Milton Planning Survey available – Planning Board asks for citizen input

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.

Milton commuters will be paying more

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 However, Govenor Patrick requested that be rescinded due to failure to get public input.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.

It’s “Music in Our Schools Month”!

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

The Week That Was

The week that ended 2/28/09 was a busy one in Milton, MA.

The winter sports season is winding down. The playoffs are underway and three Milton varsity teams were in the hunt: Both the girls and boys hockey teams qualified but, alas, both were beaten in quarterfinal play. The girls lost 3-1 to Notre Dame and the Weymouth Wildcats handed the boys a 3-1 defeat. However, the boys basketball team beat a Nauset team that did not want to quit and then rolled over the Dorchester Bears 102-75. Whoa! They play the semi-final game this Thursday against Franklin.

There were two meetings of note. The first was a Special Town Meeting that saw two votes. The first was an approval to have a reduction in appropriations to various town departments. The second allowed the School Commitee to enter into contracts for energy that exceed three years. You can read a more complete post on this meeting here.

The second meeting was a pubic hearing by the Planning Board on the proposed redevelopment of Temple Shalom’s 4 acre property on Blue Hill Avenue. In an effort to address immediate financial issues and remain in Milton, the Temple has engaged Coffman Realty who proposes construction of pharmacy with drive through and another building for small businesses. Abutting neighbors are not happy with this proposal and many spoke in opposition. You can read a more complete post of this meeting here. The presentation given to Special Town Meeting by the Warrant Committee is also available (please see link under !READ THIS! section in right column of this page.)

Still in the game Milton’s Randy Omoregie plays full season, despite leukemia

from Boston Globe

Randy Omoregie walked into his football coach’s office at Milton High School swallowed in a hooded sweatshirt, wearing a smile. Before he could sit down, he was surrounded by assistant coaches reaching out to tap fists with the senior and ask him about his health. On this day, Omoregie is feeling OK, even though he is less than an hour removed from a chemotherapy treatment. (read full story)

Braintree prevails on nifty comeback

from Patriot Ledger

The Braintree High School football team rallied from a 13-0 deficit for a 21-13 victory over Milton Thursday.

“It was a team victory,” Braintree coach Dave Flynn said. “We got good play from everyone. We didn’t sulk when we got down right away and eventually came back. The field was tough, Milton was tough and I’m proud of the whole bunch. Maybe we can build on this for the future.” (read full story)

Braintree gears up for Turkey Day showdown against Milton

from Wicked Local

Another senior class will wind up its high school football career when Braintree hosts Milton Thursday morning in the annual Turkey Day battle between the two long-time rivals.

It’s a class that just fell short of a winning season all three years as varsity players, but still did itself proud with the effort it put forth each day in BHS uniforms. (read full story)

Listening to Children – Milton Hospital

Learn to understand a child before he begins to cry or throw a tantrum, how to help children heal their fears, how to reach for your angry child. For parents, teens, and other child care providers. Winfred del Mundo, M.D., Family Practitioner.

WHERE – Milton Hospital – Highland Lobby

WHEN – Tonight (Nov 25, 2008) – 6:30

MHS Bulletin for 11.19.08

  • The next Group Guidance session will be on Thursday at 7:50 am. We will follow a “C” schedule that day. Seniors in Group 12A must report to the library immediately upon arrival to school for their fourth session of Group Guidance. At the same time, Mrs. Cove’s seniors in Group 12B will meet for Library Lab.
  • Attention Juniors: Pep Rally T-Shirts are for sale this week at all three lunches. Cost is $12. Please see a class officer or Mrs. Damiani with any questions.
  • Attention Juniors: If anyone wants to participate in spirit week events and did not si, please see Mrs. Damiani today.
  • Attention Seniors: Don’t forget to submit your favorite candid photo’s to the Facebook page “Candids 09″… Submit your Fall Fling photo’s asap!
  • Winter Sports sign-ups in the Athletic Director’s Office through November 25.
  • Attention Seniors: Any senior who is interested in taking the AFL-CIO Scholarship Exam on February 4, 2009 must sign up in the guidance office. All students signing up will be required to complete an application and pick up a study guide.

    Read more

Milton church bell to chime 350 times to help fight global warming

from Patriot Ledger

The Church of Our Saviour in Milton will ring its bell 350 times Sunday morning, chiming in its support for a worldwide effort to combat global warming.

The church is among about three dozen in New England that have signed up at 350.org, an action group that says it is named for the “most important number on the planet.” (read full story)