Exploring The Wild Blue Yonder

Local business owner’s passion for aviation leads to partnership with Marietta’s Aviation History & Technology Center

Cesar J. Caceres, regional president of Nexterus Atlanta Northwest supply chain management company, keeps his eyes on the road ahead while also letting his mind wander up into the clouds. He plots his course and assesses his direction with deference to the greater journey we all travel. He knows he owes his own place in the world to the travelers who forged ahead before him. In building his business in Cobb County, Caceres cultivates connections and partnerships that help others also find their path.

“My grandfather immigrated to the U.S. during World War II,” Caceres recounts. “My parents were originally from Brooklyn where they were high school sweethearts. My father served in the Army and I was born while he was stationed in Germany.” It was there that his father felt the call to Baptist ministry, headed to seminary in Calhoun, Georgia, and then served a decade as a missionary in Puerto Rico before settling permanently in North Georgia. To Caceres, faith and service are inherent values, and he sees travel as a vital part of education. Additionally, aviation has always been a fascination for Caceres, so he became a Marine air traffic controller, which he notes “is basically logistics in the air.”

“Joining the Armed Forces was always part of my dream,” he stresses. “I wanted to serve the country and see the world, to enjoy different cultures. The Marines allowed me to see about 50 countries.”

After his time in the Marines, Caceres earned a college degree in business then began a career in logistics and management, working for a variety of companies. By 2019, he became familiar with the Nexterus company and decided to go into business for himself as a franchise subsidiary in Cobb County. “Nexterus is one of the largest privately-owned logistical companies, and their principles mirrored my family values,” he explains. “I purchased rights to use their proprietary software, taking freight into the 21st century through new systems and technical advancement. As an air traffic controller looking towards the future, this projects advanced ideas into an industry that has tended to do things the same way. Cobb is one of the top counties in the U.S. for growing supply chain logistics. Due to the pandemic, many industries figured out that they needed to re-evaluate their supply chain management. People are more open to talking about changes. …They see the need to investigate new technologies.”

That curiosity about technology combined with his passion for aviation led him to Marietta’s Aviation History & Technology Center (AHTC). When Caceres attended a museum Cockpits & Coffee networking event, he felt immediately comfortable in the environment. “I’ve probably slept more hours in and around aircraft than in a bed,” he jokes. So, he met with board members and decided to get involved. “They need businesses in the area to know they exist and to understand the way the museum benefits the community as a whole,” he explains.

Divested off the Marietta Museum of History, the AHTC now stands as a unique institution honoring local aviation history through 21st century methodologies. Center director Brad Hawkins joined the staff in 2017 and says, “I feel like a kid again here, being around the aircraft, hearing the stories of guests, watching kids come in saucer-eyed as they see the machinery. Most people’s world view of aviation is through a tiny window on the plane, but this [AHTC] is a gateway to explore our world.” He goes on to summarize their mission: “It’s about “preserving a legacy through education to showcase what [aviation] history has meant to the community, to appreciate where our community has come from and where it is going, to provoke critical analysis and thought in the younger generation and encourage aviation future development. And we’re doing so with some of the most passionate volunteers in the Metro area — veterans, former aviators, former Lockheed employees, et cetera. Our internal support comes from them [volunteers] and staff and corporate groups… such as Nexterus, a veteran-led organization that believes in the power of transportation.”

Both Caceres and Hawkins view the AHTC as more than a traditional museum space. Programming builds on the resonance of a face-to-face audience with massive aircraft and explores the larger influences of aviation in the region. “The museum helps veterans and military,” says Caceres, “as well as projecting toward the future by taking an active role in education with STEM groups, homeschoolers, and scouts.”

Hawkins elaborates, “Humankind was inspired to fly by looking at birds, and we can look at how that curiosity of our relationship with the Earth develops. [We are] learning teamwork from the example of a multi-engine aircraft, learning roles of different aircraft models. Understanding all of it can make for a more wholesome experience.”

For Caceres, supporting the AHTC means helping to foster a love for aeronautics within a community long recognized for its strong presence in the aviation industry. “I could spend hours listening to their [museum] experts with so much knowledge about these aircraft. This is personal history for me, too, so I decided to be a part of development with the marketing committee to help bring the strategic plan to fruition.”

Hawkins concurs: “Aviation gave Marietta a global recognition, aviation is in Cobb County’s DNA, tracing back to the Bell Bomber Plant, to Lockheed, to Dobbins. Where the base is now was once woods and pig lots, but in the 1940s the war transformed the labor landscape and people were coming to Cobb County to work on planes, starting a culture mix. Cobb County Water System developed to serve the plant; the school system developed to serve the families of plant workers. We want people to come in voluntarily to learn about all of it, to go far beyond the capabilities of the internet.”

To both Caceres and Hawkins, the history of conquering our wild blue yonder lends real insight to keep us all grounded in promise.

Aviation History and Technology Center

DoubleTree Is All About the Upgrade

Jennifer Morrell

When COVID-19 threw a major curveball at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Atlanta – Marietta, the management team took action to create a safer, more sanitized customer experience.

One of Marietta’s most notable establishments is the DoubleTree (DT) by Hilton Hotel Atlanta – Marietta. The DT became a Hilton – DoubleTree in 2006, and today is a full-service Hilton brand hotel with 224 guestrooms. If you’ve had the pleasure of visiting the hotel, you are probably familiar with the signature chocolate-chip walnut cookie offered to guests. In addition to warm cookies and warm service, the hotel offers king, double and suite guestrooms, complete with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and in-room dining. The DT is known for its Southern hospitality and Atlanta access. Located just off I-75 at Windy Hill, it is close to family-friendly restaurants and is just one block from Windy Hill Hospital. A free shuttle is offered to Truist Park for Braves games and The Battery Atlanta.

“In 2018, we completed a multi-million dollar renovation, upgrading the breakfast area, a brand-new fitness center, and an indoor/outdoor pool with hot tub,” says General Manager Gregory Brown. “The hotel has 10,000 square feet of meeting space for board meetings, weddings, and other functions.”

Back in 2019, the DT hosted more than 50,000 guests, but the hotel isn’t just a convenient place for people to lay their heads. The DT’s management sees the hotel as a community partner. Along with offering foods, beverages, and other contributions, Brown said the DT works with MUST Ministries, American Red Cross, and the American Cancer Society. The hotel is also a Dobbins Airforce Base partner. “We feel that the hotel’s contribution has been quite impactful,” he says.

The unforeseen event

To be sure, the DT spoils guests with endless amenities and offerings, but like nearly every business in Cobb County, the COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges that led to new ways of thinking and doing business.

Prior to the pandemic, the hotel employed about 85 people, contractors included. By the end of March 2020, hotel management found themselves unable to accurately assess the days to come, and they wanted the staff and guests to feel safe. Thus, they opted to suspend the operation of the hotel for six weeks. “The generous owners decided that we would send everyone home with pay during this time, and the managers would maintain the structure and cleanliness of the building,” Brown said. “We extended this time for two additional weeks. On June 15, we reopened the hotel with 27 associates, managers, supervisors, and additional personnel in housekeeping.”

The onset of COVID-19 affected the DT in numerous ways, but also provided opportunity for growth and reassessment of hotel operations. Brown and his team consider the hotel to be corporate, for the most part. “Our hotel is unlike an airport property, where you have business and leisure travelers who book adjacent to where they land, as they feel this is convenient,” he says. “Here, we have corporate travelers whose company and/or business is in the area throughout the week, such as General Electric (GE), Home Depot, Dobbins Air Force Base, Manhattan Associates, Lockheed Martin Corp., Graphic Packaging, NAPA, HD Supply, and Wellstar. Many of these companies are contracted through the Hilton brand.

“As we all know, corporate traveling was suspended, and many of these companies are traveling very little, even today,” Brown continues. “Of course, we lost 90 percent of our corporate guests. Although we are noticing a small, but steady, increase in corporate travels and guests presently, we have more weekend traffic. This is the case for most properties today.”

Keeping guests safe

The DT philosophy for keeping guests safe in the COVID-19 “new normal” is simple: Vigilance is key, and availability is the win!

“All of us are asking, ‘What should I be doing to remain safe?’ and ‘If I choose to go someplace, what are they doing that helps me to believe that things are clean for my safety?’” Brown says. “We are not confronted with a pandemic often. It’s a new day; nothing is the same.”

Brown shared with his staff that the business has been forced to shift gears into another realm of “drive.” During the hotel’s suspension period, he and his team wanted to assure that when the doors reopened, every single component of operations was upgraded. This meant that whatever request guests or even staff members had, the DT could genuinely convey that an upgrade had taken place.

Changes had to be made. “If we were doing everything the same as we had before, I considered it a problem,” Brown says. “Fortunately, the Hilton brand became the trendsetter in this industry, and Chris Nassetta, Hilton’s CEO, implemented a clean, strict road for us to drive with cleanliness in mind. Each shift, I have a person who maintains our public spaces, constantly cleaning. This is all they do during their shift.”

The DT set a few best practices and new habits into place for the housekeeping staff to make strides toward better safety. Executive Housekeeping Manager Omar Mendoza says new training on how to clean and disinfect the rooms and public areas, including the 10 most-used spots, was a necessity. In every room, areas that are given special attention include lights, lamps, switches and electronic controls; handles and knobs; major bathroom surfaces; the climate control panel; the remote control, telephone and clocks; beds and bedding; tables, desks and nightstands; irons and safes; and food and beverage amenities.

Partnering for safety

DoubleTree developed a partnership with Lysol when Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta gathered information from the World Health Organization, Mayo Clinic, and the Centers for Disease Control, with an attempt to tackle cleaning material that would handle COVID-19 and any other viruses. Nassetta learned what it would take to maintain the proper cleanliness for COVID-19, and then met with Lysol.

“Everyone knew that Lysol and other disinfectants were unavailable,” Brown says. “Although stores were getting shipments, studies showed that the merchandise would [sell out] less than 15 to 30 minutes after arrival. An agreement was made with Hilton that would place all Hilton hotels on automatic shipment for the upgraded Lysol products for commercial cleaning. I sincerely believe Mr. Nassetta works with great diligence in maintaining good rhythm and harmony in the flow of hospitality.”

Hilton created the CleanStay program, which went into effect June 15, 2020. The program consisted of many components. Examples include the use of the new, commercial Lysol spray and wipes, and CleanStay seals for guestrooms. Hilton quickly became a trendsetter in this regard. Brown rolled out the program with the word “upgrade” in mind, since he and his team had to upgrade everything after being confronted with COVID-19.

Mendoza is a fan of the partnership with Lysol. “I think it has been great, because it not only provides security to travelers, but also to employees, by having the necessary tools to do the job,” he says. “We can also provide personal protection, especially in moments where nobody knows how to act with new procedures that should be performed in cleaning ours rooms and public spaces. These are important advantages that this partnership brings to Hilton.”

Mendoza says the key Lysol products that the DT is utilizing are Lysol Commercial Use Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Wipes.

Brown reiterates the importance of vigilance and availability. Having a dedicated person, in addition to the staff, to maintain a superior cleaning level is important. The DT has a person on each shift who walks behind each use of areas in our public spaces. If something is brought to the staff’s attention, this dedicated person allows immediate interception of any potential issues and concerns.

Brown says that, to date, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Atlanta – Marietta has had no issues, for which he and his staff are grateful. “It is a new day, and many things have happened around us. We have upgraded our training on unconscious bias and proper decision-making in an ongoing effort to prevent misuse of decisions made in our new world. It’s the thought of knowing we need each other, in more ways than one.”

Mendoza furthers this mentality. “As the type of travelers change during this time and are more transient than the executive, the main challenge is to keep a deep cleaning on every single room,” he says. “This is not only because of the overall condition of the rooms, but because we must disinfect them properly. It takes more time to get the rooms clean, disinfected, and ready to sell.”

Brown’s final take on the measures being taken by the DT are clear. “My background is compliance, and I like to ascertain that those around me understand the small difference between rules and guidelines,” he says. “In this, we need to understand that empathy and genuine spirit of servitude always stamps success on those who we welcome here at our hotel.

“Things happen, and seasons change,” he continues. “However, we are giving our guests the view that we understand what is around us, and that where there is a need, we are available. Our hotel won the 2019 Hilton DT CARE Award. This is an award based on compliance, service, and cleanliness rankings. I remind our team in empowerment that we can maintain this honor. We just need to upgrade.”

Cobb County schools remote on Thursday, October 29 due to Hurricane Zeta

Marietta.com

From the Cobb County School District: “Due to severe weather conditions caused by Hurricane Zeta, all face-to-face classes will meet remotely on Thursday, October 29th.

This decision was made in keeping with our commitment to student and staff safety, with particular concern for our youngest bus riders.

All students are asked to report to class remotely through the Cobb Teaching and Learning System (CTLS) with further instruction provided by your teacher unless you, your family, or your home are impacted by Hurricane Zeta.

Local school and central office staff will work remotely. Essential employees will receive specific instructions from their respective Executive Cabinet member.

Elementary after-school program is cancelled and extracurricular activities will continue as scheduled. If you have any school-specific questions, please contact your local school.”

Taste of the Fair

Marietta.com

The North Georgia State Fair is hosting Taste of the Fair, a drive through fair food event featuring all youir favorite fair foods. Participating vendors are offering corn dogs, caramel apples, pizza, cotton candy, Polish sausage, funnel cakes, turkey legs, deep fried Oreos, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and more. The event takes place on September 25-27 & October 2-4, 2020.

Participants will drive through the one-way fair food route, decide if they would like to do walk-up or in-car service, then park in the appropriate designated area.

For In-Car Service:
In-Car Service will offer a limited menu. Participants will drive through the one- way fair food route, park in the “In-Car Service” lot, remain in their vehicle, place their order with an attendant, and have it delivered to them. They can either eat in their cars or take it home.

For Walk-Up Service:
Walk-Up Service will offer a full menu. Participants can either drive through the one-way fair food route, park in the “Walk-Up Service” lot and walk to the food vendors, or, to avoid traffic lines, they can park across the street in the North Lot, and walk over to the event.

Those who choose to order and eat in their cars are not required to wear a mask. Individuals who choose walk up service are strongly encouraged to wear masks.

Dates:
September 25, 2020
September 26, 2020
September 27, 2020
October 2, 2020
October 3, 2020
October 4, 2020

Time:
Fridays from 4pm to 8pm
Saturdays from noon to 8pm
Sundays from noon to 8pm

Address:
Jim R. Miller Park (Main parking lot)
2245 Callaway Rd
Marietta, Ga. 30080
(Enter Gate #3 on Al Bishop Dr.)

Admission:
Admission and parking are free. In addition, the fair will be collecting canned goods for MUST Ministries. Each person that donates 7 or more non-perishable canned goods will receive a FREE ticket to the 2021 North Georgia State Fair.

For more information, please call (770) 423-1330 or visit northgeorgiastatefair.com.

Start Date Announced for Cobb’s Phased Model for Face-to-Face Instruction

Marietta.com

Cobb County School District posted in Cobb County School District:

Superintendent Ragsdale Announces a Start Date for Cobb’s Phased Model for Face-to-Face Instruction

The pandemic has impacted each of us differently, but it has affected us all. Never would I have thought about starting a school year in a 100% remote environment, nor would I have ever wanted to – but this had to be the decision with the health and safety of our staff, teachers, and students being the top priority. No one knows better than I the benefit of our 113,000 students actively engaged with our fantastic teachers in each of our classrooms.

Today, I am pleased to announce that the three parameters of community spread, effective contact tracing protocol, and efficient testing timeliness impacting our decision to offer face-to-face instruction have all been trending in a positive direction. This news allows us to announce the start date for our phased plan to provide both face-to-face and remote learning environments. On the Monday following Fall break, October 5th, 2020, we plan to begin Phase One of our return to face-to-face instruction. I trust that everyone will continue to do everything we can to keep the numbers moving in the right direction.

As we previously indicated, you will be able to submit your choice for face-to-face or remote beginning at 8:00 AM on September 7th through the ParentVue portal. The choice portal will close at midnight on September 20th.

One critical aspect of our plan is that as parents choose either face-to-face or remote-learning classrooms, students will continue to be taught by their current teachers. Face-to-face and remote-learning students in the same class will receive the same instruction from the same teacher. This will prevent disruptions to existing relationships students have made with teachers and will protect teachers from being asked to do two jobs at the same time.

*Phase One: All kindergarten through fifth-grade students will return for full-day instruction. ASP will also resume for students in face-to-face classrooms on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. All low incidence pre-K through 12th-grade special education students will be given a face-to-face classroom option during phase one. Phase one will begin on October 5th, 2020.

*Phase Two: All sixth through eighth-grade students for full-day instruction. Phase two will tentatively begin on October 19th, 2020.

*Phase Three: All ninth through twelfth-grade students for full-day instruction. Phase three will tentatively begin on November 5th, 2020. This is a Thursday start date because of Election Day.

The schedule for all students in both face-to-face and remote-learning classrooms will include direct instruction with the world’s best teachers on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesdays will continue to be reserved for individual and small group support, remotely, which will allow us to disinfect our school buildings as needed and allow parent/teacher conferences to be scheduled remotely. Conference week, which was originally scheduled for October 19th – 23rd, will now be regular school days. Additional information will be communicated in the coming days regarding student schedules and bus transportation.

Our health and safety protocols will be present to keep students and staff as safe as possible. Some of those protocols include:

Social Distancing will be practiced whenever possible.
Masks will be required on buses and in school buildings for students and staff, and whenever possible, when teachers are teaching.
We will provide Hand Sanitizer at multiple locations throughout schools.
We will also be following rigorous daily cleaning protocols.
Our Food & Nutrition Services employees will continue making sure our students have nutritious meals.
For the health and safety of our staff and students, we are limiting volunteers and visitors to the schools.

We remain committed to making decisions based on public health guidance, with student and staff safety being our top priority.

For those families who remain concerned about the health impacts of COVID-19, we will continue to have our remote learning classrooms available.

Thank you for your continued support, patience, and understanding as we move forward through our phased plan. I know the only way we will ensure success for each of our students is to continue working as One Team with One Goal.

Additional details for students and parents will be provided on Friday, September 4th and will be found on the digital home for Cobb’s Reopening Plan at CobbLearningEverywhere.com. Further information will be provided for our staff on the intranet and communicated by your principal.

*Each of the dates noted above is subject to public health data and guidance for Cobb County.

Roundabouts

Cory Sekine-Pettite

The weekend I started writing this column, I had just taken a short drive to nearby Douglasville to buy some produce and flowers from a farmer whose goods I normally just pick up at a local farmers’ market. However, since my wife and I haven’t been venturing outside too much lately, we wanted to hit the road — even if it was just for less than two hours roundtrip.

Near the farm, we drove through what looked like a relatively new roundabout, and I started thinking about how prevalent they’ve become in Georgia and I wondered if people actually knew how to use them, were not scared or intimidated to use them, and if they actually improved traffic flow for a population more accustomed to four-way intersections.

Well, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), roundabouts do work. Studies have shown that roundabouts are safer than traditional stop sign or signal-controlled intersections. Roundabouts reduced injury crashes by 75 percent at intersections where stop signs or signals were previously used for traffic control. Additionally, roundabouts actually move traffic through an intersection more quickly, and with less congestion on approaching roads, the IIHS reports. And if drivers are paying attention to signs, roundabouts are actually easy to navigate, even in areas where you may be unsure of where you’re going.

In Cobb County, residents may not be too familiar with roundabouts. However, I was surprised to learn that we have nearly a dozen already in use and even more under construction. In fact, the Cobb Department of Transportation says it has plans to replace several four-way intersections with roundabouts. “Roundabouts have built-in safety designs that force drivers to slow down and yield to traffic within the lane before entering the roundabout,” the county reports. “Most traffic accidents occur at intersections due to conflict points and intersecting travel paths. By keeping traffic moving in the same direction, roundabouts reduce rear-end collisions — the most common type of collision.”

If you’re unsure how to navigate your way through a roundabout, the county says you should slow your speed, look to your left for approaching vehicles already in or entering the roundabout, and you should only come to a stop if you need to yield to traffic. If no traffic is approaching or in the roundabout, drivers should proceed to the right and exit at the appropriate intersection road. Simple.

If you’re still unconfident, the IIHS has a video on YouTube that will help:

MUST Meets Needs of Cobb Residents

Jennifer Morrell

MUST Ministries has been serving Cobb and surrounding counties for years. When COVID-19 hit, MUST was there to meet basic needs and more.

What originally began as a community outreach of Powder Springs United Methodist Church, Methodists United in Service and Training (now known as MUST) has become a significant provider of food, shelter, workforce development, medical clinic services, and clothing to the Cobb and Cherokee county communities. Over the years, churches throughout the area have become involved in this outreach, and the name was changed to Ministries United in Service and Training. Eventually, MUST incorporated as simply “MUST Ministries.”

“MUST addresses the basic needs of individuals, families and children by providing food, shelter, workforce development, medical clinic services, and clothing,” says Chuck Rogers, director of retail operations for the organization. “MUST has facilities in the Cobb and Cherokee counties and Neighborhood Pantries consisting of 39 food pantries embedded in Cobb, Marietta, and Cherokee schools, serving a large number of at-risk children. We have been supplying grocery boxes since March 2016, and this program has served 24,724 people.”

MUST Marketplace

A significant initiative of MUST is its MUST Marketplace second-hand clothing store. Formerly located on Cobb Parkway, the new location in Sandy Plains Village offers men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, furniture, jewelry, home goods, small appliances, toys, books, sporting goods, and seasonal items. Some items are new from other stores that had overstock.

In 2013, MUST Marketplace replaced what was a small clothing closet, providing MUST Ministries clients with a retail environment to shop and receive free clothing allotments monthly. Marketplace served 2,888 clients in 2019, plus thousands of public shoppers who enjoy finding a bargain while helping MUST to help others. The Marketplace is funded by the revenue collected from cash-paying customers.

“Our model is to give MUST Ministries customers parity, not charity,” Rogers says. “We currently have two staff members and two more to hire. We are looking for a part-time cashier and a part-time merchandising associate. Before the pandemic, we had 30 regular volunteers and numerous drop-in volunteers.”

Managing through a pandemic

As it turned out, the COVID-19 pandemic was an ideal time for a service-based nonprofit to step up efforts and serve more people than ever. In the first 14 weeks of the pandemic, MUST provided nearly 1 million meals to 53,399 people, distributing summer lunches and grocery boxes, Monday through Friday.

“MUST Ministries, has been distributing summer lunch meals to children for 25 years and delivering five-day meal kits to children all summer,” Rogers says. “When Cobb County Schools decided to delay opening until Aug. 17, suddenly there were thousands of summer lunch children who needed lunch meals. MUST has been raising money and gathering volunteer and staff support to extend the program.”

Taking care of others is an expensive endeavor. MUST partners with a packaged food company to provide nutritious meals at a cost of $66,000. In addition, the nonprofit is continuing to pay for trucks, fuel, drivers, staff, and other expenses. The organization also donated $25,000 to Marietta City Schools to extend the Seamless Summer Meal Program.

Raising funds in 2020 can be difficult, but the greatest challenge MUST has faced during the pandemic has been accessing enough food supplies. In the beginning, food and toiletries were difficult to find in bulk. MUST had to resort to retail prices when, typically, a food bank and discount sites had been used.

“Fortunately, MUST donors gave money to help meet the need, but in the past month, ‘giving fatigue’ has plagued most nonprofits that are seeing a dip in financial giving and giving of food,” Rogers says.

On a positive note, Rogers has seen a remarkable linking of arms between nonprofits that have worked together to fight the crisis. For instance, a group of 60 organizations in Cobb meet regularly, sharing food, giving tips on where to find food at a good price, and encouraging one another.

When MUST Marketplace was able to reopen, it was challenging. Rogers says that, as for most retailers, the reopening was slow and sales were down. In the first few weeks, the Marketplace was selling about 50 percent of its usual volume.

“MUST Ministries has continued to adapt all programs through COVID-19, finding innovative solutions to offer help and hope for people in desperate need,” Rogers says. “Remarkably, MUST has served almost 60,000 people since COVID-19 began, when we typically serve 33,500 over the course of a year.”

Simply a MUST

For over 50 years, MUST has been established as a servant leader, caring for those in need in eight counties by providing food, housing, workforce development, medical care, and clothing.

“MUST is grateful for very generous donors who bring items to the Donation Center to support the programs offered to those in need,” Rogers says. “MUST is currently in a capital campaign to build a new campus to meet the demand for services. We provide 72 beds in the Elizabeth Inn Shelter, but are sadly turning away 200 to 300 people a month because of full beds — 70 percent of whom are women and children.”

Rogers says MUST absolutely has to expand its capacity to serve those in need, to provide hope to a greater number of women and children, and to reach the most vulnerable in the Cobb community. “Our hope is to build a fully furnished home with twice the current capacity with a living area designed for dignity, comfort, and space,” he says. “In addition, we will provide a centralized campus with comprehensive support services, such as a medical clinic, food pantry, and outreach services.”

Rogers recounts a success story whereby MUST Marketplace helped a citizen toward her next phase in life. “One of our regular customers is named Jackie. Several years ago, she was one of our shelter clients. She is working now, remarried, and comes to the Marketplace often to buy goods for her home. Our quality and prices allow her to furnish her home. Jackie is a testament to how MUST Ministries changes lives.”

You can visit MUST Marketplace Monday through Saturday. MUST Marketplace donations can be taken to the MUST Donation Centers. To donate larger items such as furniture, please call MUST Marketplace first. Learn more about the organization at mustministries.org.

Investing In Students

Cory Sekine-Pettite

New building brings new opportunities for protecting Whitefield Academy’s youngest pupils.

On Aug. 17, 2020, the new school year began here in Cobb County under the ire of the worst national health crisis this country has seen since the flu pandemic of 1918. While there has been much public debate and private discourse regarding the merits of opening schools this fall, one thing is for certain: the schools had to be prepared.

Above all else, administrators and teachers in every school planned all summer to make the health and safety of students and faculty the number-one priority. Where possible, classrooms have been modified, certain activities are being limited, and CDC and Department of Health guidelines are being followed. Knowing that Whitefield Academy in Smyrna was debuting a new building for its youngest pupils, we checked in with Lower School Principal Maryellen Berry just as the school year was beginning to find out how Whitefield’s PreK through fourth-grade students are being protected.

Providing A Lifeline

Haisten Willis

As the novel coronavirus continues to rock Cobb County, the nation, and the world, many scheduled events and projects have been subject to delays or cancellations. The opposite was true for the new emergency department at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.

The massive, 263,000-square-foot facility couldn’t have opened at a better time. A July 20 ribbon cutting was held for the new facility, which was in the works for nearly a decade, as a masked Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp were joined by Wellstar Board of Trustees Chair Otis Brumby III, Wellstar CEO Candice Saunders, and Wellstar Kennestone Hospital President Mary Chatman.

“This historic moment is the result of an inspiring team and strong community partnership centered on bringing world-class healthcare to every person, every time,” Saunders said during the ribbon cutting. “The new emergency department is an asset to our system and all of the people we care for.”

The facility opened to the public three days later. Inside are 162,825 square feet of clinical space and 166 treatment beds. The Level II trauma center (defined as being able to initiate definitive care for all injured patients) is part of the state’s largest trauma network and, according to Wellstar officials, is expected to be one of the largest and busiest trauma centers in the entire nation.

“We’re a Level II trauma center and a certified comprehensive stroke and certified comprehensive cardiac center,” says Nancy Doolittle, executive director of nursing and emergency services at Wellstar Kennestone. “What those designations mean is that we’re able to care for the highest level of patients. If a stroke patient needs to have intervention done, we have neurosurgeons who have the ability to do that. If somebody needs to have open-heart surgery or other procedures beyond catheterization, it allows us to do that.”

The emergency department opened after two-and-a-half years of construction after officials broke ground on the new Kennestone expansion in February of 2018. But the project was in the planning phase for more than two years prior to the groundbreaking, and the idea for it dates back roughly 10 years.

In his statements at the ribbon cutting, Kemp praised both the economic impact and the health impact of the facility. “The State of Georgia proudly supports Wellstar Health System and the more than 24,000 team members who are on the front lines providing outstanding and life-saving care to Georgians,” said Gov. Kemp, according to a press release. “The new emergency department at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital will have an immediate positive impact on our community by serving as a critical care resource to Georgians experiencing medical emergencies or trauma.”

The emergency department is larger than even the biggest Walmart Supercenter, and is one of the two largest and busiest emergency departments in the United States. It will be able to serve up to 600 patients per day, or 220,000 patients a year. Both figures are more than double that of the previous trauma and emergency capacities at Kennestone.

It’s still to be determined how the old emergency space will be used, but Doolittle said Wellstar leaders are looking at what best meets the needs of the community during the pandemic.

Wellstar officials stressed that the new center was designed and built with the community in mind as well. The healthcare system actively solicited feedback from community partners, using that input to design and build the new facility. “Wellstar Kennestone Hospital’s new emergency department was designed to continue to provide safe and high-quality care to our community,” said Chatman at the ribbon cutting. “Wellstar actively solicited feedback from our community partners and used the input to build our new facility. Our new emergency department will be the industry leader in best practices, with world-class providers, team members, and service.”

When it comes to treating COVID-19, the new emergency department means the hospital has much more surge capacity if needed. Doolittle said hospital admissions through the emergency department have swelled and dipped throughout the pandemic. When social distancing was being heavily promoted in the spring they saw fewer patients, but the numbers started to go up later in the year.

“Some people may have been afraid of coming in, and were trying to keep their distance to be safe,” says Doolitte. “But by the time they made it to the hospital, they were sicker and should have come in sooner. I think that was difficult for everyone; we saw that across the country. Their needs didn’t go away, but many of them weren’t coming in.”

She emphasized that COVID patients are kept separately from others and that it’s always important to go to the emergency room if you have urgent medical needs. “You don’t want people staying home who should have come in,” she says. “We have the ability to segregate our lobby spaces. If for some reason there’s a wait, we can separate patients with symptoms of COVID. There are a lot of patient safety factors that we bring into our care.”

Aside from its impressive size, the emergency department also was designed with the aim of reducing wait times, expediting discharges, and enhancing the overall experience. There are separate entrances and wings for pediatric and adult patients, a streamline care initiation intake process, private exam rooms in place of curtain dividers, flexible spaces able to provide for treatment of both high- and low-acuity cases, and planned spaces and processes for de-escalation, isolation and decontamination for patients who present with infectious disease or behavioral health issues.

“There’s definitely a learning curve, but overall I am so proud of our team,” says Doolittle. “The day that we transitioned patients from the old to the new departments was seamless. It was a great transition. We learn new things every day, but overall it has been fantastic.”

The second floor of the department is dedicated to behavioral health, with 12 beds for specialized behavioral health and intervention services. There are three different ambulance bays for different levels of patient severity, and parking for up to 17 different ambulances at once.

The emergency department also includes 14 negative-pressure rooms (for airborne infectious disease management), direct access to the high acuity and trauma care area from a rooftop helipad via elevator, better vehicular access for both patients and emergency vehicles and an on-site, underground parking garage to drop off patients. Lastly, there are imaging rooms directly adjacent to trauma rooms, plus additional critical care equipment and technology.

“I’m so proud of the team at Wellstar and everyone who played a part in the design process,” says Doolittle. “We had a neighborhood committee that met frequently. To know that we had neighborhood insight and that they were part of the process was just amazing.”

The emergency department is the latest expansion for Wellstar Health System and for Kennestone Hospital, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2020. Kennestone has more than 600 patient beds, serving hundreds of thousands of visitors a year and with one of only three Level II trauma centers in metro Atlanta.

Wellstar Health System now includes 11 hospitals, more than 300 medical office locations, nine cancer centers, 55 rehabilitation centers, three hospice facilities, one retirement home, 21 imaging centers, 15 urgent care locations, and five health parks.

Cobb County Commission and SelectCobb distribute relief grants to local businesses

Cory Sekine-Pettite

Too Important to Fail

On March 27, 2020, the President signed the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act to expand unemployment insurance benefits and other economic relief measures aimed at reducing the economic impact of the novel coronavirus 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic and authorized $2.1 trillion in aid to various sectors of the economy. This economic relief package is in addition to the Family First Corona Virus Response Act. Congress continues to debate expanding federal aid for families and small businesses as the virus continues to wreak havoc across the country. In the meantime, under the current available funding, what this means for Cobb County is $50 million in relief funds available to business owners to help get them back on their feet.

In May, Cobb County Government announced a partnership with SelectCobb to distribute the funding. SelectCobb, formerly known as Cobb’s Competitive EDGE, is an initiative of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce and its community-wide partners to market Cobb County to the world, thus generating high-wage job growth, new private investment, and a pipeline of top talent. The SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grants provide up to $40,000 grants for small businesses based in Cobb County to use on personnel, rent, utilities, and acquiring PPE to ensure the safety of their employees. The grants are tiered, based on the number of employees: business with one to 10 employees can receive up to $20,000; firms with 11 to 50 employees, up to $30,000; and companies with 51 to 100 employees, up to $40,000.

Sharon Mason, president and CEO of the Cobb
Chamber of Commerce, and Mike Boyce, Cobb County
Commission chairman, speak to grant recipients ahead
of the check presentations.

“Maintaining jobs and promoting growth within Cobb County has been and always will be our number-one priority for our small business community,” said Kevin Greiner, president and CEO of Gas South and Chairman of SelectCobb for the Cobb Chamber. “The SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grants will allow Cobb’s small businesses to stand strong during this pandemic and continue to meet necessary business expenses, as well as providing capital to acquire PPE and other resources to ensure a safe working environment for their employees.”

Only July 31, officials announced the first round of grant recipients, who received a total of $7.5 million in funding. Approximately 56 percent of the 409 grant recipients are minority-owned businesses, while 53 percent are women-owned, and 8 percent are veterans. “We are incredibly thankful to Cobb County Government for their continued support of local small businesses, who have been working tirelessly to continue operations during COVID-19,” said Dana Johnson, COO of the Cobb Chamber and executive director of SelectCobb. “These grants speak to our collective commitment to providing residents with opportunities to grow and thrive while continuing to drive the county’s economic development and impact.”

Mike Boyce, Cobb County Commission chairman,
presents Terry Vick from Glass Graphics with the
company’s small business relief grant.

“On March 12, my personal chef business for 2020 was promising. On March 13, two thirds of my business disappeared from my calendar. All of my culinary instruction classes and catering events began to be erased as clients were no longer entertaining and facilities began to close down,” said Chef Elizabeth Weaver, owner and chef for Elizabeth Edibles Personal Chef Services. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure I could qualify as a sole proprietor for this grant, but with great assistance from SelectCobb and research, I easily applied, and I will be able to regroup, market, and keep cooking for Cobb County!”

Sharon Mason, president/CEO of the Cobb Chamber told Cobb In Focus recently that the grants are helping local businesses weather this economic storm. “Our economic recovery taskforce has been focused on seeking more grant opportunities as well as helping businesses reopen safely, and many more businesses have been opening more recently. Also, with Georgia as the number-one state to do business, we are projected to recover faster than other states. In fact, our SelectCobb team has seen a significant increase in companies considering relocating to Cobb from another state since the pandemic began. With new companies bringing jobs and investment to Cobb, we will recover much faster.”

Cobb County Board of Commission members present grant funds to local business House of Heralds.

Grants program extended

Recently, Cobb County extended its partnership with SelectCobb to offer a second round of Small Business Relief Grants. The application process for those grants expired before this magazine went to press, but eligible businesses were able to apply to receive up to $40,000 to use toward personnel, rent, utilities, and acquiring PPE. In an effort to educate small businesses on the application process for the grants, an informative webinar series launched on August 4 and features Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce and each of the Cobb County Commissioners and local mayors throughout the series.

“I’m gratified that the board came together to address an important segment of our community, the small business community,” said Chairman Mike Boyce in a news release. “It demonstrates when it is all said and done, this board has the best interest of the county at heart. We work every day to do the best we can with the money we have — whether it is county money, state money, or federal money — we all have a duty to make sure the taxpayer’s money is spent appropriately and I think this is one action that reflects that.”

Businesses that have received financial assistance from the Payroll Protection Program or Small Business Administration are eligible for the second round of grants. In addition, businesses can include both W-2 and 1099 contract employees toward their total employee count. A full list of eligibility requirements for these grants — and any potential future grants — is available at selectcobb.com/grants, but the basic requirements are described below.

Small businesses must meet the following requirements:

Business must be an existing for-profit corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship
Business headquarters or primary location must be within Cobb County
Business must have 100 or fewer full-time, W-2 employees and/or individual 1099 contractors that function like employees, i.e., employees or contractors working at least 30 hours per week or 130 hours per month
Business must have been in continuous operation for a minimum of one year prior to March 13, 2020
Business must have a current business license issued by Cobb County Government, City of Acworth, City of Austell, City of Kennesaw, City of Marietta, City of Powder Springs or City of Smyrna
Business must be current on all local taxes
Business may be home-based or located in an owned or leased commercial space
Business must certify if it has received PPP/SBA funds and the amount in which it received as of time of application submittal
Business cannot be a publicly-traded company
Ineligible businesses include: Gambling institutions, multi-level marketing organizations, real estate investment firms, and adult entertainment.

Time will tell if and when a third round of grants will be announced. In the meantime, the committee will review applications per Commission District so that all areas are equally represented in the number of companies being assisted. Once determinations are made, a public announcement of grants funds will be made by representatives of the selection committee, SelectCobb, Cobb Chamber, and Cobb County Government. “Cobb County should be applauded for creating one of the largest small business grants in the region,” said Johnson. “I want to thank the Board of Commissioners for their leadership and commitment to ensuring that Cobb County remains one of the top destinations for small businesses.”

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