Click to enlarge photos.By Bill Kinney, Otis Brumby & Joe Kirby
Columnists
THERE'S BEEN PLENTY OF MOANING AND GROANING from Marietta City Hall of late about this newspaper's scrutiny of its doings and about its failure to be a cheerleader for its TAD-heavy redevelopment efforts.
But the inescapable fact is that some of its doings make our town look like the odd man out.
For example, just this week we were reminded of how Marietta tries to set itself apart from other government entities when Cobb legislative delegation Chairman Steve "Thunder" Tumlin lined up approval from the rest of the 18-member Cobb delegation and the governor for a 4 percent pay hike for 20 courthouse officials.
Meanwhile, Gov. Sonny Perdue has recommended a pay hike for teachers of 2.5 percent this year. And on the federal level, President Bush's proposed budget asks a pay hike of 3.5 percent for military personnel, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan. And rank-and-file workers at City Hall this year are going to get a 3 percent raise.
None of those raises are controversial, nor should they be, not with the inflation rate running at about 3 percent a year.
Yet, as if to prove that it's marching to the beat of a different drummer, what did the Marietta City Council do at its first meeting of the year Jan. 9? Why, it approved a raise for City Manager Bill Bruton of a whopping 12.1 percent.
Little wonder that City Hall "spin doctor" Matthew Daily hasn't reported that "good news" on the city's Web site.
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SOMEBODY STARTED THE WELL-CIRCULATED RUMOR that west Cobb Commissioner Helen Goreham was planning to resign and move out of Cobb - but former Kennesaw Mayor Leonard Church says it wasn't him.
Church said on Feb. 18, after the rumor first surfaced, that he visited Mrs. Goreham to tell her he wasn't running against her. He said he learned from her that she wasn't leaving office early and, in fact, planned to run again in 2010.
Around Town first noted the existence of the rumor in its Jan. 25 edition, which prompted a denial from Goreham's commission aide Annette Friant, who suggested Church wanted to run for Ms. Goreham's seat. Another Cobb commissioner also told AT he'd heard the same rumor.
Church was ousted as mayor in November by Mark Mathews.
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U.S. REP. PHIL GINGREY (R-Marietta) became a grandfather for the eighth time Wednesday when daughter Phyllis Collins gave birth to Ruby Neill Collins. The baby is bound to be a Republican if you play out the name by the initials, RNC - as in "Republican National Committee."
You can bet "GranDoc" Gingrey (as the grandkids call Dr. Gingrey, an obstetrician) won't have any problem buying her presents with that monogram.
LONGTIME ATLANTA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU President and CEO Spurgeon Richardson has announced his retirement after 17 years, effective at year-end. His tenure there spanned the ‘96 Olympic games, the downturn in the hospitality industry following 9/11 and the boom in the city’s hotel and restaurant industries. Prior to heading the ACVB, he was familiar to Cobb folks from the 25 years he spent here at Six Flags Over Georgia, where he started out in management and zoomed up the ranks to president and GM. In fact, wags used to say that the buoyant Richardson was the inspiration for the park’s “Great American Scream Machine” ride.
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WELCOME HOME and congratulations to Naval Reserve Capt. Bob Wright, 51, of Marietta. He was called to active duty and left his family 17 months ago for deployment in Djibouti, Africa where the United States has launched a massive but clandestine effort to deter al-Qaida and other extremist groups from launching terrorist attacks and setting up training camps in the region. The Djibouti effort is part of the African Command, set up to help coordinate what the military calls the “long war” — the fight against Islamic terrorism. The longtime Delta pilot returned last week to the greetings of his wife, Maura, and their three college-aged children. He also got the welcome news that he is soon to be promoted to rear admiral.
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BROADWAY COMES TO COBB: Managing Director Michael S. Taormina of the Cobb Energy Centre and his administrative assistant Barbara Kiss were abuzz late this week as the curtain was about to go up for the first Broadway-style play at the new, highly-acclaimed Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
The production stars Ted Neeley, with Tuesday’s show to be the first of eight performances at the Galleria-area facility. Many other Broadway-quality shows are expected to follow. The first performance after the venue’s opening in September was of Puccini’s opera “Turandot.”
Cobb theatergoers for years have had to travel to the Fox Theatre or the Atlanta Civic Center to take in Broadway-type plays. The Cobb Energy Centre has already lured the prestigious Atlanta Opera and now the Atlanta Ballet to our side of the Chattahoochee River, and the Cobb center’s promoters have made no secret that touring Broadway shows will be mainstay offerings here for years to come.
Meanwhile, “Jezebel” magazine, an Atlanta-based entertainment publication, says in its current issue “The Cobb Performing Arts Centre is living up to its hype as the newest spot for Broadway shows, ballets, concerts, corporate events and more.”
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: When MDJ reporter Ashley Hungerford asked Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon if and when his city would ease outdoor watering restrictions like Chairman Sam Olens and the Cobb Commission did this week, the highly quotable and quick-witted mayor demurred, saying, “We’ve had a TAD of other things to do,” referring of course to Tax Allocation Districts that again became front page news when the Georgia Supreme Court ruled several weeks ago that it was unconstitutional for school taxes to be used for redevelopment projects.
Whether you agree or disagree on the hot-button issue of TADs, Bacon is undoubtedly the most affable and effective player on the TAD team.
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IF YOU WANT TO BE ANY MORE BULLISH on the future of Marietta and Cobb County, be sure to read the March issue of “Cobb Life” magazine in Sunday’s MDJ. There you’ll find the inside scoop on 20 of our county’s younger movers and shakers. Cobb Life’s second annual “20 Rising Stars Under 40” edition is filled with profiles of the brightest and best young professionals whose accomplishments will impress even the most skeptical readers.
This year’s group includes a professional tennis player, several future CEOs, a health-care executive, several top-flight educators, high-ranking political players, a music executive and of course, several legal eagles that are sure to impress.
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THE YWCA OF COBB COUNTY Friday released its list of honorees for its 2008 Tribute to Women. The event is the main fundraiser for YWCA programs focusing on domestic violence, sexual assault and early learning.
“We are excited about the incredible women selected,” said YWCA executive director Holly Comer. The Woman of the Year Award will be announced at the event, which is from 6 to 9 p.m. on March 27 at the Cobb Galleria Centre. Kim Menefee of WellStar Health System and Beth Sessoms of the City of Marietta are event co-chairs and WSB- Radio’s Condace Pressley will emcee. The honorees are: Dawn Billings, CEO and Founder of The Heart of a Woman and The Joy of Connecting; state Rep. Charlice Byrd House District 20; state Rep. Sharon Cooper of House District 41; Gina Coss, Cobb School District Teacher of the Year; Lillian Darden, executive director of Foundation of Wesley Woods; Nancy Desmond, CEO of the Gingrich Group/Center for Health Transformation; and Helen Goreham, Cobb Commissioner.
Also Anne Hancock regional rep, U.S. Department of Education; Vickie Haney, vice president of Bank of North Georgia; Denise Harden, vice president, commercial banking, SunTrust; Carole Kell, retired former Cobb school principal; Emily Lembeck, Marietta City Schools superintendent; Kimberly Paris, development officer of the WellStar Foundation; Holly Walquist, Marietta Councilwoman; and Julie Whitehead, chief engineer, C-5M, Lockheed Martin.
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ABOUT 70 TICKETS remain for the March 29 Cobb Library Foundation fundraiser featuring Food Network star Alton Brown of Marietta. Cost is $35 for the event at The Walker School in Marietta. Brown’s antics on his “Good Eats” series have earned him a cult following. Tickets to the 11 a.m. VIP reception are available at $125 (includes lecture).
Tickets can be bought online at www.cobbcat.org or by calling (770)-528-2196.
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THE METRO MARIETTA KIWANIS CLUB will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a banquet March 7 at the Marietta Country Club. Guest of honor will be the International President-elect of Kiwanis Don Canaday, reports Metro club spokeswoman Rose Wing. Cost is $50 a person. Call Ms. Wing at (770) 427-0824.
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THIS AND THAT: Theatre in the Square was recipient of a $15,000 check from Bank of America to sponsor two plays for Black History Month. The plays were “Reaching for the Stars,” the story of Dr. Mae Jemison, and “Blue Door,” the latter playing in the Alley Stage through March 16.
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Posted Comments
Your story about the AA+ bond rating supports the 12% raise for Bill Bruton. He really should receive a 25% raise just for having to put up with the MDJ bullying the city's initiatives constantly.
The really/only "amazing" thing about Bruton is that (after all the head spinning & double-talk) his head actually faces forward at the end of the day. Can't Marietta do better than a Bruton? In conclusion, the FACT that the MDJ is making someone like "Enter your name says" upset only goes to prove that they are doing something right...by telling the truth!