Community Archive

The City of Milton officially kicks of the holiday season beginning at 5 p.m. Friday with a tree-lighting ceremony, lighted boat parade, fireworks and a visit from Santa Claus.

A stubborn strand of long, black hair kept falling across Julianne Robbins’ face, but she didn’t seem to notice. “Who can tell me what this is?” she asks, holding up a tiny toy chair. Most of the first graders kneeling around her raise their hands, but not one blurts the answer.

The Santa Rosa Band of the Lower Muscogee will host Creek Fest, presented by Eglin Federal Credit Union, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 4750 Willard Norris Road in Milton.

Rafael Lopez is a self-appointed ambassador of chess. The Cantonment car broker said he plays 10 to 15 games EVERY DAY. He taught his friends’ children to play, and, for the past few years, he’s made it his mission to teach anyone willing to try. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, he’ll bring “Chess Challenge” to East Bay Automotive, 5844 Stewart Street in Milton. Anyone 6 and older, regardless of their knowledge or skill, is invited to the free event, which includes a free snack and an opportunity to win prizes.

One notices the eye contact first, then the handshake and the posture. Men Empowered members meeting Nov. 5 at the Clyde L. Gracey Community Center in Milton displayed confidence and poise not expected from high school students.

Santa Rosa County Commission Chairman Bob Cole, center, presents a plaque to Commissioner Dave Piech this morning commemorating his service on the Board of County Commissioners.

Every morning before school at Central, students file into the library. Some are there for books, but most are there for a fresh brew to start off their day. Coffee has become an important part of societal norms around the globe. Coffee houses and cafes are gathering spots for the young, the old, and everyone in between. And at Central School, coffee plays an important role in bringing the school together.

The deadline to submit qualifications to manage the City of Milton’s almost $70-million wastewater reclamation project passed last month without response.

“This is a big project; a huge project,” Interim Public Information Officer Jay Conrad said Friday. “Our expectation has been that anyone with the qualifications to do this job already is employed; we knew it might take some time to attract the kind of expertise we need for a project of this magnitude.”

It may be coincidence, but Richard Wood couldn’t have timed the release of his first book – Mayhem in the Florida Panhandle – much better.

Tales of murder and mayhem take center stage during the Halloween season and Wood’s 13 tales have the added attraction of being true – and happened in places readers will recognize.

The City of Milton soon will star in its own promotional video series.

According to the National League of Cities, its Community Showcase Video Program – produced by CGI Digital – helps municipalities promote themselves “through the power of video and digital media tools.”