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Milton plans big upgrades to area parks By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
PHOTOS BY AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
Alex Horton with the Lithonia-based AWARE Wildlife Center holds an owl named Boogie, who is unreleasable due to a wing injury. Boogie was one of three wildlife ambassadors at the April 22 Earth Day observance.
The Milton Bee Club displays a beehive at the Milton Earth Day celebration April 22.
PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE
Milton celebrates Earth Day with plant, animal education By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
volunteer from Georgia Audubon, who allowed visitors to use a large scope to MILTON, Ga. — In the track feathered friends along backyard of the Milton City the park’s paved path. Park and Preserve Community Volunteers with the Center, a few dozen visitors Lithonia-based AWARE of Milton’s Earth Day Wildlife Center educated celebration April 22 had the visitors on birds, too, with opportunity to learn about one of its three ambassadors the birds and the bees, — an owl named Boogie. A literally. groundhog named Diggy, The event, held from 10 an avid fan of lettuce, and a a.m. to 2 p.m., included See EARTH, Page 7 a bird tour with an expert
Local farmers market begins seasonal run ► PAGE 4
A volunteer with the North Fulton Master Gardeners speaks with visitors at Milton’s Earth Day celebration April 22. Held at the Milton City Park and Preserve, the observance featured several vendors, kids’ activities and a bird tour from Georgia Audubon.
Business offers healing for open-minded people ► PAGE 8
Students examine metro street art ► PAGE 11
MILTON, Ga. — Milton residents will see upgrades to Providence Park and the Milton City Park and Preserve in the next few years with more changes further down the road. The Milton City Council budgeted park improvements from a list provided by Milton Assistant City Manager Bernadette Harvill at its April 25 meeting. Projects were sourced from their respective master plans. Councilmembers parsed higher priority items in a first phase of the 42-acre Providence Park, maintaining the need for stream realignment, natural surface trails, wetland improvements and parking lot resurfacing in the next one to three years for an estimated total of around $1.5 million. The all-inclusive playground, once slated for Providence Park’s Phase I, was kicked off the list. While Providence Park was thought to be an unsuitable location for the playground, Councilman Rick Mohrig said the city should prioritize an all-inclusive playground elsewhere. “We have parts of our community where families have no place where they can take their kids if they’re on the spectrum …” Mohrig said. Milton Parks and Recreation Director Tom McKlveen said he is
See PARKS, Page 20