Marietta Square Artist’s Attic [MSAA] Gallery Grand Opening Event

Marietta.com

The Marietta Square Artist’s Attic [MSAA] Gallery will host its Grand Opening event on Sunday, June 22nd. The public is invited to visit the gallery anytime between 1:00pm – 7:00pm to meet the artists and view over 100 pieces of artwork in a variety of forms on display. There will be cookies and refreshments all afternoon, with wine and hors d’oeuvres served beginning at 4:30pm.

Located on the Marietta Square above The Local Exchange boutique, the MSAA Gallery is a cooperative for local artists and craftspeople, providing a venue for the exhibition, sale, and demonstration of their work.

“The new MSAA Gallery is such a vibrant space,” says Emily Lupita, a local watercolor artist and owner of the online art & design studio, www.EmilyLupitaStudio.com. “I’m excited for the community to see all the wonderful art our talented group of Marietta artists has on display.”

Artist Frank Buckner of www.frankbucknergallery.com is another local artist with paintings up in the MSAA Gallery. “Join us as we celebrate our new gallery. Indulge yourself in local art and see why Marietta is a small town with big talent,” says Buckner, whose art consists of a mix of bold colors and compelling shapes on large canvases.

The MSAA Gallery currently features a variety of paintings in many mediums and sizes, as well pottery, glassware, and woodwork. Local artisans whose work will appear in the grand opening event include Ann Miltiades, Dell Ard, Emily Lupita, Frank Buckner, Gwen Waters, Jill Sinclair, Kathy McCullen, Kristi Fleming Poole, Sarah Mantel, and more.

Date:
Sunday, June 22, 2014 from 1pm to 7pm

Admission:
Free and open to the public.

Address:
The MSAA Gallery is located on the Marietta Square above The Local Exchange boutique at 120 South Park Square Ste. 207, Marietta GA 30060

Parking:
Free parking available on the Marietta Square and public parking ramps.

For more information, please call (770) 794-3136 or visit http://www.mariettasquareartistsattic.com

Chamber to Honor International Commerce

Marietta.com

The Cobb Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for its International Commerce Spotlight Award, which recognizes a company that excels in global commerce and shows commitment to the vitality of Cobb County. Nominations may be submitted by an individual or directly from a company that qualifies by June 16, 2014. For more information, contact Amanda Blanton at ablanton@cobbchamber.org or (770) 859-2336.

Nobis Works

Camie Williams

With her abilities limited and her choices even more constrained, Joyce Slaughter wasn’t sure what her daughter would be able to do once she moved on from her special education classroom. Beginning a conversation in Cobb County in 1975 about the options for people with impairments in finding jobs, Slaughter, along with teacher Bobbie Knopf, not only helped her daughter but thousands of people with special needs build a future, through the creation of a new nonprofit driven to the task. The teacher and the mother first formed an advisory committee. Then they sought the backing of Atlanta Falcons linebacker Tommy Nobis, who had worked to bring the Special Olympics to Georgia, and in 1977, the nonprofit organization Tommy Nobis Center, now known as Nobis Works, was born.

Humble Beginnings

“From its humble beginning in a donated construction trailer behind then-Northside High School, then to the basement of a vacated Sandy Springs elementary school, today Nobis Works has served more than 24,000 youth and adults with all types of disabilities and other barriers to employment, such as illiteracy, homelessness and substance abuse,” says Connie Kirk, the organization’s only CEO.

The center means so much to the people it helps. Take Ray Charles Simms for example. Blinded by a chemical accident at work at the age of 32, Simms found purpose again when he discovered Nobis Works more than a decade ago, says marketing director Karen Carlisle. Now, Simms takes three buses and a train—a three-hour commute one way—from College Park to get to work at Owens & Minor, one of several businesses that partners with Nobis Works. Carlisle says the center offered to help him find a job closer to home, but he likes his work. And he loves serving as a mentor to new job trainees, “giving hope to someone new almost every day,” she adds.

That hope is what Nobis Works is all about. “When I was a kid in Texas, I tossed the football every day with a neighboring boy who had Down syndrome. Ever since, I’ve had a special place in my heart for folks with special needs,” says Nobis, who is known as “Mr. Falcon.” “I focus my energy today as a volunteer board member, opening doors wherever I can to help create jobs for youth and adults with disabilities and other barriers to employment,” Nobis says of his role in the organization today. “Those we serve wouldn’t come to us if they didn’t want to work. They’re going to do everything within their power to get that job. It’s our job to help them become confident, successful and independent members of America’s workforce.”

A Big Economic Impact

While the nonprofit began as a way to train and help young adults with developmental disabilities to enter the workforce, it has expanded to help people with other problems entering the job market. From physical or mental disabilities to issues with literacy or even homelessness, the mission of Nobis Works has expanded to youth and adults with just about any employment barrier. For example, Carlisle recounts the story of a doctor whose hand injury forced her to sell her practice, and Nobis Works helped her embark on a new career.

In 2013, the organization helped 986 individuals, placing 246 into meaningful jobs, and in its 36 years more than 24,000 people have been served. “It makes a big economic impact,” Carlisle adds. The impact on Cobb’s people and its businesses are much greater than the statistics bear out, Carlisle points out, because not only are hundreds of people each year gaining a paycheck, but they are also leaving government support programs and becoming self-sufficient.

The local business community feels the benefit too, says Matt Porter, the regional director of operations for Owens & Minor, which uses a team of five to 15 Nobis Works clients at its Kennesaw facility, which is dedicated to distributing medical products and supplies. Porter praises the work of job coach Mary Maloney, who has matched the job needs to the abilities of Nobis clients, ensuring success for the company and the people. “It is really difficult to put this in words that will reflect accurately and tell the full story. They make us better. As individuals, as a team, as a company,” Porter says. “Their dedication to their assignments is extraordinary and our customers understand and appreciate their near perfect degree of accuracy.

“When you see what they have overcome and achieved in their lives, it is inspiring,” he adds. “The Nobis team makes us strive for even more. It also makes us stop and appreciate all that we have and take for granted every day of our lives.”

In addition to Owens & Minor in Kennesaw, Nobis Works has also carefully matched clients with jobs at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Housing and Urban Development offices. Most recently, the nonprofit paired with Asbury Automotive on its “Café Blends: Blending Autism into the Workplace” project. The partnership, forged in 2012, provides jobs to people on the autism spectrum as baristas at three North Atlanta Nalley dealerships, as well as locations in Greenville, S.C., and Tampa, Fla.

Looking Forward

Nobis continues to stay dedicated to helping others find jobs, but it hasn’t always been easy, especially in recent years. Because the past five years of high unemployment and a stagnant economy have made it more difficult to pair clients with the best employment opportunities out there, Kirk and her team has to think outside the box. “In 2009, when employment was at an all-time low, we took the bull by the horns and decided to create our own jobs rather than trying to find jobs for people with disabilities,” she says. Nobis Works launched its own enterprise, known as ReWorx. The electronics recycling operation not only fulfills a need in the community, but it employs 67 people with disabilities and other employment barriers. Recycling about 1 million pounds of e-waste each month, the operation brings in money that helps support the rest of Nobis Works services, taking the burden away from the philanthropy, which was also hit by the economy. “This program brings a triple bottom line: social, environmental and economic,” Kirk says.

Meals in Minutes

Marietta.com

Trying to learn how to cook healthy for your family? Want to eat healthy, but don’t know where to start? This class is for YOU!!!

Integrated Health Solutions is hosting a FREE 6 week cooking class called Meals in Minutes done by UGA Cooperative Extension. Meals in Minutes is a hour cooking class that will teach how to cook 15 minute meals, how to stretch your dollar, how to make mealtimes less stressful, and MORE.

For more information, please contact Dr. Jones at (678) 581-8442 to register for the class. There are seating for 20 people so make sure you don’t lose your seat for this informative and interactive cooking class.

Date:
Every Wednesday at 6 pm starting on Wednesday, June 4th, 2014 from 5 pm to 6 pm

Admission:
FREE

Address:
Integrated Health Solutions
3405 Dallas Highway Ste #409
Marietta, GA 30064

For more information, please call 678-581-8442

Cobb County Youth Museum’s Barbecue in the Woods and Silent Auction

Marietta.com

Please join The Youth Museum for their Annual Fundraising event, Barbecue in the Woods. There will be a BBQ dinner from BBQ 1 by Sam Huff, music by Old Mill Road Band and a wonderful silent auction. A mini tour of the Museum will be offered by the Museum’s costumed docents. The evening’s activities will be emceed by Sam Heaton, Cobb County Public Safety Director.

Date:
Saturday, September 6, 2014 from 5pm to 8pm

Admission:
Adults: $30
Children: $15

Address:
The Youth Museum
649 Cheatham Hill Drive
Marietta, GA 30064

Adjacent to the Illinois Monument in the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Parking:
Guests may park at Marietta High School (1171 Whitlock Avenue) or in the Kennesaw Mountain NBP parking area at the Illinois Monument. Shuttle transportation is provided.

For more information, please call 770.427.2563

A Legacy of Inspiration: In Memory of Leah Marie Anderson

Marietta.com

Please join us for an evening celebrating the lively arts in honor of a beautiful young girl who lost her battle to cancer at age 7. Ella Mae’s Courage will present “A Legacy of Inspiration: In Memory of Leah Marie Anderson” on Saturday, October 4 at 6:00 pm. Performers from Marietta to Thomasville and Pittsburgh to New York will share the stage to dance and sing at the Marietta Performing Arts Center.

All proceeds from the concert will go to further the mission of Ella Mae’s Courage.

For more information: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-legacy-of-inspiration-in-memory-of-leah-marie-anderson-tickets-10587927777

Date:
Saturday, October 4, 2014
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Admission:
General Admission
$20.00 Adults
$10.00 Students

Address:
Marietta Performing Arts Center
1171 Whitlock Avenue
Marietta, Georgia 300654

Parking:
Free Parking

For more information, please call 770-428-2631, ext. 2132

TopGolf Grand Opening

Marietta.com

TopGolf opened its first location in Georgia on Tuesday, May 20, 2014. The new 60,000-square-foot facility is the company’s 12th location worldwide and first in the southeast United States. Topgolf is a one-of-a-kind golf entertainment experience with seven competitive games and advanced technology to track the accuracy and distance of players’ shots. The three-level Topgolf Alpharetta facility includes:

102 climate-controlled hitting bays
a full-service restaurant
three bars
more than 230 high-definition flat-screen TVs
a rooftop terrace with fire pits
3,000 square feet of private event space.

“It’s been nearly a year to the day that we announced Topgolf coming to the city of Alpharetta, so our team is beyond excited to open our doors next week,” said Topgolf Alpharetta Director of Operations Bob Dodson. “It’s going to be an amazing summer at Topgolf. We will be hosting golf tournaments, daytime clinics for kids, Monday evening leagues, themed costume parties, and live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night on our rooftop terrace. Even if you don’t play golf, there will be no shortage of things to do at Topgolf.”

Topgolf Alpharetta hired approximately 450 local residents to staff the site. The facility signed up more than 400 members and booked nearly 200 private events in advance of opening.

“The Topgolf private event offerings are truly an amenity to the community,” said Tom Dundon, Chairman and CEO of Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc. “We recently hosted an event for Santander Consumer USA employees in Texas and received rave reviews from everyone who attended. The Topgolf team took great care of us and planned everything from start to finish. The golf games helped foster interaction among the group and made for some friendly competition. The food and service also were both impeccable. We’re already planning future corporate outings.”

Topgolf estimates that it will serve 450,000 visitors in Alpharetta in its first year of operation, with a 10-year economic output exceeding $264 million.

Topgolf Alpharetta is located at 10900 Westside Parkway off of GA 400 in Alpharetta.

For more information, visit www.topgolf.com/alpharetta.

Photos courtesy of TopGolf:

Sewell Pool and Splash Pad

Marietta.com

In celebration of the coming of summer months, Sewell Pool and Splash Pad is hosting a grand re-opening and ribbon cutting ceremony. Residents are invited to the ribbon cutting at 3:30pm on Friday, May 16, 2014. The pool and splash pad will open just after the celebration at 4pm. The pool is located at 2085 Lower Roswell Road in Marietta.

2014 Hours
May 22-26, 2014 from 1 to 5pm.
May 27-Aug. 3, 2014 daily 1-5pm, Monday and Wednesday evenings, 5:30-8:30pm and Friday evening will be Teen Night from 5:30 to 8:30pm.

For information, please call (770) 528-8465.

Little Mo Tennis Tournament

Marietta.com

Tennis lovers mark your calendars!

The Laurel Park Tennis Center, in Marietta will be home, for a weekend, to its very own “Little Mo” tennis tournament for boys and girls (ages 11 and under). The prestigious junior tournament will be held from May 16-18, 2014. Top players from the “Little Mo” Sectionals will advance to the “Little Mo” Regionals, as a part of the “Road to the Little Mo Nationals”.

Come watch the future stars of tomorrow. Past champions have included 2000 US Open Men’s Singles Champion, Andy Roddick and the young American sensation, Ryan Harrison.

“Little Mo” Southern Sectional

Friday, May 16 – Sunday, May 18, 2014

Laurel Park Tennis Center, 151 Manning Road, Marietta, GA. 30064 Phone: (770) 919-8602

We look forward to seeing you this year on the “Road to the Little Mo Nationals”!

Anyone who lives in the United States can play “Little Mo” as long as you were born in 2003 or later:

Eligibility:

11′s – born in 2003
10′s – born in 2004
9′s – born in 2005
8′s – born in 2006 or 2007

Entry Fee:
$55 per player (non-refundable). A portion of the fee also comes back to the foundation to further junior tennis development.

How to Register:
To register for this sectional, go online to www.tennisdynamics.net, on the right hand side go to Upcoming Tournaments and find the Little Mo Southern link and click on it. The next site is USPTAPLAYER.COM and where you can find your sectional and click on its icon to register.

Entry Deadline:
Friday, May 2, at 12:00 pm midnight (Eastern Time) All entries will be based on a first come, first served basis through online registration.

Events:

All matches will be played on full 78′ courts with the traditional yellow ball.

Boys and Girls 11 & under
Boys and Girls 10 & under
Boys and Girls 9 & under
Boys and Girls 8 & under
We will also be offering a green dot option for:
Boys and Girls 10 & under
Boys and Girls 9 & under
Boys and Girls 8 & under

Format/DrawSize:

Main Draw Singles (32 draw) in each division with First Match Loser Consolation.
Players are guaranteed at least 2 singles matches.
All 8 & under matches will play an 8-game pro set with a 10-point tiebreak at 8 all.
All 9’s, 10’s, and 11’s, will play best two out of three sets with a 10-point match tiebreak in lieu of a third set.
Regular scoring will be used with a 5-minute warm-up for all matches.

Draws/Match time:
First match times will be posted online approximately three days before the start date of the tournament. Draws be will be posted online the evening before the start date of the tournament. From the tournament’s homepage, click on the division on the left side to view the first match times and draws.

Trophies:
Trophies will be awarded in each division to the main draw singles winners and runners-up as well as the consolation winners and runners-up. Sportsmanship awards will also be given.

Tennis Attire:
Please wear nice tennis clothes and shoes for your matches – colored clothing and shoes are acceptable.

T-shirt:
All players will receive a “Little Mo” t-shirt at registration.

Ann Harris

Marietta.com

Senior Assistant District Attorney and Candidate for Cobb Superior Court Judge

The Story: I grew up outside of Birmingham and graduated from Auburn University where I met my husband Jim. We moved to “the big city” of Atlanta and married shortly thereafter. I enjoyed a challenging career for several years as a consultant with Arthur Andersen (now Accenture), before heeding the call to go to law school. We moved to Nashville while I attended Vanderbilt University, but our hearts remained in Atlanta and we moved back to Cobb after graduation. My heart was set on a career in prosecution, and I wanted the job in the Cobb District Attorney’s Office so badly that I offered to work for free and later joked with then-District Attorney Tom Charron that he pretty much took me up on my offer. I have spent my entire legal career in Superior Court, working to protect the people of Cobb County and to deliver justice. I have successfully prosecuted the worst of the worst, holding defendants accountable to the law and giving a voice to victims.

Why Cobb County? Cobb has been my home for over two decades. I have found professional fulfillment here, and Jim and I have put down roots we hope are lasting. This county has grown and changed, but the friendliness, beauty, safety, convenience and good government and good people of this county are second to none.

What Do You Love About Your Job? On May 1, 1995, I began my career with the Cobb District Attorney’s Office with a desire not to do well but to do good. That desire is why I have remained in prosecution and why I hope to continue my career in public service from the bench. It is rewarding to hear from a murder victim’s family “thank you for keeping a killer off the streets.” So too, it is rewarding to hear a recovering addict say “I turned my life around after you gave me a second chance.” I have heard both in my career, and I take both to heart every time.

Leisure Time: Having lived in Cobb for almost 25 years, I enjoy a lot of the things that make Atlanta a great place to live. We enjoy going to Braves games – dating all the way back to games at Fulton County Stadium and the winning streak that opened the 1982 season. We take advantage of the great weather to work in our yard and run 10Ks, the occasional half marathon and (only once) the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. Volunteer activities with the Smyrna Optimist Club have also been rewarding and have led to great friendships. I am a voracious and somewhat indiscriminate reader of everything from biographies and history to the back of a cereal box. We remain avid Auburn fans and are the proud and happy owners of two rescue dogs, Willie and Bert. When time and money permit, we like to travel to new places, yet we still find ourselves drawn to the quiet parts of the Florida panhandle.

My Best Advice: In choosing a career, follow your heart if at all possible. A job making great money doing work you don’t enjoy will not bring satisfaction or happiness for long. It is a gift to start each day genuinely liking what you do and knowing that what you do makes a difference.

What’s Next? I hope to prevail in the election this spring to succeed retiring Judge Jim Bodiford in Cobb Superior Court. Fairness, integrity, accountability and devotion to the law and to the rule of law are the values and experience I have put into practice for 19 years as a prosecutor in Superior Court and what I will take with me to the bench because that’s what the people of Cobb County expect and deserve from their judges. But no matter the election outcome, I plan to continue in public service for the people of our county.

www.annharrisforjudge.com • (404) 931-6024 • Ann Harris for Superior Court Judge, P. O. Box 2275, Smyrna, GA 30081

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