As I’m writing this, there is a cool breath of fall air sailing through a six-inch opening in my bedroom window. A pair of wet birds are exchanging chirps while sampling seeds from the feeders on the back deck. For the first time in many months, the raindrops are joining together, as they fall over the edge of the metal roof. All those little pieces of leaves and debris that were left after months of procrastinating to clean those gutters were now riding a tiny stream to the downspouts. Closing my eyes in a moment of dreary morning joy, I hear the water falling through the pipes, and I am reminded that what I hear now will soon join a babbling brook not too far into the wood.

There are many veterans who now serve our great city. Their service and sacrifice for the City of Woodstock as well as our country is greatly appreciated. Meet a few of our City of Woodstock veterans:

Heading into the holiday season, I am reminded how much I have to be thankful for — family, friends, health, my faith and the Milton community. Looking back over the year, I see not only the events that challenged our nation and community, but I see our humanity and our resiliency.

This year, I find myself particularly reflective, as this is the last year that my wife Dawn and I will have a child at home. Our youngest, Charlie, is a senior and will be headed off to college next fall, officially making us empty nesters.

When the opportunity to join a team in sports, at the office, volunteering, or maybe even your church occurs, it is vital to live up to the honor. When we are a member of a team that is relying on us, we need to do our individual best to take care of our responsibility, task or obligation.

Each of us becomes responsible for our personal leadership and making sure our actions are in line and in pace with our teammates. In anything you do, there will always be someone whose talents and strengths are different than yours, so aligning yourself with those who compliment your gifts is important. Keeping our mind open to learn from the skills of others allows us to grow.

As the air cools and fall makes its way into the south, it’s a great time to be outside, and enjoy all that Woodstock has to offer its citizens, visitors and guests.

The last concert of this year’s Summer Concert Series will take place on Saturday, September 9, at Northside Hospital-Cherokee Amphitheater as Runaway June takes the stage to close out the series. A country music trio, they bring to the stage a sound that has not been heard by country music fans since the days of the Dixie Chicks. With songs such as “Lipstick,” their music speaks to the modern woman. The show begins at 7:30pm. More information can be found at WoodstockConcertSeries.com/.

As 2017 continues to move along, the City Council and staff continue to push forward with decisions and plans designed to transform Johns Creek’s future into an even more exceptional, premier residential community.

With the significant acquisitions of park land last year and the most recent land purchase in June, available park land inventory has grown to more than 400 acres. This exceptional effort was to take advantage of opportunities to purchase valuable and vanishing raw land in Johns Creek for all citizens to enjoy. Following the City Council’s vote to proceed, the City staff is currently working with outside contractors to develop construction designs for the pocket parks at State Bridge Road and Bell and Boles Road; the Morton Road neighborhood park, and the linear park in Technology Park. Each of these mini-parks will have a unique personality, activities and reference to the surrounding area.

Sometimes, we reach a point in life that makes us ponder what really makes us happy. Then, we realize what a challenge it may be to achieve our perception of happiness, which may make us fear it. Other times, happiness can be very difficult to quantify, as we are often persuaded to pursue a type of happiness that is defined by society and others close to us.

However, happiness, as we’ve come to understand it, can be scary. The sacrifices it takes to grow a successful business, the time spent at work to make that dollar that we want to use to buy that stuff, the long commute in traffic, time away from family, the grind — it seems like it will take an overwhelming amount of perseverance, discipline and drive. What’s the big deal anyway? Is being happy really such a big thing?

The Woodstock Police and Fire Departments are now accepting applications for the fall 2017 Citizens’ Public Safety Academy, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday, August 31.

In Milton, we’re focused on preserving what makes our community so special — our rural character and our equestrian heritage. Over the last eight months, the Milton City Council has taken steps to not only preserve but also to stimulate our equestrian community by creating a dedicated committee to represent this unique community segment.

Following a series of committee appointments by Council members, the Milton Equestrian Committee is staffed, and I’m pleased to report they officially held their first meeting back in May. We’ve assembled an incredible group of dedicated volunteers — the best of the best when it comes to equestrian knowledge — and it’s safe to say they’ve hit the ground running. As a horse owner myself, I’m honored to have this group representing me and my fellow equestrian neighbors, and I look forward to supporting their efforts.

Looking back over the past few years, we have seen incredible growth, prosperity and success in our local communities. Songwriter Billy Joe Shaver once sang, “I’m just an ol’ lump of coal, but I’m a gonna be a diamond someday.” This is indicative of how each day, we have the opportunity to polish and refine ourselves to become the best we can be. Through sometimes unbelievable daily stresses, it is our inert tolerance that defeats the heat and pressure, making us shine.

Many of us enjoy spending most of our summer days outside. While you are enjoying camping with friends, vacationing with loved ones, family picnics or cookouts, please be mindful of the following summer burn safety tips, which are provided by the U.S. Fire Administration:

I am very pleased with the Johns Creek City Council’s decision last month to move forward with the process of developing construction documents on four of Johns Creek’s five new parks. The City Council’s action represents a big step forward in what is shaping up to be a transformational year in Johns Creek. The addition of these beautiful green spaces and what they will mean to our residents they serve is very exciting.

Recently, I had a busier-than-normal week planned, and looking at all those color-coded entries on my calendar made me sit back and smile. It wasn’t too long ago that my calendar was a bit thin and only one color. That had to change, and change it soon did. Looking back, four years ago this month, I was putting together ideas and a business plan to start a series of new community publications — these Family Life magazines. After spending my entire adult life in some facet of the publishing business, I had learned quite a bit about what was required from a team to make it work. Maintaining a positive attitude, living within one’s means, and seizing opportunities when they arise are three of those lessons.

Washing the car can be lots of fun! But did you know it can benefit your lawn, too? It’s true!

Just pull your car onto the grass, and wash it there. Your lawn will gladly soak up the water. Plus, the grass will break down the soap and absorb the phosphates as fertilizer.

As we gear up for the warm summer months and all that the season brings, I want to take the opportunity to remind you to take a moment to review all the City has to offer you and your family by visiting JohnsCreekGa.gov/RecreationandParks/Special-Events. It’s important to take full advantage of every opportunity to relax and enjoy some quality time with family, friends and neighbors. Johns Creek residents have their pick of many types of fun activities including outdoor summer concerts, movies on the lawn, new athletic classes, the Farmers Market and more!

Every now and then, being the younger, forever smaller sibling, I would end up in the shadow of my big brother’s angry side. Vic was six-feet tall in seventh grade. To this day, he still outweighs me by two large bags of dog food. On a couple of occasions, I wound up in need of medical attention, but most of the time, I was just a little bruised. In retrospect, I ended up being the one who used size to my advantage; it just sometimes took Mom a little longer to save me than I hoped, and then Dad would handle the rest. Often, being the little guy, one must be resourceful.

On Saturday, May 20th, the Woodstock Public Safety Foundation will host events in recognition of National Police Memorial Week. The day’s events will start off with the Hustle for Heroes 5k run, followed by the 6th Annual Spring Festival.

The 5th Annual Hustle for Heroes 5k run/walk will start the day at 7:30am, at First Baptist Church of Woodstock, 11905 Highway 92 in Woodstock. Participants can run alongside local SWAT teams in what has quickly been deemed, “The only place in Georgia to legally attempt to outrun the cops.” The one-mile run will follow at 8:30am. All participants will receive a t-shirt and race packet. Award recipients will include: Best Overall Male/Female, Top Hero (Police/Fire/EMT) and age-group awards.

It seems I have a reoccurring theme with my columns as of recently—milestones. In my December column, Milton was officially celebrating its 10-year anniversary and looking forward to all that 2017 had to offer our great city.

We recently had another milestone to celebrate— the March 13th opening of Milton’s new City Hall at 2006 Heritage Walk and our April 29th grand opening celebration, Party on the Plaza, where we hosted building tours, dedicated the building with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebrated with dinner and dancing on the City Hall plaza. Located just one block off Crabapple Road, behind several restaurants and shops, we believe Milton’s new City Hall will serve as an anchor for what we hope will become the heart of our city center.

Find Your Pace in the Race.

A few years back, I began running local 5k races, not so much as a hobby, but more to check my personal fitness level. I’ve noticed that my friends are getting older, which means I’m aging as well and need to be aware of my personal energy levels and stay on top of my health. Many of us have found that “acting our age” may not comply with how we think or feel.

Join the City of Woodstock’s efforts to continue its commitment to “go green” on Saturday, April 22nd. The day will begin with a recycling event at Woodstock Elementary School, 230 Rope Mill Road, from 9:00am-1:00pm. Drive through and City staff and volunteers will unload your recycling for you!