Milton begins fall paving Sept. 27.

Portions of Hickory Flat, Thompson and Morris roads to be affected.

MILTON, GA., Sept. 20, 2010 - Milton will begin its fall paving schedule beginning Monday, Sept. 27, said Carter Lucas, Milton's director of Public Works.

Lucas said three roads will be affected: Hickory Flat Road from the Fulton County line to Birmingham Highway (Ga. 372); Thompson Road from Hopewell Road to Tabbystone Place; and Morris Road from Webb to McGinnis Ferry roads.
Click here for a map of the areas affected.

"Paving operations are expected to last approximately two weeks on each section depending on weather," said Lucas. "The project will begin on Hickory Flat, move to Thompson and finish on Morris."

The roads will remain open during the paving, but will be reduced to one travel lane. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes if possible during the construction period, he said.
"But if you must drive through the construction zone, use extreme caution and please drive slowly," said Lucas.

These portions of Morris, Thompson and Hickory Flat roads are ranked No. 2, 3 and 4, respectively, in the city's pavement management plan approved last year by City Council. The $1.121 million contract for the projects is to be carried out by Blount Construction Company.

Forsyth County Neighborhood Watch Information

The Sheriff’s Office has recently responded to several incidents where cars have been entered into and items stolen. We have seen many of these in the parking lots for the Greenway at Bethelview Road and at McFarland Parkway and some of our local parks where youth teams are playing and practicing. This has also happened in areas around us such as Johns Creek, Alpharetta and Suwannee.
In most of these instances, there was no “forced entry” into the vehicles, as they were left unlocked. However in several instances the windows were broken in, as items such as laptop computers and purses were left in the open on the front seat or console. You can avoid being a victim by locking your car doors and putting valuables in the trunk outside of view when out using the Parks and Greenway. Valuable items left out in the open are an invitation to criminals to force entry if necessary to get the items they can see.

These types of thefts, even if windows are broken in to gain entry, happen very fast and are very difficult to stop. The easiest way to prevent these incidents is by putting valuables in the trunk outside of view.

Be very observant of any suspicious activitity, such as people that are watching cars and people more than ballgames. Please call 911 immediately
If you do see suspicious activity and let us come check it out. For any other issues you can call the non emergency number into the 911 center at 770-781-3087. As always, Liason’s please call me with any issues or concerns at 678-513-5982


Respectfully,

Sgt Allan Frampton
Crime Prevention Unit
ajframpton@forsythco.com

*** BREAKING NEWS ***

Milton Ethics Board dissolved. City to hire attorneys to hear ethics complaints.

Details to follow.

The 9/11 Trucker.

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SWIFFER YOU!

71-Year-Old Beats Armed Intruder With Swiffer.

Courtesy
www.wyff4.com

-- A Spartanburg County man got rid of more than dirt Wednesday night as he was cleaning his home.

To view the video, click here=>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lke-l-HLSwQ

Deputies said 71-year-old Phillip Graham, of Tucker Road, was cleaning his kitchen just after 9 p.m. when a man dressed in black wearing a ski mask barged in the back door.

Graham said, "I had been in and out of the house several times, taking the garbage out to the barrel and putting some more in the can right by the back door. I stepped back in the house, didn't bother to lock the door because I wasn't sure whether I was through going in and out. By that time, this guy opened the door, stepped foot in my house."

The man, who was wearing a ski mask, appeared to have a pistol in his hand, Graham said.

Graham was armed too, but only with a Dustbuster in one hand and a Swiffer in the other.

"He told me to get down and I grabbed the Swiffer, started jabbing him with it and it broke off, so I still kept on jabbing,” Graham said. "I told him, 'You get out of my house, you sorry son of a bitch, I'll kill you.' I kept jabbing him and he backed out and ran to the back of the house and then across behind the house."
The gunman ran out the back door and across the back yard toward Staley Drive, deputies said.

No one was hurt, and nothing was taken from the home, deputies said.
Graham said his wife was in the shower during the whole altercation, and didn't know what was going on until she came out of the bathroom and found him on the phone to 911.

He said he thinks their house was chosen because the carport light was on.
Graham said he hopes his Swiffer defense made an impression.

Graham said, "Hopefully that will discourage some of these young bucks that people are not going to stand for them coming in your house uninvited -- let them know that not all of us are going to stand for them to bully us around."

Graham said next time, he won’t rely on his Swiffer. He said he plans to have his gun handy.

Bethany Green Neighborhood Yard Sale.

Located off of Bethany Bend and Bethany Church Road (540 Laurel Oaks Lane, Milton 30004) just across from North Park.

Friday and Saturday September 17th and 18th (8:00 am to 2:00 pm)
Furniture, toys, clothing, home décor, lots of interesting treasures, come early!!!!

On National Note...

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Wellesley, Massachusetts Public School Students: Taken to Mosque - Learn to Pray to Allah.

Property tax bills to be mailed Sept. 20.

Residents have 60 days to pay bill

MILTON, GA., Sept. 17, 2010 - The City of Milton will mail property tax bills Sept. 20, said Milton Finance Director Stacey Inglis. After receipt, residents have 60 days to pay the bill without incurring penalties.

"Recently, we've had a number of citizens ask when they will receive their city property tax bills, because they have already gotten their Fulton County tax bill," she said. "We wanted to make sure everyone knows they have not missed anything."

Inglis said Milton has recently switched its financial accounting software, which pushed back the billing cycle slightly. The switch has also disabled the city's online tax bill payment system.
"I do not have a timeline for when it will resume," said Inglis. "But I assure every citizen in Milton we are working very hard to get it back up and running as soon as possible."
In the meantime, residents still have three options available for paying their bill:
By phone: Call 678-242-2500 and ask for the Revenue Office.

By mail: 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Suite 107G, Milton, GA 30004. Please make check(s) payable to City of Milton. Mail both the tax stub and your check or money order.
In person: Finance Office: 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Suite 107G, Milton, GA 30004. Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Acceptable forms of payment are check, money order, cashier's check, credit card (Visa/MasterCard/American Express and Discover) and cash (exact change only).
For more information, e-mail Revenue Administrator Honor Motes at honor.motes@cityofmiltonga.us or call 678-242-2500.

The Power Of The Horse.

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In Memory.

All:

While the citizens of Milton and visitors of Accessmilton.com do differ on issues every now and then, it is important to put such things aside during certain times; such as a loss of a loved one.

This past week, both the Moore and Wallace families lost loved ones.

Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Thank you,

Tim Enloe

Accessmilton.com

Sept. 20 City Council meeting notice.

Monday, September 20, 2010 Regular Council Meeting Agenda 6:00 PM

INVOCATION - Mr. Roy Foster, Alpharetta First United Methodist Church.

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. 10-1235)

4) PUBLIC COMMENT 5) CONSENT AGENDA 1. Approval of the August 23rd Special Called Meeting Minutes. (Agenda Item No. 10-1236) (Sudie Gordon, Interim City Clerk)

2. Approval of the September 8th, 2010 Regular Council Meeting Minutes. (Agenda Item No. 10-1237) (Sudie Gordon, Interim City Clerk)

3. Approval of Financial Statements for Period Ending August, 2010. (Agenda Item No. 10-1238) (Stacey Inglis, Finance Director)
4. Approval of an Agreement Between City of Milton and Bank of North Georgia to Initiate Debit and Credit Entries through the Automated Clearing House Network. (Agenda Item No. 10-1239) (Stacey Inglis, Finance Director)

5. Approval of a Parks and Recreation Event License Agreement Between the City of Milton and Kolleen Riddick of CorePhysique to Offer Fitness Camp Classes at Bell Memorial Park. (Agenda Item No. 10-1240) (Cyndee Bonacci, Parks and Recreation Director)

6. Approval of a Revised Fee Schedule for the City of Milton Parks and Recreation Department. (Agenda Item No. 10-1241) (Cyndee Bonacci, Parks and Recreation Director)

7. Approval of an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Milton and Forsyth County for McGinnis Ferry Roadway Project. (Agenda Item No. 10-1242) (Ken Jarrard, City Attorney)

8. Approval of a Task Order with Street Smarts, Inc. for the Design of Intersection Improvements for Arnold Mill Road at New Providence Road in the Amount of $149,995.25. (Agenda Item No. 10-1243) (Carter Lucas, Public Works Director)

9. Approval of a Task Order with Street Smarts, Inc. for the Design of Intersection Improvements for Birmingham Highway at Providence Road in the Amount of $154,949.57. (Agenda Item No. 10-1244) (Carter Lucas, Public Works Director)

10. Approval of a Roundabout Support and Lighting Agreement with GDOT for the Intersection Improvement at Birmingham Highway and Providence Road. (Agenda Item No. 10-1245) (Carter Lucas, Public Works Director)

6) REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS (None)

7) FIRST PRESENTATION (None)

8) PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. Approval of an Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of Milton, Georgia, to Adopt Amendments to the Fiscal 2010 Budget for Each Fund of the City of Milton, Georgia Amending the Amounts Shown in Each Budget as Expenditures, Amending the Several Items of Revenue Anticipations, Prohibiting Expenditures to Exceed Appropriations, and Prohibiting Expenditures to Exceed Actual Funding Available. (Agenda Item No. 10-1230) (First Presentation on September 8, 2010) (Stacey Inglis, Finance Director)

9) ZONING AGENDA
1. ZM10-02 - A request by JSB Triangle, Inc., located on Morris Road and Bethany Bend, Hidden Forest Subdivision to modify 2002Z-105 and 2003ZM-067/2003VC- 0247 to modify Condition 2.a. (2003ZM-067) by deleting the November 18, 2003 site Plan currently referenced and substituting and placing in lieu thereof the site plan filed on June 30, 2010. To modify Condition 3.e. (2002Z-105) by reducing the minimum 50-foot perimeter principal building setback to 35 feet where the subject site adjoins property zoned AG-1 (Agricultural). (Agenda Item No. 10-1196) (Deferred on August 2, 2010)
(First Presentation on September 8, 2010) (Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)
2. RZ10-04 - Approval to Amend the City of Milton Zoning Ordinance to Create a Required Distance for Convenience Stores and Service Stations from Residential Uses/Zoning Districts within the Northwest Fulton Overlay and State Route 9 Overlay Districts (Chapter 64 Division 5 and Chapter 64 Division 6). (Agenda Item No. 10-1212) (Administratively Deferred on August 16, 2010)
(First Presentation on September 8, 2010)
(Work Session on September 13, 2010)
(Lynn Tully, Community Development Director)

10) UNFINISHED BUSINESS 3. Approval of An Ordinance to Amend the Code of Ordinances of the City of Milton, to Establish the Code of Ethics for the City of Milton; to Further and Incorporate the Policies and Laws of the State of Georgia Relating to Ethical Standards; to Create the Board of Ethics and Provide for Board Membership, Duties, and Responsibilities; to Provide for the Disposition of Ethics Complaints; to Ensure Compliance with Ethical Standards; to Repeal Conflicting Provisions; to Provide for Severability; to Provide for an Effective Date; and for Other Purposes. (Agenda Item No. 10-1221)
(First Presentation on September 8, 2010) (Ken Jarrard, City Attorney)
4. Approval of an Ordinance of the Mayor and Council of the City of Milton, Georgia, to Adopt Amendments to the Fiscal 2010 Budget for Each Fund of the City of Milton, Georgia Amending the Amounts Shown in Each Budget as Expenditures, Amending the Several Items of Revenue Anticipations, Prohibiting Expenditures to Exceed Appropriations, and Prohibiting Expenditures to Exceed Actual Funding Available. (Agenda Item No. 10-1230)
(First Presentation on September 8, 2010) (Stacey Inglis, Finance Director)

11) NEW BUSINESS (None)
12) MAYOR AND COUNCIL REPORTS

13) STAFF REPORTS

14) EXECUTIVE SESSION (If needed)

15) ADJOURNMENT (Agenda Item No. 10-1246)

Know Your Milton; The Venomous Saddleback Caterpiller!

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All:

Fall is always a welcome sight as the year goes by. The nice temperatures along with the beautiful leaves and weather makes this season a popular one.

Unfortunately, another being likes the cool breeze as well: The Saddleback Caterpiller!

The saddleback caterpillar, Sibine stimulea, is the larva of a species of moth native to eastern North America. The species belongs to the family of slug caterpillars, Limacodidae. It is also known as the "packsaddle".

The caterpillars are primarily green with brown at either end, and a prominent, white-ringed brown dot in the center which resembles a saddle, hence the name. They feed on a large variety of plants, and the adults are dark brown, stout-bodied moths. In Florida, they are known to feed on ornamental palms such as the Adonidia merrilli (Christmas palm).

These caterpillars have a pair of fleshy "horns" at either end, and these, like much of the body, bear urticating hairs that secrete an irritating venom. Stings can be very painful. They can cause swelling, nausea, and leave a rash that can last for days. Individuals with sensitive skin are cautioned against coming into contact with them as the reaction can be more severe than the typical reaction.

In Milton, saddlebacks lay claim to any number of hardwoods; from maples to oaks. Bottom line is to be aware for both yourself and your loved ones. These caterpillers will sting worse than a hornet and multiple times!

Help Gizmo the Kitty Get Home!

GIZMO

Lost Tabby Cat! Goes by the name of Gizmo.

He was last seen on Providence Park Dr and Providence Rd on September 1st. This fine fellow weighs 13 lbs and is 10yrs old. He has brown with black stripes with an orange nose.

Gizmo has a bent left ear tip and missing 2 canine teeth (top and bottom on left side)

If you see Gizmo, please contact his parents at 770-544-9198 / Jcook30@comcast.net. Ask for Jason!

Thank you!

Milton Business Alliance Meeting This Thursday.

Hello Everyone, Just a reminder of our meeting thursday the 16th at Katy's carwash, 6pm. Katy's is located on Hwy 9 just north of Windward Pkwy, across the street from Walmart. Don't forget Brenda is offering a free carwash to all MBA members who come early. So show up and get your car cleaned. The new restaurant and member of the MBA, Scratch, will be catering. Brenda of Katy's carwash will be furnishing beer and wine and Tony Worley of It's My Party will be loaning us tables and chairs. The Chief of Police and some of Milton's finest will be there for you to meet. Our next meeting will be October 21st at Milton's Cocktails and Cuisines. Jan Jones, our State Rep will be there to give us an update of all that is going on with the state and county.

See you there, Lauren Holmes

Crossroads at Crabapple Festival to take place Oct. 2.

100-plus antique dealers and juried artists on hand.

MILTON, GA., Sept. 15, 2010 - It's that time of year again to stroll through beautiful, historic Crabapple on a cool fall day, taking in the wares of more than 100 antique dealers and juried artists from six states.

We're talking of course about the Crossroads at Crabapple Antiques and Art Festival, held Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Crabapple. A tradition since 1969, this one-day-only, rain or shine outdoor festival features thousands of antiques, accessories and unique pieces of art in all mediums.

Portions of sales benefit the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America and many other non-profit organizations. Parking and admission are free.

For directions to the festival, click here.

"We get quite a crowd, so shoppers need to come early for the best buys," said festival organizer Sally Rich-Kolb. "We have thousands of antiques and accessories, from 19th century American Country to vintage/chic, pottery and old and new quilts. Plus, as always, we have the perfect find for someone searching out that unique piece of art or jewelry. There is just too much to list so you must come and see for yourself!"

Included in the festival are roaming musicians, a varied menu of food items, trolley rides and children's activities provided by the Goddard School from 2 to 4 p.m.

Children at the Goddard School must have one guardian with them at all times, said Rich-Kolb. While there the youngsters will be entertained by Captain Planet, music, magicians and a moon bounce.

Organizers recommend bringing cash or a checkbook, as about half the artists and dealers can not accommodate credit cards.

Please note: The City of Milton is a presenting sponsor of this event. It is not a city-run special event. For more information, go to www.crossroadsatcrabapplefestival.com or call 770-448-3860.

Runners, sponsors can apply for Milton Mayor's Run.

Courtesy Appen Newspapers

September 13, 2010 MILTON - Applications and sponsorship packets for the 2nd Annual Milton Mayor's Run, to be held 8 a.m. Oct. 16 at the Kohl's on Ga. 9, are now available at the City of Milton's Web site, www.cityofmiltonga.us.

This year's Milton Mayor's Run will begin and end at the Kohl's in the Deerfield Place shopping center at the corner of Ga. 9 and Deerfield Parkway, said Cyndee Bonacci, Milton's Director of Parks and Recreation. It includes a 5K race and 1K fun run.

Cost for participation is $20 if received before Oct. 11 and $25 after. That fee includes a quality, moisture-wicking T-shirt with the logo displayed below and plenty of food and fluids after the race.

Sponsorship levels include packages from $250 to $5,000 for title sponsors.

All funds raised by this event will directly benefit the Milton Parks and Recreation Department and its efforts to provide citizens with access to greenspaces, parks, trails, facilities and recreation programs and activities.

The 5K race will circle Deerfield Parkway, meaning it will be flat and fast.

Awards will go to the 5K Male and Female Open and Masters and to the top three finishers in the various age groups.

"The race will be a Peachtree qualifier, and the flat course means runners could post a very good time," said Bonacci. "We know there are a good number of avid runners in North Fulton, and we hope they will join us for this great community event."

For more information, contact Bonacci at 678-242-2489 or cyndee.bonacci@cityofmiltonga.us.You may also contact race organizer Pacesetters P.R. with questions by e-mailing pacesetr@bellsouth.net.

Studio One to One Offers In Home Personal Training Service.

Have you been wanting to try a personal trainer, but don't want to leave the comfort of your own home? Enter Studio One to One’s in-home training solution! We searched high and low for a qualified, enthusiastic, results-driven trainer who can come to your home and get the job done with you.

Meet Kate McDermott

Kate is a personal trainer certified by the International Sport andSciences Association (ISSA) and a graduate from the University ofConnecticut. Her strengths include energizing female clients by sharing their goals, knowing their capabilities, not underestimating their potential and creating enjoyable, yet safe fitness program stailored to their needs. She works mostly with women and is known for her unique and always changing workouts. Kate is a mother of two and knows the areas women want to work on and how to getback to feeling and looking your best! She is available at your home and is a good multi-tasker if little ones are on hand during workout sessions.

Have you tried in-home trainers before but felt they couldn’t offer you the “whole package” in terms of covering nutrition in addition to exercise? Well then this is the opportunity for you! All of our in-home programs will include an initial physio-graph (body composition analysis), meal plan, online food journal subscription, and ongoing physio-graphs in the studio every four weeks.

Our in-home rates are exactly the same as our super reasonable studio rates, so this is what I call a no brainer! Kate will come to you,give you a fat-blasting workout, and then get right back to your busy day. Time to dust off whatever fitness equipment you have at home (and guess what? you don’t need much!) and put it good use. Call us right now at (678) 367-3619 to take advantage of this offer.

You'll get all of the convenience, all of the accountability of a trainer, all of the body transforming RESULTS, all in your very own home.

Elaina Smith

Studio One to One

www.AlpharettaPersonalTraining.com

(678)367-3619

Visit Our Blog: www.studio-onetoone.com/wordpress

To find out more about Studio One To One, click here=>

http://www.accessmilton.com/Advertisers/StudioOneToOne.php

Time To Laugh.

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Painted horseshoes donated to Milton.

Students at Hopewell Middle School decorated horseshoes to be used throughout the city. Horseshoe decorating has become a yearly event for the students.

By Jonathan Copsey; Appen Newspapers

MILTON – Slowly but surely, the young city of Milton is gearing up programs and events that can properly be called "traditions." There's the Round Up, Mayor's Walk, numerous events at Crabapple. And now horseshoes.

The Eco Explorers club at Hopewell Middle School has, for the past two years, refurbished old horse shoes and decorated them to be given to the city as community decorations. Last year's crop of shoes still hang beside many of the office doors of city staff members.

"It was such a big deal, Ms. [Debra] Lajewski and I decided to do this on an annual basis," said Eco Explorers teacher Tina D'Aversa. Both D'Aversa and Lajewski help run the club.

According to D'Aversa, the club first got to thinking about the project by wanting to do something visible for the community.

"So many of our students are on horse farms or ride horses," D'Aversa explained. "We know about the fondness for our horses and the mustangs, the school mascot, so we thought 'let's use horseshoes.'"

"The goal is to be able to go around to the fire stations and make sure that they all have some that they can hang on their doors."

In true local folklore, if a hanging horse shoe is turned up, it catches luck; if it is turned down, it spreads the luck around.

With the idea in mind, the students collected used horse shoes from throughout Milton, cleaned them of the rust and dirt, then decorated them.

This year, 150 students took part during the final week of the last school year and set upon horseshoes donated by City Manager Chis Lagerbloom.

The latest batch of decorated horseshoes were presented to the city at a recent council meeting.

"The word of what we do has spread among the students," said D'Aversa. "I think we'll have more and more students want to decorate now."

Send Us Your Pet Pics!

All:

We are launching a new section on Accessmilton.com. This new arena will be very similar to the "Amber Alert" for lost or abducted children with some furry differences of course.

In Milton, it is not uncommon for residents to see "lost pet" signs on both street and stop signs.

With this free service, you will have a recent picture of your pet kept on file here with all owner information that you chose to make available to the public.

Hopefully, you will never need to use this information, but at least it is here on Accessmilton.com if you have to use it!

Email all pet photos and important information to; tmenloe@aol.com / subject line: "Pet Alert information."