Thursday, June 30, 2011
Don't forget: free concert this Friday.
Don't forget: free concert this Friday Sarah Peacock performs at Birmingham Park July 1 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. |
MILTON, Ga., June 30, 2011 - Don't forget to kick off your Independence Day weekend with the second installment of "Concerts in the Park: Boogie Down at Birmingham" presented by Doctors Express Friday, July 1. This show, like the other two in the series, will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m at Milton's Birmingham Park, located behind Milton Fire Station No. 43, just west of the Birmingham Crossroads at 750 Hickory Flat Road (click here for directions). The 200-acre setting means lots of safe, open space to spread out and let the kids dance and play. And make sure to bring Frisbees, footballs, beach balls and whatever else you want to make it a fun time.
|
Nashville's Sarah Peacock, an Atlanta native, will rock Birmingham starting at 6:30 p.m. A true troubadour, the powerhouse vocalist averages more than 200 gigs a year, honing her blend of classic rock, country and pop. She has shared the stage with Jessi Lynn, Barry Waldrep, Levi Lowrey and Clay Cook and appeared on Comcast, WGN, Me.TV, various FOX networks and radio stations across the country. At the show, Peacock will have her first CD, "Straight for Your Heart," and a live album recorded at Decatur's Eddie's Attic for sale. To hear her music, visit www.sarahpeacockmusic.com. |
For more information on this summer concert series, contact Tom Gilliam, Recreation Programs Coordinator, at 678-242-2519 or tom.gilliam@cityofmiltonga.us. |
Announcing a new Meetup for The Milton Garden Club Meetup!
What: Native Plants for the Home Landscape
When: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 10:30 AM
Price: $15.00 per person
Where: Chattahoochee Nature Center
9135 Willeo Rd
Roswell , GA 30075
7702566956
Please join us for a presentation and tour of the Chattahoochee Nature Center to discover the native plants of Georgia and how to incorporate them into your home landscape. Our morning will begin with a 30-45 minute powerpoint presentation given by Lisa Cole in the "Plaza Conference Room". This will be followed by a 45 minute walking tour of the grounds. After the tour, Lisa will open up their greenhouse for anyone who might be interested in purchasing some of their native plants. The cost for the presentation and tour will be $15/person. Please forward your checks, made out to the Milton Garden Club, to: Carol Wahl, 1700 Windsor Cove, Milton, GA 30004.
Kim mentioned at our last meeting that some of you might be interested in bringing children/grandchildren along with you on this outing. The Nature Center has indicated that children are welcome but the powerpoint presentation is geared toward adults. They suggested that if parents with young children (under 10) would like to attend, it might be more appropriate for them to join us after the presentation is over. The cost for the walking tour only would be $5.00/child and $8.00/adult.
Please feel free to bring along a picnic lunch and a cold beverage to enjoy after the tour in the air conditioned Nature Center or outdoors at the picnic tables.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
City Looking To Hire School Crossing Guard.
Courtesy City Of Milton
School Crossing Guard
Date Posted:Friday, June 24, 2011
Position Objectives
The City of Milton is recruiting a School Crossing Guard to assist school children crossing busy streets, and help school buses enter and exit school grounds efficiently. Traffic direction will be required.
Hourly Rate:
$20
Essential duties and responsibilities:
This position involves the responsibility of safely assisting students across busy streets and ensuring the efficient entrance and exit of buses from the school. In addition, direction of normal traffic to ensure the safe and efficient flow of traffic will be required. Hours vary but are school days for approximately 20 hours a week.
Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications include a high school diploma or GED. The ability to work school days both in the morning and the afternoon. Extreme reliability and ability to self manage. The ability to read and interpret traffic signals and signs. The ability to safely cross pedestrians at crosswalks. Position require employee to work outside in extreme weather conditions.
For prompt consideration, send your resume, a letter of interest or complete an application and send to:
Sam Trager
Human Resources Director
City of Milton
13000 Deerfield Parkway Ste 107 F
Milton, GA 30004
Fax: 687.242.2499
or to recruiter@cityofmiltonga.us
School Crossing Guard
Date Posted:Friday, June 24, 2011
Position Objectives
The City of Milton is recruiting a School Crossing Guard to assist school children crossing busy streets, and help school buses enter and exit school grounds efficiently. Traffic direction will be required.
Hourly Rate:
$20
Essential duties and responsibilities:
This position involves the responsibility of safely assisting students across busy streets and ensuring the efficient entrance and exit of buses from the school. In addition, direction of normal traffic to ensure the safe and efficient flow of traffic will be required. Hours vary but are school days for approximately 20 hours a week.
Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications include a high school diploma or GED. The ability to work school days both in the morning and the afternoon. Extreme reliability and ability to self manage. The ability to read and interpret traffic signals and signs. The ability to safely cross pedestrians at crosswalks. Position require employee to work outside in extreme weather conditions.
For prompt consideration, send your resume, a letter of interest or complete an application and send to:
Sam Trager
Human Resources Director
City of Milton
13000 Deerfield Parkway Ste 107 F
Milton, GA 30004
Fax: 687.242.2499
or to recruiter@cityofmiltonga.us
Be a part of the 2011 Milton Roundup.
Get your business or non-profit in front of 5,000-plus people
MILTON, Ga., June 28, 2011 - The 2011 Milton Roundup sponsorship/vendor packet is now available online at www.cityofmiltonga.us and includes everything potential sponsors and vendors need to help Milton throw its biggest birthday party yet.
|
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Leave fireworks to the pros July 4.
Courtesy City of Milton
Personal safety, well-being of animals at risk
MILTON, Ga., June 28, 2011 - In Milton, using consumer fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday puts more than just people at risk, so please use the utmost caution and work with your neighbors to minimize the danger.
DANGER TO PEOPLE
City of Milton Fire Chief Robert Edgar warns residents that every year thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks. Despite the dangers of fireworks, few people understand the associated risks - devastating burns, other injuries, fires and even death.
According to a 2009 report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission there are about 200 fireworks injuries a day during the month surrounding the Fourth of July holiday. The National Fire Protection Association also reports more fires are called in on Independence Day than other day of the year. More than half of these fires are caused by fireworks.
The City of Milton Fire Department hosts a full list of the U.S. Fire Administration's summer safety tips, including how to safely and properly handle the small explosives. On this page, you'll also find tips on safely barbecuing and a wealth of information on protecting your home against common fires.
DANGER TO ANIMALS
Equestrian farm owners in Milton have long contended with horses spooked by fireworks, not to mention the fire danger of dry pastures or barns filled with hay.
This year, the Milton Horse Council, a local non-profit group, is trying to raise awareness of the situation.
"We all like fireworks," said Laura Bentley, one of the founders of the group. "We understand it's just a lack of awareness and are willing to be flexible and understanding with our neighbors."
MiMi Sullivan of the Milton Horse Council owns a farm on Bethany Way. Each year, she tries to prepare her animals for the inevitable explosions late into the night.
"Horses are fight-or-flight animals, so they will run at the first sign of danger," she said. "They hurt themselves or people - they'll jump a fence or sometimes just run right through it. It's a very scary situation."
Roger Brown, who owns Brownwood Farm on Wood Road, said often his neighbors, who live in residential neighborhoods, don't realize how close they are to full-scale farming operations. On New Year's Day, Brown lost a foal when its mother panicked, ran and miscarried.
"Even in stalls, the horses still can be injured when they get panicked - and you don't get close to a panicked horse," he said. "The best thing I can tell people is to just let your neighbors know - we can plan for this sort of thing - and help us create a safer situation for ourselves and the animals."
Personal safety, well-being of animals at risk
MILTON, Ga., June 28, 2011 - In Milton, using consumer fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday puts more than just people at risk, so please use the utmost caution and work with your neighbors to minimize the danger.
DANGER TO PEOPLE
City of Milton Fire Chief Robert Edgar warns residents that every year thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks. Despite the dangers of fireworks, few people understand the associated risks - devastating burns, other injuries, fires and even death.
According to a 2009 report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission there are about 200 fireworks injuries a day during the month surrounding the Fourth of July holiday. The National Fire Protection Association also reports more fires are called in on Independence Day than other day of the year. More than half of these fires are caused by fireworks.
The City of Milton Fire Department hosts a full list of the U.S. Fire Administration's summer safety tips, including how to safely and properly handle the small explosives. On this page, you'll also find tips on safely barbecuing and a wealth of information on protecting your home against common fires.
DANGER TO ANIMALS
Equestrian farm owners in Milton have long contended with horses spooked by fireworks, not to mention the fire danger of dry pastures or barns filled with hay.
This year, the Milton Horse Council, a local non-profit group, is trying to raise awareness of the situation.
"We all like fireworks," said Laura Bentley, one of the founders of the group. "We understand it's just a lack of awareness and are willing to be flexible and understanding with our neighbors."
MiMi Sullivan of the Milton Horse Council owns a farm on Bethany Way. Each year, she tries to prepare her animals for the inevitable explosions late into the night.
"Horses are fight-or-flight animals, so they will run at the first sign of danger," she said. "They hurt themselves or people - they'll jump a fence or sometimes just run right through it. It's a very scary situation."
Roger Brown, who owns Brownwood Farm on Wood Road, said often his neighbors, who live in residential neighborhoods, don't realize how close they are to full-scale farming operations. On New Year's Day, Brown lost a foal when its mother panicked, ran and miscarried.
"Even in stalls, the horses still can be injured when they get panicked - and you don't get close to a panicked horse," he said. "The best thing I can tell people is to just let your neighbors know - we can plan for this sort of thing - and help us create a safer situation for ourselves and the animals."
Monday, June 27, 2011
Local scout freshens up Crabapple Community Center.
If you like the new look of the Crabapple Community Center, be sure to thank Nate Vernon, a rising Milton High School senior and Boy Scout with Troop 841 of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Crabapple.
Vernon chose the long-closed community center on Broadwell Road as his Eagle Project, a community improvement endeavor required for him to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in Scouting. Currently, the building is used as a landmark for the Milton Market, a weekly summer farmer and merchant’s bazaar.
Vernon was contacted about the project by the Crabapple Community Association, a group of local residents and business owners in the area. It’s a labor of love for the Scouts, as Troop 841 was founded more than 60 years ago and used the Community Center as a meeting place. The troop also participates every year in the Crossroads at Crabapple Arts and Antique Festival, cooking burgers and hot dogs to raise money for supplies and camping trips.
“I’m always an advocate of improving the way our city looks, said Vernon in between swipes of paint. “I and the Scouts are representatives of this city, and this is our job.”
As part of his project, Vernon and his fellow scouts will completely repaint the building and add planting boxes full of fresh, new shrubbery. Work will continue through July and should be finished by early August.
Vernon chose the long-closed community center on Broadwell Road as his Eagle Project, a community improvement endeavor required for him to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor in Scouting. Currently, the building is used as a landmark for the Milton Market, a weekly summer farmer and merchant’s bazaar.
Vernon was contacted about the project by the Crabapple Community Association, a group of local residents and business owners in the area. It’s a labor of love for the Scouts, as Troop 841 was founded more than 60 years ago and used the Community Center as a meeting place. The troop also participates every year in the Crossroads at Crabapple Arts and Antique Festival, cooking burgers and hot dogs to raise money for supplies and camping trips.
“I’m always an advocate of improving the way our city looks, said Vernon in between swipes of paint. “I and the Scouts are representatives of this city, and this is our job.”
As part of his project, Vernon and his fellow scouts will completely repaint the building and add planting boxes full of fresh, new shrubbery. Work will continue through July and should be finished by early August.
Milton to re-introduce ‘brown-bag' ordinance.
By Patrick Fox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A clerical error has delayed Milton's considering a new ordinance allowing patrons to bring beer or wine into licensed establishments.
The City Council last week unanimously approved the measure for final consideration July 6, but a code section was missing from the proposed ordinance. The Council will now reintroduce the measure July 6. If approved, the proposal will be scheduled for final consideration, public comment and vote July 18.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A clerical error has delayed Milton's considering a new ordinance allowing patrons to bring beer or wine into licensed establishments.
The City Council last week unanimously approved the measure for final consideration July 6, but a code section was missing from the proposed ordinance. The Council will now reintroduce the measure July 6. If approved, the proposal will be scheduled for final consideration, public comment and vote July 18.
Milton seeks new park director.
By Patrick Fox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Cyndee Bonacci, Milton's first parks and recreation director, is stepping down, and the city is looking for a replacement.
Over the past year, the department has expanded its park space beyond the 15-acre Bell Memorial Park. In March, city officials bought 1 acre at Webb Road and Deerfield Parkway to create a pocket park. More recently, the city signed an agreement with Fulton County Schools to use a 2-acre plot near Northwestern Middle School as a community park. The city has also contracted with a private firm to organize and operate summer youth sports leagues.
Information: www.cityofmiltonga.us
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Cyndee Bonacci, Milton's first parks and recreation director, is stepping down, and the city is looking for a replacement.
Over the past year, the department has expanded its park space beyond the 15-acre Bell Memorial Park. In March, city officials bought 1 acre at Webb Road and Deerfield Parkway to create a pocket park. More recently, the city signed an agreement with Fulton County Schools to use a 2-acre plot near Northwestern Middle School as a community park. The city has also contracted with a private firm to organize and operate summer youth sports leagues.
Information: www.cityofmiltonga.us
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Milton FD continues Fill the Boot Drive.
Despite today’s blistering temperatures, Milton’s firefighters were out on the roads again raising money for the 2011 Muscular Dystrophy Association Fill the Boot Drive.
The department’s efforts have already gotten off to a great start this year, with firefighters raising $10,638 June 3. Milton firefighters will continue their drive throughout the summer and into early September, so keep an eye out for them collecting at busy intersections.
Here’s the schedule:
•B shift will collect on July 8 and 29
•A shift will collect on Aug. 12 and Sept. 2
In just four years, the City of Milton Fire Department has raised more than $161,000 for MDA, which uses the money to aid local children and adults affected by neuromuscular diseases by providing wheelchairs, leg braces, clinic visits, support groups and a chance for children to attend Camp Walk-N-Roll.
The department’s efforts have already gotten off to a great start this year, with firefighters raising $10,638 June 3. Milton firefighters will continue their drive throughout the summer and into early September, so keep an eye out for them collecting at busy intersections.
Here’s the schedule:
•B shift will collect on July 8 and 29
•A shift will collect on Aug. 12 and Sept. 2
In just four years, the City of Milton Fire Department has raised more than $161,000 for MDA, which uses the money to aid local children and adults affected by neuromuscular diseases by providing wheelchairs, leg braces, clinic visits, support groups and a chance for children to attend Camp Walk-N-Roll.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
On A "Rural" Note...
A rural life is better: Living in a concrete jungle is stressful and make you vulnerable to depression.
By David Derbyshire; Mail Online
Scientists have confirmed what every urbanite has long suspected – life in the city is more stressful.
Researchers have shown that the parts of the brain dealing with stress and emotion are affected by living among the crowds.
The findings help shed light on why those who are born and raised in urban areas are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and schizophrenia than those brought up in the countryside.
The team of international scientists behind the finding are unsure why city life is so bad for the nerves.
However, past studies have shown that exposure to green space reduces stress, boosts health and makes us less vulnerable to depression. The findings come from the brain scans of 32 healthy volunteers from urban and rural areas.
Dr Jens Pruessner of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Quebec, who helped carry out the study, said: ‘Previous findings have shown that the risk for anxiety disorders is 21 per cent higher for people from the city, who also have a 39 per cent increase for mood disorders.
‘In addition, the incidence of schizophrenia is almost doubled for individuals born and brought up in cities. These values are a cause for concern.’
Dr Pruessner and colleagues from the Univerity of Heidleberg in Germany monitored the brain activity of adult volunteers while they carried out mental arithmetic puzzles under time pressure.
The functional magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed that the brains of those living in cities reacted differently to stress, the researchers report in the journal Nature.
The region of the brain called the amygdala – involved in mood and emotion – was more active among the volunteers raised in cities, they found.
And those with an urban upbringing had a more active cingulate cortex – a region involved in regulating stress – while carrying out the task.
A larger study would be needed to confirm the findings. The researchers are unsure why city life affects the regions of the brain that handle stress.
Pollution, toxins, crowding or noise could all contribute, they say.
However, past studies have shown that access to green space soothes frayed nerves and improves well-being.
In 2009 Essex University scientists showed that as little as five minutes in a green space cut stress.
Other studies have shown that those with access to countryside are less likely to have heart disease or strokes.
Psychologists have argued that millions of years of evolution means the human brain has not developed to cope with life surrounded by thousands of strangers.
By David Derbyshire; Mail Online
Scientists have confirmed what every urbanite has long suspected – life in the city is more stressful.
Researchers have shown that the parts of the brain dealing with stress and emotion are affected by living among the crowds.
The findings help shed light on why those who are born and raised in urban areas are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and schizophrenia than those brought up in the countryside.
The team of international scientists behind the finding are unsure why city life is so bad for the nerves.
However, past studies have shown that exposure to green space reduces stress, boosts health and makes us less vulnerable to depression. The findings come from the brain scans of 32 healthy volunteers from urban and rural areas.
Dr Jens Pruessner of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Quebec, who helped carry out the study, said: ‘Previous findings have shown that the risk for anxiety disorders is 21 per cent higher for people from the city, who also have a 39 per cent increase for mood disorders.
‘In addition, the incidence of schizophrenia is almost doubled for individuals born and brought up in cities. These values are a cause for concern.’
Dr Pruessner and colleagues from the Univerity of Heidleberg in Germany monitored the brain activity of adult volunteers while they carried out mental arithmetic puzzles under time pressure.
The functional magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed that the brains of those living in cities reacted differently to stress, the researchers report in the journal Nature.
The region of the brain called the amygdala – involved in mood and emotion – was more active among the volunteers raised in cities, they found.
And those with an urban upbringing had a more active cingulate cortex – a region involved in regulating stress – while carrying out the task.
A larger study would be needed to confirm the findings. The researchers are unsure why city life affects the regions of the brain that handle stress.
Pollution, toxins, crowding or noise could all contribute, they say.
However, past studies have shown that access to green space soothes frayed nerves and improves well-being.
In 2009 Essex University scientists showed that as little as five minutes in a green space cut stress.
Other studies have shown that those with access to countryside are less likely to have heart disease or strokes.
Psychologists have argued that millions of years of evolution means the human brain has not developed to cope with life surrounded by thousands of strangers.
Summer basketball starts next week.
Games start July 7, spaces still open
MILTON, Ga., June 23, 2011 - Registration is still open for the City of Milton and Up with Kids Sports (UWKS) summer basketball league, which begins practices next week.
This co-ed development summer league, the city's first, is for children ages 8 to 13 and will last from June 27 to July 30. Games will start July 7. The discounted cost for Milton residents is $115, which includes uniform. The league fee for all others is $172.50.
All games and practices 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.
Parents of children in kindergarten through eighth grade can sign up for the league by clicking here. Choose "City of Milton - UWKS Co-ed Summer League," download the registration form and mail it with payment to:
UWKS
P.O. Box 1201
Alpharetta, GA 30009
For more information on Up with Kids Sports, visit its Web site, www.myuwks.com, or contact coach Samuel 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.
MILTON, Ga., June 23, 2011 - Registration is still open for the City of Milton and Up with Kids Sports (UWKS) summer basketball league, which begins practices next week.
This co-ed development summer league, the city's first, is for children ages 8 to 13 and will last from June 27 to July 30. Games will start July 7. The discounted cost for Milton residents is $115, which includes uniform. The league fee for all others is $172.50.
All games and practices 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.
Parents of children in kindergarten through eighth grade can sign up for the league by clicking here. Choose "City of Milton - UWKS Co-ed Summer League," download the registration form and mail it with payment to:
UWKS
P.O. Box 1201
Alpharetta, GA 30009
For more information on Up with Kids Sports, visit its Web site, www.myuwks.com, or contact coach Samuel 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.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Milton considers Sunday liquor sales.
By Patrick Fox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Milton City Council gave preliminary approval Monday to formally consider measures that would loosen liquor laws for residents and businesses.
.If passed on final reading next month, one measure would allow residents to vote in November on the package sales of beer, wine and liquor by licensed retailers on Sunday. The other measure would allow licensed establishments the option to allow patrons to bring in their own wine or beer.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Milton City Council gave preliminary approval Monday to formally consider measures that would loosen liquor laws for residents and businesses.
.If passed on final reading next month, one measure would allow residents to vote in November on the package sales of beer, wine and liquor by licensed retailers on Sunday. The other measure would allow licensed establishments the option to allow patrons to bring in their own wine or beer.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Post June 20 City Council meeting wrap-up.
Post June 20 City Council meeting wrap-up
ZONING AGENDA
1. RZ11-13/VC11-02 - 14355 Providence Road and Haystack Lane by Segars & Snidow, LLC to rezone from C-1 (Community Business) and AG-1 (Agricultural) to O-I (Office-Institutional) and AG-1 (Agricultural) to expand an existing building and two existing buildings for a total of 5,740 square feet with the following four part concurrent variance:
1) Sect. 64-730(c)(1) To reduce the 40 foot side yard setback to 10 feet along the east property line;
2) Sect. 64-1433(e) To allow off-street parking within the side corner yard along the east property line;
3) Sect. 64-1141(3)a. To reduce the 50 foot buffer and 10 foot improvement setback along the west property line to 20 feet;
4) Sect. 64-1141(3)a. To reduce the 50 foot buffer and 10 foot improvement setback along the north property line to 0 feet.
(Agenda Item No. 11-116)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 6-0 with conditions
(Mayor Joe Lockwood absent)
2. RZ11-06 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create the "Film and Movie Media Productions Administrative Permit" (Sec. 64-1616).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 091)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 6-0 with conditions
3. RZ11-07 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the "Use Regulations" for the C-1 (Community Business) District (Sec. 64-775).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 092)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 6-0
4. RZ11-08 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the "Use Regulations" for the C-2 (Community Business) District (Sec. 64-798).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 093)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 6-0 with conditions
5. RZ11-09 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create "Prohibited Uses in All Districts" (Sec. 64-395).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 094)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 6-0
6. RZ11-10 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create "Separation Standards for High Traffic Uses" (Sec. 64-218).
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Agenda Item No. 11- 095)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Denied 6-0
7. RZ11-11 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to amend definitions in Section 64-1.
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Agenda Item No. 11-117)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 6-0 with conditions
8. RZ11-12 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to amend Roadside vending in Section 64-1607.
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Agenda Item No. 11- 118)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 5-0 with conditions
(Councilwoman Karen Thurman absent for vote)
NEW BUSINESS
1. Approval for City Clerk Sudie Gordon to serve as Chief Municipal Registrar and Absentee Ballot Clerk.
(Agenda Item No. 11-135)
(Chris Lagerbloom City Manager)
Approved 5-0
ZONING AGENDA
1. RZ11-13/VC11-02 - 14355 Providence Road and Haystack Lane by Segars & Snidow, LLC to rezone from C-1 (Community Business) and AG-1 (Agricultural) to O-I (Office-Institutional) and AG-1 (Agricultural) to expand an existing building and two existing buildings for a total of 5,740 square feet with the following four part concurrent variance:
1) Sect. 64-730(c)(1) To reduce the 40 foot side yard setback to 10 feet along the east property line;
2) Sect. 64-1433(e) To allow off-street parking within the side corner yard along the east property line;
3) Sect. 64-1141(3)a. To reduce the 50 foot buffer and 10 foot improvement setback along the west property line to 20 feet;
4) Sect. 64-1141(3)a. To reduce the 50 foot buffer and 10 foot improvement setback along the north property line to 0 feet.
(Agenda Item No. 11-116)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 6-0 with conditions
(Mayor Joe Lockwood absent)
2. RZ11-06 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create the "Film and Movie Media Productions Administrative Permit" (Sec. 64-1616).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 091)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 6-0 with conditions
3. RZ11-07 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the "Use Regulations" for the C-1 (Community Business) District (Sec. 64-775).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 092)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 6-0
4. RZ11-08 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the "Use Regulations" for the C-2 (Community Business) District (Sec. 64-798).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 093)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 6-0 with conditions
5. RZ11-09 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create "Prohibited Uses in All Districts" (Sec. 64-395).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 094)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 6-0
6. RZ11-10 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create "Separation Standards for High Traffic Uses" (Sec. 64-218).
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Agenda Item No. 11- 095)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Denied 6-0
7. RZ11-11 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to amend definitions in Section 64-1.
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Agenda Item No. 11-117)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 6-0 with conditions
8. RZ11-12 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to amend Roadside vending in Section 64-1607.
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Agenda Item No. 11- 118)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Approved 5-0 with conditions
(Councilwoman Karen Thurman absent for vote)
NEW BUSINESS
1. Approval for City Clerk Sudie Gordon to serve as Chief Municipal Registrar and Absentee Ballot Clerk.
(Agenda Item No. 11-135)
(Chris Lagerbloom City Manager)
Approved 5-0
Monday, June 20, 2011
Cities try to resist billboards.
By Bill Torpy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For years, outdoor advertisers have coveted north Fulton County’s upscale suburbs, where consumers tend to have lots of money but not many billboards telling them how to spend it.
Enlarge photo Bita Honarvar, bhonarvar@ajc.com Attorney Adam Webb stands beneath an electronic billboard, located on I-75 near Terrell Mill Road in Marietta, that he successfully fought for in court.
It’s not that the advertisers haven’t tried. They have applied repeatedly for permitting. But the requests were usually rejected out of hand, catapulting the cases into court.
The latest incarnation in that ongoing saga came last week as the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously ruled that four north Fulton cities — Milton, Johns Creek, Sandy Springs and Alpharetta — must permit what critics call “visible pollution on a stick.”
“Billboards are not welcome in north Fulton,” said Roswell Mayor Jere Wood, who has fought the companies since the 1990s and is something of a spiritual leader of the region’s anti-billboard movement. “We kick their ass every chance we get.”
Wood was quick to explain why he was so strident against the oversized placards: “They’re ugly. They’re ugly. They’re like a blemish on your face. They need Clearasil.”
The latest court ruling goes back to 2003 and involves 50 to 70 billboard applications; the two sides still can’t agree on how many are at stake. But north Fulton residents fear the recent ruling will change the character of their carefully coiffed communities. Others worry about the next generation of billboards coming, the new electronic boards, akin to monster TVs on poles that change images every few seconds.
“I think it’ll be a drastic change for these communities to keep an environmentally friendly atmosphere; we feel really done in,” said Sandy Springs resident Joan Brown, a self-described “little grandmother” and Garden Club of Georgia activist who has fought billboard companies for years. “They are very arrogant and have the money to spend.”
Adam Webb, a lawyer who earns a good living helping put billboards where they are often unwanted, smiles at such statements.
“Nothing gets people stirred up like adult stores, strip clubs and billboards; they’re one, two, three,” said Webb, sitting in his cluttered office filled with piles of documents from the dozens of lawsuits he has filed across the country.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” he said, adding that he and sign company operators are not arrogant. They are just fighting for the First Amendment and capitalism.
“It’s a misperception that they’ll wreck an area,” Webb said.
Look at West Paces Ferry Road, he said, one of Atlanta’s premier residential stretches that includes the governor’s mansion.
“There are billboards at one end, by I-75, and on the other end at Peachtree Road. They haven’t hurt its reputation. During the 1990s in Roswell, they said the world will come to an end if billboards went up. They did. But the city has not slide into a slum.”And, he noted with a grin, Roswell Mayor Wood has used a billboard to advertise his campaign. He even provided a photo as proof.
The fierce battle waged by the north Fulton communities is typical, said David Flint, the lawyer for two of the four billboard companies in the suit. (Webb had the other two.) “Neighborhoods with great affluence want to exert the most control,” Flint said.
The current suit includes applications for billboards along Ga. 9, Ga. 400, Roswell Road and other thoroughfares. Most are for the industry standard, 14-by-48 feet boards.
Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood said billboards will hurt aesthetics in the still-rustic city. But continuing to fight would waste tax money, he added. So city officials will sit down with the companies to see how many billboards they really want to erect.
Billboard companies frequently blanket cities and counties with applications, said Laurel Henderson, an attorney who represented the cities in the suit. “They’ll ask for 15 to 20 when they really want six,” she said.
The companies started applying for permits in 2003 and sued after Fulton County turned them down. The county once had zoning jurisdiction over the area before Sandy Springs incorporated in 2005 and Milton and Johns Creek in 2006. Also, Alpharetta annexed some land that had applications pending.
While the suits were pending, the state Supreme Court ruled, in a separate case, that Fulton’s sign ordinance violated the First Amendment. In that case, the court ruled the county was prohibiting signs based on their content.
Lawyers said courts increasingly are ruling commercial speech should be as protected as non-commercial speech. Once government bodies start regulating content on signs, judges start having problems.
“The First Amendment is a powerful thing, especially in Georgia,” said Henderson, who often represents municipalities in billboard suits. “The courts have given [billboard companies] more protection than in other states.”She said the sign ordinances in the north Fulton communities have been rewritten to be “content neutral,” not differentiating between types of speech. Cities can regulate the size of billboards and issues like the set-back from roads or height. They also can regulate for aesthetics or traffic safety, but lawyers say those issues are wide open for interpretation.
Proponents say billboards are the most efficient way for “mom-and-pop” businesses to turn passersby into customers.
Jim Wade, owner of one of the billboard companies in the suit, said he got lost last week while looking for an auto repair shop in Alpharetta because the city is stringent about limiting the size of directional signs.
Webb said he represented a Gwinnett County furniture store that lost 30 percent of its business after a car crashed into its billboard, knocking it down.
But Henderson, who often battles Webb in court, said she conducted surveys for lawsuits in Sandy Springs, Newnan and Statesboro and found that the signs usually plug national corporations, not “mom and pops.”
The north Fulton lawsuit is more a battle from the past, anyway, she said. The fight is now over electronic billboards. Outdoor advertising companies increasingly want to turn existing billboards electric, she said, because they generate more revenue.
Jay Bockisch, a Johns Creek Community Association member, figures the billboard companies in the recent suit want to do exactly that. “I imagine they’re angling for a couple LED signs instead of all the applications they put in,” he said.
Residents will keep an eye on the process, said Bockisch, who contends “one (sign) is too many for our city.”An idea that may gain some traction, he said, is for residents to write companies advertising on the new billboards and express their displeasure that they are doing so.
Roswell’s mayor tried the same tack a decade ago but was ordered by the court to stop.
“But you can’t stop a local citizen from writing letters saying we’re not happy,” said Bockisch.
The battle never ends.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For years, outdoor advertisers have coveted north Fulton County’s upscale suburbs, where consumers tend to have lots of money but not many billboards telling them how to spend it.
Enlarge photo Bita Honarvar, bhonarvar@ajc.com Attorney Adam Webb stands beneath an electronic billboard, located on I-75 near Terrell Mill Road in Marietta, that he successfully fought for in court.
It’s not that the advertisers haven’t tried. They have applied repeatedly for permitting. But the requests were usually rejected out of hand, catapulting the cases into court.
The latest incarnation in that ongoing saga came last week as the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously ruled that four north Fulton cities — Milton, Johns Creek, Sandy Springs and Alpharetta — must permit what critics call “visible pollution on a stick.”
“Billboards are not welcome in north Fulton,” said Roswell Mayor Jere Wood, who has fought the companies since the 1990s and is something of a spiritual leader of the region’s anti-billboard movement. “We kick their ass every chance we get.”
Wood was quick to explain why he was so strident against the oversized placards: “They’re ugly. They’re ugly. They’re like a blemish on your face. They need Clearasil.”
The latest court ruling goes back to 2003 and involves 50 to 70 billboard applications; the two sides still can’t agree on how many are at stake. But north Fulton residents fear the recent ruling will change the character of their carefully coiffed communities. Others worry about the next generation of billboards coming, the new electronic boards, akin to monster TVs on poles that change images every few seconds.
“I think it’ll be a drastic change for these communities to keep an environmentally friendly atmosphere; we feel really done in,” said Sandy Springs resident Joan Brown, a self-described “little grandmother” and Garden Club of Georgia activist who has fought billboard companies for years. “They are very arrogant and have the money to spend.”
Adam Webb, a lawyer who earns a good living helping put billboards where they are often unwanted, smiles at such statements.
“Nothing gets people stirred up like adult stores, strip clubs and billboards; they’re one, two, three,” said Webb, sitting in his cluttered office filled with piles of documents from the dozens of lawsuits he has filed across the country.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” he said, adding that he and sign company operators are not arrogant. They are just fighting for the First Amendment and capitalism.
“It’s a misperception that they’ll wreck an area,” Webb said.
Look at West Paces Ferry Road, he said, one of Atlanta’s premier residential stretches that includes the governor’s mansion.
“There are billboards at one end, by I-75, and on the other end at Peachtree Road. They haven’t hurt its reputation. During the 1990s in Roswell, they said the world will come to an end if billboards went up. They did. But the city has not slide into a slum.”And, he noted with a grin, Roswell Mayor Wood has used a billboard to advertise his campaign. He even provided a photo as proof.
The fierce battle waged by the north Fulton communities is typical, said David Flint, the lawyer for two of the four billboard companies in the suit. (Webb had the other two.) “Neighborhoods with great affluence want to exert the most control,” Flint said.
The current suit includes applications for billboards along Ga. 9, Ga. 400, Roswell Road and other thoroughfares. Most are for the industry standard, 14-by-48 feet boards.
Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood said billboards will hurt aesthetics in the still-rustic city. But continuing to fight would waste tax money, he added. So city officials will sit down with the companies to see how many billboards they really want to erect.
Billboard companies frequently blanket cities and counties with applications, said Laurel Henderson, an attorney who represented the cities in the suit. “They’ll ask for 15 to 20 when they really want six,” she said.
The companies started applying for permits in 2003 and sued after Fulton County turned them down. The county once had zoning jurisdiction over the area before Sandy Springs incorporated in 2005 and Milton and Johns Creek in 2006. Also, Alpharetta annexed some land that had applications pending.
While the suits were pending, the state Supreme Court ruled, in a separate case, that Fulton’s sign ordinance violated the First Amendment. In that case, the court ruled the county was prohibiting signs based on their content.
Lawyers said courts increasingly are ruling commercial speech should be as protected as non-commercial speech. Once government bodies start regulating content on signs, judges start having problems.
“The First Amendment is a powerful thing, especially in Georgia,” said Henderson, who often represents municipalities in billboard suits. “The courts have given [billboard companies] more protection than in other states.”She said the sign ordinances in the north Fulton communities have been rewritten to be “content neutral,” not differentiating between types of speech. Cities can regulate the size of billboards and issues like the set-back from roads or height. They also can regulate for aesthetics or traffic safety, but lawyers say those issues are wide open for interpretation.
Proponents say billboards are the most efficient way for “mom-and-pop” businesses to turn passersby into customers.
Jim Wade, owner of one of the billboard companies in the suit, said he got lost last week while looking for an auto repair shop in Alpharetta because the city is stringent about limiting the size of directional signs.
Webb said he represented a Gwinnett County furniture store that lost 30 percent of its business after a car crashed into its billboard, knocking it down.
But Henderson, who often battles Webb in court, said she conducted surveys for lawsuits in Sandy Springs, Newnan and Statesboro and found that the signs usually plug national corporations, not “mom and pops.”
The north Fulton lawsuit is more a battle from the past, anyway, she said. The fight is now over electronic billboards. Outdoor advertising companies increasingly want to turn existing billboards electric, she said, because they generate more revenue.
Jay Bockisch, a Johns Creek Community Association member, figures the billboard companies in the recent suit want to do exactly that. “I imagine they’re angling for a couple LED signs instead of all the applications they put in,” he said.
Residents will keep an eye on the process, said Bockisch, who contends “one (sign) is too many for our city.”An idea that may gain some traction, he said, is for residents to write companies advertising on the new billboards and express their displeasure that they are doing so.
Roswell’s mayor tried the same tack a decade ago but was ordered by the court to stop.
“But you can’t stop a local citizen from writing letters saying we’re not happy,” said Bockisch.
The battle never ends.
Transportation input welcomed June 22.
Officials will answer questions for one hour via phone at 6 p.m.
MILTON, GA., June 20, 2011 - As part of its effort on behalf of the Transportation Investment Act (TIA), a proposed one-cent sales tax that could fund a prioritized list of regional transportation projects, the Atlanta Regional Roundtable will hold a one-hour telephone town hall meeting Wednesday, June 22 at 6 p.m.
If you are interested in asking questions of local officials or giving your input on which projects should be part of the list, call 1-888-886-6603 and use the PIN 16727. Anyone whose questions are not answered during the phone call will have an option to receive a response via e-mail.
Please note this telephone town hall meeting is in addition to the Roundtable's six-night random calling effort expected to involve more than 1 million people.
A referendum appearing on November's voting ballot, the TIA concerns a one-cent sales tax dedicated to completion of specific transportation projects. A key component is the development of a list of projects - created by a roundtable of regional elected officials with the public's input - to be funded by the tax, if approved.
For information on the Atlanta Regional Roundtable and how the list of projects is being developed, please click here. Information on the legislation and upcoming vote can be found here. For more information on the telephone town hall meeting, contact Kathryn Lawler, External Affairs Manager of the Atlanta Regional Commission, at 404-463-3296.
The City of Milton encourages all residents to consider participating in this important process. The issue of transportation is too important in our community and our region for your voice not to be heard.
MILTON, GA., June 20, 2011 - As part of its effort on behalf of the Transportation Investment Act (TIA), a proposed one-cent sales tax that could fund a prioritized list of regional transportation projects, the Atlanta Regional Roundtable will hold a one-hour telephone town hall meeting Wednesday, June 22 at 6 p.m.
If you are interested in asking questions of local officials or giving your input on which projects should be part of the list, call 1-888-886-6603 and use the PIN 16727. Anyone whose questions are not answered during the phone call will have an option to receive a response via e-mail.
Please note this telephone town hall meeting is in addition to the Roundtable's six-night random calling effort expected to involve more than 1 million people.
A referendum appearing on November's voting ballot, the TIA concerns a one-cent sales tax dedicated to completion of specific transportation projects. A key component is the development of a list of projects - created by a roundtable of regional elected officials with the public's input - to be funded by the tax, if approved.
For information on the Atlanta Regional Roundtable and how the list of projects is being developed, please click here. Information on the legislation and upcoming vote can be found here. For more information on the telephone town hall meeting, contact Kathryn Lawler, External Affairs Manager of the Atlanta Regional Commission, at 404-463-3296.
The City of Milton encourages all residents to consider participating in this important process. The issue of transportation is too important in our community and our region for your voice not to be heard.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Do You Raise Eggs and / or Honey?
by Accessmilton.com
Do you raise eggs and / or honey? If so, Milton Market President Zack Eller wants to talk with you about joining him at the Milton Market every Saturday in Crabapple from 9am until 1pm.
Zack can be reached at 678 896 2491.
Resident Experiences Milton Nature First Hand.
By Accessmilton.com
A few weeks ago, we posted a video on a very old Southeastern box turtle we came across and named "Norman."
As we shared, this is the season that box turtles are out and about. One Milton resident experienced this first hand this past week.
"Saw your video a couple weeks ago about the box turtle. Tonight after I came in
from feeding our Koi in the pond, I looked out the window and saw movement by
the stone wall," Tom Kuehn shares, "His colors were so vibrant for a turtle - err.. tortoise. So I went out to take it's picture - of course when I got close he/she pulled their head in."
He was kind enough to forward over some pictures of his turtle encounter for our readers as well.
Many thanks to Tom for sharing this wonderful story!
June 20 City Council meeting notice.
Monday, June 20, 2011 Regular Council Meeting Agenda 6:00 p.m.
INVOCATION - Community Minister Tass Welch, Community of Christ Church, Milton, GA
CALL TO ORDER
1) ROLL CALL
2) PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE (Led by the Mayor)
3) APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA (Add or remove items from the agenda)
(Agenda Item No. 11-126)
4) PUBLIC COMMENT
5) CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approval of the May 9, 2011 Work Session Minutes.
(Agenda Item No. 11-127)
(Sudie Gordon, City Clerk)
2. Approval of Financial Statements for Period Ending October, 2010.
(Agenda Item No. 11-128)
(Stacey Inglis, Finance Director)
3. Approval of a Professional Services Agreement between the City of Milton and Wolverton & Associates, Inc. for the Drainage Improvements located between Dinsmore Road and Scarlet Oak Trail.
(Agenda Item No. 11-129)
(Carter Lucas, Public Works Director)
4. Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Milton and GovDeals, Inc. for Online Auction Services to Dispose of Surplus Capital Assets.
(Agenda Item No. 11-130)
(Stacey Inglis, Finance Director)
5. Approval of a License Agreement for Local Government Entities between American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and the City of Milton, Georgia.
(Agenda Item No. 11-131)
(Cyndee Bonacci, Parks & Recreation Director)
6) REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS (None)
7) FIRST PRESENTATION
1. Approval of an Amendment to the Alcohol Ordinance to Include Provisions to Allow "Brown-Bagging".
(Agenda Item No. 11- 132)
(Deborah Harrell, Chief of Police)
2. Approval of an Ordinance of the City Council to Authorize Fulton County to Conduct Election.
(Agenda Item No. 11-133)
(Ken Jarrard, City Attorney)
3. Approval of an Ordinance to Amend Chapter 7, Alcoholic Beverages, of the City of Milton Code of Ordinances to Authorize the Package Sales of Malt Beverages, Wine and Distilled Spirits by Certain Retail Package Licensees during Certain Hours on Sundays; to Provide for the Repeal of Conflicting Ordinances; to Authorize a Referendum on the Package Sale of Alcoholic Beverages on Sundays; and for Other Lawful Purposes.
(Agenda Item No. 11-134)
(Ken Jarrard, City Manager)
8) PUBLIC HEARING (None)
9) ZONING AGENDA
1. RZ11-13/VC11-02 - 14355 Providence Road and Haystack Lane by Segars & Snidow, LLC to rezone from C-1 (Community Business) and AG-1 (Agricultural) to O-I (Office-Institutional) and AG-1 (Agricultural) to expand an existing building and two existing buildings for a total of 5,740 square feet with the following four part concurrent variance:
1) Sect. 64-730(c)(1) To reduce the 40 foot side yard setback to 10 feet along the east property line;
2) Sect. 64-1433(e) To allow off-street parking within the side corner yard along the east property line;
3) Sect. 64-1141(3)a. To reduce the 50 foot buffer and 10 foot improvement setback along the west property line to 20 feet;
4) Sect. 64-1141(3)a. To reduce the 50 foot buffer and 10 foot improvement setback along the north property line to 0 feet.
(Agenda Item No. 11-116)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
2. RZ11-06 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create the "Film and Movie Media Productions Administrative Permit" (Sec. 64-1616).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 091)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
3. RZ11-07 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the "Use Regulations" for the C-1 (Community Business) District (Sec. 64-775).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 092)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
4. RZ11-08 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the "Use Regulations" for the C-2 (Community Business) District (Sec. 64-798).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 093)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
5. RZ11-09 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create "Prohibited Uses in All Districts" (Sec. 64-395).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 094)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
6. RZ11-10 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create "Separation Standards for High Traffic Uses" (Sec. 64-218).
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Agenda Item No. 11- 095)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
7. RZ11-11 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to amend definitions in Section 64-1.
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Agenda Item No. 11-117)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
8. RZ11-12 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to amend Roadside vending in Section 64-1607.
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Agenda Item No. 11- 118)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
10) UNFINISHED BUSINESS (None)
11) NEW BUSINESS
1. Approval for City Clerk Sudie Gordon to serve as Chief Municipal Registrar and Absentee Ballot Clerk.
(Agenda Item No. 11-135)
(Chris Lagerbloom City Manager)
12) MAYOR AND COUNCIL REPORTS
13) STAFF REPORTS
14) EXECUTIVE SESSION
15) ADJOURNMENT
(Agenda Item No. 11-136)
INVOCATION - Community Minister Tass Welch, Community of Christ Church, Milton, GA
CALL TO ORDER
1) ROLL CALL
2) PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE (Led by the Mayor)
3) APPROVAL OF MEETING AGENDA (Add or remove items from the agenda)
(Agenda Item No. 11-126)
4) PUBLIC COMMENT
5) CONSENT AGENDA
1. Approval of the May 9, 2011 Work Session Minutes.
(Agenda Item No. 11-127)
(Sudie Gordon, City Clerk)
2. Approval of Financial Statements for Period Ending October, 2010.
(Agenda Item No. 11-128)
(Stacey Inglis, Finance Director)
3. Approval of a Professional Services Agreement between the City of Milton and Wolverton & Associates, Inc. for the Drainage Improvements located between Dinsmore Road and Scarlet Oak Trail.
(Agenda Item No. 11-129)
(Carter Lucas, Public Works Director)
4. Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Milton and GovDeals, Inc. for Online Auction Services to Dispose of Surplus Capital Assets.
(Agenda Item No. 11-130)
(Stacey Inglis, Finance Director)
5. Approval of a License Agreement for Local Government Entities between American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and the City of Milton, Georgia.
(Agenda Item No. 11-131)
(Cyndee Bonacci, Parks & Recreation Director)
6) REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS (None)
7) FIRST PRESENTATION
1. Approval of an Amendment to the Alcohol Ordinance to Include Provisions to Allow "Brown-Bagging".
(Agenda Item No. 11- 132)
(Deborah Harrell, Chief of Police)
2. Approval of an Ordinance of the City Council to Authorize Fulton County to Conduct Election.
(Agenda Item No. 11-133)
(Ken Jarrard, City Attorney)
3. Approval of an Ordinance to Amend Chapter 7, Alcoholic Beverages, of the City of Milton Code of Ordinances to Authorize the Package Sales of Malt Beverages, Wine and Distilled Spirits by Certain Retail Package Licensees during Certain Hours on Sundays; to Provide for the Repeal of Conflicting Ordinances; to Authorize a Referendum on the Package Sale of Alcoholic Beverages on Sundays; and for Other Lawful Purposes.
(Agenda Item No. 11-134)
(Ken Jarrard, City Manager)
8) PUBLIC HEARING (None)
9) ZONING AGENDA
1. RZ11-13/VC11-02 - 14355 Providence Road and Haystack Lane by Segars & Snidow, LLC to rezone from C-1 (Community Business) and AG-1 (Agricultural) to O-I (Office-Institutional) and AG-1 (Agricultural) to expand an existing building and two existing buildings for a total of 5,740 square feet with the following four part concurrent variance:
1) Sect. 64-730(c)(1) To reduce the 40 foot side yard setback to 10 feet along the east property line;
2) Sect. 64-1433(e) To allow off-street parking within the side corner yard along the east property line;
3) Sect. 64-1141(3)a. To reduce the 50 foot buffer and 10 foot improvement setback along the west property line to 20 feet;
4) Sect. 64-1141(3)a. To reduce the 50 foot buffer and 10 foot improvement setback along the north property line to 0 feet.
(Agenda Item No. 11-116)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
2. RZ11-06 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create the "Film and Movie Media Productions Administrative Permit" (Sec. 64-1616).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 091)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
3. RZ11-07 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the "Use Regulations" for the C-1 (Community Business) District (Sec. 64-775).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 092)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
4. RZ11-08 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the "Use Regulations" for the C-2 (Community Business) District (Sec. 64-798).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 093)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
5. RZ11-09 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create "Prohibited Uses in All Districts" (Sec. 64-395).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 094)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
6. RZ11-10 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create "Separation Standards for High Traffic Uses" (Sec. 64-218).
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Agenda Item No. 11- 095)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
7. RZ11-11 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to amend definitions in Section 64-1.
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Agenda Item No. 11-117)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
8. RZ11-12 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to amend Roadside vending in Section 64-1607.
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011)
(Discussed at Work Session on June 13, 2011)
(Agenda Item No. 11- 118)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
10) UNFINISHED BUSINESS (None)
11) NEW BUSINESS
1. Approval for City Clerk Sudie Gordon to serve as Chief Municipal Registrar and Absentee Ballot Clerk.
(Agenda Item No. 11-135)
(Chris Lagerbloom City Manager)
12) MAYOR AND COUNCIL REPORTS
13) STAFF REPORTS
14) EXECUTIVE SESSION
15) ADJOURNMENT
(Agenda Item No. 11-136)
Milton Farmers Market begins third year.
Staff / Erin Gray Zack Eller, 16, of Milton will be organizing the Milton Farmers Market this year. Eller has been running a natural dog biscuit company from his home kitchen from the young age of 6 and will also be participating as a market vendor this year. Eller is pictured at his home with his dog Duke.
By Joan Durbin; Neighbor Newspapers
At 16, Zack Eller already is a successful entrepreneur. His company, Wolf ‘Em Down Dog Biscuits, sells homemade canine treats made from natural ingredients.
Now the rising Milton High School junior has taken on a new challenge. He’s the organizer of this year’s edition of the Milton Farmers Market.
“Tim Enloe originated it three years ago, but this year he didn’t have enough time, so he passed it on to me,” Eller said. “It’s definitely not easy, but I’m having a blast doing it. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
Every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. until July 30 the Milton Farmers Market will set up at the Crabapple Community House, 12615 Broadwell Road, across the street from the Alpharetta government complex.
“It’s small, but it’s big enough,” Eller said of the city-owned land.
In keeping with the tradition of farmers markets, Eller said there will be produce vendors galore. “A ton of people sell fruits and vegetables, although we haven’t had a lot of rain lately so I don’t know how ready they’ll all be right now. But they’ll certainly be there two to three weeks in.”
Of course, Eller will be there with his natural dog biscuits, and he has encouraged other young vendors to sign up. Representatives from organizations such as the Habitat for Humanity Club at Milton High School will have wares to sell.
It’s the sense of Milton as a community Eller said he hopes to foster with the market.
“I definitely want to try to make this the place to come out to in Milton on a Saturday morning, to see people, buy fresh produce and have a great time,” he said.
Law could impact school enrollment.
By Jeremy Redmon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Metro Atlanta school officials plan to closely monitor their enrollment figures over the summer now that Georgia’s tough new immigration enforcement law is about to take effect.
The reason: Many illegal immigrants could leave the state and pull their children out of public schools if opponents are unable to block the law in federal court.
It’s too early to cite trends in Georgia. But Arizona, which passed a similar immigration law last year, suspects it is the reason hundreds of children have left some of its schools.
A lot is at stake for Georgia schools. Student enrollment changes can affect state and federal funding schools receive per student, staffing and school construction plans and even how school attendance boundaries are drawn.
Proponents of the law say Georgia taxpayers will save money in the long run by reducing the state’s student population growth and the need for programming for non-English speaking students.
The immigration law is scheduled to take effect July 1. But a federal judge could rule as soon as Monday on a request by civil and immigrant rights groups to block the law. They argue the law is unconstitutional. State lawmakers deny that and predict the law will stand.
The measure doesn’t specifically address schools. But it does empower police to investigate the immigration status of certain suspects and arrest illegal immigrants.
That provision is the one that most frightens those who say they are readying to flee Georgia.
The potential impact for schools is unclear. School officials say federal law prohibits them from inquiring about a child’s immigration status.
But the state does track students who receive special English language lessons. There were 82,112 enrolled across the state during the school year that just ended, according to the state Department of Education. Over half of them — 42,581 — were in Atlanta-area schools.
It’s unknown how many of those students are in the country illegally. Georgia spends $8,761 to educate each student on average — not including federal funds — meaning the potential fallout from a mass exodus could be millions of dollars in lost revenue for schools having to calibrate spending post-recession.
Gwinnett County had the most English-language learners in the Atlanta area with 18,834, followed by DeKalb County at 9,329.
DeKalb Area Assistant Superintendent Kenneth Bradshaw said he has heard anecdotes of families withdrawing their children from schools because of the new immigration enforcement law. He said he was going to discuss with other school officials how an exodus of students could impact staffing plans.
“There is just a feeling of being unsettled, just not knowing,” Bradshaw said of the reports he has heard of students leaving. “We are going to start monitoring that probably within the next week or two to really gauge this.”Proponents of Georgia’s new law say illegal immigrants are burdening taxpayer-funded resources in Georgia, including public schools. The Federation for American Immigration Reform has estimated that 133,262 children of illegal immigrants attend Georgia’s public schools, costing taxpayers $1.4 billion a year. FAIR — a Washington-based organization that advocates tougher immigration enforcement — says it based its findings on census data.
Catherine Davis of Stone Mountain is glad the new law is encouraging illegal immigrants to pull their children out of DeKalb’s cash-strapped school system.
“I don’t see a downside to that because — especially here in DeKalb County — we are talking now about having to close schools and go in different directions to try to give the children the best education,” said Davis, a member of the Dustin Inman Society, which advocates enforcement of U.S. immigration and employment laws.
“Smaller class sizes are certainly going to be a benefit in an environment like we have here in DeKalb County.”
Republican state Rep. Mike Jacobs, who voted for the law and represents part of north DeKalb, said he is sympathetic with school officials who will be forced to deal with any fallout from the measure.
“We are coming up on the school year that will tell us a great deal,” Jacobs said. “For better or for worse, school systems do not turn on a dime. It’s more like turning a battleship.”
Rutila Mateo is among the illegal immigrants in north DeKalb who is considering leaving Georgia. Sitting with her four daughters in the living room of their apartment, Mateo described how she entered the country illegally with her first daughter 14 years ago. She gave birth to three more daughters here.
Her oldest, who also is here illegally, is set to attend Dunwoody High School. Another daughter is attending summer school at Path Academy charter school in Brookhaven. The youngest two daughters have been attending Cary Reynolds Elementary School in Doraville.
Mateo said her husband was deported last year after Gwinnett County police arrested him for driving with an expired license. Mateo, who cleans apartments to support her family, worries she also could be arrested, deported and separated from her kids. At the same time, she is fearful the raging drug violence in Mexico could harm her daughters.
“I’m very worried about the situation in Mexico,” Mateo said in Spanish. “I want my daughters to get a better education than I had.”Mateo is now seeking a Mexican passport for her eldest daughter, Stephanie, so they may return to their native country this year. The teen just graduated from Path Academy, where she directed and starred in a musical production of “Hairspray.”
“I don’t want to move. My whole life is here. I’m afraid of what will happen in Mexico,” said Stephanie, who demonstrated in March against Georgia’s new law with several thousand protesters outside the state Capitol.
Other illegal immigrants are preparing to leave Georgia for other states.
Fidel Hernandez of Doraville is considering moving to Los Angeles or Las Vegas, where he has relatives. He crossed the Mexican border illegally more than 20 years ago. His wife is here illegally. So is his 17-year-old son, who attends Lakeside High School. Hernandez has three U.S.-born children, two of whom attend Path Academy. The youngest is preparing to attend Cary Reynolds.
A handyman, Hernandez drives to work without a license. He is fearful he and his wife could be arrested and deported. He said he recently read about a drug-fueled mass killing in his hometown in Mexico.
“My kids have been here all their lives, so I don’t know how to handle it,” he said before adding about the enforcement of Georgia’s new law: “If they get rough, we are going to start packing and get out of town.”
Gwinnett and Fulton county school officials said they won’t have anything to report about enrollment changes until after the next school year starts. An Atlanta school official said the city’s enrollment has remained consistent and that he hasn’t heard of students withdrawing from city schools because of the new law. A Cobb County schools spokesman said the number of immigrant students dropped in his county by 308 over the last two years, but he said he wasn’t certain of the cause.
“We will keep an eye on immigrant enrollment figures as the next school year gets under way,” Cobb schools spokesman Jay Dillon said.
To get an idea of what could happen later this summer, Atlanta area school officials could look to Arizona. Phoenix-area school officials say they think they have lost many students because of the new law.
For example, enrollment at Creighton Elementary School in Phoenix dropped by about 200 students last year after the state enacted its anti-illegal immigration law, said the school’s principal, Rosemary Agneessens.
She attributed the decline to the new law as well as the nation’s souring economy. Consequently, Creighton eliminated eight staff positions.
Republican Senate President Russell Pearce and other supporters of the Arizona law say it has saved hundreds of millions of dollars by reducing the impact of illegal immigrants on public schools and prisons.
“This is a savings to the taxpayer,” Pearce said.
Teachers, meanwhile, are reporting some initial impact at DeKalb’s Path Academy, where 70 percent of students are Hispanic and 88 percent are eligible for free or reduced price meals. Some children of immigrants have been distracted by the law and have been difficult to motivate, staffers say. Others students have been pumping their teachers for information about the new law and ferrying it back to their parents. Some refused to attend a field trip to Washington, D.C., this year out of fear their parents would be deported while they were gone.
“We tried to reassure the kids that: ‘If something happens, we would take care of you,’ ” social studies teacher Robin Elms said.
Supporters of Georgia’s new law said they sympathize with the children but fault their parents.
“The attention is often on the children, but it is never focused where it should be — on the parents,” said Bob Dane, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. “Parents ultimately have a responsibility to not put their children into a situation that could cause them to be in harm’s way or separated.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Metro Atlanta school officials plan to closely monitor their enrollment figures over the summer now that Georgia’s tough new immigration enforcement law is about to take effect.
The reason: Many illegal immigrants could leave the state and pull their children out of public schools if opponents are unable to block the law in federal court.
It’s too early to cite trends in Georgia. But Arizona, which passed a similar immigration law last year, suspects it is the reason hundreds of children have left some of its schools.
A lot is at stake for Georgia schools. Student enrollment changes can affect state and federal funding schools receive per student, staffing and school construction plans and even how school attendance boundaries are drawn.
Proponents of the law say Georgia taxpayers will save money in the long run by reducing the state’s student population growth and the need for programming for non-English speaking students.
The immigration law is scheduled to take effect July 1. But a federal judge could rule as soon as Monday on a request by civil and immigrant rights groups to block the law. They argue the law is unconstitutional. State lawmakers deny that and predict the law will stand.
The measure doesn’t specifically address schools. But it does empower police to investigate the immigration status of certain suspects and arrest illegal immigrants.
That provision is the one that most frightens those who say they are readying to flee Georgia.
The potential impact for schools is unclear. School officials say federal law prohibits them from inquiring about a child’s immigration status.
But the state does track students who receive special English language lessons. There were 82,112 enrolled across the state during the school year that just ended, according to the state Department of Education. Over half of them — 42,581 — were in Atlanta-area schools.
It’s unknown how many of those students are in the country illegally. Georgia spends $8,761 to educate each student on average — not including federal funds — meaning the potential fallout from a mass exodus could be millions of dollars in lost revenue for schools having to calibrate spending post-recession.
Gwinnett County had the most English-language learners in the Atlanta area with 18,834, followed by DeKalb County at 9,329.
DeKalb Area Assistant Superintendent Kenneth Bradshaw said he has heard anecdotes of families withdrawing their children from schools because of the new immigration enforcement law. He said he was going to discuss with other school officials how an exodus of students could impact staffing plans.
“There is just a feeling of being unsettled, just not knowing,” Bradshaw said of the reports he has heard of students leaving. “We are going to start monitoring that probably within the next week or two to really gauge this.”Proponents of Georgia’s new law say illegal immigrants are burdening taxpayer-funded resources in Georgia, including public schools. The Federation for American Immigration Reform has estimated that 133,262 children of illegal immigrants attend Georgia’s public schools, costing taxpayers $1.4 billion a year. FAIR — a Washington-based organization that advocates tougher immigration enforcement — says it based its findings on census data.
Catherine Davis of Stone Mountain is glad the new law is encouraging illegal immigrants to pull their children out of DeKalb’s cash-strapped school system.
“I don’t see a downside to that because — especially here in DeKalb County — we are talking now about having to close schools and go in different directions to try to give the children the best education,” said Davis, a member of the Dustin Inman Society, which advocates enforcement of U.S. immigration and employment laws.
“Smaller class sizes are certainly going to be a benefit in an environment like we have here in DeKalb County.”
Republican state Rep. Mike Jacobs, who voted for the law and represents part of north DeKalb, said he is sympathetic with school officials who will be forced to deal with any fallout from the measure.
“We are coming up on the school year that will tell us a great deal,” Jacobs said. “For better or for worse, school systems do not turn on a dime. It’s more like turning a battleship.”
Rutila Mateo is among the illegal immigrants in north DeKalb who is considering leaving Georgia. Sitting with her four daughters in the living room of their apartment, Mateo described how she entered the country illegally with her first daughter 14 years ago. She gave birth to three more daughters here.
Her oldest, who also is here illegally, is set to attend Dunwoody High School. Another daughter is attending summer school at Path Academy charter school in Brookhaven. The youngest two daughters have been attending Cary Reynolds Elementary School in Doraville.
Mateo said her husband was deported last year after Gwinnett County police arrested him for driving with an expired license. Mateo, who cleans apartments to support her family, worries she also could be arrested, deported and separated from her kids. At the same time, she is fearful the raging drug violence in Mexico could harm her daughters.
“I’m very worried about the situation in Mexico,” Mateo said in Spanish. “I want my daughters to get a better education than I had.”Mateo is now seeking a Mexican passport for her eldest daughter, Stephanie, so they may return to their native country this year. The teen just graduated from Path Academy, where she directed and starred in a musical production of “Hairspray.”
“I don’t want to move. My whole life is here. I’m afraid of what will happen in Mexico,” said Stephanie, who demonstrated in March against Georgia’s new law with several thousand protesters outside the state Capitol.
Other illegal immigrants are preparing to leave Georgia for other states.
Fidel Hernandez of Doraville is considering moving to Los Angeles or Las Vegas, where he has relatives. He crossed the Mexican border illegally more than 20 years ago. His wife is here illegally. So is his 17-year-old son, who attends Lakeside High School. Hernandez has three U.S.-born children, two of whom attend Path Academy. The youngest is preparing to attend Cary Reynolds.
A handyman, Hernandez drives to work without a license. He is fearful he and his wife could be arrested and deported. He said he recently read about a drug-fueled mass killing in his hometown in Mexico.
“My kids have been here all their lives, so I don’t know how to handle it,” he said before adding about the enforcement of Georgia’s new law: “If they get rough, we are going to start packing and get out of town.”
Gwinnett and Fulton county school officials said they won’t have anything to report about enrollment changes until after the next school year starts. An Atlanta school official said the city’s enrollment has remained consistent and that he hasn’t heard of students withdrawing from city schools because of the new law. A Cobb County schools spokesman said the number of immigrant students dropped in his county by 308 over the last two years, but he said he wasn’t certain of the cause.
“We will keep an eye on immigrant enrollment figures as the next school year gets under way,” Cobb schools spokesman Jay Dillon said.
To get an idea of what could happen later this summer, Atlanta area school officials could look to Arizona. Phoenix-area school officials say they think they have lost many students because of the new law.
For example, enrollment at Creighton Elementary School in Phoenix dropped by about 200 students last year after the state enacted its anti-illegal immigration law, said the school’s principal, Rosemary Agneessens.
She attributed the decline to the new law as well as the nation’s souring economy. Consequently, Creighton eliminated eight staff positions.
Republican Senate President Russell Pearce and other supporters of the Arizona law say it has saved hundreds of millions of dollars by reducing the impact of illegal immigrants on public schools and prisons.
“This is a savings to the taxpayer,” Pearce said.
Teachers, meanwhile, are reporting some initial impact at DeKalb’s Path Academy, where 70 percent of students are Hispanic and 88 percent are eligible for free or reduced price meals. Some children of immigrants have been distracted by the law and have been difficult to motivate, staffers say. Others students have been pumping their teachers for information about the new law and ferrying it back to their parents. Some refused to attend a field trip to Washington, D.C., this year out of fear their parents would be deported while they were gone.
“We tried to reassure the kids that: ‘If something happens, we would take care of you,’ ” social studies teacher Robin Elms said.
Supporters of Georgia’s new law said they sympathize with the children but fault their parents.
“The attention is often on the children, but it is never focused where it should be — on the parents,” said Bob Dane, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. “Parents ultimately have a responsibility to not put their children into a situation that could cause them to be in harm’s way or separated.”
AJC staff writers Nancy Badertscher and Jaime Sarrio and Mundo Hispanico staff writer Mario Guevara contributed to this article.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Milton Parks and Recreation Director To Resign.
By Accessmilton.com
Milton's first parks director Cyndee Bonacci has turned her resignation in this week stating she needs more time to be a Mom to her three children.
She has provided a month's notice.
Bonacci was hired over a year ago to jump start Milton's Parks and Recs program. Most recently, she was part of the Bethwell Community House restoration.
The position, which pays an estimated $85,000 annually, was questioned by some as premature and over the top.
However, others were big advocates for the parks program to get under way and hiring Mrs. Bonacci was the first step forward.
The city plans to have a replacement in hand by early July.
So what do you think? Would you hire another director now or would you hold off?
Have your say in the comments section below.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Last Minute Father's Day Reservations at Milton's!
To find out more about Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails, click here=>
http://www.accessmilton.com/Advertisers/Miltons.php
Reminder: Free concert Friday, June 17.
By Accessmilton.com
Lisa Port & Friends perform at Birmingham Park from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. MILTON, Ga., June 16, 2011 - Don't forget that the first show of "Concerts in the Park: Boogie Down at Birmingham" sponsored by Doctors Express, is Friday, June 17 at Birmingham Park. This show, like the other two in the series, will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Milton's Birmingham Park, located behind Milton Fire Station No. 43, just west of the Birmingham Crossroads at 750 Hickory Flat Road (click here for directions). FRIDAY, JUNE 17: FATHER'S DAY WITH LISA PORT & FRIENDS To hear Four Stroke Bus, visit the band's Web site, www.fourstrokebus.com. FRIDAY, JULY 1: INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH SARAH PEACOCK She has shared the stage with Jessi Lynn, Barry Waldrep, Levi Lowrey and Clay Cook and appeared on Comcast, WGN, Me.TV, various FOX networks and radio stations across the country. At the show, Peacock will have her first CD, "Straight for Your Heart," and a live album recorded at Decatur's Eddie's Attic for sale. To hear her music, visit www.sarahpeacockmusic.com. FRIDAY, AUG. 5: END OF SUMMER WITH MANDY GAWLEY Milton's own Mandy Gawley, a wife and mother of two who is living her lifelong dream of singing, will bring the summer concert series to a close. She will perform cuts off her album "Life So Sweet," including "Biscuits and Chicken," as heard on 94.9 The Bull's Backyard Country. For more information on Gawley, including links to her debut album, visit www.mandygawley.com. For more information on this summer concert series, contact Tom Gilliam, Recreation Programs Coordinator, at 678-242-2519 or tom.gilliam@cityofmiltonga.us.
There will be food and beverages at the park provided by Wholly Pops and The Pup Truck, but feel free to bring a picnic and blanket and just enjoy the summer evening and free music. No alcohol is allowed in the park.
This first show, timed to kick off Father's Day weekend, will feature Lisa Port, lead singer of Atlanta/Ketchum, Idaho band Four Stroke Bus, and friends performing a mix of originals and covers spanning Americana, blues, bluegrass and rock-and-roll.
The second event will usher in Independence Day weekend with Nashville's Sarah Peacock, an Atlanta native. A true troubadour, the powerhouse vocalist averages more than 200 gigs a year, honing her blend of classic rock, country and pop.
Why not spend one of the last weekends before school starts with friends, food and free music?
Final School Map Pdf.
Courtey Fulton County Schools
http://www.fultonschools.org/redistricting/bethany/MAP_bethany_FinalRec_plotter_050911.pdf
http://www.fultonschools.org/redistricting/bethany/MAP_bethany_FinalRec_plotter_050911.pdf
Ga. Supreme Court Rules In Billboard Case.
Courtesy wsbtv.com
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/28236994/index.html
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/28236994/index.html
Do you agree or disagree with this decision? Have your say in the comments section below.
On A National Note...
Mexico, several other countries seek to halt Georgia's new anti-illegal immigration law.
By Jeremy Redmon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Anti-Defamation League, Mexico and the governments of several Central and South American countries filed court papers Wednesday in support of efforts to halt Georgia’s tough new immigration enforcement law.
The other countries joining on the side of those seeking a preliminary injunction in the case include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center and several other civil and immigrant rights groups filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Georgia's law this month and are now asking a judge to halt the measure pending the outcome of their case. They argue the measure – also known as House Bill 87 – is preempted by federal law and is unconstitutional.
“HB 87 substantially and inappropriately burdens the consistent country to country relations between Mexico and the United States of America,” Mexico says in its brief in support of halting the law, “interfering with the strategic diplomatic interests of the two countries and encouraging an imminent threat of state-sanctioned bias or discrimination.”State officials filed court papers this week seeking to dismiss the lawsuit. They say the law is constitutional and predict it will survive the court challenge. Proponents say the state needed to act to curb illegal immigration because the federal government has failed to secure the nation's borders. Illegal immigrants, say supporters of Georgia's new law, are burdening the state's taxpayer-funded resources, including public schools, jails and hospitals.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash has set the first hearing in the case for 10 a.m. Monday. He indicated he might rule from the bench that day on the plaintiffs’ request to halt the law.
Similar to a law Arizona enacted last year, Georgia’s measure empowers police to investigate the immigration status of certain suspects. It punishes people who transport or harbor illegal immigrants in Georgia or use fake identification to get a job here. And it requires many businesses to use the federal E-Verify program to ensure their newly hired workers are eligible to work in the United States. Much of the law is scheduled to start taking effect on July 1.
By Jeremy Redmon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Anti-Defamation League, Mexico and the governments of several Central and South American countries filed court papers Wednesday in support of efforts to halt Georgia’s tough new immigration enforcement law.
The other countries joining on the side of those seeking a preliminary injunction in the case include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center and several other civil and immigrant rights groups filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Georgia's law this month and are now asking a judge to halt the measure pending the outcome of their case. They argue the measure – also known as House Bill 87 – is preempted by federal law and is unconstitutional.
“HB 87 substantially and inappropriately burdens the consistent country to country relations between Mexico and the United States of America,” Mexico says in its brief in support of halting the law, “interfering with the strategic diplomatic interests of the two countries and encouraging an imminent threat of state-sanctioned bias or discrimination.”State officials filed court papers this week seeking to dismiss the lawsuit. They say the law is constitutional and predict it will survive the court challenge. Proponents say the state needed to act to curb illegal immigration because the federal government has failed to secure the nation's borders. Illegal immigrants, say supporters of Georgia's new law, are burdening the state's taxpayer-funded resources, including public schools, jails and hospitals.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash has set the first hearing in the case for 10 a.m. Monday. He indicated he might rule from the bench that day on the plaintiffs’ request to halt the law.
Similar to a law Arizona enacted last year, Georgia’s measure empowers police to investigate the immigration status of certain suspects. It punishes people who transport or harbor illegal immigrants in Georgia or use fake identification to get a job here. And it requires many businesses to use the federal E-Verify program to ensure their newly hired workers are eligible to work in the United States. Much of the law is scheduled to start taking effect on July 1.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Milton to launch summer music series.
By Patrick Fox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Milton kicks off its first free summer concert series Friday with Lisa Port of Atlanta/Ketchum, Idaho band Four Stroke Bus and friends performing blues, bluegrass and rock-and-roll.
This is the first of three concerts scheduled for Milton's Birmingham Park, 750 Hickory Flat Road. More concerts are scheduled for July 1 and Aug. 5. All shows will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There will be food and beverages at the park, but attendees can bring their own picnic and blanket. No alcohol is allowed.
Information: 678-242-2519 or tom.gilliam@cityofmiltonga.us.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Milton kicks off its first free summer concert series Friday with Lisa Port of Atlanta/Ketchum, Idaho band Four Stroke Bus and friends performing blues, bluegrass and rock-and-roll.
This is the first of three concerts scheduled for Milton's Birmingham Park, 750 Hickory Flat Road. More concerts are scheduled for July 1 and Aug. 5. All shows will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. There will be food and beverages at the park, but attendees can bring their own picnic and blanket. No alcohol is allowed.
Information: 678-242-2519 or tom.gilliam@cityofmiltonga.us.
N. Fulton school redistricting gets final OK.
By Nancy Badertscher
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Fulton County School Board gave final approval Tuesday night to new school attendance zones opposed by some Roswell parents and the city's mayor.
The change in school boundaries was triggered by the school system's plans to open a new school on Bethany Bend near the Forsyth County line in August 2012.
Roswell Mayor Jere Wood argued officials need to strengthen the connection between towns and schools, not weaken them by forcing some students who live in the city to transfer to other schools.
Parents also complained that the plan, which affects students at Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell high schools, unnecessarily moved too many students and will force some to travel already congested roads in north Fulton.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Fulton County School Board gave final approval Tuesday night to new school attendance zones opposed by some Roswell parents and the city's mayor.
The change in school boundaries was triggered by the school system's plans to open a new school on Bethany Bend near the Forsyth County line in August 2012.
Roswell Mayor Jere Wood argued officials need to strengthen the connection between towns and schools, not weaken them by forcing some students who live in the city to transfer to other schools.
Parents also complained that the plan, which affects students at Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell high schools, unnecessarily moved too many students and will force some to travel already congested roads in north Fulton.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Milton police issue warning after rash of car break-ins.
Always lock car doors, keep valuables out of sight.
by Jonathan Copsey / Appen Newspapers
June 13, 2011
MILTON, Ga. — Nearly 20 vehicles were entered overnight June 8 and the early morning hours of June 9 in the Providence Oaks subdivision on Providence Road.
Milton police Capt. Shawn McCarty warns residents that summer time means an uptick in the number of car break-ins.
McCarty said all the vehicles were unlocked and had all manner of items stolen, including laptops, GPS devices, money and wallets.
"Whatever was in the car, really," he said. "It appears the guys were just walking through the neighborhoods looking for unlocked cars."These Crimes of opportunity, often perpetrated by criminals looking for easy-to-grab items, can be foiled by simply locking your car doors and keeping valuables out of sight, said McCarty.
"Always lock your car doors, even in your own driveway," he said. "These incidents occur because suspects simply go from house to house trying to open car doors. Whatever they can find inside they take."
The crime is common in North Fulton, said McCarty, and preventable.
"I can't stress this enough: Take your laptop, GPS, MP3 players and other devices inside the home with you. If you are out running errands, lock them in the trunk so no one can see them," he said. "Those simple, preventative steps go a long way toward keeping these expensive items from being stolen."
McCarty also cautions residents to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.
"If you see someone you don't know at a neighbor's house snooping around driveways, pay attention," he said. "If it seems too suspicious, give us a call."The Milton Police Department is always available by dialing 911 for emergency situations. For non-emergency situations, call 678-297-6300 and choose Option 1. The department's administrative number is 678-242-2570.
by Jonathan Copsey / Appen Newspapers
June 13, 2011
MILTON, Ga. — Nearly 20 vehicles were entered overnight June 8 and the early morning hours of June 9 in the Providence Oaks subdivision on Providence Road.
Milton police Capt. Shawn McCarty warns residents that summer time means an uptick in the number of car break-ins.
McCarty said all the vehicles were unlocked and had all manner of items stolen, including laptops, GPS devices, money and wallets.
"Whatever was in the car, really," he said. "It appears the guys were just walking through the neighborhoods looking for unlocked cars."These Crimes of opportunity, often perpetrated by criminals looking for easy-to-grab items, can be foiled by simply locking your car doors and keeping valuables out of sight, said McCarty.
"Always lock your car doors, even in your own driveway," he said. "These incidents occur because suspects simply go from house to house trying to open car doors. Whatever they can find inside they take."
The crime is common in North Fulton, said McCarty, and preventable.
"I can't stress this enough: Take your laptop, GPS, MP3 players and other devices inside the home with you. If you are out running errands, lock them in the trunk so no one can see them," he said. "Those simple, preventative steps go a long way toward keeping these expensive items from being stolen."
McCarty also cautions residents to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.
"If you see someone you don't know at a neighbor's house snooping around driveways, pay attention," he said. "If it seems too suspicious, give us a call."The Milton Police Department is always available by dialing 911 for emergency situations. For non-emergency situations, call 678-297-6300 and choose Option 1. The department's administrative number is 678-242-2570.
The Road To Privatization: For Or Against?
By Tim Enloe; Accessmilton.com
Talk is brewing up once again about the very sensitive topic of road privatization and abandonment in Milton.
Each extreme is very passionate about their stance.
Those for state that in the long run, the city will save money due to not having to maintain and patrol such routes. In addition, they believe that it empowers those citizens that would benefit by such closure.
Those against state that tax payers have paid for these roads and therefore should have full access to them. In addition, the same lot believes that such action dumps more traffic onto the already burdoned two lane residential roads and residents who reside on them while hindering the overall focus of road connectivity within the city.
So what is your take? Is this a hot topic for you or could you care less? Will each candidates stance on this issue have any impact on your vote this upcoming Fall or not? Have your say in the comments section below.
Milton FD installs LIFENET system to help save lives.
By Accessmilton.com
Allows paramedics to send heart scans to ERs in real time.
MILTON, GA., June 14, 2011 - The City of Milton's Fire-Rescue Department has taken another step toward improving the survival rate of heart attack victims by installing the LIFENET system, which allows paramedics to transmit heart scans from the field to emergency rooms in real time.
"The American College of Cardiology has set a standard of 90 minutes from the time heart attack patients walk into an emergency room to the time their arteries are opened as the standard of care," said Robert Edgar, Milton's Fire Chief. "With this new system, patients can go from 'door to balloon' in less than an hour."But LIFENET is more than just new machinery, said Edgar. It also involves: advanced training for paramedics so they can more accurately assess 911 patients while in the field; coordination with clinicians who prepare before the patient arrives via ambulance; and a lockstep system for local hospitals so that once the patient arrives, he or she is moved within minutes through the ER and taken to the catheterization laboratory to have an artery opened.
"Each year, close to 400,000 people suffer the type of heart attack this new system can help identify almost instantly," said Edgar. "There's no question it will save someone's life in Milton - it's just a matter of time."
Allows paramedics to send heart scans to ERs in real time.
MILTON, GA., June 14, 2011 - The City of Milton's Fire-Rescue Department has taken another step toward improving the survival rate of heart attack victims by installing the LIFENET system, which allows paramedics to transmit heart scans from the field to emergency rooms in real time.
"The American College of Cardiology has set a standard of 90 minutes from the time heart attack patients walk into an emergency room to the time their arteries are opened as the standard of care," said Robert Edgar, Milton's Fire Chief. "With this new system, patients can go from 'door to balloon' in less than an hour."But LIFENET is more than just new machinery, said Edgar. It also involves: advanced training for paramedics so they can more accurately assess 911 patients while in the field; coordination with clinicians who prepare before the patient arrives via ambulance; and a lockstep system for local hospitals so that once the patient arrives, he or she is moved within minutes through the ER and taken to the catheterization laboratory to have an artery opened.
"Each year, close to 400,000 people suffer the type of heart attack this new system can help identify almost instantly," said Edgar. "There's no question it will save someone's life in Milton - it's just a matter of time."
Sunday, June 12, 2011
First free Summer Concert Series begins June 17.
By Accessmilton.com
All shows take place at Birmingham Park from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
MILTON, Ga., June 10, 2011 - The City of Milton is proud to announce its first free Summer Concert Series, "Concerts in the Park: Boogie Down at Birmingham" sponsored by Doctor's Express, begins June 17 and continues July 1 and Aug. 5.
All shows will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Milton's Birmingham Park, located behind Milton Fire Station No. 43, just west of the Birmingham Crossroads at 750 Hickory Flat Road (click here for directions).
There will be food and beverages at the park provided by Wholly Pops and The Pup Truck, but feel free to bring a picnic and blanket and just enjoy the summer evening and free music. No alcohol is allowed in the park.
FRIDAY, JUNE 17: FATHER'S DAY WITH LISA PORT & FRIENDS
The first show, timed to coincide with Father's Day on June 19, will feature Lisa Port, lead singer of Atlanta/Ketchum, Idaho band Four Stroke Bus, and friends performing a mix of originals and covers spanning Americana, blues, bluegrass and rock-and-roll.
To hear Four Stroke Bus, visit the band's Web site, www.fourstrokebus.com.
FRIDAY, JULY 1: INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH SARAH PEACOCK
The second event will kick-off Independence Day weekend with Nashville's Sarah Peacock, an Atlanta native. A true troubadour, the powerhouse vocalist averages more than 200 gigs a year, honing her blend of classic rock, country and pop.
She has shared the stage with Jessi Lynn, Barry Waldrep, Levi Lowrey and Clay Cook and appeared on Comcast, WGN, Me.TV, various FOX networks and radio stations across the country.
At the show, Peacock will have her first CD, "Straight for Your Heart," and a live album recorded at Decatur's Eddie's Attic for sale. To hear her music, visit www.sarahpeacockmusic.com.
FRIDAY, AUG. 5: END OF SUMMER WITH MANDY GAWLEY
Why not spend one of the last weekends before school starts with friends, food and free music?
Milton's own Mandy Gawley, a wife and mother of two who is living her lifelong dream of singing, will bring the summer concert series to a close. She will perform cuts off her album "Life So Sweet," including "Biscuits and Chicken," as heard on 94.9 The Bull's Backyard Country.
For more information on Gawley, including links to her debut album, visit www.mandygawley.com.
For more information on this summer concert series, contact Tom Gilliam, Recreation Programs Coordinator, at 678-242-2519 or tom.gilliam@cityofmiltonga.us.
All shows take place at Birmingham Park from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
MILTON, Ga., June 10, 2011 - The City of Milton is proud to announce its first free Summer Concert Series, "Concerts in the Park: Boogie Down at Birmingham" sponsored by Doctor's Express, begins June 17 and continues July 1 and Aug. 5.
All shows will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Milton's Birmingham Park, located behind Milton Fire Station No. 43, just west of the Birmingham Crossroads at 750 Hickory Flat Road (click here for directions).
There will be food and beverages at the park provided by Wholly Pops and The Pup Truck, but feel free to bring a picnic and blanket and just enjoy the summer evening and free music. No alcohol is allowed in the park.
FRIDAY, JUNE 17: FATHER'S DAY WITH LISA PORT & FRIENDS
The first show, timed to coincide with Father's Day on June 19, will feature Lisa Port, lead singer of Atlanta/Ketchum, Idaho band Four Stroke Bus, and friends performing a mix of originals and covers spanning Americana, blues, bluegrass and rock-and-roll.
To hear Four Stroke Bus, visit the band's Web site, www.fourstrokebus.com.
FRIDAY, JULY 1: INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH SARAH PEACOCK
The second event will kick-off Independence Day weekend with Nashville's Sarah Peacock, an Atlanta native. A true troubadour, the powerhouse vocalist averages more than 200 gigs a year, honing her blend of classic rock, country and pop.
She has shared the stage with Jessi Lynn, Barry Waldrep, Levi Lowrey and Clay Cook and appeared on Comcast, WGN, Me.TV, various FOX networks and radio stations across the country.
At the show, Peacock will have her first CD, "Straight for Your Heart," and a live album recorded at Decatur's Eddie's Attic for sale. To hear her music, visit www.sarahpeacockmusic.com.
FRIDAY, AUG. 5: END OF SUMMER WITH MANDY GAWLEY
Why not spend one of the last weekends before school starts with friends, food and free music?
Milton's own Mandy Gawley, a wife and mother of two who is living her lifelong dream of singing, will bring the summer concert series to a close. She will perform cuts off her album "Life So Sweet," including "Biscuits and Chicken," as heard on 94.9 The Bull's Backyard Country.
For more information on Gawley, including links to her debut album, visit www.mandygawley.com.
For more information on this summer concert series, contact Tom Gilliam, Recreation Programs Coordinator, at 678-242-2519 or tom.gilliam@cityofmiltonga.us.
June 13 City Council work session notice.
By Accessmilton.com
Monday, June 13, 2011 Regular Council Meeting Agenda 6:00 p.m.
1. Discussion of Revision to Milton's Road Privatization Policy.
(Carter Lucas, Public Works Director)
2. Discussion of City of Milton Strategic Planning Staff Overview, Vision and Mission Strategies.
(Sam Trager, Human Resources Director & Jack Flowers, Member of Horse Council)
3. RZ11-06 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create the "Film and Movie Media Productions Administrative Permit" (Sec. 64-1616).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 091)
(Deferred from May 2, 2011 Regular Council Meeting First Presentation)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
4. RZ11-07 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the "Use Regulations" for the C-1 (Community Business) District (Sec. 64-775).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 092)
(Deferred from May 2, 2011 Regular Council Meeting First Presentation)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
5. RZ11-08 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the "Use Regulations" for the C-2 (Community Business) District (Sec. 64-798).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 093)
(Deferred from May 2, 2011 Regular Council Meeting First Presentation)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
6. RZ11-09 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create "Prohibited Uses in All Districts" (Sec. 64-395).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 094)
(Deferred from May 2, 2011 Regular Council Meeting First Presentation)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
7. RZ11-10 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create "Separation Standards for High Traffic Uses" (Sec. 64-218).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 095)
(Deferred from May 2, 2011 Regular Council Meeting First Presentation)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
8. RZ11-11 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to amend definitions in Section 64-1.
(Agenda Item No. 11- )
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
9. RZ11-12 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to amend Roadside vending in Section 64-1607.
(Agenda Item No. 11- )
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Monday, June 13, 2011 Regular Council Meeting Agenda 6:00 p.m.
1. Discussion of Revision to Milton's Road Privatization Policy.
(Carter Lucas, Public Works Director)
2. Discussion of City of Milton Strategic Planning Staff Overview, Vision and Mission Strategies.
(Sam Trager, Human Resources Director & Jack Flowers, Member of Horse Council)
3. RZ11-06 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create the "Film and Movie Media Productions Administrative Permit" (Sec. 64-1616).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 091)
(Deferred from May 2, 2011 Regular Council Meeting First Presentation)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
4. RZ11-07 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the "Use Regulations" for the C-1 (Community Business) District (Sec. 64-775).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 092)
(Deferred from May 2, 2011 Regular Council Meeting First Presentation)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
5. RZ11-08 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Revise the "Use Regulations" for the C-2 (Community Business) District (Sec. 64-798).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 093)
(Deferred from May 2, 2011 Regular Council Meeting First Presentation)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
6. RZ11-09 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create "Prohibited Uses in All Districts" (Sec. 64-395).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 094)
(Deferred from May 2, 2011 Regular Council Meeting First Presentation)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
7. RZ11-10 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to Create "Separation Standards for High Traffic Uses" (Sec. 64-218).
(Agenda Item No. 11- 095)
(Deferred from May 2, 2011 Regular Council Meeting First Presentation)
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
8. RZ11-11 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to amend definitions in Section 64-1.
(Agenda Item No. 11- )
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
9. RZ11-12 - Text Amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to amend Roadside vending in Section 64-1607.
(Agenda Item No. 11- )
(First Presentation on June 6, 2011 Regular Council Meeting)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Introducing The Westbrooks And Their Garden.
Double Click To Enlarge Screen.
By Tim Enloe; Accessmilton.com
As many Milton residents know, the area that is known today as North Fulton County initially had it's start in agriculture.
Large, 100 to 1000 acre farms were still common place even as recent as the 1970's.
These agrarian businesses dealt with many different types of stock and produce, from cattle and pigs to corn and cotton. Green Farm, originally located in Crabapple, is actually on the record books for having grown one of the largest plumes of cotton in the state. Those familiar with Silos park can see what is left of this farm today.
With so many subdivisions and strip centers taking the place of this unique lifestyle, those that farmed this land are also becoming part of our history books as well. Thankfully in Milton, we still have a few citizens who not only lived that simple but hard life, but actually still practice it to some degree today.
Enter Mr. Paul Westbrook and wife Barbara; residents of what is now Milton Georgia going on 80 years.
Recently, this wonderful couple was kind enough to invite Accessmilton.com in for a visit and to tour their two plus acre garden.
While I have gardened since I was eight, I can tell you that I have never toiled in a garden of this magnitude and perfection. Interested in learning the trade yourself? Then call the Westbrooks and just listen.
To see this piece of land is a sight to behold; with rows loaded with 50 plus plants each carrying such favorites as squash, broccoli, and tomatoes. And you can throw that belief that age can slow you down out the window; it was tough to find one weed and everything is neat as a pin.
For the past two years, the Westbrooks have been a great asset to what is now known as "The Milton Market." While their tailgate is always a beehive of activity, their blue berries typically sell out within a couple of hours and any gardener will tell you that Westbrook tomatoes are hard to beat.
People like Paul & Barbara Westbrook are truly treasures to the City of Milton. The knowledge and experience they have cannot be surpassed. They are living history of what once was. With that, I encourage you to reach out to the Westbrooks as well. Just bring some sweet tea and smile; the rest will fall right into place...
Protect yourself from car break-ins.
By Accessmilton.com
Always lock car doors, keep valuables out of sight.
MILTON, GA., June 9, 2011 - The City of Milton Police Department responded to a call June 8 in the Providence Oaks subdivision in which five unlocked cars were broken into. As such, Milton police Capt. Shawn McCarty warns residents that summer time means an uptick in the number of car break-ins.
These crimes of opportunity, often perpetrated by criminals looking for easy-to-grab items, can be foiled by simply locking your car doors and keeping valuables out of sight, said McCarty.
"Always lock your car doors, even in your own driveway," he said. "These incidents occur because suspects simply go from house to house trying to open car doors. Whatever they can find inside they take."The crime is common in North Fulton, said McCarty, and preventable.
"I can't stress this enough: Take your laptop, GPS, MP3 players and other devices inside the home with you. If you are out running errands, lock them in the trunk so no one can see them," he said. "Those simple, preventative steps go a long way toward keeping these expensive items from being stolen."McCarty also cautions residents to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.
"If you see someone you don't know at a neighbor's house snooping around driveways, pay attention," he said. "If it seems too suspicious, give us a call."The Milton Police Department is always available by dialing 911 for emergency situations. For non-emergency situations, call 678-297-6300 and choose Option 1. The department's administrative number is 678-242-2570.
Birmingham Falls Gets New Asst. Principal.
By Accessmilton.com
Milton's newest elementary school has recieved it's newest employee.
Teresa Cheatham has been named the institution's new assistant principal and will start August 1st.
She is replacing Jasmine Kullar.
Mrs Cheatham has been a Georgia educator for over 17 years specializing in special needs education at both the elementary and middle school levels.
Milton's newest elementary school has recieved it's newest employee.
Teresa Cheatham has been named the institution's new assistant principal and will start August 1st.
She is replacing Jasmine Kullar.
Mrs Cheatham has been a Georgia educator for over 17 years specializing in special needs education at both the elementary and middle school levels.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Bethwell Community Center available for rent.
By Accessmilton.com
Looking for the perfect place to host a birthday party, family reunion, corporate retreat or non-profit team-building exercise? Why not try the recently renovated, affordably priced and spacious Bethwell Community Center?
The City of Milton is now taking rental reservations for the Bethwell Community Center, located at 2695 Hopewell Road in Milton. This beautiful, 1,300-square-foot facility includes a 500-square-foot porch, playground, seating for up to 55 and everything you would need for food preparation, including a refrigerator, microwave and sink.
Rentals are available for as low as $120 for a three-hour block. Prices vary based on residential and non-profit status.
If you are interested in renting the Bethwell Community Center, please click here. Make sure to call ahead to check availability and confirm fees due. Then just download the form, fill it out, and drop it (with payment) by City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway. You may also fax it 678-242-2499 Attn: Tom Gilliam or mail it to:
Milton City Hall
Attn: Tom Gilliam
13000 Deerfield Parkway, Suite 107A
Milton, GA 30004
Click here for more information.
Milton expands youth sports programs.
By Patrick Fox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Milton has revised its license agreement with i9 Sports, the company operating its recreational youth sports programs.
The City Council expanded the city's agreement with the firm Monday to include a coed youth soccer program and a fall youth flag football program for ages 4-12.
The city receives 25 percent of all registration fees, and Milton residents qualify for reduced rates.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Milton has revised its license agreement with i9 Sports, the company operating its recreational youth sports programs.
The City Council expanded the city's agreement with the firm Monday to include a coed youth soccer program and a fall youth flag football program for ages 4-12.
The city receives 25 percent of all registration fees, and Milton residents qualify for reduced rates.
Milton firefighters raise nearly $11,000 in a day.
By Accessmilton.com
At the June 6 City Council meeting, representatives from the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) stopped by to show their appreciation to Milton’s Fire Department and City Council for their continued support of the yearly Fill the Boot Campaign.
The department’s efforts have already gotten off to a great start this year, with firefighters raising $10,638 June 3.
Milton firefighters will continue their drive throughout the summer and into early September, so keep an eye out for them collecting at busy intersections.
Here’s the schedule:
•C shift will collect again on June 24
•B shift will collect on July 8 and 29
•A shift will collect on Aug. 12 and Sept. 2
In just four years, the City of Milton Fire Department has raised more than $161,000 for MDA, which uses the money to aid local children and adults affected by neuromuscular diseases by providing wheelchairs, leg braces, clinic visits, support groups and a chance for children to attend Camp Walk-N-Roll.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
