2014-07

Fishing Rodeo at Lost Mountain Park
Cobb Parks' Natural Resource Management unit will be hosting the 'Annual Fishing Rodeo' on Saturday, July 26th from 9:00am–11:00am at Lost Mountain Park. Four age divisions will be offered: 3–6, 7–9, 10–12 and 13–16. Trophies will be awarded for the most fish caught in each age group as well as the 5 biggest fish overall. The event is free, so grab your fishing pole and join us for a morning of fishing and fun!! For more information, please contact John Purcell at (770) 528-8825 or john.purcell@cobbcounty.org.

Adult Fall Softball Registration Begins Soon
Registration dates for the upcoming fall adult softball season have been set. Returning teams (those that participated in the fall 2013 season) can register online beginning July 1st. To register online, team captains will need a 'PIN' number and 'Log-in ID'. These can be acquired from their league coordinator. In-person registration begins Tuesday, July 8th for returning teams and Thursday, July 10th for new teams. In-person registration will be held at the PARKS' administrative office located at 1792 County Services Parkway, Marietta, GA 30008. Registration will be held from 6:00pm-7:30pm both days. For more information, see the adult softball web page or call (770) 528-8860.

Natural Resource Management Offers Fun Programs in July
Outdoor programs offered by the Natural Resource Management unit of Cobb County PARKS provide children an opportunity to learn about nature in a fun and hands-on way. Here is a list of the “Outdoor Romping and Creek Stomping” Family programs scheduled for this month:

July 2nd: “Fairy Houses” at the Jean & Elwood Wright Environmental Education Center in Marietta. Have you ever been walking through the woods and discovered a tiny house made of twigs, rocks, bark, leaves and moss? Who built this small house? Was it built by fairies? Maybe it’s for some of nature’s wild friends such as frogs, snails, lizards or insects. Come join us for this imaginative, fun program where participants will learn about these tiny homes and build some for the fairies and small animals to use in the woods. With a sprinkle of “pixie dust” the magic begins!

July 16th: “Nickajack Creek Hike” starting at the Silver Comet Trailhead on Concord Road in Smyrna. Join PARKS' staff on a short hike from the Silver Comet Trailhead on Concord Road to the ruins of the Concord Woolen Mill built in 1847 and Nickajack Creek that powered the plant. After a short hike we’ll change from our hiking shoes to an old pair of sneakers or water shoes and get into the shallow waters to search for macro-invertebrates, insect larvae, crayfish, etc...

July 31st: “Hiking and Biking” at the Cobb County Corps Property, Allatoona Creek Trails in Acworth. Wear your sneakers or hiking shoes and join us for a guided hike to the wetland to see turtles and Great Blue Heron nests and/or a bicycle ride through the park. There are big open fields with dirt paths where you can bring your bicycle to ride or you may take a staff guided ride on the “Rusty Bucket Loop” (1 mile) beginners mountain biking trail.

Each program is $2.00 per person (registration required). To register, email karen.faucett@cobbcounty.org or call (770) 528-8803.

2014 'Fun in the Park' Photo Contest

As you are out enjoying Cobb County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs parks and activities, be sure to bring your camera and capture the fun and memories of your sports activities, the beauty of nature and wildlife in the parks, and anything else that shows why you enjoy your day at the park. The 10th Annual "Fun in the Park' Photo Contest will be accepting entries throughout the summer. 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.

The Magic of Science

Join the Natural Resources unit for the Cobb Libraries summer reading program - 'The Magic of Science'. Come with us on a journey of exploration into the scientific principles behind the magic of science. We’ll have some simple experiments for you to find out for yourself! Some of the program may be outside, so bring a blanket or towel to sit on in the grass. This program is for school-aged children. Here is the schedule for this summer:

July 16th — 3:30 pm — East Marietta Library
July 30th — 3:30 pm — Gritter’s Library

For more information on Cobb Library programs and locations, see their website.

Free concert from Grammy award winning artist to kickoff holiday

Residents can enjoy a free evening of family fun, with a performance by Grammy award-winning artist Fred Hammond on Thursday, July 3rd, at Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre. The "Night of Freedom," presented by Linked Up Church, will kick off Independence Day weekend and include a worship service, concert and fireworks.

Hammond has sold more than 7 million copies of two dozen albums, both as a solo act and as a member of successful gospel groups. He started his career as a bassist for the Winans and has won multiple Stellar and Dove Awards and Grammys for "Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album" in 2007 and 2009.

The evening of fellowship, food and fireworks will run from 7:00pm-10:30pm, and gates will open at 6:00pm. The event will be hosted by Pastor Joel Gregory and Minister Patricia Gregory. Concessions will be open, but attendees may bring their own food, coolers and blankets. Mable House is located at 5239 Floyd Road, Mableton. For more information, visit linkedupchurch.com.

Resurfacing of Silver Comet Trail; Closures Planned

The 2011 Special Local Option Sales Tax provided funds being used to make major improvements around Cobb County and its six cities. For example, Cobb Department of Transportation staff is coordinating a resurfacing effort for the entire Cobb portion of the Silver Comet Trail, funded by SPLOST.

Resurfacing is expected to continue through August 29th. The 12.8 mile trail will be repaired and resurfaced in four sections. Each two to four mile long section will be closed to all traffic for approximately three weeks. Work will include pavement repair, resurfacing, restriping and shoulder restoration. All closure dates below are subject to change:

Section one, Monday, June 2-Friday, June 20
Between Mavell Road and Floyd Road
Section two, Monday June 23-Friday, July 11
Between Floyd Road and Anderson Farm Road
Section three, Monday, July 14-Friday, August 1
Between Anderson Farm Road and Old Lost Mountain Road
Section four, Monday, Aug. 4-Friday, August 22
Between Old Lost Mountain Road and the Paulding County line

Resurfacing activities are only scheduled Mondays through Fridays, and some work is scheduled at night. The entire trail will be open for use on weekends and holidays. Each section will be completely finished and opened before the next section is started and closed. For more information about the project, visit the DOT website. For more information on the 2011 SPLOST and its impact, click here.

SPLOST Funds Help Renovate and Improve Aquatic Centers

The 2011 Special Local Option Sales Tax provided funds being used to make major improvements around Cobb County and its six cities. For example, the Mountain View Aquatic Center reopened in 2013 after a $1.3 million SPLOST-funded renovation, giving the facility a major facelift and resolving air quality issues with new state of the art HVAC equipment. Active users of the aquatic center are happy with the results, including Stingrays Swimming coach Pike Hightower, pictured.

"The consistently good air quality at Mountain View has been really remarkable since the evacuators were installed," Hightower said. "We were amazed that the air quality and temperature were so good throughout our large meet last month. This would have been a disaster six years ago."

Following the major success of the Mountain View Aquatic Center renovation, officials implemented similar projects at the Central Aquatic Center, South Cobb Aquatic Center and West Cobb Aquatic Center. In these cases, the project scope includes painting the interiors of these indoor swimming facilities, installing new plaster on pool surfaces and other needed repairs. Indoor air quality improvements similar to those completed at Mountain View are now completed at South Cobb and West Cobb.

You are invited to join members of the Georgia Native Plant Society on Saturday, July 12th, from 10:00am-12:00pm, to help make the park what it once was. Imagine when native Americans managed the land we now call Heritage Park: there was no english ivy, asian wisteria, japanese honeysuckle, or chinese privet. The plants in the park that were there supported our native insects and wildlife. Did you know most non-native plants provide no benefit to native insects, birds, and other wildlife? With no checks and balances, they out-compete our native plants and wreak havoc on our ecosystems. So come out, bring your gloves, water for yourself, and a shovel. In the process of helping restore the park, you'll learn how to use native plants in your own yard. At noon, we'll enjoy some free ice-cold watermelon and fellowship. Heritage Park is located at 60 Fontaine Road, Mableton, GA 30126. For additional information e-mail Price Crafts at price3@charter.net.

Numerous Summer Camp Options Still Available
As the summer break winds down, there are still plenty of summer camp opportunities available to suit everyone's needs. Cobb County PARKS offers day camps, art camps, art performance camps, golf and tennis camps. For more information on Cobb County Parks' camps, click here.

Pickleball Courts Available at Lost Mountain Tennis Center
Lost Mountain Tennis Center now has 2 Pickleball-lined courts for reservation and play. Call Lost Mountain Tennis Center for information on Pickleball and to register for classes and/or courts. For those not familiar with the game, there will be a 'Pickleball Demonstration Day' at Lost Mountain on September 17th from 11:30am-1:00pm. This free event will allow you to try out this exciting sport that is new to Cobb.

Pickleball is a sport played with a hard paddle and wiffleball. The game combines elements of badminton, tennis, racquet ball and ping-pong, and is played on a badminton-sized court. It is played as a singles game with one person per side or as a doubles game with 2 people on each side of the net. The object of the game is to score points by successfully hitting a 3" diameter plastic ball across the net without it being successfully returned by the opponent.

Pickleball is a simple game designed for all ages and any athletic ability level. Today the sport is played by people all across the country. Many seniors have taken up the sport in their retirement years, but it is also played by thousands of school children and top athletes in their 20s and 30s. It is an easy sport to learn and everyone can play the game after just a short time of hitting the ball back and forth across the net. However, it is also a sport where you can keep learning new strokes and increasingly sophisticated strategies for years on end. As the sport has grown in popularity, it has continued to be played in back yards, but it has also spawned many competitive tournaments across the country.

Classes for Pickleball at Lost Mountain Tennis Center begin the week of July 21st. For more information, call Traci Thomas at (770) 528-8525. Come join the fun!