Researchers at George Mason University have developed an online tool for tracking the “shovel ready” projects mayors have submitted for stimulus funding. You can see the Massachusetts projects by town here.

Here is their statement of purpose:

StimulusWatch.org was built to help the new administration keep its pledge to invest stimulus money smartly, and to hold public officials to account for the taxpayer money they spend. We do this by allowing you, citizens around the country with local knowledge about the proposed “shovel-ready” projects in your city, to find, discuss and rate those projects. These projects are not part of the stimulus bill. They are candidates for funding by federal grant programs once the bill passes. Learn more by reading the FAQs.

During March, and all year long, the American Red Cross is in our community helping save lives. Help them celebrate Red Cross Month by making a blood donation. You may have  missed the one at Milton Academy yesterda; but there are two ore in the area:

Friday, March 20, 2009 from 10:00 – 4:00 @ the Foley Building / 249 River St /Mattapan

Monday, March 30, 2009 from 1:00 – 7:00 @ Sons of Italy / 120 Quarry Street / Quincy

In March, every presenting donor will receive a Red Cross Wrist Band. To make an appointment or find out more call 1-800-448-3543 or visit givelife.org. As they say in their current tagline, “The need is constant. The gratification is instant.

Go give the gift of life.

Wicked Local report this morning that the Tucker School Principal, Drew Echelson, will be leaving to get his doctoral degree from the Harvard School of Education.

He informed parents in a letter last week. You can read the full Wicked Local story here.

The Milton teacher’s union is not making the Milton school committee’s job any easier.

As reported on Wicked Local this morning, the executive board of the Milton’s teacher’s union turned down a request by the Milton School committee to re-open contract negotiations. The committee was seeking to reopen the negotaitions in hopes of finding ways to address current financial crisis.

Previously, the school committee had stated that in order to meet the current budget, they would need to cut 42 jobs, 18 of them teachers, and close an elementary school.

The Boston Teachers Union has taken the same position with Mayor Menino who has stated that he will be handing out pink slips next week. He too has asked unions to agree to a salary freeze to reduce the scale of layoffs.  Boston Emergency Medical Services workers, the Boston School Police Association and the Boston Superior Officers Federation have agreed to freeze salaries.

You can read the full Wicked Local story here.

The MIAA changed the time of playoff game and the location. The game is tomorrow night at Newton South High School; not Thursday in Brockton as originally reported. See this link for more.

The Milton Planning Board has posted a survey online and is eager to have all Milton residents participate in it before March 31, 2009. Please take the 15 mins or so required to take the survey and let your voice be heard with regard to your opinions about future residential and commercial development, the preservation of green space, etc.

You can take the survey online here.

Following is a brief summary of the Planning Board’s introduction to the survey. You can read the full text in advance of taking the survey.

The survey is the first step in a multi-year process of creating a new Master Plan for the Town of Milton. The will use the responses to help the prioritize areas for consideration by the town.

All answers are confidential. You will not be asked for a name or address. If you have any questions, or would like to be involved in the ongoing process, please email William Clark, the Town Planner, at wclark@townofmilton.org.

Responses are due by 31 March 2009. The Planning Board plans to issue a summary of the initial results at the Annual Town Meeting and schedule a public meeting to discuss the results in more detail in June.

Regardless of where you live in the Boston area, you are going to be paying more across the board.

Last Novmber, the MBTA raised its daily parking rates by $2.00 as folks from Milton who park in North Quincy found out.

Now Massport has quietly raised its parking rate by $1.00. However, Govenor Patrick requested that be rescinded due to failure to get public input. Meanwhile, the govenor is looking to raise the Massport rates by $2.00. This is a “carbon fee.”

If it all sounds very confusing, it is only because it is. You can read more here.

And then there is the gas tax. Yesterday, several business groups came out in support of a 25-cent gas tax. They were: Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, A Better City, and NAIOP Massachusetts, a commercial real estate development association.

This is higher than the 19-cent tax the governor has proposed.  The tax increase will be used to improve roads, bridges, and transportation infrastructure. The Boston Globe coverage can be found here.

This is a great time of year. Why? Because it is “Music in Our Schools Month”! (MIOSM)

There will be three concerts held this month in which students from the elementary, middle school and the high school will participate for band and strings and the middle school and high school for chorus . Why three concerts? Because literally hundreds of students participate in the Milton public school music program and it is the only way to accommodate them without going to a concert that would last all night.

The concerts are organized by ensemble as follows:

MIOSM Choral concert / March 5th
MIOSM Strings concert / March 11th
MIOSM Band concert / March 19th

All concerts are held in the MHS auditorium and start at 7:00PM. Tickets are $5.00 and will be sold at the door.

Go to one, go to them all!  When the days are still short and the nights are cold, there is something very heart warming about these concerts full as they are of joy, energy, and enthusiasm. The folks selling tickets and supporting all of this are members of F.A.M.E. (Friends and Advocates of Music Education). They are the Boosters of music in the schools. Their efforts are tireless; and they deserve our support. You can learn more about them at their web site.

But wait, there’s more.

Read more