Kennesaw, Georgia
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| Kennesaw | |
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| — City — | |
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| Coordinates: 34°1′24″N 84°36′55″W / 34.02333°N 84.61528°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Cobb |
| Incorporated | September 21, 1887 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Mark Mathews (R) |
| Area | |
| - Total | 8.5 sq mi (22.0 km2) |
| - Land | 8.4 sq mi (21.9 km2) |
| - Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,089 ft (332 m) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - Total | 30,522 |
| - Density | 2,568.3/sq mi (991.6/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 30144/30152 |
| Area code(s) | 678/770 |
| FIPS code | 13-43192[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0316387[2] |
| Website | http://www.kennesaw-ga.gov |
Kennesaw is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 21,675 at the 2000 census. Census estimates 2007 indicate a population of 31,613. The original name for the town was Big Shanty. It is now considered a suburb of Atlanta.
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[edit] History
During the American Civil War, Big Shanty was the site of major fighting in the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, part of the larger Atlanta Campaign. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park [1] now contains many of these historic areas, though much of this land has been developed, and some buried artifacts taken by people with metal detectors. Kennesaw Mountain (as well as conjoined Little Kennesaw Mountain) is included in the park, and its summit is the highest point in the Atlanta metro area, at an elevation of 1808 feet or 551 meters above sea level. The city was renamed for the mountain.
The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History [2] is located downtown, next to the Western & Atlantic railroad tracks on Cherokee Street, just off of Main Street (old U.S. 41 and Georgia 3). The museum is the current preservation and display location for The General, the locomotive that played the key role in the Great Locomotive Chase (the Texas which chased it is at the Atlanta Cyclorama). Kennesaw is home to the only Iditarod finisher from the State of Georgia, William Reed Borden and three time world champion cyclclist Mike Coles. The area around Kennesaw is also a major retail hub with a major regional mall, Town Center at Cobb, numerous restaurants and most major chain stores located along Barrett Parkway southeast of the city.
[edit] Recognitions
[edit] Preserve America Community
In March 2004, Kennesaw was designated a Preserve America Community [3] by First Lady Laura Bush. The Preserve America program is a White House effort to encourage and support community efforts for the historic preservation and enjoyment of America’s priceless cultural and natural heritage.
This program recognizes and designates communities that protect and celebrate their heritage, use their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization, and encourage people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education and heritage tourism programs.
[edit] "10 best towns for families"
The city of Kennesaw was selected by Family Circle magazine as one of the nation's "10 best towns for families". The article appears in the magazine's August 2007 edition. The publication announced the results of its search to identify the best communities across the country that combine big-city opportunities with suburban charm, a blend of affordable housing, good jobs, top-rated public schools (part of the Cobb County School District), wide-open spaces, and a lot less stress.
Family Circle partnered with On Board, a New York city research firm providing real estate and demographic data to assemble a list of 1,850 towns with populations between 15,000 and 150,000 and a large concentration of households with an average income of $65,000. From that number, 800 localities were selected based on family-friendly criteria, including cost of living, jobs, schools, health care, air quality, green space and crime rate. Family Circle assessed which towns best met those standards and ranked them according to state. The winners were selected from the highest-rated towns in the top 10 nationwide.
[edit] Kennesaw doles out $1.8M for racial suit
Settlement details regarding a racial discrimination lawsuit filed against the city of Kennesaw and a number of its officials have emerged following an open records request from the Journal.
The Journal earlier this month reported that the March-filed lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia - in which two current and one former employees in the city's Public Works Department alleged racial discrimination amid a hostile work environment -had been settled. However, details, including the $1.8 million that was paid to the plaintiffs and their attorneys, were not revealed.
According to the confidential settlement agreement, Willie Smith, who has worked for the city since 1995, was awarded $414,375, as was Stanley Mitchell, who has been with the city for 22 years. Gary Redd, who quit the department in August 2008 after two years, received $234,375. The law firm that represented the men, Atlanta-based Buckley & Klein, was paid $736,875. Signing the settlement was attorney Edward Buckley.
"The matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of all involved, including my clients," Buckley said.
It was determined by the Journal following a second open records request that the city's insurance company paid $1 million of the total payment to plaintiffs and their attorney, while the city paid the remaining $800,000.
The settlement dismisses all charges filed by plaintiffs to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and states that plaintiffs cannot "attempt to re-initiate the claims set forth in the civil action."
Also, the settlement -which was signed by all parties in mid July and approved by the City Council on July 20-states there is no wrongdoing on behalf of defendants.
According to the lawsuit, Smith and Mitchell, who are black, claimed they had been called "niggers" by employees and had heard racially charged jokes by city employees. The suit claimed city management had done nothing to stop the racial slurs. The suit also claimed that a hangman's noose hung in one employee's truck in 1996, and a white only sign was put on the bathroom door in 2001.
Both men remain employees of the city, and their attorney said, "The environment has improved dramatically."
"I have to give credit to the attorneys for the city of Kennesaw for the work they did to turn things around up there," Buckley said.
As for Redd, who is from Korea, the lawsuit stated he faced repeated racial harassment during his two years working for the city. The lawsuit stated his co-workers had called him a "wetback" several times in front of supervisors.
Besides filing the suit against the city, the plaintiffs also named Mayor Mark Mathews, City Councilman John Dowdy, City Manager Steve Kennedy, Human Resources Director Leean Keanum, Public Works Director Woody McFarlin, Public Works Assistant Director Lonnie Cowart, Sanitation Superintendent Tim Letner and Street Department Superintendent Allen Ames as defendants.
Mayor Mark Mathews did not return calls for comment by press time. However, shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the mayor said he was disappointed by the allegations and stated, "Kennesaw will not tolerate any harassment, discrimination or retaliation toward any employee."
Five city employees were let go after the city investigated the allegations. Former councilman John Dowdy resigned from his seat after the lawsuit was filed. In June, Cris Eaton-Walsh won a special election for Dowdy's seat.
[edit] Facilites
[edit] Kennesaw City Hall
Kennesaw's city hall (34°01′24″N 84°37′00″W / 34.0233°N 84.6167°W) is located downtown, just off Main Street (old U.S. 41 and Georgia 3, later Georgia 293). It houses the offices of mayor and city council on the middle (entry) level, the city jail in the basement, and the small 9-1-1 call center and other offices on the upper level. It is the public-safety answering point not only for the city of Kennesaw, but for the neighboring city of Acworth as well, and dispatches the separate police departments of both cities. Calls for fire services are relayed to and dispatched from Cobb's 911 center[4], and serviced by the Cobb County Fire Department, as neither city has its own fire department.
[edit] Wireless Internet in city parks
In 2008, the city of Kennesaw awarded a bid to Digitel for the implementation of city wireless Internet. In March 2008, the city of Kennesaw announced the grand opening of four new wireless areas: Swift-Cantrell and Adams Parks, and the train depot area across from the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. In addition, the City has provided WiFi in the Ben Robertson Community Center. [5]
[edit] Gun law
On May 1, 1982 the city passed an ordinance [Sec 34-1a] requiring every head of household to maintain a firearm together with ammunition. It was passed partly in response to a 1981 handgun ban in Morton Grove, Illinois. Kennesaw's law was amended in 1983 to exempt those who conscientiously object to owning a firearm, convicted felons, those who cannot afford a firearm, and those with a mental or physical disability that would prevent them from owning a firearm. It mentions no penalty for its violation. According to the Kennesaw Historical Society, no one has ever been charged under the ordinance, but it has still had the effect of reducing crime by at least 50%.
[edit] Geography
Kennesaw is located at 34°1′31″N 84°36′57″W / 34.02528°N 84.61583°W (34.025183, -84.615875)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22.0 km²), of which, 8.4 square miles (21.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.82%) is water.
[edit] Local attractions
- Moon's Station
- The Great Greased Pig Chase
- Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 1,507 |
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| 1970 | 3,548 | 135.4% | |
| 1980 | 5,095 | 43.6% | |
| 1990 | 8,936 | 75.4% | |
| 2000 | 21,675 | 142.6% | |
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 21,675 people, 8,099 households, and 5,782 families residing in the city. There were 8,670 housing units at an average density of 1,027.3/sq mi (396.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.97% White, 1.90% Black, 5.22% Native American, 2.91% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.54% from other races, and 2.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.20% of the population.
There were 8,099 households out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 42.1% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
[edit] Personal Income
The median income for a household in the city was $60,404 and the median income for a family was $67,778. Males had a median income of $45,253 versus $33,660 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,757. About 3.1% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
Kennesaw Elementary School and Big Shanty Intermediate School are two elementary schools in Kennesaw.
Kennesaw State University [6] is located just east of the city limits, and uses the silhouette of the two mountains as its logo.
There are two high schools located in Kennesaw. One is Harrison High School with the Hoya as its mascot, and the other is Kennesaw Mountain High School with the Mustang as its mascot.
Mount Paran Christian School is a pre k-12 school located on Stanley Road.
The First Baptist Church of Kennesaw also maintains First Baptist Christian School of Kennesaw, a Christian elementary school. St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church has a K-8 elementary school.
[edit] Notable residents
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- Kennesaw Historical Society
- Text of the Morton Grove handgun ban, from the Morton Grove Public Library's website (Section 6-2 of the Village Code of Morton Grove Illinois 1984)
[edit] External links
- City of Kennesaw official web site
- Kennesaw State University
- Municipal Code, Kennesaw, GA
- Kennesaw, Georgia is at coordinates 34°01′31″N 84°36′57″W / 34.025183°N 84.615875°WCoordinates: 34°01′31″N 84°36′57″W / 34.025183°N 84.615875°W
- Marietta Daily Journal
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