The Shrewsbury Democratic Town Committee is hosting a debate Tuesday night between Doug Belanger and Michael Moore, the two declared Democratic candidates for the state Senate seat being vacated by Senator Edward M. Augustus Jr. of Worcester.

CORRECTION: Due to a scheduling error, this item was published a day early. Prior versions said the debate was being held tomorrow, which would have been read as Monday evening. The debate is Tuesday night.

The debate will be held at at 7 p.m. at the Shrewsbury High School Presentation Room. Organizers said that they will be videotaping the event, but that no information was yet available about when the debate would be broadcast on local cable television stations.

Augustus announced earlier this year that he would not seek a third term. The Second Worcester district includes Auburn, Grafton, Leicester, Millbury, Shrewsbury, Upton and part of the city of Worcester.

-- Lisa Kocian

Shrewsbury Town Members will get their chance Monday night to weigh in on the town's proposed Pay-As-You-Throw program, which would levy new trash fees and generate an additional $800,000 in annual revenue.

Since the amount has already been incorporated into the proposed town budget, Town Meeting members will have to find the money somewhere else or cut from other parts of the budget if they vote against the new fee.

If it passes, the program would go into effect Aug. 1, and would require residents to pay 75 cents for 15-gallon trash bags and $1.50 for 34-gallon trash bags. All recycling would remain free of charge.

Town Meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the Oak Middle School.

–Lisa Kocian

Shrewsbury Assistant Superintendent of Schools Judith Evans will be the new superintendent of the Medway Public Schools, replacing outgoing superintendent Richard Grandmont, who is leaving at the end of the school year.

The School Committee selected Evans last month at its April 14 meeting, choosing her over Acton/Acton-Boxborough Assistant Superintendent Susan Horn, Winchendon Superintendent Peter Azar, and Northbridge Superintendent Paul Soojian.

Evans has worked in the Shrewsbury schools since 2002.

-- Rachel Lebeaux

Shrewsbury residents have rejected a Proposition 2 1/2 override for the fourth time in four years.

In today's balloting, the "No" vote prevailed by a large margin, 5,212 to 3,545, according to according to preliminary results released last night by the town clerk's office. Voters' rejection of the $1.5 million tax increase proposal kept the town's perfect streak intact -- residents have never approved an override.

At a press conference last week, town and school officials had warned voters that, if the override failed, nine teaching positions would be eliminated and class sizes would increase. Officials also told residents to expect cuts to the Meals-on-Wheels program, Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services, and the library.

Opponents argued that the town's schools have been able to prosper -- hiring new staff and raising MCAS scores -- despite a failed override last year. Last May, a $5 million override was narrowly rejected in an election that drew 52 percent of the town's registered voters.

Voter turnout was lower this year, at an estimated 42 percent, officials said.

-- Lisa Kocian

The pros and cons of Shewsbury's $1.5 million Proposition 2 1/2 override ballot question have been posted online at on the town's web site.

Selectmen are urging residents to pass the extra tax, which will be put to the ballot on May 6, in order to preserve quality of life.

"Failure of this override question will result in service reductions across the board and will affect every Shrewsbury resident," the selectmen wrote in the ballot question notice.

If the measure passes, $1 million would be divided between school and municipal needs, and $500,000 has been earmarked to help reduce fees for school activities, athletics, and services.

Part of the opposition argument states: "The town has already raised electric rates, plans to raise water and sewer rates, and expects to impose a trash collection fee this July. Tax hikes for additions to the library and police headquarters, and for replacement of the Sherwood Middle School cq loom in the near future."

-- Lisa Kocian

Mr. Hot Stuff himself
(Globe staff photo by Tom Landers

After eight years, Shrewsbury will no longer be an automatic shoo-in for the title of "Municipality with the Most Appropriately-Named Fire Chief."

Town Manager Dan Morgado recently began looking for a new fire chief to replace Gerald LaFlamme, who is retiring June 1. "La flamme," of course, means "the flame" in French.

According to an advertisement for the post, available online at the town's web site, the salary offered is $97,290. The new chief will oversee four captains, 32 sworn firefighters, and 12 call firefighters dispersed among three fire stations.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

The Shrewsbury Police Department is understaffed but has still managed to outgrow its space, the Strategic Plan for 2007-2012 drafted by Police Chief James J. Hester Jr. states.

Hester listed both issues among the department's weaknesses. Among the strengths, he listed police response time and commitment to officer training.

The plan also details the types of crimes committed over the past few years and compares Shrewsbury with similar communities on the number of officers and calls handled.

The complete plan is available online on the town's web site.

-- Lisa Kocian

(Image: Mark Waitkus)

SHREWSBURY

Well-known artist Mark Waitkus will be doing a watercolor demonstration, explaining his choice for a winter color palette and demonstrating his techniques for creating a crisp winter scene, for the the Artist Guild of Shrewsbury.

Organizer Shari Fox said Waitkus will appear at the group's monthly meeting on Monday, February 4, and speak on the topic is "Elm Park in Winter."

Widely known for his sports illustrations, Waitkus has donated a Red Sox World Series print for a raffle at the meeting, which will be held from 7 to 9 p.m., in the community room at Southgate at Shrewsbury, 30 Julio Drive, Fox said.

The group is open to hobbyists and professional artists of all ages and prospective members are welcome. Admission is free to paid members or $5 for non-members, which can be applied toward membership dues, which are $25 for adults and $15 for students.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

The Shrewsbury Historical Society is hoping to win a spot on the National Register of Historic Places for the old District No. 5 Schoolhouse.

The schoolhouse, built in 1828, served students in grades 1 through 9 for nearly 90 years, according to Kristine Gustafson, a member of the Shrewsbury Historical Society’s executive board. The building, located on the corner of Old Mill Road and West Main Street, is owned by the society, which is working on restoration plans now, she said.

The society plans to submit its application this spring to the Massachusetts Historical Commission, which must give its preliminary approval before the request goes to the National Register for consideration, Gustafson said.

To drum up support, the society will make a presentation to the Board of Selectmen at the board’s Jan. 28 meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. Anyone seeking more information or wishing to make a contribution is being urged to contact the society by e-mail.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

For months, there has been buzz about whether or not a pay-as-you-throw program might come to town and residents will finally get an answer later this month when the budget comes out.

Asked whether such a program will be recommended as part of the budget, Town Manager Dan Morgado answered simply that his budget "will come out Jan. 25."

In other words: wait and see.

There are no separate hearings scheduled at this point for trash issues, but any discussion would take place as part of the budget hearings, which begin in early February, he said. Pay-as-you-throw varies by community, but often residents are asked to pay a fee for each trash bag put out. Recycling is free.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

A hearing on a controversial development scheduled for early December has been postponed for one month.

A Planning Board public review of the proposed Value Place Hotel has been rescheduled for Jan. 3 at 7:15 p.m. at Town Hall. Some neighbors are opposing the four-story hotel at the intersection of Route 9 and Lake Street.

"This hotel is certain to degrade appearance, convenience and safety of our neighborhoods, and thereby reduce the value of our homes in the area," resident Joseph M. Simon wrote to the town planner in October.

-- 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

SHREWSBURY

The warrant for a special Town Meeting on Dec. 10 has been posted online. The meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Oak Middle School Auditorium, 45 Oak Street.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

State Rep. Karyn Polito has urged local politicians to lobby for her measure to return more money to cities and towns.

Polito, a Shrewsbury Republican, told Shrewsbury's selectmen earlier this week that her late-file bill to return $450 million in lottery money to municipalities needs a lot of help to get out of the House Rules Committee. In the House of Representative, bills filed late must go through the rules committee before going on through the legislative process, she said.

Lottery money is supposed to go to cities and towns but the state always keeps some in reserve. That is unfair, Polito said, particularly when the state has a stabilization fund balance of $2.2 billion.

For Shrewsbury, the measure would mean about $1.5 million back if approved.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

State Rep. Karyn Polito's bill to set mandatory minimum sentences for child rapists had a recent public hearing before the Judiciary Committee and could move forward in the legislative process before the end of the year, lawmakers said.

Polito, a Republican from Shrewsbury, is also pushing for minimum sentences for child pornography crimes and for "predator free" zones around schools and day care centers. Opponents say such measures don't work and can be counter-productive.

Chairman of the Judiciary Committee Sen. Robert Creedon, a Democrat of Brockton, told the State House News Service after the hearing that the committee plans to get portions of the sex offender bill "out by the end of the year."

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

Turkey, shmurkey. The folks in Shrewsbury are already thinking tinsel and canned snow.

The Shrewsbury Garden Club and Shrewsbury Historical Society have announced that they are co-sponsoring a "Home for the Holidays" door decorating contest for both businesses and residences. Entry forms, due Dec. 8, are available online and at Town Hall and the library.

All decorating must be complete by Dec. 10 for judging. There are no theme requirements and no entry fee, but only the door entrance will be judged.

So don't think that giant inflatable snow globe on your lawn gets you extra credit.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

The Board of Selectmen has called a Special Town Meeting for Monday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., according to an email announcement.

Voters will be asked to consider extending the current contract for both solid waste disposal and landfill operation. Also on the warrant will be a request for authorization to sell the former Edgemere Fire Station.

The draft warrant will be available online this week at the town's web site, officials said.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

The town is hoping to get word by the end of the year that it is getting just under $4 million from the state for library renovation and expansion, according to Ellen M. Dolan, library director.

The grant was approved over a year ago and the town is waiting for the state to release the funds. After that, library supporters will go to Town Meeting to ask for $9.1 million, said Dolan, the balance needed for the project.

The 25,000-square-foot library was originally built in 1902 with additions in 1923 and 1979, she said. The project calls for renovating and expanding to 46,000 square feet, said Dolan, which will include a much larger children's room, meeting space for the public, and more room for computers.

To see floor plans, exterior renderings, and a complete list of what would be inside the new library, visit the library online.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

The town has rebuilt its free cash account to more than $4.85 million for the fiscal year, according to Town Manager Dan Morgado.

Free cash had been eroding since fiscal year 2002, he said, and town officials were focused on putting more into the account, which is considered a sort of town savings account or emergency fund. The solid savings "will bode well for the town when discussing with [bond rating agency] Moody's the town’s fiscal condition when issuing permanent financing this year for the various light, water and fire facilities projects," Morgado said in an announcement.

Morgado added that the town tries to use the money only for capital projects when needed rather than for operational expenses.

-- Lisa Kocian

REGION

The state will begin feasibility studies for local school projects about a month earlier than anticipated, potentially allowing some projects to be ready for Town Meeting votes next spring, staff writer James Vaznis of the reports in the Globe's City & Region Section today.

On Nov. 2, the state School Building Authority will decide which school districts' proposed projects to study first. Other districts will be selected on a rolling basis after that.

Being selected for a feasibility study doesn't automatically guarantee construction funding, but it is a prerequisite. More than a dozen school districts west of Boston are among 161 districts statewide competing for about $500 million in construction funds this year, the first time in four years the state is doling out school construction money.

In choosing which feasibility studies to pursue first, the state has been dispatching inspection teams to analyze building conditions and enrollment trends, visiting 90 districts so far. Those districts include Berlin-Boylston, Franklin, Hopkinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Maynard, Nashoba, Natick, Needham, Norfolk, Shrewsbury, Wayland, and Wellesley.

The resulting studies, which should be completed this winter, will give the state the first glimpse of how much it could potentially cost to do all the projects. In all, 161 districts have expressed interest in 422 school projects.

SHREWSBURY

Shrewsbury has applied for a $40,000 state grant to be used for a new fee-based trash program, but that doesn’t mean such a program is coming, officials say.

Town Manager Dan Morgado said a pay-as-you-throw program or trash fee will be considered in the next few months as leaders gear up for the FY09 budget, but the town doesn’t have to accept the grant if it decides not to make the change, he said.

If Shrewsbury didn’t apply now, it would miss out on grant funds entirely. Morgado said he has “no idea” if the town will go to a fee-based trash program but there will be internal talks about it in coming months. If town officials decide to recommend it, details would likely come out in January, he said.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

The Shrewsbury schools are using a new system this year to notify parents in case of an emergency.

Shrewsbury signed on to the Connect-ED service, available from a private company, which allows administrators to send emails or voice messages to thousands of parents at once, according to Anne Mahan, director of business services. The service can be used for snow days or more serious emergencies.

"The system has the ability to notify parents at their homes, their cell phones, and their email accounts," said Mahan. "Parents can be reassured we are taking active measures to deal with a crisis if there is one."

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

Shrewsbury town officials are working on a deal with AvalonBay Communities to build about 400 units of housing, 100 of which will be set aside as affordable housing, Town Manager Dan Morgado says.

The development was green-lighted by selectmen after another competing housing project bowed out. The town was eager to get an affordable housing project in the works by October, its deadline with the state for showing progress on affordable housing.

Avalon at Shrewsbury Hills will be built on 36 acres south of route 20, between Centech Boulevard and Green Street.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

Three teenagers are under arrest and another is on the loose following a series of break-ins and thefts in Shrewsbury and Grafton. The thieves targeted at least 20 unlocked cars, stealing cash, cellphones, and GPS systems from the vehicles. They are also accused of stealing two of the cars, WHDH-TV/Channel 7 is reporting.

According to police, the four teenagers are between the ages of 16 and 20 years of age.

"They're probably responsible for quite a bit of car thefts in the area," Lt. Mark DuBois, Shrewsbury Police Department, said.

SHREWSBURY

Road and utility work begins this month on Route 9, from Dewey Road east to Maple Avenue.

The project, overseen by MassHighway, will take 18 to 24 months and will include plantings, faux brick cross walks, ornamental traffic signals, and ornamental street lighting, according to a press release from the town manager's office.

The first phase of the construction is the replacement of the sewer force main, along the center of the roadway. Temporary barriers will be installed from Dewey Road east to Harrington Avenue and the work will be done inside those barriers, according to the release.

There will be two eleven-foot travel lanes in each direction to limit traffic delays.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

The Board of Selectmen plans to decide next Monday whether to approve the affordable housing project proposed by Virginia-based AvalonBay Communities Inc., according to Town Manager Daniel Morgado.

AvalonBay was vying against Fairfield Residential to build housing in a competition the town set up to meet its affordable housing obligations. But Fairfield pulled out late last month just as selectmen were preparing to choose. In a letter to the town, Fairfield said it was concerned about meeting the town's tight deadlines but still wants to proceed with a project.

The town has been seeking to get a project by October because that is when its protection against having such projects forced upon it expires. Until then, it is still protected by the state because it was seen as making sufficient progress toward the state goal of 10 percent affordable housing in every community.

The town was hoping to pick its own project so that it would have some control over the outcome and so it could continue its state protection. Morgado said the selectmen are considering four options: do nothing, accept Avalon's 414-unit proposal, accept Avalon's 504-unit proposal, or work out a new arrangement with Avalon.

-- Lisa Kocian

Shrewsbury High School's cafeteria is due for a nutritional makeover.
(Globe staff photo by Suzanne Kreiter)

SHREWSBURY

Shrewsbury High School was one of seven schools nationwide chosen for a wellness program that includes more variety in food choices.

The makeover is part of a New England Dairy & Food Council-funded pilot program called the "Ultimate School Restyle." Aimed at encourage healthier eating, the program will update Shrewsbury High's cafeteria to include dairy vending machines, an expanded meal service area to provide students with a larger variety of menus options, faster service, and an upgraded dining area with "design elements to improve the school meal experience," according to a press release.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

The Bryan T. Rossik Memorial Golf Tournament will be held tomorrow at the Leicester Country Club.

Rossik was a senior at St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, when he was killed in a car accident in April. The event will raise money for the Bryan T. Rossik Scholarship Fund and Leicester Baseball.

Anyone wishing to make a donation can receive more information via e-mail or by calling 508-892-0508.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

School Committee chairwoman Deborah Peeples has been given permission by the selectment to take a part-time job with a group that hosts forums and conferences for students and teachers to promote civic education, social responsibility, and community service.

The vote paves the way for the Peeples to take a position with the Education and Leadership for a Nonviolent Age Collaborative. Peeples sought the approval after consulting with the state Ethics Commission, which told her she needed it because of her elected position.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

Final plans are taking shape this month for the annual Spirit of Shrewsbury Fall Festival.

Festival events, which run Friday, Sept. 28, through Sunday, Sept. 30, include a craft fair, parade, fishing derby, and 5K race. The number of events keeps growing and more volunteers are needed.

A meeting will be held for interested volunteers Tuesday, Aug. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall. For more information or to download applications for the craft fair, parade, or race, visit the event site online. For other information contact organizer Maria Smith via email.

-- Lisa Kocian

SHREWSBURY

Selectmen will hold a public hearing tonight on plans to upgrade the wastewater treatment plant that Shrewsbury shares with Westborough.

The upgrades, which would be paid for by increased sewer rates, would cost $30 million, said Town Manager Dan Morgado. The upgrades would have to be completed by June 2010 to comply with state and federal standards, he said.

A copy of the plans is available for viewing at Town Hall during normal business hours.

- Calvin Hennick

SHREWSBURY

The Shrewsbury Youth Football and Cheerleading Association will donate $150,000 worth of equipment to the school department to help upgrade the town's baseball and football fields.

The association will purchase a press box, viewing stand, sound system and lighting at the fields.

Nearby residents along Harriet Avenue initially opposed the idea, concerned that construction of bleachers might turn the fields into an after-hours hangout for youth. But school business manager Patrick Collins met with residents and the association to help broker a deal: the association will purchase portable bleachers that will be moved between the fields depending on the athletic season.

-- Megan Woolhouse

Rose D'Amico, 86, objected to the proposal
(Globe Photo by Robert Spencer)

SHREWSBURY

In just a few weeks, you should be able to pick up a coffee and doughnut at a drive-through lane under construction at Dunkin' Donuts on Maple Avenue.

Nothing remarkable about that -- until you consider that behind that first order of "make it a medium regular" is a story of four years of squabbling involving neighbors, community leaders, lawyers, and even a Superior Court judge.

"All I can say is, it's over," said Melvin Gordon, who chairs the town's Zoning Board of Appeals.

The battle over the Maple Avenue shop exemplifies the lengths people may go to when a neighborhood's interest in preserving peace and quiet collides with the business imperative to serve as many people as possible as fast as possible.

Read more of this story in today's Globe West.

-- Meg Woolhouse

SHREWSBURY

As traveling carnivals set up across the state for the chilly start of the amusement season, state officials are promoting amusement ride safety for children and families.

The Department of Public Safety’s amusement safety poster contest for children in Grades 1-6 is accepting entries until May 11. Winners will receive savings bonds ranging from a $1,000 top prize to $25, and their designs will appear in an amusement safety calendar to be published by the agency for 2008.

Thomas G. Gatzunis, commissioner of public safety, said the contest is part of his agency’s effort to upgrade standards in the industry after the death of a 38-year-old man on a Sizzler ride in Shrewsbury in 2004, the Telegram & Gazette of Worceste reports today.

-- Telegram & Gazette

HOPKINTON/SHREWSBURY/REGION

A former Hopkinton woman charged with motor vehicle homicide for the death of a 21-year-old Shrewsbury man last fall is being held without bail for failing a sobriety test.

Alison J. Voorhis was ordered held without bail after she registered a .126 percent blood alcohol level on a breathalyzer last Thursday, according to Tim Connolly, spokesman for Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr.

Voorhis is scheduled to return to court on March 27 for a pre-trial hearing. A jury trial is scheduled for May 11 in which the 47-year-old is accused of driving drunk when she slammed head-on into an Audi driven by Evagelos Pashos, a senior at Northeastern University. Pashos was pronounced dead at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

Voorhis was ordered to stay away from alcohol and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet after she showed up late to Westborough District Court on Feb. 26, Connolly said. A warrant was issued for her arrest on Feb. 20 when she failed to appear in court, but the judge gave her until Feb. 26 to show up before she would be arrested.

Voorhis has since moved from Hopkinton, but her new address was impounded with the rest of the case by Judge Vito A. Virzi last Friday. Voorhis’ Ashland attorney, Angelo Catanzaro, did not return a call seeking comment.

-- Jennifer Rosinski

SHREWSBURY

A Shrewsbury man and four other former managers from a pallet and crate maker that employed illegal immigrants pleaded guilty in federal court, 10 months after raids in 26 states on employers that break the law to get cheap labor.

Michael Ames, 44, who was general manager of an IFCO Systems plant in Westborough, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of hiring illegal aliens.

More than half Netherlands-based IFCO's roughly 5,800 employees during 2005 had invalid or mismatched Social Security numbers, the government said at the time of the raids.

-- AP

Evagelos V. Pashos

SHREWSBURY

The family of a Shrewsbury man killed when he was struck by a car driven by an alleged drunk driver has filed a $1.5 million wrongful death lawsuit against the woman.

Vasilios and Garifalia “Lisa” Pashos filed the suit in Worcester Superior Court in October against Alison J. Voorhis of Hopkinton. The 47-year-old woman is facing motor vehicle homicide, drunk driving and other charges for the Sept. 24 head-on collision in Northborough that killed Evagelos V. Pashos, a 21-year-old Northeastern University senior and graduate of St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury.

Voorhis’ last appearance in Westborough District Court was Tuesday for a pre-trial conference, but she failed to appear because she was in a "treatment program," her Ashland attorney Angelo Catanzaro said. He would not elaborate further.

A warrant was issued for Voorhis arrest, but Catanzaro said she was given until Monday morning to appear in court before the warrant would be served.

-- Jennifer Rosinski

SHREWSBURY

An unidentified man died shortly after Shrewsbury firefighters pulled him from Lake Quinsigamond Wednesday, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports.

The 37 year-old man, whose name has not been released, fell from the Route 9 bridge over the lake. Witnesses were uncertain as to whether the man slipped or jumped from the bridge.

-- Adam Sell

SHREWSBURY

Andy Whitmore, the product of two Shrewsbury High School teachers, is following a teaching path of his own. Whitmore has taught physics and engineering at the unique Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science in Worcester, the Telegram and Gazette reports.

Whitmore, who has worked as a mechanical engineer at Wyman-Gordon in Grafton, plans on teaching at another public high school after his time at the Massachusetts Academy.

"This is exciting. It’s more fulfilling," he said of the alternative public school.

The Massachusetts Academy is open only to juniors and seniors, and has an agreement with Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where some seniors take classes. The model for the school is being looked at for a similar program in Lowell.

-- Adam Sell

SHREWSBURY

University of Massachusetts Medical School researcher Craig C. Mello supports a tax override. He has pledged $10,000 in matching funds to help the group Yes4Shrewsbury campaign for a tax increase to benefit the schools and other public services. In upcoming weeks, selectmen will consider the proposal.

For those that have been out of the loop, Mello and Stanford's Andrew Fire won the 2006 Nobel Prize for medicine for their work in genetics. The two men also won $1.4 million in prize money.

Shrewsbury public schools have cutback teachers and programs in recent years due to budget constraints. Mello's children attend town schools. To bring more attention to the local override debate, he Mello has agreed to be the keynote speaker a Yes4Shrewsbury fundraiser on Thursday, March 22 at Apple Spice Junction.

-- Meg Woolhouse

SHREWSBURY

Local resident and Nobel Prize winner Craig C. Mello will speak at the next selectmen's meeting on Monday, Feb. 12, aired on the town's cable access network.

"He's like a rock star," said board of selectmen chair John Lebeaux. The University of Massachusetts Medical School researcher won the Nobel Prize in medicine along with Andrew Z. Fire of Stanford University last year. The men discovered a way to turn off individual genes that has changed the field of biology.

The board invited Mello to their biweekly meeting shortly after his win, but his schedule has not permitted him to attend until now. Mello, his wife and four daughters live in Shrewsbury. As far as what he will talk about at Monday's meeting, no one is sure.

"When you win the Nobel Prize, you can tell the board anything you want," Lebeaux said.

--Megan Woolhouse

SHREWSBURY

In the wake of a state investigation of Chapter 40B housing projects, Town Manager Dan Morgado said the town would conduct an audit of Avalon Bay's 264-apartment affordable housing project on Route 20.

Avalon was not named in the investigation, which found that several builders in Acton, Berkley, and Reading exceeded the state's 20 percent profit limit set by Chapter 40B law.

"This is something that local municipalities have been talking about for years," Morgado wrote in an email.

--Megan Woolhouse

SHREWSBURY

A Shrewsbury contractor was fined $36,625 by the state for alleged asbestos removal violations at a Worcester renovation site, the Department of Environmental Protection announced yesterday.

Joseph T. Duggan of Shrewsbury was renovating buildings at 225-233 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, when DEP discovered the alleged violations of asbestos removal. The DEP reported that it found 12 unmarked trash bags containing asbestos insulation during an inspection of the property in February 2006. The insulation material also was observed uncontained on the floor. The DEP reported that the material had been stored at the location for about two weeks.

Mr. Duggan was cited for failing to notify the DEP of the renovation operation, and for improperly storing asbestos materials in accordance with state regulations, according to the agency.

After discovering the problem, the DEP halted the project and required Mr. Duggan to hire a licensed asbestos contractor to remove the material.

-- Telegram & Gazette of Worcester

SHREWSBURY

Deb J. Melander thought she couldn’t top spending a week in the Florida sun, relaxing with her 19-year-old daughter and her daughter’s three college roommates on the beach — that is until they were treated like royalty for a day.

While they were walking around the Magic Kingdom at Disney World last week, a park employee named Fred approached them and started asking them questions. Where did they live and what college did the young women attend? A little skeptical about the attention, Ms. Melander, 54, of Shrewsbury, wondered what he wanted.

Then he told them that they had been chosen as grand marshals. It meant that they would lead the daily parade that winds through the park filled with thousands of waving, picture-taking tourists.

Donning personalized Mickey Mouse ears and riding an open cart at the head of the parade were Ms. Melander; her daughter, Heather; and friends Kathleen Fitzgerald, Caitlin McMullen and Nicole Muratore, all sophomores at Assumption College.

-- Telegram & Gazette of Worcester

SHREWSBURY

Murray and Gov. Deval Patrick the night they were elected
(AP Photo by Charles Krupa)

Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray, the former mayor of Worcester, will be in Shrewsbury Sunday night to speak to the Shrewsbury League of Women Voters.

It's the league's annual potluck supper at the historic Sumner House next to the Town Common.

State Senator Ed Augustus will join Murray at the event. The potluck starts at 6:30 p.m and the cost is $10 per person plus a dish.

-- Megan Woolhouse

SHREWSBURY

A. Wayne Sampson, who retired as Shrewsbury's police chief last month and became executive director of the Shrewsbury-based Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, says the top local police job has its complexities -- and that's deterring some internal candidates.

"In a lot of our communities, existing supervisors are not applying for the chief's jobs. A lot of them just don't want the budgetary issues. They don't want to deal with the politics and the public exposure in making the decisions the chiefs are required to make," he said.

"Being a chief today is such a wearing political environment for law enforcement," he said. "It's extremely difficult for a chief to maintain the stability with an agency over a long period of time."

Sampson said the average tenure of a police chief today is seven
years. A Globe story today examines the trend.

-- Joyce Pellino Crane

SHREWSBURY

A Shrewsbury man was indicted in New Hampshire this week for receiving stolen property and resisting arrest, the Hampton Union reports.

Corey Collins and his accomplice Joseph Ellis Jr., of Worcester, both 19, are alleged to have stolen a 1998 Plymouth Voyager before leading police on a high-speed chase through Hampton, N.H. before fleeing on foot.

If convicted, both men face 7 1/2 to 15 years in prison.

-- Adam Sell

SHREWSBURY

Town manager Dan Morgado won't disclose it until tonight, but there's no mystery who the next chief of police is.

A phone message greeting callers to former Sergeant Jay Hester's voicemail says: "You've reached Jay Hester, the Shrewsbury police chief."

Morgado said he would release the name of the new chief at tonight's selectmen meeting at Town Hall.

--Megan Woolhouse

WORCESTER

A Shrewsbury man was sentenced to 2 to 5 years in state prison Friday for two robberies earlier last year in Worcester.

Joseph P. Dellolio, 48, of 520 Grafton St., Shrewsbury, pleaded guilty Dec. 29 in Worcester Superior Court to charges of armed robbery, unarmed robbery and possession of a hypodermic needle or syringe.

The robbery charges stemmed from an armed holdup shortly before 12:30 a.m. Feb. 15 at the Honey Farms convenience store at 66 Vernon St. and an unarmed robbery about 20 minutes later at the CVS pharmacy at 500 Grafton St. He was arrested later that day.

Judge John S. McCann accepted Mr. Dellolio’s guilty pleas Dec. 29 and postponed sentencing until yesterday.

The sentence imposed Friday by the judge was recommended by Assistant District Attorney Lawrence J. Murphy and Mr. Dellolio’s lawyer, Kelli Porges, under a plea agreement in the case.

-- Telegram & Gazette of Worcester

SHREWSBURY

In the growing field of video production, J. Dolan Barry is an expert.

Barry, a Shrewsbury resident, has been working in the field of videography for more than 20 years and started his own company, Barry Video Productions, in 1993. He has won awards for videos he's produced in the past, and frequently creates pieces for non-profit and charitable organizations.

He does two major productions each year pro bono, including one he did recently for the Greater Worcester Habitat for Humanity. Commercially, his work can run between $15,000 and $25,000 for a 10-minute video.

“At the end of the day, I feel I’m getting paid to make a difference in someone’s life,” Barry told the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester recently. “I’m lucky.”

-- Adam Sell

Sampson at an October news conference
(Globe Staff Photo by Josh Reynolds)

SHREWSBURY

Officials at the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association say that former Shrewsbury police chief A. Wayne Sampson has been named as the group's new executive director.

Sampson was out of town and could not be reached for comment today, but the association's interim director John M. Collins, said he will start in the new position on Jan. 2.

The association's executive board picked Sampson from seven police chief finalists.

"They thought quite frankly that he's a very intelligent, articulate guy," Collins said. "They liked the fact that he had a law degree."

The association's website lists more than 360 police chiefs as members and said the association seeks to promote cooperation between police agencies.

The group also lobbies for various legislative interests, including advocating for a police technology fund, improved training for officers and increased punishment for felons in possession of weapons.

Sampson announced his retirement earlier this year after officers and the patrolmen's union complained about his management style and town officials faced difficulty attracting new recruits.

-- Megan Woolhouse

SHREWSBURY

Paper prescriptions may be on their way out. Dr. Deborah Hazen, an internist in Shrewsbury who is the first doctor in central Massachusetts to use a software called Pocketscripts, says she is never going back.

"The system is easy to use; it’s very intuitive," Dr. Hazen told told the Worcester Business Journal. "My staff and I had no problem learning, even though we represent a wide range of computer abilities."

Dr. Hazen said the software has saved her a lot of time, and that she doesn't see a downside to eliminating handwritten prescriptions.

The software allows prescription data to be entered on a handheld device. The data is then transmitted electronically to the pharmacy sytem.

-- Erica Tochin

SHREWSBURY

A motorcyclist was seriously injured in front of Williker’s Tex-Me & BBQ on Route 20 yesterday afternoon during heavy holiday traffic.

The motorcyclist, age 51, was driving eastbound on Route 20 about 1:30 p.m. when he apparently hit a green Nissan Pathfinder and was tossed from the motorcycle, police said.

Police did not release the names of those involved in the accident. The man was taken by ambulance to UMass Memorial Medical Center — University Campus in Worcester. The man had a neck brace on, according to witnesses.

The front of the motorcycle was damaged severely. The Pathfinder had a large puncture in the rear passenger-side quarter panel about the size of a basketball.

Police closed the eastbound side of Route 20 near the accident scene, which is near Route 9 and the Christmas Tree Shops shopping plaza. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

-- Telegram & Gazette of Worcester

SHREWSBURY

A Maryland teenager was sentenced to spend the holidays in jail for a snowboarding crash in Wyoming in which he killed a skier from Shrewsbury.

Greg Doda, 18, of Crownsville, Md., was sentenced this week in Jackson Hole, Wyo., about five months after he pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, a misdemeanor.

Teton County Circuit Judge Timothy Day sentenced Doda to a year in jail, but suspended and/or stayed most of the term, ordering Doda to remain in jail through Jan. 2.

On Feb. 24, 2004, Doda was snowboarding at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort when he careened into Heather Donahue, 29. Authorities say their investigation, including reviewing a video of the crash, determined Doda probably was going more than 45 mph when he ran into Donahue, who had stopped to wait for her husband.

Donahue died from head injuries.

-- AP

SHREWSBURY

A former Shrewsbury man was convicted in federal court in Boston on Friday of participating in a false automobile accident scheme in which insurance companies were billed for medical tests on alleged car accident victims that were never performed.

A federal trial jury convicted Severin Yelaun, 32, formerly of Shrewsbury Green, of 26 counts of mail fraud, and one count each of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to records at the Worcester Registry of Deeds, Mr. Yelaun lost his Shrewsbury condominium through a court order enforced in September.

Prosecutors produced evidence during the two-week trial showing that Mr. Yelaun was a principal in Massachusetts businesses that provided physical therapy and diagnostic tests to patients injured in automobile accidents. Three co-defendants, David Tamaren of Marblehead, John Montoni of Gloucester, and Igor Moyseyev of Newtonville, all had previously pleaded guilty to participating in the scam. The scam allegedly exceeded $150,000, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s office yesterday.

Sentencing for Mr. Yelaun was scheduled for March 16.

-- Telegram & Gazette of Worcester

SHREWSBURY

Look out, Massachusetts is about to get a whole lot sweeter.

The Telegram & Gazette of Worcester reports that Hebert Confections LLC, a candy company based in Shrewsbury, is about to launch a new line of chocolates called "Fully Loaded."

The company has tinkered with its packaging and chocolate mixtures, as well as its marketing strategies.

"We’re trying to be edgy and cool, but at the same point, the chocolate has to be the best it can be," said Thomas O'Rourke, Hebert's chief executive.

-- Erica Tochin

SHREWSBURY

Dr. Craig C. Mello, a Shrewsbury resident and researcher at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, picked up his Nobel Prize yesterday in Stockholm, Sweden.

Mello and Dr. Andrew Z. Fire of Stanford University were recognized for their discovery of RNA interference, which can turn genes off and on, the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester reports.

-- Erica Tochin

Craig Mello
(Getty Photo by Chip Somodevilla)

SHREWSBURY

Robert Z. Nemeth profiles Shrewsbury's Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Craig Mello in the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester today.

Here's the beginning of his column:

He was a bit late for an interview because he had to rush home to Shrewsbury to deal with a small family emergency. The Christmas tree fell over, and he was summoned to put it up again. “It was a mess,” he told me in his small, cramped office at Biotech 2 as he was getting ready to leave for Stockholm to accept the Nobel Prize, with a detour to the White House to be congratulated by the president of the United States. He did not seem like a man who just put the UMass Medical School in Worcester on the global map of biomedical science.

Craig C. Mello, 45, professor of molecular medicine, and recipient of some of the most prestigious honors in his profession, including the 2006 Nobel Prize in medicine, is as unpretentious as his rural upbringing.

Joshua L. Booth

SHREWSBURY

A large flag-waving crowd gathered yesterday at a Sturbridge high school to honor Joshua L. Booth, a Marine with connections to Shrewsbury who was killed in Iraq.

Booth was a 2001 graduate of Shrewsbury's St. John's High School, where he was on the soccer, football, wrestling and track teams.

Second Lt. Booth, 23, who had made his home in Hawaii, died Oct. 17 of combat injuries received while on active duty in Haditha, Iraq.

The Globe's City & Region section reports today that Edgardo Zayas, another fallen serviceman with Massachusetts ties, was also remembered at a ceremony in Boston.

SHREWSBURY

A 23-year-old Shrewsbury man who was arrested Thursday with a stash of weapons after allegedly making what authorities called "disturbing" threats on an Internet message board is due back in court tomorrow.

Investigators said they found an SKS semiautomatic, high - capacity assault weapon, approximately 20 rounds of ammunition, as well as knives and several homemade weapons in Darren P. Thompson's home.

They said Thompson, who appeared "visibly angry," did not have a gun license. Authorities said he told them that he admired one of the teens from the Columbine High School killings in Colorado because he, too, had been picked on in school.

"The postings were troubling because they described a level of anger, as well as a certain intent to engage in violence," John Grossman, chief of corruption, fraud, and computer crime for the state attorney general's office, told the Globe in a story today.

-- Kay Lazar

SHREWSBURY

A Shrewsbury family hoping to toughen the state's drunk driving laws after the death of their son say they will bring more than 100 relatives, friends, and supporters to the site of the crash Saturday.

Relatives of Evagelos V. Pashos will hold an awareness-raising vigil from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the Wal-Mart on Rte. 9 in Westborough, just around the corner from where the 21-year-old Northeastern University student was killed in a head-on collision this September.

Alison J. Voorhis, 47, of Hopkinton is charged with motor vehicular homicide and drunken driving in connection with the crash, which occurred just over the Northborough town line.

-- Jennifer Rosinski

SHREWSBURY

A car crash in Brimfield early yesterday morning killed a Brimfield man and injured a Shrewsbury woman who was riding with him, the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester reports.

Jonathan Konove, 29, was killed when his 2005 Ford pickup truck rolled over. His passenger, Kristen Boyer, 26, sustained minor injuries.

State police are continuing to investigate the accident. They are not sure whether icy roads contributed to the accident.

-- Erica Tochin

SHREWSBURY

An Uxbridge pastor who once served in Shrewsbury has been removed from his post after admitting to "inappropriate sexual behavior with a minor" more than three decades ago, a bishop told the parishioners at Masses over the weekend.

Rev. Paul J. Doherty, pastor at St. Mary's Church, may no longer celebrate Mass or wear clothing that indicates he is a member of the clergy, the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester reports.

Bishop Robert J. McManus informed the parishioners at Masses Saturday and Sunday.

Doherty, 58, was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Worcester 11 years ago. He was associate pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Whitinsville and St. Mary’s Parish in Shrewsbury before being named pastor of the Uxbridge church in 2000.

-- Erica Tochin

SHREWSBURY

"In the annals of jurisprudence, the town of Shrewsbury, Mass., (population 31,647) will go down in history for an unambiguous act of justice.

How fortunate for Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Locke to be assigned this case and to have, like Solomon, an opportunity to make a wise decision."

... Word of a local judge's ruling that a burrito is not a sandwich continues to filter across the nation.

Luis Crosthwaite is the latest to weigh in with a column on the SanOnSanDiego.com website of the Union-Tribune of San Diego.

SHREWSBURY

(The perfect sandwich, Photo by Josh Reynolds)

Is a burrito a sandwich? Apparently, the world wanted to know.

The Globe reported last week that a Worcester Superior Court judge weighed in on the weighty question and ruled that a burrito is not a sandwich. Now an AP story following up on the story has been picked up across the nation.

The controversy started when Panera Bread accused the owners of the White City Shopping Center in Shrewsbury of violating a lease agreement to not rent out space to another sandwich shop. Qdoba, a Mexican chain that serves burritos, quesadillas and tacos, signed a lease at the shopping center this year.

Judge Jeffrey A. Locke explained that since a sandwich is made of two slices of bread, and not a tortilla, a burrito is not a sandwich.

While Qdoba only has eight locations in the state now, the company is planning to add nine more. Panera has 31 locations in the state.

Check out the mouthwatering online slide show accompanying the story.

SHREWSBURY

(Undeniably, a sandwich, Photo by Josh Reynolds)

Is a burrito a sandwich? In case you've been wondering, the answer is no. At least, legally speaking.

A Worcester Superior Court judge has weighed in on the weighty question and ruled that a burrito is not a sandwich.

The controversy started when Panera Bread accused the owners of the White City Shopping Center in Shrewsbury of violating a lease agreement to not rent out space to another sandwich shop, the Globe reports today. Qdoba, a Mexican chain that serves burritos, quesadillas and tacos, signed a lease at the shopping center this year.

Judge Jeffrey A. Locke explained that since a sandwich is made of two slices of bread, and not a tortilla, a burrito is not a sandwich.

While Qdoba only has eight locations in the state now, the company is planning to add nine more. Panera has 31 locations in the state.

Check out the mouthwatering online slide show accompanying the story.

-- Erica Tochin

SHREWSBURY

The Edgemere Diner, an empty landmark on Route 20, may soon see new life or disappear altogether. The town owns the diner and must now determine what to do with it.

At issue? Some selectmen want to sell it, saying the town shouldn't be in the business of property ownership, according to board chairman John LeBeaux. Others view it as a piece of local history that needs to be preserved.

"I think it's not in anyone's interest to keep the building vacant, with no plans for its next stage," LeBeaux said.

The town took ownership of the diner several years ago for unpaid back taxes. Town officials are also considering a proposal to allow a tenant to lease the site for 20 years.

In 2003, the board voted against a proposal to place the building on the National Register of Historic Places. LeBeaux said he anticipates a vote on the issue at the board's next meeting at 7 p.m. Nov. 20.

-- Megan Woolhouse