Boston Common observance honors state's war dead

BOSTON (AP) -- A special service on Boston Common is honoring people who died in service to the nation since the Sept. 11 terror attacks. ( AP 05/23/2013 4:04 AM )

Mass. Senate bill would protect first responders

BOSTON (AP) -- The Massachusetts Senate has passed a bill to ensure that off-duty first responders who provide emergency care are not subject to lawsuits. ( AP 05/23/2013 3:03 AM )

Boston School Committee names John McDonough interim superintendent

The Boston School Committee Wednesday night offered the interim superintendent post to John McDonough, the school department's chief financial officer. ( Globe 05/23/2013 2:17 AM )

Convicted rapist faces sentencing 30 years later

DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) -- A man convicted of raping three women in Massachusetts faces sentencing more than three decades after he fled the state and began living a secret life in Maine. ( AP 05/23/2013 2:03 AM )

Plymouth displays uniforms of fallen heroes

Plymouth is set to unveil an exhibit on Memorial Day featuring the uniforms of servicemen with local ties who were killed since the start of conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the uniform a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. ( Globe 05/23/2013 1:21 AM )

Globe West Best Bets

Brookline: Grand Harmonie presents its second orchestral program under the baton of Adam Boyles, featuring the overture to Rossini's "Cinderella'' (a sneak peek at the ensemble's project with the Boston Opera Collaborative this summer), Weber's Clarinet Concerto No. 1, performed by master musician and instrument builder Thomas Carroll, and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., at All Saints Parish,...  ( Globe 05/23/2013 1:21 AM )

Walking outside his comfort zone

Two days a week, the middle-aged man may go no further than the corner coffee shop or pizzeria. These are comfort drives that sometimes convince him that life is standing still and that despite the advance of calendar years, his mind and body are unchanged. As he sips coffee in a corner parking lot looking out at a Swampscott strip mall that he has visited almost daily since childhood, he wonders if this lifestyle has reversed the aging process. Mornings he stands in front of the mirror, and ignores his graying temples, instead seeking out the brown and blonde streaks that he recognizes as his youth. (   05/23/2013 1:21 AM )

Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Salem State University

The new Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies Center at Salem State University will offer: oA speaker series on genocide-related topics oGraduate school-level certificate in Genocide Studies oThe Rwandan Genocide Oral History Project will collect stories from survivors now living in Greater Boston oHolocaust Legacy Partners will equip volunteers to tell personal stories of Holocaust survivors oHolocaust and Genocide Speakers Bureau will arrange classroom visits to local schools (   05/23/2013 1:20 AM )

Georgetown's Michael Johnson a senior ace on the hill at Dartmouth

Michael Johnson ventured into the depths of self reflection, often thinking about what he could have done better earlier in his career on the baseball diamond at Dartmouth. As a freshman, in 28.2 innings pitched, he compiled a bumpy 5.65 earned run average as the Big Green captured the Ivy League championship and advanced to the NCAA Division 1 regional. The next two seasons, covering 13 stars, he was 7-1 record, helping propel Dartmouth to a pair of Ivy League title games. Still, the Brooks School graduate challenged himself to find a satisfactory level of consistency. "Things didn't go as well as I'd like my freshman and sophomore year - I was still struggling to make adjustments," said the 22-year-old Johnson, a 6-foot, 180-pound southpaw from Georgetown. (   05/23/2013 1:20 AM )

'Bobo' Carpenter seizes a leading role for Austin Prep lacrosse

The Catholic Central League title was on the line. But the chatter was about hockey before last week's lacrosse howdown between the Austin Prep boys and host Archbishop Williams in Braintree? Forget his 57 points this spring, in his first season on the varsity squad. His speed. Or his prowess on the field. No, all the talk was about Prep sophomore Bob 'Bobo' Carpenter recently making a verbal committment to attend Boston University on a hockey scholarship. Despite the whirlwind, his focus was on the task at hand. Despite all the chatter. So after a two-plus-hour drive to Braintree, and listening to more than a few taunts from the opposition about his hockey commitment, and questioning his ability on the lacrosse field, Carpenter went to work. (   05/23/2013 1:20 AM )

GlobeNorth: Players of the Week, Top 10 boys' and girls' lacrosse teams

Pat Bradley's Players of the Week and Top 10 boys' and girls' lacrosse teams from high school programs north of Boston. (   05/23/2013 1:20 AM )

Residents north of Boston hope Legislature can halt ethanol rail plan

Imagine the outcome if terrorists attacked a freight train transporting a highly flammable, hard-to-extinguish fuel through densely populated North Shore communities. Some local activists fear it could become a reality if Global Partners LP is allowed to transport ethanol to its storage terminal in Revere over MBTA commuter rail lines. They are hoping the state Legislature can stop the plan before it's too late. "This ethanol train is basically a bomb train. It's there for anybody" to attack, Chelsea resident Roseann Bongiovanni said. Bongiovanni said she was alarmed by the arrest -- days after the Boston Marathon bombings -- of two men in Canada who planned, with Al Qaeda support, to derail a train between Montreal and New York. (   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )

Solar projects slated for Medford, Chelmsford Communities offer solar-panel incentives

Residents of Medford and Chelmsford are among the latest communities that the state has picked to take part in a program that offers lower electrical rates to homeowners and businesses that that put install rooftop solar panels on their roofs. Solarize Massachusetts grew out of Governor Deval Patrick's vision to increase solar power across the state. The program, run by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and the state's Department of Energy Resources, provides a blueprint to communities with strong interest in expanding its solar output. After being chosen, the cities and towns work with the Clean Energy Center, which provides educational workshops to the public, and also helps participants choose a solar vendor that will either sell or lease the photovoltaic panels. (   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )

Jake Armerding and student musicians perform a benefit concert in Ipswich

A show celebrating Ipswich's musical roots is a fund-raiser for a new playground at the town's Winthrop Elementary School. The Newburyport Preservation Trust recently recognized local residents for outstanding work in maintaining their properties and overall contributions in keeping the city's historical assets intact. (   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )

Plymouth displays uniforms of fallen heroes

Plymouth is set to unveil an exhibit on Memorial Day featuring the uniforms of servicemen with local ties who were killed since the start of conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the uniform a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. (   05/23/2013 1:21 AM )

Duxbury exhibit showcases botanical artists' portraits of region's native plants

Botanical art goes back to the Middle Ages, when plant healers began illustrating their records of medicinal plants with accurate drawings to help identify plants correctly. Botanical illustrators accompanied expeditions during the Age of Discovery to draw new plants found all over the world. And even with today's technology, well-drawn illustrations are still in demand to provide more details in a single image than a photograph can offer. Kay Kopper of Pembroke, cochairwoman of the New England Society of Botanical Artists' new exhibit of its best work, calls the painstaking, detailed portraiture of plants an "obsession." Of her three illustrations in the show at the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, two of them are of plants she spotted in the open areas near homes where she walks, runs, or bikes. (   05/23/2013 1:21 AM )

Memorial Day events

A sampling of events in this area in observance of Memorial Day. All events listed are on Monday unless otherwise specified. (   05/23/2013 1:20 AM )

Silver Lake grad Matt Connolly stepping up in Ithaca's run to D3 College World Series

In 35 seasons at the helm of the baseball program at Ithaca College, George Valesente has coached 25 Division 3 All-Americans. Thirty of his former players have signed professional contracts. Matt Connolly holds a rare distinction. Valesente calls the Silver Lake Regional High graduate from Kingston the most versatile player he has ever coached. A 5-foot-11, 185-pound sophomore, Connolly will start at first base when the 38-6 Bombers open play in the Division 3 College World Series on Friday in Appleton, Wisc. Ithaca, which advanced to the World Series with a 4-2 win over Cortland State in the New York Regional final, will take on Linfield (34-6) in the first-round of the double-elimination tourney. (   05/23/2013 1:20 AM )

Hanna Murphy stands alone as an athlete at Duxbury High

In her first varsity season at Duxbury High, as a member of the varsity field hockey team in the fall of 2009, Hannah Murphy collected three total points. It was hardly an early indicator of her rise to prominence over the past four years as a dominant three-sport athlete, in which she has amassed a staggering 616 points (379 goals, 237 assists) in field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse. Duxbury AD Thom Holdgate, without hesitation, calls the 5-foot-7 Murphy "clearly the best athlete we've had" in his 11 years at the school. And that athlete has guided her respective teams to unprecedented success: three straight Division 2 ice hockey titles, a Division 1 South sectional field hockey crown, and a run to the Division 2 South semifinals in lacrosse last spring.(   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )

Volunteers needed for town boards

Officials are looking for volunteers to fill vacancies on town committees. Among the openings are seats on the Conservation Commission, Council on Elder Affairs, Governance Committee, Zoning Board of Appeals, Open Space Committee, Historical Commission, and Stormwater Advisory Committee. Interested people should e-mail tconnors@cohassetma.org in the selectmen's office to say what position they're interested in and why. Letters also can be sent to the Board of Selectmen, 41 Highland Ave., Cohasset 02025. While some vacancies will be filled by selectmen, others -- including seats on the Capital Budget and Advisory committees -- are filled by the town moderator and chairmen of the selectmen and Advisory Committee.(   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )

Globe South Best Bets

Things to do south of Boston(   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )

Hockey clan caught in the middle: Boyle family of Hingham torn between Bruins and their favorite New York Ranger

"We grew up Bruins fans," said Artie Boyle of Hingham. But for the past week, one thing has been clear: Blood is thicker than Bruin. During the Eastern Conference playoff series against the hometown Bruins, the Boyle family is cheering on the New York Rangers, and one player in particular -- Brian Boyle, the tall 28-year-old center wearing number 22. As the Rangers get ready to take on the Bruins in Game 4 tonight, Boyle's family and friends back home once again find themselves in the interesting position of cheering for one of the Bruins' most hated opponents. This is the playoffs, after all. (   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )

Globe West Best Bets

Brookline: Grand Harmonie presents its second orchestral program under the baton of Adam Boyles, featuring the overture to Rossini's overture to "La Cenerentola""Cinderella'' ((Cinderella) givesa sneak peak peek at the ensemble's n opera project with the Boston Opera Collaborative this summer), Weber's Clarinet Concerto featuring No. 1, performed by master musician and instrument builder Thomas Carroll, and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3, will be performed. Saturday, 7:30 p.m., at All Saints Parish, 1773 Beacon St. $15-$25. 617-738-1810. (   05/23/2013 1:21 AM )

Newton man hoping to build bridges through photography

Newton resident Dick Simon has devoted the better part of his professional life to breaking down stereotypes, particularly where the Western world meets other cultures and ethnic identities. First he did this as an entrepreneur with a focus on import trading. Then he did it as a business leader sent on behalf of the international Young Presidents Organization. But most recently, he's taken a step away from his business career to explore his commitment to social enterprise through documentary photography. Simon will give talks at in the upcoming weeks at the Framingham Public Library, the Newton Free Library, and the Scandinavian Living Center in Newton on some of the countries he has photographed, and what he learned through that process about international relations. (   05/23/2013 1:21 AM )

GlobeWest: Players of the Week, Top 10 boys' and girls' lacrosse teams

Jason Mastrodonato's Players of the Week and Top 10 boys' and girls' lacrosse teams from high school programs west of Boston.(   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )

In donating to Marathon victims, take care

From Malden sixth-graders who sold homemade earrings and origami flowers, to a Wayland Islamic center's appeal to members, to Plymouth's town-sponsored roadrace, residents and organizations across Greater Boston are raising money to help the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. The ways to donate are countless: from The One Fund Boston set up by Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, to crowdingfunding sites like GoFundMe and GiveForward where friends and families of individual victims are collecting money, to golf tournaments and shopping events. But experts on nonprofits and officials from the Massachusetts attorney general's office also warn that donors should be careful and informed about where their money is going and how it will be used. (   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )

West Concord store owner in Oklahoma chasing storms

Chris Curtis, who ran the West Concord Five and Ten in Concord and was in Oklahoma as part of a storm-chasing group, died in his sleep soon after writing this column Monday night after the tragedy in Moore, Okla. (   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )

Watertown police to meet with residents in community forum

Watertown police will speak to local residents in a community forum May 29 about the events that unfolded locally last month involving the Boston Marathon bombing suspects. The event, organized by the Watertown Police Foundation, will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at Watertown High School. Watertown police officers will share the limited information that they are allowed to release about the events of the fire fight, in which Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev suffered fatal wounds, and the subsequent manhunt for his brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. They will also talk about the follow-up investigation. Police will also try to answer written questions submitted from the audience. (   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )

Schedules on line for Framingham soccer tournament

By the math alone, organizing the Framingham United Soccer Club's Memorial Day Classic tournament is an exercise in misery: nearly 150 teams, thousands of families, hundreds of coaches, refereees and volunteers, all spread across five different locations in the city. So tournament director Scott Vermilya had an epiphany: Rather than hand out 30-page paper booklets with the byzantine schedules, why not create a mobile web site that would allow parents, coaches and everyone else to get all the details, including directions to each game, on their smartphones? (   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )

Gun violence forum cancelled over public safety

Organizers of a gun-violence forum in Stow postponed the event last week after the town's police chief said he could not guarantee public safety due to the high number of gun rights supporters expected to protest the gathering. Chief William Bosworth said Internet chatter and information from colleagues indicated that the forum might attract "several hundred'' protesters to a venue that could not accommodate a large crowd. Bosworth said he didn't have a security plan in place and only two officers were scheduled to work on May 15. Just one detail officer had been hired specifically for the event. (   05/23/2013 12:00 AM )