MARIETTA - On the heels of last week’s attack that left a Marietta teen critically injured outside Six Flags Over Georgia, Cobb and amusement park officials are joining police and community activists to ensure a similar crime doesn’t happen again.

Together, Six Flags and Cobb are expected to offer a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Monday afternoon, Cobb Commission Chairman Sam Olens met privately with Commissioner Annette Kesting, whose district includes the park, Cobb Public Safety Director Mickey Lloyd, state Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) and activists Michael Langford and former Atlanta City Councilman Derrick Boazman, to discuss ways to bolster safety in and around the popular South Cobb attraction.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held recently officially re-opening Cobb County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs’ fully renovated and expanded Cobb Gymnastics Center. The building was recently expanded to include 7,300 square feet with additional program area, new offices, concession area, restrooms, lobby and mezzanine spectator area. Renovation of the 30-year-old building and addition of the floor area will enable the County to expand gymnastics class offerings and competitive team opportunities.

The cost of the project was $1.4 million and was completed in about six months. The Cobb Gymnastics Center is located at 542 Fairground St., Marietta, in Larry Bell Park near the intersection of Clay Street (South 120 Loop) and Fairground Street. The Gymnastics Center offers both instructional and competitive programs throughout the year. Programs include gymnastics classes and camps, cheer gymnastics, martial arts and dance.

All levels of gymnastics instruction is offered for boys and girls ages 2 years through high school age. Hours of operation are Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; and Saturday 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. (on days of classes only.) For more information, please call 770-528-8475, or visit the official site here .

MARIETTA—The “Colors of Love,” an annual ecumenical prayer service celebrating the witness and gifts which persons with disabilities bring to the community, will be held on Tuesday evening, July 31, at the Church of St. Ann.

Hospitality and a light supper will be offered in Nolan Hall, adjacent to the church, from 6 to 7:15 p.m. to facilitate fellowship and sharing among those who attend. The prayer service will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the church.

The celebration will include readings from Scripture, reflections on the readings, song and liturgical dance. Participants will include members of Atlanta area programs for persons with disabilities and will offer interfaith prayer and witness in recognition of the presence, gifts and value of those who are disabled in some way.

All members of the community who have a disability, their family members and friends, and all others who desire to share in the joy of the celebration are invited.

The Church of St. Ann is located at 4905 Roswell Road, Marietta, at the intersection with Bishop Lake Road. For additional information, contact the Pastoral Care Office at (770) 552-6400, ext. 6019, or e-mail mboyle@st-ann.org.

Crowds enjoyed Marietta’s Independence Day parade and day-long events on the Square July 4. An estimated 20,000 spectators lined the downtown streets for the annual parade, which included over 100 entries and 2,000 participants.

Spectators enjoyed free live concerts throughout the day — including country music group Carolina Rain — museum tours, arts and crafts show, food, carnival games and a spectacular fireworks finale.

Float winners

• Best Theme: Cobb Democratic Women
• Most Beautiful: Cobb County Government
• Most Spectacular: Elizabeth Baptist Church
• Most Patriotic: Georgia Vietnam Veterans Alliance 
• Most Whimsical: Keep Marietta Beautiful
• Most Creative: Cobb Emergency Management Agency

For more information, call Marietta Parks and Recreation at 770-794-5601.

The Marietta Fire Department arrested Charles Brian Campbell of Marietta July 3 for arson in the first degree for a house fire that occurred February 16, 2000, near the Marietta Square.

The fire at 187 Locust Street involved a historic home built circa 1900 that was under renovation at the time. Investigators at the time determined the fire was the result of arson but were not able to bring charges for the crime. There were no injuries involved in the fire.

Although the fire occurred over seven years ago, the case had remained opened. Recently a witness came forward with additional information that provided significant facts that allowed a suspect to be identified and charged in the case.

In the State of Georgia, up to $10,000 is offered as a reward for anyone having information involving arson that leads to a conviction.

For more information, call the Marietta Fire Department at 770-794-5458.

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(Marietta, Ga. – July 5, 2007) - Cobb County’s annual surplus auction is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 7 at Jim R. Miller Park. Preview days will be Friday, July 6 from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. and Saturday, July 7 from 8-9 a.m.

Items to be sold include six fire trucks, heavy equipment including a crane and an excavator, dump trucks, heavy and medium duty trucks, three Harley Davidson motorcycles, and a number of pickup trucks, SUV’s, buses, vans and cars. Other items include various heavy equipment and office furniture.

Payment will be accepted in the form of cash, cashiers checks and personal or company checks made out to Wayne Evans Auction Company Inc. and must be accompanied by a current bank letter of guarantee.

For more information, visit http://purchasing.cobbcountyga.govor call (770) 528-8425.

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Released by:
David Layman
Robert Quigley
(770) 528-2480

It looks like the lil’ chickens of marietta have launched their website! Be sure to stop over an check out the Artist Design Gallery to see the cool renderings of the lil chickens that will be produced by each Artist. I can’t wait to see them all over the city, how cool. Also, if you are a business or know of someone that would be interested in sponsoring a lil chicken, be sure to head over to the sponsorship page…enjoy and Happy 4th of July to everyone! Hope to see you out at the Square today for the festivities!

Special Thanks to the MDJ for this news!

Georgia’s Public Service Commission is set to vote today on a rule designed to open up more of the panel’s business to the public.

The plan would ban PSC members from holding some closed-door meetings with companies who have business before the panel.

Commissioner Angela Speir, who authored the proposal, said that members of the public are often frozen out of decisions that affect them because they are based on private conversations between PSC members and lobbyists for the state’s major utility companies and other interests.

Speir’s rule would outlaw back door communications from the conclusion of a hearing on a particular matter until the commission decides on it. That’s watered down from her initial proposal, which would have blocked such communications from the time a case was filed on the PSC’s docket.

Speir said she liked the broader proposal she initially put forward but was unable to get a majority of her colleagues on the five-member panel to support that timeline.

Georgia’s Public Service Commission is one of only a handful across the country that lacks rules governing so-called ex parte contact, Speir said.

Representatives of the state’s utility companies largely oppose the change, arguing that it infringes on free speech rights.

Commissioner Stan Wise agreed. He was the lone member of the panel to cast a vote against studying the proposal earlier this year. Wise argued that banning the closed-door meetings infringes free speech and would be “unworkable and unenforceable.”

The planned vote comes just days after Georgia Power asked the PSC to approve a 7 percent rate hike for electric consumers.

Holly Manheimer, executive director of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, said even in its weaker incarnation the proposal was an improvement that would improve transparency in the state.

Georgia Public Service Commission, http://www.psc.state.ga.us/

More than 200 of the world’s finest Paralympic athletes gathered in Marietta over the weekend for the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field National Championships. At stake was a spot at the Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

After unanimous approval tonight by its downtown development authority, the city of Marietta is moving forward with a plan to speed up construction of many transportation improvements voters approved as part of the 2005 special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST).

Marietta City Council approved June 13, 2007, the issuance of $9.8 million in bonds to accelerate transportation projects funded by the penny on the dollar sales tax voters approved nearly two years ago. The city will spend proceeds from the bonds to begin construction of improvements ahead of schedule instead of waiting on income from the sales tax.

By starting the projects earlier instead of waiting, the city expects it will save money because the interest on the bonds will be less expensive than the rising construction costs and increased real estate values anticipated while waiting. The accelerated schedule is not expected to increase the total costs to the city for the projects.
Accelerated traffic improvements

The accelerated schedule would jump start road improvements between one and four years earlier throughout the city including:

* Atlanta Street
* Church Street at North Marietta Parkway — intersection improvements
* Fairground Street from Allgood Road to North Marietta Parkway
* Fairground Street from North Marietta Parkway to South Marietta Parkway
* Franklin Road at Delk Road
* Franklin Road from South Marietta Parkway to Delk Road
* Kennesaw Avenue
* Kennesaw Avenue over Noses Creek
* Lake Drive at South Marietta Parkway
* Lawrence Street
* Powder Springs Street — streetscapes
* South Marietta Parkway — median and sidewalk improvements

For more information, call the city of Marietta’s Public Works Department at 770-794-5650.