Like a lot of folks, I spent the last Friday in August at Milton High School watching the home opener between the Milton Eagles and Alpharetta Raiders football teams.

Cambridge had an away game, but when they open at home against Pope I'm sure I'll see a lot of you there, as well.  

This was the second year for the "Mayors' Challenge" between myself and Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle, and I'm happy to report our Eagles came out on top once again after a real nail biter. The score was 31 to 24 in overtime, and it was a heck of a game (great job on those three touchdowns Treyvon Paulk). So make sure to stop by Milton High when Belle Isle does his time serving lunch for the second year in a row.  

I want to congratulate all the players on both teams. Belle Isle and I talk frequently about how we're both torn in these types of games because the attendance zones of the high schools don't exactly match our city limits, so we've got residents going to both schools.  

The good thing is, it doesn't really matter which school you go to - Cambridge, Milton, Alpharetta, Kings Ridge, Saint Francis - the atmosphere at big games is fantastic. There are always throngs of happy, excited people thrilled to carry on the great traditions we've established in the community.

   Read the entire message.

Both paving and roadwork projects continue throughout the city in September.  

PAVING

Please note: The paving schedule is split into two phases - paving and reconstruction. The first, which will last four weeks weather permitting, finishes up Sept. 14. The second, which begins Sept. 16 weather permitting, is expected to last two months. All work should be finished by early November.

Sept. 2-6  

Cogburn Road
Upland Court
Double Creek Lane
Mountain Road

Sept. 9-14
Mountain Road
Henderson Road
Timber Gap Crossing

Roads to be reconstructed include: 

Hamby Road from Hopewell Road to the Forsyth County Line
Bethany Road from Providence Road to Alpharetta City Limits
Dinsmore Road from Freemanville Road to North Valley Road   

ROADWORK

Please note: All dates on roadwork projects are estimates and are based on weather conditions. Any road closures will be sporadic and announced well in advance.  

Ga. 140 at New Providence Road
In July, CMES, Inc. began 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 Road/New Providence Road
In August, Bartow Paving Company, Inc. began 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. also began 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.

The City of Milton's Police Department is looking for residents interested in taking a free, eight-week Citizens' Police Academy.

The Citizens' Police Academy will be held once a week from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 26 to Nov. 15 in City Council Chambers of Milton's City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway Suite 107 E (click here for directions).

Twenty students will have the opportunity to participate in:  

• DUI and traffic stops
• SWAT tactics
• Taser and baton demonstrations
• K-9 procedures
• Crime scene analysis
• Shooter scenarios   

Please note: All participants must be at least 18 years old and will be pre-screened through the police department.  

To sign up, click here or contact Community Outreach Officer Ara Baronian at 678-242-2570 or ara.baronian@cityofmiltonga.us.

The third annual Evergreen Schools environmental education resource fair open house will be held Wednesday, Sept. 11 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Wills Park Recreation Center, 11925 Wills Road in Alpharetta (click here for directions).  

This event is open to anyone interested in environmental education, including educators (public and private), PTA volunteers and children. 

There will be environmental vendors with information on starting or enhancing your environmental education school programs. 

Refreshments will be provided.  

For a full list of environmental resources for students and teachers, click here to view the August Evergreen Schools Newsletter.  

For more information, contact Cindy Eade, sustainability coordinator for the City of Milton, at 678-242-2509 or cindy.eade@cityofmiltonga.us.

If you are a residential builder, architect, engineer or inspector, please register for Milton's International Residential Code (IRC) Update meeting on Thursday, Sept. 12 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

This meeting will be held at Milton's City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway (click here for directions). 

The meeting will cover code changes scheduled for Jan. 1, 2014. 

For more information, contact Wade Greene, chief building inspector for the City of Milton, at 678-242-2547 or wgreene@safebuilt.com.

The City of Milton Public Works Department and Milton Grows Green are offering residents a bulky trash amnesty day Saturday, Sept. 14, 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.

Also, 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 (reusable items will be donated to Atlanta Furniture Bank): 

• 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
• mattresses and box springs
• grills
• lawnmowers (with fluids drained) 

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.

Congratulations to the business winner of our bronze National Wildlife Habitat garden sign, The Broadwell Cottage.

And to the residential winner, Laura Cedarquist. Enjoy your habitats!

After 15 months of hard work from hundreds of community members, on Aug. 27 Milton was officially designated a National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Community Wildlife Habitat.

Milton is just the 72nd community in the country to earn the honor, and just fourth in the state, said Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Cindy Eade, who led the effort with the help of the Milton Community Wildlife Habitat Project Committee, city staff and community volunteers.

"This was a tremendous effort involving numerous residents, business leaders and school officials," said Eade. "But a large share of the credit goes to our many fantastic volunteers - especially to Will Check for getting the project started and Girl Scout Sarah Ellison for seeing us through to the end."

The Community Wildlife Habitat project created multiple habitat areas in backyards, school yards, corporate properties, community gardens, parkland and other spaces, said Eade. Its ultimate goal is creating community where people and wildlife can flourish.

To celebrate the achievement, Milton will host a certification ceremony Sept. 18 at Friendship Community Park, 12785 Birmingham Highway (click here for directions). The event is open to the public and will begin at 6 p.m. with a tour of Crabapple Crossing Elementary NWF schoolyard Habitat, followed by a program at 6:30 in the park.

Parking is available at the school. 

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

Better Together, Milton residents looking for unique and fun opportunities to connect with neighbors, will participate in the city's Adopt-A-Road program on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 9 a.m.  

Volunteers will clean up Thompson Road from Redd to Country Ridge roads.  

Additionally, Better Together will host an update meeting on the new Milton library Thursday, Sept. 26 at Bethwell Community Center (click here for directions). This session will begin at 7 p.m. and will be led by Friends of the Milton Library President and City Councilman Matt Kunz.

The public is also invited to join state House Speaker Pro-Tempore Rep. Jan Jones on Thursday, Oct. 24 for an update on matters of interest to Milton area residents.  This event will be held at City Hall and will begin at 7 p.m. 

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.

Boy Scout Troop 3000 of Birmingham United Methodist Church will hold a Community Recycling and Shredding Day Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at their meeting place in front of the church, 15570 Birmingham Highway (click here for directions). 

Materials accepted at no charge: 

• Computers
• Keyboards
• Monitors (non-CRT only or there will be a charge)
• Appliances*
• Outdoor grills
• Lawn mowers*
• Scrap metal
• Cell phones
• Reusable shoes

* Fluids must be drained

Materials accepted WITH A CHARGE: 

• $15 for televisions
• $10 for CRT monitors
• $5 per box for shredding 

Cash and Checks accepted. Proceeds benefit Milton BSA Troop 3000 

Materials NOT ACCEPTED: 

• Paint
• Hazardous materials
• Yard waste
• Non-electronic or metal items

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

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 both sponsorship and volunteer opportunities are available. 

SPONSORS
The Crabapple Fest sponsorship packet is 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.

VOLUNTEERS 

There are opportunities for volunteers of all ages and abilities on Friday, Oct. 4 during Broadwell Road vendor set up and Saturday, Oct. 5 before and during the festival. Shifts for individuals and service groups are available in three-hour slots starting Friday, Oct. 4 at 3 p.m. through 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5.

Interested volunteers can pick from a number of important jobs (while spots are available), including: 

• Vendor ambassadors and booth set-up (Friday and Saturday)
• Traffic, roadblocks and parking (Friday and Saturday)
• Children's activities (Saturday only)
• Festival logistics (Friday and Saturday)
• Greeters and festival attendants (Saturday only) 

Each volunteer will receive a traffic vest for demarcation during the festival and free drinks and snacks during their shift.

Please note: The City of Milton and/or CCA will certify youth and service groups requiring documentation of work completed.

To volunteer, click to here to visit the festival's volunteer sign up page. For more information on volunteering, contact Peyton Jamison, president of the CCA and volunteer coordinator for the event, at crabapplecommunity@gmail.com or 678-323-3454.  

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.

This year's River's Alive cleanup will be held Saturday, Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bailey Farms and Gardens, 255 Hickory Flat Road in Milton (click here for directions).

Volunteers will gather at 9 a.m. then clean up identified streams, roadways and school sites to help keep our city and waterways pure and beautiful.

Milton Adopt-a-Road groups are encouraged to have a clean-up during the event and stop by for refreshments and recognition.  

For information or to register for the clean-up as a group or individual, please contact Milton Grows Green at mgg@cityofmiltonga.us or e-mail baileyfarmandgardens@mindspring.com. You may also contact Cindy Eade, environmental sustainability coordinator for the City of Milton, at 678-242-2509.

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

Citizens Government Academy 5

The City of Milton Communications Department has undertaken a monthly, video-on-demand Citizens Government Academy hosted through the city's YouTube page. 

Each month, Communications Manager Jason Wright will discuss a new topic in the two-minute videos. 

Soon, installments will cover virtually every aspect of the city's municipal operations, including sections reserved for hot topics that arise throughout the project.

To visit the City of Milton's YouTube page, click here.  

For more information, contact Communications Manager Jason Wright at jason.wright@cityofmiltonga.us or 678-242-2523.

Recently Milton added four new police officers and a firefighter to our public safety family.  Read below to get to know them a little better.

POLICE
Nicholas Norton: 24
Previously: Dawson County Sheriff's Office
2 years policing
Hometown: Alpharetta

 

Courtney Spriggs: 39
Previously: Forsyth County Sheriff's Office
13 years policing
Hometown: Fitzgerald  

Coleman Sproles: 25
Previously: Savannah Metropolitan Police Department
2 years policing
Hometown: Fayetteville  

Chelsea Walters: 24
Previously: Georgia Tech Police Department
2 years policing
Hometown: Coral Springs, Fla.

FIRE
Scot Richardson: 29
Previously: This is Richardson's first firefighting position.
Richardson is a veteran of the Air Force
Hometown: Dundelin, Fla.   

For more information on our staff, visit the City of Milton's Web site at www.cityofmiltonga.us.

Senior Services North Fulton volunteer Lisa Drynan, left, and her dogs, along with Volunteer Program Manager Deena Takata.

Senior Services North Fulton (SSNF) recently launched a new Meals on Wheels for Pets program.

"Some of our clients, both homebound older adults and senior center participants, have requested assistance with purchasing pet food," said Carrie Bellware, executive director of SSNF. "The cost is more than they can afford on limited incomes and many cannot get to the store to purchase the food."

The non-profit recently received a grant of $2,500 from the Banfield Charitable Trust to help launch the new program. Clients will be able to provide their pets with their favorite food because volunteers can purchase it specifically and deliver it.

If you would like to help, donations can be made online at www.ssnorthfulton.org.

For more information, contact Bellware at 770- 993-1906 or cbellware@ssnorthfulton.org.

Mayor Joe Lockwood, center, and Councilwoman Karen Thurman, to his left, join state Sen. Brandon Beach, right, and Fulton County Commissioner Liz Hausmann, far right, at the grand opening of Citrix's new officers in Milton on Morris Road.

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.

Scanmarket North America, Inc: 12600 Deerfield Parkway Suite 100

Lisa R. Caudill Interiors: 14154 Seabiscuit

Creative Medical International, Inc.: 12600 Deerfield Parkway Suite 1012

Drapes & Decor, LLC: 500 Glen National Drive

Allison Clark Salon: 12872 Highway 9 North Suite 200

Write Impressions: 12474 Broadwell Road

The Wash Boss of Georgia, Inc.: 12816 Doe Drive

Success Kids Learning Center: 12920 Highway 9 North

Silver Oak Communities, LLC: 12600 Deerfield Parkway Suite 100

Ankle and Foot Centers of Georgia: 13057 Highway 9 North, Suite 210

Sisu, Inc.: 630 Glen National

Jordan Chrishell Reid: 12872 Highway 9 North Suite 200

Daniel J. DeSantis, LLC: 14410 Wyndham Farms Drive

Loving Arms Home Care Services, LLC: 15485 North Valley Creek Lane

SRRS Group, LLC: 13020 Morris Road, Suite G

Allied Irish Moving, Inc.: 3581 Avensong Village Circle

Hard Core Training and Fitness: 3325 Wolf Willow Close

Tech-Co Contracting, LLC: 3442 New Fawn Lane

The Davis Real Estate Group: 13680 Highway 9, Suite C-200

We'll Use Yours: 13615 Birmingham Highway

Solution Source DUI School: 12600 Deerfield Parkway Suite 100

Orange Blossom River Citrus: 865 Onagh Court

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