“The park is already making a huge difference in the way that the Roswell Street entrance to the Square looks and feels to people driving into town,” city manager Bill Bruton said.

The park, at the corner of Anderson and Roswell streets, honors former Marietta mayor Joe Mack Wilson, and the first phase includes the statue “Forever Remember,” a project of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta. The remainder of the park will be completed and officially dedicated later.

Forever Remember is for the families and loved ones of our first responders and military, Kiwanis Club of Marietta president Victoria Turney said. “It’s important to recognize and to salute those families and loved ones for their sacrifices every day.”

Encouraging revitalization of Marietta’s current parks and establishing new parks for active and passive use are goals City Council established as part of Marietta’s vision statement.

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

Mark your calendars for July 3, as the city celebrates America’s freedom with an Independence Day parade, celebration and fireworks on the Square.

Parade

The Marietta Independence Day parade is scheduled to include more than 115 entries with 44 floats and approximately 2,000 participants. Entries include marching units from the city of Marietta, Air National Guard Band of the South, civic organizations, beauty queens, scouts and local businesses. The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Roswell Street Baptist Church and travels west on Roswell Street, North on East Park Square past Glover Park and the Square, down Cherokee Street and ends at North Marietta Parkway.
Parade grand marshal

The parade grand marshall will be WellStar Kennestone Hospital, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary in Marietta.

Colgate Country Showdown

The Colgate Country Showdown continues the day’s festivities on the stage in Glover Park at noon. Contestants who have won their respective singing competitions around the state will sing for the chance to appear on Nashville Star, a country music version of American Idol.
Cool off in one of Marietta’s museums

If you want to take a break from the heat, you can cool off and relax in the Marietta Musuem of History, 1 Depot Street, the Gone with the Wind museum, 18 Whitlock Avenue, or the Marietta Welcome Center, 4 Depot Street. The Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art will be closed, and the other museums will have special holiday hours. For more information, call the Marietta Welcome Center at 770-429-1115.
Fireworks

The fireworks display is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. and will be shot from the First United Methodist Church parking lot. KICKS 101.5 will broadcast patriotic music during the fireworks. If bad weather is expected, the fireworks may begin a few minutes early to ensure the entire display is completed. If you want to watch the fireworks, make sure you get there early to grab a spot because traffic is expected to be heavy.

Rain date for fireworks is July 5 at 9:30 p.m.

Popular city market temporarily closed July 3

The Marietta Square Farmers Market, usually held along North Park Square, will be closed Saturday, July 3 as Marietta celebrates America’s independence. The market will return to North Park Square Saturday, July 10 from 9 a.m.-noon.

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

Volunteers will meet at the Public Works Complex, 750 North Marietta Parkway, and receive trash bags, vests and a cleanup location, Keep Marietta Beautiful director Joan Ellars said. “Vests are required by law to be able to work on the roads.”
About Keep Marietta Beautiful

Keep Marietta Beautiful is a volunteer organization that works in the areas of litter prevention, beautification, community improvement and waste reduction. It is the mission of Keep Marietta Beautiful, the Marietta Clean City Commission, to generate environmental pride and a sense of ownership within the Marietta community.

The event is sponsored nationwide by Keep America Beautiful as part of the Great American Cleanup.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Keep Marietta Beautiful director Joan Ellars at 770-794-5606 or jellars@mariettaga.gov.

More than 300 volunteers are needed to plant gardens, stain a fence, clean trails, clean the Confederate Cemetery, clean an illegal dumpsite, plant trees, clean the city’s parks and pick up trash.

Photo Credit: via Flickr Saranv (http://www.flickr.com/photos/saranv/)

How to volunteer

To volunteer for a work site, call 770-794-5606 or e-mail jellars@mariettaga.gov. Volunteers are encouraged to dress in heavy shoes and long pants and to be prepared for the weather. Volunteers should bring heavy gloves, hammers, saws, shovels and trowels. Trash bags and latex gloves will be provided at the sites.
Schedule of events

* Building and planting raised gardens at the senior housing project
* Work on trails, painting, etc. at A.L. Burruss Elementary School
* Staining a fence at Lewis Park
* Planting gardens at Brown Park
* Cleaning the Confederate Cemetery
* Cleaning an illegal dumpsite near Lockheed School
* Planting trees and other landscaping at Henry Park
* Trail work at Sawyer Road Elementary School

“I am looking forward to another fabulous year,” Ellars said. “Last year this was the best project we have ever done, and I hope it remains our crown jewel.”
About Keep Marietta Beautiful

Keep Marietta Beautiful is a volunteer organization that works in the areas of litter prevention, beautification, community improvement and waste reduction. It is the mission of Keep Marietta Beautiful, the Marietta Clean City Commission, to generate environmental pride and a sense of ownership within the Marietta community.

The event is co-sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their Day of Service and Keep America Beautiful as part of the Great American Cleanup.

For more information, contact Keep Marietta Beautiful director Joan Ellars at 770-794-5606 or jellars@mariettaga.gov.

Marietta’s Public Works Department is beginning a program that offers to send an employee to homes to kill mosquito larvae and prevent adult mosquitoes by putting chemically treated briquettes in standing water on private property, including creeks, which are breeding areas for mosquitoes.

Photo Credit: via Flickr FreeBird

Residents with a mosquito problem can call Marietta’s Public Works Department at 770-794-5676 for help getting rid of the mosquitoes.

Marietta is also taking care of mosquitoes on city rights of way, operations manager Scott Lawler said.

To help prevent mosquitoes in the past, the Public Works Department sprayed Aqua-Reslin at night, which eliminated the adults but was not effective against the daytime biting mosquitoes.

In addition to removing standing water, adding the environmentally friendly briquettes to standing water is the best option to eliminate mosquitoes, Lawler said.
Other things you can do

Eliminate standing water

• Keep gutters clean and free of debris

• Keep lids on outdoor garbage cans

• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling bins

• Remove all standing water on property

• Store boats so water drains

• Remove or cover all old tires stored outside

• Drain or flush all birdbaths

• Drain all large toys that are stored outside

• Store all yard tools properly

• Maintain pools and ponds

• Remind neighbors to eliminate breeding sites on their property

• Repair leaky pipes and faucets

• Screen rain barrels and openings to water tanks

• Eliminate weeds and tall grass

Protect Yourself

• Wear long pants, long sleeved shirts and socks

• Use insect repellant containing DEET (Note: Read carefully and follow manufacturer’s instructions. Do not use on infants or pregnant women.)

• Make sure open doors and windows are screened

• Stay indoors when mosquitoes are active

The concerts are free of charge but if you’re looking for a “front-row seat,” a limited number of tables can be reserved — $45 for tables of six and $55 for tables for eight. Tables reservations are taken on a first come basis and may be reserved the first working day of each month.
2010 Series performers

* April 23 – Modernaires Orchestra (Swing)
* May 28 – Pieces of Eight (Beach)
* June 15 – Soul Purpose (Oldies)
* June 26 – Cobb Symphony
* July 30 – Bayside (R & B, Beach)
* August 27 – Livin’ Large (Oldies)
* September 24 – The Glow Band (Pop)

Blankets and lawn chairs may be set up in the park after 4 p.m. Personal tables are not permitted in the park, however they may be set up on North Park Square after 5:30 p.m. Bring a picnic dinner (beer and wine are permitted) or dine in one of the many fine restaurants located on the square. Join others and participate in the table or blanket-decorating contest sponsored by Coldwell Banker-Marietta West Cobb branch. The contest is held prior to each concert with the winner taking home a picnic basket full of goodies. Registration is not required.

This year’s poster will feature the artwork of Robert Rodenberger, a long time Marietta resident and owner of Jazzy Art gift store in Kennesaw featuring one-of-a-kind art pieces. He is a self-taught artist whose style is most recognizable for its whimsy, vivid color and texture.

The following sponsors have made the Glover Park Concert Series a free event: Marietta Board of Lights and Water, Gas South, Vinings Bank, Pugmire Lincoln Mercury Isuzu Suzuki, Brand Energy and Infrastructure Services, Republic Services, Croy Engineering LLC, Marietta Business Association, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage-Marietta West Cobb, Keep Marietta Beautiful, Tucker Castleberry Printing, Fun-Fare, Pit Stop and the Marietta Daily Journal.

The Downtown Marietta Development Authority and the city of Marietta produce the series.

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

Landowners – or individuals that know of landowners – willing to donate or sell their property may make nominations for donations, sale or a combination. Contact the Marietta Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department at 770-794-5601 for a nomination form or download the form from the committee’s blog at mariettaga.gov/blogs/cacmp. Also at the blog, citizens can follow the activities of the CACMP as the planning and development of park, recreation, trails and greenspace projects progresses.

Too bad there were less than 10 in attendance for this information filled couple of hours.

An arborist, landscape planner, and a Ga. forester presented great program of things to think about as we look at our tree canopy and decide which needs help and how to best address what needs to be done.

It was on the Calendar from the City of Marietta:
http://www.mariettaga.gov/departments/parks_rec/calendarview.aspx?id=3988

This workshop and others are supported via a federal grant.

Nicholas Cole

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Photos via melanieavita on Flickr

Choose your own route or begin from the Art Walk Headquarters Tent in “Artists’ Alley” – an intimate exhibit of juried artists showing a wide variety of styles. Artists’ Alley will be in the Courtyard and Alley by the Marietta Welcome Center & Visitors Bureau, 4 Depot Street. There will also be performance artists based throughout the Square.

Pick up an Art Walk map, which denotes what locations are featured and what artists will be spotlighted. Maps of the venues are available at each participating merchant, the Marietta Welcome Center & Visitors Bureau and online at www.artwalkmarietta.com. Remember to have your map stamped at each participating location. Return the completed map (with at least 15 locations stamped) to Art Walk Headquarters by 9pm and your name will be entered into a drawing for a “Hip to be Square” package including passes to attractions, dining experiences and a $100 gift certificate redeemable at any participating merchant on the Square.

Get around by trolley; take the “Scary-etta” tour at 8 pm!

The Historic Marietta Trolley will make it easier to get to all the Art Walk stops. They’re running a free shuttle service that evening from 6pm-8pm. Trolley stops are marked by flags around the Square and can be found on your Art Walk Map.

At 8pm the Historic Marietta Trolley Company and Ghosts of Marietta will be combining for “Scary-etta,” the trolley ghost tour. The tour leaves from the Trolley Headquarters, 131 Church Street. For more information about “Scary-etta” visit the Trolley website, www.mariettatrolley.com or the Ghosts of Marietta website, www.ghostsofmarietta.com.

Parking is available on the Square, in the Mill Street lots and in the Cherokee Street Parking Deck (free that evening). For detailed information about parking, visit www.artwalkmarietta.com. Admission to the Art Walk is free. First Friday Art Walk will be held rain or shine the first Friday of the month, April-October (except July). For more information, call the Marietta Welcome Center & Visitors Bureau at 770-429-1115 or visit www.artwalkmarietta.com.

Contact: Theresa Jenkins, 770-429-1115; tjenkins@mariettaga.gov