Police: Child drowns in Wilbraham home pool

WILBRAHAM, Mass. (AP) -- Police say a 7-year-old girl has drowned in a pool at a home in Wilbraham. ( AP 05/19/2013 10:46 AM )

Washington scandals intrude on Mass. Senate race

BOSTON (AP) -- The controversies swirling around the Obama administration -- from the IRS targeting of conservative groups to lingering questions about last year's terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya -- are threatening to engulf Massachusetts' special U.S. Senate election. ( AP 05/19/2013 9:37 AM )

Rangers coach John Tortorella has turned his terseness into a guessing game

John Tortorella, the Concord native who is coaching the New York Rangers against the Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals, is a man of pointed, if not barbed, comments after games. ( Globe 05/19/2013 5:33 AM )

Origins of the magical ride

 ( Globe Story 05/19/2013 5:33 AM )

Slowed by age, Bruins' Jaromir Jagr insists there's plenty left in his tank

Jaromir Jagr knows he has dropped a cylinder -- or two -- since the days he was in Pittsburgh and played hockey as though his hair was on fire. ( Globe 05/19/2013 5:32 AM )

Rangers will get back to basics for Game 2 against Bruins

The neutral zone may sound like a benign place on the ice but in Game 1, the Rangers viewed it as nothing short of a quagmire. ( Globe 05/19/2013 5:32 AM )

Origins of the magical ride

(   05/19/2013 5:33 AM )

Jacqueline Schwab presents an afternoon of piano music at the Marblehead Arts Association

Jacqueline Schwab specializes in telling stories and creating moods with her music, as well as inspiring people to dance. She improvises and composes meditative, spirited arrangements of traditional and vintage tunes from America, England, Scotland, and beyond. She has performed on more than a dozen of Ken Burns' documentaries. Ipswich playwright J.T. Turnerand members of The Actors Company have been invited to perform Turner's historical play "Within These Walls" at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington. (   05/19/2013 3:14 AM )

Hiring heats up along Route 128

The job market along the Route 128 corridor is back. And it's not just all about the corporate giants. A bevy of small and mid-sized life science and high-tech companies are out front in this welcome trend, helping lead the way. We are talking a few dozen hires here, another dozen or so there. It's not the kind of stuff that grabs headlines, but it all adds up. In Woburn, a major office market hub at the northern junction of Route 128 I-95 and Interstate 93, Stephen Orenberg has seen Kaspersky Lab's US subsidiary expand from a small outpost with a couple of dozen or so employees to an operation twelve times the size. (   05/19/2013 3:13 AM )

GlobeNorth: Players of the Week, Top 10 baseball and softball teams

Pat Bradley's Players of the Week, Top 10 baseball and softball teams, and a Game to Watch this week from high school programs north of Boston. (   05/19/2013 3:13 AM )

Local artists make carousel for Rose Kennedy Greenway a unique flight of fancy

The carousel soon to adorn the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway in Boston- designed, sculpted, and painted by two local artists - is a horse of a different color. In fact, it doesn't include any horses at all. There is a sea turtle in mid-swim, shell hued with yellow and iridescent red, mottled flippers and feet waves of purple, pink, and blue. And there are enormous butterflies -- Monarchs with dramatic orange and black coloring; buckeyes boasting amethyst spots; swallowtails with elaborate webbed patterns of purple, blue, and red. "It's much more elaborate, much more intense," said designer and sculptor Jeff Briggs of Newburyport. "You'll never see another one like this." And painter William Rogers of Haverhill has worked to bring depth and dimension to what are essentially shaped canvases. (   05/19/2013 3:13 AM )

Dracut voters will be asked to support override to fund schools

With just two weeks until Town Meeting, the stage has been set for a showdown between voters in Dracut who are willing to pay an average of $279 more in property taxes to boost the school department budget and those who think local educators should make ends meet without a tax hike. In this fiscally conservative town, proponents of a $2.9 million override proposed by School Committee members Daniel O'Connell and Joseph Wilkie are optimistic about their chances of convincing voters to permanently raise their taxes for the benefit of the schools. "If the override does not pass, I'll have to cut about $1 million from the budget," said Dracut Superintendent Steven Stone. (   05/19/2013 3:12 AM )

Reading airs proposal to acquire parish building for school

Reading school officials are preparing to seek community feedback for the plan to convert a former St. Agnes parish school building to a town kindergarten and preschool facility. School Superintendent John F. Doherty said the district plans to begin holding public meetings, beginning with selected school groups. The public outreach effort comes in advance of a planned series of votes this fall on the potential project. A Special Town Meeting in September will consider authorizing the estimated $9 million to $10 million needed to fund the acquisition and renovations to the building. The appropriation would be contingent on passage of a debt exclusion, or temporary tax increase, at a special election in October. (   05/19/2013 3:12 AM )

Plan calls for flattening McGrath Highway in Somerville

The McCarthy Overpass on the McGrath Highway is a rusted relic of 1950s urban design and should be torn down, according to state transit planners. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is recommending the elevated portion of the highway in Somerville be rebuilt at street level. In a public meeting Wednesday in Somerville, planners outlined a proposed "boulevard" style reconstruction of the overpass that carries McGrath over several cross streets, starting north at Medford Street, and ending south at the intersection of Somerville Avenue and Medford Street. The new configuration would create new cross-street traffic intersections with crosswalks for pedestrians. Bike lanes and sidewalks would be added along the highway to make it more accessible for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation. (   05/19/2013 3:12 AM )

5K today benefits One Fund Boston

Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School is hosting a 5K road race Sunday at 10 a.m. at the high school to benefit The One Fund Boston, the fund set up to help victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Gayle Arrighi said she and her niece, Lindsay Arrighi, both teachers in the Bridgewater-Raynham schools, got the idea for the event, and when Lindsay Arrighi presented it to one of her classes as a senior project, the students embraced it. Today's race will feature a marching band, singing of the national anthem, raffles, and appearances by local dignitaries. The registration fee is $25 in advance atthrough www.racewire.coma href="http://www.racewire.com/>">http://www.racewire.com/> or at the race starting at 8:30 a.m. Advance registrants receive a T-shirt. Students working on the race are Nick Gordon, Kevin Power, Lawryne Boyle, Alley Degrace, Ariana Burkett, and Paige Bjorkman. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

New playground and outdoor classroom

Following an eight-month fund-raising blitz, one of Canton's elementary schools cut the ribbon for a new playground and a new outdoor classroom last week. Peter Boucher, principal of Lieutenant Peter M. Hansen Elementary School, said the school community came together behind the projects under the name "Team Hansen." Sharon Stemm, fund-raising director of the Canton Association of Parents and Teachers, raised about $10,000 with a pair of fitness fund-raisers, then the Bank of Canton donated another $10,000, according to Boucher. The Haggerty family in Canton also donated $45,000 toward the project. At the same time, the school applied for and received a $5,000 grant from Lowe's Home Improvement in Dedham for an outdoor classroom. The classroom has stone benches and a slate that can be used as a chalkboard, Boucher said. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

Residents concerned about illegal drugs, school safety

Dedham residents are most concerned about illegal drugs, school safety, alcohol abuse, break-ins, and property theft, according to a police survey released last week. Of the 517 who responded to the survey, about 68 percent listed that they were "concerned" or "very concerned" with illegal drugs and with school safety, the highest total of the 21 different crimes listed. More than half of respondents said Dedham has about the same crime rate as other neighboring towns, but 38 percent said they thought there was more crime in Dedham. Only 9 percent said they thought there was less. About 55 percent of residents thought crime had increased in the past year, with 4 percent thinking it had decreased. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

Morning water shutoff May 26

Freetown residents who want to haveclean their cars clean and shiny for something special next Sunday had better get out their power washers hoses the day before. The local water department is calling for a water shutoff on that Sunday morning because when water levels in the storage tanks could be low while Fall River's water department will be doing does electrical work at its treatment facility. and water levels in the storage tanks could be low. Residents whose homes are connected to the Fall River water line are being asked to keep their sprinklers turned off and to avoid activities like power washing cars and homes between 8:30 and noon. If necessary, residents will be asked to minimize water usage again in early June. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

Budget, moratorium approved

Town Meeting voters approved a $20 million budget and agreed to put a temporary, one-year moratorium on the establishment of medical marijuana facilities in town last week. Town Administrator Charlie Seelig said the budget included 1.5 percent pay increases for union and nonunion town employees. He said the one-year moratorium will give the town a chance to be more thoughtful about the possible location of a marijuana facility in town. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

Comittee to name town administrator finalists

At the Board of Selectmen's meeting this Tuesday, the search committee for the new town administrator is expected to recommend three to four finalists to the board. The next step in the search process will be for selectmen to schedule interviews. with the finalists, whose names will be made public at the meeting. Rene Read, who had been the became town administrator since in December 2009, resigned effective May 12 to become town manager in his hometown of Duxbury. Thirty people applied to fill the his position in Hanson. Meredith Marini, executive assistant to the Board of Selectmen, was chosen by the board to serve as interim administrator until a new permanent administrator is in place. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

Chocolate factory rezoning fails

An article to rezone the former Lowney's chocolate factory to allow it to be converted into condominiums was narrowly defeated at Town Meeting earlier this month, leaving some wondering about the future of the building. "It's a gorgeous old building. The last thing that anyone wants is for it to be torn down," said Selectman Olivier Kozlowski. He said some planning board members objected to the building's conversion to housing, saying they hold out hope that another industrial user can be found for it. Other voters were concerned about the impact that roughly 100 additional households might have on town schools. Kozlowski said he would potentially like to see the huge building in the north end of town used as a satellite college campus. (   05/19/2013 3:15 AM )

Ad hoc committee to address space issues

Plympton selectmen have appointed an ad hoc committee to address space issues in town. Plympton's The town hall, known as the "Town House," is not only home to the community's municipal departments like the planning board and board of selectmen, but to the Police Department as well. But Town Coordinator Dale Pleau said that the antiquated facility does not even have a proper cell block. "They're housed in the old part of the building, and the space is inadequate by modern standards," Pleau said. Selectmen have appointed an ad hoc committee to address this and other space issues. facing the town. The committee -- called the Plympton Town Complex Building Needs Study Committee -- recently issued a an RFP (request for proposal)s from outside firms to assess the town's space needs. Bids to review the town's infrastructure and make recommendations must be submitted to the town by the end of June. (   05/19/2013 3:15 AM )

Farmers market to return June 13

The Brookline Farmers Market will return for its outdoor season June 13 in the Centre Street West parking lot in Coolidge Corner. Everything from fresh produce and flowers to bread and meats will be featured at the nonprofit nonprofit market, which will held each Thursday from 1:30 p.m. until dusk through Oct. 31 (except for July 4). For more information, visit its page on the town's website, www.brooklinema.gov. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

Movie reels will be spinning for cyclists

Cyclists can take off their helmets and still enjoy the ride at Ciclismo Classico's fourth annual Bike Travel Film Festival, taking place Monday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St. The film festival that focuses on bike travels event will feature a dozen short films on two-wheeled adventures, at the theater from 7 to 10 p.m.including the festival's centerpiece, "The New Woman: Annie 'Londonderry' Kopchovsky," which tells the story of a film about a Boston mother of three who endeavored to cycle the globe in 15 months in the late 19th century. Tickets to the film festival are $10 in advance, $15 at the door, with proceeds going to the nonprofit Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, also known as MassBike. A social hour will be held at 6 p.m. prior to the screenings at the theater. More information is available at www.ciclismoclassico.com/filmfest. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

Slate of 300th festivities next weekend

A three-sided clock representing Lexington's first 300 years and a time capsule reflecting community life in 2013 will be unveiled and dedicated at 4 p.m. Saturday in Depot Square's Emery Park in Depot Square on Saturday as part of the culminating weekend of the town's tercentennial celebrations. The ceremony is the latest in a series of celebrations planned by Lexington's 300th Anniversary Committee to mark the tercentennial anniversary of the town's incorporation in 1713. OnOther events over the Memorial Day weekend include Sunday, May 26,an slate of old-time baseball games and family activities next Sunday will be played at Lexington's Center Field off Park Drive. Opening ceremonies are slated for 11:30 a.m., and the baseball games, contests, entertainment, and music will continue from noon to 6 p.m. OnAt 6:30 p.m. May 27, a 300th anniversary concert will be held at Lexington High School featuring the Lexington Bicentennial Band, the Master Singers of Lexington, the Lexington Pops Chorus, and the Lexington Symphony will be performed at Lexington High School. Tickets to the concert are $10; and more information about the weekend of events can be found at www.lexington300.org. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

Senate hopeful Gomez to speak Thursday

Gabriel Gomez, the Republican candidate for the US Senate seat vacated by John Kerry, will address local business leaders Thursday at 8 a.m. at the Newton Health Care Center, located at 2101 Washington St. later this month during an event Hosted by the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce At the event, which will take place , Gomez will be focusing mainly on business-related topics, and will then take questions from the audience. The forum will be held at the Newton Health Care Center, located at 2101 Washington St. in Newton. Gomez, aThe 47-year-old private equity investor from Cohasset is making his first run for higher public office. He will face the Democratic Party's nominee, against US Representative Edward Markey of Malden, the Democratic candidate, who spent the past 36 years in Congress, in the June 25 special election. Gomez is the son of Colombian immigrants and is a former Navy SEAL. The chamber has also invited Markey to appear at a similar forum; the date has not been on a different date to be announced. The hourlong event Thursday is free, Gomez event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is requested. For more information, on the event, visit the chamber's website, www.nnchamber.com. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

Seat-belt campaign starts Monday

The Watertown Police Department will join 120 other local police departments and state law enforcement and public safety entities in a two-week push to enforce seat-belt laws locally starting next Monday. This year's e 2013 national "Click It or Ticket" campaign kicks off May 20 and runs will continue through June 2, timed to coincide with the start of summer activities and serving as a reminder to drivers and passengers about the importance of wearing safety belts around when summer finally settles in and locals begin celebrating the warm weather and seasonal holidays, police said. Various other local police departments will join the campaign, partnering with Massachusetts State Police and the state's public safety department, police said. The crackdown comes after Authorities are citing a US Department of Transportation report that found 54 percent of the people killed in passenger car crashes in Massachusetts during 2011 were not wearing seat belts, a fatality rate that is mirrored in national figures. The data also mirror national trends: Over half of the 21,253 car passengers killed in 2011 nationwide were unbelted at the time of the crash, according to the national transportation department. The US agency department also estimates that nearly 12,000 lives were saved across the country in 2011 because of seat belts. In Massachusetts, drivers are required to buckle up. Drivers who are pulled over for a traffic violation can be fined $25 for each person in the car not wearing a seat belt or federally approved child restraint, barring any exclusions due to disability, according to state law. For more information, visit www.mass.gov/eopss and click on the "Crime Prevention and Personal Safety" tab. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

Officials seek public input on budgets

Watertown officials last week began a monthlong series of hearings to set the next fiscal year's budget, and are encouraging residents to attend the meetings and express their opinions. Town Manager Michael Driscoll's proposed general budget is set at $107 million, plus $15 million for the separate water and sewer operations, which are handled separately. budget. Driscoll's report on his spending plan for the year starting July 1 says he anticipates proposed budget states Watertown will collect receives $80.5 million in residential and commercial property and commercial taxes, and receive about $10.5 million in state aid. The remaining $16 million in anticipated revenue to balance the budget to cover of Watertown's income would come from vehicle and other excise taxes, various town municipal fees, program reimbursements, and transfers from other town accounts. Town Council members will hold various individual department hearings on individual departments before they convene a final cumulative session slated for public hearing on June 11, when they would vote on the final budget figure. that same night. The final hearing is slated to begin around 7:15 p.m. at Town Hall. For A detailed schedule of individual budget hearings is available on the town's website, www.ci.watertown.ma.us. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

MassBay plans IT security summit

Massachusetts Bay Community College will team up with Towerwall Inc., a Framingham-based information security company, to offer a summit on information security on May 30 at the college's its Oakland Street campus in Wellesley Hills. The workshop, which runs to run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., will focus on discussing the issues and threats to businesses posed by cyber crime, and technologies that can help protect virtual content. Brown University's chief information security officer, David Sherry, will be the keynote speaker at the event, and will be joined by other local industry leaders, including the state's top information security officer, Kevin Burns, FBI agents, lawyers specializing in the field, , cyber attorneys, and various business leaders. Event organizers said that cyber crime has risen rose by about 600 percent nationwide from 2005 to 2012, and also said that nearly three-quarters of Americans have been the victim of a cyber crime. The fee for Information Security Summit 2013 the event is n Wellesley costs $45, and preregistration is required. To register online, visit www.tinyurl.com/itsecuritysummit. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )

Learn about 'Secret World of Bubbles'

The Fiske Public Library will host a program on the "Bubbleology: The Secret World of Bubbles" Saturday, May 25 , at 10:30 a.m. in the Sweatt meeting room. Keith Michael Johnson's"Bubbleology"program explores the science, art, and presence of bubbles in everyday life. The hourlong presentation is aimed at children ages 4 and older,up although toddlers are welcome if they sit in their caregivers' laps. Tickets are available at the library's circulation desk; the program is free, but canned-good donations for the Wrentham Food Pantry will be accepted. For more information, call the library at 508-384-5440 or visit www.fiskelib.org. (   05/19/2013 3:16 AM )