Dental assisting school in Smyrna, GA

After months of heated debate that included heavy criticism from residents, a multi-million dollar plan to transform Smyrna’s downtown was endorsed by cheers from dozens of supporters late Monday.

City Council approved the reboot by a 4-2 vote with council members Charles “Corkey” Welch and Susan Wilkinson dissenting.

The plan calls for the removal of the iconic fountain and roundabout in the downtown’s Village Green area. They will be replaced with open green space. Construction of that portion of the downtown overhaul is expected to cost $5.7 million in special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) funds.

“It was a big win for Smyrna last night,” Mayor Derek Norton, who helped spearhead the downtown redesign, said Tuesday morning. “We listened to the people, were able to deliver on what they want for that space, and I’m just proud of everybody who came out and participated in the process.”

The additional green space will represent phase one of the downtown transformation. Greg Teague, president of Marietta-based consultant Croy Engineering, said major construction on the park will begin in March or April and that phase of the project is expected to be completed by early 2023.

A three-story, $4 million parking deck proposed to be built just north of the Smyrna Community Center was not included in Monday’s vote. The city plans to use SPLOST money to pay for the parking facility, but there is no timeline on when council will finalize those details.

Council members did not discuss the sell of an acre of city-owned land along Atlanta Road during Monday’s vote either. City officials intend to sell the property to StillFire Brewing, a downtown Suwanee beer maker that plans to open a brewery in Smyrna.

About 70 Smyrna residents filled the council chambers for a lively back-and-forth discussion.

Supporters of the project showed up in full force. About 15 of the two dozen residents who addressed the board during public comment spoke in favor of the overhaul. Many of them held signs that simply said “YES” in bold black letters.

They said the revamped area would breathe life into the small business community near the Village Green and would improve the experience during live events.

“I think this project is well overdue,” Smyrna resident Kris Mellstrom, who lives in Sherwood Park, told council. “I love the fact that we think about how Smyrna’s growing...I just want to say thank you for putting this plan forward. I totally support it.”

But those opposed to the plan, as they have throughout the process, questioned the redevelopment’s estimated cost, how much traffic it will cause downtown and in surrounding neighborhoods, and insisted the process by which City Council reached Monday’s final vote was less than transparent. Some questioned why the parking deck and land being sold to StillFire weren’t included in the discussion.

“The process is flawed and goes against best management practices for city planning,” said Shaun Martin, a leading member of Smart Smyrna, an opposition group. “Cities are not planned in silos. To not bring in the desired brewery at this point is unfair, as much taxpayer dollars that are going into facilitating and accommodating all of the accessory needs.”

Welch and Wilkinson, the council members, opposed the measure just as they did during a June 21 vote when the overall concept was approved. Councilman Lewis Wheaton missed the Monday vote due to a death in his family.

Welch estimated the full downtown redevelopment will actually be about $11.8 million when including costs for the new parking deck as well as engineering expenses and contingency fees.

“I simply can’t support spending almost $12 million to revitalize a downtown that, in my opinion, is already a vital asset to our town,” he said.

Norton said that was an inflated price tag. He insisted the full scope of the project would be about $10.5 million when the parking garage, engineering and contingency fees are incorporated.

Councilman Austin Wagner said he supported the downtown redesign but was “conflicted” because a number of unanswered questions remain about the parking garage, the proposed Atlanta Road property sell and improvements along South Cobb Drive. He motioned to table Monday’s decision until the board discussed how the downtown vote could impact those projects.

With Wheaton absent, council deadlocked 3-3 on Wagner’s motion to delay the decision, with Welch and Wilkinson favoring it. Norton cast the deciding vote to push the project past its final hurdle moments before it was officially approved.

“I think it’s gonna have a huge positive impact, both from an economic development standpoint and just having another amenity to connect that downtown area that people can enjoy,” the mayor said of the plan Tuesday. “Businesses locate where people are. And we’re taking a space that is not used right now and making it a vibrant activity center.”

The U.S. Postal Service's annual Operation Santa program helps fulfill holiday wishes in Smyrna, Vinings and across the country.

SMYRNA-VININGS, GA — As the costs of food, gas and other necessities rise across the United States, the holidays could be particularly bleak for some U.S. families. Many children could wake up on Christmas morning to find Santa missed their homes altogether.

It's a heartbreaking realization for any parent or child, especially as families continue to recover from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

However, the U.S. Postal Service is hoping Smyrna and Vinings residents will step up to help make the holidays a little merrier and brighter for families who may be experiencing financial hardship.

For the second consecutive year, the Postal Service is taking its Operation Santa program nationwide. The program, which dates back to 1912, encourages kids from across the country to write letters to "Santa." Once the letters are received and posted online, others are encouraged to "adopt" and respond to one or more letters of their choosing. Adopting a letter typically means fulfilling one or numerous requests on the child's wish list.

Anyone in the United States is allowed to write a letter, regardless of religion or denomination, according to the Postal Service's website. Letters requesting clothes and shoes should include sizes and colors. Those requesting toys, games and books should be specific.

How To Mail A Letter

1) Any family with a child who wants to write to Santa should use this "official" post office address:

2) Write your full name and return address in the upper left corner of the envelope. Then, apply a first-class stamp in the upper right.

3) Letters will be posted to the USPSOperationSanta.com website. Letter adoptions opened on Nov. 29 and will continue through Dec. 22.

4) Drop the letter off at your nearest post office.

5) All letters must be postmarked by Dec. 10. Once letters are received, they will be posted online through Dec. 15 and will be available for adoption through Dec. 22. The sooner your letter is received, the more likely it is to be answered.

More details on writing and adopting letters through the Operation Santa program can be found at USPSOperationSanta.com.

GEORGIA — Last year, the coronavirus pandemic changed Black Friday as Americans knew it. Retailers in Georgia cut back hours. Some moved sales online to avoid large crowds in stores.

Black Friday falls on Nov. 26 this year. Millions of Americans are now vaccinated against the coronavirus, which means many die-hard shoppers are planning a return to Black Friday normalcy.

Not so fast, some experts say.

While coronavirus may not be top of mind as Americans hit the lines outside their favorite retailers, the ongoing global supply chain issues could take a huge bite out of their Black Friday fun.

Thanks to supply chain issues, many popular holiday gifts will be in short supply or more expensive than usual. While sales might be starting sooner this year, shoppers might not see the steep discounts they're used to on Black Friday, CBS News reported citing Consumer Reports. The problem could be worse for new or in-demand products such as high-tech toys.

Still, some shoppers aren't likely to miss out on their favorite holiday tradition.

As you plan this year's Black Friday itinerary, you'll want to know when malls and shopping are open in metro Atlanta, listed in alphabetical order:

A recent survey by Gallup found Americans plan to spend an average of $837 on gifts this season, up just slightly from the $805 they estimated they would spend last year.

Both pandemic-era estimates are lower than what Gallup found in the preceding few years, including the record-high $942 recorded in 2019.

Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation is predicting holiday spending this year has the potential to shatter previous records. The organization has predicted holiday sales will increase between 8.5 percent and 10.5 percent over 2020, meaning shoppers intend to spend about $859 billion.

To avoid overspending on holiday gifts, it's important to make a list, set a budget and stick to it. Also, know your shopping triggers. For example, many people can't resist a sale. But not all bargains are created equal, and shoppers should be wary of the "buy more, save more" types of deals.

"You think you are getting a better value when you see $10 off $50 or $20 off $50, but it's the same percent discount, so don't let that discount claim make you spend more," consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch told CNBC.

SMYRNA-VININGS, GA — A stubborn pandemic, rising food prices, and supply chain issues combine to increase the urgency of the 2021 Patch Holiday Food Drive, which is taking place through Dec. 31 in Smyrna-Vinings and across our network of more than 1,000 sites.

When the COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives of Americans last year and threw them into a sea of uncertainty, Patch partnered with Feeding America because we knew some of the estimated 13.1 million working-age adults who asked for free meals or groceries for the first time included people here in Smyrna and Vinings.

The situation has eased some as Americans go back to work, but food insecurity remains a big problem. Feeding America estimated that 42 million Americans, including 13 million children, would face food insecurity in 2021.

In Cobb County, the hunger relief group estimated 9.9 percent of residents are coping with food insecurity this year, including 11.1 percent of children. Food insecurity remains higher in Cobb County than before the pandemic, but it's lower than the 10.8 percent of residents, including 12.9 percent of children, who were food insecure at the height of the pandemic in 2020.

Higher prices at the grocery store make it worse for people who are struggling to feed themselves and their families. Officials at the nation's 200 food banks, which supply 60,000 local food pantries and meal programs around the country, are paying two to three times more than they were before the pandemic as supply chain bottlenecks, lower inventory and labor shortages drive up food costs.

Some of the affected food pantry programs near Smyrna-Vinings include:

Bryan Nichols, the vice president of sales for Transnational Foods Inc., which delivers food to more than 100 food banks associated with Feeding America, told The Associated Press that supply chain issues may be easing, but the higher costs of food shipped from overseas will stick around for a while.

"An average container coming from Asia prior to COVID would cost about $4,000," Nichols said. "Today, that same container is about $18,000."

Peanut butter is another staple that hungry families rely on because it has relatively high nutritional value and is available for a price they can afford — or, rather, it was.

Lynne Telford, the chief executive at the Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado in Colorado Springs, told the AP the cost of a truckload — or 40,000 pounds — of peanut butter has soared 80 percent from June 2019 to $51,000 in August. It costs 19 percent more to make mac and cheese than it did a year ago, and 5 percent more to cook a hamburger than it did three months ago.

Katie Fitzgerald, Feeding America's CEO, told the AP she's not sure how long food banks will be able to absorb the higher costs.

"What happens when food prices go up is food insecurity for those who are experiencing it just gets worse," Fitzgerald said.

That means people who are used to getting a family-size can of tuna may have to settle for smaller cans or substitute some other staple to stretch their food dollars. It's like adding "insult to injury" reeling from the uncertainty wrought by the pandemic, Fitzgerald said.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

Now through Dec. 31, we're encouraging readers to make a tax-deductible contribution to Feeding America in the Patch Holiday Food Drive. Every $1 given to the organization buys 10 meals.

Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2021, more than 32 million Americans, including 13 million children, will not have enough nutritious food to eat. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.

Photo provided by Sprouts Farmers Market.

SMYRNA, GA—Sprouts Farmers Mart will open a new format store on Dec. 1 at 2530 Cumberland Boulevard in Smyrna. The location will be its first Georgia Sprouts to feature the specialty market’s updated design and layout.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held before doors open at 7 a.m. Every customer on grand opening day will receive a free reusable bag with purchase.

The Smyrna store features the grocer’s latest store design, which makes it easier for health-minded and food-centric shoppers to explore new “better for you” products. Features include:

“Local shoppers know Sprouts for carrying the latest healthy products and quality fresh produce, and we’re looking forward to showcasing these items through new department layouts and displays at the Smyrna store,” said David McGlinchey, chief format officer.

Along with innovation, the remodeled store focuses on Sprouts’ popular selection of fresh produce at the center of the store, which includes more than 200 affordable organic varieties every day.

From Friday, Dec.3 through Sunday, Dec. 5, new customers with the Sprouts app can clip a digital coupon to receive 20% off one purchase when they set the Smyrna location as their store. Through the app, shoppers can view the weekly ad and save more than $100 with digital coupons every month.

“The Sprouts app makes it even easier to save since we load all of our best deals on the app for our customers,” said Gil Phipps, chief marketing officer. “You can also view our weekly ad with the freshest deals, and hundreds of digital coupons that shoppers can clip and redeem by scanning their personal barcode at the register, or by simply typing in their phone number at checkout. Our customers get all of that, plus the best prices on the freshest produce every day.”

Holiday Offerings

To add ease to this year’s holiday gatherings, existing Sprouts stores across Atlanta are now taking pre-orders for fully prepared holiday meals that are ready to heat and serve. To order and see this season’s offerings, visit sprouts.com/holiday.

About Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.

Sprouts is the place where goodness grows. True to its farm-stand heritage, Sprouts offers a unique grocery experience featuring an open layout with fresh produce at the heart of the store. Sprouts inspires wellness naturally with a carefully curated assortment of better-for-you products paired with purpose-driven people. The healthy grocer continues to bring the latest in wholesome, innovative products made with lifestyle-friendly ingredients such as organic, plant-based and gluten-free. Headquartered in Phoenix, and one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country, Sprouts employs approximately 35,000 team members and operates more than 360 stores in 23 states nationwide. To learn more about Sprouts, visit about.sprouts.com.