from The Patriot Ledger
A 21-year old Milton man was arrested at Andrews Park on drug charges.
Paul Twoomey, 21, of 20 Antwerp St., was charged with possession of OxyContin with intent to distribute and violating the drug laws in a public park. (read the full story here.)
from The Patriot Ledger
The town could have to repay some or all of the $122 million the state spent on school buildings if it closes an elementary school.
The warning came in a letter Tuesday from Massachusetts School Building Authority Executive Director Katherine Craven to School Superintendent Mary Gormley. (read full story here).
At this evening’s Planning Board meeting a number of issues were discussed; but none was of more interest than that of the Temple Shalom proposal to redevelop their property.
Regarding that, the Planning Board was unanimous in their decision. After consultation with Town Counsel John Flynn, the Board is going to recommend to Town Meeting that the issue be referred to the Planning Board for further study and then to report to the next town Meeting. Member Peter Jackson recommended that the Planning Board establish standards to be included in a proposal and establish a process for going forward that includes all parties.
In past sessions the board has voiced concern over the lack of detail and specificity in the current proposal. “I’m certain we can do it,” commented Planning Board member Ed Duffy.
Town Meeting can dispose of the redevelopment request in one of four ways: they can pass it, the can reject it, they can amend it, or they can refer it back to the Planning Board. It is likely that Town Meeting will vote in accordance with the Planning Board’s recommendation.
The Planning Board will next convene on April 23rd.
A weekly recap of key events and items of interest to the Milton community:
Run up to the Milton 2009 election
Milton goes to the polls April 28th. And last week voters got an opportunity to hear the candidates first hand a the Milton League of Women Voters Candidate debates. You can also read summaries of the candidates. Please see the links below. Note that Mr. Gunning a candidate for re-election to office of Assessor, and Peter Casey, candidate for Housing Authority did not appear at the LWV debates.
Town Treasurer: LWV Debate | Candidate Summaries
Assessor: Candidate Summaries
Park Commissioner: LWV Debate | Candidate Summaries
Library Trustee: LWV Debate | Candidate Summaries
New Web Site for Milton Public Schools
It officially launched this morning; but in fact, the new wesb site for the Milton Public Schools has been up and public since last Friday. It is a great improvement. It is clean in design, intuitive and easy to navigate. You can find it here:
Web Site of Milton Public Schools
Note: the Edline will still be available
A Conversation with Janet Lorden
Janet Lorden, candidate for Town Treasurer, sat down with us last week to discuss her candidacy. You can find the conversation here. Next up will be Charlie McCarthy. We also hope to speak with James McAuliffe. He has not yet responded to requests for an interview.
The Week’s Sports Scores
The Boys varsity Lacrosse team is struggling early in the season. They were blanked by Braintree 12-0 last Wednesday and also lost 12-4 to Norwood last Monday. The girls varsity is faring better. They beat Braintree 9-6.
In tennis, Wellesley topped MHS girls varsity 4-1.
from MetroWest Daily News
Facing a $2.6 million cut in local aid, Framingham used furloughs, reduced hours and attrition to eliminate the equivalent of 29 jobs. Milton is buying fewer flags for its veterans’ cemetery. North Attleborough officials laid off 78 employees – roughly 8 percent of the work force. Lowell may fire 150 to 200 city employees later this year. (read the full story here.)
Here is the recent debate for the office of Park Commissioner hosted by the Milton League of Women Voters.
A small item in the Community Briefing section of today’s Boston Globe South reported that Coffman Realty, the developer working with Temple Shalom on a proposal to build retail businesses on the Temple Shalom property is reconsidering the scope of development.
The proposal currently before the Planning Board consists of a pharmacy, a second building that could have additional retail businesses and offices, and a new, smaller temple.
The Globe reports that Ned Corcoran, an attorney with Coffman Realty, said the firm is considering dropping the second building from the development plan. No further information was available.
The Planning Board is scheduled to meet tomorrow night, April 13th, to resume review of the proposal. They are expected to make a recommendation regarding the proposal for the May 4th Town Meeting.
from Boston Globe
Milton’s superintendent of schools says the district is already showing results from her decision last fall to aggressively follow up tips about public school students who don’t live in town.
Superintendent Mary Gormley said she decided to devote the time and resources to enforcing residency requirements because of the budget crunch. (read the full story here.)
When it came time for us to meet, Janet Lorden could not get out of her garage.
The power had gone out on her street and the garage door opener wasn’t working. But Nstar sprung her free, and we eventually sat down at the new library to discuss her run for Town Treasurer.
Of the three candidates for Town Treasurer, Ms. Lorden is the one complete political neophyte. And she knows that, explaining “It will be an uphill battle and that’s fine. I’m knocking on doors and the reactions of people keeps me going.”
She moved to Milton in 1993 and lives with her husband and two children (twins!) on Brush Hill Road. Their children attend the Tucker School, which they love.
Janet Lorden
Raised with a strong sense of civic engagement, Lorden has a history of community service. She has volunteered with Training, Inc., a national network of local job training organizations that assist low income individuals to learn skills to achieve gainful employment. Here in Boston, Training, Inc. is sponsored by the Boston YMCA. Most recently, Lorden assisted a community effort in setting up a trust fund for the Revelus family: “Milton Cares: A Fund for the Revelus Family”.
She has worked in financial services for 20+ years; first with The Boston Company, followed by Eaton Vance, and then Fidelity Investments. And why financial services? Lorden says, “I love math. I love the logic of it, and I love the creativity of it.”
When asked why she is the candidate of choice, Lorden is clear. “The treasurer role is a role I know.” She believes that she is the only candidate who possesses a thorough knowledge of: tax reporting not only to the IRS, but to states and at times down to the municipal level; buying and selling investment vehicles as a licensed professional; and mangement of retirement products. And she believes this skill set is a requirement for performing the job well. This is an opinion she reiterated when we discussed whether the Town Treasurer should be an elected or appointed position.
All the candidates are on the record and in agreement that the office of Town Treasurer should be an elected one. However, Lorden thinks a better approach that would get a better result is one in which the candidates are recommended by a committee that puts forward candidates that are the best qualified. She questions whether the other candidates running for Treasurer have the necessary financial knowledge and experience. She suspects “they don’t understand the nuances and intricacies of investing. They don’t know the questions to ask.”
In addition, according to Lorden, “I know how to reduce costs and make things as efficient as possible.”
from Patriot Ledger
Two Quincy men were each being held on $10,000 bail after they were caught making off with loot stolen in an East Milton break-in, police said. (read full story here)