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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

A Great Story Is Coming...



By Tim Enloe; Accessmilton.com

There is a great story coming and it is taking place in Milton. It is a story that should inspire all citizens to unite and make this city the best place to live on Earth. It is a story that will build bridges and create unity among differences.

Keep an eye on Accessmilton.com in the coming days as we share this story with you and the individual that made it reality.

Memorial Day Event 2011 Pictures.

All photos courtesy of Accessmilton.com













Monday, May 30, 2011

Inspiring.


Courtesy Cnn.com

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Thank You.




Double Click To Enlarge Screen & Turn Volume Up.



Double Click To Enlarge Screen & Turn Volume Up.

Memorial Day Ceremony this Monday at 10 a.m.

Fourth annual event to feature colonel shot down over Hanoi.


By Accessmilton.com

MILTON, GA., May 27, 2011 - Don't forget that the City of Milton's fourth annual

Memorial Day Ceremony is scheduled for this Monday, May 30 at 10 a.m. at Milton City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway Suite 107.

This year's ceremony includes performances by local songstress Kennedy Taylor and Cara McDermott, principal trumpet of the Milton High School Band, the reading of a Memorial Day Essay by Hopewell Middle School student Madison Landis, and featured speaker Col. Murphy Neal Jones, who spent nearly seven years in a Hanoi, Vietnam prisoner of war camp and continued his military service after being released.

The ceremony will conclude with a roll call of local living and fallen veterans, punctuated by a military aircraft flyover at 11 a.m. Friends and families of local fallen veterans are then invited to reflect upon the handmade markers created to remember their legacy and placed along Deerfield Parkway by Councilman Bill Lusk.

Please join the City of Milton this Memorial Day and give thanks to the brave servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom.

"Shifty" by Chuck Yaeger.


A real hero God bless him.


SHIFTY DIED JAN 17, 2011..........rest in peace.


Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you've seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 Episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.

I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn't know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having Trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the "Screaming Eagle," the symbol of The 101st Airborne, on his hat.

Making conversation, I asked him if he d been in the 101st Airborne Or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made. Quietly and humbly, he said "Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945 ... " at which point my heart skipped.

At that point, again, very humbly, he said "I made the 5 training Jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy .. Do you know where Normandy is?" At this point my heart stopped. I told him "Yes, I know exactly where Normandy is, and I know what D-Day was." At that point he said "I also made a second jump into Holland , into Arnhem ."


I was standing with a genuine war hero .... And then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day. I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France , and he said "Yes... And it ' s real sad because, these days, so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip." My heart was in my throat and I didn't know what to say.

I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I'd take his in coach.

He said "No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and who still care is enough to make an old man very happy." His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.

Shifty died on Jan. 17 after fighting cancer.

There was no parade.
No big event in Staples Center ..
No wall to wall back to back 24x7 news coverage.
No weeping fans on television.
And that's not right!!

Let's give Shifty his own Memorial Service in our own quiet way.

Rest in peace, Shifty.
Chuck Yeager, Maj Gen. [ret.]

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Tussing Elementary Salutes Soldiers Service.


Double Click To Enlarge Screen.

Georgia Fire Works Laws.

In light of the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday, we thought the following information regarding fire works in Milton would be of interest. Many thanks to the Milton Police Department for sharing this information with Accessmilton.com.----

CONSUMER FIRE WORKS

Spefically permitted=> Sparklers up to 100 grams each; fountains (items that say 'Emits Showers of Sparks' up to 200 gram total for multiple tube items or 75 grams for each individual tube; snakes, glow worms, snappers, party poppers.

Specically prohibited=> Firecrackers, torpedos, sky rockets, roman candles, bombs, and sparklers.

DISPLAY FIRE WORKS

Display permit=> Apply to local county at least 10 days before display date. $10 fee,
plus $1 per copy of permit.

Insurance=> Required. $10,000 bond and insurance for bodily injury of at least $25,000 for each person and $50,000 for each accident, as well as property damage insurance of at least $25,000 for each accident and $50,000 aggregate. Insurance company must be licensed in Georgia.

Operator=> License required by state law.

ENFORCING AUTHORITY

Safety Fire Commissioner
State of Georgia
612 West Tower, Floyd Bldg.
#2 MLK, Jr. Drive
Atlanta, GA 30334
404 656 5875

LAW NUMBER

25-10 Georgia Code, Chapter 10



For more information, please reach out to the Milton Police Department at 678 242 2500.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Milton man makes mark for Memorial Day tradition.


Milton resident and City Council member Bill Lusk places a freshly stenciled cross in a rack to dry Friday May 20, 2011. Lusk created the tradition of making crosses to honor deceased veterans four years ago with only a handful of crosses. This year 190 crosses are displayed along Deerfield Parkway in Milton.

By Patrick Fox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Building on tradition is tough in a city too young to have one.

Enlarge photo Brant Sanderlin, bsanderlin@ajc.com Milton resident and City Council member Bill Lusk places a freshly stenciled cross in a rack to dry Friday May 20, 2011. Lusk created the tradition of making crosses to honor deceased veterans four years ago with only a handful of crosses. This year 190 crosses are displayed along Deerfield Parkway in Milton.

But at four years and counting, Bill Lusk has established a trend, if not an institution.

The Milton local businessman and City Council member spent May 22 doing what he has been doing since 2008, helping set handmade, white markers along the west side of Deerfield Parkway. Each cross-shaped marker, topped with an American flag, commemorates a deceased veteran with ties to Milton, from the Revolution to Afghanistan.

"Being a new city, we don't have any traditions," said Lusk, who served in Vietnam from 1965-67. "I'm trying to establish one."
Metro Atlanta is steeped in Memorial Day traditions, from the somber 63-year-old rite at Marietta National Cemetery to the state's largest gathering in Roswell, which began in 1997.

Milton, founded in 2006, is not too young to host its own Memorial Day Service, replete with dignitaries and uniformed veterans. But the names on the markers, Lusk said, provide a uniqueness to the city's observance.

Head south about four miles, then east another dozen, and you’ll see the inspiration.

Lining Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth are those same markers. The names are different and the flags on top are larger, but at 700 and growing, there are clearly enough of them to represent a tradition.

Duluth began its display in 1989, with city crews setting about a dozen markers. The small, wooden memorials now line almost a mile of Pleasant Hill Road, intersecting with another set stretching south onto Howell Ferry Road and north onto McClure Bridge Road. Others are set along Buford Highway and West Lawrenceville Street.

"If somebody imitates us, that's wonderful," said resident Alana Moss, adding that Duluth may have borrowed its idea as well. "I love it because we can't spread too much appreciation for military veterans."Lusk was struck with the Duluth design and set out to imitate it himself in his shop four years ago. He bought the materials, painted each marker and stenciled the names. That first year, Lusk and five volunteers set 58 markers. This year, 12 volunteers took about two hours to set just more than 200.

This was the first year for Frank Foster, a veteran from Rockdale County. "I think everybody should be out here doing it, whether they're a veteran or not."
Allen Calhoun, Lusk's business partner, volunteered from the start.

"I enjoy doing it," Calhoun said.

City Councilman Joe Longoria, who has volunteered the past two years, said he's proud to pitch in.

"I'm strictly here to support those for doing something many of us didn't have the chance to do," he said.

Milton's Memorial Day celebration begins at 10 a.m. Monday at City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway.

This year's featured speaker is Air Force Col. Murphy Neal Jones of Covington, La., who was a prisoner of war for nearly seven years in Vietnam.

The ceremony will conclude with a roll call of local veterans living and dead. Their friends and families will be invited to find and reflect upon the handmade markers along Deerfield Parkway.

The markers will remain up for the week. Then Lusk and others will collect them for storage until Veterans Day in November. By then, Lusk will have received more names and will build more markers to line the avenue.

"Somebody needs to do it," Lusk said. "It fell upon me."strong>

"Why Don't They Take The Bus?"


The answer to the redistricting traffic woes?

By Tim Enloe; Accessmilton.com

Various topics are always flying around Milton. If its not election talk it is development for and against this or that and everything in between. Lately, the redistricting topic has been on everyone's radar.

Much like you, I too have had conversation with numerous residents sharing their opinion on this issue. One of the biggest arguments has been the issue of traffic on the "rural" two lane roads. Some parents from Roswell whose children are being shifted to Milton High School even conducted an experiment and drove 50 cars through Crabapple during rush hour. Their goal was to prove how much extra time it would take to get their teens to class. By the way, one mother stated it would take an addition twenty minutes as opposed to their current time to Roswell High.

This past week, I spoke with a Milton resident who had chosen to take a back seat to all the hoopla. He did, however, ask the following question: "Why don't they take the bus?"


I paused for a moment and let the question sink in..."Why don't they take the bus?"
Standing back from the situation at hand and looking at the traffic issue from a purely objective stance, it is a good question to ask you, the taxpaying parents of Milton and Roswell.

Let it be stressed that I am neither an advocate for students to take or not take the bus.

However, if only school buses took the children to school, then traffic would indeed be far less. Hard to argue that point.

In conclusion, I present this basic question to you, the readers of Accessmilton.com. Do you drive your child to school or do you utilize taxpayer funded transportation? If you do drive them, then why? If you go the bus route, why?

Share your thoughts in the commments section below.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Mayor Lockwood Gets Ready for the Milton Farmer's Market!





Double Click To Enlarge Screen.


By Accessmilton.com


MILTON- More and more residents are joining the Milton Farmer's Market summer event
running from June 11th to July 30th each Saturday in Crabapple.

Mayor Joe Lockwood himself has joined in the activity with a garden offering numerous
veggies; from peppers to potatoes and everything in between.

Recently, the Mayor was kind enough to give Accessmilton.com visitors a quick tour of his garden and chicken house. Please check out the video above for more.

If you or someone you know would like to join the Milton Farmer's Market, please contact Zack Eller at 678 896 2491. All types of vendors / participants are encouraged to participate.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Milton restricts landscaping businesses.

New law affects size, uses.

by Jonathan Copsey / Appen Newspapers


MILTON, Ga. - Landscaping companies may soon find themselves under new restrictions after the Milton City Council passed a revised definition May 16 making the law more stringent.

The intent of the new ordinance was to restrict landscaping businesses, plant nurseries or garden centers that are located on land zoned as AG-1 in an effort to keep them to small and attractive uses that may abut residential areas. What the city and council did not wish to see is for a large-scale business to locate in the same property, affecting neighbors.

The new ordinance restricts how much of any material can be located on a property, particularly dangerous materials such as fertilizer and gasoline.

Only two vehicles are allowed on the site, and they must be screened from nearby properties .

The new regulations apply just to landscaping businesses situated on AG-1 zoned land.

Council member Julie Zahner Bailey voiced concern that the new law did not go far enough in restricting potential uses, especially regarding the type of commercial vehicles that will be allowed.

"I think this starts to move us toward more commercial use," said Zahner Bailey. "When it's too broadly defined, it's impossible to enforce. The commercial vehicles definition is not addressed, and I think the intensity of use is an unintended consequence."
"This isn't meant to be an end-all," countered Council member Karen Thurman. "It's meant to be a starting point. The council can add further restrictions.""I don't see how it's opening up anything at this point," said Council member Alan Tart.

There were no restrictions before the ordinance was passed.

The council voted 5-1 in favor of the new definition, with Zahner Bailey the only dissenting vote. Council member Burt Hewitt was absent from the meeting.

Roswell, Milton debate paying for emergency texting service.

Messages sent to alert public.
by Jonathan Copsey / Appen Newspapers

MILTON, Ga. - Milton's Nixle text messaging service, which sends emergency text messages to residents, may be changing in coming months, as the once-free service will now charge cities for usage.

Nixle is an emergency messaging system that allows a city to send out a mass text message to residents' cellphones informing them of dangers or warnings.

When Nixle was first unveiled, it was promoted to governments as a free service. It included, along with the texts, a coordinated email service and texts able to target a specific area of the city. Residents had to sign up to be included. Now, Nixle is going to start charging cities $15,000 for its services.

The cities of Milton and Roswell both signed up for the service, and both say they are happy with it. Milton has 482 people signed up. Roswell has nearly 2,000.

Roswell Fire Chief Ricky Spencer said he was impressed with the service Nixle has given the city so far.

"It's very effective and very reliable," he said. "I just go online, sign in to a secure server and send out the text message. By the time I push away the keyboard, I'm getting the message on my phone. It's extremely fast."
Roswell uses a premium Nixle service that includes an email component as well as the text. There is also the option of reverse 911, in which the city can call phones – both landlines and cell – with emergency messages.

Spencer said Fulton County uses a similar system, however, it is much more expensive.

Milton Communications Manager Jason Wright praised Nixle.

"We've found Nixle to be very effective, and the residents seem to like it," Wright said. "It was indispensable during the ice and snowstorms of January. When coupled with Facebook and Twitter, which have about 700-odd contacts between them, it's a very powerful tool for getting information to residents."
Wright said Milton will use a basic service, which will remain free for just texts, without many of the bells and whistles of the premium service.

"We have had nothing but positive feedback from the messages we have sent out during severe weather events," said Wright.

Spencer said Roswell was looking into paying the requested $15,000 fee, but any final decision was up to council during their budgeting process.

"Anytime you get something for free, one day you're going to have to pay for it," Spencer said.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Maybe One Day Citizens Will Appreciate The MPD In The Same Fashion...


Double Click To Enlarge Screen.

White Columns To Sue Board of Education?


By Accessmilton.com

Rumors are floating around Milton about the possibility of White Columns Subdivision suing the Fulton County Board of Education regarding the redistricting issue.

While nothing is concrete at this time, please keep an eye on Accessmilton.com as this potential story unfolds.



----
To find out more about White Columns Subdivision in Milton, click here=> http://www.accessmilton.com/Neighborhoods/white_columns.php

Body Found On Morris Road In Milton.


By Accessmilton.com

The body of a 22 year old male was found early Monday morning by a jogger off of Morris Road. The victim expired via a single gun shot would to the head.

While the investigation is on going, no foul play is anticipated by investigators.

Milton plans meetings for summer camps.

By Patrick Fox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Parents interested in entering their children in one of two summer camps in Milton this year can attend an open house Wednesday at City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway.

The meeting for Camp Joyful Soles for children 12-18 with mild disabilities will be at 6 p.m. The session for Camp Bethwell, which is for children ages 6 to 12, is at 7 p.m. There will be opportunities for one-on-one interactions, additional information and registration. Parents may also donate items to be used during camp.

Information: 678-242-2519; tom.gilliam@cityofmiltonga.us.

In Milton, You Are A "Bad Cop" If You Do Your Job.



By Tim Enloe; Accessmilton.com

Earlier this month, we posted a story on some recent crime enforcement that one of the Milton Police Officers performed over a course of a week.

Some of the laws this officer enforced were DUI's as well as wreckless driving among other things. He was removing dangerous individuals off the roads that you and your families frequent. Individuals willing to do your family harm by their actions.

Over all, it was simply a good story letting the Milton constituency know that our officers work dangerous and long hours to keep our loved ones and families safe while putting their lives on the line 100% of the time.

Just today, however, various comments came in on this particular post. Some calling this individual "overly aggressive" making claims that he "slammed me on the hood for no reason." One very omniscient individual
even went so far as to state that Milton needed to " fire your cops, we don't want them."

With all of this incredible knowledge, I am truly at a loss as to why Milton isn't paved in gold with angels singing as you enter this hallowed city! I mean, who can compete with such intelligence and higher thinking?

It should be stressed, that while I have been on ride-alongs with our police department, I have yet to ride with this officer. However, any such claims can be confirmed or disproven by simply requesting a video tape of such stop. One would think these individuals would have shared their accusations all over the media and sued for millions if such claims were true. Then again, certain habits are known to encourage memory loss.

As we all know, this editorial will receive input from the same folk. Not to worry, oh victimized ones, as I have some suggestions that should make you smile!

I propose that the City of Milton create a "user fee" system when it comes to using the Milton Police Department. That way, all of these "innocent victims" will no longer be bullied by the terrible MPD.

So, when your wife, mother, or sister decides to take a shower and no one is home and a man enters your home with a knife to rape your loved one, I have no doubt your use of the Force will let you not only know about this evil violator due to your seeing things before they happen, but you will also be able to battle him not with guns, but with your lightsaber. Yes, I know you are faster than the average police cruiser too. After all, you are YOU!

In addition, any time a driver is speeding or under the influence near your loved ones, these terrible not needed officers will know to look the other way by the "I'M PERFECT-BACK OFF!" sticker on the back of your loved one's leased vehicle. Of course, we do request that you do not call 911 and ask that your loved one who is splattered all over that tree and sidewalk be picked up by those in public safety. I do recommend, however, that you make sure a shovel is in your vehicle at all times...I have heard that blood and other internal body tissue can stick to surfaces over a period of time. Then again, you can wait for the coyotes, opposums and racoons to come out that night. And who said you weren't "Green"?

I, however, am very willing to pay for the protection the Milton Police Department provides to insure my family is kept safe. Officers, feel free to patrol the streets I drive or pull me over at any time if I am breaking the law. Laws, by the way, that were created by elected officials that taxpayers voted for. Search my vehicle or home whenever you deem it necessary! I encourage you to do the same for my loved ones as well. However, I do request that you return the favor for those that are willing to do myself and my loved ones harm.

Bottom line is this, the more citizens continue to complain about these men and women who are putting their lives on line for us, the sooner they will leave for employment that actually appreciates their sacrifice.

Then, citizens will get the sterotypical donut eating corrupt cop who would no sooner take a bullet to protect a citizen or enforce the law than those who are so willing to attack our officers blindly to identify themselves. No doubt that such a lesser officer would not be opposed to bribes to look the other way as well.

I encourage anyone reading this article to not believe or agree with what I have written here. What I do encourage you to do is to request a ride along with any Milton Officer of your choice. See what these individuals deal with day in and day out that the general media chooses to ignore. After which, we would love to hear your opinion on how terrible they are.

Maybe then, some objectivity might actual come in to play. One would have thought that we learned about the justification of support from the blind eye that was given to our military returning home from Vietnam. Then again, society is so willing to forget...

Softball input deadline is May 31.

By Accessmilton.com


If you would like to provide input on a proposed regional, recreational-level girls’ slow-pitch softball program, the deadline for online surveys is Tuesday, May 31.


Please visit www.surveymonkey.com/northfultonsoftball to take the survey. It is also available under “Your Government” > “Parks and Recreation” > “North Fulton girls slow-pitch softball questionnaire.”


All feedback collected will only be used by the respective parks and recreation departments of the five cities of North Fulton -- Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell and Sandy Springs --in their determination of whether to undertake this program.


The concept, said representatives from the cities’ recreation departments, is that teams would practice at home parks and play home and away games against teams throughout North Fulton.


For more information, click here.

North Fulton cities consider girls softball league.

By Patrick Fox


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The cities of Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell and Sandy Springs are considering forming a regional, recreational-level girls slow-pitch softball program. Organizers are seeking residents' input by May 31. City officials said the initial concept would be for teams to practice at home parks and play home and away games against teams throughout north Fulton.

Each city would like feedback from residents regarding the proposal and have posted a 10-question online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/northfultonsoftball.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Milton Farmer's Market Kicks Off June 11th.



By Accessmilton.com

For the third year in a row, the Milton Farmer's Market will take place in Crabapple.
Kick off will be the second weekend in June running to the end of July. There have been some changes for the better this year around.

Please keep an eye on Accessmilton.com as more information is on the way!

May 25 Special Called Work Session Notice.

By Accessmilton.com

Wednesday, May 25, 2011 Special Called Work Session Agenda 6:00 PM

1. Discussion of the Crabapple Plan as Presented by Lew Oliver, Inc., Whole Town Solutions to Identify Current Policy Changes Needed for Implementation and to Discuss the Long-Term Planning Needs of the Crabapple Crossroads Community and the City of Milton's Future City Center.

(Presented by Lew Oliver, Whole Town Solutions)

Preliminary flood maps available at City Hall.




By Accessmilton.com

The City of Milton has received preliminary flood maps from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources that show proposed changes to the existing documents, said Plan Review Engineer Jimmy Sanders.

Because of better topography studies and mapping software, there will be some impact to properties that are close to the floodplain, said Sanders. There will be opportunities for public comment on the maps before adoption, but those dates have not yet been finalized.

If you are interested in viewing these maps, contact Sanders at jimmy.sanders@cityofmiltonga.us or 678-242-2543.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

11 alive Covers Redistricting

Wsb Covers Redistricting

Coutesy Wsbtv.com

All:

Please view the following two links regarding video segments wsbtv has done on the redistricting issue=>

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/27950332/index.html

and

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/27952577/index.html

Fitness camp expands for summer.

By Accessmilton.com

New classes, pricing options added.

MILTON, Ga., May 19, 2011- After six months, hundreds of pounds and inches lost, and dozens of happy participants, the City of Milton/CorePhysique fitness camp is proud to announce it is expanding its services.

SUMMER DATES AND TIMES

This summer, there will be two sessions of the ever-popular fitness camp. The first will be from June 6 to July 1. The second will stretch from July 11 to Aug. 6.

As always, there will be three morning class offerings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays:

5:45 to 6:30 a.m.
7:15 to 8 a.m.
8:30 to 9:15 a.m.
This summer, though, there are three new classes available: Smart Core, evening sessions and kids camps.

Smart Core will take place from 8:05 to 8:25 a.m. and can be attended by either those who stay after the 7:15 a.m. session or come early to the 8:30 a.m. session. It will focus on core muscles to help improve posture and balance, prevent back pain and injury, and increase overall physical performance.

Evening sessions take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:15 to 8 p.m. Like the morning version, each includes a warm-up and workout that combines strength, cardiovascular endurance and flexibility exercises.

Kids Camp will be held during the 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. session on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for elementary school-aged children. Parents must be attending one of the sessions and class size is limited to 25 campers.

Kids Camp will be coached by Nadine Kezebou, a former professional soccer player in France, Germany and the United States. She is currently the head boys' soccer coach at St. Francis High School, an assistant coach/trainer at Ambush Soccer Club and a speed and agility trainer at Fellowship Christian High School.

ATTENDANCE AND PRICING OPTIONS
With the new sessions comes new pricing and attendance options for campers:

Two days/week (eight classes): $90 resident/$135 non-resident
Three days/week (12 classes): $120/$180 non-resident
Five days/week (20 classes): $175/$262.50 non-resident
Smart Core: $30 resident/$45 non-resident
Kids Camp: $45 for the first child/$15 each additional child
Please note that camp packages are flexible and may be redeemed at any session offered throughout the month.

As always, all camps are held at Bell Memorial Park, 15245 Bell Park Road. They are taught by Kolleen Riddick, a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist.

To sign up for a fitness camp session, visit www.corephysique.net and click on the "Boot Camp" link or call 770-752-3159. You may also click here.

For more information, contact Tom Gilliam, Milton's Recreation Programs Coordinator, at 678-242-2519 or tom.gilliam@cityofmiltonga.us.

Woman: ‘I shot him as much as I could'

NOTE: If you think that an incident like the following cannot take place in this city, think again.

It is imperative that a program is put in place to support and aid the Milton Police Department. Citizens need to stand with these public servants and let those that look to break
the law know such action is not going to be tolerated in Milton Georgia.- Tim Enloe; Accessmilton.com

-------


Gwinnett County Sheriff's Dept. Gwinnett authorities say Israel Perez Puentes, 34, was killed when he entered a Duluth home and tried to sexually assault a woman.

By Rhonda Cook
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The crying woman told a 911 operator she “shot him as much as I could” and moments later police found her would-be attacker dead in the back yard of her Gwinnett County home.

The woman was getting out of the shower when 34-year-old Israel Perez Puentes, armed with a knife, dragged her to the bedroom where he planned to rape her, police said. Her fear was evident in the recording of her call for help – obtained by AM 750 and now 95.5FM News/Talk WSB.

“I was in the shower and the lights cut out in my house,” the sobbing woman said moments after she shot and killed Puentes on May 11.“This man came at me with a hood on. And he had a knife in his hand.”He forced her into her bedroom, she later told police, and that is where she retrieved her gun.

“I shot him as much as I could,” said the woman. “I shot him with a .22 but he just kept running.

"He was going to rape me, kill me.

“I can’t go back in there. … I don’t know where he is,”
said the woman, whom The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is not naming because she was the victim of an attempted sexual assault.

Gwinnett police Cpl. Edwin Ritter told the AJC last week that the woman, who is in her early 50s, was getting out of the shower when Puentes, whom she did not know, turned off the lights and attacked her.

She fell back into the shower, injuring her back, and tried to fight Puentes off with the shower rod, Ritter said.

"She was telling him that she has money and please don’t hurt her," Ritter said.

"He forced her into her bedroom," Ritter said. "Once inside the bedroom, she retrieved a .22-caliber pistol and shot him several times."Ritter characterized the attack as an attempted sexual assault.

Puentes, of Alpharetta, ran outside the house and collapsed in the back yard of the house in the 2800 block of East Mount Tabor Circle.

The woman ran to a neighbor's house after the attack, and was later taken to Duluth Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries. She was released from the hospital and returned to her home just before noon that same day.

Neighbor Rebecca Wisecup told the AJC the woman’s screams woke her.

"It was just horrible screaming,” Wisecup said. “I found our neighbor on our kitchen floor. She was naked, just out of the shower. She was screaming that somebody tried to kill her, and ‘Oh my God, oh, my God, he tried to kill me.'
"I ... got a robe on her and got her to sit down, and within a few minutes the police showed up and took care of her," Wisecup said.

Wisecup said her neighbor told her that "she was in the shower, and the bathroom light went off, and she opened the shower curtain and there was a man that held a knife up to her throat."The woman was not charged with killing Puentes.

"She responded to the deadly threat with deadly force," he said.


Go here for the actual 911 call=>
http://www.ajc.com/video?bcpid=97471435001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAFAsZ1c~,8MkVRvW0DmauKT3uAriKKf2yHzTPz5MP&bclid=1717763711&bctid=950568474001

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Milton partners for youth basketball program, camps.

By Accessmilton.com

Registration available through Up With Kids Sports

MILTON, Ga., May 18, 2011- Hoopsters rejoice: The City of Milton is now holding registration for the city's first co-ed recreational basketball league and summer camps.

Offered through a partnership with Milton-based Up With Kids Sports (UWKS) and the Securing a Mind Foundation, the co-ed development summer league for children ages 8 through 13 will last from June 27 to July 30 and cost $115 (includes uniform). Cost for non-residents is $172.50.

Player evaluations will be held June 13-17, and practices start the week of June 27. The eight-game season begins July 7, with games held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. There will also be a single-elimination tournament.

The skill camps for children ages 6 through 17 will be held June 13 through 17 and Aug. 1 through 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at a cost of $135 each. Half days are available for $100. Cost for non-residents is $202.50 for full days and $150 for half.

All activities will take place at Hopewell Middle School thanks to an agreement between Fulton County Schools and the City of Milton. This will also be home to a future winter league and clinics to be offered throughout the year, said Cyndee Bonacci, Milton's Director of Parks and Recreation.

Parents can sign up for the league and summer camps by clicking here. Choose either "City of Milton - UWKS Co-ed Summer League" or "City of Milton - UWKS Camp," download the registration form and mail it with payment to:

UWKS
P.O. Box 1201
Alpharetta, GA 30009


Up with Kids Sports and the Securing a Mind Foundation were founded by Milton resident and 16-year international basketball veteran Samuel Hines. He has played basketball across the globe in highly competitive international leagues including Switzerland, Italy, Israel, Cyprus, France, Poland, Venezuela, Argentina and Mexico. For the last 14 years, Hines has held basketball camps and clinics around the world and in Georgia and North Carolina.

Additionally, he has volunteered his time as a coach with the Alpharetta Youth Football Association and dedicated himself to helping mentor children through sport.

"I am excited about the opportunity to share my experiences and knowledge of basketball with the youth of Milton and surrounding areas," said Hines. "The programs offered by Up With Kids Sports and the City of Milton will help fill the gap for those players who are seeking to improve their skills through professional instruction. This will be a great opportunity for all."

For more information on Up with Kids Sports, visit its Web site, www.myuwks.com, or contact Hines at coachhines@bellsouth.net or 678-481-1749. You may also contact Tom Gilliam, Milton's Recreation Programs Coordinator, at 678-242-2519 or tom.gilliam@cityofmiltonga.us

Alrighty Then...

Courtesy The Washington Times.


Senator questions benefits to ‘adult baby’


Coburn sees possible fraud.

A key senator has asked the Social Security Administration to investigate how people who live their lives role-playing as “adult babies” are able to get taxpayer-funded disability payments — after one of them was featured on a recent reality TV episode wearing diapers, feeding from a bottle and using an adult-sized crib he built.

Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican and the Senate’s top waste-watcher, asked the agency’s inspector general to look into 30-year-old Stanley Thornton Jr. and his roommate, Sandra Dias, who acts as his “mother,” saying it’s not clear why they are collecting Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits instead of working.

“Given that Mr. Thornton is able to determine what is appropriate attire and actions in public, drive himself to complete errands, design and custom-make baby furniture to support a 350-pound adult and run an Internet support group, it is possible that he has been improperly collecting disability benefits for a period of time,” Mr. Coburn wrote in a letter Monday to Inspector General Patrick P. O'Carroll Jr.

The request comes at a time when members of Congress are struggling to cut budgets and weed out waste to try to bring down the staggering deficit, and comes just days after Social Security’s trustees released a grim assessment of the program’s long-term financial health.

SSI is run by Social Security and pays out benefits to aged, blind and disabled people who have little or no income.

The inspector general’s office didn’t return a message seeking comment.

In an email response to The Washington Times, Mr. Thornton threatened to kill himself if his Social Security payments are taken away, and said the television episode showing him doing woodwork oversold his abilities.

“You wanna test how damn serious I am about leaving this world, screw with my check that pays for this apartment and food. Try it. See how serious I am. I don’t care,” the California man said. “I have no problem killing myself. Take away the last thing keeping me here, and see what happens. Next time you see me on the news, it will be me in a body bag.”Mr. Thornton was featured in early May on National Geographic Channel’s “Taboo” program along with Miss Dias, a former nurse who feeds him a bottle and otherwise attends to his needs when he is dressed in diapers.

In the episode, he shows off the adult-sized crib he built and sleeps in, and the cameras follow him to the hardware store where he buys wood for his latest do-it-yourself project — an elevated high chair that is capable of holding his ample frame.

He said he has been living at least a partial adult baby lifestyle since his teenage years, though he does wear adult clothes when he goes out, fearing embarrassment otherwise.

Mr. Coburn said Mr. Thornton “is cognizant that his choice to live as an adult baby violates social norms,” though, and through both his projects and the adult baby support website he runs, www.bedwettingabdl.com, he appears to have the skills to hold down a job. That, the lawmaker said, should make him ineligible for disability payments.

Mr. Coburn also questions why Miss Dias, as a former nurse, collects SSI benefits, “since she is able to provide childcare” to Mr. Thornton.

In an extensive biography on his web page, Mr. Thornton says he worked as a security guard for a year and a half but said trauma stemming from childhood abuse, combined with other mental problems, made it impossible for him to hold the job, and he has been receiving SSI payments for most of the last 10 years.

In his email to The Times, Mr. Thornton said he is not capable of working. He said running the website only takes four hours a month, and he said his craftsman skills were overstated by the program, which showed him working on his adult-sized high chair.

“What you saw on camera being drilled was pre-assembled the day before. All I did was drill six holes for the camera,” he said.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Large 4 Milton Campaign Kickoff >>>> May 24th.

Lance Large

Candidate for

Milton City Council

District 6


Please Join Us
Tuesday, May 24th
For the Campaign Kick‐Off
6:30 PM—9:00 PM
Olde Blind Dog
12650 Crabapple Road
Milton, GA 30004

Please come by and help us kick‐off a
successful campaign. We not only want
you to meet and learn more about
Lance, but more importantly, he wants
to meet and learn more about you and
your thoughts about Milton’s
future.

Paid for by the committee to elect Large 4 Milton, Inc.

Milton Officer Of The Month: Officer Hayes!

NOTE: We appreciate Milton Police Officer Hayes sitting down and talking to Accessmilton.com.

Many thanks to our Milton Police Department for all that they do.


Double click to enlarge screen.

Herman Cain Hints at May 21st Announcement.



By JUANA SUMMERS | Politico.com

Herman Cain on Friday evening all but declared that he will formally enter the presidential race later this month.

"Save the date, May 21, Atlanta Olympic Centennial Park at high noon," Cain told conservative RedState blogger Erick Erickson on his Atlanta-based radio show. "We will be holding a major announcement event from me."
"All I'm going to say is this," Cain added, "Do you think I'm going to be making a big deal out of this to announce that I'm not going to run?"
The Atlanta businessman and radio host shared the stage with four of his likely rivals Thursday night at the first Republican presidential primary debate in South Carolina. He is now in Las Vegas for a tea party rally.

Cain is already scheduled to be in Iowa on May 20, where he'll speak to Council Bluffs Republicans.

Cain will also speak at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's conference in Washington D.C., in early June. The confab of cultural conservatives will feature a host of potential 2012 hopefuls, including Rick Santorum, Donald Trump and Michele Bachmann.

Controversial Redistricting Plan Up For Vote.

Courtesy wsbtv.com

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. -- Just two days before the Fulton County school board takes an initial vote on a controversial redistricting plan, one board member tells Channel 2 Action News she believes the proposal on the table is fair for everyone in North Fulton County.

“The board’s job is to make sure there’s fair criteria and that there’s a fair process," Katie Reeves told Channel 2's Mike Petchenik.

The school district is building a new high school in Milton to help alleviate overcrowding at Milton and Roswell high schools. A final proposal before the board moves several hundred students from Roswell to Milton, and several hundred more from Milton to the new school. School officials said the proposal would affect nearly 2,000 North Fulton middle and high school students.

“Although it doesn’t please everyone, it seems a very fair process, and it’s accomplished the goal of balancing our enrollment capacity," said Reeves.

Nearly two dozen parents showed up to a sometimes contentious meeting at Lake Windward Elementary School. Reeves told the crowd she had no say in how district staff drew the lines and that she wouldn't change a line for one neighborhood if it meant adversely affecting another one.

“I understand and I hear that you’re not happy with it," she said. "But if it wasn’t you, it would be somebody else filling this room.”
Some parents, including Pam Kipniss, told Petchenik they're concerned about the new commute for their children through several dangerous intersections in Milton.

"I think there is movement, and they need to make the movements for the right reasons instead of just doing what they want to do," said Kipniss, who lives in the White Columns neighborhood, which was cut out of the Milton district on the final proposal.

Parent Kim Bunker said she's believes students commuting across Milton, and others coming from Roswell through already crowded intersections, will be involved in accidents.

“They’re choosing to stand behind what they say is objectivity, but that objectivity is putting common sense at the bottom of the list, and the safety of the children," said Bunker.

Parent Dawna Williamson told Petchenik her kids would move to the new high school, but she was happy about it.

“I think it took into account the entire community, not just one individual neighborhood," she said of the final proposal. "I’m going to focus my efforts on making sure that school develops into a wonderful school.”
The Fulton County School Board will take its first vote on the redistricting proposal Thursday night. A second vote is scheduled for next month, with redistricting taking effect in August 2012.


Click here for the video segement on this post=>
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/27927723/detail.html

Milton Friedman - School Choice.

Another find from one of Accessmilton.com's valued readers...
Double click to enlarge screen.

Katrina's Silver Lining: The School Choice Revolution in New Orleans.

NOTE: In light of public schools being in the news lately, "gardener margaret" asked that we post the following video.
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Double Click to Enlarge Screen.

Hundreds Rally Against Charter School Ruling.

Courtesy Wsbtv.com

Hundreds of charter school proponents rallied outside the state Capitol on Tuesday morning in opposition to a recent ruling that puts the future of the schools in jeopardy.

On Monday, the state Supreme Court struck down the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, calling it unconstitutional for the commission to create charter schools and direct public funding to them.

The decision does not affect the roughly 160 charter school approved by local school boards, but the case could affect thousands of students and reshape the way the state's public schools are funded.

At least three hundred protesters crammed the Capitol steps, saying the ruling will not end their fight. Several state senators also stood in support of charter schools.


"What I want you to do is keep coming back to the Capitol day after day until you find 120 people in the house and 38 senators that will say ‘yes,'" state Sen. Chip Rogers said.

Most of the charter schools affected have pledged to appeal to local districts so that they remain open.

Cities plan water-wise workshop.

By Patrick Fox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The cities of Alpharetta and Milton have scheduled a free water-wise gardening workshop from 7 to 8 p.m. May 24 at Alpharetta City Hall, 2 South Main Street.

Louise Estabrook, UGA Cooperative Extension Agent for Fulton County, will discuss ways to reduce water run-off, soil erosion and pollutants by caring for your yard in an environmentally friendly way.

Information: 678-242-2509; cindy.eade@cityofmiltonga.us

Post May 16 City Council meeting wrap-up.

By Accessmilton.com

Post May 16 City Council Meeting wrap-up.

NEW BUSINESS

1. Approval of a Resolution Amending Resolution No. 08-01-09, A Resolution Appointing A Member to the City of Milton Design Review Board for District 6.

(Agenda Item No. 11-104)

(Presented by Mayor Joe Lockwood)

Moved by motion and vote to before zoning agenda

Motion to approve Tim Bryan passed 6-0
Note: Councilman Burt Hewitt was absent



ZONING AGENDA

1. ZM11-01 - Requested by Charles Feyt Located at Lot #9 - Atlanta National Subdivision (Crooked Stick Drive) to Modify Condition 1.e. (RZ85-181) to Reduce the 100-foot Building Setback Along the South Property Lines to 50 feet and to Reduce the 100-foot Building Setback Along the West Property Line to 40 Feet.

(Agenda Item No. 11- 069)

(First Presentation at April 11, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)

(Deferred at the April 25, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)

(Presented by Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)

Approved 6-0



2. RZ10-08 - To Amend the City of Milton Zoning Ordinance, Section 64-1, Definition for Landscaping Business.

(Agenda Item No. 10-1301)

(First Presentation on December 6, 2010)

(Previously Discussed at Special Called Work Session, December 20, 2010)

(Deferred at December 20, 2010 Regular Council Meeting)

(Discussed at March 14, 2011 Work Session)

(Presented by Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)

Approved 6-0



3. RZ10-06 - To Amend the City of Milton Zoning Ordinance, Section 64-1820, Landscaping Business, Plant Nursery or Garden Center with Indoor Retail Component.

(Agenda Item No. 10-1300)

(First Presentation on December 6, 2010)

(Previously Discussed at Special Called Work Session, December 20, 2010)

(Deferred at December 20, 2010 Regular Council Meeting)

(Discussed at March 14, 2011 Work Session)

(Presented by Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)

Moved by motion and vote to appear after RZ10-08

Approved 5-1

Michigan man indicted on 52 counts of forgery.



By Accessmilton.com

Police say Dwight H. Windom stole checks, money from his cousin.

MILTON, Ga., May 17, 2011- A Michigan man has been indicted on 52 counts of first degree forgery after he allegedly stole $153,000 from his cousin and her ex-husband.

On May 13, 29-year-old Dwight H. Windom of Westlaw, Mich., was indicted by a grand jury after Brad Malkin, head of the Fulton County District Attorney's Office White Collar Crime Unit, and City of Milton police detective Stephen Hewitt presented evidence against him stretching back to 2008.

According to police, Windom stole checks from his cousin, DaShawn Snow, and her husband at the time, Eric Snow, made them out to himself and cashed them.

DeShawn Snow notified police in February 2010 of the missing money after it was discovered by the couple's book keeper. According to Fulton County Jail records, Windom was arrested March 11, 2010 and charged with two counts of first degree forgery. He left jail two days later on a $10,000 bond.

Windom will be extradited from Michigan, where he lives, for the trial.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Know Your Milton - The Blue Bird!


By Accessmilton.com

With Spring upon us in Milton, the Blue Bird is back singing his beautiful songs as he flies from garden to garden.

The bluebirds are a group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Sialia of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. They have blue, or blue and red, plumage. Female birds are less brightly colored than males, although color patterns are similar and there is no noticeable difference in size between sexes.

Bluebirds are territorial, prefer open grassland with scattered trees and are cavity nesters (similar to many species of woodpecker). Bluebirds can typically produce between two and four broods during the spring and summer (March through August in the Northeastern United States). Males identify potential nest sites and try to attract prospective female mates to those nesting sites with special behaviors that include singing and flapping wings, and then placing some material in a nesting box or cavity. If the female accepts the male and the nesting site, she alone builds the nest and incubates the eggs.

Predators of young bluebirds in the nests can include snakes, cats and raccoons. Non-native and native bird species competing with bluebirds for nesting locations include the Common Starling, American Crow, and House Sparrow, which take over the nesting sites of bluebirds, killing young and smashing eggs and probably killing adult bluebirds.

Bluebirds are attracted to platform bird feeders, filled with grubs of the darkling beetle, sold by many online bird product wholesalers as mealworms. Bluebirds will also eat raisins soaked in water. In addition, in winter bluebirds use backyard heated birdbaths.

By the 1970s, bluebird numbers had declined by estimates ranging to 70% due to unsuccessful competition with house sparrows and starlings, both introduced species, for nesting cavities, coupled with a decline in habitat. However, in late 2005 Cornell University's Laboratory of Ornithology reported bluebird sightings across the southern U.S. as part of its yearly Backyard Bird Count, a strong indication of the bluebird's return to the region. This upsurge can largely be attributed to a movement of volunteers establishing and maintaining bluebird trails.

Intersection public comment period open.

by Jonathan Copsey / Appen Newspapers

May 13, 2011

MILTON, Ga. - Citizens still have opportunities to make comments on and view concept alternatives for improvements to the intersection of Hopewell, Francis and Cogburn roads, said Milton Transportation Engineer Sara Leaders.

The comments can be made online, in writing or at City Hall, she said.

"The city of Milton wants to thank citizens for attending the April 28 public information open house for the proposed intersection improvements," said Leaders. "But for those who could not make it, there are still several opportunities to review the proposals and make comments."

Leaders said comments may be made using an online form. This form is available at www.miltonintersectionprojects.com. Click on "Hopewell/Francis Road at Cogburn/Hopewell Road." There, visitors to the site will find links to information from the open house, including project information and displays, as well as traffic simulations and the online comment form.

Comments may also be made at Milton City Hall, where displays from the public meeting and comment cards will be available until May 16.

"We hope you will take advantage of one of these opportunities to let the city know your view of the proposals," said Leaders.

Moving the red dirt in Milton.


The new business, Bottles and Corks, will soon open at the corner of Webb Road and Ga. 9 in Milton. It is one of the few commercial building projects this year in Milton.

Construction takes back seat to renovation.

by Jonathan Copsey / Appen Newspapers.

May 16, 2011

MILTON, Ga. - Milton residents and businesses are renovating instead of constructing new buildings, according to information provided by the city.

For the period from January to March 2010 and 2011, overall requests for building permits – both residential and commercial – stayed about the same for both years. January 2010 saw 50 total permits issued, while the same month this year saw 48. February 2010 saw 66 permits versus 58 this year, with March of 2010 having 87 compared to this year's 91.

So overall, the numbers say Milton is doing about the same in the first quarter of 2011 as it did last year. However, a break down of the numbers shows a slightly different picture.

The city had four new commercial building permits issued in January 2010; there were none in the same month in 2011. March was similar. In fact, the only new commercial building permit issued in 2011 was in February. There were seven last year.

Commercial renovations, in contrast, are much higher. 2010 had no renovation projects until March, when 29 permits were issued. In January 2011, the city had 18 permits; 13 in February and 8 in March.

Residential building permits tell a similar story. New buildings in 2010 totaled 16 – three in January and 13 in March. There were none in February. This year had 5 in January, 13 in February and 17 in March.

Home renovations far outstripped new building in both years. There were 43 in January last year; 42 in March. This year saw 25 in January, 31 in February and 66 in March.

"There are a lot of alterations, a lot of stores moving in and out," explained Lynn Tully, Milton's community development director.

At least some of the home alterations are the result of people working from home. So far this year, the city has issued 99 business permits, with fully half of those going to new home-based businesses.

"They're 'new entrepreneurs' who are working out of their home,"
Tully said. "There's a real push for entrepreneurs here in the city of Milton. We want to encourage them."

Kings Ridge fourth grader chooses to party with police.


Officer Mulvey shares information about his police cruiser with young minds.


By Accessmilton.com

Kings Ridge Christian School (KRCS) fourth grader Marc Gorski had an unusual request upon winning a raffle during a school fundraiser, one not a lot of youngsters would make: He wanted to party with the police.

Gorski, a student of KRCS reading specialist Karin Mulvey, initially won the teacher’s donated raffle themed for a “tea party.” Given that wasn’t his cup of tea, Mulvey said he could choose any party anywhere. So he requested her husband, Milton Police Officer Scott Mulvey, who speaks to her students regularly about staying safe and on the right side of the law, host him and his friends at Scoops ice cream parlor in Crabapple. He also wanted officer Brian Kiel and his K-9 partner, DaSilva, to come, as well. Apparently the pair had made quite an impression during a visit to the school earlier in the year.

“You’d think they would want to go play paintball or video games,”
said officer Mulvey. “But they wanted to talk to officers Mulvey and Kiel.”
So on Tuesday, May 10, Mulvey and Kiel hosted five 11-year-olds at the popular Crabapple business. Scoops donated a party room and let the boys get their fill of ice cream.

“They were so excited,” said Dawn Gorski, who placed the winning bid at her son’s insistence. “It was all they talked about all week.”
After a question and answer session ranging in topics from the officer’s weirdest cases, to the youngest person they ever arrested, to whether they’d ever been involved in shootings, bank heists or fights, the boys got to tour a police car and see a demonstration from DaSilva.

So was it worth it for the young Gorski?

“It was really cool,” he said.

Many thanks to Milton Officers Mulvey and Kiel for putting their lives on the line for Milton families and their property. You truly are heroes!

See below for pictures from the party.


Ofc Mulvey takes one for the team as Ofc Kiel gives commands to Milton Police Dog DaSilva.


Officers Kiel and Mulvey listen intently as another question comes their way.


A perfect photo to end a perfect day.

Milton begins annual paving projects May 18.

Streets mostly residential; residents asked to not park on street.


By Accessmilton.com


MILTON, Ga., May 16, 2011- The City of Milton will begin its annual city-wide road patching and repair projects May 18, said Carter Lucas, Director of Public Works.

The work is expected to last 30 days, depending on weather, and crews will be working from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. There should be little delay in traffic, as the majority of roads being repaired are residential, said Matthew Fallstrom, Public Works Superintendent.

If you live on one of the roads listed below, please do not park on the street starting May 18 and drive carefully around job sites for the safety of the workers.

Following is a list of the roads to be patched or repaired:

Thorntree Run from Tullamore Way to cul-de-sac
Drummond Pond Road from North Valleyfield Road to cul-de-sac
Kensington Farms Drive from Birmingham Highway (Ga. 372) to cul-de-sac
Powers Court Ave. from Birmingham Highway to cul-de-sac
Richmond Glen Drive from Birmingham Highway to Richmond Glen Circle
Richmond Glen Circle
Glencreek Way from Francis Road to cul-de-sac
Francis Road from Thompson Road to the county line
Sandpoint Trace from Plantation Trace to cul-de-sac
Creek Club Drive from Chipping Wood Court to Autumn Close
Autumn Close from Creek Club Drive to Heron Run
Country Ridge Road from Thompson Road to cul-de-sac
Avensong Village Circle
Aventide Lane
Hopewell Road from Redd Road to Bethany Bend
The cost of these projects is $510,170 and the work was awarded to the lowest bidder, Marietta-based Blount Construction Company, Inc.

For more information, call Angie Kapijimpanga, Public Works Department Citizen Responder, at 678-242-2562 or e-mail angie.kapijimpanga@cityofmiltonga.us.

Water-wise gardening workshop set for May 24.

By Accessmilton.com

MILTON, Ga., May 16, 2011- Would you like to learn how to conserve water while nurturing your landscaping and lawn this summer? Then mark your calendars for the free, water-wise gardening workshop on Tuesday, May 24.

This free workshop, sponsored by the City of Alpharetta, Fulton County Public Works Water Services, City of Milton and Milton Goes Green, will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. at Alpharetta City Hall, 2 South Main Street in Alpharetta (click here for directions).

There is no cost to attend; however, please register by calling 678-297-6200.

Louise Estabrook, UGA Cooperative Extension Agent of Fulton County, will discuss ways to reduce water run-off, soil erosion and pollutants by taking care of your yard the environmentally friendly way. You will learn to save water, time, energy and money by applying a few basic principles -- and the result will be the best yard you've ever had.

For more information, please contact Cindy Eade, Milton's Sustainability Coordinator, at cindy.eade@cityofmiltonga.us or 678-242-2509.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Neal Boortz: No choice in a government school.

Many thanks to one of our keen Accessmilton.com readers for bringing this editiorial to light for our readers.
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By Neal Boortz For The AJC.


Earlier this week a news story came along that gave me another opportunity to do one of my favorite things — rant against government schools. If parents understood the damage that has been done to our republic through government control of education things might change. Big “if.” The story told us of some real angry housewives of Atlanta who are upset with the Fulton County Board of Education changing school attendance maps. These dedicated moms were screaming about their children being moved from one school to another and separated from their friends. Yeah, I know. You’ve heard this before.

Sorry, ladies, but just what did you expect after you abandoned your parental responsibilities by subjecting your children to these hideous government indoctrination centers we insist on calling “schools.” You blissfully glide along year after year believing that your child is actually being educated, and then suddenly you start spinning around on your eyebrows when the government determines that they will be sent to a different school than the one they attended last year? Grade inflation doesn’t bother you? How about cheating scandals? But change your child’s school and it’s the end of the world?

The first question is why are your children in a government school to begin with? Hopefully you aren’t one of those parents who realizes that most government schools are terrible, but believes that the particular school your child attends is so far above the rest that neither you nor your child has anything to worry about. Do you really believe that? Or do you just WANT to believe that?

So now your child is going to have to attend a strange school next year, and you’re upset. Pardon me for asking, but just how many letters have you written to your elected leaders asking for school choice? How many groups do you belong to that promote school choice? How many times have you spoken to your friends and business associates about school choice and vouchers that allow parents to choose which schools their children will attend? My guess is that your answers to these questions are none, none and never — or maybe just, “Huh?” But now you are whining because the government to which you surrendered your children without complaint has changed your child’s school.

Cry me a river.

Here’s a basic difference between American government schools and the schools you find in many places in Europe (where, by the way, they do a much better job): Here the child follows the money. There the money follows the child. Let me explain.

In many European countries, as here, you pay your school taxes. The bureaucrats then decide how much will be spent to educate each child. In America the bureaucrats send the money to a specific school and tell you that’s where your child must go. Across the pond the bureaucrats wait until the parent has decided on a school, based on whatever criteria is important to the parent, and then send the money chasing after the child. It’s called school choice. Perhaps you’ve heard that phrase before. Teachers’ unions have, and they hate it. They don’t want to have to compete for the money you’ve paid for your child’s education. You, however, SHOULD want to them to compete. Competition breeds innovation and excellence — two concepts foreign to today’s government schools.

Why my dislike of government schools? The type of electorate that can put a President Barack Obama into the White House had to come from somewhere. The common denominator is government education. As Thomas Sowell has written, our schools produce people with “neither the skills to be economically productive nor the intellectual development to make them discerning citizens and voters.”

But for some parents it’s all about where they go, not what they learn.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Our Apologies.

NOTE: Our apologies for being "down" for the last two days. Blogger.com
had some technical issues that took a bit of time to rectify. Read the story below for more information=>

---


Courtesy http://news.cnet.com

Google revives Blogger after outage.

Google got Blogger back online late this morning following a maintenance-related glitch that kept blogs dark for more than 20 hours.

"We're nearly back to normal -- you can publish again, and in the coming hours posts and comments that were temporarily removed should be restored," Eddie Kessler, tech lead/manager at Blogger, wrote in a post on the Blogger Buzz site around 10:30 a.m. PT.

The post continues:

Here's what happened: during scheduled maintenance work Wednesday night, we experienced some data corruption that impacted Blogger's behavior. Since then, bloggers and readers may have experienced a variety of anomalies including intermittent outages, disappearing posts, and arriving at unintended blogs or error pages. A small subset of Blogger users (we estimate 0.16%) may have encountered additional problems specific to their accounts. Yesterday we returned Blogger to a pre-maintenance state and placed the service in read-only mode while we worked on restoring all content: that's why you haven't been able to publish. We rolled back to a version of Blogger as of Wednesday May 11th, so your posts since then were temporarily removed. Those are the posts that we're in the progress of restoring.

The publishing site has millions of active blogs, he said.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20062657-245.html#ixzz1MI642KVp

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

How They Do High Schools In Texas.

Maybe the Fulton County Board Of Education might get a clue...



Courtesy Cnn.com and Wikipedia.


Allen High School is a public, co-educational secondary school in Allen, Texas that serves students in 10th through 12th grades. It is the only high school of the Allen Independent School District. Student enrollment is over 5,000, making the school one of the largest secondary schools in the state of Texas.

Allen High School serves most of the city of Allen. Until fall 2006, when Lovejoy High School opened, Allen High School served high school students in the Lovejoy Independent School District, which includes the city of Lucas, most of Fairview, and a small portion of Allen.[1]

Allen High School was established in 1959 on land donated by Harris Brown on the corner of Jupiter and Main streets. August 1999 saw the opening of Allen High School “2000”, a facility opened to 2,200 students in grades 10 through 12. The former high school was converted into the Becky Lowery Freshman Center, named in honor of a former middle school teacher and school counselor. It serves all 9th grade students.

Allen High School offers the International Baccalaureate program to its students, with the class of 2002 being the first to graduate Full Diploma. AHS also provides Advanced Placement and elective courses.

Allen uses an 8:15 a.m. to 3:35 p.m. modified block schedule. The period schedule includes five standard periods per day, though students are required to be present for only four in 10th grade, and only three in 11th or 12th grade.

The Allen Eagle football program has had five playoff berths and two bi-district championships in six seasons. In 2006 the varsity football team finished its season as the District 9-5A Champions by beating Plano East in the last game of the regular season, 22-17. Its only loss was to Garland High School in the season opener. In the playoffs the Allen Eagles beat Mesquite, Wylie, Round Rock, and Spring Westfield, and made it to the state semifinals where they lost to Southlake Carroll. The team's regular season record was 9-1 with an overall record of 13-2.

The Eagles had a perfect (10-0) regular season in 2007, followed by a first-round playoff loss to end the season.

After finishing the 2008 regular season with a record of 9-1, the Eagles beat South Grand Prairie, Coppell, Odessa Permian, Euless Trinity, Round Rock Stony Point, and Fort Bend Hightower in the state championship to earn their first ever state title, making them Texas' Class 5A Div I State Champions. Upon winning the championship, the Allen Eagles were ranked #2 in the nation by both ESPN Rise and Yahoo! Rivals High School rankings, and they were ranked #5 by MaxPreps poll.

Due to the program's popularity and student population, the school was authorized, via an approved April 2009 $119 million referendum, to build an 18,000 seat stadium to be named Allen Eagle Stadium for the team which will be completed in time for the 2012 football season. [3][4] It will be the third largest high school stadium in the state, but the largest designed for the use of only one team. The new facility also will house a weight room, wrestling practice facility, and indoor golfing facility [5].

The Allen High School girls' golf program achieved the first UIL state championship for the school by winning the state tournament in 2005. The team followed this with another state win in 2006.

The Allen Eagles wrestling team won the THSCA dual state tournament in the 2008-2009 season, defeating the defending UIL state champions Randall High School. The Eagle wrestling team also won the THSCA dual state tournament and UIL state tournament in the 2009-2010 season.

The Allen High School boys bowling team won the 2001-2002 and 2007-2008 Texas High School Bowling Club Team Championships. The Allen girl's team was state champion in 2003-2004 and 2004–2005, becoming the first Texas boys' or girls' teams to repeat as state champions. The girls' bowling team won its third state championship against Plano East in the 2008-2009 school year.

The Allen High School varsity hockey team won the 2006-2007 and 2008-2009 Texas State Championship, and the 2009 Rocky Mountain Regional Championship. The team placed second in the 2009-2010 State Championship, and was a quarterfinalist at the National Championships.

The girl's soccer team finished 2nd in the state in 1998 and the boy's program made it to the 1993, 1996 and 1997 regional finals.

In the 2008-2009 school year, where Allen High School was state champion in football, hockey, girls' bowling, golf, and wrestling.

The Allen Escadrille is the world's largest high school marching band, with a membership of over 680 students.[6] They play for the 5A football team, participate in competitions and perform in parades and other venues. The Escadrille was invited to perform in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2009, and performed in the 2006 Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California. It received the Sudler Shield Award from the John Philip Sousa Foundation in 2004. It was also a participant in the 1994 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, being the only high school band chosen to play at the Dublin Lord Mayors Ball; the 1995 and 1999 Texas Gubernatorial Parades; and the 1997 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Allen High School received the 2011 Grammy Signature School Gold Award,[7] which recognizes U.S. public high schools making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year.

Allen High School also has a broadcast program, KGLE 3 Teen News. Between 1996 and 2006, the program had five first placesBest of Shows, two second places, one third place, one eighth place, and one not placed at the National Scholastic Press Association’s biannual competition. it has also been a Pacemaker finalist five times. The KGLE broadcast program includes radio broadcast.

The Allen Orchestra was invited to perform at The International Midwest Clinic and Convention in 2006.[8]

Allen High School;s photography program won ATPI's Top Program contest in 2006.[citation needed]

The school's German folk dancing team took first place in the 2005 state competition and third place in state finals in 2006.[citation needed]

The Allen Clinical Rotation Program received a new technology lab.[9]

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