Looks like there is some news with the Strand happening… any thoughts?

Thanks to the AJC

What goes around comes around.

The Polk Street Players bought 60 seats from the shuttered Strand Theatre 22 years ago. Last week, the community theater gave the seats back to the Friends of the Strand, the group behind renovating the art deco building on the Marietta Square.

The Players are updating their space at St. James’ Episcopal Church and getting new seats. The Strand seats will be restored and put on the balcony, which will have room for about 60 seats.

“It is great for historical purposes to get these back to the Strand,” said Ron Carter, Friends of the Strand secretary. “It was perfect timing.”

Construction on the $5 million renovation is expected to begin in the fall.

– Tucker McQueen

WOW. What a story. I totally agree with him. Traffic after the concert on the Square on the 4th of July was NUTS. I haven’t EVER seen it as bad as it was that night. Pure chaos. Read this story….

Thanks to the AJC!

By LEVAN KAKHADZE
Published on: 07/19/06

Two and a half weeks before our baby’s due date, my wife, Erin, and I went to Marietta to see the Fourth of July parade.

After watching floats and marching bands, we drove to Lake Allatoona to enjoy picnicking and swimming. At the lake, she told me that she had very small contractions but that there was no pain.

Levan Kakhadze lives in Smyrna.

That night, we decided to go to Marietta Square, to hear “Little Big Town” (one of Erin’s Favorite bands), which played before the fireworks.

Toward the end of the concert, Erin’s contractions were yet a little stronger, but it was still two and a half weeks early, so we did not worry too much. As the fireworks were nearing completion, Erin and I headed out to get a jump start home. By the time we reached our car, all the other 10,000 people reached their cars, too, and there it was: the world’s worst traffic jam and my worst nightmare.

We sat in out car in the parking lot for 30 minutes and moved at the most a few yards. Erin’s pain increased; she began to cry. My panic increased also.

I finally maneuvered the car out of the parking lot, but traffic was worse on the little street on the square. (We were about 30-35 minutes from Northside Hospital). I jumped out of the car and asked other drivers to let me through because we were having a baby. This effort took us no more than 100 feet. Panic took a hold of me; I was sweating like a big dog in the humid weather.

I called 911, and the dispatcher said it would be very hard to find me in such bad traffic. I called back five minutes later, turned my flashers on, jumped out of the car, and ran like a crazy man looking for a cop. I finally found a cop. He came to the car and called some paramedics and the ambulance. I thought for sure Erin was going to have our kid there.

Finally, the ambulance made it through the traffic. An hour after being at the hospital, baby Dante Kakhadze was born.

Advice to fellow Atlantans: Never underestimate the traffic in our city, and when planning to reach your destination in a hurry, expect the unexpected, which, quite predictably, happens very often in Atlanta.

Level 1 Restrictions ban outdoor water use from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. No outdoor water use is permitted on Fridays. Outdoor water use is allowed during non-banned hours on scheduled days as follows:

Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday - Even numbered or unnumbered addresses may water.

Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday - Odd numbered addresses may water.

For example, an even-numbered address may water only on a scheduled day from 12:01 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and may water again from 4:01 p.m. until midnight. The same schedule applies for odd-numbered addresses.

The Cobb County Water System will strictly enforce these restrictions. Warnings are issued for a first offense. Second, and each subsequent time results in escalating fines for each offense up to $500, water service disconnection, as well as prosecution.

For more information, call (770) 423-1000 or visit the Cobb County Water System web site at www.cobbwater.org.

Not that this is the first time we’ve encountered such rules, but what are your thoughts on these restrictions, citizens of Marietta? Are they workable for you or are they difficult to manage? Do you think they do a good enough job of conserving water for the city?

From the looks on the sign, which already announces the new business’ name, Sam & Dave’s BBQ2 will be arriving on the scene shortly. Located in the shopping center which houses Xpress Fitness 24/7 and the now-defunct Metro Market, the new Sam & Dave’s BBQ is not yet open. We have no details as to when the first day open will be, but if you’d like to check out Sam & Dave’s before they arrive on our side of town, you can check out this review from the AJC. Or you can visit their first location on Lower Roswell Road yourself for a personal preview. Keep your eyes open for further developments…..

Marietta City Council adopted July 12 a revised vision statement to guide the future of the city. Council members voted to approve the vision after a series of public meetings that sought citizen input on draft goals the Council developed at a January 2006 retreat.

The revised vision statement guides elected officials and city staff in planning efforts and identifies goals related to parks and green space; business and economic development; historic preservation; culture, tourism and the arts; redevelopment and urban design; mixed housing types and owner-occupied housing; transportation; and ethics.

The city council will use comments from citizens, offered at public meetings and submitted online, to develop specific actions and quantifiable goals in August. Members will outline target dates and detailed objectives to guide their legislation and direct city staff for implementation.

City council originally established the vision statement in 2001, and the current council wanted to update it because the city has been so successful in meeting and surpassing some of the goals.

Details of the revised vision statement and its goals are available on the city’s Web site at www.mariettaga.gov/vision.

City Council has been debating the construction of a connector that would link Powder Springs Street with South Cobb Drive. According to the Marietta Daily Journal, “the project aims to give motorists a more direct route to Interstate 75 by connecting the two roads so drivers won’t have to travel north to the South Marietta loop where traffic often is congested.”

On Monday, the Council looked into two proposed routes in trying to find a solution. The first one has Powder Springs Street connected to South Cobb Drive by way of Sandtown Road. However, one major problem with this is that a shopping center would have to be destroyed in order for the road to be completed.

The other idea has South Cobb Drive and Powder Springs Street joined by Chestnut Hill Road. This is a major entrance into the Whitlock Heights neighborhood. Two Council members live in this neighborhood: Grif Chalfant and Holly Walquist. Once again, Whitlock Heights is under pressure to sacrifice its historically subdued and family-oriented atmosphere in order to relieve traffic tensions.

Ms. Walquist commented that “connecting Chestnut Hill to Sandtown is just what the neighborhood did not want to do,” while Mr. Chalfant said he is “opposed to the Chestnut Hill solution. It’s a neighborhood breaker.”

The Chestnut Hill proposal is a “straighter shot” than the Sandtown Road plan, according to the submitted designs. Bill Dunaway, the Mayor, said he would support the Chestnut Hill plan only if Georgia DOT guarantees that the area is safeguarded from traffic.

Thanks to Michael French and the MDJ for content of this article.

Get ready - Art in the Park is less than 2 months away!

Whether you are an artist or an art lover, Art in the Park in Marietta, Georgia is the place to be on Labor Day Weekend. This juried art show has become one of the largest in the Southeast United States thanks to the quality of artists who enter the competition.

Marietta has maintained a cultural tradition that exceeds a city of our size, and this festival has contributed to this legacy. The juried art show spotlights original works of fine art and crafts including paintings, photography, pottery, graphics, sculptures, jewelry and much more. It offers a chance to not only view some of the finest work of contemporary artists, but also meet them and discuss their work. Many art lovers make this a “must attend” event for that very reason

In addition to the fine art and crafts that encircle Glover Park, there are antiques shops and galleries that shoppers can browse. Food is served by many fine restaurants and vendors on the square, and just a short distance from the festival is the Marietta/Cobb County Museum of Art, which makes Art in the Park an event to remember!

Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry will bring a dash of glamour to a serious topic, “Building Intolerance to Drunk Driving and Underage Drinking,” Thursday at 11 a.m. in a talk in the seminar room of Marietta High School, 1171 Whitlock Ave.

The event is free and open to the public. Parents with teenagers and young drivers are encouraged to come. Home to the largest driver education program in Georgia, Marietta High is Berry’s first stop in the Atlanta metro area as part of her 20,000 mile a month, yearlong tour to raise awarnesses of the dangers of drinking and driving.

The Marietta/Cobb Drivers Education is a joint program of the Marietta City and Cobb County school systems. More than 2,600 teens each year go through the driver’s education program that has been recognized by the Georgia Department of Driving as a model for programs across the state.

The Marietta Parks, Recreation and Facilities staff is celebrating national Recreation and Parks Month with special events during the month of July. You could be win goodies and surprises as staff visits Marietta parks all month long.

July 7, Noon: Brown Bag Concert, Marla Feeney & Friends, Glover Park
July 8, 7:30 a.m.: Family fishing and fun, Laurel Park
July 13, Noon: Brown Bag Concert, Oklahoma National Guard Band, Glover Park
July 15, 9:00 a.m.: Love the Loop, Road Clean up with Keep Marietta Beautiful, 725 North Marietta Parkway
July 17, Noon: Brown Bag Concert, New Horizons Band, Glover Park
July 28, 8 p.m.: Evening Concert, Still Swinging, Glover Park
July 29, Noon-3 p.m.: Seventh Annual Pool Party, Lawrence Street Recreation Center Pool

July is the perfect time to take advantage of the many different park systems represented in our area. We are fortunate to have parks and programs run by local municipalities and counties, as well as state and national parks nearby. Celebrate Parks and Recreation!

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Thanks to the AJC for this story!

If you’ve ever bought a piece of clothing from Vintage by Judith on the Marietta Square and received a dirty look from the store’s namesake, don’t take it personally.

Just understand — Judith Nudi runs her store more as museum than mercantile — she is reluctant to part with much of her collection.

Even now, as she tries to create some space for a new locale — three doors, and one level, up Roswell Street — Nudi cringes each time the cash register rings.

“Every day I’m taking things out,” said Nudi, who’s owned the vintage clothing and costume rental store for 15 years. A rent increase is prompting the move, which she expects to complete by Aug. 1. “I hate selling my stuff.”

And when she does, she’s picky about who buys it. She said she prefers selling to people “who are worthy of having that particular piece of clothing. They’ve got to love it as much as I do.”

That’s a tall order. While she’s experienced success as a retailer, Nudi is, by her own admission, more astute harvester than savvy businesswoman.

“Look at this 1940s Girl Scout uniform,” she said as she perused a rack of vintage garb. “I can’t stand to part with it.”

Nudi estimates she has 30,000 articles of clothing — ranging from Old South ball gowns to zoot suits — scattered between her current location and her new digs. Transporting that collection has made these past few months “the hardest in my life.”

“It’s been dragged out because I’ve had to go through every single piece,” Nudi said.

The items she felt she could part with are marked down, though don’t expect a hard sell from Nudi or her assistant.

“Between the two of us, we spend most of our time just admiring the clothes,” said retired social worker Susan Hopkins, who works part-time at Vintage by Judith. “It’s a roomful of history. You can develop a whole story line for these clothes.”

Nudi’s love of “old things” goes back to her childhood in Pittsburgh. While some kids blanch at the idea of accompanying their mother to an estate sale, Nudi was always a (vintage) clothes hound.

“I appreciate the quality of the fabrics, the craftsmanship … just everything about them,” she said. “I like to find something old and musty that might be worthless to someone else but is priceless to me.”

Nudi plans to emphasize the rental part of her business at the new store, relieving her of at least some of the sorrow that comes when she must part with one of her “children” (pack-rat speak for merchandise).

“I prefer to add [clothes] than subtract,” Nudi said.

Which leads one to wonder: Does she ever worry about running out of space?

“I’ve got a 3,000-square-foot basement at home that’s still got a little bit of room left,” she said.