Students learn about community service

Planting flowers at Milton High School was all in a morning's work for students with the Apollo middle school team earlier this month. Teacher Stacey Endres (not pictured) said the goal was to teach students the importance of community service, adding that students from other classrooms volunteered to clean up local parks and do some chores for the Milton Family Community Center.

Endres said individual classrooms have done similar springtime projects in recent years, but this was the first time it was a team-wide effort.

Lemonade sale raises a lot of money for childhood cancer research

Middle school student Logan Sweeney spent much of Saturday, June 13, on the roadside of Route 7, drumming-up support for Alex and Theo's Lemonade stand at the Milton Grange.

Now in its sixth year, the annual event raised about $1,500 for childhood cancer research, said organizer Chrissy Smith.

Sweeney said she was a classmate of Theo Burton, whose family started the local event after he was diagnosed with cancer. Burton passed away four years ago, but he was very much remembered by the volunteers who have kept the event going.

Town Forest at its best

Milton Pond is seen from one of several trails that crisscross the Milton Town Forest off Westford Road. Hiking, fishing, and carry-in boats are allowed at the publicly owned forest. Motor vehicles of all sorts are prohibited though, and swimming is not recommended, due to beaver activity and potentially heightened bacterial levels in the pond.

Town voters purchased the neighboring Bove Property to provide access to the forest several years ago, but regulations for that area are still being drawn-up. The only improved access at this point is through trails maintained by Geoffrey Plunkett, who lets people park near his home at 460 Westford Road and cross his property and enjoy the wilderness area. Plunkett has his property for sale which leaves in question future access.

While Plunkett put up a “no parking” sign near the trailhead this spring, he said that's only because he needed to re-grow grass there. He said people are welcome to park across the street, near his large barn.

Georgia explores facilities expansion

By NATHAN LAMB | Milton Independent Staff Writer
mireporter@mac.com

Conceptual drawing of the proposed Georgia Fire Station off Rt. 7.

A recently study has recommended a new fire station and renovations for the Georgia Town Hall, and the Selectboard is holding a special meeting on June 29 to solicit public input on those scenarios.

The proposals would address two of the town's most pressing space needs, as identified through a multi-year evaluation by its Municipal Expansion Committee, said committee Chairman and Selectman Colin Conger.

Having seen those recommendations subsequently fleshed-out by engineers and architects, Conger said the Selectboard is holding two public forums this summer to hear opinions, suggestions, and decide if the town should move forward at this point.

“What we've done is identified the needs and come up with a solution,” he said. “Now we need to present this to the townspeople to get feedback.”

“If the input we get is favorable, we'll take the next step, which is to bring it to a vote before the townspeople,” he added, at another point.

The proposed fire station has an estimated cost of $1.4 million and would be established on a town-owned parcel just north of the municipal offices. Current plans show an 8,996 square-foot building, with garage space for seven trucks and an equipment bay. There would also be office space, a training area, and gender-specific bathrooms—all things the department currently lacks. [FULL STORY]