- Allison Goldsberry

The girls varsity basketball team upset undefeated Lynn English 52-50 on Wednesday night.

Senior captain Tania Holmes scored an incredible, career-high thirty seven points in the Mustangs’ home victory.

Junior forward Aleah McAusland-Ace added eight points while senior captain Emily Welch had ten rebounds for Medford.

“I told them they were coming to Medford undefeated, they are very well coached and a very talented team, but if we play as a team we have a chance to win. It was a total team effort tonight,” Head Coach Leo Burke told The Boston Globe.

Lynn English was up by one point going into half time but was unable to hold onto any kind of lead.

“It was back and forth. It was a game of runs and we survived their runs and held on down the stretch…They missed a few shots, we rebounded at crucial times down the stretch and got the ball to Tania, who’s our best foul shooter,” said Coach Burke.

The Lady Mustangs are 8-5 heading into Friday’s game at Cambridge. Medford will be in Somerville on Tuesday before returning home on Wednesday for 7:00pm game against Georgetown.

- Allison Goldsberry

After losing their first two track meets to perennial powerhouses Cambridge and Somerville, the Mustang girls indoor track team cruised to a 57-29 victory over Everett on Wednesday.

The Lady Mustangs were led by junior Lauren Walsh, who ran away with the 600 yard run with a time of 1:48, won the high jump with a leap of 4 feet, 4 inches, and anchored the victorious 4 by 400 yard relay team.

Senior captains Jamie DeRosas (1000 yard run), Amanda Goguen (2 mile) and Ariana Fiorello (50 yard dash) all won their respective events with outstanding performances, said Head Coach Jack Dempsey. Junior Christina Lynch placed first in the shot put with a personal best throw of 31 feet, 3 and 1/2 inches while junior teammate Jackie Luongo finished second with a heave of 27’7.”

Freshmen Tricia Healion placed first in the hurdles, followed in third place by junior Micala Mitrano. Freshmen Korey O’Rourke and Kly Goncalves finished second and third in the 50 yard dash. Freshman Daria Eshelman was second in the 2 mile run while freshmen Olivia Allison and Bailey Flynn were second and third in the 300 yard run. Junior Nicole Avella finished third in the 600 yard run.

The relay team of O’Rourke, Goncalves, Avella and Walsh completed the day’s activities by handily defeating their opponents with a time of 4:59.

On Saturday at the State Relays the Lady Mustang freshmen foursome of O’Rourke, Goncalves, Allison and Flynn qualified for the Division 1 State Championships in the 4 by 400 meter relay along with junior shot putter Christina Lynch.

Medford is celebrating Walk/Ride Days—a program that encourages walking and biking, while helping local retailers bring in more customers—on Friday, January 27th. This month we are delighted to welcome a number of new local, independent businesses to the program: Century Bank, Xtreme Ninja Martial Arts, Oliver Deli, Awakened Warrior Yoga, and Medford Optical. Each partner is offering a special incentive to customers who take to their feet or their bikes for their trip to Medford Square.

Here is the complete list of Medford’s Walk/Ride Retail Partners, and their offers for customers who mention Walk/Ride Day when they visit, this Friday and the last Friday of each month:

In Medford Square:

Awakened Warrior Yoga: Take a FREE class, 7-8 am

Bestsellers Café: 10% discount on phone or on-line orders

Century Bank: $50.00 when you open a personal checking account

Colleen’s Ice Cream and Sandwich Shop: Free raffle entry for a gift card (with your purchase).

Medford Muscular Therapy Centre: Add a 15-minute treatment of your choice to your massage session

Medford Optical: $100 off any complete pair of prescription eye ware (cannot be combined with any insurance or other discounts)

Mystic Coffee Roaster: Free small cup of fresh-roasted coffee (several choices available).

Oliver Deli/Chickpeas: Free drink of your choice

Xtreme Ninja Martial Arts Center: Raffle entry for a month of free lessons

Other Medford Locations:

Depot Square Grill, West Medford Square: Free cup of clam chowder

Lions Share Coaching (online/phone only): (1) Be entered into a 6-week life and/or career coaching program, or (2) Get 15% off any coaching package. Email marie[at]lionssharecoaching.com or call 617–803–1508 to sign up.

And visit www.GoGreenStreets.org to find all the participating businesses and other partners in Walk/Ride Days, which will happen simultaneously in Medford, Cambridge, Somerville, Boston, Everett, and Lynn—on the last Friday of each month.

More about Walk/Ride Days in Medford

Green Medford is coordinating participation in Walk/Ride Days and supporting partners with outreach. To sign up or ask questions, call Susan at 781-526-4714, or email susan.altman[at]comcast.net.

We are seeking new retailers and schools to join the project. To participate, a business chooses an incentive that will help drive more customers to the business, without driving. Then, on the last Friday of each month, the businesses reward the people who visited because of the program. Schools in the Walk/Ride project can participate in many ways, from Walking School Bus events to a Special Walk/Ride day for the whole community.

Walk/Ride Days is a project of the Green Streets Initiative, an international grassroots organization based in Cambridge, MA, that celebrates and promotes the use of sustainable and active transportation. Green Streets’ mission is to create safer, healthier, and quieter streets and more vibrant communities. More information at: http://www.gogreenstreets.org/. Green Medford seeks to educate the Medford community to understand our environmental impact, and to empower members of our community to make more sustainable energy choices related to homes and businesses, transportation, and food. More information at: www.greenmedford.org and at our Facebook page (search for Green Medford).

-Submitted by Susan Altman, Green Medford

On Tuesday, January 24 both the boys and girls basketball teams held “Pink Out” games against GBL rival Malden to raise money for breast cancer research. Players and fans wore pink to support the cause and proceeds from the game will be donated toward breast cancer research.

John Brewer’s Tavern, located in Malden and owned by former Mustang Bill Honeycutt, sponsored the effort and held a “Pink Out Night” on the eve of the games. Both the Medford and Malden teams had dinner together and 20% of restaurant proceeds from that night will go toward the cause.

Both the boys and girls teams were victorious over Malden on Tuesday night. Senior Tania Holmes led the Lady Mustangs with twenty-six points, six assists, and five steals in the Lady Mustangs’ 48-29 victory over the Golden Tornadoes.

Senior forward Larry Keating led his team with seventeen points in Medford’s 54-37 win. Maurice Magras contributed seven points while seven other Mustangs were also in the scoring column. Head Coach Anthony Faradie praised the team for its “spectacular defense,” including Jonathan Pires’ “unbelievable job” covering star Golden Tornado Terrance Maisonneuve, holding him to just nine points. With just four minutes left in the game Medford had only given up eight points in the second half. Sean Doncaster “did a good job” taking care of the ball while Jhems Lemone, Billy Joseph, and Owen Healey came off the bench and helped lift the team to victory. The big difference in the game was at the free throw line, with Medford 16-24 and Malden only 0-2.

Senior forward Larry Keating sinks a shot.

John Brewer’s Tavern owner Bill Honeycutt with Malden girls basketball coach Wayne Bartolucci and players and Medford girls basketball coach Leo Burke and players Tania Holmes, Jackie Pellechia, and Emily Welch.

Mustang basketball fans donned pink for the game.

Sue Hodnett and Mimi Ansari, organizers of the Medford/Somerville Relay for Life cancer research fundraiser.

- InsideMedford.com

Tufts University Earns Top Spot on the 2012 Peace Corps Top Colleges Rankings

Tufts University ranks No. 15 on the 2012 top Peace Corps volunteer-producing colleges and universities in the medium size category. There are currently 31 undergraduate alumni serving overseas. Last year, Tufts University had 20 alumni volunteers and was not included in the 2011 rankings.

Since the agency was founded in 1961, 517 Tufts University alumni have served in the Peace Corps.

“Colleges and universities prepare thousands of talented undergraduate and graduate alumni for Peace Corps service every year,” said Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams (Dominican Republic, 1967-1970). “These alumni go on to serve as Peace Corps volunteers, applying the skills and knowledge they acquired during their studies to promote world peace and friendship and improve the lives of people around the world. Every day, volunteers make countless contributions to projects in agriculture, education, the environment, health and HIV/AIDS education and prevention, small business development, and youth development. I would like to extend my gratitude to all colleges and universities for their continued support of the Peace Corps and public service.”

Tufts University alumni are currently serving as volunteers in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jordan, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Ukraine. They work in areas including Education, Environment, Health and HIV/AIDS, Business Development and Youth Development.

Other Boston area colleges and universities made the 2012 rankings including Boston University, which is No. 16 among large schools; Boston College, which is No. 7 among medium size schools; and Wellesley College, which is No. 10 among small schools nationwide.

The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing schools annually according to the size of the student body. Small schools have less than 5,000 undergraduates, medium-sized schools have between 5,001 and 15,000 undergraduates and large schools have more than 15,000 undergraduates. The rankings are calculated based on fiscal year 2011 data as of September 30, 2011 as self-reported by Peace Corps volunteers.

About the Peace Corps: Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 200,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 9,095 volunteers are working with local communities in 75 host countries. Peace Corps volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment and the agency’s mission is to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Visit www.peacecorps.gov for more information.

- Information from Tufts University

State Representative Paul Donato has received the highest honor for a state legislator from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. Rep. Donato was presented with the “Legislator of the Year” award before the Medford School Committee at its Monday night meeting. The award recognizes elected officials for their contributions to education.

Pictured above, from left: School Committee members George Scarpelli, Erin DiBenedetto, Robert E. Skerry, Jr., and John Falco, Rep. Donato, Past MASC President Dorothy Presser, School Committee members Ann Marie Cugno and Paulette Van der Kloot, Deputy Superintendent Beverly Nelson, MASC Legal Counsel Steve Finnegan, and School Superintendent Roy Belson.

- InsideMedford.com

On Jan. 6, 2012 “Tessie,” a six-year-old Boston Terrier, proved that cats aren’t the only animals with nine lives, as her tale of survival is one for the ages. Tessie was accompanying her dog walker on a hike through the woods in Medford when she somehow got separated and ended up lost in the middle of downtown. Scared by the traffic and the unfamiliar sights and sounds, she panicked and began to run. Passersby tried to get hold of her but to no avail; and she ultimately was struck by a car in a hit-and-run accident. Gravely injured with a severely fractured pelvis, Tessie curled up in a local cemetery and spent a freezing night outside alone.

When Tessie’s owner, Kathy Noons of South Boston, heard that her dog had gone missing, she immediately mobilized a search to recover her beloved pet. She and her husband drove to Medford and began scouring the town, looking for any sign of Tessie. Residents of the town—who by now had heard about the missing dog—joined in the search. Kathy’s friend, Charlotte Ritson, who works for the U.S. Postal Service, issued an alert over the Postal Service newswire. This alert proved to be the critical break in the case as Tessie was later found in the cemetery by a postal worker.

A Frantic Drive to Angell Animal Medical Center

Kathy rushed Tessie—who was in severe pain with a body temperature that had dropped 15 degrees—to Angell Animal Medical Center, where she was admitted to the Emergency/Critical Care Unit. There, Dr. Ashley Davis evaluated her. Tessie’s heart rate was very low, she was minimally responsive and had no readable blood pressure. Further tests revealed more sinister news: every bone in Tessie’s pelvis was broken in multiple places. She would require immediate surgery if she were to survive.

Tessie’s Life-Saving Surgery and Her Long Road to Recovery

After Tessie’s condition was stabilized, the hospital staff prepped her for surgery. Dr. Nicholas Trout—one of Angell’s board-certified surgeons who specializes in orthopedics—performed the operation, which required stabilizing Tessie’s pelvic bones with plates and screws. Despite the trauma she’d already endured, Tessie pulled through and impressed the doctors with her fighting spirit and will to live.

After her surgery Tessie was examined by Dr. Lisa Moses, head of Angell’s Pain Management service. Moses, who modeled the service after the successful pain clinics created in human hospitals, realized Tessie’s road to recovery would be long and would require serious commitment from the dog as well as her human family. Moses laid out a treatment plan designed to give Tessie every chance of returning to her old self. Said Moses: “Tessie’s immediate post-surgery protocol consists of very gentle massage and physical therapy to help ease her swelling and bruising, as well as several medications to treat her pain and to help prevent long term post-surgical pain.”

Tessie also received “cold” laser therapy and acupuncture—two techniques that Moses pioneered at Angell and that have positioned the hospital at the forefront of innovative pain management therapy. As her recovery unfolds Tessie will graduate to full physical therapy and hydrotherapy.

“I’m so grateful for the medical staff at Angell Animal Medical Center who treated Tessie as if she were one of their own,” said Kathy. “This whole experience has been extremely difficult for Tessie and for us—but knowing that she has received, and will continue to receive, the best possible veterinary care gives me hope that she will return to the fun and feisty dog that we know and love.”

- Information from Angell Animal Medical Center/MSPCA

Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, a senior Democratic Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and the dean of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, responded this evening to President Obama’s State of the Union speech:

“An economy built to last is an economy that puts the middle class first. Tonight, President Obama outlined a vision for an economy built on middle class values – of hard work, of opportunity, and of fairness. Despite the challenges facing our nation, President Obama offered the hope that together we can restore hope to millions of American workers, repower our economy with clean energy, and ensure that billionaires and big oil pay their fair share.

“We can’t have a vibrant economy without a vibrant middle class, and our workers are America’s most valuable assets. But our economy doesn’t work if Americans aren’t working and earning a fair wage. I commend the President’s call for call for manufacturing tax credits that will take Americans out of the unemployment line and put them on the assembly line in high technology manufacturing and making next generation fuel efficient vehicles. It’s time to get America back to making things again.

“Congressional Republicans are suffering from Solyndra syndrome, a malady which leads them to throw the entire solar, wind and other renewables industries into quarantine because of a single company’s failure. In contrast, President Obama knows our public lands, military and American companies and workers will only further heat up the feverish development of clean energy technologies here in America. Energy efficiency and renewable energy are key to a stable energy future. I will work as Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee to support the President’s call for the establishment of solar and wind energy zones on public lands that can bring the promise of clean energy to millions of American homes. I also welcome the President’s proposal for a trade enforcement unit will help ensure that American clean energy technologies succeed against emerging global competitors such as China.

“It vital to keep American-made natural gas here in America, and not expose it to an expanding foreign market that will increase prices for American families and businesses. I look forward to working with the administration to ensure safe development of our natural gas supplies and that natural gas drilling practices on public lands protect our environment and public health.

“I am also pleased the President emphasized the importance of bringing broadband service to all Americans. Broadband is essential infrastructure for the 21st century that will prepare our workers to compete in the global marketplace, save money on energy bills, and create good, family-wage jobs. And the President’s call for investment in research and development means the businesses that build the technologies of tomorrow will create jobs here in America today.

“I applaud the President’s call to cut a half a trillion dollars in the defense budget. America’s bloated nuclear weapons budget is the first place the administration should look to make these cuts. I will soon introduce legislation to cut $100 billion in unneeded Cold War-era nuclear weapons, saving money while strengthening our national and long-term economic security.

“It is up to us in Congress to give the President the opportunities to make good on the promise of an American Dream of good wages, opportunity for all, and a better life for future generations. I applaud the President’s plan to get America working again for people who work for a living. It’s time we started expanding opportunity and stopped shrinking the middle class.”

- Information from Rep. Markey (D-Malden)

Public Meetings Underway to Discuss Proposed Changes

- Allison Goldsberry

The MBTA is considering fare hikes and service cuts to address an anticipated $185 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2013, according to an announcement from the agency on January 3.

For Medford that could mean the elimination of the 325, 326, 95, and 96 bus routes. The 134 bus route could be cut back and commuter rail service could potentially be eliminated after 10PM on week nights and altogether on weekends.

In addition, fares could increase from $1.25 to $1.75 to ride the bus and $1.70 to $2.40 for the train.

The MBTA is holding public meetings in January and February to get public feedback. Recommendations are expected to be made to the MBTA Board in March with an anticipated Board vote in April. Any changes would go into effect in July.

A full public meeting schedule is available online. In addition, public comments can be submitted to fareproposal@mbta.com or mailed to Fare Proposal, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 3910, Boston, MA 02116.

The MBTA says rising operational costs and insufficient revenue have led to the budget gap.

“While the MBTA continues to identify and adopt strict measures to close the budget gap, less costly ways of doing business and additional revenue-generating measures are necessary,” said MassDOT Transportation Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey in a statement.

“With MBTA ridership at record levels, the demand for the services we deliver is unquestionable,” said Acting MBTA General Manager Jonathan Davis, a Medford resident. “I look forward to an open and transparent public process that will lead to recommendations on how we can continue to satisfy demand while addressing the T’s financial crisis.”

State Senator Patricia Jehlen called the proposals to close the expected budget gap “concerning.” She said the MBTA is “doing what it has to do” given its financial constraints but it’s clear “belt-tightening” and other financial management aren’t enough to address the current fiscal crisis.

According to Sen. Jehlen, the MBTA is one of the least expensive public transportation services in the nation and fares haven’t increased for five years. Attempts to address the T’s financial problems by increasing fares and dedicating additional funding to it from the sales tax aren’t enough, says Jehlen.

“It has been clear for many years that the Commonwealth needs to dedicate more revenue to the T in order to keep the system solvent and to provide the level of service that we all want…I, along with several of my colleagues, have been advocating for an increase in the gas tax as a reasonable and sustainable way to ensure financial solvency for the T. It is past time that we seriously address these long term funding issues. I will continue to advocate for an increase in the gas tax and more dedicated revenue to the T,” said Sen. Jehlen.

On Thursday, February 2 the Andrews Middle School will be holding a Technology Fundraiser featuring a basketball game between the AMS All-Stars and the Harlem Wizards. Come join us for a fun-filled night of Trick Hoops and Alley-Oops!

The Harlem Wizards are celebrating 50 years of Worldwide Wizardry. At a Wizards game fans see amazing basketball talent combined with hilarious comedy. The athleticism, tricks, fancy teamwork and ball-handling, plus wild dunks not even seen in NBA games, will wow fans. The show is for all ages whether you’re a basketball fan or not. Also, there is a free autograph session after the game and the Wizards don’t leave until every autograph is signed!

Tickets purchased in advance of the game are $10 for students and $12 for adults. Tickets sold at the door the night of the game will be $12 for students and $14 for adults. More information on ordering tickets is available on the Andrews Middle School website.

We hope you join us for this fun and exciting event. If you have any questions or would like further information, please feel free to contact us at ptoandrews@gmail.com.

- Information from Kathy Dakermanji, Andrews Middle School PTO