In Cobb in 2010, there were 829 incidents of child abuse and/or neglect and 34,347 children living in poverty, according to Georgia Family Connection Partnership: Kids Count. Statewide, there were 20,675 incidents of child abuse and neglect and 613,581 children in poverty. The Center of Children & Young Adults was created in 1981 to serve as a home and shelter for youth in need of housing and supervision due to histories of severe neglect, abuse and abandonment. In 2007, the Center moved from operating as an emergency shelter in Cobb County to running as three long-term foster group homes …
The Extension, previously the Marietta-Cobb Winter Shelter, is celebrating 25 years of service in Cobb County. Of the approximately 21,000 people homeless in Georgia on a single night in January in 2009, 500 persons were counted in Cobb County, according to Tina Jones, Director of Development of The Extension, a long-term residential homelessness and substance abuse program in Marietta. “We are the largest organization of our kind in North Georgia,” Jones said. The program offers services for homeless men and women with addictions, including addiction counseling, family counseling, case …
It’s an old-fashioned Christmas with the 26th annual Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2. The tour will include six historic homes ranging from a Victorian Mansion to a 1920’s cottage, all located in the Church-Cherokee Street National Register Historic District, along with a series of historic public buildings. More than 3,000 ornaments, thousands of magnolia leaves, 500-plus strands of lights and over 100 poinsettias are used in decorating the houses. A half a dozen or more hotel rooms are booked for homeowners for the event weekend to clear the way for the 5,000 or…
Wednesday afternoon, Kaiser Permanente held a flash mob and health fair to encourage people to take an "activity break" during the work day. Kaiser Permanente staff passed out free first aid kits in the Marietta Square. Did you see the flash mob? Share your photos, videos and comments with us! Keep up with all the news you care about by subscribing to our free email newsletter, liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.
Limelight is “eclectic shopping with a twist.” Located in a shopping and dining district on Church Street, Limelight has been serving visitors to Marietta Square since opening on Jan. 1, 2009. “Limelight is a vibrant shop filled with lots of goodies to choose from,” owner Susie Mauldin, of Marietta, said. Mauldin has a history in small businesses. She has owned businesses in Marietta since 2002. Prior to opening Limelight, she owned a gift and European antiques shop for seven years and before that she owned a print-based mail order business called Enchanted Gallery. Patch: How would you …
Looking for a quick, fresh and healthy beverage option. Marietta Square's newest beverage choice UpDog Smoothies & Juices is now open. The shop opened on June 16 at 107 Church St. What do you think of this new addition to the Square? Tell us in the comments below. The Menu The menu consists of fruit smoothies, green smoothies and juices. Take a look at a couple of the items under each section. Fruit Smoothies: Urdhva Mukha (Upward Dog)—Orange, carrot, peach, mango and pineapple; and Adho Mukha (Downward Dog)—Orange, vanilla almond milk, raspberry, strawberry and pineapple, among other flavors…
The Valley of Innocence Lost by Don Haugen, of Marietta, details how a boy indoctrinated into his faith before he can talk, survives in an environment of shocking adult behavior. From American memoirist, poet and sculptor Haugen, the author of Mom, Dad, Lawrence and Me, comes The Valley of Innocence Lost (ISBN 1469966891). In it, Haugen "revisits his Midwestern childhood in a story that shakes the reader to their core beliefs and proves that with the faith of a mustard seed, there are times a child must learn to survive," a press release said. Set across the 1930s through the early 1950s, …
Lizards & Lollipopz owners Stacy Smith and John Rossiter opened the store over two years ago. The couple is also the owners of doodlebugz, an eclectic gift boutique that has been on Marietta Square for nine years. Patch: Why did you decide to open a second shop on the Square? Smith: Our kids section was getting larger and larger at doodlebugz. I didn't want to expand it any further because after all we are a gift store not a kids store at doodlebugz. So I decided to open up a dedicated-store to focus on kids. Patch: How did you come up with the name? Smith: My niece actually came up with …
doodlebugz owners Stacy Smith and John Rossiter have been in business for nine years. Smith, an interior designer, has always had an interest in owning a gift store. "It has been a passion of mine since I was in elementary school," she said. The married couple are also the owners of Lizards & Lollipopz on Marietta Square. Tell us what you think of doodlebugz and what your favorite Marietta Square store is in the comments below. Patch: How would you describe doodlebugz? Smith: doodlebugz is an eclectic gift boutique filled to the brim with wit and whimsy. Patch: Where did you get the name …
What happens when social media and Christian charity intersect? Those living in homelessness will be able to select a pair of much-needed shoes this week, thanks to a shoe drive challenge that went out on twitter Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. The story began when Blake Canterbury of Be Remedy visited MUST Ministries and asked for a list of the greatest needs. Canterbury’s effective social media approach matches needs with people who want to meet those needs via his twitter feed. “I was there when all of this started happening and I confess, I broke down in tears," Kaye Cagle of MUST said. "It…
After 12 hours of manning phones and live performances from locals, the Earl Smith Strand Theatre raised $65,500 during its First Annual Strand Call-a-thon on Wednesday. That is $15,500 over its goal of $50,000. "The Strand has become a location for the entire community to get together," Earl Reece, executive director, said. "It's becoming a place where rather than just a community getting together it's like a family reunion." An example would be the Great Locomotive Chase during which the Strand had about 500 people from every area of the community represented including the arts, lawyers, …
The MUST Ministries' Cobb Permanent Supportive Housing Cookout/Auction at First United Methodist Church of Marietta brought together residents, staff and volunteers. MUST Ministries' Permanent Supportive Housing is for people who have been homeless and have a mental or physical disability. Currently 73 people live with MUST in Cobb and Cherokee. These individuals receive help getting jobs, going back to school or working on other skills. "Some of these people have had radical transformations since they came into the program," Kaye Cagle, of MUST Ministries, said. "A few months ago somebody …
For the second year, kids from Cobb made hundreds of paper poppies that will be sold at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park to raise money for "Wreaths Across America." "I love Project Poppy!" Benita Duling, the founder of the project and director of Traveling Trunks and Educational Activities at the park, exclaimed. The project was inspired by Duling's grandfather who was a World War II veteran. "I never knew growing up that he was a veteran, and as an adult he never discussed it," Duling said. "So I never really got the chance to thank him for his service and for his sacrifice." He …
They come to her homeless, some battered and/or addicted, in need of a place to stay until they can get their life together. Carol Paschal explains it more simply. She helps women "who are hurting." Paschal and her deceased husband, Harvey, started Cobb Street Ministries in 1973 to assist those who needed their help. The couple was making plans to go to Ecuador as missionaries when they changed their minds. "We didn't realize how many people were hurting here," said Paschal recently as she sat in the kitchen of one of several houses in the Street Ministry complex in Austell. The Marietta …
Alphabet Hoops is focused on introducing kids to the joys and benefits of hula hooping. Lorene Shaw, the face behind Alphabet Hoops, was so moved by hoop dance and her friend Laura Roinstad, of Baila Hoops, that with the help of some videos, she started making her own hoops and sharing them. Shaw is now a hoop dance instructor. To increase the number of kids that Shaw reaches, she wants to introduce hula hooping to adults who work with kids. Shaw is attempting to donate two adult-sized hula hoops to the P.E. department of each of the Marietta City Schools. On Jan. 23, Shaw donated hoops to A.…
Be yoga, co-owned by Julie Eubanks and Rachel Goldberg, has stressed a sense of community from the beginning. "I saw a need in creating a yoga community," Goldberg said. "I wanted to bring like minded people together. People who are focused on their health and well being. A place for people to make new friendships." Yoga can have many benefits both physical and mental. "By opening up our bodies, we often find more space and clarity, providing us with new perceptions and ways of thinking," Goldberg said. "Yoga is not just stretching, it also builds strength and endurance." Yoga can also help …
The Marietta Museum of History is housed on the second floor of the historic Kennesaw House. The museum features four galleries including: Homelife, General History, the Military and Andrews’ Raiders Room, which tells the story of the plot by Union raiders. Within those galleries items are rotated in and out. "Even our regulars can see something different when they come," Jan Galt Russell, director of the museum, said. The museum, which opened in 1996, also does temporary exhibits, which are changed about every six months. The next exhibit will be Divided and United: The Women of Marietta …
Paint the Town has been on Marietta Square for a year, and in that year Brenda Bryant has found her niche. "We aren't just teaching classes, we are building relationships," Bryant explained. Bryant and her staff don't get in front of the students and lecture. They let their customers choose what they want to paint and then help them get that image to canvas with one-on-one guidance. Bryant is passionate about art and eager to share her knowledge and love with her students. "It's (Painting) a way to relax, have fun with friends and learn something," Bryant said. "It can be very therapeutic." …
Wild West Fest The second annual Wild West Fest takes place in the equestrian center at Jim R. Miller Park on Saturday, March 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All proceeds are designated to fund programs and services of Cobb County Libraries. There will be over 10 activities that repeat throughout the day for kids. Even the Cobb Sheriff’s department will participate with a horse posse parade at 11 a.m.. When guests get thirsty, just stroll over to the Cactus Rose Saloon for some cool lemonade, and pose for photos taken by an authentic 1800s photographer. Witness sheriff deputies arresting the “bad …
Miss the good old days of homemade fudge, boxed Belgian chocolate, chocolate covered popcorn, lollipops in fun shapes, cotton candy, Zotz, Pixy Stix and Big League Chew? Can't wait for the magic of Christmas to come around again. Well the spirit of Christmas and these nostalgic treats are coming to Marietta Square all year long. The Ye Olde Christmas and Candy Shoppe will open in April at 87 Church Street. "I've always had a dream of opening my own store, but I thought it would be way in the future. But I just had this epiphany one day and said, 'This is what I want to be doing, and this is …
