After the Storm, Again

1. Here's hoping you slept through the thunderstorms that swept through East Cobb around 3 a.m. They didn't last long, so we're hoping no one experienced anything worse than a brief power outage (Marietta Power reports no outages in our area as of 5 a.m.). The National Weather Service says we could see some more rain and scattered storms the rest of today and tonight, but the worst should be behind us. Look for a high of 78 degrees and an overnight low of 61.

2. The Pope High School band is holding its annual musical/theatrical extravaganza, , tonight and Friday night at 7 at the . Catch everything from Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" to Lady GaGa's "Poker Face." Tickets are $5. It should be a blast.

3. Making plans to take advantage of the expected beautiful weather this Easter weekend? We can help this afternoon with House Hunt, a preview of open houses, and Patch Picks, when we'll look at Easter options. If you have any suggestions for the best ways to mark the holiday, send them to wendy.parker@patch.com, post them as comments at the end of this article, or post them on our Facebook page. By the way, we're nearing 200 Likes on Facebook; won't you help us get there and beyond?

4. Since the county Board of Commissioners last week, we've had a lot of comments about the effects on public safety and relief that East Cobb's libraries aren't closing. We've also heard concerns about the closings of two facilities for seniors, the in Smyrna and the adult day care center in Marietta. The Marietta Daily Journal has a good story about the impact of those closings. Two additional points: The projected budget shortfall at the time the commissioners acted April 12 was slightly more than $27 million, not $31 million (the decline in the tax digest isn't as severe as previously feared); and East Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott said the was in the works because of its age and underuse before finances ever came into play.

5. Did you realize this is TV Turn-off Week? If you can tear yourself away from the 80-inch flat screen in your living room, swing by the East Cobb Library in the Parkaire Landing shopping center at Lower Roswell and Johnson Ferry roads between 5:30 and 7:30 this evening to play family board games in the Teen Zone and program room. Bring your own favorites or try out the options set out by the library staff.