Josh Green, a MHS football and basketball coach and former Wildcat athlete, together with Milton Community Schools has designed an innovative learning program, the Future Stars Mentoring Program,  that leverages sports mentoring as a teaching tool.

From their flyer:

“Future Stars is a reading program designed to help develop good reading skills and self-image and build a bridge between high school and elementary students. Under the supervision of Coach Green, students will be grouped by grade and work with student athletes, who will run reading and sports clinics stressing the fundamentals of athletics while sharing the importance of reading and the rewards that come from accomplishment.”

WHAT:           a series of literacy and sports clinics
WHO:             MHS student athletes in good academic standing & Milton elementary students in grades K-5
LOCATION:      Tucker Gym and classrooms
DATES:          6 Saturdays, April 4 – May 9
TIME:            11:30 am – 1:00 pm
COST:            $25.00

NOTE : Deadline for registration is March 27th

The registration form is available here.

Coach Sean LoPresti and star Milton guard Scott McDermott discuss tomorrow’s matchup with Catholic Memorial with Wicked Local and Patriot Ledger sports columnist Rick Seto. Catholic Memorial is favored in tomorrow’s game despite Milton being the 7th seed and CM the 8th. As we have seen, seeds really don’t seem to be a factor when playoffs are concerned. You can read the Wicked Local column here.

Senator Joyce was invited to speak at the Special Town Meeting held on February 23, 2009. His office has provided us with a copy of the presentation he gave that evening. It is a sober, clear eyed appraisal of where we stand as a state and a town, financially.

You can view the presentation here.

The Milton School Committee, facing an historic budget challenge, recently requested the teacher’s union to consider renegotiating portions of their contract. Mayor Menino has requested the same of Boston’s unions and three have agreed to wage freezes.

The MEA’s Executive Board here in Milton voted unanimously to decline the School Commitee’s request to “reopen Unit A and Unit B contracts.”

In the letter, made available on the School Committee web page, Margaret Gibbons, President of the MEA here in Milton, voices support for the override and concern that teachers not be asked to subsidize shortfalls in state and federal revenues.  She states:

“Teacher salaries are not what is causing the revenue shortfall nor will they be the solution. This would be a temporary band aid. We would only be postponing the pain. The answer is to work together at the local state and federal level to fight for a predictable and adequate funding for public education.”

You can read the full text of the letter here.

Beirne Lovely, Chairman of the School Committee, voiced his disappointment at the vote.

Meanwhile in Lynn, teachers agreed to work a day without pay, thus preserving jobs and preventing layoffs for this fiscal year. The superintendent of Lynn is rescinding 120 pink slips today. You can hear WBZ coverage of the Lynn situation here.

Wicked Local reports today that, “A town-owned wind turbine at the former landfill off Randolph Avenue in Milton would do more than generate electricity. It could offset half the electrical use of town departments and produce $700,000 in revenues, the town’s wind energy committee estimates.” You can read the full story here.

The MHS Wildcats beat Franklin 85-70 this evening in the semifinals!

They move on to the MIAA finals this Saturday to take on Catholic Memorial – time and location  TBD. Stay Tuned!

YAY WILDCATS!!

You can read coverage of the game from The Milford Daily News here.

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.