Eddie Canon Appointed New Director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs

Eddie Canon has been appointed the new Director of Cobb County's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs by the Board of Commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday, August 14th.  Canon served as the Operations Division Director for Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs since June 2001, taking the position after working as Recreation Services Director for the county since 1998. He previously served as the Recreation and Parks Director and in other positions for the City of Cumming. Canon replaces Jimmy Gisi, who is leaving to become the new director of the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association. Gisi served as the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Director since November 1997.

Prevention in the Park 2007
Join us at Ward Recreation Center on Saturday, September 22nd from 1:30pm - 5:00pm for free health checks and information.  The event will be hosted by WellStar Cancer Program and Cobb County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. The following services will be available:
• Skin Cancer Check
• Colorectal Cancer Information
• Hearing & Eye Tests
• Blood pressure checks
• Cholesterol and glucose (sugar) tests
• Backpack - Learn how to balance your load
• Free mammogram certificate to the first 20 eligible women who call (770) 956-STAR to register (must come to the event and have clinical breast exam)
• Prostate Cancer Checks for eligible men who call (770) 956-STAR to register

Afterwards, join us on the field from 5:00pm til ? for fun, games and movies under the stars!!!!!!!

The Ron Anderson Recreation Center Is Now Open!!!

The Ron Anderson Recreation Ribbon cutting was held on Friday, August 3rd and the 'Grand Opening' was held Saturday August 4. Serving Powder Springs and the surrounding area, the Ron Anderson Recreation Center provides facilities and programming to meet the needs of the community.  The facility has a gymnasium, community center, meeting rooms, kitchen and other amenities.  The gym will provide space for basketball and other sporting activities, the community center can host meetings, parties, reunions, and receptions, and there is space for numerous types of classes.  For information regarding this facility, contact facility manager Tiffani Ephrom at (770) 439-3611.

The center will offer an after school program entitled 'The RARC Academy'. This is a structured program designed to promote a spirit of cooperation, build self-esteem, encourage healthy competition and develop lifelong recreational interest among all program participants. It will also provide tutorial, mentoring and reading into this program, which creates an opportunity for the children to complete their homework, increase their reading skills and develop leadership skills through positive mentoring. The academy will accept children ages 5 to 13 years of age, and will start this September.  For more information, call (770) 439-3611.

The Art Place - Mountain View Awarded 2nd Kaleidoscope Award
The Art Place - Mountain View wins their second (2005 & 2007) GACAA Kaleidoscope Award for 'Outstanding Community Programming in the Arts'. Along with the team of artists (Phillis Bostar, Teresa Barnes, Lauren Fricia and Rich Nuckolls), The Art Place staff were honored with this recognition from GACAA. The program was the 'Hands of Time' Grant and was done with the Georgia Council for the Arts GAP grant 2007. The grant, that has been viewed by over 600 adults and children ages 5-95; included molds made of over 15 senior adult's hands, their pictures and stories of growing up in Cobb County and the changes that they have seen. The touring grant show has been to The Art Place, East & West Cobb Senior Centers and Park Street Elementary School, where it was used in their curriculum in history and learning about the community they live. (Pictured - Facility Staff Nelah Gabler & Vanita Dauphinais holding award plaque).

Tennis Court Renovation To Begin Soon

Work is scheduled to begin soon on renovation and resurfacing of the tennis courts at Fair Oaks Tennis Center and Lost Mountain Tennis Center.  Fair Oaks will undergo major repair to the cracked tennis courts and the lighting wil be refurbished.  Lost Mountain will have all of its courts resurfaced, the first time since opening in 2000.  There will be some disruption of court availability during this time.  Funding for these projects comes from the lease of cell phone tower space located in some of the county parks.  For more information, contact Fair Oaks at (770) 528-8480 and Lost Mountain at (770) 528-8525.

Cobb Classic Rodeo Returns to Jim R. Miller Park

Grab your cowboy hats and boots and come join us for an unforgettable night of entertainment. On August 24th & 25th, the Cobb Classic Rodeo returns to Jim R. Miller Park. Festivities will begin at 8:00pm on both nights (rain or shine). The cost at the gate will be $15 for adults and $12 for children. Partial proceeds will benefit the Cobb County Sheriff Mounted Patrol Unit. With events in bareback riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, tie down roping, team roping and barrel racing (not to mention the trick riders and the rodeo clowns!) the Cobb Classic Rodeo has proven to be a night of excitement and fun for rodeo fans of all ages. To learn more, call (770) 684-7277.

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