Any Good Samaritans in West Cobb?

Have you experienced or heard of the contribution of what some have referred to as “Secret Santas” or “layaway angels”? Share your stories with Patch.

A store in Providence, R.I., recently saw an anonymous individual pay off the layaway balances of eight strangers. During a week earlier this month in D'Iberville, Miss., 35 layaway bills were paid off at a Walmart. We’re wondering if there have been any such stories in West Cobb. Have you experienced or heard of the contribution of what some have referred to as “Secret Santas” or “layaway angels”—those who pay off the layaway balance belonging to someone they don’t know? Has a Good Samaritan helped you in some other way this holiday season? Share your stories in the comments or email them to Editor Jon Gargis at jon.gargis@patch.com and we may follow up with you in the coming days.

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Prevent Your Home from Being Burglarized This Holiday Season

Here are 11 tips from Allstate, all aimed at reducing the chances of your home being burglarized during the holidays. Allstate Provides Home Burglary Prevention Tips for the Holidays

Local Service Members Wish Their Families Happy Holidays [VIDEO]

See the messages these men and women overseas had for their families and friends back home in Powder Springs, Austell, Douglasville and other nearby cities.

On occasion, we here at West Cobb Patch venture onto YouTube to find videos of local relevance. A recent video that caught our eye was one uploaded by DouglasvilleCITITV on Monday. The clip shows several service men and women wishing their families happy holidays. As of early Wednesday, the video (which is attached to this article) had nine views. The service members—filmed while abroad in Afghanistan, Germany, South Korea, Spain and other locations—had holiday messages for family and friends in Powder Springs, Austell, Douglasville and several other nearby cities. We’ll try to keep an eye on YouTube for videos filmed by or starring locals. If you see any interesting ones we’ve missed, send us an email at jon.gargis@patch.com.

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USPS Offers Multiple Options for Holiday Packages

Choose mailing products, services and delivery times at various price points.

Patch 101

How Can Nonprofits Use Patch?

In our latest edition of “Patch 101,” we share how nonprofit officials and volunteers can post events, photos and calls for action to be seen by West Cobb Patch readers.

It’s December, which means many nonprofits are in the midst of community projects such as toy drives or feed the hungry events, while others are soliciting donations before the end of the 2012 tax year. If you represent or volunteer with a Cobb-based nonprofit or one that serves the West Cobb area, you have many ways with which you can utilize West Cobb Patch to get the word out: 1. Start a blog about your nonprofit or its campaign(s). Maybe you’re with a lesser-known nonprofit in the area, or perhaps you perform a service or hold an event that few people are aware of. Or maybe you want the public to know why they should donate to your cause before the end of the year. One way to educate the public is by posting a blog. Clicking this link …

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Santa Will Reply to Letters from Children

Thanks to a very special U.S. Postal Service program, "Santa" will reply to children who mail him their Christmas wish lists this holiday season.

The Weekender: Cities to Light Christmas Trees, Welcome Santa

Across Cobb and Paulding, communities will officially ring in the holiday season this weekend.

Christmas at NorthStar Church Arts & Craft Show When: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday Where: NorthStar Church, 3413 Blue Springs Road NW, Kennesaw | Get directions Why Go: There will be more than 75 arts and crafts exhibitors from all over the Southeast. Price: Free admission and parking. Seventh Annual City of Hiram Christmas Tree Lighting When: 6 p.m. Friday Where: City of Hiram, 342 Oak St., Hiram | Get directions  Why Go: Santa Claus will be there. Additionally, there will be live music, train rides for kids as well as horse and carriage rides. The lighting of the Christmas tree will take place at 8 p.m. Price: Free The Nutcracker When: 7 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday; and 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. …

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Christmas Comes to West Cobb This Weekend

We’ve compiled a list of holiday happenings going on in West Cobb this weekend. Find out how to submit any events we’ve missed to West Cobb Patch’s calendar.

West Cobb residents looking to get into the holiday spirit have several events to choose from this weekend. The three listings below from West Cobb Patch’s events calendar caught our eye. Clicking a link below will take you to an event page where you can find more details. Saturday, 10 a.m. 8th Annual Candy Cane Hunt in Mableton Saturday, 5 p.m. Powder Springs Christmas Tree Lighting Sunday, 2 p.m. Christmas House Arts and Crafts Show in Mableton If we’ve missed a great holiday event this weekend, and you don’t see it in our events calendar, not to worry—it only takes a minute or two to post to our calendar. You can visit the events calendar page and click the “Add an Event” button on the right side of the page, or you can head directly to…

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Speak Out: What Will You Spend on Holiday Gifts?

Do you plan to spend more on holiday gifts this year? If you’re the average shopper, one survey says you probably will.

If you’re the average shopper, chances are you may be spending a bit more on gifts this season than in years past. Earlier this month, American Research Group reported that its phone survey earlier this month showed that Americans plan to spend an average of $854 on gifts this holiday season, up nearly a third of last year’s average of $646. That’s also the highest average since ARG’s 2007 survey, when survey respondents’ average was $859—that amount fell by about half in 2008. Here are the average amounts of planned spending survey takers have reported since 2002. Year Average Spending Percent Change   2012 $854 + 32% 2011 $646 - 2% 2010 $658 + 58% 2009 $417 - 3% 2008 $431 - 50% 2007 $859 - 5% 2006 $907 - 4% 2005 $942 - 6% 2004 $1,004 + 3…

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