Atlanta Galleria Now

Galleria Chat: April 27, 2012

Market Fresh. Skip the grocery lines and get your hands on some of the freshest fruits and vegetables in the area. From May 5 through September, the city of Smyrna will host the Smyrna Fresh Produce Market every Saturday in the parking lot of the Smyrna First Baptist Church, located at 1275 Church Street.

Market hours are from 8 a.m. to noon. For more information or to participate as a vendor, visit the city of Smyrna’s website.

Opera’s in Town. Local opera fans have something to look forward to this weekend. That’s because the Atlanta Opera’s production of “Don Giovanni” will be performed at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre at 8 p.m. on Saturday. Additional performances of Mozart’s opera, which is sung in Italian and features English supertitles, will be held on Tuesday, May 1; Friday, May 4; and Sunday, May 6.

For more information about the opera or to purchase tickets, visit the Atlanta Opera’s website. Tickets may also be purchased through Ticketmaster; those purchased on Ticketmaster will include additional fees.

Franchising 101. Are you interested in becoming a franchisee? Then consider attending the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s “Franchising 101: What You Should Know Before Starting a Franchise” seminar from 10 a.m. to noon on May 10.

The seminar will feature Brian Annino of Annino Law Firm LLC, who will discuss the dos and don’ts of franchising.

General admission is $30. Chamber members can purchase tickets for $15 online and $20 at the door. Registration ends at noon on May 9. For more information or to register, visit the chamber’s website.

Circus in Town. The world’s largest shrine circus will be in Marietta this weekend through May 6.

Yaarab Shrine’s 2012 Circus features elephants, bears, show horses, high-flying trapeze artists, daredevil acts and more. The event also features carnival rides for the entire family.

The circus is located at Jim R. Miller Park on 2245 Callaway Road. Adult admission is $10; children 36 inches and under get in for free. 

The circus opens at 7:30 p.m. tonight. Additional information can be found on the Smyrna-Vinings Patch.

Galleria chat: April 12, 2012

The Galleria Chat appears on this blog each Thursday. The Chat provides a hearty helping of stories and announcements to keep you in the know about the area surrounding the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. So without further ado …

Country on a Saturday Night. Country music star Josh Turner will perform at the Cobb Galleria Performing Arts Centre this Saturday. Starting at 8 p.m., the show will feature opening act Craig Campbell.

With numerous No. 1 hits, Turner is one of the youngest artists to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

Concert information can be found on the centre’s website. Tickets start at $33.50 and can be purchased through the box office or Ticketmaster. Tickets purchased through Ticketmaster will include additional fees.  

Local Reads. Have a favorite book written by local authors Margaret Johnson-Hodge, Deborah Elizabeth Merriman, Narayan Sengupta, Diane Z. Shore or Patricia Sprinkle? You’ll have a chance to see them in person on April 15 at the Smyrna Public library as they discuss and autograph their books.

The event is from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and is free to everyone. The library is located at 100 Village Green Circle in Smyrna. For more information, visit the library’s website.

Read All About It. If you’re an animal lover and want to hear the latest on special events, volunteer opportunities and other animal-related news from Cobb County, sign up for the new e-mail newsletter from the county’s Animal Control Department.

To subscribe, visit the county website, click on the “News and Alerts” tab, enter your e-mail address and select the appropriate newsletter.

Joggers with a Cause. Those who like to pound the pavement early in the morning may be interested in the Jonquil City Jog on April 28, which will start at Smyrna’s City Hall.

The event actually a features a number of 5K races, each tailored to different age ranges and abilities. The races start at 8 a.m., and runners must arrive at City Hall by 7 a.m.

First-place winners will receive key lime pies, and all participants will receive commemorative ribbons.

Proceeds will go to the Campbell High School Educational Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides financial and community support to the school’s students. Registration can be done online by April 26 at 6 p.m. To register or for more information, visit the event’s website.

Give to Those in Need: Donate Blood on Tuesday, April 10

The statistics are startling: One out of every five people entering a hospital needs blood, and every year five million Americans require a blood transfusion.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, April 10), workers at the Atlanta Galleria Office Park and members of the surrounding community can do their part to help meet this tremendous need by donating blood. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., a LifeSouth Bloodmobile will be in the visitor parking lot of Galleria 100. Travelport and the Galleria Athletic Club are sponsoring the event.

Appointments for blood donations are preferred, but walk-ups also are welcome. To schedule an appointment, visit this sign-up sheet.

The entire donation process will take approximately one hour, but the actual donation time will only take about 10 minutes. Photo IDs are required to donate. Remember to eat iron-rich foods such as spinach, beans or red meat and to drink plenty of non-caffeinated beverages before donating. Snacks and drinks will be provided to donors to help them refuel.

If you have questions about donating blood in general, visit the “Frequently Asked Questions” page of LifeSouth’s website. If you have questions or comments about Tuesday’s event, email Jim Suess at jim.suess@travelport.com.

Galleria chat: April 5, 2012

The Galleria Chat appears on this blog each Thursday. The Chat provides a hearty helping of stories and announcements to keep you in the know about the area surrounding the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. So without further ado …

Messy Photo Contest. This year’s spring cleaning could do more than just make your home look better – it could win you some money. Submit a photo of your worn-out shoes, tackiest outfit, or dirty room - or all three – in our neighbor Cumberland Mall’s contest, and you could win a $150, $250 or $2,500 gift card to use at the mall.

Finalists will be announced on April 10. For more information and to enter, visit Cumberland Mall’s Facebook page.

Easter Hunt. Cumberland United Methodist Church invites you and your kids to an Easter egg hunt this Saturday. The search for eggs runs from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is free to everyone.

Cumberland United Methodist Church is located at 2375 Paces Ferry Road in Smyrna. For more information, visit the church’s website.

Be A Leader. Do you know a high-school student that has the makings of a leader? Cobb Youth Leadership (CYL), a program that develops leadership skills through a series of retreats, is accepting applications from rising juniors.

Supported by the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association, CYL gives high-school students a chance to network and receive education on topics such as college and community involvement. The cost of the program is $400.

Visit the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s website to fill out an application. For more information about the program, visit this page on the Chamber’s site.

Not as Healthy. Cobb County was ranked the sixth healthiest county in Georgia in the 2012 County Health Rankings, compiled by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The ranking represents a drop for the county, which traditionally has ranked in the top five.

Ranking factors include number of adult smokers, number of obese adults, the teen birth rate, number of uninsured residents, number of children living in poverty, level of residents’ education, number of fast food restaurants and air pollution.

While not in its usual top five spot, “Cobb still ranked better than the state average in each category except excessive drinking and air pollution,” noted a Smyrna-Vinings Patch article.

Adopt-A-Thon. Find your next furry friend at the Cobb County Animal Control’s upcoming Adopt-A-Thon, to be held on May 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature discounted adoption rates as well as food vendors, police K-9 demonstrations, a raffle and a chance to talk with the shelter’s veterinarian.

The shelter is located at 1060 Al Bishop Drive in Marietta. For more information, visit

the Cobb County Animal Control website or call 770-590-5614.

Become a Better Knitter. Want to learn how to knit? Or maybe you’re a long-term knitter looking to expand your skills. Then the upcoming Stitches South may be for you. The conference will take place at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel and Cobb Galleria Centre on April 19-22, and will feature classes, fashion shows, an exhibit hall for vendors and several dinners, among other activities.

Visit the event’s website for schedule details and registration packages.

Galleria Chat: March 30, 2012

The Galleria Chat appears on this blog each week to provide a hearty helping of stories and announcements to keep you in the know about the area surrounding the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. So without further ado …

Race for Research. Stretch those legs and raise money for Parkinson’s disease research by participating in RaceTrac’s Run for Research this Saturday in Vinings. The 5K race will start at 8 a.m. at the RaceTrac Store Support Center, located at 3225 Cumberland Boulevard.

The registration fee is $30. Participants can sign up either at the support center on the day of the race, or beforehand at register.runnersfit.com. All proceeds will benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

A free 1K race for children 15 and younger will begin at 7:45 a.m.

Allison Moran, senior vice president of Smyrna-based RaceTrac, told the Marietta Daily Journal that Parkinson’s has touched “RaceTrac very directly.” Her late grandfather and father, the founder and current CEO of the firm, respectively, were both diagnosed with the disease.

For more information, visit the event’s website.

Helping the Children. The 11th Annual Hearing Children’s Voices Gala will be held on April 14 at the Cobb Galleria Centre. The black-tie-optional event, which benefits the SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center in Cobb County, begins with a 6 p.m. cocktail reception and is followed by a 7 p.m. dinner and auction.

Sandra Deal, the first lady of Georgia, will be presented with the Hearing Children’s Voices Award. For more information, visit SafePath.org and the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s website.

The SafePath center provides services to victims of child abuse.

An End to the Teeth Gritting? If your travels to and from the Galleria area take you through the intersection of Windy Hill Road and Cobb Parkway, you know all too well how aggravating the traffic in that area can be.

Well, help may be on the way. Passage of the TSPLOST sales tax on July 31 could result in the construction of an interchange at the intersection. The Smyrva-Vinings Patch has all of the blood-pressure-dropping details.

A Funky Midweek Break. Legendary jazz and R&B singer Chaka Khan, known as the “Queen of Funk,” will perform at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre next Wednesday. Khan’s hits include “Tell Me Something Good,” “I’m Every Woman” and “I Feel for You.”

Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at the box office or online at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets purchased through Ticketmaster will include additional processing fees.

The Easter Bunny’s Coming to Town. The Easter Bunny will visit our neighbor Cumberland Mall from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 7 (that’s the day before Easter), and will be available for pictures with children. The event also will feature music, face painting and balloon animals.

The festivities will take place on the lower level in the Fresh 2 Order/Costco wing of the mall. For more information, visit the Cumberland Mall website.

Galleria Chat: March 1, 2012

The Galleria Chat is a weekly feature that appears on this blog each Thursday. The Chat will provide you with a hearty helping of links to stories and announcements to keep you in the know about the area surrounding the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. So without further ado … 

• ¿Habla Español? Looking to build better business relationships or communicate more effectively with employees by improving your Spanish-speaking skills? Patty Smitherman of Communicate Language Services will teach a seven-week conversational Spanish course at the Futren Corp.’s offices near the intersection of Interstate 75 and Windy Hill Road. Beginning on March 20, the class will meet for two hours on Tuesday nights. The registration deadline is Friday, March 15, at noon. The registration fee is $200; members of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce can sign up for $150. For more information on the class and details on group discounts, visit the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s website

• Get Online. If you’re a small business looking to finally create a website, Google and the state of Georiga want to help you out. The recently announced “Georgia Get Your Business Online” program provides small businesses in the state with free websites, as well as free training and resources to help get the sites up and running.

According to Gov. Nathan Deal’s office, 54 percent of small businesses in Georgia do not have a website. For more information, visit Georgia.gov.

• One of the Worst. If your commute to and from the Atlanta Galleria takes you through the nearby intersection of Windy Hill Road and Cobb Parkway, you very well may have thought to yourself – or shouted out loud – that the intersection is one of the worst around. Well, Fox 5 Atlanta agrees with you.

For the lowdown on Fox 5’s lists of the worst metro Atlanta intersections, as well as the efforts of the Atlanta Regional Commission to relieve traffic congestion, visit Smyrna-Vinings Patch.

• Sit, Stay, Fetch. Is a misbehaving canine making your life crazy? Take the first step toward sanity by attending Dogma Dog Care’s open house from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday to learn about the facility’s dog-training classes. Located at 4790 Wright Drive in Smyrna, the center’s staff features Susie Aga, voted “Best Dog Trainer” by the readers of Atlanta magazine.

• Remember the Children. The Children’s Place, a kids clothing and accessory store in Cumberland Mall, will hold a garden party from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The event will feature free treats and special deals. For more information, visit the mall’s website.

Blast for a Good Cause (and a Good Body)

Swimsuit season is around the corner, and you may be wondering how you’re going to get back into that beach body. Toning up can be tough without the right motivation.

The Galleria Athletic Club (GAC), located in Galleria 300, is here to help you out – and to help out some charities along the way. From March 1 to April 26, the club will hold its Gut Blasting Challenge. Contest participation is open to anyone, and the entry fee is only $10. All fees will be donated to a charity chosen by the participant. 

The entry deadline is Feb. 27.

Each participant is required to:

• Choose a charity.
• Set a realistic fitness goal.
• Work out three times a week and log the type of exercise, duration and calories burned.

Instructors will be tracking weight and BMI. The person who logs the most visits at GAC will be the winner and will receive a three-month free membership to GAC.

If you have any questions, contact Tona at tona.barnes@gmail.com or Jono at jonosenk@msn.com.

Galleria Chat: Feb. 23, 2012

The Galleria Chat is a weekly feature that appears on this blog each Thursday. The Chat will provide you with a hearty helping of links to stories and announcements to keep you in the know about the area surrounding the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. So without further ado …

• Letting Go. So, you’re ready to sell your small business. What are your options? You can find out by attending “Business Succession Plans for Small Businesses” a Cobb Chamber of Commerce educational session that will be held on Tuesday, March 13, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Attorney Dennis Summers of Taylor English Duma LLP will outline the differences between selling your firm to a strategic buyer, a private equity buyer and an employee stock ownership plan.

The registration deadline is Monday, March 12, at noon. Admission is $40 for the general public and $25 for Chamber members. Click here to register.

• Let Your Voice Be Heard. Bob Ott, commissioner of Cobb County’s District Two, which includes the Atlanta Galleria Office Park, will hold a town-hall meeting on Wednesday, March 14, at 7 p.m. to provide an update on county projects in the area and to allow constituents a chance to discuss any issues they would like to raise. The meeting will be held at Vinings Estates, located at 655 Crescent Ridge Trail SE in Mableton.

• It’s Alive … and It’s Now on Stage. The stage version of Mel Brooks’ classic comedy “Young Frankenstein” will be at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre from Thursday, March 29 through Sunday, April 1. Winner of the 2008 Outer Critics Circle Award and the Broadway.com Audience Award for Best Musical, the play features songs – including “Transylvania Mania,” “He Vas My Boyfriend” and
“Puttin' on the Ritz” – written specifically for the stage.

For show times and ticket information, visit ticketmaster.com or call (800) 745-3000.

• Hitting the Road. With a sunny weekend apparently in store, it might be a good time to dust off the bicycle and get some exercise. Each Saturday at 10 a.m., the Atlanta Cycling store, located south of the Atlanta Galleria at 4335 Cobb Parkway, conducts a leisurely paced 22-mile ride around the Vinings area. The ride is free and lunch is provided afterwards. For more information, visit Smyrna-Vinings Patch.

• Crafts as Far as the Eye Can See. If you’re in the market for homemade jewelry, furniture or clothing, the American Craft Council Show will be the place to be. The show will be held at the Cobb Galleria Centre from Friday, March 9, to Sunday, March 11, and will display the works of more than 225 crafters. One- and two-day passes can be purchased for $13 and $20, respectively, onsite. Discounted tickets also are available online.

Galleria Chat: Feb. 16, 2012

The Galleria Chat is a weekly feature that appears on this blog each Thursday. The Chat will provide you with a hearty helping of links to stories and announcements to keep you in the know about the area surrounding the Atlanta Galleria Office Park. So without further ado …

• There Is No “I” in Team. For a small business, teaming up with another similarly sized firm can pave the way to compete more successfully for commercial and government contracts. On March 1, the Cobb Chamber of Commerce will conduct an education session called “Creating Business Alliances to Win Procurement Contracts.” The two-hour session will feature Karen Mills of Mills Law Associates and Jone Debnam of the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center. The two will discuss the objectives and benefits of “teaming arrangements,” as well as the legal considerations of the arrangements.

The registration deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 29, at noon. Admission is $40 for the general public and $25 for Chamber members. Click here to register.

• Dinner and a Play? Valentine’s Day may be past, but that doesn’t mean you can’t treat your spouse or significant other to a nice night on the town. Laura Davidson, a.k.a. the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Bargain Hunter,” has the lowdown on a package being offered by The Atlanta Ballet and the South City Kitchen in Vinings. For just $53 (plus a surcharge) you get one ticket to “The Princess and the Goblin,” showing at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, and dinner at South City, home to chic Southern food.

• Decrease Your Carbon Footprint. The EcoAction Factory and Green School will hold a free open house from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. this Saturday in Smyrna to preview its year-round calendar of environmental classes. The topics of the classes range from water conservation and energy efficiency to overhauling residential and commercial properties to perform in an environmentally friendly manner. The Smyrna-Vinings Patch has the details on the open house.

• Here Come the Brides. Maybe you got engaged on Valentine’s Day, or maybe you just have an upcoming wedding. If you have no idea about how to even begin planning for the big event, consider attending the Georgia Bridal Show on March 4 at the Cobb Galleria. Exhibitors include photographers, caterers, florists, gown and tuxedo designers, and even reception DJs.   Visit the show site for all the details. Tickets are $10 at the door. Discounted tickets can be purchased online.

Back to School at the Galleria

For 30 years, the Atlanta Galleria Office Park has been a great place to work. Now it’s also a great place to go to school.

Four nights a week, Kennesaw State University’s Coles College of Business holds MBA classes in the 700 Building of the Galleria Park. The classes typically start at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Connie Engel, a partner at Childress Klein Properties who runs the Atlanta Galleria, is attending MBA classes at the park, and said there’s a wonderful cross-section of age groups in the courses. “There are people in the classes who are in their 20s, 30s, 40s or even their 50s, so you really don’t feel awkward,” Engel said.

Engel says the classes are a great way for the Galleria to serve the surrounding community. “The program is an additional service that we can provide for the clients and businesses at Atlanta Galleria Office Park,” she said. “It allows for those working individuals to continue their education on their own time.”

The Coles College of Business is the second largest business school in the state and is accredited in both business and accounting by AACSB International. Only 20 percent of all business schools in the country have earned this achievement.

Concentrations in the MBA program include operations, marketing, finance, human resources, general management, economics, business information systems, international business and entrepreneurship.

For more information on the program, call 770-420-4470 or visit the MBA portion of the Cole College of Business' website.