Guess who’s back. Back again! ABC’s back. Tell a friend!
April brings special election to half of Cobb, recycling and clean-up events across county, and more. We also need your help and presence at several upcoming happenings!
We know it’s been a while since we’ve graced your inbox, but we plan on being more active here in our Substack, as we’re in the process of adding a few more volunteers.
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In this issue, you’ll see updates on the upcoming special elections in District 2 & 4, a townhall about the Allatoona Creek Greenway Trail, and upcoming events including our weekly Marietta Bikeride, our Transit Race to the Atlanta United Game, and our Monthly Social Meetup in Smyrna.
Did you know that half of Cobb County’s registered voters have a special election to take part in this April?
Affected voters are those in Cobb Commission District 2, which includes portions of southeast and central Cobb, and some areas along and surrounding Interstate 75; and those residing in Commission District 4, which covers southwestern Cobb.
Today, Monday, March 31, is the last day to register to vote in time for this Special Election for those not already registered as voters in the commission districts. You can easily register through the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office by visiting mvp.sos.ga.gov and clicking “register.”
District 2 voters will chose from Republican Alicia Adams and Democrat Erick Allen, with the winning succeeding Jerica Richardson, whose seat was vacated in January. Voters in District 4 will decide between incumbent Monique Sheffield, a Democrat, and Republican challenger Matthew Hardwick.
Winners of the April 29 General Special Election contests will serve on the county commission through 2028.
Advance voting for the special elections will be offered Saturday, April 19, and Monday-Friday, April 21- 25. There is no voting on Sunday, April 20, due to the Easter holiday, nor the weekend prior to the April 29 general election day. Visit Cobb County’s Elections webpage on the Special Election to see advance voting locations and times.
Voters must go to their assigned polling place on April 29, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
If you're looking for a chance to get out to ride your bike and chat, Marietta Bike Social is for you! This is a weekly, casual group ride for all levels. No racing—just good vibes, easy cruising, and great company. After the ride, we head out to get coffee. Join your fellow riders every Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. starting from the Marietta Food Hall.
Advocacy Event: Allatoona Creek Town Hall
We REALLY need your help Tuesday, April 1, to secure a bright future for cycling in Cobb County. Please drop in anytime from 5 to 7 p.m. during a public meeting at Dominion Christian School (4607 Burnt Hickory Rd NW, Marietta) to add your support for the proposed Allatoona Creek Greenway. (We appreciate MTB Atlanta for spreading the word about Tuesday’s public meeting.)
This greenway (get a better look at it in this PDF) will connect Allatoona Creek Park, Leone Hall Price Park, and Friends of Kemp Park and is at a pivotal moment in the planning stages. We need your input to help the planners understand that we want this path to stay off of busy roads and follow the beautiful natural areas near Allatoona Creek connecting neighborhoods to parks, libraries, the YMCA, and shopping. This could be transformational for the community and we need your help!
Join us! Transit Race to Atlanta United!
Come join A Better Cobb as we race to the Atlanta United Match on Saturday, April 12!
The race will start at Marietta Transfer Center as 2 teams will leave on 2 different routes:
Route 10 will go down 41 towards the Cumberland Transfer Center. After that, the bus will go down 75 and transfer to MARTA at the Arts Center Station.
Route 30 will go through South Cobb and Mableton and connect with MARTA at Hamilton E Holmes station
Join anywhere on the routes! If this is your first time taking transit, do not worry, we will have team leaders along the routes to help you with purchasing your fares.
Please note: You must purchase tickets to the Atlanta United match. We have partnered with Atlanta United for a special discount code that you can access from this Eventbrite link!
Join us! April Monthly Social in Smyrna
Join us for our Monthly Social Meetup in Smyrna on Wednesday, April 16th. Last month, we had such a successful walk around downtown Marietta so we want to do it again in Smyrna this time. We’ll start the tour at 6PM at the Smyrna Market Village fountain and will walk around downtown Smyrna to talk about safer streets, future land use, and other key topics about the future of Smyrna. You don’t want to miss it. RSVP at our FB Event Link
Time to celebrate a Greener April!
It’s not hard to get a bit greener in Cobb this April, as there are several earth friendly events being held by local governments throughout the month (and into May as well). Here are a few we’ve found:
Saturday, April 12: Community Recycling Event, Keep Cobb Beautiful, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Jim Miller Park, 2245 Callaway Road, Marietta
Friday & Saturday, April 18-19: Plant Sale, Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 10: Pick It Up Powder Springs! 9 a.m. to noon starting from the Ron Anderson Recreation Center, 3820 Macedonia Road in Powder Springs
Saturday, May 3: Shred Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1114 Richard D. Sailors Parkway, Powder Springs (Powder Springs Police Department)
Smyrna just became more pedestrian friendly on the weekends!
The City of Smyrna has made its downtown green space safer during peak weekend hours, with its City Council voting in mid-March to close King Street to vehicle traffic along the green space from Bank Street to Powder Springs Street from 3 p.m. Fridays to 6 p.m. Sundays through the end of Daylight Saving Time in November. (Info and photo via Smyrna Mayor Derek Norton on Facebook)
I always wonder how great our downtowns would be if Marietta Square wasn’t surrounded by 4 lanes of traffic, Austell didn’t have Veterans Memorial cutting through it, or Smyrna didn’t have Atlanta Road right through the heart of downtown. Our cities need to be safe and walkable with the sustainable density to support residents, workers, and visitors without everyone driving alone. - (Matt S., A Better Cobb Community FB Group)
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