November 7, 2007
HOLLISTON
Holliston has been awarded a $500,000 state grant that will allow the town to purchase approximately 86 acres of open space land currently owned by NSTAR.
Town Meeting voters last month approved spending $622,000 to acquire the parcel, which is located off of Adams Street.
Because the total cost of the land is $1,022,000, the amount of the state grand will leave the town with a $100,000 surplus to be spent on other projects, Town Administrator Paul LeBeau said.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 10:47 AM
October 29, 2007
HOLLISTON
The Holliston Board of Health will hold a flu immunization clinic on November 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Holliston Senior Center.
Residents 65 and older, and those older than 18 who have chronic medical conditions, are
considered at high risk and are eligible to receive the shots. Anyone interested is urged to call the senior center at 508-429-0622 to schedule an appointment.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 10:09 AM
October 19, 2007
HOLLISTON
The sporting goods company REI has given a $10,000 grant to the Holliston Trails Committee, to support the committee's efforts to create bike trails in town.
The committee is attempting to create bike paths that would eventually connect with trails in Ashland, Milford, and Sherborn.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 08:41 AM
October 10, 2007
HOLLISTON
The Holliston Public Library will kick off its environment-themed fall Scholar Series tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. with a discussion of Richard Louv's "Last Child In the Woods."
On Nov. 8, the topic will be Alan Weisman's "The World Without Us." On Jan. 10, the discussion will center on Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle."
In the spring, the library will host a series of discussions on World War II.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 11:40 AM
September 4, 2007
HOLLISTON
Tests that will check whether contaminants from a waste transfer station on Washington Street are making their way toward town drinking water have been delayed, Board of Health chairwoman Anita Ballesteros said.
Health officials had hoped to install test wells last month, but officials from Holliston Residential Realty, LLC, which owns property in the area, did not allow the town access to its land to install the wells. Ballesteros said health officials will ask the engineers who designed the study if there are other suitable locations for the test wells.
So far, tests of town drinking water have shown no contaminants from the transfer station, which is owned by Fairfield, New Jersey-based Covanta Holding Corporation.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 07:55 AM
August 30, 2007
HOLLISTON
Six local farms have signed on to participate in Holliston Farms Day, a celebration of local agriculture sponsored by the Holliston Agricultural Commission, organizers said.
Activities for the Sept. 16. event are expected to include hayrides, a petting zoo, and apple picking, and a road race. Participating farms include the Arcadian Farm, Broad Hill Vineyards, Lil' Folk Farm, Highland Farm, MacArthur Farm, and Out Post Farm.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 10:01 AM
August 19, 2007
HOLLISTON
The Board of Health voted last week not to attend any more team-building sessions.
“It just doesn’t seem as if all three board members are interested in taking it seriously to the same degree,” said chairwoman Anita Ballesteros.
The board has been known for infighting, leading Ballesteros to institute a “no name-calling rule” in June. But Ballesteros said it wouldn’t be worth the money to pay for the four-months-long team building sessions if the entire board wasn’t interested. The sessions would have cost $2,100, she said.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 09:19 AM
August 14, 2007
HOLLISTON
The Board of Health will likely hire an environmental attorney at its next meeting Sept. 4, chairwoman Anita Ballesteros said.
Last week, board members interviewed Mark Roberts and Kenneth Whittaker, both Boston-based attorneys. The attorney will advise board members as they decided whether to reopen the permitting process for the waste transfer station at 115 Washington Street, which Covanta Holding Corporation bought from Casella Waste Systems, Inc. this spring.
Board members have said the current permit, which was drafted in 2004, is not adequate.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 11:24 AM
August 11, 2007
HOLLISTON
Selectmen last week appointed five residents to a committee that will study how to add names to the town's "honor roll" for war veterans.
Space has run out on six bronze plaques attached to three granite stones outside of Town Hall. Robert Blair, Roger Gandini, Peter Hill, George Snow, and Denise Trinque will recommend whether to add on to the current monument or to erect a new one.
The committee will also attempt to find any local veterans of war whose names were unintentionally left off the monument. There are still two open slots on the committee.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 10:19 AM
August 7, 2007
HOLLISTON
Mission Possible Holliston, a group of volunteers dedicated to supporting recreation in town, will hold a 5K road race on September 16 to raise funds to rebuild a local playground.
Group members say the playground equipment at Goodwill Park is deteriorating and is not accessible to children with disabilities. The group hopes to raise $200,000 by next spring to rebuild the playground.
The race begins at 9:30 a.m. at Holliston High School. More information and registration forms are available online.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 10:26 AM
July 30, 2007
HOLLISTON
An auction of materials in Holliston's old police station is tentatively scheduled for September 8. Town Administrator Paul LeBeau said the auction is a response to inquiries about items such as a jail cell door, automatic garage doors, and the building's cupola.
"I guess I'm a little surprised at some of the things people are interested in," LeBeau said. The auction date won't be finalized until bids come in for the removal of asbestos and lead residue at the station, he said.
The town will build a new $6.6 million station at the site, and officials expect that to be completed by the end of 2008.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 12:15 PM
July 27, 2007
HOLLISTON
Residents can bring get rid of their old motor oil, pesticides, and bleach at Household Hazardous Waste Day July 28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Adams Middle School. Other accepted items include antifreeze, batteries, mothballs, oil-based paint, pool chemicals, and rodent killers.
Some unsafe items, such as explosives, medical waste, and pressurized fire extinguishers, will not be accepted. Also, no latex paint will be accepted because it is non-hazardous and can be dried out and disposed of in regular trash.
More information is available at the town’s web site, townofholliston.us.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 02:56 PM
July 26, 2007
HOLLISTON
Holliston's Open Space Committee is applying for a $500,000 state grant that will allow the town to acquire unused parcels from NSTAR, chairman George Johnson said.
The utility owns as much as 86 acres off of Adams Street, located next to town-owned forest and conservation land, Town Administrator Paul LeBeau said. Even if the town is awarded the full grant, local funds from the town's Community Preservation Act account will likely be needed to complete any sale, LeBeau said.
Johnson told selectmen he hopes to hear the state's decision on the grant before October's Town Meeting.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 04:08 PM
July 17, 2007
HOLLISTON
The Board of Health's new rule barring name-calling appears to be working, chairwoman Anita Ballesteros said.
Tensions on the three-member board have sometimes run high, leading Ballesteros to introduce a rule last month that calls for a five-minute recess when one member makes a personal attack on another.
"I think everyone's been much more respectful, and everyone's been calmer," she said.
So far, Ballesteros said, she has only had to call for one time out. Board members have also attended two team-building sessions and are considering attending more, she added.
--Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 11:36 AM
June 24, 2007
HOLLISTON
The Board of Selectmen did not violate state open meeting laws when they signed documents over breakfast last month, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office found.
The MetroWest Daily News filed a complaint with the office, alleging that selectmen met at a police memorial breakfast on the morning of May 15 without posting notice.
The prosecutor's office said that selectmen did post for the event.
The office also said that the items selectmen dealt with were so routine that the breakfast did not even constitute a "meeting," as defined by state law.
– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 07:10 AM
June 16, 2007
HOLLISTON
The town has reached contracts with Highway Superintendent Thomas Smith and with Ellen Freedman, who will fill the new position of Substance Abuse Coordinator, officials said.
Smith will be paid $73,903 in the first year of new his contract, a 3-percent increase from his current salary, Town Administrator Paul LeBeau said. Subsequent increases will be negotiated year-by-year.
Freedman's one-year contract gives her $44,250. LeBeau said her position is being funded through a private grant.
-– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 02:30 PM
June 12, 2007
HOLLISTON
Anita Ballesteros, who took over as chairwoman of the Board of Health when the board reorganized last week, said she will institute a "no-name-calling" rule for future meeetings. Whenever one board member calls another a name, she will call a five-minute recess, she said, adding: "It has to stop."
Ballesteros said she will kick off the board's next meeting on June 18 with a discussion about conduct guidelines, in an attempt to curtail the infighting that has occurred at several meetings over the past year. "I want to see us walk in the room and put aside any personal feelings we have about one another," she said.
Board member Elizabeth Theiler opposed the election of Ballesteros as chair and Richard Maccagnano as vice-chair last week. Last fall, Ballesteros and Maccagnano voted to unseat Theiler from the chair, with Ballesteros calling Theiler's management style "random" and "disorganized."
– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 09:23 AM
June 7, 2007
HOLLISTON
Police sought charges Tuesday against a former Holliston High School for hacking into the school’s computer system as part of a senior prank.
Police say Andrew Brockert, 18, accessed a computer system without authorization and perpetrated identity fraud by using other people’s passwords to hack the system. Both are misdemeanors, and Holliston Police Chief Thomas Lambert said it is unlikely that Brockert will face jail time. Lambert said Brockert hacked the computer system in order to shut off the school’s security system, and then Brockert and three other Holliston High School seniors broke into the school using a master key.
Once in the school, Lambert said, the students moved Principal Mary Canty’s desk out of her office and into a hallway. Brockert and the three other students were barred from participating in the school’s senior week and graduation ceremony because of the incident.
Lambert said the other three individuals involved would not be charged. Instead, they will be referred to a court diversion program for first-time offenders, where they will have to complete community service. A clerk magistrate will decide later this summer whether
there is enough evidence to proceed with the case against Brockert.
– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 04:49 PM
June 7, 2007
HOLLISTON
The town is unexpectedly $438,000 richer, thanks to a May 24 land auction that officials figured would only bring in about $300,000, Treasurer and Tax Collector Mary Bousquet said recently.
A house on Andrew Lane sold for $250,000, a parcel of land on Washington St. went for $165,000, a land-locked parcel
off South St. went for $15,000, and a small parcel on Birchwood Road brought in $8,000. The town acquired the properties through tax liens.
-– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 07:17 AM
June 6, 2007
HOLLISTON
The Police Department has made a smooth transition to its new temporary location at the old Flagg School, even though the department is operating without jail cells, officials say.
"It's working out very well," Lieutenant Keith Edison said recently.
Police will be stationed at the old school on Linden Street until the police station on Washington St. has been demolished and rebuilt sometime by late 2008.
As of last week, Edison said officers had made only one arrest since moving to the temporary location on May 21. That prisoner was transferred to a cell in Framingham, and Edison said that police in Ashland and Sherborn have also agreed to house Holliston prisoners as needed.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 03:31 PM
May 26, 2007
HOLLISTON
A major reconstruction project on Washington Street will begin Tuesday has prompted officials to recommend that drivers seek alternate routes to avoid delays.
Construction will take place Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is expected to continue through November. The road will be open to traffic during the project, which includes new drainage,
sidewalks, and roadway reconstruction between Baker and Locust streets.
-– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 12:35 PM
April 2, 2007
HOLLISTON
Selectmen are considering charging auto insurance companies for the cost of accident investigations by police.
Town Administrator Paul LeBeau said that he doesn’t know of any other towns in the state that charge for routine investigations, but that it is done in other states.
LeBeau said he didn’t know how much money could be raised, but he said local police investigate more than 200 accidents each year.
LeBeau said he didn’t know yet whether the plan would require Town Meeting approval.
— Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 06:20 PM
March 30, 2007
HOLLISTON
Michelle Hastings admits she has sometimes cheated to get through a game of Candy Land with her 5-year-old daughter, Campbell. The board game can take just too long, she said. Disney Monopoly is another big offender.
"A game like that, it could literally take you days," said Hastings, of Holliston, Massachusetts. "A lot of times, you don't play games because they take so long."
Board game makers are heeding pleas of parents like Hastings and introducing games tailored to busy lives and shorter attention spans that take only about 20 minutes to play, the AP reports.
-- AP
Posted by Martin Finucane at 05:08 PM
March 25, 2007
HOLLISTON
Police will start operating from a temporary location in the old Flagg School on May 21, Police Chief Thomas Lambert said.
Selectmen recently approved a bid of about $42,000 from local contractor John Gagnon to renovate part of the school, which will house police during the construction of a new station at the current site.
The $6.63 million station, approved by voters last fall, should be open by the end of 2008, Lambert said.
— Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 02:58 PM
March 16, 2007
HOLLISTON
Selectmen last Monday approved a recycling program that will send cardboard and paper generated by Holliston schools to the town of Blackstone, which is buying such materials because it has made arrangements to resell them at a higher price.
Holliston currently pays a company to haul away the materials. "This is sort of a no-brainer," said selectmen chairman Carl Damigella. He said that if the program goes well, it might be expanded to include curbside recycling.
Holliston is waiting for Blackstone selectmen to approve the agreement.
-– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 03:05 PM
March 10, 2007
HOLLISTON
Selectmen have approved a property tax rate of $13.35 per thousand dollars of valuation for this year.
The tax bill for a single-family home with an average value of $435,000 will rise $259 to $5,810. The rate was approved later in the year than usual, meaning that all of the increase will be added to residents’ fourth quarter tax bills, which will be sent out at the beginning of April. Bills are due 30 days after they are issued.
-– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 08:49 AM
March 7, 2007
HOLLISTON
Town Clerk Jacqueline Dellicker is encouraging residents to run for local office in the May 22 Town Election.
"I hear people go out and they complain, and they’re forever talking," Dellicker said. "Well, OK, now is the time to do something." There are no contested races so far, Dellicker said.
Residents have until March 29 to take out nomination papers, which must be returned by April 3 with 50 signatures.
-– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 05:10 PM
March 2, 2007
HOLLISTON
A mothers group is seeking a grant to help pay for revamping the playground at Goodwill Park.
Mission Possible Holliston, formed last fall to promote recreation, is among 20 finalists for a $300,000 grant offered by toymaker Hasbro Inc. Member Melanie Harrington said the park is deteriorating and lacks equipment accessible to children with disabilities.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 10:16 AM
February 13, 2007
HOLLISTON
Fire Chief Michael Cassidy is reminding parents this week to make sure children sit in booster seats while traveling in cars. This week is National Child Passenger Safety Week, and Cassidy said the booster seats, when properly secured, can save lives.
The seats have saved approximately 7,500 lives over the past 20 years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, motor vehicle crashes are still the top killer of children ages 4 to 14 in the United States.
In Massachusetts, safety seats are required for children under 5 years old, but the state recommends them for all children between 40 and 80 pounds, and less than 4 feet, 9 inches tall.
For information about receiving a free child passenger safety seat inspection, visit hollistonfire.com/CPS.htm.
-– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 03:56 PM
February 8, 2007
HOLLISTON
The Police Department and Council on Aging both presented budget increases to selectmen this week that came in above the board’s guidelines.
Police Chief Thomas Lambert presented a $2.1 million budget, a
4.9 percent increase from last year. Senior Center Director Lina Arena-DeRosa asked for a $153,925 budget, a 7.9 percent increase. Selectmen had asked department heads to create budgets that called for a 3 percent increase in salaries and a 1 percent increase in other expenses.
Still, Town Administrator Paul LeBeau said, selectmen will likely move the budgets forward to the Finance Committee.
-– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 05:07 PM
February 4, 2007
HOLLISTON
Selectmen last week extended the food and alcohol licenses for Casey’s Crossing, 81 Railroad St., saying the owner had met with town officials and resolved building and fire code concerns.
Selectmen also extended the used car sales license for Holliston Auto Village, 75 Central St., but only through March 31. Town Administrator Paul LeBeau said the car dealership has complied with an order to stop parking vehicles in a municipal parking lot.
The owner and the town are now trying to come to an agreement that will allow the business to park a limited number of vehicles along the edge of town property, LeBeau said.
– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:00 AM
January 16, 2007
HOLLISTON
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded a $225,096 grant to the Holliston Fire Department. The award will be used to improve the department’s communication equipment.
This is the third year the Holliston department has received funds through the federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant program.
The department was awarded $82,901 in 2004 for turnout gear and $168,128 for self-contained breathing apparatus.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:52 AM
January 12, 2007
HOLLISTON
Hail to the chief! Accompanied by his family and some former coworkers, new Police Chief Thomas Lambert was sworn in at a selectmen's meeting earlier this week.
Town Administrator Paul LeBeau said Lambert pledged to work hard every day and make selectmen proud of choosing him for the post.
Carl Damigella, chairman of the selectmen, said Lambert was an easy choice. There will be a public reception for Lambert next Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Pinecrest Golf Club.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 03:26 PM
January 5, 2007
HOLLISTON
The Holliston Housing Authority Tuesday has received a plot of land where it will be able to build affordable housing.
Selectmen this week transferred a 5.4-acre parcel behind Town Hall to the Authority. The property, known as Cutler Heights, will be the site of 30 units of affordable housing.
A Special Town Meeting in October authorized spending $400,000 in Community Preservation funds to support the project.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:38 AM
December 31, 2006
HOLLISTON
Holliston postmaster William Mahoney retired last week after a 36-year career making sure that the U.S. Postal Service delivered the mail, no matter the conditions.
The Holliston resident had served as postmaster in town since 1985.
Joanne Downey served as officer in charge while Mahoney worked on special projects, and she will continue in that role until the district names a permanent or interim replacement.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 12:38 PM
December 27, 2006
HOLLISTON
Residents can help police solve a string of break-ins in Holliston by immediately reporting any suspicious activity, Detective Charles Todd said.
Since Nov. 1, there have been 20 break-ins of local homes and vehicles. Thieves have stolen mostly small items such as cash, digital cameras, and mp3 players, Todd said.
Todd said residents should not leave valuable items in their cars and should lock their cars and homes. Also, residents should not delay reporting suspicious activity.
"They need to call us right away," Todd said. "They have to call us when it happens."
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 07:15 PM
December 12, 2006
HOLLISTON
Holliston Town Clerk Jacqueline Dellicker says audience members weren’t able to shed much light recently on a series of mysterious artifacts she found in the town vault.
At a meeting hosted by the Holliston Historical Society, Dellicker showed a large cross-stitch embroidery that bore sets of initials, religious symbols, and pictures of animals.
"Nobody had any ideas about that," Dellicker said.
Audience members were similarly puzzled by two small metallic items with faded writing, although one person suggested that they had something to do with death and coffins.
Some people said they recognized their relatives in pictures from the 1924 celebration of the town’s 200th anniversary.
Although the program went well, Dellicker said, "I didn’t find out any real solid information."
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 03:19 PM
November 30, 2006
HOLLISTON
(The Pop Warner team celebrates after winning the New England championship, photo by George Martell)
A pasta dinner at the VFW hall tonight will raise money for a group of unlikely heroes -- the Holliston Pop Warner Pee Wee team that wants to travel to the national championships in Orlando next week.
A telethon held on the local cable channel Tuesday night raised thousands to send the team, along with a cheerleading squad that is also competing, to the sports complex at Disney World, where the championships will be held.
The football team won the New England regional championship in Providence last Friday, and the cheerleading squad placed second in their regional competition on Saturday. This is the first time Holliston has sent a team in either sport to the national championship, Globe West reports today.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:19 AM
November 29, 2006
HOLLISTON
A telethon held on the local cable channel Tuesday night raised more than $40,000 in pledges and donations to send a Pop Warner football team and cheerleading squad from Holliston to the national championships in Orlando next week.
Selectman Andrew Porter, who is leading the effort to raise about $70,000 for the two teams, said the telethon brings the fundraising total up to about $50,000. Parents will hold a pasta dinner at the VFW tomorrow to try to raise the rest of the funds.
The football team won the New England regional championship in Providence last Friday, and the cheerleading squad placed second in their regional competition on Saturday. This is the first time Holliston has sent a team in either sport to the national championship.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 11:58 AM
November 5, 2006
HOLLISTON
(JoDee Messina visited her old elementary school, the Miller School, in Holliston, in September 2005, Globe Photo by Robert Klein)
Country singer JoDee Messina grew up in Holliston, but that's not where she got into country music. She told the Herald News in Joliet, Ill. that she actually got into country when she went away to a private school.
"I had gone away to a private school for a year, and there were kids from all over the country. One of them was from the South and would listen to it. I just kind of gravitated toward it because it was real. It was so relatable to me," Messina said in a Q and A with the Herald News.
Messina says the best part about being famous is that she can speak out for the underdog. The worst part? Not being able to use the restroom in peace and quiet.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 03:31 PM
November 5, 2006
HOLLISTON
The Holliston Board of Health member who initiated the demotion of chairwoman Elizabeth Theiler says she did so because of Theiler’s managerial style.
‘‘She has many wonderful qualities,’’ Anita Ballesteros said. ‘‘Administratively, it seemed that things were being run in a very random, disorganized fashion.’’
Ballesteros made a motion at last week’s meeting for the board’s other member, Richard Maccagnano, to assume the leadership, and Maccagnano seconded the motion.
Ballesteros said she did not coordinate the move with Maccagnano before the meeting. Theiler said she was "saddened and surprised" by the move, but she plans to stay on the Board of Health. "I hope we can put these petty squabbles behind us and move foward for the betterment of the town," she said.
-- Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 02:14 PM
November 1, 2006
HOLLISTON
It's much easier now to surf in the Holliston library -- to surf the Internet, that is.
The library has added wireless Internet. The equipment cost about $600 and was paid for by the Holliston Lions Club, library director Leslie McDonnell said.
McDonnell said it was about time for Holliston to provide wireless access for residents.
“If you can do it in a Starbucks, why not in a library?” she said.
-– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 03:46 PM
October 31, 2006
HOLLISTON
Some folks may think their town's leaders aren't visible enough. In Holliston, maybe they're too visible.
The “Back to Nature” 2007 calendar created by the Holliston Agricultural Commission features town officials and other residents nude. Strategically placed produce, farm animals, and flowers keep the photographs from being X-rated.
January features Town Administrator Paul LeBeau holding a glass of wine and standing behind a bowl of grapes. Also featured are the town’s three selectmen and two firefighters.
The calendar costs $10 and is available at the Town Clerk’s office and area farm stands. Town Clerk Jacqueline Dellicker said she had heard “some derogatory comments” about the calendar, but she thought it was tastefully done. “You can’t be a prude all the time,” Dellicker said.
-– Calvin Hennick
Posted by Martin Finucane at 05:07 PM
October 17, 2006
HOLLISTON
Katie Connors of Holliston recently wrote Globe West a letter, calling for more support for a police station project in her town.
She noted a recent Globe West article that pointed out what a tax override had done to revitalize the Millis Library. Then she continued:
I hope that voters in Holliston will similarly see the need to provide funding for another essential part of any small town, the Police Station.
Holliston's dedicated Police force has, like most town departments in small suburban towns, "made do" for far too long on far too little. Our town nearly doubled in size since our station was built, and the number of officers and calls per day has obviously dramatically increased over the years.
Today's force has more equipment, computers, communications responsibility than in the past, yet all their tasks are being performed in cramped quarters that do not meet guidelines for good police procedure. Holliston has done a great job renovating our Town Hall and schools, and it is time we invested in the people who are a large part of keeping our town the safe, friendly and comfortable place it is.
I am hopeful that we in Holliston will act responsibly and with foresight to keep the infrastructure of our town well maintained so that the police can do their job efficiently and in safe, appropriate conditions. We owe them that much.
Got any thoughts on this letter? Voice your opinion on the Globe West message board.
Posted by Martin Finucane at 02:55 PM
October 1, 2006
The Holliston High School girls' volleyball team, a perennial Tri-Valley League doormat, has reeled off a string of victories in its best start in recent memory. But that's not the only reason the team is drawing attention.
The Panthers have gone co ed. Dan Drebing, a 5-foot-10-inch senior, the captain and goalie for the school's lacrosse team, joined the squad this season, a move that has provoked some grumbling among Tri-Valley League coaches. Drebing and his teammates are taking it all in stride.
``The toughest part is the girls cheering or screaming on the bus after winning away games," said Drebing, a substitute who is still learning the sport.
Read more about Drebing and the debate over boys on girls' teams (and vice versa) in today's Globe West.
Posted by Ralph Ranalli at 04:27 PM
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