Three contested races

AVON

Voters at the April 12 town election will have three contested races to decide, said Town Clerk Jean Kopke. For the Board of Selectmen, incumbent Deb Jencunus is running against Steven Rose. For a seat on the Parks and Recreation Commission, incumbent Silvio Mercuri is running against Kathleen McDonald. And three candidates -- Sam Kamel, Charles Marinelli, and Michael Hardiman -- are running for one seat on the Planning Board. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the meeting room at Town Hall.

-- Joan Wilder

CANTON

RECYCLING CENTER -- Canton's Pine Street Recycling Center will open Monday through Saturday beginning April 1. The center will accept leaves, grass trimmings, and brush up to 4 inches in diameter from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Permit stickers are required and may be purchased for $1 with proof of residency from the Department of Public Works office at 801 Washington St. or the recycling facility. For more information, call Canton's recycling information line at 781-575-6650. -- Donna Goodison

POLICE MOVE DELAYED -- The big move for the Canton Police Department, scheduled for last week, was delayed again. Police Chief Peter Bright said several ''life safety" issues must be resolved before the department moves into the new 24,000-square-foot Washington Street facility. The building's elevator is finished but still must be inspected by the state, and eight fire sprinklers missed during the design stage must be installed. Bright had no new time frame for the move-in date. ''It's kind of like standing there and holding your breath, waiting for it to be finished," he said. -- Donna Goodison

DEDHAM

TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM -- In a few days, many residents with outstanding tax bills will be able to pay up without interest. Last year, Town Meeting voters approved a tax amnesty program that begins April 1. The goal of the program is to collect outstanding taxes and close old accounts. The program allows residents to pay any or all of their outstanding real estate taxes without having to pay the accumulated interest. This includes bills that have incurred a tax lien. Payments must be received at Town Hall between April 1 and April 30. For more information (including some caveats), log on to the town's website at www.town.dedham.ma.us, or call the town collector at 781-751-9160 or the treasurer at 781-751-9170.

-- John Winters

BREAKFAST WITH LAWMAKERS -- Riverside Community Care in Dedham will sponsor a breakfast with area legislators next month in Norwood at Neponset River House on 595 Pleasant St. State Senator Marian Walsh, a Democrat who represents Dedham, will be one of several lawmakers from the area who will attend the event on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Riverside provides mental health care and mental retardation and traumatic head injury services to people in more than 50 Massachusetts cities and towns. The public is invited to the breakfast, which will give area residents an opportunity to discuss issues relevant to them with elected officials. ''In order to effectively advocate for yourself, you need to understand the issues," said Scott M. Bock, president and CEO of Riverside. ''Events like this breakfast provide an excellent forum to educate the public." For more information, contact Danielle Ford-Allen at 781-762-7075.

-- Maria Cramer

FOXBOROUGH

MONEY FOR YOUTH CRISIS OFFICER -- The Police Department last week received $13,000 from the Governor's Alliance Against Drugs to be used to pay a portion of the salary of Officer Timothy O'Leary, the town's youth crisis officer, said Police Chief Edward O'Leary. O'Leary, who is not related to the chief, was assigned to the position in January when the department learned it would be receiving the funds as a grant. Before the grant was approved, Foxborough schools had been without a youth officer for about 11 months, due to budget and staffing cuts. ''The position is crucial for preventing crime and delinquency before it happens," said Chief O'Leary. -- Joan Wilder

TAX BILLS SENT -- Tax bills should go out this week and are due on May 3, said Finance Director John Krause. Although the new residential tax rate is $10.83 per $1,000 of a property's assessed value, which is much lower than last year's rate of $13.74, property values have dramatically increased so that the average homeowner will see an increase in their annual tax bill of $50 to $100, said Krause.

-- Joan Wilder

NORWOOD

HONOR FOR NURSING HOME -- Norwood's Ellis Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is among the best nursing homes in the state, according to a recent survey. In the survey conducted by the state Department of Public Health, the Ellis nursing facility picked up perfect or near-perfect scores in the areas of patients' rights, food, environment, nursing, and administration, according to Ellis spokeswoman Donna Greer. ''The facility ranked in the 96th percentile overall, which is well above the state average," said Greer. Built over 30 years ago, the center has won numerous regional and national awards, including recognition by Good Housekeeping magazine as one of the best nursing homes in the country. -- Robert Carroll

BANK ROBBERY SUSPECT -- The woman suspected of robbing the Dedham Savings Bank on Central Street in January has been returned to Massachusetts from Florida, where she was recently picked up in connection with a bank heist there. Florida police investigating a March 3 robbery at a Lake Worth bank took into custody Jacqueline Murphy, 22, of Revere, and her boyfriend, Michael Ritson, no known address. Florida police ran a warrant check on Murphy and found she was wanted in Massachusetts on heroin charges. ''We got word of her arrest and let [Florida officials] know we've been looking for her in connection with the Dedham Savings Bank robbery," said Norwood police spokesman Paul Bishop. ''We believe she's the one in the photo" of the bank robber. Bishop said Murphy was arraigned March 19 in Dedham District Court on charges of armed robbery while being masked and larceny over $250. Murphy did not enter a plea and is being held on $100,000 bail, he said. She faces a pretrial hearing April 12. -- Robert Carroll

SHARON

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT -- The Sharon Council on Aging is seeking volunteers of all ages to help local seniors. Needed are drivers who can take seniors to local doctors' appointments, volunteers who will do light grocery shopping for homebound elderly, ''friendly visitors" to visit isolated homebound seniors, and ''handy friends" who can help with minor home repairs. Those wishing to volunteer can also help by staying abreast of legislative news that would affect senior citizens and helping them to organize politically. To find out more, contact the Council on Aging at 781-784-8000. -- Maria Cramer

SCHOLARSHIP FUND -- Fined for illegal parking? Take comfort, at least, in knowing that the fines will go toward helping someone else. With funds accrued from fines for illegal parking in handicapped spots, the Sharon Commission on Disability has been able to build a scholarship fund for disabled students, said Sidney J. Rosenthal, chair of the commission. The commission will grant a $500 scholarship to a disabled student graduating from Sharon High School. The applicant must have gained admission to an accredited college or university. Applications can be picked up in the guidance office of Sharon High School at 181 Pond St. -- Maria Cramer

STOUGHTON

RIDING FOR LIFE TEEN -- Immaculate Conception Church member and Stoughton resident Christine Lott has taken her cause to the streets. The 41-year-old mother of three plans to bike the 250 miles between Key West and Jupiter, Fla., to raise money for the church's Life Teen youth ministry program. She is expected to finish the four-day fund-raising ride today. ''I figured I'd bike in Florida, where the weather's a little better," she said. ''My goal is to raise between $15,000 and $20,000. I've already raised $13,000. I just thought it was time for me to volunteer and do something." Lott is still collecting donations. She asked that checks be sent to Stoughton Life Teen, 122 Canton St., Stoughton, MA 02072 attention Christine Lott. -- Robert Carroll

JARDIN NAMED FIRE CHIEF -- David Jardin, a 25-year Fire Department veteran, has been appointed to be the next fire chief. Jardin, 50, replaces E. Edward Carroll, who is retiring on April 2 after 32 years in the department. Jardin, who has been the deputy chief for 2 ears, said he looks forward to the challenge of leading the 52-member department. ''I'm inheriting a great department here," he said. ''[The employees] know the game and they know what to expect. There is good foundation from which to work." A native of Stoughton, Jardin is married and has two grown children. His appointment was made by the town manager earlier this month. -- C. Kalimah Redd

WALPOLE

FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC TEST -- Applications are now available at Town Hall for candidates who want to take the entry-level firefighter/paramedic examination the town is holding on June 10 at 7 p.m. The deadline for returning applications to the personnel office is 4 p.m. on June 1. The test will take place in the cafeteria of the high school at 257 Common St. Applications come with an informational packet about the exam and job requirements. Test results will be ranked by scores and be used as a hiring list valid for two years.-- Joan Wilder

SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED -- Walpole students graduating from high school this year may apply for one of two $1,000 scholarships being offered by the firefighters' union, said Walpole Firefighter Brian Cherella, secretary of the International Association of Firefighters Local 2464. Applications are available at the fire station at 20 Stone St., and at the high school guidance department. Priority is given to students going into the fire services and health fields, said Cherella. The application deadline is April 19.

-- Joan Wilder

WESTWOOD

ALCOHOL LICENSES -- Local restaurants could soon be serving alcohol now that regulations are in place. Selectmen have voted to adopt the guidelines and regulations that will govern the program, including rules regarding the hours of service and fees to be charged for the alcohol licenses. Westwood is one of the last remaining dry towns in the state. Voters last year approved a measure allowing selectmen to issue alcohol licenses to qualifying restaurants in town. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a home-rule petition allowing the change. Maximum fees for the licenses have been set at $2,500 for beer and wine, and $5,000 for all alcohol. A cut-off time of 11 p.m. has been set for the serving of alcohol. Also, a Liquor License Application Review Committee has been set up and will begin accepting license applications next month. -- John Winters

SCHOOL CUTS FINALIZED -- The School Department has determined what staff cuts will be necessary in next year's budget. Jobs to be cut include 3.5 kindergarten assistant positions, a middle school gym teacher, three elementary instructional aides, and two custodians. Hours and duties will be reduced for other positions. While there were some jobs added, Superintendent Paul Ash said most were in the area of special education. ''These positions are required to meet state and federal special education regulations," he said. The final fiscal year 2005 school budget that Town Meeting will vote on is $28.9 million, a 3.6 percent increase over this year's budget. -- John Winters