HOLLISTON

Parents of Holliston teens underestimate the level of marijuana use among high school students by a significant margin, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Holliston Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Initiative.

Among parents of students in grades 9 and 10, only 0.8 percent thought their children used marijuana. According to data collected by the school in 2006, 18.5 percent of students in those grades use the drug.

Among eleventh and twelfth graders, 15 percent of parents thought their children used marijuana, while 30.5 percent of those students reported actually doing so.

-- Calvin Hennick

NEEDHAM

The Needham Board of Selectmen has voted to suspend ties with the Anti-Defamation League's No Place for Hate program.

The town's Human Rights Committee recommended distancing Needham from the anti-bias program, which promotes tolerance and diversity, because the ADL has waffled on its recognition of the Armenian Genocide. The board of selectmen voted Tuesday to act on the committee's recommendation.

Under national pressure from Armenian-Americans and human rights advocates, the ADL recently acknowledged that the atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenians are "tantamount to genocide," but declined to further refine that stance. The committee had requested that the ADL unequivocally recognize the massacres that took place between 1915 and 1923 as a genocide.

Four selectmen voted to suspend ties. One selectman, James Healy, abstained from the vote because he did not feel the board should take up the issue.

-- Laura Colarusso

MARLBOROUGH

An immigrant advocacy group that organized over the summer is gathering steam, organizing an ESL class and planning two educational seminars for the new year. .

The first seminar to be offered by the Brazilian Civil Rights Coalition next month aims to educate the Brazilian community about rules of the road. Coalition member Nilton Lisboa said he hears complaints about immigrant drivers, so the group contacted the Registry of Motor Vehicles to come out and give a talk.

The next seminar will focus on American politics, said Lisboa, so immigrants will know how they can get involved even if they can’t vote.

The coalition is also seeking more volunteers. Anyone interested in the new group's offerings is urged to call 508-667-1439.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

A Cherry Street company has been fined $18,758 by the state for violating Air Pollution Control and Hazardous Waste Management regulations, according to a press release from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

During an inspection last year, the DEP found that Northland Industrial Truck Co., Inc., "generated odors when operating its wastewater evaporation system, failed to follow good engineering practices with regard to its evaporator stack height, and failed to comply with waste oil management requirements," the release states.

The company -- which sells, services and leases material-handling lift equipment -- agreed via a consent order to correct all violations, and part of its fine includes paying for first responder equipment for the Shrewsbury Fire Department.

-- Lisa Kocian

NATICK

An operational override question on the spring ballot is looking ever more likely as department heads in Natick ponder how to meet a projected $6.5 million budget shortfall, officials said.

As it stands, the school system could face some of the most significant cuts, possibly up to $3 million worth.

Superintendent of Schools James Connolly said last week that reductions could include laying off 10 elementary school teachers, cutting full-day kindergarten, and even closing the Johnson Elementary School if voters do not approve a tax hike.

-- Erica Noonan

WRENTHAM

Selectmen last week approved a new snow removal policy that puts the discretion over which streets and sidewalks to plow in the hands of the Public Works director.

The previous policy named certain major streets as top priorities, and actually listed two sidewalks that were not to be plowed.

Selectmen also formally accepted the resignation of Public Works Director Robert Reardon, who is leaving the town next month to accept a position in Florida.

-- Calvin Hennick

NEWTON

Political support is slipping for the Newton North High School project amid signs that the cost of the state's most expensive high school will climb far beyond the estimated $154-million price tag.

Newton Alderman Paul Coletti told the Globe he plans to offer a resolution saying the board of aldermen have no confidence in the way Mayor David Cohen has handled the project, in order to send "a very strong message to the public that the project and mayor are out of control."

"There's this tremendous void of leadership out of the executive department right now," Coletti said. "In my 30 years in office, I haven't never seen a situation that equals the incompetence of the way this has been handled."

The school project could rise to as much as $171-million, according to figures released this week.

Cohen faced aldermen in a heated meeting Monday to address their frustration over a lack of information on the high school building project and the timing of an expected property tax override Cohen wants to take place next year. He insisted that the override is not needted to fund the school project.

"The Newton North High School project can and will be built whether or not the override passes," Cohen said in an interview Tuesday.

-- Rachana Rathi

MARLBOROUGH

The Massachusetts Special Olympics hopes to start building a new $10 million, 25,000-square-foot headquarters in Marlborough next year, according to Bob Johnson, the organization's president and CEO.

Although the organization has other offices around the state, the new state-of-the-art office and training center would replace the existing state headquarters in Danvers, said Johnson.

"We want to be more central," he said of the move. "We're an organization that's growing pretty dramatically."

Statewide, the organization serves 11,000 people with intellectual disabilities now and projects the number to double over the next five years, he said. The new facility, which will have a full-size gym but is not for competitions, will be off Interstate 495, on Forest Street, said Johnson.

About one third of the $10 million needed has been raised and the plan is to break ground once fundraisers reach the halfway point of $5 million.

-- Lisa Kocian

NEWTON

The city's finance board is pursuing an automated trash collection system that officials say could save taxpayers $2.5 million over the next five years.

"It's more financially responsible and ecologically a better way to go," said Sydra Schnipper, chairwoman of the Public Facilities Committee, which approved the contract 5-2 this week.

The proposed system would provide each household with a single 64-gallon trash container that would be collected each week by a truck with a single driver and automated arm. Currently, there is no limit to the amount of trash residents can dispose of each week and two drivers are required to collect it.

The new contract must be approved by Dec. 31, Finance Committee chairman Paul Coletti said.

-- Rachana Rathi

WESTON

The Department of Public Works and the town's Permanent Building Committee will spend the next few months retooling plans for a new DPW facility after an article requesting more money for its design failed at Special Town Meeting.

"We're just going to have to regroup - maybe downsize the project or do it in phases, I'm not sure," said DPW Director of Operations Robert Hoffman.

The item was among the most extensively discussed at last Wednesday's meeting, which lasted over three hours. The request for the town to appropriate $995,000 for engineering and architechtural services was soundly defeated, with 160 votes against and 59 in favor. Because it required the town to borrow the money, the article would have needed 107 votes to pass.

Another hot topic at the meeting was an article that would amend the town bylaws to allow designated town officials to give citations for environmental, health and some other violations.

The measure passed 82-61, after the meeting members revised the fine structure so that instead of a $100 fine on the first offense, a violator would be issued a warning. Second violations will earn a $100 fine, third violations a $200 fine, and fourth and subsequent violations will earn a $300 fine.

The meeting members also approved eight other articles, including an appopriation of $50,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to study preservation and re-use of the Old Library and Josiah Smith Tavern buildings and to re-zone the parcels on which they stand.

-- Stephanie V. Siek

MEDFIELD

A committee set up to study the financial implications of three proposed municipal building projects will likely report its findings next month, Town Administrator Michael Sullivan said.

Officials say the town needs new quarters for the Department of Public Works, the Parks and Recreation Department, and the police and fire departments. The total cost of the facilities could be as much as $30 million, officials said.

-- Calvin Hennick

WELLESLEY

Two-term Selectman David Himmelberger announced this week that he will not seek re-election to his seat on the Wellesley Board of Selectmen.

Himmelberger's seat -- and that of Selectman Katherine L. Babson Jr. -- are up for voting in town elections in March. Babson has said she will run.

Himmelberger, who has two young daughters at home, says he's taking a break from town duties to spend more time with his family and focus on his law practice.

"I've been involved in town activities for two terms as a Selectman and was on the Advisory Committee before that -- so for nine years," said Himmelberger. "It's time to step back."

Himmelberger said he will, however, be on the ballot in March 2008, hoping to retain his seat as a member of Town Meeting, representing Precinct B.

-- Lisa Keen

WALTHAM

For the first time, the Community Preservation Act Committee next Wednesday will begin reviewing applications for grants for historical preservation, open space or recreation and community housing projects.

This is the first year that the committee has had money to award, Waltham became a CPA community in 2005 and formed the committee a year later. The meeting will give applicants the opportunity to make a brief presentation about their idea.

Approved applications are forwarded to the City Council for appropriation within 20 days.

The committee will meet at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall in the City Council Chambers.

-- Stephanie V. Siek