Liberty's Law CBS Segment Reaches CBS Arizona Affiliate.

By Accessmilton.com

Liberty's Law; a proposed ordinance to protect horses from abuse and harassment; continues to gain traction throughout the country.

Recently, the CBS Atlanta Segment was picked up by their CBS Arizona affiliate.

Click below for more=>

http://kpho.membercenter.worldnow.com/story/22848432/fireworks-to-blaim-for-death-of-milton-horse

Together, we can protect the beautiful horses from abuse and harassment. 

Milton, Crabapple community group seeking festival sponsors.

by Staff; Neighbor NewspapersNeighbor Newspapers

July 24, 2013 10:49 AM | 268 views | 0  | 3   |  | 

This fall, the city of Milton and Crabapple Community Association will team up to bring Milton the biggest fall festival it has ever seen, Crabapple Fest, and limited sponsorship opportunities are now available for local businesses.

The Crabapple Fest sponsorship/vendor packet includes everything potential sponsors and vendors need.

The packet is available on the Crabapple Fest’s official website, www.crabapplefest.com. As vendors and sponsors come in, their names, logos and links to their websites will be added.

Crabapple Fest, held Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in historic downtown Crabapple, will see the City of Milton and CCA combine their two popular events — the 5,000-person Milton Roundup and 10,000-person Crossroads at Crabapple Antique and Arts Festival — into one massive destination festival.

The best from each event will greet the community, including: antiques and art from hundreds of juried vendors; a music and entertainment stage with local and touring acts; games, rides and activities for kids; and, for the first time, beer and wine in the festival grounds.

Organizers expect at least 10,000 residents to attend.

If you go:
What: Crabapple Fest
When: Oct. 5, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: historic downtown Crabapple
Information: sponsorship/vendor packets are available on the Crabapple Fest’s official website, www.crabapplefest.com

Read more: Neighbor Newspapers - Milton Crabapple community group seeking festival sponsors

Don't forget: Better Together paper drive ends Aug. 5.

Don't forget there are just a few days left for Better Together's notebook paper drive - the collection, a collaboration with North Fulton Community Charities, ends Aug. 5.

Residents who wish to pitch-in may drop supplies off at Milton's City Hall, located at 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Suite 107 (click here for directions), between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Residents may also arrange for pickup of larger donations by contacting Wayne Boston, community builder for the City of Milton, at 678-242-2512 or wayne.boston@cityofmiltonga.us.

Better Together is a volunteer organization of Milton residents looking for unique and fun ways to connect with neighbors.  If you would like more information on Better Together or any of its activities, please contact Boston at 678-242-2512 or wayne.boston@cityofmiltonga.us.

Don't forget: Free trial music classes offered throughout August.

Don't forget that trial versions of the City of Milton's popular Sperber music education classes are being offered free of charge throughout August for interested parents and children.

Registration is required and space is limited, so visit www.sperbermusic.com to sign up and bring the gift of music into your child's life. All classes will take place at Bethwell Community Center, 2695 Hopewell Road (click here for directions).

Classes offered include:

Music with Mommy (birth to age 3)
*    Monday, Aug. 5: 10:30 to 11 a.m.
*    Monday, Aug. 19: 10:30 to 11 a.m.

Mini Musicians (ages 3-5)
*    Thursday, Aug. 8: 2:15 to 3 p.m.
*    Thursday, Aug. 22: 2:15 to 3 p.m.

Music & Movement (Kindergarten to third grade)
* Perfect for home-schoolers who want a music class
*    Thursday, Aug. 8: 3:15 to 4 p.m.
*    Thursday, Aug. 22: 3:15 to 4 p.m.

You may also sign up for music classes any time by visiting the City of Milton's Online Activity Guide.

Enjoying a partnership with Milton for more than a year, locally owned and operated Sperber Music is the lifelong dream of music education teacher Karen Cornell.

Previously a Music Specialist at Abbotts Hill Elementary School from 2002 to 2013, Cornell holds a Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education from The University of Georgia.

She was named 2007-2008 Fulton County Elementary School Teacher of the year and has presented workshops at the Georgia Music Educators Association Conference, several Introduction to Orff-Schulwerk workshops to college/university students across Georgia, and conducted students at the American Orff-Schulwerk Association National Conferences in Birmingham, Ala. and Charlotte, N.C.

For more information on Sperber and its programs, e-mail info@sperbermusic.com, call 678-223-3653 or visit its Web site at www.sperbermusic.com.

Update: registration closed for paint & chemical collection event.

Please note: Registration is now closed for this event. Thank you very much for your support.

Online pre-registration is now available for Milton's first household paint and chemical collection event, to be held Saturday, Aug. 3 at Bell Memorial Park thanks to Milton Grows Green.

Online registration, which is required to bring materials to the event, closes Tuesday, July 30. However, due to budget restraints, registration may close early once the maximum amount of material is registered.

Milton residents only (no businesses) may drop off:

• Latex and oil-based paints (quantities limited)
• Lawn and garden chemicals
• Cleaning products
• Fluorescent bulbs
• Batteries 

"We are planning to serve as many residents as possible, but since this is our first event, we have a limited budget and can only collect as much as funding allows," said Cindy Eade, environmental sustainability coordinator for the City of Milton. "Therefore, registration will be first-come, first served.

"The online registration process helps us stay within budget and ensures we serve the most residents."

For directions to Bell Memorial Park, located at 15245 Bell Park Road in Milton, click here. For more information, contact Eade at 678-242-2509 or cindy.eade@cityofmiltonga.us.

Snow tubing at Friendship Park Saturday, Aug. 10.

Let’s try this again: What’s better than a heaping helping of cold, fresh snow on a sweltering August Saturday? Nothing!

That’s why the City of Milton is proud to present “Back to School: Snow Tubing in the Park” Saturday, Aug. 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. as part of its “Family, Fun, Flicks & Flurries” summer event series at Friendship Community Park in Crabapple (click here for directions).

Thanks to Snow Kings’ amazing technology, kids and adults alike will be able to cool off and slide down run after run of smooth, refreshing snow -- no jacket required!
Trust us: It works, it cools you off … and it’s a blast!

Plus, join in lots of other fun activities with a bounce house from Milton Chiropractic & Massage, face painting from Good Friend Mortgage, and crafts from The School Place of Roswell.
Milton will close out the summer event series two weeks later on Saturday, Aug. 24 with perennial family favorite “The Sandlot” presented by B 98.5 FM’s B at the Movies.

Like The Goonies before it, the film will be shown at dusk. But before hand, there will be all sorts of activities, games and concessions starting at 7 p.m.

It should be the perfect way to end your summer – so come on out and get to know your neighbors.
For more information on this, or any of the City of Milton’s other special events, contact Angela Thompson, special events and projects manager, at 678-242-2530 or angela.thompson@cityofmiltonga.us.

New Ordinance Puts Strict Restrictions On Noise In Coraopolis.

CORAOPOLIS (KDKA) – How do you define noise? It could be a train or maybe even a motorcycle. All of them could be considered noise under a new ordinance in one Allegheny County town.

Coraopolis only has about 5,500 people, which normally makes it a very quiet place. They say the only exception is when the trains roll by or the big trucks rumble right down Fifth Avenue.

“I’ve been this area all my life. You got one way in and one way out. So where are the trucks going to go?” Frank Corso said.

“The only noisy thing about it is the train. Other than that and the trucks and everything else, it’s really pretty quiet,” Asha Luster said.

Under the new ordinance, residents are “entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of their premises.” Loud noises can be defined as horns, radio, musical instruments, that annoy or disturb the quiet and comfort. It also states that “yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling and singing on public streets which would disturb the quiet and comfort of residents in the vicinity is now prohibited.”

The obvious question is – how will it be enforced?

It’s a great question considering the noise could even be your dog. But, after nearly two decades in town, Sue Heckman said she’s not leaving.

“I feel safe here. It’s always quiet. You just hear traffic or the birds,” Heckman said.

Violations of the ordinance can result in a fine of up to $500.

Milton, Crabapple Community Group Seeking Festival Sponsors.

Courtesy The Milton Neighbor
This fall, the city of Milton and Crabapple Community Association will team up to bring Milton the biggest fall festival it has ever seen, Crabapple Fest, and limited sponsorship opportunities are now available for local businesses.

The Crabapple Fest sponsorship/vendor packet includes everything potential sponsors and vendors need.

The packet is available on the Crabapple Fest’s official website, www.crabapplefest.com. As vendors and sponsors come in, their names, logos and links to their websites will be added.

Crabapple Fest, held Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in historic downtown Crabapple, will see the City of Milton and CCA combine their two popular events — the 5,000-person Milton Roundup and 10,000-person Crossroads at Crabapple Antique and Arts Festival — into one massive destination festival.

The best from each event will greet the community, including: antiques and art from hundreds of juried vendors; a music and entertainment stage with local and touring acts; games, rides and activities for kids; and, for the first time, beer and wine in the festival grounds.

Organizers expect at least 10,000 residents to attend.

If you go:

What: Crabapple Fest

When: Oct. 5, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: historic downtown Crabapple

Information: sponsorship/vendor packets are available on the Crabapple Fest’s official website, www.crabapplefest.com

Copyright 2013 Neighbor Newspapers. All rights reserved.

Read more: Neighbor Newspapers - Milton Crabapple community group seeking festival sponsors

Local Charities in North Fulton Collecting for School Supplies.

Courtesy The Milton Neighbor

Milton’s Better Together volunteer organization is partnering with nonprofit North Fulton Community Charities to collect notebook paper for local children in need of school supplies.

They will be collecting supplies throughout the month of July until early August. Residents who wish to donate can drop off supplies at Milton’s City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Suite 107, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Pickups for larger donations can also be arranged by contacting Wayne Boston, community builder for the city of Milton, at (678) 242-2512.

“Without groups like Better Together we wouldn’t be able to respond to the needs of the community,” said Eden Purdy of the nonprofit. “We hope residents will be able to help start a local student off right this year.”

For more information on the nonprofit or any of its activities, please contact Boston via phone or email wayne.boston@cityofmiltonga.us.

Read more: Neighbor Newspapers - Local charities in north Fulton collecting school supplies

North Fulton public safety departments host safety night out

Roswell Police Chief Rusty Grant and McGruff the Crime Dog show off the National Night Out banner. This year, National Night Out events will be Aug. 6 at Roswell's City Hall, 38 Hill Street, and Alpharetta's Wills Park, at 11915 Wills Road, Alpharetta.

Courtesy Jonathan Copsey; The Milton Herald

July 23, 2013


ALPHARETTA, Ga. -- A fun-filled festive night awaits our citizens and guests as Roswell, Alpharetta and Milton put on annual National Night Out events Aug. 6.

Alpharetta Public Safety and the City of Milton team up for this year's 2013 National Night Out event.

The City of Alpharetta's Public Safety Department will partner once again with the City of Milton to provide a fun-filled evening. This year's event will involve a state of the art SWAT bus, an active SWAT scenario, police and fire vehicles, K-9 demonstrations, firefighter demonstrations and a bounce house for the children.

"This is a great event for our community. I invite everyone to the National Night Out event to watch your public safety professionals in action and to enjoy the festivities and food. This is a great event to attend with friends, family and children," said Alpharetta Public Safety Director Gary George.

The Wills Park Equestrian Center is located at 11915 Wills Road, Alpharetta, Ga.

In Roswell, the National Night Out event will be held at the Roswell City Hall grounds located at 38 Hill Street. There will be a bounce house, rock climbing wall, spin art, face painting, local vendors, prizes, and plenty of food and drinks. Police vehicles, fire equipment, SWAT and K-9 demonstrations will be the highlight of this event.

The National Night Out campaign started in 1984 as an effort to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, establish community-police partnerships and to instill neighborhood camaraderie.

National Night Out now involves over 37 million people throughout the United States and other countries. National Night Out is designed to strengthen our communities by encouraging neighborhoods to engage in stronger relationships with each other and with their local law enforcement partners. The goal is to heighten crime-prevention awareness, build support and participation in local anti-crime programs, and most importantly, send a message that our neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. It's also the perfect opportunity to get to know your neighbors even better.

Time To Smile.

Milton to cohost Alpharetta’s National Night Out Aug. 6

The City of Milton Police and Fire departments are partnering with the Alpharetta Public Safety Department to host the 30th Annual National Night Out event Tuesday, Aug. 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Wills Park Equestrian Center in Alpharetta.

The Wills Park Equestrian Center is located at 11915 Wills Road in Alpharetta (click here for directions).

This year's event includes:

• bounce houses for kids
• interactive fire safety house simulator
• technical rescue operations
• displays of police and fire vehicles along with demonstrations
• police K9 dog scenarios
• state-of-the-art SWAT bus and active SWAT scenario
• numerous other police and fire activities
  
  Please note: Some of the demonstrations involve the use of simulated blank gunfire and/or noise-making devices.

Come hungry, because Milton and Alpharetta police and firefighters, joined by volunteers, will serve hundreds of hot dogs and hamburgers followed by ice cream. Special thanks to business partners Chick-fil-A, Target, Dairy Queen and Costco for donating products for this year's event and the Alpharetta Public Safety Foundation for donating the ice cream.
"This is an awesome event to get the community together," said Milton Community Outreach Officer Ara Baronian. "We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy an evening filled with demonstrations and food."

The National Night Out "America's Night Out Against Crime" campaign, sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW), began in 1984 to bring awareness to crime and drug prevention activities, establish community-police partnerships and instill neighborhood camaraderie.

National Night Out now involves more than 37 million people throughout the United States and other countries. For more information on National Night Out, visit http://www.nationalnightout.org.

MADD joins MPD to combat underage drinking Aug. 4

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has teamed up with the City of Milton Police Department to host two free workshops Sunday, Aug. 4 aimed at making the community safer through stopping underage drinking.
These workshops will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. in City Council Chambers of Milton’s City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway Suite 107E (click here for directions). This workshop is open to the entire community, and parents are encouraged to bring their kids.
The workshops are:

• The Power of Parents: Parents will learn tips and tricks on how to talk to their kids and youth in their family about alcohol and leave with a handbook they can use for future interactions.

  For more information, visit: www.madd.org/underage-drinking/the-power-of-parents/

• The Power of Youth: Organizers focus on empowering high school and middle school students to not give in to peer pressure, encourage other teens not to drink before they are 21 and not ride with a drunk drive

  For more information, visit: www.madd.org/underage-drinking/power-of-youth/

Both workshops will be led by MADD facilitators at the same time. After each workshop, parents and their kids will be brought back together to begin having an ongoing and potentially lifesaving conversation about alcohol.
“Talking to your kids about the negative impacts of underage drinking can be hard,” said Ara Baronian, community outreach officer for the City of Milton. “Let us teach you some easy ways to effectively talk to them about alcohol.”
For more information, contact Samantha Scully, youth program director for MADD, at samantha.scully@madd.org or 770-615-3737 ext. 7354.

Liberty's Law Support Continues to Grow.

City of Milton GA Still Defiant.

By Tim Enloe; Accessmilton.com

Liberty's Law, a proposed ordinance to enforce and enhanced current animal abuse laws, continues to gain traction throughout the country. Petition signatures are coming in from Maine to California. Total signatures to date are 777. 

Some supporters are even sharing why they believe in Liberty's Law. Patricia Norman out of Archer, FL states "This proposal behind this petition has been wisely developed. It is fair, forward-thinking, and not unfriendly. It could, in fact, become a model for other communities to use for problems like these."

Over the past year and a half, however, Milton Georgia officials have continued to be defiant by refusing to allow Liberty's Law to be presented for consideration.

As a result, a horse who lived on Dorris Road broke it's neck after being spooked by a neighboring property's illegal fireworks earlier this month.

With more marketing planned for Liberty's Law throughout the state and growing support, only time will tell if the City of Milton Georgia's lack of action will be to their benefit or detriment regarding claims of being an equestrian oasis. 

$4K watch missing in Milton residence.

Courtesy The Milton Herald

July 19, 2013

MILTON, Ga. – A $4,000 watch was reported missing July 11 from a Triple Crown Drive residence.

The victim told police he had just moved to the area and, before moving, had placed two expensive watches in his work desk, which was then shrink-wrapped to ship.

When the desk was opened at the new home, a silver Omega Seamaster was missing.

This report appeared in the July 25 issue of the Milton Herald.

Deer Point vehicles broken into in Milton .

Courtesy The Milton Herald

July 19, 2013

MILTON, Ga. –Two vehicles were broken into July 10 on Deer Point Court in Milton.

One vehicle had a rear window broken out. The victim told police he parked the vehicle the previous night and returned to it at 8 a.m. the following morning.

A gym bag was taken, which contained tennis shoes, an iPod Nano and a black jump rope. The bag was later found by a neighbor of a nearby apartment building, but the iPod was missing.

A second victim on the same street had a similar story. She parked her car the previous evening, and when she returned to it about 8 a.m. a window was smashed and an iPod was taken.

This report appeared in the July 25 issue of the Milton Herald.

Milton Police hire three new officers .

by Carolyn Aspenson; The Milton Herald

July 22, 2013

MILTON, Ga.--Three new patrol officers will soon be protecting the City of Milton.

"We've hired three new experienced officers to replace three who recently left our department," Community Outreach Officer Ara Baronian said.

Officers Nicholas Norton, Courtney Spriggs and Coleman Sproles will be finished with training in September.

Before accepting the position with Milton, Norton spent a year as a deputy with the Dawson County Sheriff's Office.

Spriggs worked as patrol and with the criminal investigation division for the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office. She was a community relations officer and most recently a Public Information Officer for the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office prior to taking the position with Milton.

Sproles graduated with a degree in criminology from Auburn University and served with the Alabama National Guard. He spent two years with the Savannah Chatham Metro Police Department prior taking the position with Milton.

"The department is proud to have Norton, Spriggs and Sproles on board," Baronian said. "Their experience will be a great contribution to the continued success of the department."

This article appeared in the July 25 issue of the Milton Herald.

Milton launches Citizens Government Academy series.

Courtesy Jonathan Copsey; The Milton Herald

July 22, 2013

MILTON, Ga. - The City of Milton recently launched a monthly, video-on-demand Citizens Government Academy hosted through the city's YouTube page.

In the short videos, Communications Manager Jason Wright discusses topics pertinent to Milton residents, including the city's history, its government structure and how it budgets.

Installments will eventually cover virtually every aspect of the city's municipal operations, including sections reserved for hot topics that arise throughout the project. The aim, said Wright, is for busy residents to engage with and learn about government on their terms, away from City Hall and public meetings.

"My hope is that these videos will help take away the mystique of municipal government," said Wright. "There's a well-deserved perception that government, no matter the size or level, is a monolithic, difficult entity -- and at the City of Milton, we are trying to separate ourselves from that perception."

For more information on the series, or to suggest a topic for discussion, contact Wright at 678-242-2523 or jason.wright@cityofmiltonga.us.

This article appeared in the July 25 issue of the Milton Herald.

Help bring Crabapple Fest to thousands this fall.

This fall the City of Milton and Crabapple Community Association (CCA) will team up to bring Milton the biggest fall festival it has ever seen, Crabapple Fest, and limited sponsorship opportunities are now available for local businesses.

The Crabapple Fest sponsorship/vendor packet is now available online and includes everything potential sponsors and vendors need. To download the packet immediately, click here.

The packet is also available on the Crabapple Fest’s official Web site, www.crabapplefest.com. As vendors and sponsors come in, their names, logos and links to their Web sites will be added.

Crabapple Fest, held Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in historic downtown Crabapple, will see the City of Milton and CCA combine their two popular events – the 5,000-person Milton Roundup and 10,000-person Crossroads at Crabapple Antique and Arts Festival – into one massive destination festival.

The best from each event will greet the community, including: antiques and art from hundreds of juried vendors; a music and entertainment stage with local and touring acts; games, rides and activities for kids; and, for the first time, beer and wine in the festival grounds.

Organizers expect at least 10,000 residents, so if you are a local business owner, you want to be a part of the festivities.

There are four levels of sponsorship: Platinum ($5,000), Gold ($2,500) Silver ($1,000) and Bronze ($500). Each features its own perks, including company logo placement on all event banners, advertisements and staff T-shirts, prime booth space and links to your organization from the City of Milton’s Web site. Please note, however, that specific inclusion and logo placement are based on sponsorship level.

To assure names and logos are included in promotional advertising, sponsors must be in by Aug. 25. Sponsorships will be taken after this date; however, they will only be added to advertisements scheduled after their approval.

Additionally, CCA is accepting vendor applications. If you are interested in taking part, visit www.crabapplecommunityassociation.org, e-mail crabapplecommunity@gmail.com or contact Amanda Quintana at 770-241-1125.

Organizers are looking for 19^th century American Country furniture, primitive antiques, shabby chic items and unique pieces of art in all mediums – oils, photography, jewelry, textiles, pottery and quilts. Spaces are limited, so apply early.

Vendor fees are tax deductible as the Crabapple Community Association is a chartered, non-profit organization. Proceeds benefit local community programs, scholarships and non-profit charities.
For any information on the festival, please contact Angela Thompson, special events and projects manager for the City of Milton, at 678-242-2530 or angela.thompson@cityofmiltonga.us.

Better Together collecting notebook paper through Aug. 5

Milton's Better Together volunteer organization is partnering with non-profit North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC) throughout July and early August to collect notebook paper for local children in dire need of school supplies.

Residents who wish to pitch-in may drop supplies off at Milton's City Hall, located at 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Suite 107 (click here for directions), between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., said volunteer Teri Harrison, who is leading the effort.

Residents may also arrange for pickup of larger donations by contacting Wayne Boston, community builder for the City of Milton, at 678-242-2512 or wayne.boston@cityofmiltonga.us.

All supplies must be collected by Aug. 5 to ensure distribution to students, said Boston.

"Without groups like Better Together, we wouldn't be able to respond to the needs of the community," said Eden Purdy of NFCC. "We hope residents will be able to help start a local student off right this year."

Better Together is a volunteer organization of Milton residents looking for unique and fun ways to connect with neighbors.  If you would like more information on Better Together or any of its activities, please contact Boston at 678-242-2512 or wayne.boston@cityofmiltonga.us.

Milton Council honors George Ragsdale.

At its July 15 meeting, Milton’s City Council honored George Ragsdale, a longtime city volunteer who served in numerous leadership positions throughout the city’s history. Ragsdale, a 17-year Milton resident, served as a member of Fulton County’s Rural Preservation Steering Committee, Birmingham Village Steering Committee, Focus Fulton 2025 Comprehensive Plan Committee and Blue Ribbon Commission prior to Milton’s incorporation.

 Leading the charge for the formation of Milton, he served as chairman of Fulton County Commissioner Lynne Riley’s Milton Advisory Committee, then began taking vital leadership roles upon incorporation. Ragsdale served as chairman of both the Planning Commission and Comprehensive Plan Committee and participated in the Crabapple Form Based Code Steering Committee, Highway 9 Form Based Code Steering Committee, Highway 9 LCI Study Committee and Milton Charter Review Commission with integrity and distinction.

 His leadership, dedication and commitment will be missed in Milton.

Don’t forget: ‘Finance for Teenagers’ Thursday.

Don’t forget that tomorrow, Thursday, July 18, Milton’s Better Together volunteer committee and Wells Fargo will host a free “Finance for Teenagers” workshop at 6 p.m. at Bethwell Community Center. This workshop is open to the entire community, and parents are encouraged to attend with their teenager. The Bethwell Community Center is located at 2695 Hopewell Road in Milton (click here for directions). Led by Wells Fargo District Manager and Vice President Jeffrey Wolff, the workshop will use Wells Fargo’s Hands on Banking program to teach the basics of banking and budgeting. Additionally, each attendee will receive a free Hands on Banking CD. Hands on Banking, a public service provided by Wells Fargo, is a fun and easy way to learn financial basics and smart money management. It employs easy, enjoyable, interactive programs for kids, teens, young adults and adults. For more information, visit www.handsonbanking.org. Better Together is a volunteer organization of Milton residents looking for unique and fun ways to connect with neighbors. If you would like more information on Better Together or any of its activities, please contact Community Builder Wayne Boston at 678-242-2512 or wayne.boston@cityofmiltonga.us.

Registration open for paint & chemical collection event.

Online pre-registration is now available for Milton's first household paint and chemical collection event, to be held Saturday, Aug. 3 at Bell Memorial Park thanks to Milton Grows Green. To register online, click here. Please be as specific as possible when estimating weight to be dropped off. Online registration, which is required to bring materials to the event, closes Tuesday, July 30. However, due to budget restraints, registration may close early once the maximum amount of material is registered. Milton residents only (no businesses) may drop off: Latex and oil-based paints (quantities limited) Lawn and garden chemicals Cleaning products Fluorescent bulbs Batteries "We are planning to serve as many residents as possible, but since this is our first event, we have a limited budget and can only collect as much as funding allows," said Cindy Eade, environmental sustainability coordinator for the City of Milton. "Therefore, registration will be first-come, first served. "The online registration process helps us stay within budget and ensures we serve the most residents." For directions to Bell Memorial Park, located at 15245 Bell Park Road in Milton, click here. For more information, contact Eade at 678-242-2509 or cindy.eade@cityofmiltonga.us.

Wonderful Gesture By Two Young Men & CBS Atlanta

Forward by Accessmilton.com / Courtesy Mike Paluska / CBSATLANTA

Thanks to these two wonderful young men, this horse is going to have a chance. They are truly heroes. Many thanks to CBS Atlanta as well

By Supporting Liberty's Law, we can protect horses from abuse and harassment!

CBS Atlanta 46

CBS Atlanta 46

MCDONOUGH, GA (CBS ATLANTA) - The man who calls himself the urban cowboy, Brannu Fulton, went to rescue a horse and found a blood trail instead.

A man looking to save an injured colt showed up at the CBS Atlanta News parking lot for help Tuesday night.

Brannue Fulton, who trains wild horses, said he was called to pick up the colt by a man could no longer care for it.

The trail led to a 2-year-old Colt who had impaled himself on a metal fence post. The rod went into the horse's body more than a foot deep.

"When it happened, it was shocking," Fulton said. "It looked like it was going to be very expensive. I didn't know what to do. I was like 'should I leave him here?' And when he ran off I thought - I didn't think I'd be able to catch him."

After catching the horse they loaded him into a trailer and Fulton drove to CBS Atlanta News. Knocking on our outside windows he told us the story and asked if we could help. After making a few phone calls a vet agreed to give the horse some antibiotics and check for internal bleeding.

"If he punctured any organs, within a few days, if it did, he will get really sick and I will be able to tell," Fulton said. "But, he doesn't think it did, and he was very lucky to survive because of how deep it is."

Fulton said he took the horse off of an acquaintance who could no longer care for the animal. Fulton did not anticipate he would now be forced to nurture this horse back to health. But, it's a task he has no problem doing.

"Horses saved me," Fulton said. "The horse for me just does something spiritual. This horse would be an example for kids that have been injured and people that have ever been injured - that as long as you are around good people, whatever you go through, you can be saved."

Fulton currently cares for 12 horses and can be seen riding them through the streets of Atlanta. His Facebook page, Brannu Paint Academy, has information on his work in the community.

On Wednesday, the horse was a lot more social and appeared to be healing from his wounds. Fulton gave the horse a bath, medicine and worked to build a fence to keep the horse corralled.

Fulton said he is going to show the horse a lot of love and train with him every day.

"That's what we do, we ride not just to look cool, we ride because we love animals, the cowboy culture and we want to encourage the image of the cowboy culture," Fulton said. "The cowboy is in your heart."

Copyright 2013 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

Fireworks to blame for death of Milton horse.

CBS Atlanta 46

Courtesy Greg Dingrando; CBS Atlanta

MILTON, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -

Fireworks are being blamed for the death of a horse in Milton, and one owner is pushing for a new law to make sure it doesn't happen again.

He's calling it Liberty's Law, named after his current horse he said has suffered years of abuse from neighbors, including the use of fireworks.

Horse owner Tim Enloe said Liberty used to roam the pasture night and day, but now she spends nearly all of her time in the garage right next to the house.

"She's going to be scared for the rest of her life on the very property she took her first breath at because of abuses by some local kids," said Enloe.

Abuse he said he has video of everything from kids yelling at her to fireworks found in the pasture where she should be grazing.

And that's just his horse.

Just a few weeks ago, on the Fourth of July, a horse in the same community was spooked so badly inside its barn that it ran into a wall and broke its own neck.

It's something Enloe said Liberty's Law possibly could have prevented.

"If Liberty's Law had been presented and enforced, who's to say that the horse who died recently might still be alive," said Enloe.

Liberty's Law aims to punish those committing abuse and educate the community on how to act around horses.

Enloe said he's tried to present his ideas to the city but claims he's been blocked.
Mayor Joe Lockwood said that's just not the case. He said he has personally met with Enloe and so has a few of the council members.

Lockwood said he doesn't really see the need for it because there are laws that already punish abusers.
"It's not necessary to take the existing laws and make another law with someone's name on it just to bring attention to one specific case," said Lockwood.

So why hasn't there been an arrest in the abuse against Liberty?

"We have probably got a file this thick of hundreds of hours detectives have put in on this case, and they can't come up with anything that would sustain a charge," said Lockwood.

Liberty's Law may be far from actually becoming a reality, but Enloe said he's not giving up.


To learn more about Liberty's Law and to sign a petition to show support, go to http://libertyslaw.blogspot.com

Milton Police Report / Horse Dies Due to Fireworks

YOUR Universe by Bo Quintana

Hey guys, Bo here.

OR AM I?

Yeah, that’s a bad start. Anywho, I’ve been doing some thinky-thinky on some pretty deep philosophical stuff. I, and probably other people at some point in time, have felt completely and utterly alone in the universe. Which doesn’t seem plausible, due to the fact that I am very content with my level of self-esteem, have a good amount of friends, and generally enjoy life.

It’s not that I’m alone in the universe on a very poetic and meta level, it’s just that I might be the only one here who actually exists.

I mean, think about it. We as humans are completely incapable of adapting the thoughts and conscious actions of other humans. They can tell us what they’re thinking about or why they’re thinking about it, but we cannot know if that is the truth or if they’re even real.

The theory is called the Egocentric Predicament. It basically says that we only know ourselves. Everything that isn’t us isn’t.

It states that we are the universe that we have come to grow and love, but only by ourselves. You can’t be the universe as well.

It states that we have created everything that we believe exists with the power of awesomeness. Which to me shows something sublime and impossibly evil about ourselves; we created cool stuff like penguins and the internet. But then we also created cancer and malaria.

However, there’s a bit of a paradox that comes with it. We can only know us, right? Someone else probably thinks the same thing. But if you’re the only one that exists, and I can think and I can understand, than you’re not the one, but I am. Meaning that in your point of view, you’re the only thing in the universe, but I am, meaning that you can’t be what you think you are, and vice versa.

And that explanation is pretty much why that theory is often shunned.

Other, less-firing-a-cannon-at-your-entire-worldview theories go as follow:

I can see this color and I have been taught that it is called red. But the color that I have identified as red might be the one that you would call green, be you in my perspective.  But since you can’t do that, we’ll never know whether you see humans differently than I see humans. My humans look xyz, but your humans might look like yzx4rtq81mkulop. However, since I cannot see through your eyes, and we’ve both been taught that what we think humans look like is truth, we’ll never be able to experience each other’s perspective.

Okay, maybe that cannoned your brain too. Nonetheless, these hypotheticals are quite intriguing. They kinda show individuality by not showing individuality. They show that we can invent the universe but not know some of the most simple stuff that we created.

If we flunked junior high math, then we must be bad at universing.

So what do we do to become better at universing? Easy. Don’t flunk junior high math. Or if it’s too late for that, then learn how to do the things that you were bad at. Better yet, create a time machine and go back to junior high and study like your counselor told you to.

My point is that if you, or I, or Donald Trump, or Barney Fife, might be the human personification of infinity, and you, or I, or Donald Trump, or Barney Fife got some work to do.

So let’s get universing, Milton.

With love and headcannons,

Bo

(special thanks to VSAUCE’s video “Is anything real?” for general awesomeness and for providing knowledge to me on the Egocentric Predicament.)

North Fulton cities establish historic radio alliance.

Courtesy Neighbor Newspapers

On July 1 the cities of Milton, Alpharetta, Roswell and Sandy Springs entered into an historic partnership to provide north Fulton a locally controlled, locally funded, reliable and comprehensive public safety radio system.

The result of state legislation establishing local radio consortiums, the North Fulton Regional Radio System Authority met for the first time July 2 after more than two years of planning and coordination. At this meeting, the authority leadership approved two radio tower leases, which provide the first steps toward total area coverage.

Additionally, organizers established bylaws, named officers, secured insurance, shored up funding strategies and reviewed partnership options with Fulton County.

The authority is:

Chairman John McDonough, city manager, Sandy Springs

Vice-Chairwoman Kay G. Love, city administrator, Roswell

Treasurer Bob Regus, city administrator, Alpharetta

Secretary Chris Lagerbloom, city manager, Milton

“The authority represents the results of collaboration and a focus on common goals,” said McDonough. “Our concerted efforts will ensure our public safety personnel are able to communicate and expeditiously respond in an emergency situation.”

The formation of the consortium follows two years of discussion and planning between north Fulton cities. Participating cities have approved the purchase of equipment and installation, procured through the Georgia Contract list. A contract with Commdex to serve as a consultant was also given approval.

The authority will meet the first Tuesday of each month at Roswell’s City Hall, 38 Hill Street in Roswell.

Read more: Neighbor Newspapers - North Fulton cities establish historic radio alliance.

Don’t forget: Hopewell/Bethany open house Wednesday.

Don’t forget there will be an open house tomorrow, Wednesday, July 17, at Milton’s City Hall to gather feedback on proposed concepts for improving the congested intersections of Hopewell Road at Bethany Bend and Bethany Way.

The open house will be held in  City Council Chambers at Milton’s City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Suite 107 E (click here for directions) from 5 to 7 p.m.

If you cannot make the meeting, there is also an online survey to tell engineers what you think of the three alternatives for improvement. Click here to take the survey.

For complete information on the project, including concept alternatives and traffic simulations, visit http://miltonintersectionprojects.com/hopewell-at-bethany.


For more information on this, or any road project in the City of Milton, contact Sara Leaders, PE, transportation engineer for the City of Milton, at 678-242-2559 or sara.leaders@cityofmiltonga.us

Roadwork to begin in July all over Milton.

In July, August and September a number of roadwork projects will begin across the city, including bridge repair and intersection upgrades, said Public Works Director Carter Lucas.

Landrum Road Bridge
In early July North Georgia Concrete, Inc. will begin work on the replacement of Landrum Road Bridge.

Milton awarded the construction contract to North Georgia Concrete, Inc. in the amount of $150,277. The job is expected to last two months.

Ga. 140 at New Providence Road
In mid-July, CMES, Inc. will begin intersection improvements at Ga. 140 (Arnold Mill Road) and New Providence Road.  Plans include redirecting the intersection approach, adding turn lanes and installing a traffic light.

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) awarded the construction contract to CMES, Inc. in the amount of $1,161,626.92. The job is expected to last one year.

Ga. 372 at Providence/New Providence roads
In August, Bartow Paving Company, Inc. will begin intersection improvements at Ga. 372 (Birmingham Highway) and Providence and New Providence Roads. Plans include redirecting the intersection approach and installing a roundabout.

GDOT awarded the construction contract to Bartow Paving Company, Inc. in the amount of $2,576,297.45. The job is expected to last 18 months.

Hopewell Road at Francis and Cogburn roads
In August, Baldwin Paving Company, Inc. will begin intersection improvements at Hopewell Road at Cogburn and Francis roads. Plans include installing a roundabout.

The City of Milton awarded the construction contract to Baldwin Paving Company, Inc. in the amount of $786,606. The job is expected to last one year.

Deerfield Parkway at Morris Road
In September, Baldwin Paving Company, Inc. will install a traffic signal at the intersection of Deerfield Parkway and Morris Road.

Milton awarded the construction contract to Baldwin Paving Company, Inc. in the amount of $339,955.52. The job is expected to last six months.

For more information on these projects, visit http://miltonintersectionprojects.com or contact Angie Kapijimpanga, citizen responder for the City of Milton, at 678-242-2562 or angie.kapijimpanga@cityofmiltonga.us.

Horse Dies In Milton GA Due To Firework Panic.

By Accessmilton.com

A horse died in Milton Georgia due to being spooked by July 4th fireworks shot off by a neighboring property.

More details to come.

You can help protect horses from abuse and harassment by supporting Liberty's Law. http://libertyslaw.blogspot.com/
and demanding it's presentation and enforcement.

Bo's Column; #5.

Courtesy Bo Quintana; Milton Teen

One of the great things about summertime in Milton is the various farmers’ markets in this area, where you can find all kinds of home-grown fruits, veggies, peanuts and eggs.

Yes, eggs. Organic, and straight from the coop, no middleman. But have you ever thought about eggs? I mean really thought about them?

Eggs, if you somehow didn’t know, are little, shelled ovals full of chicken fetuses (feti?). They’re usually eaten for breakfast, prepared in various forms including scrambled, sunny side up, and soft or hard boiled. But do you know where eggs come from? Eggs are produced via a chicken’s butt. OK, egg farmers call it a “vent” but it looks like a butt to me.

Which brings up the most interesting question about eggs: Who was the bonzo who decided it would be a good idea to pop one of these little things into his mouth?

I mean eggs are indeed tasty, but why would anyone watch a chicken excrete this little thing and then decide that it could make for a great meal? And the first person to eat an egg probably didn’t have the mental capacity to cook it first; he must have eaten in raw.

Then, after he ate it the first one, he probably thought, “Boy, that tasted nasty. Let’s try this again.” Then he ate another. According to the scientific method, this guy would have to eat raw eggs for quite a while before he thought to cook one up. Which means there was once a human who ate multiple raw eggs intentionally and didn’t quit.

According to the googles, consuming raw eggs typically brings salmonella, which in turn brings food poisoning. Also according to the googles, some symptoms of food poisoning are:

• Nausea • Vomiting • Watery diarrhea • Abdominal pain and cramps • Fever

And that it is vital to visit a doctor once:

• Frequent episodes of vomiting occur, interfering with your ability to keep liquids down • Vomiting blood occurs • You have severe diarrhea for more than three days • You see blood in your bowel movements • You experience extreme pain or severe abdominal cramping • An oral temperature reads higher than 101.5 F (38.6 C) • You have signs or symptoms of dehydration, excessive thirst, dry mouth, little or no urination, severe weakness, dizziness or lightheadedness • You have difficulty speaking • You have trouble swallowing • You experience double vision • You have muscle weakness that progresses downward.

So what does this mean? Does it mean that primitive humans were really, really stupid? Stubborn?

Not at all. All this means is that we are really persistent (especially when hungry). Because there was a dude who, for the better of the human race, likely excreted blood at least twice. And this is cool. Because eventually, he learned that cooking eggs is cool. And then he learned that eating cooked eggs eliminates the blood excretion. And then he taught people how to cook and eat eggs. And those people told other people, and now we enjoy Denver Omelets.

So what does this have to do with life in Milton? Only one thing: we need to create some cool stuff for the goodness of the human race. We have some insanely intelligent people here, we need to produce some insanely cool stuff.

Like walrus-shaped hats. Alarm clocks that sing American Folk Songs. Edible pine straw. That would be legit. So let’s do some seemingly stupid but actually genius stuff, Milton. Let’s make some walrus hats!

With love and endless persistence,

Bo

Senior center opens in Milton.

Brings speakers, games and exercise to the seniors of Milton.

by Kathleen Sturgeonwrite the author

July 08, 2013

MILTON, Ga. — Senior citizens living in Milton now have a new place to hang out. Fulton County has collaborated with its contract provider, Senior Services North Fulton Inc., and the city of Milton to open the Milton Neighborhood Senior Center, located in Community of Christ Church, 3315 Francis Road.

Melinda Ross, senior center manager, said there's a need for a common place for seniors.

"There are 3,000 seniors in Milton that can benefit from these services that we offer," said Ross. "We are delighted to be a part of the Milton community." The center will provide active seniors the opportunity to socialize, learn and maintain relationships. They will enjoy meeting new friends and participating in programs.

For seniors who can't drive, the program offers transportation.

This is the fourth senior center in Milton, and in April 2014, the center expects to move into the Hopewell House, located at 15690 Hopewell Road.

For now, Ross said they are delighted to be in their current location. The center will provide meals to every participant.

"This is a lovely location for folks to come to," said Ross. "We serve a hot nutritious meal every day Monday through Friday. It serves the need for the seniors who really don't want to cook anymore."

The center opened June 24 to welcome visitors and allow registration for programs and will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Activities will begin July 15, and the center's hours will be 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Hot lunches will be provided along with transportation to and from the center. Exercise, education, dancing and table games will help active seniors to continue to live happier, healthier lives filled with purpose. Activities will also include weekly outings.

"The center gives seniors an opportunity to come and be with peers and enjoy their time with their friends throughout the day," said Ross, "and also engage in a lot of social, educational and fitness activities."

Contact Ross at 470-554-0758 or mross@ssnorthfulton.org for additional information, to volunteer or to donate items.

This article appeared in the July 10 edition of the Milton Herald.

Hopewell House gains historical designation.

Councilmember Matt Kunz votes against it.

by Carolyn Aspenson; The Milton Herald

July 08, 2013

MILTON, Ga. — Six councilmembers voted to approve the city-owned Hopewell House to receive a historical designation at the July 1 Milton City Council meeting.

Councilmember Matt Kunz voted against it.

"I don't think this was a good move for the city from an economical standpoint," Kunz said.

The five other councilmembers and Mayor Joe Lockwood agreed that the historical designation is important to the city.

"The vote was simply about the preservation of the Hopewell House, one of the oldest homes in North Fulton County, by approving it for historic designation," said Councilmember Karen Thurman.

The city plans to use the house as a senior center and possible event venue.

Kunz doesn't believe the home will generate the revenue other councilmembers believe it might.

The city purchased the home for about $250,000.

Kunz said the historical designation would require renovations that could cost the city upward of a million dollars.

"Part of this money will come from Fulton tax dollars," Kunz said, "but this is still a financial concern for now and down the road."

Kunz said plans for the property may not bring in the expected revenue and could leave the city with a property that does nothing but cost money.

"We already have a senior program through our arrangement with the C0ity of Alpharetta Parks and Recreation Department," he said. "I'm not sure a senior center is the right option for the Hopewell House."

He also said the event venue possibility brings about legal issues that could be of concern for the city, but Travis Allen, Milton Historical Commission member, feels it is a viable option for the property.

"Given the appropriate changes in the city law regarding temporary pouring permits, I see no reason why the Hopewell House cannot serve Milton in a similar fashion as the Mansell House does for Alpharetta," Allen said.

Kunz has other concerns about the property.

"Now that the city owns a property with a historical designation, any structural changes made to the property must be approved by the Historical Preservation Commission," he said.

Kunz said the city now owns a property it won't have complete control over, and future use is limited because of the historical designation.

"We may need to use the property for something other than a senior center or event venue and will then have to have changes approved by the Historical Preservation Commission," he said. "This can limit the potential uses down the road."

Allen said the design plan is still in the beginning stages, but agrees the amount expected to be spent on the property is high.

Any structural changes to the outside of the property would require the city to get a certificate of appropriateness from the commission, but that the inside of the home is not impacted by the historical designation.

"Regardless of how this home is going to be used in the future, how much will be spent on improving it for a future use or who ultimately owns the home, I believe that it is a historical asset of the city and one that we should and want to preserve," Thurman said.

Thurman also said there are no concrete plans for renovations and a specific cost cannot yet be determined.

Lockwood said he feels preserving the property as a historical landmark is important to the city.

"Sometimes it's not about just money," Lockwood said. "Sometimes, it's about something that can't be replaced, something that is important to the history and integrity of our city, and I believe this is the case with the Hopewell House."

This article appeared in the July 10 edition of the Milton Herald.

Liberty's Law About More Than Just Milton, Georgia.

Numerous arrows were shot into Misty. Today, she is still in constant pain.

by Tim Enloe; Accessmilton.com


As Liberty's Law continues to gain traction, many have come forward with questions.

One in particular is whether Liberty's Law is just about one situation or more. While the ongoing abuse and harassment that a local Milton Georgia horse has endured was the spark, Liberty's Law is meant to enforce and enhance protection for all horses through education and understanding.

Horses like Misty out of Fayetteville, GA. She was shot with four arrows a couple of years back by a local teen. All this coward received was a slap on the wrist. Today, she is still in constant pain due to an arrow head lodged to close to her spine to be removed.



Then there is Lucky & Rocks; both shot by a high powered rifle in Hall County. Rocky was hit five times in the heart and died instantly; while Lucky was indeed "lucky" with having bullets going through her neck, thankfully surviving the attack.The guilty party is still at large.

Many citizens have dogs, but don't have horses. What you would do to an individual that shot your dog with paint balls, screamed at and reved engines to scare him, and shot fireworks into his yard over the course of years with no penalty by the system?

Would you write it off as the offenders "just being kids" or would you feel like Liberty's Law supporter Ann Green out of Hiram Ga? On the Liberty's Law online petition, Mrs. Green states "If nobody handles animal abuse such as what's happening here, it will escalate until someone takes matters into their own hands and someone will get hurt. I know if my horses were mistreated like this and I had a careless sheriff's office, it would not end there."

Milton Georgia has a great opportunity to lead by example for the entire state. They can support Liberty's Law by allowing it presented, inacted,
and enforced; truly putting action behind the image they claim to profess.

Or they can continue to treat the horse as the ferris wheel of Milton; only there for some bragging rights and a quick ride and photo op. Those who make the city truly unique will eventually tire of this facade and look for greener pastures.

With over ten images of horses on the city's website, that choice lies within your Milton Georgia city council.

*Many thanks to For The Love Of A Horse For their support and ongoing promotion of Liberty' Law.

New Poll Up; Old Poll Results.

By Accessmilton.com

All:

We have a new poll up.

It asks:

"Which council member has been the biggest advocate for the equestrian community?"

Have your say in the right margin today.

Past poll results show below=>

Bo Knows Smart People.

Courtesy Bo Quintana; Milton Georgia Teen

We all know smart people. But do you know any really smart people? I mean, really, really smart people?


I met a couple of really, really smart kids recently. Sunkulp (we called him “Sunny”) is a 15-year-old from parts unknown. Sunny got so upset with his middle school Spanish teacher that he decided to become fluent -- all on his own -- in Spanish, Latin, and Greek and now speaks all three languages easily. He’s also very cultured in the art of fandom and celebrates all things Doctor Who, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Firefly, Sherlock and Supernatural.



The other kid, also 15, is Dylan (we called him “Dylan with a Q”) from Warner Robins, Ga. Another linguistical genius, he too speaks Spanish, Latin and Greek and also knows a thing or two about music composition and debate.

So where did I, the 13-year-old who barely knows how to say “Where is my father’s cheese?” in Spanish and mispronounces “Pluribus” meet these two braniacs?

I met them at Duke University.

You might ask, “Why were you at Duke University? You’re too small and have not leveled up to college yet.”

And that would be a good question. I was at a camp, thank you very much. This camp was called Duke TIP. TIP is an acronym for Talent Identification Program.

What’s that? Well I’m going to tell you. Duke TIP is a program designed to expose students from 7th to 11th grades to the university style.

During the program, students learn from a topic of their choice, similar to college. They then experience the rest of the college lifestyle by having a Residential Counseling group, living in a dorm, eating campus food and playing impressive amounts of Ultimate Frisbee.

In other words, you run around a lot and learn stuff.

I took a class called Apocalypse Soon: The End of the World in Myth, Literature and Film. I learned mostly about Romanticism (not mushy, mostly angst-y) and why T.S. Eliot was a pretentious jerk.

Other classes available to students included Writing With Power (in which students learned how awesome creative writing is), Criminal Trial Advocacy (in which people go all Atticus Finch on each other), Celluloid Visions (in which everyone yells at Stanley Kubrick for being too confusing), and History of the Future (in which everyone tries to not cause World War III).

Duke TIP is full of smart kids, to say the very least.

To apply for the program, you have to take the SAT or the ACT, two tests that are hard to take as a senior or junior, much less as a seventh grader.

This test is supposed to determine whether or not you are intelligent.

I find this to be a boat full of poop.

To me, intelligence is not measured by how well you do on tests, but by how well you do on essays. To someone else though, intelligence is not measured by how well you do on essays, but by how fast you learn. To others, it’s not how fast you learn, but how successful you become.

“But which opinion does the internet back?” probably none of you asked. Too bad, you’re going to learn anyway.

According to an article displayed on the very conveniently named website intelligence.org, intelligence hasn’t been defined, and it is very difficult to discuss something that hasn’t been defined.

The article expresses that an acceptable way to measure human intelligence is to relate it to a self-driving car. The theory is that a self-driving car is a completely independent automobile that can do anything that a cable-guided or standard car can do.

But there isn’t really a car that can do that. Self-driving cars often have problems with snow covered roads and difficult merges. Unforeseen circumstances, you could call them.

So what does that mean for humans? We too will face unforeseen circumstances and might not be able to navigate around them. So are any of us really that smart?

Maybe, but that isn’t the point.

I truly only got to attend Duke TIP because the people who run the program believed that my scores showed some sort of smarticle particles buzzing around my brain. But to me, I’m not that smart compared to those two dudes who talk to each other in Latin. And really, the SAT is kind of stupid when it comes to determining overall mental competence. For example, those two Latin-speaking kids are crap at fixing cars. And they’ll both drive someday, and they’ll need a car that runs. So they’ll be dependent on someone else.

We all are awesome at being smart, in our own ways. So what about those other awesome people? Should we, Milton, make a camp specifically for those who are awesome at stuff that others aren’t?

Heck yes we should. Everyone deserves to have the experience I had, be they good at Greek or good at juggling. We’re all awesome. We should all be awesome together. We could call this the Milton Day of Awesomeness.


Why? Because awesome is good for sharing.

With love and awesomeness,

Bo

City Hall closed July 4, 5

Milton's City Hall will be closed Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5 in observance of Independence Day. It will re-open on Monday, July 8 at 8:30 a.m.

This July 4, thank a hard-working person.

With Independence Day right around the corner, I think it’s the perfect time to take a look around us and be thankful for all the freedoms we enjoy.


Every day it seems like we’re inundated with shocking or disheartening news about our society, and it can be tough to reconcile that information with the things we know to be true about our home, our friends and our families here in the City of Milton.

The truth is there’s never going to be enough darkness in this world to hide the light of freedom we’ve established for the world in the United States of America.

So it’s in that spirit that I call upon our residents to come together this Fourth of July and celebrate what ties us together. Let’s have cookouts, let’s share laughs – let’s remember what’s truly important in our lives and put some effort into keeping those relationships strong. Because family, friendships, community – these are the most valuable things we have. Without them nothing else matters.

Take a look at this newsletter: Its full of information that highlights what makes Milton, and by extension this country, great: Residents donating their money to firefighters for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a local Girl Scout trying to make her hometown more environmentally friendly, a citizen-run July 4 parade, police offering free classes to keep us safe, free movies for community building, a senior center for our older residents, workshops to teach teenagers financial responsibility, and much, much more.

And though it probably goes without saying because of the involved, committed residents Milton enjoys, make sure this July 4 holiday weekend to take a few moments and remember those who make sacrifices every day … not to mention those who have made sacrifices for the last 237 years.

But I’m not just talking about our soldiers and their families – God bless their unbelievable daily sacrifice. I’m talking about our public safety personnel who routinely put their lives in dangerous situations so the rest of us may celebrate safely. I’m talking about our elected officials, who, despite rough hours and tough decisions, continue to give their time to serve the greater good (remember – don’t let bad apples spoil the whole crop … tough, I know). I’m talking about the legions of teachers and health inspectors and construction superintendents and code enforcement officers and countless others who ensure we live in a well-educated, clean, functioning and safe society.

Yes, we have a long way to go, and nothing will ever be perfect. But if you’ll just take a moment to thank a hard-working person, you never know where it may lead. Because remember – freedom means being able to say no. And yet so many say yes, when it’s the much harder choice.

Give me a call or stop by my office sometime to let me know what you think about how we’re doing in Milton – we’re here to serve you.

Sincerely,

Mayor Joe Lockwood