The Milton Board of Appeals rendered their decision on the construction of a new cell tower in the Blue Hills last Wednesday and it was in favor of advocates for the Blue Hills who had argued against it.

The tower to be constructed on a small Milton parcel of land owned by the state was being proposed by Green Mountain Communication, a telecommunications company based in Wolfeboro, N.H.

The “Friends of the Blue Hills” appealed the initial decision approving the construction of the tower arguing that it would be a significant eyesore and detract from the natural beauty of the area. A second crane test was done, photos from a variety of vantage points were taken to demonstrate that the tower was a visible nuisance.

The board agreed that the towers benefits in terms of improved cell coverage in a relatively small geographic area did not warrant the detrimental impact it would have on the scenic beauty of the area.

Notes: There is a news story below about a recent collaboration between the MBTA and Google for a Trip Planner. You can find the online tool here. Regarding adding money to your Charlie Card online – you can find links for doing that here.

NEWS ITEMS

MBTA announces latest arrival: Google mapping tool for riders – 07/31/09 – from The Boston Globe

Charlie Card users get new online options – 07/29/09 – from The Boston Globe

T Riders, Lawmakers Rail Against Proposed Fare Hikes – 08/11/09

Hey dude, where’s my bus? – 08/21/09 – from The Boston Globe

ROAD CLOSURES

I-93 South Approaching and through Downtown: Nighttime Multi-lane Closures

Two-to-three lanes of I-93 South will be closed at night approaching and through Downtown Sunday, August 24, 2009 through Thursday, August 27, 2009 from 11:30 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning. These lane closures are for inspections and maintenance work.

Storrow Drive On-ramp to I-93 South: Early Morning Ramp Closure

The Storrow Drive on-ramp to I-93 South will be closed early morning (Wednesday night) Thursday, August 27, 2009 from 12:30 AM to 5:00 AM.

Motorists destined for I-93 South should follow posted detour signs via Martha Road and Merrimac Street to the I-93 South on-ramp at New Chardon Street. This closure is to allow for inspection.

Read more

from Wicked Local Milton

Milton defeated Norwood for the South Shore Western Division final 1-0 behind the combined pitching of Justin Curley (6 1/3 innings, 3 strikeouts, 3 hits, 1 walk) and Max Devin who struck out the only batter he faced to strand the tying run on second base and preserve the victory.  Each team had just three hits. (Read the full story here.)

from The Patriot Ledger

Opponents of Barack Obama’s health care plans who have been showing up at forums with photos of him sporting a Hitler mustache will likely be disappointed to learn a Milton company’s newly unveiled Obama Christmas tree ornament includes no such flourish. (Read the full story here.)

The town is facing a shortfall of $330,000 due to the most recent reduction in state aid.

To make up for this the Warrant Committee unanimously approved the following cuts to town departments:

• $175,000 – Police
• $110,000 – Schools
• $15,000 – Fire
• $13,000 – Public Works
• $16,000 – Misc budgets (Library, IT, etc)

The Police Department bear the lion’s share of the cuts because of the state’s no longer contributing to the Quinn bill, a bill that provided officers with salary increases tied to receiving academic degrees. Approximately half of the $330,000 the state cut was specifically for the Quinn bill.

Town departments have not yet identified what steps they will take to meet their respective revised budgets. The Special Town Meeting to review the article will be held October 19th.

Milton residents have a new nearby shopping mall that is starting to grow slowly but surely.

L.L. Bean was the first store to open at Legacy Place, the new retail center that is taking shape in Dedham. P.F.Chang’s the Chinese bistro is also open and the largest Whole Foods market in the area is scheduled to open on September 2nd.

Additional stores will be opening between now and the spring of 2010. They will include a Legal Seafoods, Williams Sonoma, Banana Republic and a whole lot more. You can find a complete store directory here.

One of the larger tenants will be a 15 screen Cinema de Lux from National Amusements scheduled to open August 28th.

You can read more at The Patriot Ledger.

The Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health announced today that its latest testing has revealed mosquitoes infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in the city of New Bedford and in the town of Easton.  There have been no human cases of EEE identified so far this summer, but public health officials are urging residents to take precautions against mosquito bites.

Here are precautions that you can take:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

• Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours. The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning.
• Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites. Wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
• Apply Insect Repellent when Outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] or IR3535 according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

• Drain Standing Water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or discarding items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently.
• Install or Repair Screens. Keep mosquitoes outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

More information is available on the DPH website:www.mass.gov/dph/wnv. Information about West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis is also available by calling the DPH recorded information line at 1-866-MASS-WNV (1-866-627-7968), or the Epidemiology Program at 617-983-6800.

from The Patriot Ledger

High school football players will be starting fall practice on Monday, many on new synthetic-turf fields where temperatures can be 60-70 degrees hotter than on grass fields.

The artificial-turf fields can present other health hazards, said Nancy Alderman, who is president of the nonprofit Environment &Human Health organization based in Connecticut. (Read the full story here.)