One of the issues reviewed by the School Committee during recent sessions were the goals of the Superintendent, Mary Gormley.

The School Department in their ongoing initiative to be transparent have published the goals on the schools web site.

The Superintendent’s goals include:

1. To lead and work collaboratively with all staff to improve student achievement and towork toward closing the achievement gap in all subgroups.
2. work toward closing the achievement gap in all subgroups. To strengthen communication and build relationships between and among:

a. Milton Educators Association and Administrators
b. Staff and Parents
c. Schools and Community

You can find the full copy of Superintendent Gormley’s goals here.

from The Boston Globe

Sister Anna Catherine Murphy, who was founding principal of Fontbonne Academy for girls in Milton and a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph for 75 years, knew by the third grade that she would live a religious life, she told others.

“She felt the Lord calling her. She said yes and she never said no her whole life,’’ said Sister Therese Higgens, a former president of Regis College who lived and worked with Sister Murphy for more than 50 years. (Read the full story here.)

[NOTE: This is the second in a pair of articles that take opposing points of view with regard to the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia. In the following editorial, Ms. Riordan argues against the relationship. Last week we published an editorial by MHS student, Gillian Riordan, offering a counterpoint to this. You can find that article here.]

Learn more about Senior Seminar Editorials here. View a list of previous editorials here.

A Senior Seminar Editorial by Edward Corcoran, MHS 2010

Since 1933, the United States has been allied to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Although the original terms heavily favored the US, the two countries have remained together.  For the past eight years, following the September 11 attacks, the alliance has been questioned.  Home country of Osama bin Laden, the Kingdom has come under scrutiny for this connection to bin Laden, as well as other potential terrorist connections.  Also, Saudi Arabia is notorious for its civil rights violations, especially against women.  However, the US and Saudi Arabia need to stay allied.  Saudi Arabia’s culture has been religiously controlled for centuries, and has not changed much.  The US uses Saudi Arabia as a foothold in the Middle East, and buys most of its oil from the Kingdom.  The biggest reason for the alliance is the threat posed to the Saudi Arabian monarchy by Osama bin Laden, and other terrorist organizations.

Read more

from The Boston Globe

Braintree (1-2) nearly pulled off an upset of defending Division 2 state champion Milton (3-1), but a last-second bid by the Wamps’ P.J. Douglas bounced off the rim and the Wildcats pulled out a 57-55 victory. (Read the full story here.)

from The Boston Herald

Police have cited a Quincy man in a hit-and-run that left a 63-year-old Milton man dead.

Police and the Norfolk District Attorney’s office announced yesterday that 61-year-old Paul Daly faces charges including motor vehicle homicide due to negligent operation and leaving the scene of an accident causing death. (Read the full story here.)

Based on a highly exaggerated view of reality, Wild Things by Milton artist Abby Zonies is a series of large-scale, raucous, colorful still lifes and landscapes. While rooted in traditional subject matter, the paintings often emerge more from the imagination than from observation, incorporating a deeply saturated personal color palette to invoke a romantic and modern sensibility. Wild Things will be on view in the Newton Free Library Gallery from January 5-28 with an opening reception on Wednesday, January 6 at 7:00 pm.

Zonies writes, “In this series of paintings, I have looked back at some of my favorite painters and have incorporated the aspects I admire most about their work, the intense color of the expressionists, the gesture of the abstract expressionists and the romantic sensuality of the Dutch still life painters. Color has emerged as the guiding sensibility of my work. By having looked backward I have moved my work forward.”

Abby Zonies has a BFA from Boston University and a MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts / Tufts.  She currently teaches painting at the Museum School and in 1981 was the recipient of a Massachusetts Foundation Fellowship award. She won Best in Show at the Springfield Art League National Exhibition in 1992. Her work has been shown extensively in the New England area and is included in many private and corporate collections.

Gallery hours are Mon – Thurs from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm; Fri from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm; Sat from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sun from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. All programs are free and open to the public, parking is free.

The most recent issue of the Milton Times (issue date 12/24/09) has an update on MHS soccer coach, Mike Madden and it is all good. Mike was partially paralyzed and unable to walk after back surgery. A group of his friends here in town and colleagues from Verizon formed a group, Friends of Mike Madden, that helped provide the Madden family assistance and support. It was a tremendous effort outdone only by the efforts of Mike himself and his unrelenting sense of positive determination. He is back on his feet and back at work.

This is great holiday news.  Merry Christmas to Mike and the Madden family! You can read the full Milton Times story here.

from The Boston Globe

The family of the Milton man killed in an apparent hit-and-run in Quincy earlier this week spent Christmas struggling to come to terms with the tragedy, while police continued to search for the driver and the vehicle that struck him.

Paul F. Moore was three weeks past his 63d birthday when police discovered his body on the snow-covered sidewalk on Robertson Street Thursday morning with what authorities described as severe trauma to his upper torso. (Read the full story here.)

from The Patriot Ledger

A Milton firefighter who was shot in the stomach in a high-profile case two weeks ago is out of the hospital, police say.

Joseph Fasano, 30, was allegedly shot on Dec. 12 by 40-year-old Robert O’Connell, a member of a prominent and wealthy Quincy family, in what police are calling a road rage incident. (Read the full story here.)