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November 2012

Mabry Park 'Park Preview'

There will be a 'Park Preview' of Mabry Park on Saturday, November 10th from 9:00am-2:00pm. See for yourself the beautiful 26 acres of your future Mabry Park. Enjoy a walking tour and learn more about this future passive park. Special activities include meeting with Cobb County firemen and exploring the fire truck and meeting “Diesel” the K-9 patrol dog! Don’t miss this chance to see the jewel of Northeast Cobb County! Put on your walking shoes and experience this beautiful property. Parking will be at Wesley Chapel UMC, located at 4495 Sandy Plains Road. There will be a shuttle to take you to the park. For more information on Mabry Park, see the 'Friends of Mabry Park' website.

2012 'Fun in the Park' Photo Contest

Time is running out to enter the annual 'Fun in the Park' Photo Contest. From your activities this past year, gather your pictures of your sports activities, nature and wildlife in the parks, and anything else that shows why you enjoy your time in the parks. The 8th Annual "Fun in the Park' Photo Contest will be accepting entries through November 2nd. Enter up to 10 of your best shots for fun and awards! Open to all photographers. Digital and print photos accepted. See rules and download entry form below at the photo contest web page.

Native Plants for Kids
Want to learn more about the native plants all around you? Heritage Park will be the location of a special kids' activity on Saturday, November 10th from 10:00am-12:00pm, hosted by Georgia Native Plant Society. Participants will be introduced to native plants and invasive exotics, with emphasis on hands-on activities.  This program is for children ages 5-14, and parents should plan to learn with their children.  Contact  kandcghosh@gmail.com by November 2nd to register.  This is a free event and enrollment is limited.

'Gift Box Holiday Market' Applications Accepted

This is a call for all artists and crafters! Our annual 'Gift Box Holiday Artist Gift Market' is back this year and bigger than ever! For only $20 you can sell your artwork to shoppers seeking one-of-a-kind gifts for the holiday season. We are now accepting applications for this event, and the deadline is November 13th. Our Gift Box preview party for friends and family will be Friday, November 30th from 6:00pm-8:00pm, and the market will run at The Art Station - Big Shanty from December 3rd-15th. For more information, see The Art Station - Big Shanty website.

“The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood”

'Curtain Call Youth Players' presents this Monty Pythonesque spoof, where Robin, with the help of a Merry Man wannabe and a band of forest friends, takes the audience on a hysterical trip through Sherwood Forest with surprises at every turn. They battle Prince John and his haughty henchman, the Sheriff of Nottingham. Along the way, the lovely Lady Marian assists his crusade by wishing the prince and sheriff a rash of various skin afflictions. Our good-guy Robin discovers that even heroes have a few important life lessons to learn. Shows will be November 15th-18th at The Art Place Mountain View. For tickets and showtimes, please visit www.ccyp.org.

Cub Scout Workshops Offered by Parks

The Natural Resource Management Unit will be hosting two Cub Scout workshops. The Bear workshop will be 'Achievement 5: Sharing Your World with Wildlife'. This workshop will be held Saturday, December 1st from 9:30am-12:00pmd at the Wright Environmental Center in Marietta. The Wolf workshop will be 'Achievement 7: Your Living World'. This workshop will be held Saturday, December 1st from 1:30pm-3:30pm at East Cobb Park at the upper pavilion.

Registration for both workshops is underway. Register your den by contacting Kaye Wilson at (770) 528-8824 or kaye.wilson@cobbcounty.org.  In your email please include the leader's name and contact information, pack/den number, workshop planning to attend, and number of scouts planning to attend. The cost is $3.00 per scout and payment will be due by November 9th to reserve your spots. For more information call Kaye Wilson at (770)-528-8824.

SPLOST Projects Update
On March 15, 2011, a referendum on a four-year SPLOST (Special Local Option Sales Tax) was approved by voters. This program will be in effect from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2015. From this SPLOST, Cobb County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs will be utilizing $82,023,000 for revitalization, facility renovations and upgrades to parks and facilities. Planning, coordinating and scheduling projects are in their early stages, but you will now be able to see some of the work in progress or soon to begin. Here is a list of current projects:

• Construction of Mountain View Aquatic Center air quality improvements and architectural upgrades is completed. The pool opened to the public as scheduled on October 15, 2012.
• Design is continuing for the Tennis Center buildings at Terrell Mill, Harrison, and Kennworth Parks. Design is scheduled to be completed in January with submittal to Purchasing to start the advertisement for bidding in February.
• The Notice to Proceed for the design/build of the cross-tie retaining wall replacement at Lions Park and Wallace Park has been issued. The construction is scheduled to begin and completed between the end of football season this year and the start of baseball practice in February of 2013.
• The design of the redevelopment of Wallace Park was awarded to Lose & Associates. The Notice to Proceed has been issued.
• The replacement of the cross-tie retaining walls and additional parking at Fullers Park has been awarded to Johnson Landscapes. The construction activities will be coordinated with activities in the park and work will be scheduled to minimize inconvenience to park users.
• Contracts have been issued to Brewer Engineering for the design of the fields and concession building replacement at Sewell Park.
• The design/build for the field renovations at Noonday Park was awarded to Sports Turf Company, Inc. Construction is scheduled to begin in December. The park will be closed for construction until late July of 2013.
• Proposals for the Civic Center infrastructure analysis and improvements have been received.
• Proposals for the design of Wildhorse Creek Park Seasonal Water Feature have been received. The proposals are under review and will be submitted to the BOC for consideration at the November 27th board meeting.
• The Powder Springs Park Master Plan preparation is nearing completion. Following the completion of the Master Plan, an RFP will be prepared and issued for the design of the project. Construction at the park is scheduled to begin in 2014.

These are just a few of the numerous projects that you will see in the next few years updating and revitalizing our parks' system. For a complete listing of projects and updates, see the Splost 2011 web page on the Cobb County website.

Black Friday Junior Golf Camp Offered

The Windy Hill Golf Academy at Legacy Links proudly presents the 'Black Friday Junior Golf Camp' on Friday November 23rd from 10:00am-3:00pm. The camp is for children ages 7-15 and the fee is $50.00 (includes lunch). The clinic will cover all aspects of the full swing and short game. Drop off your kids and shop till you drop! For more info and to sign-up contact PGA Professional J.R. Ross at (678) 598-4653. Legacy Golf Links is located at 1825 Windy Hill Road, Smyrna, GA 30080. For more information, see www.legacyfoxcreek.com.

Exciting Classes Offered at Ward Recreation Center for Fall

Ward Recreation Center is offering exciting class this fall. Registration is in progress for Zumba, Hip Hop Dance, Choi Kwang-Do, Piano Lessons for youth and adult, puppy training classes, and traditional Shaolin Kung Fu classes. For more information on Ward programs, please contact Wendy Collins or call (770) 528-8885.

America Recycles Day Event

Keep Cobb Beautiful will be hosting an 'America Recycles Day' event on Saturday, November 10th. The event will be from 9:00am-3:00pm at Jim Miller Park in Marietta. There will be document shredding, electronics recycling, shoes/clothing/textiles donations, and latex paint disposal ($4 per gallon). For more information on Keep Cobb Beautiful, please see their website.

Staff Notes

Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs has a new staff member working in the Therapeutics unit - Acie Farrey III. His position is Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and he will be planning and implementing special needs programs. Acie has a Bachelor's degree from Albany State University in Health, Physical Education and Recreation. He has worked with Mental Health Management Services and Turner Job-Corps Center to gain therapeutic experience. On September 30th he married his wife Onyema and he began working with Cobb parks on October 15th. Welcome to the team Acie!