“We are celebrating a new era in Marietta in bringing the Hilton name to the city of Marietta,” General Manager of the Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel & Conference Center Steven H. Davis said. “This will give the city a great brand in Hilton and really enhance the city.”

The Hilton name is known internationally because of service and quality, Davis said.

Beds, pillows, sheets and comforters in the hotel’s 199 rooms have already been changed to reflect the Hilton brand. The hotel rooms have received the Hilton amenities package, which includes a stainless steel ice bucket, new shower head and curtain, a coffee maker, MP3 alarm clock, terry cloth towels, and Crabtree & Evelyn grooming products.

Renovations to the rest of the hotel are tentatively scheduled to begin in October 2008 and be completed by the end of the year, Davis said. “These renovations will include new carpeting in rooms and hallways, new drapes, updated bathrooms and renovations to the lobby, bar and restaurant.”

The hotel and conference center will remain open during renovations.

Davis said Marietta is the ideal spot to bring the Hilton name because of the city’s historic Square and its many shops and restaurants conveniently within walking distance.

Hilton name tags and new uniforms were given to hotel employees at the ceremony, and customers can now use the Hilton reservations system to plan their stay at the hotel.

Just a reminder that we have a town hall meeting this evening, April 15th at 7pm. Hickory Hills Homeowners Association will meet at City Hall from 6pm-6:45pm prior to the Town Hall.

With the tremendous amount of coyote sightings in the area - We will have a representative from Cobb County Animal Control to discuss “Coyotes in our Neighborhood”.

The group Prime kicks off this season’s Glover Park concert series April 25 at 8 p.m. and will perform oldies and classic rock.

Table reservations for the first concert of this year’s series are on sale now in the Parks and Recreation Department at City Hall.

Concerts are rain or shine. Blankets and lawn chairs may be set up after 4 p.m. no personal tables are permitted in the park. A limited number of tables are available for rent on the first working day of the month for that concert.

2008 Series Performers

• April 25: Prime (Oldies/Classic Rock)
• May 30: The Mighty Kicks (Beach / R&B)
• June 27: Still Swinging (Big Band)
• July 5: Cobb Symphony Orchestra
• July 25: A1A (Jimmy Buffet Tribute Band)
• August 22: The Neons (70s / 80s / Classics)
• September 26: Tyn Times (Beach / Oldies)

The free concerts are presented by the Marietta Parks and Recreation Department and the Downtown Marietta Development Authority. The generous support of our premier sponsors makes this popular event possible.

Downtown Marietta Handicapped Parking Map

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

Marietta Police Department warns residents of theft suspects posing as employees of the Marietta Housing Authority and Marietta Power and Water. The two males recently approached residents and identified themselves as city workers to gain entry into homes. While one of the suspects distracts the resident, the other steals items from the home.
Suspects

Two white males, 5′09″-6′00″ tall, thin builds, last seen wearing tan baseball hats, white t-shirts, blue jeans. Driving a white newer model pickup truck, tag unknown.
If you are approached

Marietta Power and Water employees will not enter a home unless they have an appointment with the resident first. If you are approached by person(s) identifying themselves as city workers, especially if you did not place a request for work, ask for identification. If you feel uneasy about them, do not open your door or permit entry into your residence. Call for police assistance. Police officers will be able to verify their identities. There has been no report of the suspects being armed with weapons or violent; however, do not make assumptions about their intent.

If you have any questions about work orders or city of Marietta policies for worker identification, call 770-794-5100 and ask for the department in question.

The latest figures from the ARC take into account the population growth in each of the county’s six cities and unincorporated Cobb County. The unincorporated areas of the county added just under 5,200 residents per year since 2000.

“We are not surprised by the 1.1 percent slow growth rate in the county,” said Commission Chairman Sam Olens. “Good land planning and smart development are key to keeping the population closely matched with our ability to provide effective services.”

The ARC population figures account for births, deaths and residents moving into or out of the county. For more information, go to www.atlantaregional.com/populationdata.

Marietta will sign a 20-year lease with Dallas-based Remington Hospitality, which manages the Conference Center. The city and its downtown development authority will issue bonds of $7 million to refurbish and renovate the facility, which will remain open during the improvements. Remington will be responsible for all payments on the bond and for paying off the existing debt of the facility, which will build equity for the city. At the end of the lease period, the city would have a property worth over $30 million.

With the makeover planned, the Hilton Hotels Corporation has agreed to a conversion of the Conference Center into a Hilton property. Guests will be able to book rooms at the hotel using Hilton’s worldwide reservations system, one of many marketing tools that city officials and Remington anticipate will increase business at the Conference Center.

The facility will benefit from Hilton’s national sales and marketing efforts, meeting referrals, national and regional advertising and public relations.

“With a quality operator like Remington and with the high quality franchise of Hilton, I think Marietta and its citizens have an asset we can be proud of,” Marietta Mayor Bill Dunaway said. “I think we have an asset that will help Marietta’s image.”

Hilton and Marietta City Council will approve any name change to the Conference Center, but none has been submitted.

Remington, which runs the day to day operations at the Conference Center, will not take any profit from the facility until an operating account of $1 million and a reserve account of $1.6 million are funded. Distribution of revenues after that point will be divided between an escrow account for future renovations and Remington, which is responsible for all future renovations during the term of the lease.

Once gross revenues reach $14 million, the city will receive three percent of all additional revenue.

Hilton is a name that is synonymous with first-class hospitality. For almost 90 years, the Hilton Family has been offering the business and leisure traveler worldwide the very finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value.

Their use has been controversial in other jurisdictions after the deaths of suspects.

But Marietta Police Chief Dan Flynn said the electronic weapons are far safer than things like batons or guns because they immobilize suspects before they —or officers— are injured.

“Historically, they reduce injuries to officers and the people [police] arrest,” Flynn said.

The Marietta City Council approved the purcha in 2008se of the first 60 electronic weapons on Wednesday in 6-1 vote. Councilman Anthony Coleman, opposed the purchase.

The first shipment will cost about $65,000, with the money coming from the department’s asset forfeiture fund. They should be delivered and officers trained within the first few months of 2008.

The department is still working out the guidelines for their use. The department has not determined from what company they will buy the equipment.

Cobb reduced its water usage to an average of 74.45 million gallons per day ending November, meeting requirements set by Gov. Sonny Purdue in reaction to the ongoing drought, according to the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority.

Officials cite changes in customers habits through outreach and education with helping make the crucial impact on the county’s use.

“Once the community realized what needed to be done they did it,” Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority General Manager Glenn Page said. “This was a really tall order for the citizens in Cobb but they responded well.”

Educational efforts by the Cobb County Water System have encouraged residents and businesses to adopt basic methods for reduced use, including checking for leaks and not automatically serving water at restaurants.

“Cobb County citizens are being more conscious about their water use and that is the first key to water conservation,” Cobb County Water System Water Conservation Coordinator Kathy Nguyen said. “Just simple things like turning off the tap while brushing their teeth, and taking shorter showers add up. Cobb citizens have adopted a lot of efficient behaviors and we have to keep it up.”

The Cobb Board of Commissioners continues to push for lower water use with the recent adoption of a rebate program that assists homeowners that replace their old toilets with new low-flow models.

The rebate program has spent more than $42,000 to help replace 662 toilets since it started in October, officials said. Another 30 claims are being processed.

The county per capita water use went from 127 gallons in November 2006 to just 96 gallons in November this year, according to figures released by the Cobb County Water System.

“Every single republican candidate that I can think of agrees that we should lower taxes. Democrats want to raise taxes.”
During his stroll through the quaint downtown district of Marietta, Giuliani was also heckled by supporters of Ron Paul, a former libertarian.

I saw this posted on another site and just had to blog it - the fact that Hotel glasses are nasty is the heart of the story, but the real kicker is the story was based in Atlanta, and part of it is at a Cobb County Hotel near the Galleria.