It's October, and in Milton, that means getting out in those cool fall Saturday afternoons and building this community the old fashioned way - with fun festivals and events that bring us together as friends.  

This is our busiest time of year for special events, and we've got something planned pretty much every weekend throughout the month. By the time you read this, you'll have already enjoyed the Crossroads at Crabapple Antiques and Arts Festival Oct. 1 (make sure to check out those photos on flickr) and probably a school carnival or two. Here are a few of the highlights for the rest of the month:

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Calling all Milton residents who like to hoof it or shake it for a good cause: The 3rd Annual Milton Mayor's Run will be held Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Kohl's on Ga. 9, with a concert benefiting the Milton Fire Department's Muscular Dystrophy Association fundraising held that night at Scottsdale Farms.  

The 5K (3.1 mile) race, which begins at 8 a.m., will circle Deerfield Parkway beginning and ending in Kohl's parking lot on the Deerfield entrance side (click here for directions). It is a flat, fast course that is perfect for runners looking to chalk up a good time. There will also be a 1K fun run for younger participants and novices.  

Cost for participation is $20 if received before Oct. 3 and $25 after. That fee includes a quality, moisture-wicking T-shirt and plenty of food and fluids after the race.  

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Milton Parks and Recreation Department. To register using active.com, click here (please note there is a processing fee). To download the participant application, click here. You may mail or drop this application off at City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway Suite 107A, Milton, GA 30004.  

The concert, featuring Atlanta blues rockers "LooSe ShoEs Band" - who else? - will kick off at 6 p.m. at Scottsdale Farm's seasonal pumpkin patch. It is free, but donations will be accepted on behalf of the Milton Fire Department's "Fill the Boot" Drive for the MDA.  

For directions to Scottsdale Farms on Birmingham Highway, click here. To hear clips from the LooSe ShoEs Band, click here.  

For more information, click here.  

The City of Milton will hold its fifth birthday party Saturday, Oct. 15 at Birmingham United Methodist Church from noon to 6 p.m., and everyone is invited to let loose and have a ball.  

For continually updated information about this year's festival, including event and parking maps, volunteer information and a list of entertainment, visit www.cityofmiltonga.us/roundup 

Admission is free, as is parking. Unlike in previous years, however, parking will be off site at Birmingham Park and continuous shuttles will run all day. The park is located off Hickory Flat Road behind Fire Station No. 43 (click here for directions). Click here for directions to Birmingham United Methodist Church.

Click here for more information.

Milton's Historic Preservation Commission will host speakers throughout the day at its booth during the Milton Roundup. 

1 p.m. Leslie Thomas, vice president of the Trail of Tears Association, Georgia Chapter
2 p.m. Bob Meyers, author "Barns of Milton County"
3 p.m. Norm Broadwell, presenting "When we were Cherokee"
4 p.m. TBA

In addition, the members are looking for donations of older local photos (pre 1950's, preferably) to display at the event. On the back of the photo, donors should indicate their name, phone number and the subject matter of the photo. 

For more information, e-mail the Historic Preservation Commission at HPC@cityofmiltonga.us.

Join Milton Grows Green at the Rivers Alive annual clean up event on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its yearly starting point, Bailey Farms and Gardens, 255 Hickory Flat Road (click here for directions).

Volunteers will be assigned a predetermined waterway or neighborhood to clean up. Waders and boots are a plus for those who wish to venture into the streams. Younger participants can help at school sites or in neighborhoods with storm drain markers.

Groups of four or more need to pre-register.

For more information, e-mail Milton Grows Green at mgg@cityofmiltonga.us or contact Cindy Eade, Milton's environmental sustainability coordinator, at 678-242-2509 or cindy.eade@cityofmiltonga.us.

On Saturday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Highland Manor Neighborhood Clubhouse (click here for directions) Milton-based Know Better Do Better will reach out to families at home dealing with overseas deployments by making letters and cards to be delivered around Thanksgiving as part of the Homefront Hugs program. 

Kids can personalize the cards with photos, smiles and jokes to keep the children and family members smiling while they miss their parents and loved ones during the holidays.  

Come make a card with us - we will have card supplies there - and please bring a small gift with you to attach to the card. Or you may drop off your pre-made card with small gift and we will proudly deliver it to Homefront Hugs for you.  

Involve your school, church, temple or any organization and get together to make cards and small gifts of thanks for our service men and women's families.

Questions? Please e-mail info@kbdb.com, call 678-772-6085 or visit www.kbdb.com.

The Milton Business Alliance invites you to the Halloween Hunt Saturday, Oct. 29 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Fry's Electronics, 3065 Webb Road in Milton. (click here for directions).  

Cart sponsorships are available for $250. Each cart consists of a four person team, with each person guiding their own shopping cart. The team must work together to find hidden items and traverse an obstacle course.  

Raffle tickets will be available for a flat screen television, iPod, laptop and many other electronic devices. There will also be prizes for the winners of the scavenger hunt and a cart decorating contest. Sponsorships are available.  

The event benefits Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Emergency Transport unit to be stationed at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Forsyth. All sponsorships and donations are tax deductible. All checks to be made out to: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.  

Click here for a sign up form.  

For additional cart information please contact Elaina Smith at elaina.smith@gmail.com or 678-823-0484. 

The City of Milton Public Works Department and Milton Grows Green are offering residents a bulky trash amnesty day Saturday, Nov. 5.  

From 8 a.m. to noon, residents of Milton can bring items to the City of Roswell Public Works Division at 1810 Hembree Road in Roswell (click here for directions). Proof of residency will be required, and utility bills are preferred.

Some of the items that will be accepted are:  

• tires - must be off the rim, automobile tires only; limit 4 per car
• sofas
• tables
• refrigerators
• chairs
• washers
• dryers
• televisions
• deactivated cell phones
• computer equipment and electronics 

The following items will not be accepted:

• paint
• household hazardous waste
• any fluids including motor oil and anti-freeze
• household batteries
• construction and demolition materials
• yard waste

For proper disposal of these items, please contact either the Roswell Recycling Center at 770-442-8822 (motor oil and anti-freeze) or Chadwick Landfill at 770-475-9868 (construction and demolition materials).

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

See photos from the Antique Fest 

It was a perfect fall day for an outdoor festival Oct. 1, and thousands took advantage of the beautiful weather by flocking to the Crossroads at Crabapple Antiques and Arts Festival. This long-running festival featured food, art, antiques, music and lots, lots more.  

To see photos from the vent, visit the City of Milton's flickr page by clicking here.

Don't forget that online payment is again available at the City of Milton's Web site for 2011 tax bills.

Tax bills are due Oct. 31. Residents who wish to pay their bill online may click here to view the city's online tax payment home page, which also contains links to frequently asked questions about taxes and a 2011 Property Tax Guide brochure.  

For more information, click here.

This fall, the options for fun and affordable fitness offered by the City of Milton and partner CorePhysique have been kicked into high-gear.  

In addition to the popular adult fitness camps, residents can now join:  

• Beginning Running Camp
• Family Fit Camp
• Kids After-School Fit Camp
• 60-plus Seniors Fit Camp

Each co-ed program will emphasize proper technique, stretching and nutrition, weekly personal coaching and encouragement, and a complimentary injury prevention clinic and free shoe fitting with the experts at Big Peach Running Company.  

For more information, including cost, times and duration of each program offered, click here.

Winter basketball registration continues

Registration is now open for the City of Milton/Up With Kids Sports winter basketball league for boys and girls ages 6 to 13.  

To sign up for the league, click here. For more information about the program, visit Up With Kids Sports' Web site at www.myuwks.com.  

This program will take place at Hopewell Middle School thanks to an intergovernmental agreement with the Fulton County School System. Cost for residents is $115 and $172.50 for non-residents. That price includes a uniform and once-weekly practices and games for an eight-game season, plus playoffs.  

Player evaluations will be held Oct. 23; practices start Nov. 1. Games start Dec. 3 and last through Feb. 11. Games will be held on Saturdays, though Sunday games may be necessary depending on participation. Practices will be held during the week and vary depending on team.

Click here for more information.  

The City of Milton and Milton Grows Green has recently partnered with The Clean Air Campaign to help improve Georgia's air quality and reduce its traffic congestion.  

Commute cost got you down? Want to save money on gas and car expenses? Make the switch from driving alone to a "cleaner" commute and get paid $100!  

*The Clean Air Campaign defines a clean commute as; carpooling, vanpooling, taking transit, walking, biking, teleworking and/or working a compressed work week.  

• Simply register at www.logyourcommute.org to receive a free carpooling, vanpooling or biking buddy match-list
• Fill out a Cash for Commuters ($3 a Day) Application and mail it in (Before you start "clean" commuting)
• Get approved and start logging your "clean" commutes at www.logyourcommute.org for your assigned 90 day period.
• Earn your $100 by logging and start seeing the savings by "clean" commuting
• Continue to log your "clean" commutes to be entered into the $25 Visa gift card drawing each month. 1 in 10 "clean" commute loggers win and you can win multiple times
• Form a carpool of 3 or 4 people and earn $40 to $60 gas cards each month by applying for the Carpool Rewards program.  

Already carpooling with a spouse or loved one? You can still participate! Register and start logging your "clean" commutes and you will also be entered into the $25 Visa gift card drawings.  

Worried about "clean" commuting because you won't have your car? Our Guaranteed Ride Home Program is here as your safety net!  

• This program we will provide "clean" commuters with 5 FREE taxi rides per year in case of; an emergency, you or a family member gets sick and or you have unscheduled over time and get left at work. Just have a 2011 paper (signature is required) Guaranteed Ride Home application on file with www.myridesmart.com and you are all set!  

Help improve air quality within your local school zone by becoming a Clean Air School. Our No-Idling, Pool to School, and Ride the Bus programs have helped 300- plus schools across Georgia improve the air quality within their school zones. 

Milton's own Woof 'Em Down Dog Biscuits, a non-profit charity run by Milton brothers Zack and Thomas Eller, would like to encourage residents to adopt a homeless pet from a local shelter or from the Homeless Pets Foundation this October.

"There are 6 to 8 million homeless pets in shelters in the U.S. and of those 100,000 get euthanized in Atlanta every year," said Milton student Zack Eller, who also ran the Milton market this summer. "If we can get one pet adopted from a shelter, we have made a difference."

The Eller brothers were honored in 2008 by proclamation from the City of Milton and had Oct. 6, 2008 named "Zack and Thomas Eller Adopt-A-Shelter-Pet Day in Milton" in their honor. This October they will be honored again for their work in the community.

For more information on Woof 'Em Down Dog Biscuits, visit their Web site, www.woofemdown.com.

By Dennis Nelson, Community Outreach and Policy Coordinator 

By Kolleen Riddick, Founder of CorePhysique 

Core: it seems to be the new buzz word. But do you really know what your core is? Most people say that it is their "six pack."  As trainers, we know that the core is so much more. It is your center of gravity. It is your abdominal region, your hip complex and your entire back.

A strong core will enable you to have better balance, proper posture and will help with athletic performance. A weak core leaves you at risk for back pain and increases your chances of injury.

Very few people take the time to train their core properly. They fail to realize that the core is the foundation of all good movement patterns. All of your power comes from a strong core. Sit-ups continue to be the main choice for many people trying to work the core. However, this only strengthens the rectus abdominis (the six pack muscles).  

So what are the best types of exercises to strengthen the core? Core conditioning exercise programs need to target all these muscle groups to be effective. My top three favorite core exercises are:

Plank 

• Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from ears to toes with no sagging or bending.
• Your head is relaxed and you should be looking at the floor.
• Hold this position for 10 seconds to start.
• If you experience low back pain drop to your knees
• Over time work up to 30, 45 or 60 seconds. 

Seated Oblique Twists 

• Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Contract your abs and lean back to a 45-degree angle.
• Optional: hold weights with both hands directly in front of you.
• Contracting your abs, twist slowly from your torso to your right and touch the weights to the floor beside you.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps. 

Supermans 

• Lie face down on a mat with your arms stretched above your head (like Superman flying)
• Raise both arms and legs slightly off the ground to a hover. 
• Then raise your right arm and left leg about 5-6 inches even higher (or as far as you comfortably can).
• Hold for 3 seconds and switch. 

For a video showing the proper movements of these exercises, visit my Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/CorePhysique.

Remember to breathe as you go through these exercises. The focus should be on the core. If you experience back pain, ease off the exercise. There are always modifications that you can do until your core is stronger. 

This list is compiled from business license records kept by the city's Community Development Department. If a new business receives a license within the month proceeding the newsletter, it will be listed.

The appearance of a business on this page is not intended, nor should it be construed, as the City of Milton's or Milton City Council's endorsement, sanction, promotion or advertisement of any particular business. Identification of businesses on this list is for informational purposes only. Citizens interested in retaining or conducting business with any of the companies or agencies listed in this item should conduct their own review and investigation of that business.

GOODWYN, MILLS & CAWOOD INC 200 Providence Oaks Circle Milton, GA 30004 

SPRINT AUTO SALES 13980 Highway 9 Milton, GA 30004

GREEN ISLAND CONSULTING 722 Brookshade Parkway Milton, GA 30004

CRABAPPLE CAPITAL GROUP 12600 Deerfield Parkway Suite 100 Milton, GA 30004  

LAURA MANSFIELD SALON 12872 Highway 9 Building 200 #106 Milton, GA 30004  

FASING AWAY INC 680 Scarlet Oak Trail Milton, GA 30004  

O.M. 680 Scarlet Oak Trail Milton, GA 30004

For an continually updated list of current businesses in Milton via the city's Web site, click here.