Preventing Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes can lead to serious damage for your home.  Here area some quick tips to help prevent any problems with your water service.

Plan ahead – Pay attention to outside temperatures and listen to weather reports to plan ahead for cold spells. Even inside a pipe, water will freeze at 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Beware of freezing temperatures – Homeowners face most problems when the temperature outside drops below 32 degrees. Be cautious of any temperature cold enough to freeze water in hoses or outside spigots. Layers of newspaper taped around outside spigot heads help form a protective layer.

Benefits of dripping – Let the hot and cold faucet drip during periods of extreme cold, since running water will not freeze.  A small drip uses much less water than a ruptured water pipe.

Repair damaged pipes – If a pipe or joint has a weak or impaired area, the pressure of frozen water can amplify the damage. Also, prevent frozen pipes by opening cabinets to expose plumbing to warm air indoors.

Important information – Learn the location of the valve which controls the flow of water into your home. If a water pipe bursts within your home, the valve can be turned to stop the flow until the damaged pipes can be repaired. Flowing water can cause severe damage to your home and its contents.  The main water shut-off inside your home is usually located in the water heater closet.  The main water shut off for your entire home is located outside at the water meter. 

If a line break occurs between the service meter and your home, the water line will need to be turned of at the service connection. In this case, call the Cobb County Water System’s Customer Service Center at 770-423-1000 during regular business hours. After hours or during weekends and holidays, call the emergency number at 770-419-6201.

If the problem occurs inside your home contact any local plumber.  While the NWMAH cannot recommended or endorse any particular plumber. We currently use GLT Plumbing at 770-445-4666.

If you see water or ice on the roadway or an open or damaged fire hydrant contact the Cobb County Water System Emergency Line at 770-419-6201.

Free Clinics Available in Georgia

Below is a listing of free clinics that are located in Georgia.  The clinics are not in our immediate area, so if you need to use one, call to get their business hours.

Name	Address	City	Zip	Phone
Georgia Free Clinic Network	2711 Irvin Way, Suite 111	Decatur	30333	678-904-3117
Physicians Care Clinic (Decatur)	2675 North Decatur Road	Decatur	30033	404-501-7940
Good News Community Health Center, Inc	PO Box 2683	Gainesville	30503	770-297-5040
Good Samarian Health & Wellness Center	175 Samaritan Drive	Jasper	30143	706-253-4673
Good Shepherd Clinic	6392 Murphy Dr	Morrow	30260	770-968-1310
Free Clinic of Rome	16 East 12th Street Suite 101	Rome	30161	706-295-6166

Cobb Offers Reverse 911 System

Cobb County is launching a reverse-911 system called CodeRED high-speed notification solution. The system gives the ability to communicate time sensitive messages to targeted areas or the entire county. This will be especially helpful in delivering important information during an emergency. Residents are strongly encouraged to add their home and mobile phone numbers. On Monday, Feb. 1, the system will call every land line registered in the county encouraging people to register by visiting cobbcounty.org/911 and clicking on the CodeRED Reverse 911 Registration tab. The information provided will only be used for emergency notification purposes. To register, visit cobbcounty.org/911.

Celebrate Black History Month at South Cobb Library

South Cobb Regional Library will host free programs to celebrate Black History Month every Wednesday in February at 7 p.m. On Feb. 3, people are invited to Quotable Art, a program where participants discuss notable quotes pertaining to Black History Month and make art inspired by that quote. On Feb. 10, patrons will decorate quilt squares inspired by influential and noteworthy African American leaders. The quilt will be assembled and displayed in the library. On Feb. 17, residents interested in stamps can join the You’ve Got Mail program to discuss and make stamps related to black heroes. On Feb. 24, people are invited to team up for a Black History Month trivia contest. The library is located at 805 Clay Road in Mableton. For more information, call 678-398-5828.

Start 2010 With New Financial Goals

The process is simpler than you might think it is.

To be better off than you are today, you don’t need to save a million dollars, but you do need to save something. To be better off than you are today, you don’t need to be debt-free — only to stop digging your hole deeper. You don’t need perfect credit or a year’s income in the bank for rainy days.

What you do need is a paycheck and the resolve to change your financial future. Leave the excuses elsewhere. No matter how you landed in this muck, only you can decide it’s time to get out.

1. Save $500

You’ve probably heard the advice that people need to have emergency funds equal to — take your pick — three months’, six months’, nine months’, even a year’s worth of expenses. In reality, it takes a much smaller kitty to pull yourself up from paycheck-to-paycheck living: just enough to keep the little things like a broken water heater or a car insurance increase from becoming an emergency.

A pad of just $500 can start you on the right path, dramatically reduce your anxiety level and save you a fortune in bounced-check fees and finance charges.

2. Raise your credit scores to 740

Credit card companies have burned millions of their customers in the past couple of years by jacking up rates, lowering credit limits and canceling accounts.

Some people are taking the wrong lesson from this by swearing off credit entirely. In this world, you need to have and use credit to get the best rates and terms. But you don’t have to carry debt to have good credit scores.

3. Make a vow: No new debt

The first step in getting out of your debt hole is to stop digging. That’s obvious. But the minute you commit to a no-new-debt lifestyle, you’ll be blasted with temptations to do just that. Use the if I don’t really need it then I shouldn’t buy it rule, that will work every time.

4. Expect to live until you’re (at least) 80

The younger you are, the harder it is to imagine your future decrepitude, but the odds are very good that you’ll live well past the usual retirement age. The earlier you get started saving for retirement, the less of your income you’ll have to devote to the cause and the more flexibility you’ll have in deciding not only when to quit work but how you’ll spend your retirement years.

5. Change your financial destiny

If you’ve tried to fix your finances in the past and failed, the problem may be that you didn’t think big enough. Sometimes what you really need is to take a bold step. You may have to go back to school, change careers, move to a new city or start a business.  The best place to start is to get help from the experts.  There are many free services available to get you off to a good start.  Below are just a few:

Atlanta Legal Aid                            www.atlantalegalaid.org      

Cobb Office (770) 528-2565

Consumer Credit Counseling Service     www.cccsinc.org    

  1-866-255-2227

Six Flags Job Fair!

Six Flags Over Georgia will hold a job fair Saturday, Jan. 16. In order to participate, individuals 16 and older must complete an application online prior to January 16 at www.sixflagsjobs.com.

The theme park has 1300 positions to fill for 2010 Spring season. Starting pay is $7.25 per hour.

The park is located at 275 Riverside Parkway SW in Austell off of Interstate 20. The job fair begins at 9:00 a.m. Parking is free for those attending the job fair.

Park officials said interested applicants must be 16 years or older and everyone is welcome to apply, including stay-at-home parents, retirees, teachers, and students. Six Flags even has operating hours designed to fit any school schedule.

Six Flags Over Georgia will open for the 2010 season on Saturday, March 6. The theme park is Cobb County’s sixth largest employer.

For more information visit www.sixflags.com/overgeorgia

Quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

-I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality…. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

-The time is always right to do what is right.

-Everybody can be great. Because everyone can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve…. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

-I still have a dream today that one day war will come to an end, that men will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, that nations will no longer rise up against nations, neither will they study war any more. The Trumpet of Conscience, 1968

-We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.

-We are everlasting debtors to known and unknown men and women…. When we arise in the morning, we go into the bathroom where we reach for a sponge provided for us by a Pacific Islander. We reach for soap that is created for us by a Frenchman. The towel is provided by a Turk. Then at the table we drink coffee which is provided for us by a South American, or tea by a Chinese, or cocoa by a West African. Before we leave for our jobs, we are beholden to more than half the world. Strength to Love, 1963

-A second basic fact that characterizes nonviolence is that it does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding. Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story, 1958

-[E]very human life is a reflection of divinity, and… every act of injustice mars and defaces the image of God in man. Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967

-And so we shall have to do more than register and more than vote; we shall have to create leaders who embody virtues we can respect, who have moral and ethical principles we can applaud with enthusiasm. Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967

-Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.

-The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. Strength to Love, 1963

-The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But… the good Samaritan reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”

-If a man is called a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and Earth will pause to say, Here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.

-I am convinced that the universe is under the control of a loving purpose, and that in the struggle for righteousness man has cosmic companionship.

-If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you to go on in spite of all. And so today I still have a dream. The Trumpet of Conscience, 1968″

Events to Honor Martin Luther King Jr.

The 24th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will be held 10 a.m., Monday, Jan. 18, at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre inside of the Cobb Civic Center. The event is free and open to the public. It includes entertainment and the presentation of the “Living the Dream” award to a community member who exemplifies King’s ideals. For more information, call 770-425-5757.

In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, several Cobb libraries are hosting fun and informative events.

• Stratton Library staff will host a free program for children 5 to 9 years old 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 13. The event will include a story, craft and birthday celebration. Stratton Library is located at 1100 Powder Springs Road, Marietta. For more information, call 770-528-2522.
• Powder Springs Library staff will also host an event for children in kindergarten through sixth grade 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 14. The program will include stories, songs, a film and craft activity. The library is located at 4181 Atlanta St., Powder Springs. For more information, call 770-439-3600.
• West Cobb Regional Library staff will host a free family program 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 16, where the film “Selma, Lord, Selma” will be shown. The PG-rated movie is set in 1965 and tells the story of two school girls in Alabama who decide to join in a march with Dr. King from Selma to Montgomery. The library is located at 1750 Dennis Kemp Lane, Kennesaw. For more information, call 770-528-4699.

Benefit concert planned to help local flood victims

Thirst Aid Live, in partnership with Trinity Chapel, will host Restoration, a benefit concert raising funds to help the hundreds of Cobb homeowners who were affected by recent floods rebuild their homes and lives. The concert will be held Thursday, Jan. 21, and feature well-known artists, including Grammy winning R&B and Gospel singer Ann Nesby, contemporary Christian rock band Echoing Angels and Grammy winning R&B singer Q Parker. The event is free and open to the public, but the audience will have opportunities to donate throughout the event. There will also be a silent auction with collectible items, including a custom-framed, autographed Michael Jackson “Thriller” album and a guitar autographed by the members of U2. All donations and purchases are tax-deductible and will go directly to Cobb Disaster Recovery. The concert will be held at Trinity Chapel, located at 4665 Macland Road, Powder Springs. For more information, call Denise Russo at (404) 849-5093 or Laurie Wong at 770-222-7023, ext. 2185.

Bring One for the Chipper and Recycle Christmas Trees

Keep Cobb Beautiful is inviting everyone to “Bring One form the Chipper” and recycle Christmas trees. As part of a statewide effort to reuse Christmas trees, KCB is hosting 14 convenient sites where residents can drop off trees on Saturday, Jan. 9. Keep Marietta Beautiful, Keep Smyrna Beautiful and other affiliates will also sponsor tree recycling. Most sites will be manned by volunteer workers from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No other items will be accepted. Cobb County Parks sites will accept trees through Jan. 9. All Home Depot sites will accept trees only Jan. 9.

The trees are put to a good use by making mulch used to beautify local schools and parks. Landfill space is also saved because the average tree weighs 20 pounds and fills almost as much landfill space as a washing machine. In appreciation for the recycling efforts, participants will receive seedlings while supplies last. Davey Trees and Cobb Parks chipper locations will have free mulch available after Jan. 9.

To find a site, or to volunteer, visit cobbcounty.org/kcb or call 770-528-1135.

Safety Village provides place for seat checks

Sometimes the child safety seat checks took place in unsheltered parking lots or under makeshift tents. Sometimes it was in the summer heat and sometimes it was in the rain. The location constantly changed from place to place. Now SafeKids Cobb County has a permanent spot for the free service. And best of all, the location has a roof. “It’s a dream come true to be here,” SafeKids Cobb County Co-coordinator Amanda Walpole said. “Being able to come out of the elements is perfect for us.” The Safety Village, located at 1220 Al Bishop Drive, Marietta, is an almost eight-acre site with a 27,500-squarefoot safety education building that opened in July. Plans call for the surrounding construction of scaled-down buildings and working traffic crossings to help teach children the importance of safe behavior. The education building, among its many features, has a three-bay indoor inspection section that can hold six cars at a time. It is here that SafeKids technicians can check to ensure child safety seats are installed properly and correct any errors. The organization sees clients by appointment only 9 a.m.-1p.m. Tuesdays and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays. On Tuesdays, the service has a Spanish interpreter. Clients can call 770-514-2369 for an appointment. On average, SafeKids Cobb County sees about 30 clients each week, but Walpole wishes it were more. She said about 85 to 90 percent of the people who come through have their child seat secured incorrectly. “That seat is not going to do what it’s designed to if it’s not installed correctly,” she said. Common errors include graduating a child to the next step, such as booster seats, before he or she is grown enough for it. Other times the seat may not be placed at the correct angle and the seatbelt might not be locked down, she said. If the seat is not secure, it can be thrown around a vehicle during a collision and if a child isn’t properly belted in, he or she can be ejected from the safety seat, Walpole noted. Car seats are available to Cobb and Douglas County residents who are income eligible. To qualify you must be a current recipient of a government assistance program (WIC, Medicaid or PeachCare) or meet income eligibility requirements. The program for those who don’t own car seats is limited to one seat per child, and parents or caregivers must attend an education class to receive the seat. Participants who need car seats are asked to make a small donation to the program. The Safety Village has already proved to be a boon for the car seat safety checks and those it helps, Walpole said. “It’s one central location that anyone can refer clients to,” she said. “They know where to find us.”

2009 Holiday Contributors

NW Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity extends a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this holiday celebration possible including:

First United Methodist Church of Marietta, especially Mr. Forrest Cate, Director of Programs, Chef Susan McElwain and staff, and Mrs. Beverly McCleary & the Table Toppers Group 

Ms. YLonne Swails, Holiday Celebration Chairperson, and the NW Metro Atlanta Habitat Family Support Committee

Mr. Howard Lincoln, Santa Clause & Matthew Lincoln, Santa’s helper

Mr. Jason Bretch, DJ Extraordinaire, 770-313-5118

Ms. Ashley Hull, Photographer

Cobb County High School Habitat Clubs including:

-Ms. Beth Boyd & students from Walton High School’s Habitat Club with a special thank you to Mrs. Cindy Cooley & Elizabeth Cooley

-Ms. Debbie Peterson & students from Pope High School’s Habitat Club

-Ms. Crystal Kidd, Deanna Ross & students from Campbell High School’s Habitat Club

-Ms. Marilyn Jorgensen & students from Wheeler High School’s Habitat Club

-Ms. Elizabeth Saunders & students from Kennesaw Mountain High School

First Presbyterian Church Senior High Group

Ms. Nancy Scott, The Kroger Company /Corporate

Ms. Susan Kahn, Sam’s Club/Marietta Cobb Parkway

Mr. Tim Franklin, HoneyBaked Hams/Marietta Cobb Parkway

Ms. Shirley Hendrick, HoneyBaked Hams/East West Connector

Mr. Joe Davenport, HoneyBaked Hams/Marietta Roswell Road

Mr. Brian Klinect, HoneyBaked Hams/Dallas Highway

Ms. Kelsey Schmitt, Popeyes Chicken/Corporate

Ms. Rasheeda Parks, Popeyes Chicken/Marietta – Cobb Parkway

Ms. Martha Oh, Harry’s Whole Foods Market/Marietta Roswell Road

Ms. Valerie Semple/Chicago’s Restaurant

Ms. Beth Hall/Sedgwick Restaurant Group/Aspen’s Signature Steaks

Mr. Jerry Neidert, Walmart/Johnson Ferry Road

Ms. Katie Winton, Target, Cherokee Parkway Cartersville, GA 

Mr. Mark Amason, Lifeway Christian Stores/Kennesaw

Mr. Doug Voland, Specialized Printing/Marietta

The Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Hawks

Carithers Flowers

Stone Mountain Park

The World of Coke

Ms. Patsy Wright

Mr. Ron Snyder

Mr. William Waldrep

Mrs. Joyce Camp

Ms. Lisa Clark

Ms. Sue Kunath

Ms. Joni Charron

Holiday Crime Prevention!

Criminals need gifts for their families too, just don’t let them have yours!! Take the extra precautions necessary to safeguard your purchases.

Please remember to protect your personal information from a card skimmer while using an ATM machine. Use your hand to cover the keypad as you enter your PIN.

Scenario-
Your phone rings and on the other end is a person claiming to represent your credit card company and they have some concerns about some recent transactions. But, they need to confirm that you are the card holder before continuing. They may actually provide you with your credit card number and all they ask of you is to confirm the 3 digit code on the back of the card. Are you going give it to them? I say NO. Get the caller’s name and tell them you will call them back. Do not call any phone number provided by the caller. Instead, call the number on the back of your credit card and ask for that person. You may be surprised to learn that no one by that name works there. Please do not fall for this scam. NEVER provide personal information to anyone calling you claiming to represent your financial institution.

Below is some added holiday shopping information from our Crime Prevention Unit;

Holiday Precautions
PLEASE TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

Remember that entering autos makes up 40% of the major crime in Cobb County.

Please make sure that while shopping at the Mall or other major stores, you do NOT go to the car and place items into your car or trunk and then go back inside to shop again. The best thing that you could do is LEAVE.

Thieves are waiting and watching in the parking for you to do just that. After you put the items into the car or trunk and go back in for more, they are breaking into your vehicles and taking the items that were just purchased.

Keep your purses/wallets close to you at all times.

Always be aware of your surroundings. Walk to your cars with a purpose and always have your keys in hand. If someone approaches you while you are walking to your car, keep walking.

Always be near a phone. Have your cell phone handy so that you can call 9-1-1 if there is an emergency.

After the holidays, don’t just put the empty “T.V.” box or other large gift boxes at the curb for the trash. Cut the box up and put the pieces in the garbage can. Leaving the empty box at the curb just lets the suspected thieves know what new “things” are inside the house.

If you have any questions about personal safety or other safety related questions please don’t hesitate to call the local police precinct or the Crime Prevention Unit.

Have Dinner with Santa and enjoy Candy Cane Hunt

Cobb Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs will host Dinner with Santa 5:30-8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 3, at Ward Recreation Center, 4845 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs. Registration is $7 per person and children 2 and younger are free. Registration is available online with EZ-Reg at cobbcounty.org/prca or in person at the recreation center.

The department will also host the 5th annual Candy Cane Hunt 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Historic Mable House, 5239 Floyd Road, Mableton. Activities include free cookie decorating, marshmallow roasting, a ginger bread house, crafts and visits with Santa. Photos with Santa are available for $5 each. This event is sponsored by the Kermit c. Sanders, Lodge 13, Fraternal Order of Police. For more information, call 770-819-3285

 

November Yard of the Month

Congratulations to the Ekoubegzi Family in our Hillcrest Neighborhood!