5 Things Including Ara Talkov

1) Newsbit of the Day: Ara Talkov was named state finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award for academic, community service and athletic excellence. Talkov, a four year honor roll senior at Swampscott High School, was also named a school winner before being selected as a state finalist.

Talkov is co-captain of her high school basketball team and plays for the AAU state champions and nationally ranked Bay State Jaguars who have won the highly competitive Orlando National Supershowcase Tournament of Champions which was televised on ESPN, the Boo Williams Tournament and made the Final Four of the Chicago Nike Invitational and the Junior Nationals in Washington D.C.  

Talkov is an NEC All Star and Three-Point Champion as well as having been named MVP of the Malden Christmas Tournament and the Spartan Classic Tournament.  She was the runner-up MVP for the Northeastern Conference and is a Boston Globe All Star.  Talkov is President of the Blue Crew, an organization dedicated to motivating kids in elementary school to start early in active and healthy lifestyles, and also volunteers with the Special Olympics at Harvard University.

Talkov is graduating this spring and has given a verbal commitment to Columbia University.  She is one of ten girls chosen for the Massachusetts Heisman finalist honor. Approximately 50,000 students apply for the award each year. One state winner will be announced on November 5, 2012 and will go on to compete for the national award which entitles the winner to $10,000 for their school and a $500 Wendy's gift certificate.

2) Swampscott Scholars: 2012 Swampscott High graduate Ariela Solomon received the Cynthia Hope Kravitz Memorial Scholarship.

 3) Bit of Bill (Belichick): “We've all just got to do a better job. I know we're capable of playing better than that, but that's what it was (on Sunday).”

4) Weather Watch: The National Weather Service is calling for a mostly cloudy day with a high near 57. 

5) Business Listing Watch: VIDEO: Businesses: Time to Claim Your Listing on Patch! It's Free! And Comes With Extra Cheese!

Business owners can claim listings in Patch Places to better promote their business and inform readers.