Proposed Smyrna Elementary Attendance Zone Maps Available Tuesday

By Teri Anulewicz

Here’s the latest news regarding Ward 3. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions, voice concerns, or share ideas for how we can improve our city, and please pass this information on to any interested neighbors. 

Smyrna municipal elections are scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 8. All Ward 3 residents should vote at the . I am not opposed this election, and am honored to serve Ward 3 for the next four years.  Please be sure to vote, though - even though I'm unopposed, the Mayoral election is on the ballot, and you also have the opportunity to vote to determine whether Sunday alcohol sales will be allowed in the City of Smyrna.

I'll be placing yard signs around town to help make sure that residents are aware that they should vote on Nov. 8. If you would like a yard sign for your home or business, please send me an email at this address (tanulewicz@gmail.com) and I will gladly drop one off. 

And now, the news: 

• Proposed attendance zone maps for the new Smyrna elementary school, which is scheduled to open for the 2013 school year, will be available to the public on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Maps will be on display in the lobbies of several elementary schools, including Belmont Hills, Argyle, and Brown, and will also be available online,probably here. I’ll also post the exact link to the new maps on my Facebook page first thing Tuesday, so if you’re not following my Facebook feed, this might be a good time to start! (And if you want to feel old, ponder for a moment that the kindergartners who will start at the new school in 2013 are part of the Class of 2026).
• Speaking of the new elementary school, at the Mayor and Council meeting on Oct. 3, 2011, the Council approved the development and sale of the Smyrna Commons Apartments to the Cobb County Board of Education. Before the votes regarding the sale of the Smyrna Commons to the Board of Education and the related bond issues, someone asked me if, since the property is in Ward 3, I was comfortable with the sale. I am extremely comfortable with, and emphatically supportive of, the sale of the apartments so that land can be used for the construction of the school as well as for playfields that will be available to all Smyrna residents through a joint use agreement. One of the things I have worked hard to do for the past four years is support our local schools and work to improve the quality of our schools, and this much-needed elementary school is exactly what so many families in the area have hoped to see.
• If anyone is interested in delving further into the purchase of the Smyrna Commons apartments and subsequent sale to the Cobb County Board of Education, in-depth financial information is available at the City of Smyrna website here.
• I recently returned from a 10-day trip to the Russian Federation through the US Department of State’s Legislative Fellows Program. This once-in-a-lifetime experience gave me the opportunity to talk to Russian students of municipal government, current municipal employees, and municipal elected and appointed officials from several cities in the St. Petersburg area about how municipal governments in the US operate and ways to encourage and participate in citizen engagement. Special thanks go out to the , the , the Smyrna Public Safety Foundation, Keep Smyrna Beautiful, Smyrna Golden K Kiwanis, Senator Johnny Isakson, and Congressman David Scott for the various items they gave me ranging from mini police badges to pocket U.S. Constitutions to Georgia peanuts to bring to Russia as gifts. All were very well-received, and I must note that there’s an entire classroom of 9-year-olds in St. Petersburg that know that they’re Terrific Kids.
• Early Voting starts on Oct. 17. For more information, contact the Cobb Board of Elections.
• Follow Ward 3 on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TeriWard3. These notes and other updates are posted there, and I also post other updates, informational blurbs, and links to information that are pertinent to Ward 3.

Other notes – for more information on any of the items below, please check the City of Smyrna website, www.SmyrnaCity.com

• It’s My Park Day – Saturday, Oct. 15, 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Meet at Tolleson Park to support this great group of citizens who are giving time and energy to Smyrna’s parks. For more information, contact Parks & Recreation at 770-319-5400 or parksrecintern@ci.smyrna.ga.us.
• It’s My Park Movie Night – Saturday, Oct. 15 at sunset. Bring the whole family to a starlight showing of the animated film Gnomeo and Juliet in the amphitheater at Taylor-Brawner Park. For what it’s worth, the film, which was scored by Elton John, received a hearty endorsement from my 6- and 3-year-old children, as well as all of their friends.
• Star Wars Saturday is Oct. 15 from 2-4 p.m. Is there a Star Wars fan in your life? If so, don’t get those lightsabers ready and don’t miss Star Wars Saturday at the . Attendees will get to meet their favorite Star Wars characters, including Stormtroopers, Imperial TIE Fighters, and more. There will also be themed crafts and trivia that the whole family will enjoy. The program does not require advance registration, but the library does ask that all attendees be Smyrna Library cardholders.  For more information call 770-431-2860.
• Fall Jonquil Festival – Oct. 22-23 in the Village Green. Save the date and watch for more details!
• Facebook is a great way to get the most up-to-date information on the city, especially if you rely heavily on your smart phone or other mobile device: www.facebook.com/CityofSmyrnaGA.