Backyard Birds Booted; Road Meeting

1. The high today in Northeast Cobb will be about 81 degrees, the National Weather Service says, and a cold front moving through could produce some rain this morning. We’ll see an increasing breeze through the day with gusts up to 20 mph. The overnight low will be in the upper 50s.

2. One of the hottest topics on Northeast Cobb Patch lately has been the story of the Pond family’s in the back yard of a Northeast Cobb home. The Ponds requested a zoning variance from a 1972 ordinance banning livestock on lots smaller than 2 acres. The Board of Zoning Appeals voted 5-0 against that variance Wednesday and gave the family 45 days to get rid of the poultry, the Marietta Daily Journal reports. The Ponds could appeal to Superior Court.

3. Northeast Cobb Patch told you about the National Merit semifinalists from the local high schools Wednesday. That announcement about the Class of 2012 was timely because tonight from 6 to 9 the PROBE College Fair visits the Town Center at Cobb, off Barrett Parkway between Interstates 75 and 575 in Kennesaw. High-schoolers can talk with representatives of more than 100 colleges and universities at the free event.

4. The is holding an information session on the Canton Road Corridor landscaping project today from 5 to 7 p.m. at , 3455 Canton Rd. The project runs from Hamby Road to just north of Blackwell Road. There will not be a formal presentation at the meeting. Instead, residents can view the plans and offer comments.

5. If you’re at least as concerned about landscaping around your home as around Canton Road, Northeast Cobb Patch has a new section for you. You may have noticed the new House & Home tab at the top of our home page. Today, we officially launch Patch’s House & Home as a place to find articles, photos and videos to help you make the most of the home you have or find a new home. Just click on the tab, or click on this link and bookmark it. You should find something new almost every day.