🌱Pancakes with Santa + 'Ask the Arborist' + Quilt On Display

Hello, neighbors! I'm back in your inbox this morning with everything you need to know about what's happening in town these days. Today you'll find news about these stories and more:

• Milton's Pancakes with Santa recap
• Milton's "Ask the Arborist"
• Quilt on display in Alpharetta
• Alpharetta High School's Ben Guthrie wins award
• Open positions in Milton

But first, today's weather:

Today will be cloudy with a possible thunderstorm later in the day. The high will be 47 with a low of 46.

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Here are the top stories in Alpharetta-Milton today:

1. Pancakes with Santa, held at Milton's Fire Station 44, was a huge success. Hundreds of neighbors were there and had pictures with Santa, ate breakfast served by firefighters and explored police and fire vehicles. "Special shout-out to Christopher Griffin, a friend of the Milton first responder family, who brought his mammoth griddle down from Winder and cooked five hours straight (starting at 5:30 a.m.)" This year's celebration had the largest group yet! (City of Milton)
2. Do you have any questions about trees? Milton's “Ask the Arborist” program can help you find their answers. Just email Milton City Arborist Sandra DeWitt at askthearborist@miltonga.gov. Someone recently asked why tree roots grow above the ground. The arborist explained that this can happen over time; they grow larger, similar to tree trunks. You can help these tree roots without harming the tree by planting ground cover, adding mulch or replanting grass. (City of Milton)
3. There is a unique quilt on display through Jan. 31. at the Community Gallery at Alpharetta City Hall, located at 2 Park Plaza. It was created by a class taught by Ben Hollingsworth. The quilters used a photograph to create its design and pieced it together. If you want to learn how to make this type of quilt, there is another class starting in January. (City of Alpharetta)
4. Kudos to Alpharetta High School's Ben Guthrie. The quarterback, who's a senior, was named all region 7-6A player of the year! The league's coaches selected Guthrie plus many other Alpharetta Raiders for an all-region team. (City of Alpharetta)
5. Are you looking for a new job? The City of Milton is hiring a new revenue specialist. This person needs to be good with numbers and will help collect taxes and other types of fees. If you're interested in applying, here's a link for that position and other open ones in Milton.www.miltonga.gov/Careers. (City of Milton)

Today in Alpharetta-Milton:

• English/ESL Class at the Alpharetta Library, 10 Park Plaza (10:30 AM)
• Avalon on Ice at the Alpharetta Avalon, 400 Avalon Blvd. (3:00 PM)
• North Main Street Market at Henderson Commons, 735 N. Main St. in Alpharetta (3:30 PM)
• Multimedia Snowman Craft (ages six and up) at the Alpharetta Library, 10 Park Plaza (4:30 PM)
• Music Bingo at Truck & Tap, 30 Milton Ave. in Alpharetta (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• King's Ridge Christian School 4th graders helped out local families with special needs children. Each class adopted a family, picked out gifts and wrapped them. They worked with Babies Can’t Wait, a state program that helps families who have special needs children. (King's Ridge Christian School via Facebook)
• Several on the Alpharetta High School Swim and Dive team recently were recently honored. Some are state qualifiers and others received captain awards. (Alpharetta High School Swim/Dive Team via Facebook)
• There is a new physical therapy business in Alpharetta. Onward Atlanta will have a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate on Dec. 12 at 3 p.m. It's located at 342 North Main St., Suite 120. (Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce via Facebook)

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Featured businesses:

• Claire Pearson Coaching — (Visit website)
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Events:

• Halcyon Hosts Fourth Annual Ugly Christmas Bar Crawl with the Grinch (December 15)
• Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra — A Kids' Christmas (December 17)
• Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra — Christmas Pops! (December 17)
• Ugly Christmas Sweater Latin Night Atlanta @ Tonys Johns Creek Dec 17th (December 17)
• 17th Annual Messiah Sing-Along (December 18)
• Christmas Lights at North Point Community Church (December 18)
• Christmas at First: A Music Presentation (December 18)
• Christmas Eve Carols Service at Influencers Church Alpharetta (December 24)
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Gigs & services:

• $200 Paid Research — Vapers & Smokers Needed (Details)
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Job listings:

• Medical Specialty Office seeking patient assistant (Details)
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You're all caught up for today! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with a new update.

— Gail Lafleche

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Alpharetta-Milton Daily? Contact me at Alpharetta@Patch.com