News You Can Use Today In South Cobb

1.     SPLOST: Early voting is taking place right now and continues until March 11 at the Elections Office in the West Park Government Center, 736 Whitlock Ave., Marietta. Registered voters may vote in person 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays through March 11. Voters may also vote by mail for any reason. The applications are available at cobbelections.org. The official vote on the SPLOST takes place on March 15. The vote is for an extension of the county’s SPLOST, a special one-cent sales tax, which this time has projected revenue of $492 million that would be used for public improvement projects to existing parks, roads, bridges, senior facilities and more.

2.     Speaking of SPLOST, Mableton Elementary is holding a community meeting about its new school, which is funded by SPLOST dollars. The half-hour meeting will begin at 5 p.m. in the cafeteria of the school. County representatives and architects will be present to discuss plans for the new school.

3.     Meetings: Today the City of Austell will hold its regular city council pre-agenda meeting at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Other area meetings include the county’s Transit Advisory Board, which meets at 6:30 p.m. at 463 Commerce Park Drive in Marietta. The county’s planning commission also has its zoning hearing on Tuesday at 9 a.m. in the Board of Commissioners room at 100 Cherokee St. in Marietta. Keep Cobb Beautiful will also hold its meeting on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Cobb Water Lab at 660 South Cobb Drive in Marietta.

4.     Free Job Search Workshops: Job seekers can get free help with their job search by joining one of the three workshops offered by the Cobb County Library. The first workshop, which focuses on how to write resumes and cover letters, will take place on Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Powder Springs Library. The workshop will also teach job seekers how to turn a job interview into a job offer, how to negotiate a higher salary and how to stretch one’s income while job-searching. 

5.     Many parents are not happy with the Cobb County school board’s decision to do away with the balanced calendar. A petition has been started and is now up to 3,255 signatures. “We are not asking for anything more than those parents who are in favor of keeping the balanced calendar to sign a petition and they do not have even have to publish their names if they don't wish to,” Robin Gantek, mother of three, in an e-mail to Patch. The petition can be found here. 

6.     Business Networking After-Hours Event: The Mableton Business Exchange is holding an after-hours event today from 5 to 7 p.m. at . The organization meets every first and third Monday at 11:30 a.m. at Mexico Lindo.

7.     Free shortstack (three) of pancakes tomorrow at any IHOP location, but the closest South Cobb locations are: and the one in Lithia Springs on Thornton Road. The restaurant chain has Free Pancake Day each year and accepts donations for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. (Don’t forget to tip your server, just because the pancakes are free does not mean that s/he works for free.) Are you more of a waffle-lover? Well, you can also get free waffles at Waffle House locations, , by clicking here for the coupon.

8.     The South Cobb Arts Alliance has announced this summer’s lineup for the free 2011 Candlelite Concert Series at the Barnes Amphitheatre. Reserved tables go on sale on March 7 for $50 for a table of four. A season table (for all five concerts) is $225. To purchase, call the Mable House Arts Center at 770-819-3285.

May 21: Kerry Ayres and Rambunctious

June 18: Delta Moon

Aug. 20: Roxy Watson

Sept. 10: Kayla Taylor Jazz

Oct. 15: Blair Crimmins and The Hookers