It's November, so in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to take some time this month and talk about those things for which I am always thankful. I know it's not too original, but I think it's always worth giving thanks for the abundance of good things in our lives.

First on my list has got to be friends and family. I recently was lucky enough to give a good friend of mine who is a longtime business owner in Milton some recognition for a decade of service to the community. Dr. J. Hannis Mize has owned Little River Animal Hospital on Birmingham Highway since 2002, and in his years of ownership he's done a lot of good work for the community, including fundraisers and fall festivals for local families in need. 

I'm glad to call him my friend, and I'm thankful Milton has an army of business owners just like him who not only run quality establishments, but give of themselves so that others might find success, as well. 

 Read the entire message .

The City of Milton will once again display commemorative markers for the two weeks surrounding Veterans Day, Sunday, Nov. 11, and in preparation is adding veterans into the city's registry of service men and women.

Through four years of hard work and the generosity of residents, Milton has amassed a list of 463 living and fallen veterans, 261 of whom are memorialized with markers placed on Deerfield Parkway from Nov. 4 through Nov. 18. Any deceased veteran of a Milton family is qualified to be honored with a marker. Information on living veterans will be used for recognition purposes. Living veterans DO NOT receive markers.

Each year residents ask how their family members may be added to the registry. The city does not have access to a government database revealing who served in the military. Instead, we need you to tell us.

If you, a friend or someone in your family is or was a veteran, please fill out the attached form below. You may drop it off at City Hall, fax it to 678-242-2499 or mail it to:

Milton City Hall
13000 Deerfield Parkway
Suite 107A
Milton, GA 30004
Attn: Jason Wright

There is also an online form available anytime at the City of Milton Web site. You may either click here or go to www.cityofmiltonga.us. To access the form, click on the "Find a Form or Permit" tab at the top of the page and choose "Register military veterans' information" from the "Online Forms" section at the top of the page.

Once you give the City of Milton the information, it will be placed in a secure database. The names will then be sent to City Councilman Bill Lusk, who for four years has personally built, painted, engraved and placed the markers at his own expense.

The names will then also be used in the City of Milton's yearly Memorial Day service. 

Please note: Only veterans who have passed away receive markers. Living veterans will have their service recognized with inclusion in lists printed for Memorial and Veterans day. 

City of Milton property tax bills were sent Thursday, Sept. 6. Residents have 60 days (due date Nov. 5) to pay the bill without incurring penalties.

Residents have four options available for paying their bill:

Online: Click here to pay your taxes online.

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). 

Ad valorem taxes, more commonly known as property taxes, are levied for city operations and maintenance. All real estate and personal property is taxable unless exempted by law.    

For more information, visit the Finance Department's Tax FAQ page here or download the 2012 Property Tax Guide.

Election Day 2012 will be here soon!

The Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections encourages all registered voters to take steps now to get ready to participate in the Nov. 6 General Election.

Voters have a number of convenient options for participating in the election, including  Advance Voting, Voting by Mail, Family Voting Day, and voting on Election Day.    

For a full rundown of information about voting in Fulton County, click here.

Thank you to the Milton schools that have applied to be a part of the Evergreen Schools Program this year and are now eligible for city grants supporting environmental education: Cambridge High, Birmingham Falls, Cogburn Woods and Crabapple Crossing elementary schools and Hopewell and Northwestern middle schools.

A big thank you also goes out to those dedicated teachers and parent volunteers who have made a difference in our community by connecting kids with the outdoors and environmental topics.  

Both public and private schools are eligible to become Evergreen Schools by submitting an application and setting three environmental goals for the school annually.  There is no charge for the program and there are many resources available, including networking/training meetings and a Web site designed specifically for environmental education, www.eenorthfulton.weebly.com. 

The next Evergreen Schools meeting is Thursday, Nov. 8, from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. at Dolvin Elementary, 10495 Jones Bridge Road in Johns Creek (click here for directions). 

Parents and children are invited, and there will be four hands on lessons taught that you can use in your own classroom and other teaching opportunities.    

For more information about the Evergreen School program, please contact Kathy Johnson, education chair of the Milton Grows Green Committee, at travelingkath@hotmail.com or Cindy Eade, sustainability coordinator for the City of Milton, at cindy.eade@cityofmiltonga.us or 678-242-2509.

Blue Bloods Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, which includes City of Milton police officers, is holding a "Ride for Liam the Brave" Saturday, Nov. 10 starting at Killer Creek Harley Davidson in Roswell (click here for directions). 

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and kickstands go up at 10 a.m. Cost is $20 for riders and $5 for passengers. The ride will be police escorted, and all makes and models are welcome.

There will be food, drinks and music from noon to 2 p.m. and a raffle (tickets are $5 or 5 for $20).

Proceeds benefit Liam Stine, who has been diagnosed with cerebral atrophy.

For more information, contact Sgt. Andrew Phillips at 678-242-2570 or andrew.phillips@cityofmiltonga.us.

The City of Milton Public Works Department and Milton Grows Green are offering residents a bulky trash amnesty day Saturday, Nov. 10, so gather your large items for disposal.

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). Only City of Milton and Roswell residents will be served. Proof of residency will be required, and utility bills are preferred.

New this year is shoe recycling. Bring your gently-worn shoes for a recycling and reuse program to help fund Milton's Community Wildlife Habitat Project (click here for more information on the project).

Some of the items 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).

Materials will only be accepted at the site on the day of the event and only during the hours of 8 a.m. and noon. Please note that the gate will close at noon.

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

Milton's City Hall will be closed Monday, Nov. 12 in observance of Veterans Day and Thursday and Friday, Nov. 22 and 23, in observance of Thanksgiving. It will reopen for regular business Tuesday, Nov. 13 and Monday, Nov. 26 at 8:30 a.m.    

For more information, view the city calendar.

The City of Milton recently closed on the last of 14 acres of land adjacent to popular Bell Memorial Park, fulfilling the promise outlined in the Parks Master Plan to expand the asset.

To keep residents up to date on the progress of the project, the Parks and Recreation Department will hold a community Living Room Conversation Tuesday, Nov. 13 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Parks and Recreation Advisory Board member David Shannon's Shannondale Farms, 2225 Birmingham Road in Milton (click here for directions). Refreshments will be provided.

The city paid $1.287 million for the land, which will allow the park to more than double in size. The exact use of the land will be determined through community involvement and a series of public meetings to ensure the park's design meets local expectations.

The money paid for the land was based on fair market value in an open environment that included public hearings on the purchases prices. The purchases were funded through the city's parks land acquisition budget and approved by Milton's City Council in a unanimous vote.    

For more information on this project or the meeting, contact interim Parks and Recreation Director Jim Cregge at 678-242-2489 or jim.cregge@cityofmiltonga.us.

The City of Milton will improve the intersection of Hopewell and Birmingham roads, and residents now have the opportunity to provide comments on proposed plans for the work.

To view concept alternatives for the intersection improvements and make comments, visit http://miltonintersectionprojects.com/birmingham-road-at-hopewell-road. Here you will find project information and displays, as well as traffic simulations and a comment form that goes directly to Sara Leaders, traffic engineer for the City of Milton.

In addition to the online options, residents have to chance to view the improvement concepts in person Wednesday, Nov. 14 at an open house held in City Council Chambers at Milton's City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway, suite 107 E (click here for more information, click here for directions). The open house will last from 5 to 6 p.m.

Following the open house, the Milton City Council will hold its monthly work session, during which there will be an agenda item for a presentation on the intersection improvements.    

For more information on this project on the public meeting, contact Leaders at sara.leaders@cityofmiltonga.us or 678-242-2559.

Are you looking for new ways to promote America Recycles Day, celebrated nationally on Nov. 15?

AmericaRecyclesDay.org has information on how to host or join an event, take a recycling pledge, and where to find recycling options. They even have a toolkit with graphics and templates you can use.

The City of Milton is participating with a special shoe recycling drive. Gently used shoes will be collected at City Hall (collection boxes at the entrance of suite F and council chambers, suite E), for recycling and reuse through Shoe Box.  

This program will provide funding to support Milton's Community Wildlife Habitat Program.    

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

Perk up those ears for sleigh bells and pack the mittens, because the City of Milton will once again provide two holiday events for residents - the fourth annual City of Milton Tree Lighting on Thursday, Nov. 29 and, in partnership with the Crabapple Community Association (CCA), the fifth annual Christmas in Crabapple on Saturday, Dec. 1.

And this year, the city's giving a big gift to the community - Milton's first completed park, the site of the city's festivities for Christmas in Crabapple. The city will open the park officially for the holiday party and unveil its name, and the CCA will provide festivities throughout Crabapple.

Fourth annual City of Milton Tree Lighting
Milton's holiday season will kick off Thursday, Nov. 29 with the fourth annual City of Milton Tree Lighting ceremony from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the corner of Ga. 9 and Webb Road.

Click here for directions to the tree lighting ceremony, which will be held in front of the Deerfield Place shopping center) at Webb Road and Ga. 9.

The tree lighting ceremony will last 30 minutes, from 6:30 to 7 p.m., and include performances by the Milton High School Chorus and Off Broadway Expressions and Milton's Mayor and City Council counting down to the big moment.

After the tree is lit, good St. Nick will arrive by fire truck to the tune of "Here Comes Santa Claus."  

Following the ceremony, there will be refreshments, photos with Santa Claus courtesy of Blencoe and Co. Photographic Arts and holiday music. It's an evening of fellowship with your neighbors - not to mention a perfect opportunity to get some holiday shopping done at one of the Ga. 9/Deerfield Parkway corridor's many retailers.

Fifth annual Christmas in Crabapple
Saturday, Dec. 1 is sure to have heaps of holiday cheer in Milton as the city, in partnership with the CCA, hosts the fifth annual Christmas in Crabapple from 2 to 5 p.m. at Milton's first completed park and in historic downtown Crabapple.

This year's Christmas in Crabapple is truly a celebration throughout the Crabapple Crossroads. At the park, which will open that afternoon and have its name unveiled, there will be Christmas, Hanukkah and holiday music favorites from the Crabapple Crossing Elementary School chorus and singer Emily Hall, holiday train rides and a horse drawn carriage ride to downtown Crabapple.

In historic downtown Crabapple, the CCA is offering photos with Santa Claus at Blencoe and Co. Photographic Arts and the return of the "North Pole Passport" program featuring local businesses.

To RSVP for the North Pole Passport program, please visit the CCA's Facebook event page by clicking here.

Click here for directions to the park, located at 12785 Birmingham Highway between Crabapple Crossing Elementary and Northwestern Middle schools. Click here for directions to historic downtown Crabapple.    

For more information on either of these holiday events, contact Special Events Coordinator Angela Thompson at 678-242-2530 or  angela.thompson@cityofmiltonga.us.

The faculty and students of Milton High School are asking the community to pull together to support the family of Eagles' offensive line coach Mike Scott after he was diagnosed in early October with an aggressive form of cancer.  

Scott and his wife, Mary Jane, have two young children.

If you would like to provide monetary of emotional support to the Scott family in this difficult time, "Lift Up Coach Scott" bands are being sold for $5 at the school.  

Donations also can be made at GiveForward.com. Friends are also using Care Calendar to coordinate meals for the family (the calendar ID is: 128708C, the code is: 4329).  

Lastly, there is a prayer page on Facebook.

Crabapple Crossing students participate in International Walk to School Day Oct. 3.They had phenomenal participation, with more than 400 out of 700 students walking to school. In addition to the event, the school also hosts a monthly walk to school day.

Congratulations to our Evergreen School Partner, Crabapple Crossing Elementary, for being named a 2012 Blue Ribbon School.

The distinction is based on the school's overall academic excellence, and honors Crabapple Crossing for being a place where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements in achievement are made.  

Photos are now available from the 2012 Milton Roundup, which took place Oct. 20 from noon to 6 p.m. at Birmingham United Methodist Church.Special thanks to Ashley Blencoe of Blencoe and Co. Photographic Arts for the beautiful photography.  

You may view the pictures by clicking here to go to the City of Milton's flickr page.

Milton's Rivers Alive annual water and roadways clean-up was held Saturday, Oct. 27 at Bailey Farm and Gardens.

Volunteers from Milton and Cambridge high schools, Northwestern and Hopewell middle schools, Milton's National Wildlife Federation Habitat project committee and Milton Grows Green participated to pull out 2,300 pounds of trash from area streams, creeks and roadways.

Among the items the 60-plus volunteers found were 27 tires, a broken kayak and a park bench.

Special thanks to event partner NTB at 12992 Ga. 9 for properly disposing of the tires.    

To see photos courtesy of Julie Zahner Bailey and the Milton Grows Green Committee at the city's flickr site, click here.

For more information, contact Tom Gilliam at 678-242-2519 or tom.gilliam@cityofmiltonga.us.

The Thompson Road Fire Station (No. 42) was recently certified as a National Wildlife Foundation Habitat, meaning the city is one step closer to achieving its goal of being named a "Community Habitat."

With all four elements to support wildlife -- food, water, shelter and cover for birds -- it was easy to certify the property and demonstrate to the community how simple the process can be. Adding a bird bath was the only real addition to the front yard.  

Thanks to the Milton Chapter of the Young Men's Service League for providing much needed man- and womanpower to prune, rake and plant the property to make it very appealing to the community.  

"We still need about 60 certified homes for the project," said Francia Lindon, co-chair of the project committee. "It is simple to do with an online application and one-time fee of $20."   

For more information and to get involved, click here and join your Milton neighbors to get our city certified.

Milton will continue its fall paving schedule through the end of the calendar year to serve the most residents.

Paving and repairs on Batesville Road from Ga. 372 (Birmingham Highway) to the Cherokee County line and Birmingham Road from Ga. 372 (Birmingham Highway) to Freemanville Road will both be finished before November.

After that work is done, crews will move on to paving or improving residential roads. These include: 

• Gunston Hall Circle
• Gunston Hall Drive
• Old North Park Lane
• Providence Farms Lane
• Stonebrook Farms Road
• Orchard Bend Trail
• Beringer Court
• South Vineyard Way
• Country Ridge Road (surface treatment only)
• Richmond Glen - all roads (surface treatment only) 

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.

These roads were identified as being the most in need of repair in the city's pavement management plan approved in 2009 by City Council. The $1.7 million contract for the projects is being carried out by Blount Construction Company.    

For more information, call Angie Kapijimpanga, Public Works Department Citizen Responder, at 678-242-2562 or e-mail angie.kapijimpanga@cityofmiltonga.us.

Did you know that since 2010, the Milton Police Department has partnered with CrimeReports.com to bring online crime data and mapping to its citizens?

To use the service, click here. The web-based software is also always available at the city's Web site, www.cityofmiltonga.us, 24 hours a day. It is free to the public and allows citizens to view data online and receive alerts about activity near their work, home or school.

Here's how it works: While on the Crimereports.com site, type in an address to pull up a map of the city. The system will then populate the map with crimes or police activity that has occurred in the selected time frame. The user can then click on the legend to get a brief description of the listed activity.

Information included: 

• Incident type
• Date
• Incident ID Number
• Location
• Distance from citizen's address 

In addition to keeping citizens informed, CrimeReports.com allows the police department to analyze incident data - meaning more effective crime fighting and more efficient response to the needs of the community.   

By Kolleen Riddick, CorePhysique founder  

Did you know that childhood obesity has more than doubled in the last 30 years?

Statistics show that in 2010 nearly 43 million children under the age of 5 were overweight. Obesity can lead to many health problems, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes (to name a few).

Fortunately, this is a problem that has many solutions. As adults it is our responsibility to look out for the younger generation. We need to lead by example and help to teach children right from wrong when it comes to making healthy decisions.  

Tip 1: Encourage your child to pack a healthy lunch for school. I recommend purchasing the book "Eat This Not That for Kids." This book has some fun suggestions for healthy lunches, as well as some great tidbits on the nutrition values of common-day foods.  

Tip 2: Exercise with your kids. Summit Hill elementary school offers a family fit boot camp every Thursday morning free of charge. If your child does not attend Summit Hill, find something that would work with your schedule. Go for a morning run or throw on some music and dance the morning away.

Tip 3: Limit screen time. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of entertainment media time for school-aged kids a day (including 1 to 2 hours of educational, non-violent television). Establish a television time limit that you feel is reasonable, then try to sit down each week and let your child figure out how he or she plans to use it. Just make sure that screen time doesn't interfere with homework or meals.  

Tip 4: Enroll your child in some sort of physical activity. Find what works best for your child. Here in the Milton area we have many different avenues for exercise, from the greenway, to off-road bike trails, to football and soccer -- there are even Parkour (that city-based gymnastics you see all over television) classes and Ironman kids programs around.

The bottom line is this: there are many different ways to be active. Find what interests your child and encourage him or her to follow through.

 Click here for more information on the City of Milton/CorePhysique fitness camps.

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.

Mayor Joe Lockwood and Councilwoman Karen Thurman join representatives of Lennar Georgia, Inc. as they celebrate the second phase of the Deerfield Green town home development.

Fave Merchants Inc.: 12990 Highway 9 North        
Adroit Business Card Holders: 3070 Windward Plaza, Suite F307
Edible Arrangements #1377: 13077 Highway 9 North Suite 610  
Circle Investment Support Services (USA), LLC: 12600 Deerfield Parkway, Suite 100                
Maid for You Cleaning Service: 14843 Taylor Road   
Prestige Childcare and Services: 604 Northpark Lane       
Century Brokers & Liquidators, LLC: 14640 Glencreek Way     
Grand Champion BBQ, LLC: 4401 Shallowford Road     
Striking Image Photography, LLC: 12460 Dansfield Drive 

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