In 1995, cancer almost took Deirdre Thompson's father. Dolphus Thompson was Korean War veteran, and he committed  himself to beat Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, a devastating disease that have no conscience. It is a merciless killer. Dolphus waged his war with radiation and chemotherapy, an endless process that is painful and takes a lot of strength. These treatments didn't all work. So he then under went a stem cell transplant in 1999. Since then, he has been free of this disease. For more than 11 years, he has been in the clear. Since then, Deirdre began a fight of her own. She tells me that she …

The Mableton Business Exchange is having a networking "after-hours" event on Monday night at Mexico Lindo. Any South Cobb business is welcome to attend and participate. There will be businesses in attendance from all over Cobb  County. Of late we have had several South Cobb businesses come and join us to promote their business. Networking works when you create relationships and help each other reach clients. A referral that comes from word of mouth is a greater opportunity to get the business you need. I have personally been networking for three years now. I find that it is an effective way …

This past weekend the call to do something different won out. I went with a very special person in my life to the Amicalola Falls in Dawson County, Georgia. The price to visit is a state park fee of $5. We parked the vehicle and began our journey at the Visitors Center. Everywhere you look is a picture worth taking and the soft sound of cascading waters gently tickles your spirit as God's architecture surrounds you. The center is designed to make you aware of the animals that live in the area. First is a display of poisonous and nonpoisonous snakes. Then on to a display of black bears, …

Months and weeks of planning have passed, and now the clock is ticking down the minutes.The Sixth Annual Mableton Community Day is Saturday. Families, businesses and nonprofits will come together to share a day of fun and festivities. The planning has all been done and a lot of commitment and hard work went into the event. Nonprofits have geared themselves up with the support of local businesses. The Community Alliance partnerships brought Lindley Middle forth with sponsorship of a table and fundraiser. Wilma Strong of Organo Gold Coffee will be helping the school raise money. I find that the…

I grew up in Mableton, but most of my extended family lived in Florida. I was blessed to have a wonderful great aunt and uncle. Their names were Jack and Marie Shaw. In their younger years, they were very much in love. You didn’t have to stand too far away from them or be an adult to see the passionate love that seemed to thrive and grow unmistakably every day. We didn’t get to travel down often to see them for money was tight in our family. But when we did, that was where I always wanted to go. They always held hands, sat together. When Uncle Jack was home, as he worked in the ship yards all…

It was the saddest and the most patriotic day of my life. It was a day where you wanted to cry and smile. This day was this past Friday. I went to the funeral of Army Spc.Gary Lee Nelson with the senior vice commander of Post 264 Tony Bennett, my best friend, Kathey Miller, and our friend, Rhonda. We all rode together from Mableton to Woodstock to support this family. When we arrived, there were literally hundreds of people waving flags and standing together. The first person I encountered was Ruth Marie Wilson. I asked her what the day meant to her. She responded, “We are united like …

Hello Mableton and Austell. I wanted to  make sure you were aware of another wonderful networking meeting in our midst. I am currently the president of the Mableton Business Exchange, which offers networking to Mableton’s businesses and those of surrounding areas. We are also a proud participant and member of the South Cobb Business Association  headed up by the powerhouse of our own, Wayne Dodd. We are also a part of a mutual partnership with the Austell Fellowship Luncheon. From AFL: Austell Fellowship Luncheon (AFL) is a group of business professionals who meet on the first, third and …

About town in Mableton she goes. While I was at the Mableton Community Day meeting a couple of weeks ago, I was standing and talking to the Senior Vice Commander Tony Bennett of the American Legion. Ricky Hill of R'JABS Wings approached us. He smiles with his whole heart and he starts telling us about these incredible wings. At the time it was 8:10 p.m. and he invites us to come to his restaurant and taste his wings for free. Within seconds, we were out the door and following him. His restaurant is at 6274 Mableton Parkway, Suite B next to Domino’s Pizza. We go in and are met by the other two…

The Best of Mableton continues.  In three weeks, we have had two nominations. Janis Stevenson has nominated Micki Lattanzi for Teacher of the Year representing Mableton Elementary.  Also, Jeff has nominated Evelyn at A to Z Thrift Store. (Jeff, please repost Evelyn’s full name.) Now, I run the roads of Mableton, and I know of several above-and-beyond people who do so much for this community. So I shall ask again: We need nominations for the Best Business, Best Teacher, Best Citizen, Best Nonprofit.  I need a name and a short description of the person. We want to recognize and celebrate these …

People of  Mableton, let me share with you a special person in our midst. I met this person formally back over the  summer last year. Most of the children of this area know him as Coach. I now know him as friend.This man that we know is Albert McCrae. He is the one behind Mableton Community Day. He is also the president of Pebblebrook Junior Falcons Association. He loves this area and cares about the future of our families and our children. This May will be the biggest one yet. Lots of companies and organizations are stepping up and getting behind this whole project. So with that said, I need…

What if you could go somewhere and turn in your old books and get credit? Get free coffee and free wi-fi? Scan the shelves of over 100,000 books and literature? When I was at Pebblebrook High School back in the 80’s we were sent down to The Book House to get a copy of Beowulf. That was quite a while back, but today the bookstore has grown and is now in a new location and it has all the amenities I listed above. They have been servicing Mableton’s needs for 30 years. Today Pamela Simmons has the keys and she has done a fabulous job making the place inviting and welcoming. I moved here when I …

Editor's Note: If you ever meet Deborah Flanagan, you will instantly learn two things: she loves Mableton and she loves people, genuinely. She tells people that she loves them, and they love her. She is energetic and passionate about her community, and she always knows what's happening there. That's why she's the perfect person for an About Town column focusing on her favorite topic: Mableton. Mableton: a town filled with nice people, people who volunteer their time to help one another. It's a town that still holds some old-time hospitality. It's a place with secret treasures that people in …