Dear Milton, Our Mother, Fair Milton, All Hail !

Dear, Milton, Our Mother, Fair Milton, All Hail!

The words above, while quite formal, speak eloquently to my feelings about this community in which I am privileged to live, work, and raise children and grandchildren. They are borrowed from the song, “Our Colors”, written about Milton College in 1911 by William C. Daland.

I reflect often about this community and its influence on me for the past 57 years. It has been incredibly positive for so many reasons. While we have our differences and don’t always see eye, we generally come around to be able to work for the common good.

Foremost in my mind today are two very recent issues of which I am being “nudged” to share my thoughts here. One is very general and very public. The other can be very general but is also very personal and, while a bit embarrassing, needs to be told for reasons which, I believe, will become obvious as you read on.

First the more general issue. I continue to be amazed by the absolutely phenomenal services we residents receive from our public works department. So obvious the past few days is the significant effort to clean up fallen leaves from our streets before major snowfall. Some years, this is unavoidable as we mere humans don’t control when the leaves fall or when the first major snowfall arrives. The resulting mess - frozen leaf-packed snowbanks on the edges of our yards next to the street is nasty. Kudos to Mark Langer and your outstanding staff that make all this work.

The more personal issue concerns my own behavior yesterday. I was driving west on East High Street, very prudently I thought. Recently, prodded by the new “radar signs” that display my speed, I have been concentrating on adhering closely to the 25 MPH limit on almost all our city streets. I understand this, agree with it, and most of the time comply. I believe that these regulations are not “just signs”, as I ‘ve heard some say, but are safety laws for the protection of us all. Many of you would not want to be behind me on the interstate as I set my cruise at the posted limit and then try to stay out of the way in the right lane. I can feel the impatience of many as they literally fly around me. Quite frankly, I feel the impatience from fellow citizens when I am driving 30 on Madison Ave. and 25 on our other streets. But, I digress.

Today, on my westward drive from my house on E. High St. to Hometown Ace, a police car appeared in my rearview mirror, and I felt I was being assessed. I checked my speed but that was okay. Sure enough, the red and blues illuminated, and I pulled over near the Cone Zone. An officer cautiously approached and very politely and professionally asked if I was feeling okay. I replied that I was. He then asked if there was a reason why I had not stopped at the stop sign by the high school and Rainbow Drive. I was flabbergasted as I didn’t even realize I had missed this stop. How many millions of times have I driven this street and always stopped? I hadn’t this day and didn’t even realize it. I do believe they call that “distracted” driving. My mind was elsewhere. I was embarrassed, felt foolish, and more as visions of what might possibly have happened because of my distractedness. Dwell on that thought a bit. We all need to.

I was given a verbal warning and urged to be alert and obey stop signs, especially in school zones during school time.

I was angry but only with myself. I applaud this officer, whose name I failed to get, who did his duty and apprehended me. And he did it in an incredibly professional manner. Chief Marquardt, I applaud you and your staff for all that you do to keep us safe.

Thank you to our city protectors. I am comforted knowing I am being protected (maybe from myself) by your diligence and service.

Next week we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. I am so grateful for this vivid reminder of the incredibly rich lives we enjoy in Milton, Our City.

Dear Milton, Our Mother, Fair Milton, All Hail!

#cruzan4milton#WEAREMILTON

Historic Grounds Create Community Grind

Last Christmas I was given a most interesting and unique gift – a subscription to Storyworth. What is Storyworth? A business that provides a writing prompt weekly. The idea is to write a short story and publish it on the Storyworth website where a group of people you select may read it. At the end of a year, all your stories are published in a very nice hard-bound book. It’s a great concept which I have enjoyed although I cannot keep pace with a weekly story. Also, in case you have failed to notice, I tend to be rather wordy in my writing where Storyworth seems to lend itself to shorter, more concise entries. I don’t believe there are rules about this but that is my take. My most recent prompt was, Am I a Regular at any Restaurant or Café? I published my story on Storyworth but felt an urge to broaden it out a bit and publish it in Espresso Shots where it would have more broad exposure. So here it is... 

I never thought about having a “regular” place that I considered mine until Sharla’s Coffee Stop came along. Of course, there were places I liked to go but nothing that approached my feelings about Sharla’s.

So, what is the attraction? Oh, so many things. . . to begin, the proprietors, Dave & Sharla, are wonderful people. I struck a bond with them quickly on the first day they opened.

The location is incredibly perfect for several reasons. Sharla’s is in Whitford Hall, one of the precious old buildings on the Historic Milton College Campus. The rooms they occupy were formerly the college and community library. The walls, windows, wainscoting, and flooring are all original. The history is palpable as you sit and savor great espresso-based beverages, freshly baked scones, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and breads. Even more, there are a variety of beverage offerings for those non-coffee drinkers.

I should mention that Sharla’s is a mere 250 steps from my driveway. My home office window has a perfect view of their great patio. Additionally, Sue and I have significant ties to Milton College for a host of reasons – the place is in our bones. A great coffee shop just seems “right.”

Our phenomenal city, Milton, has no other small business like this. In fact, Sharla’s is the only “true” coffee shop with a 10-mile radius. Sharla’s has become a gathering place not only for those who live in my “home base” - the Milton College Historic Neighborhood, but also for the city and the broader area. The atmosphere at Sharla’s embodies neighborhood and community.

Milton schools and all those Rising Red Hawk students are very important to me. Dave and Sharla have embraced Milton High School’s, School to Career program, and hire many of our high school students. I so enjoy becoming acquainted with them and observing as they grow and learn about “adult world” working skills. Many have become friends. I know their names and they know mine along with my favorite coffee beverage when I walk in the door. We recognize and greet each other when our paths happen to cross at other events. I have become acquainted with their parents. Some have graduated and moved on but there is the occasional connection. OPPORTUNITY, ACHIEVMENT, COMMUNITY – a perfect example.

When I go to Sharla’s (some accuse me of living or having an office there) I encounter so many people whom I know from across the community and region. It’s the greatest location for a “meet-up” and serves so well the “work” that I do.  To me, Milton is like my garden. It requires planting, cultivating, watering, pruning, fertilizing - just like a garden. Sharla’s is the perfect place to do that.

Katie & Eric own the building. They and their family live in the top floor and operate a Cross Fit studio on the ground floor. They are good neighbors and great people. I love running into them there. Eric is on the City Council, so I get a chance to bend his ear a bit about our community. I see local shop owners there, Kate & Kelly, and many others. I see the library staff, Ashlee, Jayme, and their gang stopping in. I see Amber, Bill, and author Jim, from the neighborhood. I see Jessica, Ryan and many others from the school district, Keaton from the Historical Society, Doug from the Milton College Preservation Society, friends from my Mercy days, my spiritual coaches (I need many) Pastor Liz & Pastor Nate, and high school classmates. Sharla's has hosted community meetings, piano & voice recitals, high school study groups, knitting clubs, MOFIA – my men's Bible study group (you're welcome to join us at 6:30 a.m. every Wednesday), yoga, personal counseling, mutual support, and much more – the “stuff” of life as it were. I often encounter city council and school board members there.  True neighborhood and community building in action.

If you haven’t visited Sharla’s, you are missing so many good things that make and foster our community.

#cruzan4milton#WEAREMILTON