For Alex — and Milton's Memorial Day

Top of Mind

Memorial Day ceremony moves indoors — City Hall, Monday 10 AM

If you were planning to attend Milton's Memorial Day Ceremony at The Green at Crabapple Market, it has moved. Due to the possibility of storms, the city is bringing the ceremony inside to City Hall's Council Chambers on Heritage Walk. Same time — Monday, May 25 at 10 AM — just a different location.

The program is unchanged: patriotic performances by local musicians, remarks by veterans, and a keynote from Retired 1st Lt. Ginny Dornheggen. Dornheggen served as an Army combat nurse in Vietnam and was recently inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame — a fitting voice for a ceremony that marks the sacrifice of those who didn't come home.

If you can't make it in person, the ceremony streams live — and stays available afterward — on YouTube.

Source: City of Milton press release

June 16 runoff: three races Milton residents should know

Three weeks out: the June 16 runoff covers the races that didn't get to 50% on Tuesday. In House District 47 — Milton's own seat — Jack Miller and Brian Cochran go head to head; the winner faces Democrat Lindsay DeFranco in November. Statewide, the Governor's race (Burt Jones vs. Rick Jackson) and the U.S. Senate race (Mike Collins vs. Derek Dooley) are both on the same ballot. Runoff turnout is typically a fraction of primary turnout — if these races matter to you, June 16 is the day to show up. Early voting runs Saturday, June 6 through Friday, June 12 across Fulton County — locations and hours at fultoncountyga.gov.

Source: Georgia Secretary of State, Fulton County Elections

Ask the HD47 candidates Have a question for Jack Miller or Brian Cochran? We’re sending the five strongest reader-submitted questions to both candidates next Friday — their answers will run, verbatim, in the June 14 issue, two days before you vote. Submit at readroundabout.com/voter-guide/2026/hd47 by Wednesday, June 4 at 5 PM ET.

Milton Voices

If you drive Hwy 140 between Milton and Roswell, you've likely passed them — yard signs with simple messages: You Matter. Don't Give Up. Your mistakes do not define you. They belong to Alison Chick, who put them up for her son Alex. Alex was killed in a motorcycle accident at the intersection of Hwy 140 and Ranchette on Memorial Day. With another Memorial Day approaching, she wanted Milton to know why the signs are there.

When you drive Hwy 140 toward Cherokee or Roswell, you may pass our home and the signs we put up for our son, Alex Chick. They say: You Matter. Don't Give Up. Your mistakes do not define you.

Memorial Day is a time to honor the soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom. For the Chick family, it is also the day we lost Alex — in a tragic accident at Hwy 140 and Ranchette.

Alex was humble and kind, and he is the reason for those signs. In a world that can feel heavy and divided, we hope they remind people that kindness still matters. It costs nothing to tell someone they matter, to offer encouragement, or to show compassion.

We also ask everyone to Look Twice and Save a Life. One extra moment of awareness on the road can make all the difference.

This Memorial Day, in honor of Alex, we ask you to do one random act of kindness. A simple gesture can reach further than you may ever know.

— Alison Chick, Milton

Slow down on 140 this weekend. And if the moment calls for it, tell someone they matter.

Have a Milton story to share? Reply to this email or write tips@readroundabout.com.

This Weekend

Memorial Day Ceremony — Monday, May 25, 10 AM, City Hall Council Chambers. Now indoors (see above). Stream link: youtube.com/watch?v=SR8yUvik42g

Nearby this summer — $3 movies at Aurora Cineplex (Roswell, ~10 min from Milton). Family films weekdays at 10 AM and 2 PM through July 30 — Shrek 2, A Minecraft Movie, Paddington in Peru, and more. $3/ticket, $6 popcorn pack with free refill, $6 mini golf add-on. Walk-up or Fandango.com. Group reservations available for camps and daycares.

Source: Patch / Aurora Cineplex

30004: On the Market

A new Zillow analysis places Milton second in Georgia for home values, with a typical price of $951,308 — up 51.2% over five years. It reflects how much people want to live here. It also reflects how much harder it's become to move here.

Source: WSB Radio / Zillow HVI, April 2026

Featured listing 410 Buckfield Lane $1,850,000  6 bd · 5 ba · 6,000 sqft Lake Haven at Crabapple is one of Milton's most distinctive enclaves — eight acres of stocked lake, a community dock, and a walking trail to a waterfall, all moments from downtown Crabapple. This six-bedroom custom home fits the setting: wraparound front porch, resort-style pool, walkout terrace level, and interiors built for both entertaining and everyday life. Top-rated schools, Crabapple Market a short drive away. Listing via Zillow. The Roundabout does not represent buyers or sellers. View listing →

30004: Closure Watch

Cracker Barrel closes at Windward after 20 years. The Windward Parkway location — at 5580 Windward, just outside the Milton line in Alpharetta — closed suddenly this week after twenty years in business. The closure was first reported by Tomorrow's News Today - Atlanta; the 10,197-square-foot restaurant's 1.6-acre property is now being actively marketed for sale per Fulton County property records.

No explanation has been given for the closure. Yelp and Google have both flagged the location as permanently closed.

The location, which opened in 2006, drew a steady stream of Milton families on weekend mornings — particularly along the Deerfield corridor where 30004 transitions into Alpharetta's commercial spine. The land last traded in 2015 for $4.75 million.

What replaces it on Windward Parkway will say a lot about where the corridor goes next. We'll track it.

Source: Tomorrow's News Today - Atlanta, Yelp, Fulton County property records.

One More Thing

Milton Voices runs the first Sunday of each month — a neighbor's story, in their own words, about life in this city. If you have a story worth sharing, reply to this email. We read everything.

Have a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.