Marietta, GA

Cobb County - Luxury Country Club Homes and Gated Estates Communities.

Looking for a luxury home in the Atlanta area? Have you considered buying luxury homes Cobb County? You should! Cobb county has some lovely luxury home neighborhoods, country clubs and gated communities. Cobb County is very close to Atlanta for commuting. If you need assistance in purchasing a home in Cobb County, we can help! We are REALTORS®, Accredited Buyer Agents, Broker associates, Ellen Crawford has the experience: CRS, and GRI designations. We specialize in results.

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Cobb County Luxury Home Communities

• Atlanta Country Club - Marietta East Cobb
• Governors Towne Club - Acworth - Golf, Swim, Tennis
• Lassiter Walk - Marietta East Cobb
• Shadowlawn - Marietta
• Tanglewood Park - Marietta

It seems like RADON testing is getting more popular in Georgia. The EPA certainly has a lot of information about it and I don't question whether it's a health problem or not. The research makes sense.

My concern is more about the proper way of testing and the companies administering the testing. There are several ways to test. There are kits from Home Depot that are inexpensive, but take proper placement in the home and then must be mailed away for the results. Time is the issue, especially if the data is needed in order to meet a real estate deadline.

Most inspectors use the electronic measuring devices. They are set up for about 48 hours in the home and then the data is downloaded and printed out. The placement of the device is critical. If the unit is on the floor or close to the floor, then the levels of radon will register higher than normal.

I had one inspector who set the machine up in the basement totally in the correct manner, turned out the light in the room and closed the door. He did not know that the light switch also was wired to the wall plug and so when he turned out the light, he turned off the machine. His results showed high levels of radon. (not sure how or why) We had it retested with TWO different mcahines, plugged into TWO DIFFERENT wall plugs and the results proved it was lower and at a safe level.

Many of the inspectors who buy these machines have had minimum training. I sugegst that you go the EPA website and read about radon BEFORE the home is inspected. That way you will have the right questions and know more about the process.

The Marietta City Council has approved pedicabs, or three-wheeled passenger bikes, that will allow visitors to see Marietta's beautiful neighborhoods and check out the city's businesses, museums and restaurants.

A type of bicycle, pedicabs have three wheels, a seat in the front for the driver and a passenger seat located behind the driver usually located along the longest axle. Pedicabs are often used on a for-hire basis. In other countries, the driver sits behind or next to the passengers. The driver can pedal the pedicab just like a tricycle or bicycle.

Business owner Cassandra Buckalew, who owns the Historic Marietta Trolley Company, approached City Council with an idea for pedicabs and plans to begin offering the service next spring. "Beginning in April 2010, pedicabs will travel on several streets in Marietta including Waverly Way, Church Street and Cherokee Street," Buckalew said. "They will also travel Fairground Street, Allgood Road, streets near, but not including, Whitlock Avenue and Marietta Parkway to the south," she said. "Pedicabs will provide more in-depth tours around the Square, which will allow visitors to focus more on the buildings, than they'd be able to on the Trolley or driving in their car."

The pedicabs will serve as a tourism, transportation and dispatch tool, Buckalew said. "If you don't want to drive or can't drive, you can call the Trolley Company and we'll come pick you up at your house and take you to the Square," she said. "When you're done, you can call us and we'll take you back home." If you're on one side of the Square, you can also "flag down" a pedicab to take you to the other side of the Square, Buckalew said. "The pedicabs will provide a great alternative to driving, and you won't have to worry about trying to find a place to park on the Square." Pedicabs will be available for rent and the cost is expected to be from $2-$7, depending on the destination, Buckalew said.

Promoting Marietta as a tourist destination for thousands of people every year is a goal City Council established as part of the city's vision statement. For more information, call 770-794-7217.

What a fun way to enjoy the historic sights of Marietta. Pedicabs are one more example of Marietta's unique charming character!

What 60,000 already know was announced on the "Today Show" last month. The "Today Show" in New York October 6 called Marietta one of the top 4 places in America for house hunting to get the most bang for your buck. They also mentioned the city's Gone With the Wind Museum and called it the pride of the community. A real estate expert and Al Roker listed the top 10 places in the country with the biggest real estate price declines and ranked Marietta behind Sarasota, Fla., San Francisco and Lansing, Mich., as a best market for house hunting that buyers should consider now. They said Marietta is an area for families and showed the city's museum dedicated to the epic movie Gone With the Wind. Roker jokingly made a reference to the movie's famous line about "not giving a damn" as they talked about how the museum is a joy for the community. For more information, visit MoveToMarietta.com.

Add to that, the Georgia Department of Education named Marietta City schools (MCS) a Title I Distinguished District - Medium District category. The award given to four school systems in four different size categories -- Large District, Medium District, Small District and Very Small District, recognizes school districts that have closed the achievement gap the most between economically disadvantaged students and students who are not economically disadvantaged in each category.

The results of the reading, English language arts and mathematics portions of the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) and the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) are used to determine achievement for the Title I Distinguished District award. Each of the four winning districts also receives $50,000 from federal funds.

Seven Marietta City schools were also named Georgia Department of Education 2009 Title I Distinguished Schools. The seven are among the total 896 Georgia Title I Distinguished Schools. Title I Distinguished Schools have made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) at least three years in a row. Title I Distinguished Schools that have made AYP for three consecutive years receive a certificate, while those that have made AYP four or more years receive a monetary award, paid from federal funds. The seven Marietta City schools recognized as Title I Distinguished Schools are:

Burruss Elementary School

Dunleith Elementary Schoo;

Hickory Hills Elementary School

Lockheed Elementary School

Park Street Elementary School

Sawyer Road Elementary

West Side Elementary School

Just to add icing to the cake, Marietta Sixth Grade Academy (MSGA) has been selected the 2009 Outstanding Partners in Education program recipient for the Marietta City School (MCS) district by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. Chamber representatives will recognize MSGA at the Oct. 20, 2009, meeting of the Board of Education of the City of Marietta. MSGA will receive the Cobb Chamber award at the Nov. 2, 2009, Cobb Chamber First Monday Breakfast at the Northwest Marriott Atlanta.

"The Cobb Chamber of Commerce presents MSGA with the Partners in Education program award for their innovative techniques of recruiting and building relationships within the business community, as well as executing ways to give back to their Partners in Education," said Katie Henderson, Education Manager at the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. "Schools chosen for this award are the strongest example of what we look for in a school's Partners in Education program." "We are incredibly humbled by this recognition. Thank you to the Cobb Chamber for their continuous support," stated Dayton Hibbs, principal of Marietta Sixth Grade Academy. "Our partners play a significant role in the success of our school, and we are very fortunate to have an outstanding PTSA partner in education liaison (Allison McMahon). She really helps us sustain the connection between our partner organizations.

Marietta is a wonderful community with so much to offer for all ages. If you are searching for a new place to live, check us out!

Once again Marietta, Georgia will honor its history and provide a weekend of entertainment around the historic Marietta Square.

Frankly my dear, the re-premiere of "Gone With the Wind" this weekend at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre will be the talk of Marietta, and possibly the nation.

Warner Home Video and Turner Classic Movies selected Marietta for the exclusive 70th anniversary re-premiere of the movie, which will be released in coming weeks in high definition on Blu-Ray.

"There hasn't been an anniversary celebrated in a big way since the 50th in 1989. This re-premiere is significant for Marietta because it's garnering national attention," said Connie Sutherland, director of the Gone with the Wind museum. "Most of us weren't around in 1939 or able to go to the movie's premiere. This is a special time for fans to come out, dress up and take part in something that is special to them."

Beginning Friday, several events will be conduct in the city - all leading up to the re-premiere Saturday night. At least 50 couples have signed up to dance the Virginia Reel at Glover Park at noon Friday. The couples will be dressed in period costume and attempting to set a world record for the largest such dance. Representatives from Guinness will document the effort.

Also on Friday, the Strand is hosting a question/answer session with original cast members and authors who have written about "Gone With the Wind." The Marietta Hilton Conference Center is celebrating the re-premiere by hosting a "Belles and Beaus" Costume Ball on Friday night.

Saturday's events include a formal introduction of the movie's surviving cast members, a salute to Turner Classic Movies and Warner Brothers, and a car parade to the Strand. "Gone With the Wind" will be screened at the Strand at 7:45 p.m. Tickets for the full weekend package are $325 per person, though other ticket options are available. Tickets to the pre-show program and movie screening only are $35. Sutherland said they have sold at least 265 full-package tickets.

"'Gone With the Wind' was a movie way before its time," said Earl Reece, executive director of the Strand Theatre. "If it came out now, it would still have the same impact."

The movie "Gone With the Wind" premiered in Atlanta in 1939. The leading roles of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler were played by actors Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. The movie follows the life of Scarlett O'Hara, the daughter of an Irish immigrant plantation owner, during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

"Gone With the Wind" won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress, in 1939. The movie was adapted from the 1936 Margaret Mitchell novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937.

Sutherland said the movie's theme of survival is universal, and especially resonates today.

"Margaret Mitchell said she wrote about people with gumption who were able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and keep going in the face of adversity. I think the underlying message is strength and being able to make it through hard times," she said. "People see that, and it gives them hope. It makes them feel as if they, too, can keep going no matter what."

Head to the Square this weekend and help to celebrate a great classic, as well as the history of the South. The weather will be perfect and it will be great fun!

For more information and tickets, call the Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum at (770) 794-5145 or email csutherland@mariettaga.gov.