Mason Jars Stability of Baby-Naming List

It's a Kardashian world, and there's not as much room for Michael in it.

The latest sign that 2012 will bring the end of the world, regardless of debunked Mayan predictions: Michael is no longer one of the five most popular baby names for boys in the United States. The Social Security Administration released the 2011 list of top baby names this week, and for the first time since 1948, Michael is crawling behind at least five other names. It's a list announced, ironically enough, by the Social Security commissioner, Michael Astrue. Relative obscurity for Michael has happened before. The name was ranked in the 40s and 50s through the first third of the 20th century before rising as a sign of hope in the later stages of the Great Depression. Michael first hit the top 10 in 1943, made the top five in 1949 and …

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Acworth Moms

Acworth Mom: A Mother's Influence

We are influenced by words and actions; and woven together with memories.

I have been blessed to have strong female role models in my life. They have all influenced the mother that I have become especially my own mother. As different as I am from them, I realize the strengths I have discovered in myself over the years has come from their influence. My mother is one of the strongest women I have ever known. My parents divorced when I was very young and she became a single parent raising a little girl on her own. From her, I have learned to be independent. It’s okay to be alone sometimes and to go your own way. She loves family and made sure that I knew who my family was—on both sides. She has worked as a grocery store cashier, a hair stylist, an elementary school teacher’s aide to name a few and now owns a floral…

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Harrison Parents 'Left Holding the Bag'

Mike Sansone says that for the Hoyas, the need for a 9th grade center isn't a matter of feeling entitled.

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Mike Sansone of Kennesaw. To voice your opinions on the issues, e-mail our editor at acworth@patch.com, or become a blogger on Patch. Cobb County School Board member Alison Bartlett held a town hall at Harrison High School this past Saturday night. In an attempt to defend her opposition to the 9th Grade Center as well as voter approved SPLOST 3 projects, Mrs. Bartlett made herself available to the Harrison High School “Hoyas.” Principal Griggers moderated, and as usual for all Mrs. Bartlett Town Halls, questions were submitted on note cards, and verbal questions were not permitted. Principal Griggers received the questions, and asked them aloud for Mrs. Bartlett to answer. At the very …

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Acworth Moms

Every Day Should Be Mother's Day

What have you learned from your mom?

Everyday should be Mother’s Day, not because of the extraordinary but because of the mundane and the resulting spin that keeps insanity at bay. Have you been or recently seen a “mother on the edge”? They are all around you, potty-training two-year olds and driving gaggles of teenagers home from after-school activities. They are lurking just outside the preschool classroom, nervous wrecks as their children leave them for the first time. They are celebrating at the bus stop the first day the kids go back to school after Spring Break. They are eagerly plotting a trip to the college recruiter one minute and boo-hooing at graduation the next. They are illogical and emotionally unstable; therefore in everyone’s best interest we choose to …

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Acworth Moms

Acworth Mom: Choose To Be Positive

Is the glass half full or half empty?

“We become what we think about all day long."—Ralph Waldo Emerson So what “sets up camp” in your mind every day? Is it something good or something not so good? We all experience negative thoughts daily. But how do you turn that frown upside down? In 1952 a book was published titled “The Power of Positive Thinking”. According to PsychologyToday, the author of the book said “the secret is to fill your mind with thoughts of faith, confidence and security. This will force out or expel all thoughts of doubt, all lack of confidence.” I think this equates as well to the negative people around us. We need to ditch those negative thoughts and negative people in our lives. According to the Mayo Clinic, positive thinking can result in “increased life…

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Speak Out: Are Kids Getting Priced Out of Little Leagues?

Welcome to the era of the $250 baseball bat.

Have you bought a baseball glove for your Little Leaguer lately? Did you pay more than $100 for it? How about a $250 bat? A New York Times story headlined "Big Price Tags Attached to Even the Littlest Leagues" looks at the big business of equipping youngsters for participation in youth baseball and softball leagues, quoting those costs and more. "A batting helmet protects tiny heads for $39.99," the Times reports. "A pair of Nike Jordan Black Cat cleats will make your child fast and fashionable at $51.99 until he or she outgrows them."

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Speak Out: What Should Cobb Do to Balance School Budget?

Do you think cutting 350 teacher positions is a good solution to Cobb's school budget deficit?

Cutting the teaching staff in the Cobb County School District by 350 positions is part of Chief Financial Officer Mike Addison’s plan to close a $62.4 million deficit in the budget for next school year. The preliminary budget he presented earlier this month also calls for five furlough days, a 175-day school year, a half-year delay in the step increases in teacher salaries, bigger classes and reductions in the hours of paraprofessionals working in school libraries.  Even with the cuts, the budget uses $21.5 million from the school system’s nearly $100 million fund balance to close the deficit. Cobb Superintendent Michael Hinojosa would rather dip deeper into reserves than resort to layoffs if attrition doesn’t meet the District's plan to …

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Speak Out: Are We in 'Fat Denial'?

Do you have an accurate estimate of your body size? How do you make sure you have a healthy self image?

We often hear criticism of media portraying super slim people as the healthy and attractive ones. We might also hear compliments such as "you look fantastic" when it's contradictory to how you really feel about the body image reflected in the mirror. Do you ever wonder if you have an accurate estimate of your body size? According to The New York Times health columnist Tara Parker-Pope, most Americans are in denial of their weight while the population gets fatter and fatter. Parker-Pope says recent studies in different parts of the world including the U.S., Canada, Mexico and European nations have shown consistent results that many people are in "fat denial" and have inaccurate self image. She suggests that "personal embarrassment" and …

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Angela Chao

9:41 am on Thursday, April 19, 2012

Self-esteem is important for the well-being of both children and adults, it's true that we shouldn't look at unhealthy kind of "skinny" body types as attractive. But have we gone too far with our self-esteem boost to the point that we think overweight and obesity are okay?   more ›

Speak Out: Sky-High Gas Prices vs. Your Commute

It takes Acworth residents an average 34 minutes to get to work, which can add up to gallons and gallons of gas at the pump each week.

As gasoline price stays high and approaches $4 per gallon, some commuters may consider alternative ways to get to work. According to data released by the U.S. Census, it takes Acworth residents an average 34 minutes to get to work. In Cobb County, it's not much better—29.7 minutes. And for many people, this commuting time adds up to gallons and gallons of gas at the pump each week. Although the national average price fell by 1.7 cents to $3.92 per gallon since last week, it's still 7.8 cents higher than a year before, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Huffington Post reports that President Barack Obama wants Congress to give oil-market regulators more power to keep speculators from manipulating oil prices, which can lead to higher …

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