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December 2011

Annual Candy Cane Hunt to be Held at The Mable House

Come and join the Cobb County Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs Department as we celebrate our Annual Candy Cane Hunt at the Mable House Art Center on Saturday, December 3rd from 10:00am-12:00pm. The event allows boys and girls 12 and under an opportunity to participate in many holiday activities, such as cookie decorating, marshmallow roasting, and arts and crafts.  There wlll also be live entertainment for the entire family. Santa is scheduled to arrive and will be available for pictures with the children. For more information, please call (770) 528-8454. Admission and parking are free.

Jingles and Jammies

Bring your family to this fun annual holiday event to be held Saturday, December 10th at 10:00am at the Ward Recreation Center. Enjoy brunch, make a gingerbread house, sing Christmas carols, and watch a fun play. "All Through the Houze" is an original play based on the holiday poem, "Twas the Night Before Christmas", and was written by The Art Place - Mountain View staff: Nelah Gabler, Pat Bell and Rey Shepherd. Come join the fun of the Houze family as dad tries to get the teens into the holiday spirit...with the help of  a mouse, reindeer and holiday miracle! Pre-registration is required. To register, call (770) 528-8885 or register online (activity code 51666). The fee for this event is $10 per person. This is an event that will be enjoyed by the entire family - don't forget to wear your pajamas!!!

MLK Celebration Entertainment Auditions

Residents interested in being a part of the 26th anniversary celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, January 16th, will have the opportunity to audition. Auditions will be held 6:00pm, Thursday, January 5th, and 10:00am, Saturday, January 7th, at Jennie T. Anderson Theatre, Cobb Civic Center, 548 S. Marietta Parkway, Marietta. Audition slots are limited, so please RSVP to (770) 528-8490. For more information, call the Cobb County NAACP office at (770) 425-5757.

2011 'Fun in the Park' Photo Contest Winners Announced

The 'Fun in the Park' Photo Contest is over for 2011 and once again we had a great response! Over 150 photos were submitted in 3 categories - General category, Nature and Wildlife, and Sports and Action. With so many great photos submitted the panel of 7 judges had a difficult time selecting the winning photographs. Once the scores were tabulated, the following photographers were selected as the 2011 winners:

The panel of judges were photographers from the Cobb Photographic Society, the Cherokee Photography Club and the Paulding Photography Club. Thanks to all the judges for making the selections from numerous outstanding images, and thanks to all the photographers for their participation! Time now to start taking pictures for the 2012 contest!

Holiday Lights at East Cobb Park
Join the Friends of East Cobb Park for the lighting of the Christmas tree on Sunday, December 4th at 5:00pm. This special evening features a children’s choir, brass quartet, live music, special guest appearances by Santa Claus and Rudolph, award-wining bell ringers and the lighting of our live 40-foot East Cobb Park tree. Come join us and share in the holiday spirit by giving back to our community. The proceeds from this event will go towards refurbishing and enhancing the park, as well as offering you and your neighbors a classic holiday celebration.

It is never too late to 'plant the seed' of nature appreciation and wonder in your children. Bring your toddlers (ages 2-4) and join us for a morning of outdoor nature exploration, stories, songs and more! The next program will be 'Stories Around the Campfire - Nocturnal Animals'. This program will be held December 7th at the Hyde Farm Visitor Center, located at 721 Hyde Farm Road, Marietta, 30068. The fee for each program is $2.00 per child. To register or for information, call Karen Faucett at (770) 528-8803 or email karen.faucett@cobbcounty.org.

Exciting Classes Offered at Ward Recreation Center

Ward Recreation Center is offering a full slate of diverse and exciting classes and activities for the winter. Classes include affordable Piano Lessons for adults and youth, Dance Classes for all ages, ZUMBA and ZUMBA Gold classes, and Choi Kwang-Do martial arts classes. There is a free class this fall - Traditional Shaolin Kung Fu martial arts and for the youth basketball player, we offer the Powder Springs Basketball Skills Academy. For more details on all the classes, see our website or call Ward Recreation Center at (770) 528-8885.

The Georgia Dance Coalition will offer a 1 day dance workshop on Saturday, December 3rd from 9:00am-2:00pm at the Ward Recreation Center. This will be a fun day to learn three new genres of dance: Hip Hop, Jazz, and Ballet. Bring your own lunch and for afternoon snack we will bake goodies! No dance experience necessary. The fee is $30 per child and pre-registration is required in person.

For more information on this and other exciting winter programs, contact Wendy Collins at (770) 528-8885 or email Wendy.Collins@cobbcounty.org.

Blackwell Bears Win Super Bowl!!!
Congratulations to the Blackwell Bears' 10-year-old division II team! They won the North West Georgia Youth Football League Super Bowl on November 12th, closing out their season with an undefeated record. Way to go Coach Eric Clark, staff, players and parents for a job well done! Blackwell Bears play out of Noonday Park and have been providing the youth of Cobb County a safe and competitive place to play for 44 years. For More information about Blackwell Bears Football and Cheer program logon to www.blackwellbears.org.

Volunteers Needed

Special Olympics volunteers are needed for teaching basketball team and individual skills.  No coaching background needed - just a positive attitude and good interpersonal skills.  Please contact Wendy at Ward Recreation Center at (770) 528-8885 for more information.

Ladies' Drills Offered at Harrison Tennis Center
As the colder weather kicks in, Harrison Tennis Center will continue to offer numerous tennis programs. Beginning December 5th, the Ladies' Monday Doubles Drills with tennis pro Randy Hancock, will run from 9:30am-11:00am. The cost is $15 per visit, or $50 for any 4 visits. This is open to players of any level.

Several specialty drills classes are offered by USPTA professional, Randy Hancock at Harrison Tennis Center. These drill groups are offered in six-week sessions, and are $90 per session. The groups are kept small, so individual attention is optimized. By doing this, each player can reach their individual goal faster. All of these drills are offered year-round.

On Monday nights, from 7:00pm-8:30pm, Randy offers an Adult Advanced Drill Group designed for 3.5-4.5 players. On Wednesday mornings from 9:30am-11:00am, Randy has a Ladies' Singles Drill Group designed for 3.0-4.0 level players. On Thursday nights, from 7:00pm-8:30pm, there is a Ladies' Doubles Drill Group for the 3.0-3.5 player. Friday morning is the Ladies' Advanced Doubles Drills for the 3.5-4.5 level player.

For more information on these and other programs at Harrison Tennis Center, call (770) 591-3151 or Randy Hancock at (770) 365-2246 or email Randy at rh10s@aol.com.