Dottie Spoting: Noonday Trail Town Lake Center, Kennesaw

 September 2014

Dottie here, I want to let you know we have a very cool new place to go walkies!!!!!

The recently opened Noonday Creek Trail  behind the Town Lake Mall,  it is AWESOME!!!!
This just opened and is part of the Town Center Area Community Improvement District (TCACID)

 




 The trail is 7 miles long and goes west from
Bells Ferry Road behind the mall, under both I575 and  I75 and continues all the way over to Barrett Parkway.  the plan is to have the trail go up to Woodstock and link to other Cobb County trails.  check out these handy links:

Noonday Creek Multi-use Trail

Noonday Creek Tail Map

see you on the trail!!!  Dottie

Dottie Spotting: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Hello, Dottie here,

Kennesaw National Battlefield Park

Today Mara and I put on our back packs and we all did one of my favorite walks up the road at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. This is a nice 1.6 mile paved road that goes up 700 feet in elevation to the parking lot at the top of the mountain.  There are always lots of people and pups walking, hiking or running in and around the park.







Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is a 2,923 acre National Battlefield that preserves a Civil War battleground of the Atlanta Campaign. Opposing forces maneuvered and fought here from June 19, 1864 until July 2, 1864. In addition to the road there are more that 20 miles of wooded hiking trails that go all over the park and a visitor center with all sorts of interesting history about the Civil War and battles that took place on and around the mountain. 2014 will be the 150th anniversary of Kennesaw, so be on the look out for special events and activities at the park.

Checking out the views from the top of Kennesaw Mountain

For more information on the park and it's history click this link:
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

If you have activities, people or places of interest you would like Dottie to visit and blog about, let us know.
To read more about Dottie's adventures in and around Kennesaw, GA - visit Dottie's Spot

Noemi's Tamales- great tamales in Kennesaw!

Dottie here to tell you about Noemi's Tamales.

My dad is crazy about tamales, he loves them.  Mom noticed a sign for tamales at the Edge Kitchen 2750 Jiles Road (behind Publix Shopping Center on Cobb Pkwy) in Kennesaw.  She stopped in the other day, met Noemi and Ana and purchased a few different tamales just out of the steamer.  Mom and dad had a tamale tasting and decided that these are delicious!!!  Mom really liked the Brisket Cadillac- Beef Brisket with Queso Fresco, Tomatillo, Cilantro, Jalapeno, Onion, Garlic and Lime Juice. Dad liked the Chicken Rojo. Make sure you add the Tamale sauce.
Noemi explained that all of the ingredients are fresh and the tamales are hand made and authentic.  You can buy frozen or check out and see which flavors are being made each day. Dad likes to steam a few frozen tamales for a quick lunch or dinner.

So-  if you are looking for something yummy, try Noemi's Tamales.  here are links and email address to contact Noemi and more info:

web site:  www.NoemisTamales.com

facebook

phone: 770-265-7440

email: noemistamales@yahoo.com

Read more about Dottie's adventures in and around Kennesaw, GA - visit Dottie's Spot

Dottie has a question about Healthcare.gov

I am a dog and I don't really care about politics,  I just want to  know if I am getting treats and a walk.  But,  I have been seeing a lot on the TV and reading articles about some new web site that has a lot of people really mad.  Some thing called HEALTHCARE.GOV
So,  I got on the internet and did some reading and am sorta confused.
 Healthcare.gov was estimated to cost $394 million to build,  according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report from June 2013. The GAO says the $394 million does not "include CMS salaries and other administrative costs” associated with the Obamacare exchanges. (CNN)
Experts say the major problems with the Obamacare website can't reasonably be solved before the end of 2013, and the best fix would be to start over from scratch.
After assessing the website, Dave Kennedy, the CEO of information-security company Trusted Sec, estimates that about 20% of Healthcare.gov needs to be rewritten. With a whopping 500 million lines of code, according to a recent New York Times report, Kennedy believes fixing the site would probably take six months to a year. (CNN)
The White House has issued a statement that the HHS will recruit the ‘best and brightest’ to fix HealthCare.gov
I have a few questions:
1.  where were the 'best and brightest' when this was planned and developed?
2. how much more is the fixing or rebuilding going to cost  the tax payers?
3. do I have to sign up for this?

what do you think?

Dottie runs Dave's Dash and interview with Allison Giddens

Dottie here to tell everyone that we all can make a difference in the lives of others. 

I wanted to share one such group and what they are doing to raise money to help out kids in the area.  Early Saturday morning a small group of people got together at Swift Cantrell Park in Kennesaw for the 1st Dave's Dash benefiting the Dave Krache Foundation.  After the run I had the opportunity to ask Allison Giddens and few questions about the foundation and share with all of you.  

Merilee, Allison, Donna with Dottie

Dottie:   Who is Dave Krache?

Allison:  Dave Krache was my dad.  He passed away unexpectedly in June 2009, and was one of the most generous people I've ever known.  He was the kind of person who made my sister and I perpetually grateful of what we had, and aware that it was our moral obligation to help others when we could.

 Dottie:   What is the purpose of the Dave Krache foundation, why and when was it started?

Allison:  The purpose of the Foundation is to help kids in need play the sports they love, even when their families aren't in the financial situation to afford to pay rec league 

fees.  A couple of years after Dad’s passing, I was entering my second season volunteering as an assistant softball coach for a local girl’s slow pitch team.  I saw some little girls show up in cleats with holes in them, and gloves that were too small.  This never dampened their spirits to play.  I decided that no one should ever have to tell a kid they can’t play a sport because mom and dad can’t afford it.  So, in the summer of 2012, an adult softball tournament was organized and five teams paid to play in a day-long tournament.  I was able to get 100% of goods and services donated, so 100% of the player application fees went directly to the Foundation.  The latter half of 2012 was dedicated to completing the paperwork to become an official 501(c)3.

Dottie:  Who benefits from the foundation?

Allison:  Kids in metro Atlanta – mainly Cobb and Cherokee counties, with a focus on Kennesaw and Woodstock.

Dottie:   Is it only for people who live in Kennesaw?

Allison:  No, although we have an informal “rule” that says that the money goes from where it came.  We weigh donations each season.  If we find that many donors are from the Kennesaw area, we focus on Kennesaw parks and offer “first dibs” to those kids in need.

Dottie:    How does someone request and receive assistance from the foundation?

Allison:  If someone is in need of financial assistance, they ask a volunteer at the park or league (such as a coach or Board Member) to get in touch with me.  That’s best done via email: Allison@davekrache.com  From there, a short one-page form is completed, basically just verifying that the family does indeed need the help, and to get some basic demographic info for our records (such as the sport the child plays, how long they've played, how old they are).  This information isn't shared by itself.  It’s combined and shared in our public records.  For example, in the Fall 2013, we helped 10 kids play basketball in Cherokee County.

 Dottie:   What other fund raisers have you done and what can we expect to see in the future?

some of the volunteers and runners

Allison:  Apart from softball tournaments, we've had a bowling tournament and a 1 mile/3 mile fun run.  There have been lots of great suggestions: Comedy Club Fundraisers, Golf Tournaments, Poker Tournaments, and Fundraiser Dinners are among the top ideas.  Another softball tournament is most likely in the cards for early Summer 2014, and the Golf Tournament is gaining traction for Spring 2014, as is another Bowling Tournament early in the year. 

 Dottie:    How do people learn more about donating to the foundations or upcoming events?

Allison:  “Georgia Gives Day” is November 13, and to celebrate, we have a “Click and Pledge” link on our website!  Just go to www.davekrache.com, click on “Donate,” and find the “Click and Pledge” link.  You can also mail a check, or use PayPal.  Details are on the website. 

“Like” us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter!  We’re even on Pinterest, and we have a hilarious rendition of the Harlem Shake on YouTube! 

You can also join our mailing list by emailing Allison@davekrache.com and asking to be included.

 Dottie:  Who are the other people in the photo with us?

Allison:  That is a fellow Dave Krache Foundation board member, Merilee Durgan, and my mom and Dave’s wife, Donna Krache.  They are always at events and always work hard to get the Foundation’s mission out there! 

Dottie:   When are you coming to visit again?  I love when you come to visit, you give the best scratchies.

Allison:  You name the date!  You did great at the Fun Run.  That was very good of you not to out-do your mom and dad and stay at their pace.  I know you really wanted a medal, but didn't want to outshine everyone else.  I’ll make it up to you with treats!

Thanks to Allison, Merilee, Donna, Matt and everyone else that gave their time and efforts to make the very first Dave's Dash a success.  Look forward to next year!

Read more about Dottie's adventures in and around Kennesaw, GA - visit Dottie's Spot

Interview with Kennesaw City Councilman Matt Riedemann

 .
Dottie here to share my very first interview with all of you.  
My friend Moose Cakes lives down the street and his dad is Kennesaw City Councilman Matt Riedmann.  I asked Matt if he would take some time from his busy schedule and sit down with me to answer some questions about his views on the city, the work that the council is doing, and his campaign.        

Sitting down with Councilman Matt Riedemann

Dottie: During your time as Chair of the Kennesaw Development Authority what was its most noteworthy accomplishment? 
Matt: I see the greatest accomplishments the Kennesaw Development Authority (“KDA”) was the recruiting of many great businesses into the City of Kennesaw.  We had dozens of ribbon cuttings that signify the opening of new businesses.  This happened alongside listening to the businesses that have been located here in Kennesaw.  We strive hard to not only bring in new businesses, but to retain the businesses that have already located themselves in the City of Kennesaw.  Business growth has been a very strong point.

Dottie: Since joining the City Council earlier this year, what do you see as the opportunities for the city of Kennesaw? 
Matt:  I see many opportunities for the City of Kennesaw, including, the development and redevelopment in downtown Kennesaw.  There are multiple large projects that are on schedule to begin in the coming months.  I believe that it is very important to have the development and the redevelopment of the downtown in a way that is forward thinking, but that reflects the values and architectural considerations that make Kennesaw the great place to live work, play, and pray.

My friend Moose Cakes 

Dottie: Since joining City Council, do you have a single accomplishment you would like to share?  
Matt: Since joining the council I believe that being an independent thinker and having the ability to work with all the council members and understanding where their thoughts and beliefs are stemming from gives me the ability to bring the council together. 
Dottie:  As a member of Council, what do you bring to the table that can make the biggest impact to the City of Kennesaw?
Matt:  I’m not a career politician.  Rather, I’m a regular, hard-working guy who enjoys everything Kennesaw has to offer.  I’ve experienced the same ups and downs as every other person.  I don’t believe I am perfect.  I don’t believe I have stopped growing and learning.  My “front door” is always open because I don’t believe I can serve Kennesaw’s citizens if they can’t talk to me like one of their friends.  Friends may not always agree, but they can at least talk openly.  I’m not afraid to take a stand for what I believe in – but I will always listen and learn from both sides of an issue, because there is always a point I have not yet considered.  I have no agenda, other than to keep Kennesaw great.  
Dottie: What do you think is the best part of living in Kennesaw? 
Matt: Kennesaw has maintained its small-town charm while, at the same time, growing and expanding.  This is possible because our citizens care and get involved.  The people of Kennesaw have pride in this city.   That’s inspiring!   I love it!!  
Dottie:  What is the biggest benefit for business located in Kennesaw?
Matt:  I believe that businesses that are located in the City of Kennesaw have the great benefit of a city that will work with the business to cut through the red tape and get issues resolved quickly.  We have a thriving business community that is growing stronger every day.
Dottie:  I know that you are dog person (have seen Moose out stumping for you), what is your stand on the cat contingency?  
Matt: Cats are people, too, and deserve our respect and love.  Even though they taunt Moose at our front door.  .       
Dottie:  What question have I not asked and not given you the opportunity to answer?  
Matt:  I can’t think of any.  Although, I have a question for you… do you think I have enough signs out there?  I worry that people won’t get fired up about this election because it’s off-season.  I feel like I need a few more signs to remind people that it’s coming up…?
Dottie: You can never have too many signs.
Thanks Matt for being such a great sport and also for the play date with Moose.

Remember-  elections are Tuesday November 5th
 make sure you get out and vote!!!!!

 

Silver Comet Walkies

 Dottie's Spot   October 13, 2013

Hey everyone!  Blue, Mara and I went on a 5 mile walk with mom this morning on the Silver Comet Trail.  Now we know were mom and dad have been going, they have been sneaking off to the trail without us! Dad has been training to run the Silver Comet Half Marathon on Oct 26 and mom goes for long bike rides. Today she took us for a great walk while dad did his run.  It was a beautiful morning and we saw lots for runners and bikers out having fun.

Have you every been to the Silver Comet Trail?  It is a 61.5 mile Rail Trail that begins in Smyrna and runs through Cobb, Paulding, and Polk counties and then continues another 33 miles in Alabama as the Chief Ladiga trail.
For more information and trails maps for the Silver Comet trail click the link below:
Silver Comet trail


For more information about the Silver Comet 10K, Half and Full Marathons click the link below:
Silver Comet Races

There are so many great places to go and things to do around Kennesaw and I love being able to tell everyone about them.

Hope to see you soon!