Plonk of the month featured at Esprit de Vin

Every month the Boston Globe runs a feature in their dining section called “Plonk of the Month” in which they showcase wines they believe to be a value for the money.

This month one of those wines can be found right down the street at Esprit de Vin, the local wine and cheese shop run by Keith and Linda Mills.

from The Boston Globe

Lageder “Riff’’ Vigneti Delle Dolomiti IGT Rosso 2007 Pale, pinot-esque hue and lightish body point to a cool climate source; some pleasing spicy-herbal aromas and flavors; brisk; lithe; balletic. Around $12. At Magnolia Wine Co., Watertown, 617-924-6040; Esprit du Vin, Milton, 617-296-9463; Foodie’s Urban Market, Duxbury, 781-934-5544.

You can read the full story here.

Why MATV matters

MATV is the name (and acronym) of Milton Access Television. It broadcasts on Comcast channels 8, 10, and 22 and RCN channels 3, 13, and 15.

If you have ever watched MATV you know that it can be a at times frustrating experience. If you have watched for any length of time you will also know that they are constantly getting better.

Why does MATV matter? They matter because their mission matters. They provide two critical services::

  • support for any resident of Milton who wishes to broadcast a program. Currently there are three: a cooking show with Connie Spiros and two current affairs programs, Milton Speaks and Talk of the Town.
  • they air important town meetings live. These include the Board of Selectmen, the School Committee, and at times The Planning Board. Think of it as our local C-Span. These are frequently rebroadcast later in the week.

Some would say watching those meetings is about as entertaining as watching paint dry. That may be true but it is extremely important as our primary source for the unvarnished truth.

Tonight the School Committee will be on live. They will be hearing a presentation from Dr. Drottar, Principal of Milton High, on his improvement plan for the high school. The committee will also be discussing the school budget for FY11.  When Special Town Meeting convenes on February 22nd, arguably the most important article will be the budget and the lion’s share of that budget will be the schools. You might want to tune in.

You can learn more about MATV here. And here is a link to their current program guide.

Join the Blue Hill Obeservatory in celebrating their 125th anniversary

Visit their web site for complete information!

The Blue Hill Observatory will celebrate its 125th anniversary with a three-day series of fun and informative events from Saturday, January 30th to Monday, February 1st.

The festivities begin on Saturday the 30th at Fuller Village in Milton, MA with a lunch featuring guest speakers Dr. Louis Uccellini and Paul Kocin followed by an evening reception and fireworks at the Observatory. On Sunday the celebration will continue with an Open House at the Observatory with special presentations on Blue Hill history and the weather of the last 125 years.

On Monday the 1st, the Observatory will also be open to the public for tours much of the day with presentations on weather observing. You must register to attend the events on the 30th, but the events on Sunday and Monday are free to the public. The invitation and reply form can be found by using the ‘More Info’ link above or by going to our event calendar. Register today to join the celebration!

Time: 11:30 AM – 4 PM
Date: Saturday, January 30, 2010
Location: Fuller Village, 1372 Brush Hill Road, Milton, MA

Time: 5 PM – 7 PM
Date: Saturday, January 30, 2010
Location: Blue Hill Observatory

But wait there is more! Visit their web site for complete information!

Bail amended for Quincy man suspected of shooting a Milton firefighter

from The Patriot Ledger

judge has altered the bail conditions of a Quincy man charged with shooting a Milton firefighter last month.

Robert O’Connell, 40, a member of a prominent and wealthy Quincy family, is free on $500,000 bail, charged with shooting Joseph Fasano, 30, Dec. 12 in Quincy in what police are calling a road-rage incident. (Read the full story here.)

Good financial news?

In his state of the state address Governor Patrick said that funding to schools would not be cut further. The Globe ran a follow up story:

Patrick to oppose cuts in municipal aid

Cross your fingers.

On January 22nd Governor Patrick sent an email regarding key local aid numbers (e.g. Chapter 70 and unrestricted general government aid). In his email the Governor states:

“Despite the fiscal challenges the Commonwealth continues to face, I will propose taking another step forward in our commitment to education by funding Chapter 70 at the highest level in the history of the Commonwealth at $4.048 billion. Every district will be fully funded at foundation, all districts will be held harmless to ensure funding is not less than fiscal year 2010 levels, and all Chapter 70 amounts will be funded by the State, not with deferral stimulus funds.”

The good news in this is that there may not be additional cuts in state aid going forward. However, level funding does not ensure level service.  As the school committee in particular has stated in recent meetings, the FY11 budget will be a challenge. The School Committee is meeting this Tuesday (1/26) and may discuss the issue then.

NECN visits Ichiro Sushi

from NECN

Sushi spot here in Milton features one entree named in honor of the Wildcats!





Unforgettable Times with Johnny Cupcakes

[ NOTE: If you are as old as I am you probably don’t know who Johnny Cupcakes is either. One of the refreshing things about kids is that if you listen, they can keep you young. You can learn more about Johnny Cupcakes and his line of clothing here. This is the second in a series of articles by Milton High School Journalism students.]

by Pilar Tucker / Milton High School

Johnny Cupcakes

Johnny Cupcakes

On December 4th Johnny Cupcakes spoke at an assembly during 3rd and 4th periods at Milton High School. During the presentation, Johnny Cupcakes spoke about his life and how he transformed himself into the successful entrepreneur he is today.

Johnny Cupcakes, like many, started off as an “average Joe.” As a student in school, he always sold things such as candy, whoopee cushions, and things that were appealing to his peers. Selling these products got Johnny into some trouble in school, so he had to stop selling goodies on school grounds.

Read more

Brian Kelley interviews Dr. Knight, specialist in adolescent substance abuse

Brian Kelly, host of MATV’s Talk of the Town, recently interviewed Dr. John Knight. Dr. Knight is director of the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research at Children’s Hospital Boston and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard University.

Dr. Knight discusses how the Center came about and the efforts of the Center to address alcohol and substance abuse in teens.

You can view Brian’s interview with Dr. Knight here.

Young artists to ‘paint with a star’ Jane Seymour at Plaza

from Wicked Local Braintree

Students from Ginny’s Art School in Milton will be “painting with a star” at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Center Court of South Shore Plaza.

The young artists, age 5-11, will join Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress Jane Seymour for a watercolor painting session and will receive one of her autographed paintings for their school. (Read the full story here.)

State of the State speech

The Governor (and Milton resident) gave his state of the State speech last night. He received a warm reception. He congratulated Scott Brown on his election victory and acknowledged Martha Coakley.

In case you missed it, you can view the speech here (courtesy of NECN).

from NECN




Young classical musicians make fun and music at a live radio show taping in Boston

from The Patriot Ledger

Teenage violinist Pippa Jarvis earned the nickname Pipsqueak because she squeaked playing soccer. Fortunately, she did not squeak on the violin. Far from it. When the Milton musician performed on the classical music radio show “From the Top” in 2008, she played a lively, beautiful mazurka. She also told host and pianist Christopher O’Riley about her nickname, her enjoyment of kayaking and running, and the ups and downs of growing up with musician parents. (Read the full story here.)