Former U.S. Surgeon General to Speak in Smyrna

The Monday work/school week will begin as a wet one this morning. A line of strong thunderstorms that possibly produced tornadoes in Arkansas and Alabama overnight will begin moving into Georgia Monday. Major damage and some fatalities have been reported in Birmingham, Ala., and meteorologists say heavy thundershowers and rain is possible for metro Atlanta.  

Said Channel 2 Action New meteorologist Brad Nitz, "An approaching cold front will bring the risk of severe storms Monday morning. The storms will move slowly as they cross the state and will continue in parts of metro Atlanta until early afternoon before gradual clearing late in the day."

Traffic has already been tricky during Monday's commute. It’s always best to know before you go when it comes to traffic in the Smyrna-Vinings and metro Atlanta area. Make sure to check our Traffic & Gas tool before you get stuck in a jam.

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An Atlanta Gas Light project on Cumberland Boulevard between Spring Road and Cobb Parkway will begin Monday at 9 a.m. Expect daily work to continue until 4 p.m.

It’s part of an extensive gas line replacement project that will begin in Smyrna near the intersection of Cumberland Blvd. and Spring Rd. and extend north along Cobb Pkwy to the Big Chicken in Marietta.

Here in Smyrna, it could last two weeks or longer depending on the weather and traffic delays are expected due to possible lane closure(s). Officials have recommended continuing eastward on Spring Rd. to reach Cobb Pkwy.

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Also, the new South Cobb Drive traffic light at The Crossings at Four Corners development is set to be active today. The light is installed on the hill just north of Concord Road and provides an intersection entrance into the development.

, the 153,000-square-foot redevelopment project at the corner of S. Cobb and Concord that will be anchored by a 93,000-square-foot Kroger Marketplace, is still set to open to the public on Wednesday. More coverage of that project and ribbon-cutting ceremony will be coming at Smyrna-Vinings Patch.

Also Monday, the Interstate North Toastmasters will conduct their weekly meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. at 3100 Cumberland Boulevard. See here for more information

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On Tuesday, the Smyrna Rotary Club holds its weekly lunch meeting at 12:15 p.m., at the , 200 Village Green Circle. The scheduled speaker is Dr. David Satcher, MD, PhD, Director, Satcher Health Leadership Institute and former Surgeon General of the United States. Lunch is $15. Non-members must RSVP before the meeting. To RSVP, call 770-850-1640.

Also Tuesday, the Smyrna Golden K Kiwanis Club will hold its weekly meeting at the , 844 Church Street. The group meets from 9:30 to 11 a.m. every Tuesday to coordinate projects, listen to speakers, and share fellowship. All are welcome.

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On Wednesday, Ron Sifen, former president of the Vinings Homeowners Association and a regular Smyrna-Vinings Patch contributor, will discuss this summer’s TSPLOST referendum and local transportation issues as the scheduled featured speaker at the Rotary Club of Vinings. The club meets at noon at The Vinings Club, Overlook III, 2859 Paces Ferry Road. For here for Sifen's recent column on how "Taxpayers would pay reasonable cost for traffic congestion relief."

Also Wednesday, the Kiwanis Club of Smyrna will hold its weekly meeting at the . This is a spirited group of men and women, dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Smyrna community. The meeting is from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. and call 770-438-6961 for more info.

Wednesday night is the weekly T-Toasters meeting at Paces West, located at 2727 Paces Ferry Road, Building 1. Visitors are always welcome at the 6:30 p.m. and see here for more information.

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On Thursday, Keep Smyrna Beautiful will be sponsoring a gardening classes at . “Planning Your Spring Vegetable Garden” by Master Gardener Linda Hlozansky will take place from 7- 8:30 p.m. Also, “Starting Garden Plants from Seeds” by Master Gardener Electa Keil will be conducted on Saturday Feb. 4 from 10 - 11:30 a.m. These classes are open to the public, but space is limited and Community Garden plot holders will be given preference. Learn more about KSB and the Community Garden here.

Thursday also brings a Cobb County School Board meeting at 514 Glover Street in Marietta at 7 p.m. A story in South Cobb Patch explains how Vice Chairman David Morgan is pushing for Teach for America approval from the board. It would bring 50 Teach for America teachers into the area, but approval won’t be easy and the Cobb County Association of Educators have notified community members and stakeholders via email and urged them to show up at Thursday’s meeting to advocate against the proposal, which is a discussion item on the agenda.

“They see it as some sort of indictment against the teachers we already have,” Morgan said a Saturday town hall meeting. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

According to Morgan, One of the top concerns of the TFA proposal's opponents is the cost, which will total $400,000 for the 50 teachers by the end of their two-year commitments. Bringing in TFA teachers would be “fiscally neutral,” Morgan said, “because all the money is being raised by outside donors.”

Although Morgan could still not reveal the names of the donors, he did confirm that the donors have agreed and are committed to paying for the teachers if the proposal is supported and passed by the board of education this week. No teachers would be displaced as a result of the 50 TFA teachers being placed in South Cobb schools, especially because the South Cobb area has the highest turnover rate in the county, Morgan said.

"(Superintendent) Dr. (Micahel) Hinojosa said in Dallas, they started with 50 and when he left it was 250 because it was so much of a success. He said it is probably similar in Cobb. When it first came through, it barely scraped by, then once (it was shown successful), oh, it was the best thing since sliced bread," Morgan explained.

Also, make sure to checkout S-V Patch contributor Leo Smith’s informative education blog from Sunday on how to protect our children’s educational achievement.

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Friday, the Smyrna Optimist Club will meet at 7 a.m. at the American Legion Post 160. The Optimist Club of Smyrna is an affiliate of Optimist International and incorporated in the State of Georgia as a nonprofit service club. Hundreds of youth in Smyrna are helped by the Optimist Club's projects and programs.

Finally, if you’re looking to volunteer and get more involved with area service projects, checkout SuperSmyrna. Founding members are the Smyrna Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, the Smyrna Business Association, Smyrna Golden K Kiwanis, Smyrna Rotary Club, and Keller Williams Cares. 

The group serves as a consortium of the city’s community service organizations to pool volunteer time, professional experience and resources to help Smyrna prosper.