Check Out the Milton Gardening Club On Accessmilton.com!

Turn up your speakers and enjoy!!!

http://www.accessmilton.com/MiltonGardenClub.php

Milton To Hire New City Manager Next Week

By DOUG NURSE http://www.ajc.com/

The Milton City Council has scheduled a meeting for Monday to approve a city manager.
The city has only advertised for one candidate, Billy Preston Beckett of Peachtree City.

Beckett, a 30-year veteran of government administration, has served as Fayette County administrator, Riverdale city manager. He also served as a manager in Raleigh County, W.Va.; Franklin County, Va.; and Collier County in southwest Florida.
Beckett joined Fayette County in 1985, and served for 15 years —eons in the world of county administration.

Then, he was Riverdale city manager from 2001 to 2004.
Since then he has worked as executive director of the Coosa Valley Regional Development Center, and as city manager of Safety Harbor in Florida.

Milton has been without a permanent city manager since August when Aaron Bovos resigned under fire over missing a deadline to collect about $900,000 in taxes. Since then, Public Safety Director Chris Lagerbloom has been acting city manager.

Milton Nights...Another Wonderful Success!

Brandon Wallace, Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood, and Miltonian Cheryln Allen.

Milton - With a large crowd of people coming for dinner, The Mad Italian Restaurant had it's hands full at this past Thursday's Milton Nights... From meeting new people to the encouragement of friendships generated from time's past; this evening had it all. Mad Italian owner Tom Brown donated 10% of the evenings proceeds to the Milton Police & Fire Depts. Many thanks to all those that came out in support!!!

To find out more about Milton's Mad Italian Restaurant, click here=>http://www.accessmilton.com/Advertisers/MadItalian.php

Accessmilton.com Proudly Presents...

AT

The Date: Thursday, March 27, 2008
The Time: 6pm - 10pm
The Location: The Mad Italian Restaurant
5310 Windward Pkwy Milton, GA 30004
(Next to Home Depot!)
770-664-5962

Looking To Meet Your Milton Neighbors? Need A Local Networking Source? Want To Make New Memories With Old Friends?

Then Head On Over To The Mad Italian Off Of Windward Parkway This Upcoming Thursday, March 27th At 6pm For Food, Fun, & Family!

Tom Brown, owner of the Mad Italian restaurant on Windward Parkway in Milton has always been a part of his local community, whether he is selling sandwiches at opening day at the local ball fields, sponsoring a high school lacrosse team or celebrating at the Milton Birthday bash. Of course, he jumped at the chance to host the next Milton Nights...

Tom says, "It's an honor to sponsor the next 'Milton Nights' because it provides the Milton community with a great opportunity to come together as family and neighbors and get to know our community leaders in a casual, relaxed environment."

Tom has chosen to donate 10% of proceeds during Milton Night to the City of Milton Fire and Police Departments. He hopes that you will join him at The Mad Italian, try out "the best cheese steak south of Philly" (or one of his other signature items, like the spicy sausage diavolo or delicious cheese steak pizza) and in the process help your local fire and police departments.

So Come On Out Thursday Night And MEET SOMEBODY!!!

Looking For A Mad Italian Menu? Click Here!

Another Wonderful Spring Milton Picture!

Patti Silva of www.miltonville.com sent in this wonderful picture. We guess it is safe to say that when it comes to beauty in Milton, the sky is the limit!

This Beautiful Picture Is Taken From Ginger Enloe's Flower Garden!

Spring is in the air in Milton, GA! There is no better time to get out in your yard and play in the dirt. Interested in sharing your green thumb passion? Then contact Gardening Chair Sharon Murphy at luv2garden12@aol.com or visit the Milton Gardening Web Site at http://gardening.meetup.com/172/ today!

Gas Main Break On North Freemanville.

In preperation of the water main going in on Freemanville Road, construction workers hit a gas main and they have closed the northern portion of Freemanville Road above Birmingham. Many thanks to Michelle for bringing this to our attention.

Mr. Charles Day And His Barber Shop

Another Wonderful Article From The Ladies At Miltonville.com!

By Patti Silva and Abbe Laboda
March 2008

Close your eyes for just a moment and picture the tiny chocolate brown building facing Cogburn, just south of Francis Road. It sits behind a majestic oak tree guarding a home-built red barn. The sign reads: Tuesday and Thursday Open 7:00pm. You have probably passed it a thousand times during Milton’s rush hour and wondered what it is and who is inside. This is Mr. Charles Day’s barbershop. The barbershop, the barn and his home, which he shares with his beautiful wife Carolyn, were built by Mr. Day in 1961. Read more here=> www.miltonville.com

Ga 9 Closed In Milton

by Jason Wright / www.northfulton.com / Milton Herald

Milton -- Work crews building the Deerfield Place phase one shopping center hit two gas lines March 24, shutting down a portion of Ga. 9 in Milton.Traffic is being routed up Webb Road through Deerfield Parkway, then back to the clear part of Ga. 9.Lt. S. Cornett of the Milton Public Safety Department said the city has already notified the state to shut off the gas since Ga. 9 is a state route. The site has been evacuated, save for gas and public safety crews.Atlanta Gas Light officials on scene would not comment on when the main was hit.Cornett said there was no time line yet on when the portion of Ga. 9 would be reopened.

Foster's Grille & NMS Join to fight Leukemia

April 1st and 15th Come help raise money to fight Leukemia at Foster's Grille of Crabapple Tuesday April 1st and Tuesday April 15th. Ten percent of the proceeds will go to the Team in Training fund of Michael O'Keefe (owner of Foster's Grille) who will be participating in the Country Music 1/2 Marathon on behalf of Northwestern Middle School. He is trying to raise $5,000 towards this cause. As many of you know, Leukemia and other cancers have directly impacted the Northwestern community over the past two years. Let's show our children that together we can make a difference, by raising money to fight this terrible disease. If you can not make one of the fundraising events, you can support our effort by donating at the following site:
http://www.active.com/donate/tntga/tntgaMOKeef1 Thanks for your support!

Puppy Found.

Attached is a picture of an adorable young dog found by one of my neighbors. She was found near the part of the Champions View golf course that backs up to our subdivision, Oak Ridge on the Green. She looks like a Rottweiler puppy, maybe some shepherd mixed in. She looks well cared for and is very sweet. PLEASE pass this picture and email along to your friends and neighbors so we can find her owners. You can call me at 770-521-2835 or email me at mailto:hollingsworthcyn@bellsouth.net Thank you for your help.

Cindy Hollingsworth

Know Your Milton: Endangered Species!

The Cherokee Darter:

Their dappled backs help them to blendin with the rocks on the bottom. During the spring and summer spawning season,the darters "color up" adding turquoise blue andbrick red to their everyday attire, going from drab to dressy, as they try to get the attention of the females."Darters get their name because they move around the water in short quick bursts," said Freeman. "They can instantly burrow under the rocks when danger is present, or flit out into the open when they see a female coming along."The male courts a female and then she deposits an egg by attaching it to a rock or a little piece of wood.The Cherokee darter helps reduce the population of those pesky black flies by eating their larvae and midges, while the Etowah darters tend to dine on caddisflies and mayflies. All the while, the darters must avoid being eaten by the bigger sport and game fish.That is about as complicated as a darter's life get --hanging out in the stream, looking for food and a mate and trying not to get eaten by the bigger guys.The Etowah darter, however, is an endangered species and the Cherokee darter is threatened. Although both are listed as protected by the Federal Endangered Species Act, their habitats continue to disappear.Two essential attributes of the underwater world are critical to the darters' survival. The water must be moving and it must be clear. Instead, their streams are being degraded by incompatible agricultural practices,urbanization, sedimentation, just to name a few of the human impacts on the habitat.Because darters communicate by sight alone, clearwater is necessary for their survival. When the water becomes cloudy they cannot find insects for a meal,locate a mate, or avoid a predator."They also need flowing water. To dam up their stream or river would be a death sentence for themand their whole local population," Freeman said.

Important Milton Permit Could Hit Snag

by Jason Wright www.northfulton.com / Milton Herald

MILTON-- The completion of an important permit process for the city might have hit a stumbling block that could have unintended consequences for rural Milton.The permit, called the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, or NPDES, is paramount for the city to receive state funding. The city has the permit contingent on passing two local ordinances: a litter control law and something called the conservation subdivision use ordinance.

The reason for those ordinances, City Attorney Angie Davis told City Council at its March 10 work session, is because Milton is part of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District. As such, Georgia law requires Milton to pass both ordinances.As it is written, the subdivision conservation law is meant to increase green space and reduce impact to local waterways. It has long been a part of the permit process.

Unfortunately, it's generally meant for more urban areas than Milton and could force developers in the city to increase their density to meet its requirements. In addition, it supersedes Milton's existing zoning laws that guard against high density development.Luckily, Davis said Milton doesn't have to pass the exact ordinance that's on the books, only something "substantially similar." So that leaves some wiggle room for the city to argue its case against the potential of higher density."I think the purpose [of the law] is to encourage lots of green space ... and I think in the city of Milton we do that a whole lot with our land classifications as we have them," she said.However, she admits it's not going to be easy to convince the Georgia Environmental Protection Division that Milton is doing enough on its own.

"They have their little box, and we don't fit in that box," she said.Council agreed to look at the proposed law and provide insight into what Davis and Community Development Director Tom Wilson can create to fulfill the requirements.

Milton Garden Club Has It's First Meeting.

Various folks from all corners of Milton came together this past Thursday with green thumbs in tow. It was the very first meeting for the Milton Garden Club. Organizer Sharon Murphy was kind enough to open her wonderful home for the inaugural event! If you are interested in joining, please click on the following link: http://gardening.meetup.com/172/

Patti Silva of www.miltonville.com also has a wonderful write up on the event.

Thurman, Lusk Feel Left Out Of Milton City Council

by Jason Wright /www.northfulton.com / Milton Herald

MILTON-- After receiving 6,000 pages of e-mail correspondence by her fellow Milton City Council members, Karen Thurman said it is clear to her she has been left out of the decision-making process.Filed in late February, Thurman's inquiry was largest open records request in Milton's short history.It asked for "all e-mail correspondence between the City Council members and/or mayor and city staff and/or city attorney for 2008," according to her request.The result of digging through the e-mails, according to Thurman?"It clearly confirmed my belief that there were discussions taking place on items that were on our agendas prior to them coming forward for the whole council discussion," she said. "There were back room discussions."

And she said those discussions were had without including her or Councilman Bill Lusk, who previously were part of a 4-3 voting block on important issues. The other two members, Rick Mohrig and Neal O'Brien, were not re-elected in November. Instead they were replaced by Councilmen Alan Tart and Burt Hewitt respectively.Thurman said when she received the correspondence on a CD -- for which she will be charged $181.43 to pay for staff hours on the project -- it became clear e-mail chains were not forwarded to her and Lusk.

She said council members would address an e-mail to Mayor Joe Lockwood or City Manager Chris Lagerbloom, then discuss the question with each other in forwarded e-mails. However, the e-mails were never sent to her or Lusk.Because the e-mails were only sent to the mayor and city manager in the first round, "Chris and Joe probably didn't know," she said."Sometimes I feel like I show up to council meetings and everybody else has information I don't," she said.

She would not say exactly who was excluding her and Lusk, and specifically mentioned only one zoning case where she felt discussions were had without the two of them.

Councilwoman Tina D'Aversa said she was surprised to hear of the request and Thurman's claims."I have not spoken with [Councilwoman Thurman] about this request nor has she asked me for any information or to justify any situation where she was left out of appropriate council communication," she said. "I would need specifics to believe there is an initiative to leave a council member out of appropriate council communications. As far as I am aware, the city staff has been good to copy all council members on appropriate communications."

Lusk, who had seen some of the e-mails, agreed that they showed "an intentional effort to exclude her and me."The councilman said he hasn't talked to the other council members about Thurman's research."They know what they are doing and they know I know," he said.

"Obviously these people don't want to discuss it."

Mayor Joe Lockwood said he didn't think there was merit to Thurman's claims."When it comes to city affairs, everyone gets the same information," he said.Lockwood, who has recently been in conflict with Thurman over the 5-2 decision to move council meetings to Mondays (a CPA, she comes late due to tax season), said he thinks the feeling of being left out is due to a shift in dynamics on council after November's election, one which saw his endorsed slate of candidates voted in."Now everything is openly discussed in meetings," he said. "There's a shift in influence she doesn't like."

Lockwood added that he knows what it is like to be part of a marginalized clique, referencing the 4-3 split on council that sometimes saw him, D'Aversa and Julie Zahner Bailey voted down."I want to make sure that doesn't happen again on council anymore," he said. "The public spoke loud and clear in November that they won't stand for any back door games or behind-the-scenes stuff."

The other four members of council echoed his sentiments about Thurman's claims."When I came in here I certainly though council people Lusk and Thurman had value to add," said Hewitt.Tart said he thought the divisiveness on council was left in November's elections."I'm ready for everyone to move forward," he said. "The sooner we get that done, the better for Milton."

Thurman said she not trying to create any conflict on council."I'm just there trying to do what I feel I was elected to do," she said.

Support Transportation Funding Proposal - Call Your Elected Official Today!

This week the state House of Representatives will consider important transportation funding legislation that promises to free clogged highways and provide new transit options for metro Atlantans and all Georgians. The House Committee substitute to SR 845 will first provide the citizens of Georgia an opportunity to vote on a constitutional question allowing regions within the state to propose a 1% sales tax for their most needed transportation projects in that region.
Second, the regions would then ask their citizens to vote on a list of projects that the sales tax would fund and the timeframe for that funding. Each region would get back all of the funding it generates for its own transportation projects.

Citizens finally have a chance to be heard on this issue.
Please take a few minutes today to contact your House Representative and urge that they vote “Yes” on the House Transportation Committee's substitute to SR 845.

Find your Representative here

Thank you for helping metro Atlanta’s economic prosperity and quality of life.
The Atlanta Regional Commission is a member of the Get Georgia Moving coalition, which represents more than 50 groups, including Georgia and metro Atlanta businesses, government leaders, transit advocates, road builders and environmentalists, who gathered together to advocate for transportation funding solutions in the 2008 legislative session. The coalition supports a referendum-based effort to generate funding to relieve congestion, ensure our air quality and promote economic development.

*****Wreckless Driver Alert - Fulton Tag # AHS 7302!!!*******

Date: Tuesday / March 18th
Time: Approx: 6pm
Location: Bethany Road Between Mayfield & Providence.
Offense: A black Lexus 470 / Fulton Tag# AHS 7302 was seen driving in a wreckless manner going north on Bethany Road. The offending vehicle passed a north bound vehicle on a double yellow line (which means no passing!) in front of the Trotter's Ridge Subdivision. Witnesses state that they were driving about 40mph when the vehicle passed. It is estimated that speed driven by this individual is roughly 60mph. Driver continued north and turn right onto Bethany Way.

Please keep your eye out for this individual. He is taking the lives of all of our Milton residents for granted! This vehicle has been reported to the Milton Police dept.

Six Offers For Milton Running Back Williams

By Jeff Hood www.ajc.com

Milton tailback Toney Williams picked up his sixth scholarship offer on Friday when N.C. State gave the 6-foot-1, 230-pound junior an opportunity to play college football in Raleigh.
With a recruiting portfolio that already included offers from Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Rutgers and Tennessee, the Wolfpack might be considered a longshot at best to land the talented Williams, who is a native of the Volunteer state.

“He went to Georgia Tech last week and met with Coach [Paul] Johnson,” Milton coach **Scott Walker said. “He’s visited Tennessee and Kentucky and he’s going to Georgia on the 22nd [for junior day].

“N.C. State just offered him, but he’ll still try to make it up there for a visit.”
Several other programs have made inquiries on Williams, who possesses 4.6-second speed in the 40.

“I just sent film to Alabama last week,” Walker said. “And schools like Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt, Clemson and pretty much everybody in the ACC seems interested in him.”

Georgia has expressed interest in Williams. But with less than 15 scholarships available to the class of 2009, the Dogs may be hard pressed to find room for Williams.“I actually spoke with two of [Georgia’s] coaches about Toney,” Walker said. “If they recruit him, they’ll recruit him as an H-back or fullback type. I think they’ve got, or will have, five bon-a-fide blue chip tailbacks on campus."

“They told me they really like him, but it’s going to come down to their numbers.”
Williams, who will be a four-year letterman at Milton, has the flexibility to line up nearly anywhere in the offensive backfield.

“He’s exactly what he looks like,” Walker said. “Everybody is recruiting him because they think he can do a lot of things. “Georgia Tech is wanting him to play B-back, which is their fullback. Kentucky is recruiting him strictly as a tailback. Tennessee is recruiting him as both.
“He can be a big guy tailback. And he has great hands.”

Please Help Bring Miss Stella Home!

All:

One of our residents is missing a member of the family; their cat Stella. If folks could keep their eyes out for this little lady, we would really appreciate it! Stella's family lives off of New Providence Road. Please contact: Robin Shane at 404-797-4170 if you have seen Stella!

Thank you!

Am Staff.

Reminder Of Upcoming Meetings From Julie Zahner Bailey.

Dear Milton Friends, Neighbors and Citizens,

This is a friendly reminder regarding important upcoming meetings this week both in Milton and at our borders. Monday, March 17th Mayor and City Council meeting includes three requests for rezoning, some of which are requesting withdrawal. Please note while an applicant can request withdrawal once the case has been advertised the public hearing will be held.

Tuesday, March 18th at 7pm at the Canton City Hall in downtown Canton the Georgia State Environmental Protection Division, (EPD) is holding a public hearing on the proposed sewerage treatment plant north of Milton's borders. This public hearing is in response to hundreds of letters received from Cherokee residents and Milton citizens. As noted in earlier releases and as reported by the news this proposed plant would bring increased density, greater stormwater run off thereby negatively impacting the rural character of this region. As you may have read in the newspapers, Cherokee Water and Sewerage Authority has denied its intent to bring sewer service into Milton. Please remember that there is sewer service within a half-mile of Milton in Cherokee County. An earlier document from the Metro North Georgia Water Planning District also notes additional sewerage capacity coming from Cherokee to serve North Fulton for a regionalized approach. If you have not sent a letter expressing your opinion about this proposed sewerage treatment plan please do so. Your opinion still matters. Both letters and attendance at the EPD hearing are critical. A copy of the sample EPD letter for your reference may be found using this link.

Equally important you should have received your Milton Citizens Survey in the mail. It is critical that this survey be completed and mailed in by Friday, March 21st. I appreciate you taking the time to provide your opinion to the Mayor, City Council, Staff and the CPAC. This survey is vital to the Comprehensive Land Use Planning Update process.Also, on Wednesday, March 19th in Forsyth County, a Community Public Information Meeting is being held regarding a proposed development on the borders of Milton and Forsyth, near Bethany Bend Road and McGinnis Ferry. There is a proposal for 87+ acres at this location to become a continuous care facility. The Forsyth County Government Center is at 110 East Main St. Cumming, GA 30040.

Your direct involvement allows me to be even more effective on your behalf.

Julie Zahner Bailey
Milton City Council
770-664-5529 (h)
404-310-6344 (c)
Julie4Milton@mindspring.com