THE CITY OF MARIETTA'S hiking and biking trails at Wildwood Park will open at 9 a.m. Saturday for an expected 300 runners and cross country fans who will hit the trails for the fifth annual Southern Collegiate Challenge Cross Country Invitational hosted by Chattahoochee Technical College. The men's 8K race will begin at 9 a.m., and the women's 5K race will start at 10 a.m.

"Seventeen teams including schools from Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida participated in last year's meet at Wildwood," said Steve Prettyman, Chattahoochee Tech head cross country and track coach. Profits from the meet will benefit Chattahoochee Tech's cross country and track teams. Chattahoochee Tech is the only junior college in Georgia with a cross country and track team.

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EVENTS: Today marks the grand opening of The Retreat at Dorsey Manor at the corner of Haynes and Lemon Streets. There will be a tour after the 10 a.m. event of the senior housing facility right downtown. ... Marietta Councilman the Rev. Anthony Coleman will host a town hall meeting at City Hall from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 13. ...

Emily Cook, Miss Georgia 2009, will address the Marietta Rotary Club at the club's noon Wednesday meeting at the Marietta Conference Center. ...

The Cobb Chamber will host a Business-After-Hours networking event at Social Vinings on Oct. 15. Business-After-Hours events provide opportunities to network one-on-one in a casual environment with other Chamber members.

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THE COBB CHAMBER is celebrating 21 years of Give Our Schools a Hand, an annual celebration that honors more than 130 Teachers of the Year from Cobb County, Marietta City, and post-secondary systems.

Events this year include:

- The Cobb and Marietta teachers of the year will place their handprints in the Teacher Walk of Honor on Marietta Square Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

- All Teachers of the Year, their guests and principals are invited to the Teacher of the Year Breakfast at Roswell Street Baptist Church on Oct. 27 at 8:30 a.m. Reservations are required.

Teachers of the Year also will be honored at the annual pep rally at Roswell Street Baptist Church on Oct. 27 at 11 a.m. For GOSH details, contact Katie Henderson at (770) 859-2360 or khenderson@cobbchamber.org

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FLU SEASON IS NEAR AND NOW is the time to get vaccinated. Cobb and Douglas Public Health has launched its annual seasonal influenza vaccination campaign in Marietta and will administer flu vaccine to the public.

A mass flu clinic is scheduled for Oct. 13 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Jim Miller Park in Marietta. Walk-in and "drive-thru" services for people with special needs or anyone more than 65 years old will be available with no appointment necessary. The cost of the vaccine is $25. Medicaid and Medicare can also be billed.

The county health department has not received the H1N1 "Swine" flu vaccine yet. Health department officials will schedule a mass H1N1 flu shot clinic when they receive the vaccine.

For details, call Cobb and Douglas Public Health at (770) 514-2300 or visit cobbanddouglaspublichealth.org.

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STEP THROUGH THE PAGES of time at the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History's annual event, "Through the Ages: A Living History Timeline," held this year at Swift-Cantrell Park in Kennesaw.

"This year is going to be exciting," said Harper Harris, lead interpreter at the Museum. "Soldiers from various time periods, including Romans and Vikings, will be there." Wars throughout history will be represented by interpreters of those time periods, including World Wars I and II and the more recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Weapons demonstrations will take place, and military vehicles and flags will be displayed. Historical figures will even be present, including "Queen Elizabeth I" and Georgia's founder, "James Oglethorpe."

Through the Ages: A Living History Timeline is Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Oct. 11 from noon to 4 p.m. This year's event is at Swift Cantrell Park, located at 3140 Old 41 Highway just west of Kennesaw Elementary School. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children four through 12, and free for children three and under. For info, contact (770) 427-2117, ext 3176, or jpies@kennesaw-ga.gov.

The Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History is located off 1-75 at exit 273. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, $5.50 for children ages 4-12, and free for children 3 and younger.

IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD a chance to come to the Marietta Square Farmers Market, there is still plenty of time to shop. The City Council has extended the popular market, which usually ends the first Saturday in September, through Dec. 26.

The market takes place every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. to noon.

"The market features products that are grown and produced in Georgia, including fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, plants, flowers, honey, breads, garlic, cheese and other such items," market Johnny Fulmer said.

To allow vendors and organizers enough time to get set up for the market, North Park Square and a portion of Mill Street will be closed from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday mornings through Dec. 26 for the market. Free parking is available on the Marietta Square and in the Cherokee Street parking deck. Handicapped parking is also available. The Farmers Market has an average of 48 vendors and hundreds of customers weekly.

For details, call (770) 499-9393 or visit mariettasquarefarmersmarket.net.

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THIS AND THAT: Marietta Center for Advanced Academics third grade teacher Linda Kurtz will attend the 2009-2011 Professional Association of Georgia Education Teacher Academy as one of 30 teachers statewide selected. The two-year PAGE program is designed for teachers representing an emphasis on rural, low income and/or high diversity systems. ...

Bring diapers to Diaper Day on Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. on the Marietta Square. ...

One lane of Kennesaw Avenue from Tower Road to Maple Avenue will continue closed until Oct. 30 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. while work goes ahead on sidewalk improvements which should be ready for trick-or-treaters.

MORE PEOPLE: When Chris Greeson blew out birthday candles last week, his wish had already come true. The Acworth resident won $10,000 during halftime of the Atlanta Falcons game. Greeson is 34. The halftime event was a celebration of the new Georgia Lottery Instant Game, Atlanta Falcons $500,000 Touchdown. In a "Deal or No Deal"-style giveaway. Greeson said the Lottery earlier changed his life with lottery-funded HOPE grants. "Without HOPE, I would not have a four-year college diploma," said the Kennesaw State University grad. He and wife Angie will use some prize money to pay bills and take a cruise.

Meanwhile, an Acworth man, John Birg had just returned from the West Coast when he won a $40,000 prize playing the Georgia Lottery instant game $400,000 Fast Play.

Birg purchased the ticket at the Georgia Lottery Corporation's Airport North Terminal near baggage claim at the airport. A manufacturing management consultant, Birg intends to make home improvements and save the remainder of his prize.

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MORE EVENTS: More than $20,000 in scholarship funds was raised from the rain-shortened Alexis Grubbs Golf Tournament of the Cobb Bar Association at Brookstone Country Club. ... Marietta's Parks and Recreation Department will feature a free Brown Bag lunchtime concert on the Square featuring country music artist Sonya Schell on Thursday. from noon-1 p.m. The concert, originally planned for Sept. 17, but was postponed because of bad weather. For details, call (770) 794-5601. ...

Public safety workers and their families can visit the Marietta Museum of History for free during the 15th annual Salute to Public Safety, sponsored by the Cobb Chamber, as part of Public Safety Appreciation Week this week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Marietta Museum of History, 1 Depot St. in Marietta. The Museum's featured exhibit, selected by popular vote by Museum visitors, is titled "Disasters and Dilemmas in Cobb County."

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PHARMACIST WILLIAM ROOT. Murder victim Mary Phagan. The Rev. Thomas Milton Allen. These are just three of the "Old Mariettans" you will "meet" on Oct. 24 when you take a tour of the Marietta City Cemetery, the Confederate Cemetery and the National Cemetery. Sponsored by the Marietta Confederate Cemetery Committee, Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society, Keep Marietta Beautiful and the City of Marietta, the tour is a part of the celebration of Marietta's 175th birthday celebration. Tours will begin at 11 a.m. and the last tour will begin at 2:30 p.m.

In order to prevent heavy traffic, the Historic Marietta Trolley will shuttle visitors between the cemeteries.

Tickets for the tour are $15 and can be purchased at the Root House, the Marietta Museum of History or the Marietta Parks and Recreation Department at City Hall.

To order tickets, call (770) 794-5601.