4th Annual "Windward for A Cure" Gearing Up!

A Special Note from our Friends to The East! Special thanks to Steve
Beechum of Hometown Mortgage for bringing this to our attention!

- Anderson Lee; Accessmilton.com

The Windward Community in conjunction with the American Cancer Society will be hosting a spectacular event with a history of generous support from our North Fulton community. The 4th Annual “Windward for a Cure: A Taste and A Toast”, will be held on Friday, April 13th at The Metropolitan Club. Join your friends for a fabulous evening complete with wine tasting, silent and live auctions and samplings from Alpharetta’s most fabulous restaurants. Last year, with community participation, this event raised $50,000 for the American Cancer Society.You can participate in this event by:

the Windward For A Cure: A Taste and A Toast!
Making a donation to the American Cancer Society (link to local chapter of ACS)
Donating an item for our silent or live auction
Purchasing a luminary to be lit the night of the event in honor of cancer survivors and those that have lost their battle with the disease.

The Metropolitan Club is located on Windward Parkway in Alpharetta, GA just East of 400.

EVENT HISTORY

A group of Windward tennis ladies began this event as a tennis tournament 7 years ago in memory of Kathleen Dyer, an avid Windward tennis player that lost her life to brain cancer within 3 weeks of being diagnosed. Three years ago we expanded the tennis tournament to include the whole Windward community by adding a silent auction/wine tasting at the Golf Club of Georgia. With a sellout audience last year this year we’ve changed locations to the Metropolitan Club so we can expand our event. Because of the participation of the Windward community and local businesses, we were able to raise $90,000 over the last two years for the Alpharetta branch of the American Cancer Society. We are excited about having the support of the whole community to get behind a cause that has affected each and every one of us.

Want to attend a really cool event? Windward for a Cure is holding it's fourth annual "A Taste & A Toast." At the door you will receive a special collectible wine glass to let tasting begin. There will be fabulous silent and live auction items. It is a night you won't want to miss! So bring your friends for some fun music and great food. The party starts a 7pm at the The Metropolitan Club. Help raise money for the American Cancer Society. See you there! Tickets can be purchased on line at Windwardforacure.org. For more information contact Mindy Jones at 770-475-8969.

Truck Hijacked From Alpharetta Macy's

MIKE MORRISThe Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionPublished on: 03/28/07

Two armed men hijacked a tractor-trailer loaded with Macy's merchandise and duct-taped the trucker to the outside of another trailer on Wednesday morning, police said.
Atlanta police found the abandoned tractor in a parking lot near Jonesboro and Constitution roads in southeast Atlanta a few hours later, but the trailer was not with it.
The hijackers struck as the driver pulled into the Macy's loading dock at North Point Mall about 2:30 a.m. to swap a trailer of merchandise for an empty trailer, Alpharetta police spokesman Wes McCall said.

They beat the driver, then duct-taped him to the other trailer. He freed himself and broke into the Macy's to call 911, McCall said. The driver was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The white 48-foot trailer has Keystone Freight written on its side. The unit number on the rear bumper of the trailer is 214058, and the trailer has a Georgia license tag, number LE91596.

Former Milton Candidate Makes Good On Campaign Promise

By Temura Bly; Accessmilton.com

When long time resident Tim Enloe decided to run for a Milton, Georgia Councilman position this past July,he had a pretty good idea about how he was going to go about things. "I wanted to be different,"Mr. Enloe was quoted as saying,"and part of that approach was to run on my own dollar instead of asking for others to pay the way." With exception of a few folks who insisted, Enloe did exactly that. He knew the budget that he could spend. After that, he relied on word of mouth and phone calls. This unique approach worked well enough to land him in a run-off position with another candidate. "The other guy won," Tim says with a brief shake of the head and a smile. "Some say he out spent me, others say it was successful mudslinging. Either way, he has the seat. The people spoke and I respect that."

During the campaign, Tim channeled the few campaign contributions into a charitable fund at
Iron Stone Bank in Alpharetta to help the the future Milton Fire & Police. "When Tim lost, the company (Magnolia Media, LLC) decided to keep the account active and it is now part of our business model," stated Co-Founder and CMO Scott Thompson. (Please see http://www.accessmilton.com/Articles/CharitableFund.php)

While Mr. Enloe said he is unsure if he will run again, he has been very busy. He has focused his energies on various MVP groups; including MAC (Milton Art Committee), Milton History Committee, Milton Road Adoption, and a recent charitable organization set up to help provide equipment for the Fire & Police Stations that the city will be inheriting come May. "Anyone who knows me knows I am a big advocate of our Fire & Poice Departments; especially our North Fulton Veterans. To be able to help, even in a small way, is worth it to me," he said. "We had planned on letting my campaign contributions mix with whatever the company donated in January of '08. In seeing what all is needed before May, Scott and I spoke and we decided to use the monies generated from the campaign now." The result was the recent purchase of three DVD / VCR units.

"Thanks to this extremely generous donation, each of our three Milton Fire Stations will have a new VCR/DVD combo to use for training as well as recreational purposes. The City of Milton Public Safety Department, which includes both Fire and Police, will be most appreciative of this demonstration of support from the community, " stated organizer Jan Fowler. "When we went to the polls last November, one of the primary reasons the City of Milton referendum passed was a desire for more localized government and community involvement with that government. Projects such as this are proving that our citizens are willing to get involved with our city and support it in a variety of ways. "

The need for the DVD / VCR combinations is due to the fact that quite a bit of training material is still in the older VHS format.

Have an opinion? Post your thoughts on this story in our Milton Current Events Forum /

http://www.accessmilton.com/Forums.php today!

Council Begins Review of Proposed 5 year Improvement Projects

Plan identifies projects, costs and funding sources, helps decision-making.

Milton City Council members got their first look at the proposed five-year Capital Improvement Plan for the city that would begin in the 2008 fiscal year.

The CIP identifies projects, their costs, how the projects are to be funded and the year they would be funded. Carol Wolfe, Milton’s director of operations, said a capital project is defined as one with a useful life exceeding three years with an estimated cost in excess of $50,000. It also can be an improvement or addition to an existing capital asset such as a building.

Council updates and prioritizes the plan annually during the budget process, and it ultimately results in defining the annual capital budget appropriations, Wolfe said.

The CIP is a formal mechanism for decision-making that also provides an operational link to the city’s long-range plans, Wolfe notes. It also serves as a financial management tool as well as a communication and reporting mechanism.

“The Capital Improvement Plan focuses attention on the community’s goals and needs,” Wolfe said. “It helps build public awareness and consensus for projects and improves inter-governmental cooperation and communication. Perhaps most important of all, it ensures the city’s financial stability by allowing us to anticipate the financial resources we need to accomplish these projects.”

Now that council members have seen the number and scope of the suggested projects, staff will continue to refine projects’ scope, costs and operating impact. The next discussion on the CIP will take place at the May 10 council workshop.

The City of Milton, incorporated on Dec. 1, 2006, is a community of some 20,000 residents in northwest Fulton County. With its numerous horse farms, family-friendly neighborhoods and limited commercial development spread out over 23,000 acres, Milton offers a rural, small-town atmosphere that still affords easy access to the big-city amenities of nearby Atlanta.

Land Battle ends for Roswell, Milton

Two cities split properties, but deal's like a 'mess'

By PAUL KAPLAN, DOUG NURSE The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 03/18/07

If you live between Roswell and the city of Milton in northwest Fulton County, you can come out of the house now. The war is over.The two cities have settled their differences and divvied up a three-mile stretch of unincorporated land that sits between them.

Coupled with last year's approval of the new cities of Milton and Johns Creek, the annexation deal between Roswell and Milton for the land south of Arnold Mill Road means the incorporation of north Fulton County is complete.The wheeling and dealing between the two cities ended with boundary lines that will make map makers dizzy.

"The border looks like a total mess over there, but that doesn't bother me," said Rep. Jan Jones (R-Alpharetta), who helped broker the deal. "The border between Roswell and Alpharetta looks like a mess, too, and nobody cleaned that up to make it look nice."The "mess" is the result of the two cities trying to grab the same land for their tax rolls. The process got so frantic late last year that Roswell and Milton both annexed several of the same properties, under differing annexation formulas.

The result was a stalemate, threats of legal action, and some bruised feelings.
In the end, however, they worked out a compromise — and split two of the most coveted properties.Roswell gets Ted Turner's 114-acre spread, a densely wooded tract tucked along a quiet back road.

Milton gets Union Primitive Baptist Church, a little red brick prayer hall built in the 1820s.
The small church property is significant because it connects Milton to several large tracts whose owners wanted to join Milton but couldn't have if the church had gone to Roswell.
A city only can annex land that's contiguous to it, and the church gave Milton contiguity to the larger tracts southwest of the church.

"We got most of what we wanted," Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood said. "We gave a little and they gave a little and we cut a deal."

Milton, Georgia: Start your Bloggin'!

By Temura Bly;

Magnolia Media, LLC

Accessmilton.com, the #1 website for all things Milton, Georgia, announced recently that they will be activating an open community forum with interactive blogs covering all aspects of city life; from zoning issues to crime. “The creation of this forum is part of a natural progression regarding Accessmilton.com and its community driven focus, “commented CMO Scott Thompson. “Citizens need to be heard and these blogs will give them that outlet.” The company plans on covering a large list of topics including but not limited to: zoning issues, speed control, fire & police, and schools. CEO Ginger Enloe stressed that new blogs of topic will be added on a regular basis, “Many folks in Milton are passionate and hold certain topics close to their heart. Provided the topic request is within reason, we have no problems in starting a new thread of discussion.” ‘Bloggers’, as those who comment are referred, will not be required to register. However, for those who look to take advantage of this freedom, Mr. Thompson has one word of advice, “If you think we can’t block a violator from abusing these privileges, think again.” The company looks to have this new section activated by Monday, March 19th.

Parent company Magnolia Media, LLC was founded in the fall of 2005. The company combines over eleven years of SEO and e-commerce experience. Magnolia Media partnered with web design company Ray of Light Media, LLC in early 2007 to enhance their already effective approach in creating helpful community websites at an affordable rate.

Access Milton Online Store Now Open!

Milton, Georgia Horse Tag: $14.99

For Immediate Release.


The Accessmilton.com Online Store opened officially on Monday, March 12th, 2007. The first item available for purchase is a "Milton, Georgia" license tag showcasing the website's horse logo created by Co-Founder Tim Enloe in 2005. "This is an exciting time for our company," he said. "We have many wonderful products yet to come that will showcase Milton's fantastic community pride. The best thing about it is that 10% of our company's profits go to local Fire and Police Departments (please see http://www.accessmilton.com/Articles/CharitableFund.php for more information.) Thus, not only can you share your pride about Milton, Georgia, you can also say 'thank you!' to those that keep us safe."

To be one of the first to own a Milton, Georgia License Tag for only $14.99 plus tax, you can contact the company directly at magnoliamedia@yahoo.com /subject line "Milton Horse Tag" or check out the online store at: http://www.accessmilton.com/Onlinestore.php

Time to Change your Clocks & Smoke Alarm Batteries

A home fire impacts the life of an American family every 85 seconds. By providing an early warning and critical extra seconds to escape, smoke alarms cut your family’s risk of dying in a home fire in half – but only if they work.

This Sunday, March 11, is the start of Daylight Saving Time – a change created by a 2005 federal law dictating that DST now begin three weeks earlier than before and extend a week later to the second Sunday in November. And when you change your clocks, the Milton Public Safety Department urges you to also make a lifesaving change in your household – change the batteries in your smoke alarms.

This simple habit takes just a moment, but is the best defense your family has against the devastating effects of a home fire.

In Milton, Traditional Gun Use Clashes with Suburban Life

By DOUG NURSEThe Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionPublished on: 03/07/07

Vince Pisano was jolted awake in November by a gunshot blast that sounded like it was just outside the window of his upscale suburban Milton home."I couldn't believe someone would be shooting near my home," Pisano said. "It was someone bird hunting. There's a lake 600 feet from my home. There's a deer stand 50 feet from my property line. I was shocked to learn it's legal. It's rural here, but it's not wide open."

Milton, which fancies itself as a pastoral retreat amid metro Atlanta, is facing a clash between public safety and America's love affair with firearms.
Most cities outlaw firing guns within their city limits except to protect life or property or both, but Milton's ordinances thus far are silent, except to ban the weapons from parks. State law prohibits firearms for deer hunting in Fulton County, and the use of guns in public areas, such as churches and schools.The gun issue came up briefly in a City Council discussion of a proposed noise ordinance, but no decision was made.

"I don't know enough about it to really have an opinion," said Mayor Joe Lockwood. "Where do you draw the line? If you're so many acres, it's OK; if you're so many, it's not?"Councilwoman Tina D'Aversa Williams said that while she's sympathetic to people worried about guns going off near their homes, she sees both sides of the issue and knows this new city will soon have to take up the issue.

"I don't want them going off around my kids either," she said. "We know we're going to have to address it. Half the people are in support of having the opportunity to bear arms, and half we say we're concerned."

It's no wonder the City Council isn't eager to take on the issue.
In 2005, a bow hunter mortally wounded a deer in Roswell, which staggered into a subdivision and died. Public dismay that people were hunting in woods where kids play prompted that city to address bow hunting. At the same time, the council considered tightening its gun ordinance to be in line with state law. The National Rifle Association jumped in, and the City Council was inundated with letters, calls and e-mails from around the country from gun rights supporters. Ultimately, the city backed off changing its gun ordinance, but passed a law regulating bow hunting in the city limits.

John Bowers, assistant chief of game management for the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, said state law prohibits cities from banning hunting, but it allows cities to prohibit shooting for public safety reasons.Bowers said if Milton takes on the issue, it should consider allowing deer hunting with bows.

"There's two ways to control a deer population," he said. "You can do it through responsible hunting or you can do it by hitting them with SUVs."Frank Rotondo, executive director of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, said it's common for cities to adopt laws prohibiting shooting."When it's very rural, you can shoot and you don't have to worry about hitting anything," Rotondo said. "But when you start shooting and bullets are flying over roadways and houses, that's a concern."

On Feb. 2, a Newton County woman in the upstairs bedroom of a house was killed when she was struck by a stray bullet fired by men target-practicing about 150 yards away. Two men have been charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony.

Incorporated last December, Milton is half-developed, but most of its 20,000 residents live in suburbs, many of which are surrounded by raw land. Much of the undeveloped property is in horse farms, country clubs, and mansions with expansive grounds.Many of the old-timers and longtime hunters concede the days of stalking deer with the family rifle are long gone.
Ralph Rucker, 67, grew up hunting and fishing in the Crabapple area of Milton.

"I used to shoot rabbits, squirrels, quail, but the last time I hunted in Milton was 20 years ago," he said. "A .22[-caliber bullet] will go a mile, and chances are it's going to hit something. I don't like to say it, but no one needs to be hunting in Milton."

But others draw the line at giving up hunting and shooting altogether.
Steve Beecham, 47, who has lived in Milton since 1971, said shooting with rifles should be outlawed, but some provision needs to be made for pistols, small-bore shotguns, and bows.
"I'm a hunter but there are certain areas you don't need to fire a gun," he said. "It depends on how populated it is."

That's not good enough for Pat Martin, 72, who lives off Providence Road in south Milton.
She said there's a lake and creeks near her home and she gets nervous when her grandchildren visit for fear someone will be out there shooting. She said hunters frequent the lake and land behind her house.

"There are woods all around and the kids like to walk around in the woods," she said. "I don't feel like they're safe. There are other places to hunt."

Sawneee EMC Continues Maintenace Work

For Immediate ReleaseMarch 7, 2007Contact: Bill Doughty, APR; 678.242.2492 (office) or 678.577.8152 (cell)

Sawnee Electric Membership Corp. is performing right-of-way maintenance to its overhead electrical facilities within the City of Milton through March 26 in the areas of Nix, Dinsmore, Thompson and Reed roads. The work is being done by W.A. Kendall. Questions or concerns about this activity should be directed to Eddy Yarbrough, Sawnee EMC’s right-of-way specialist, 770.887.2363, ext. 7-149 or via e-mail at eddy.yarbrough@sawnee.com.

Rezoning request for Cox Road withdrawn
The proposed rezoning of 19.3 acres of land at Cox, Arnold Mill and Ebenezer roads from agricultural to commercial designation has been withdrawn. The proposed project was calling for construction 138,000 SF of office space in 15 buildings along with 7,200 SF of retail commercial.

Magnolia Media to Hire for Milton / Johns Creek Sites.

By Anderson Lee

Magnolia Media, LLC announced earlier this week that they have begun the hiring process for ‘licensees’ to sell for their various web sites including Accessmilton.com and Accessjohnscreek.com. "A Magnolia Media Licensee will have the ability to sell for any of our websites, "Co-founder Ginger Enloe stated, "However, we would prefer that they focus on areas they frequent and are familiar with." A licensee is basically set up along the same lines as today’s realtor. Individuals who pass a proficiency test on the company and product line are then licensed to sell. A licensee is compensated via an aggressive commission plan. "This phase is simply another step to the bigger picture of what Magnolia Media will eventually be known for, " commented CMO Scott Thompson, "Focused community and user friendly websites at affordable rates."

Should you be interested in working with Magnolia Media, you can contact the company directly at magnoliamedia@yahoo.com or 770 653 0552.

Legal Fees Put Squeeze on Milton.

NOTE: Accessmilton.com news comment section is now up and active.

Drains almost half of legal budget after three months

By DOUG NURSEThe Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionPublished on: 03/08/07

The city of Milton is blowing through its budget for legal advice at a rate that's causing some alarm.

The City Council set aside $110,000 for attorney fees but had spent $47,000 through mid-February. At that rate, by late summer the city won't have any money to fight lawsuits, draw up pending ordinances and pay for legal advice.

City Manager Aaron Bovos said that when starting up a city — Milton became a legal entity on Dec. 1 — legal bills are expected to be high. The city has to immediately approve scads of ordinances, and they have to be bulletproof. And that means lawyers.But some think the city might need more money for legal expenses.

"We may need to put another pencil to it," said City Council member Rick Mohrig.
Among north Fulton's other start-up cities, Sandy Springs budgeted $400,000 and Johns Creek put up $730,000 for first year's attorneys' fees.

Part of the problem for Milton may be that City Council members have been too quick to call the city attorney, Mark Scott, whenever they have questions. Scott bills $150 an hour, which is comparable to what Sandy Springs and Johns Creeks' lawyers charge. He estimates he spends 20 hours a week on city business, and said he hasn't even billed the city for much of the work he's done.

While Milton has been spared Johns Creek's and Sandy Springs' expensive court fights over adult entertainment, it has had some thorny legal questions to deal with, most notably annexation. The city has been dueling with Roswell over properties that were simultaneously annexed into both cities and has required a lawyer to help sort it out.

Council member Tina D'Aversa Williams said she believes legal expenses probably will start trending downward soon, but even so, she would like to see some sort of spending controls put in place."Most of our major ordinances have been developed, but independent of that, we need tighter controls and accountability for using the city attorney," she said. "I don't think we have that accountability at this point."

To help curb legal expenses, Bovos recently proposed having the city attorney report to him so all questions would have to be routed through him. That would allow him to more closely monitor how the money was being spent and the progress being made on various projects. By charter, the city attorney answers to the City Council.

The proposed ordinance was shot down 4-3, with council members Karen Thurman, Mohrig, Bill Lusk and Neal O'Brien opposed, and Mayor Joe Lockwood and council members Julie Zahner Bailey and Williams voting in favor of it.

"If I want to access people to do the job I was elected to do, I should be able to," said Mohrig. He suggested that if the council wants to save money, it should refrain from having marathon meetings where the city attorney has to attend. The city has been meeting at least once a week, and some sessions have lasted for four or five hours.

Local Teen Set to Make Milton Proud!

Accessmilton.com was contacted in the fall of 2006 by Miss Jaclyn Fleisher regarding her quest to represent our Milton as Dream Girls Miss Teen Georgia USA. Needless to say, she did us proud! We recently sat down with this fine young lady to see what she's been up to and where she is going! Please help support Jaclyn in any way you can!

"When I was a young girl I never thought I would be in pageants." Says Jaclyn Fleischer; now crowned Dream Girls Teen Miss Georgia USA, "When I was younger I wasn’t your typical pageant girl, I loved sports, horseback riding, dancing and singing. I never thought I would be a pageant queen."

On November 11th 2006, Jaclyn was in the Dream Girls Miss Teen Georgia USA pageant representing our City of Milton. "It was the first pageant I had ever done. I shocked so many people when they found out that I was going to be in a pageant. I’m not really sure why I wanted to be in the pageant, I just did! It later became a dream of mine." Jaclyn placed 16th out of 87girls. "For my first pageant I was really proud of myself. I thought I might have what it takes to win, but I was pleased with placing so high for my first pageant."

Jaclyn later tried out to be Dream Girls Teen Miss Georgia USA and she won! " I sent in my application and when I got an e-mail back, about two weeks later, saying that I was Dream Girls Teen Miss Georgia I was so happy! I got off the computer and ran to my mom, yelling ‘I made it! I made it!’ One of my dreams had come true! I am Dream Girls Teen Miss Georgia, I now get to wear the crown and sash, and I’m so happy!"

Jaclyn says this, "I may be a Pageant queen, but I’m still me! I still love to do everything I did before, I still have the dream of being the best horseback rider and dancer, it’s just that now I have another dream, the dream of being Dream Girls Teen Miss USA and a role model for girls of all ages. What’s wrong with having many dreams, right? ‘ Why do they say the sky’s the limit when there are footsteps on the moon?’ I really believe that you can go as far as you want to, with anything you want to do. ‘If you can dream it, you can be it"

Jaclyn is now going to the national pageant, at the end of May, representing Milton along with our state of Georgia. "I’m so excited to be going to Nationals! Its such an honor to represent our lovely state of Georgia."

Jaclyn is now trying to earn enough money to pay for nationals. "Its not cheap being Dream Girls Teen Miss Georgia but its all worth it! This is now one of my many dreams and its slowly coming true and I’m so excited!"

If you would like to support Jaclyn please e-mail her at jaclynhf@bellsouth.net. Thank you for all your support and helping Jaclyn make her dreams come true!

City Supports One-Cent Tax For Schools

Milton City Council recently approved a resolution in support of extending the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Fulton County Schools.

Voters go to the polls on March 20 to determine if the one-cent sales tax should be continued for another five years. SPLOST was first approved by voters in March 1997 and renewed in March 2002. It has raised almost $1 billion in revenue, which is used to fund capital improvements, with an estimated 40 percent of those funds coming from people who live outside of Fulton County.

The school system has used SPLOST revenue to build 29 new schools including four inside the City of Milton – Cogburn Woods and Summit Hill elementary schools, Hopewell Middle School and Milton High School – and additions at 18 other schools, including a science addition at Crabapple Middle School. SPLOST III would fund 14 new schools and classroom additions at 11 schools, as well as pay for technology updates, equipment and bus purchases, and debt relief

Mayor Gets Down In the Trenches-Literally!

Editor's Note: "In seeing Mayor Lockwood's actions here, it makes me that much prouder to be a Miltonian!" - Tim Enloe

March 1, 2007

Contact: Bill Doughty, APR;
678.242.2492 (office) or 678.577.8152 (cell)

Lockwood brings own tractor to help fix unpaved road

When Mark Davis e-mailed Mayor Joe Lockwood along with several Milton City Council members and city staff regarding the condition of unpaved roads in his area, he probably never expected the mayor to show up personally with a tractor to fix the problem.

After reading comments from Davis and other area residents about severe drainage problems, areas of washed-out roadway, and potholes, the mayor took his own tractor – complete with front-end loader attachment in front and box grader in back – out to the Brittle and Summit roads area on Feb. 26 to help city workers address the issues at no cost to taxpayers.

“It was really no big deal; I just went there to do an immediate, temporary fix while our public works folks could assess the situation for permanent repairs,” Lockwood said.

Although he does want not his actions to set a precedent going forward, the mayor said that in this situation the conditions were serious and warranted immediate attention. Plus he wanted to send a message.

“That’s what it’s all about in Milton – local government representing and working for the community,” the mayor said.

An appreciative Davis certainly heard that message loud and clear.

“I saw the tractor out there and thought, ‘wow, that’s the fastest government response I have ever seen,’” Davis said. “I didn’t realize it was the mayor on the tractor.”

“I never intended for my e-mail to get this kind of special attention; I realize there are much bigger issues he has to deal with,” Davis continued. “Never the less, I think that has to set a new standard for the most involved, in-the-trenches mayor on record.”