Ott's Town-Hall Meeting Relocated

1. The anticipated crowd for East Cobb commissioner Bob Ott's town-hall meeting tonight has prompted a change in venue. 

Instead of convening at the , the meeting will take place instead across the street at , 4385 Lower Roswell Road. 

The meeting time stays the same, 7 p.m., and it could go on for a while. 

I've attended a couple of Ott's town halls before, and they're usually brimming with good information and patient explanations from him and county officials about how various government processes work. 

I was taken aback after my first meeting when some citizens applauded and thanked Ott for taking them through the nitty-gritty details. 

He may not get that kind of reception tonight after calling the town hall to discuss the fiscal year 2011 budget. It's not a pleasant subject, especially after last week's commission meeting in which Ott adamantly ruled out that he would vote for a tax increase to tackle an  shortfall. 

2. On Wednesday, another hot-button issue will be discussed at the East Cobb Government Center. The monthly meeting of the East Cobb Civic Association starts at 7 p.m. and the special guest is Joe Brywczynski, senior vice president and health parks administrator of WellStar, who will provide an update on its proposed East Cobb Health Park on Roswell Road at Providence Road. 

At last week's town hall meeting held by East Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell, some residents expressed concerns over evolving design plans for the $80 million facility, which is scheduled to open in 2013. 

3. Is David Banks ready to jump out of his saddle? His crusade to get the Cobb Board of Education to reconsider the balanced school calendar hit a brick wall last week, despite his best attempts at using Robert's Rules of Order to his advantage. 

But after the entire seven-member school board was summoned to appear Friday before , Banks may be ready to cool his jets a little bit. Here's this comment he related to Ethan Fowler, our education correspondent: 

"When you’re riding a wild horse, it’s best to get off of it. There is a lot of stuff going on."

Well, no kidding. Given the soap opera histrionics that have been plaguing this new school board only three months in, I wouldn't be surprised if Banks jumps back up on his mount—bareback if need be. 

4. Another tennis match, another win for the Walton Lady Raiders, who completed an undefeated regular season by bageling Wheeler 5-0 in their latest outing. That's consecutive match victory No. 139 for Walton, which keeps building on a state record that may not end any time soon. 

5. With spring nearly here, Chattahoochee River enthusiasts will be back out on the currents soon. But those dedicated to keeping the Hooch clean and safe will gather on April 16 to kick off National Park Week in proper fashion.

As Jennifer Duncan wrote Sunday for Smyrna/Vinings Patch, the event takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting a weeklong series of cleanup events. Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, the National Park Service and Trout Unlimited are teaming together for a multi-site effort within the 48 miles of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

If you're interested in volunteering, visit the Sweep the Hooch website and sign up online. Volunteer maximums have already registered for cleanups around the Johnson Ferry area.