skinner; $515,000

905 Sunny Meadows Lane, 30062 (Walton Creek Estates, Walton): Deluxeton Walton Creek Alpha LLC to Padmanaban Venkatesan and Subhashini Sriramalu; $1.253 million

1692 Paddle Wheel Drive, 30062 (Wellcrest Townhomes, Wheeler): Opendoor Property Trust to Kelsey Kearney; $300,000

Oct. 13

3614 Candlewood Way, 30066 (Stocktons Mill, Lassiter): Nathan and Tamrah Nielson to Janice and Robert Hayes; $450,000

780 Woodmont Drive, 30062 (Woodmont, Wheeler): Samuel Eller to Ryan Randolph and Megan Kaminskas; $492,900

2816 Pinestream Drive, 30068 (Beverly Hills Estates, Wheeler): Bonnie Jordan to Mark and Sienna Wagner; $525,000

Oct. 14

1902 Falcon Wood Drive, 30066 (Falcon Wood, Kell): Laura and Gary Rowen to William and Eleanor Minor; $458,000

4655 Jefferson Township Place, 30066 (Jefferson Township, Lassiter): Justin Sykes to Eric and Bethany Buice; $580,000

3882 Beacon Street, 30062 (Beacon Hill, Lassiter): Tetsuo Yazawa to George Floratos; $515,000

3194 Shadowood Lane, 30066 (Oak Creek Estates, Sprayberry): Sherrilyn Kress to Alexander Maurer, $400,000

3678 Hembree Lane, 30062 (Hembree Hills, Pope): Jan Whelchel to Joshua and Katie Melcher; $421,950

3109 Holly Springs Road, 30062 (Pope): Gary and Donna Hyder to Barry and Dianna White; $817,000

2960 Walker Drive, 30062 (Rogers Acres, Sprayberry): Mesa Verde Assets LLC to Rabaneles DeJesus; $205,000

2717 Berry Court, 30066 (Sprayberry Heights, Sprayberry): 2717 Berry LLC to Ludimila Escobar and Steven Nestor; $335,000

2315 Brownstone Court, 30062 (Brownstone, Pope): Sherri Lynn Morgan to Orchard Property III LLC; $445,000

2355 Birch Tree Way, 30066 (Creekside at East Piedmont, Sprayberry): E. Geyer Construction LLC to Jason and Kristen Andersen; $975,000

1228 Pemshire Court, 30062 (Princeton Corners, Walton): Steven Tatum to Joshua Kevin Jones; $727,000

2850 Octavia Lane, 30062 (Crafton Heights, Walton): Carl Obradovich to Paul Simon Kattookaran; $1.15 million

1886 Groover Road, 30062 (Sprayberry): Robert Groover Jr. to Cobb Lake Properties LLC; $750,000

2912 Ashebrook Drive, 30068 (Ashebrooke, Walton): Robert and Jan Donaldson to Kristin and Brian Nelson; $945,000

2611 Arrowwood Drive, 30068 (Beverly Hills Estates, Wheeler): Portico Properties Inc. to Richard Haynes; $608,375

258 Indian Hills Trail, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): Dorri Investment LLC to John Bax and Camille Rogers; $2 million

135 Millbrook Trace, 30068 (Millbrook Farm, Wheeler): Camilo Calvo to Mahmood and Shamsah Virani; $641,000

1193 Ashborough Drive, 30067 (Ashborough Village, Wheeler): Salvatore Vella to Douglas Lima; $185,000

590 Harcourt Place, 30067 (Salem Woods, Wheeler): Alicea Glover and Christpher Gaston to Hakan Sinir; $320,000

519 Stepney Court, 30067 (Glens at Powers Ferry, Wheeler): David and Cristan Haliburton to Ajay Lalwani; $400,000

1083 Woodruff Plantation Way, 30067 (Woodruff Plantation, Wheeler): Bernard Malka to Nazia Kajani; $1.25 million

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