Superintendent survey

Educators and residents in the Berlin-Boylston Regional School District agree that their next superintendent should have excellent communication skills and be able to manage a budget effectively, according to a district survey. But the two groups diverged on what they ranked as the would-be superintendent's third most important quality. The 36 educators who answered the survey said the district's next leader should be able to secure funding for the schools, but the 108 parents, students, and others who responded ranked "success in improving academic performance" as next on the list of criteria in their search for a new superintendent. - John Dyer

SPECIAL-ED ELIGIBILITY - The Berlin-Boylston regional district is inviting parents of children ages 3 to 21 to contact the school system to identify students with special education needs. The district will help determine if students need special help, what they are eligible for, and what services are available to them. For details, contact the district's director of pupil personnel services, Judith Vaillancourt, at 508-869-2837, ext. 106. - John Dyer

PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING APPROVED - Voters approved a tax increase last week to pay for a $5.7 million public safety building. The vote to exclude the bond issue for the project from the tax limits of Proposition 2 1/2 was 287 to 156. The new facility will be an addition to the fire station on Wattaquadock Hill Road. A related proposal, to spend $240,000 for a training room in the new building, also passed. Borrowing the money for the public safety building and its training room will add 4 cents to the tax rate per $1,000 of a property's assessed valuation for each of the next four years, and then the increase will decline over the life of the 20-year bond, according to town officials. - Matt Gunderson

TAHANTO PROJECT EARNS KUDOS - Students on this year's Envirothon team at Tahanto Regional Middle/High School have won two awards for their research investigating the use of solar and wind power for public buildings in Boylston, according to the school's website, bbrsd.org/Tahanto. The team won the Community Research Award and the Community Service Award from the Massachusetts Envirothon organization for their project, titled "Conservation and Renewable Energy." Envirothon is a natural resource education program for high school students. - Matt Gunderson

SPECIAL TOWN MEETING - Hudson will hold a Special Town Meeting tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The Town Meeting warrant includes adjustments to this year's municipal and school district budgets, as well as proposals for an antiblight ordinance and the acceptance of state zoning laws that would expedite permitting for developments on select parcels around town. - John Dyer

PANEL TO STUDY TOP STUDENTS - The school district's superintendent has commissioned a task force to study high-achieving students in town. Assistant Superintendent Mary Sterling will chair the task force, which is to examine the needs of the district's top students and assess the effectiveness of current policies, officials announced recently. Two school principals, six teachers, parents, and community members will make up the task force. Anyone wishing to take part in the effort should e-mail Sterling at msterling@lincnet.org. - John M. Guilfoil

AGREEMENT ON CHEMICAL SPILL - The city has entered into a consent order with the state Department of Environmental Protection in response to the accidental spill of 6,000 gallons of magnesium hydroxide last spring at the Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to an announcement by the state agency. The chemical compound overflowed from a storage tank and into the Assabet River in May, violating the Clean Water Act. The agreement includes a provision that the city will "repair or replace the high-level alarm on the storage tank, as well as retrofit a spill containment system around the storage tank," according to the news release. - Lisa Kocian

PLANS AFOOT FOR PARADE - It will be a "Country Kind of Christmas" at Maynard's Christmas Parade on Dec. 2. The 41st annual parade is sponsored by the Maynard Rotary Club and continues the tradition started by the late Phil Bohunicky. Floats, marching bands, and groups interested in taking part are asked to contact Nancy Quinn at 978-897-2781 or e-mail nledgard@aol.com. - Melissa Beecher

RECREATION DOWNSTAIRS - The Recreation Department has moved from its cubby-hole-like office on the top floor of Town Hall to a larger space in the building's basement. Director Allie Lane said the new space provides additional room for offices and storage, as well as a meeting area that is being used for programs from morning to evening. Groups interested in using the meeting room should call Lane at 508-393-5034. - John Dyer

FORUM ON DRUG ABUSE - Parents are invited to a forum next week on teen drug abuse. Representatives from Spectrum Health Systems, a nonprofit organization that specializes in addiction treatment, will make a presentation that will include the warning signs of a drug problem. The forum is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov 27 at the high school. - Lisa Kocian

GOBBLE WOBBLE - The Friends of the Southborough Recreation Department will be holding a "Gobble Wobble" 5K run and 2-mile walk at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving. Participants can register online at the town's website, southboroughtown.com, under the Recreation Commission link, or after 7 a.m. Thursday at the starting point, the Trottier School on Parkerville Road. Registration before Tuesday is $20, and then rises to $25. Proceeds will support the town's recreation programs. - John Dyer

SCHOOL PROJECT NEEDS MANAGER - With plans in the works for a larger elementary school, town officials have begun advertising for a project manager to oversee the renovation work. Applicants have until Nov. 26 to send in their applications for the position. In May, voters approved spending $1.9 million in architect fees to renovate and expand the Center School. - Matt Gunderson

FIREFIGHTERS GET GPS - The Sudbury Foundation has donated nine global positioning system units to the town's Fire Department. The GPS units are to help firefighters reach the scenes of emergencies more quickly. Fire officials said the units, similar to those used in passenger cars, will be particularly helpful in the growing number of mutual-aid calls from other communities, such as the Bernat Mill fire this summer in Uxbridge. Emergency workers can also use the devices to determine the fastest route to area hospitals. The Sudbury Foundation was founded in 1952 by philanthropists Herbert and Esther Atkinson. - John M. Guilfoil

LIGHTS OF REMEMBRANCE - The town's annual Lights of Remembrance ceremony will be held Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Dora Efthim Healing Garden. The annual lighting of the garden is a tradition in Wayland to honor loved ones and support the work of the Wayside Hospice. Community members may place lights in the garden in memory of a loved one for $35. For more information, call Robin Gunderson at 508-358-3004. - John M. Guilfoil

THANKSGIVING FOR SENIORS - The Westborough Interfaith Clergy Association will hold its annual Thanksgiving dinner for local seniors on Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall. The association, which sends invitations to the town's older residents for the free gathering, is seeking volunteers and donations to help defray costs. To volunteer or for more information, contact the First United Methodist Church at 508-366-4910. - John Dyer

GARDEN CLUB HOLIDAY - The Westborough Garden Club will hold its annual program, "Home for the Holidays," with floral designer Robin Murphy on Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mill Pond School on Olde Hickory Path. Tickets for the event are $7 and may be purchased at Faris Farm Flowers, the Plant Bazaar, or Mugford's Flowers, all shops in Westborough. - John Dyer

AROUND THE REGION

VERIZON TO DISCUSS CABLE PLANS - Selectmen have invited representatives from Verizon to attend the board's Dec. 5 meeting to discuss the prospect of the company providing cable television in town. Comcast is Ashland's only cable provider. "Verizon has not submitted an application yet," Town Manager John Petrin said recently, but when residents call Verizon asking about cable service, company employees "tell residents that the town has never acted on their application." Rick Colon of Verizon said he will investigate any miscommunication that might be coming from the company's service representatives. Verizon is at various stages of extending its fiberoptic phone, Internet, and TV network to more than 80 communities in Massachusetts, but has not begun installing it in Ashland, Colon said. He added that he plans to meet with selectmen. - Alexandra Perloe

BOOKS ON SPECIAL NEEDS - The town's Special Education Advisory Council recently purchased more than 100 books covering a range of learning and medical disabilities as they relate to special education. The books have been placed in the town library and several school libraries. The purchase is part of the council's yearlong effort to increase disability awareness and provide the community with resources to improve the quality of life for those dealing with disabilities. Additional information is a available on the council's website, hopkinton.k12.ma.us/speac.pdf. - David Cogger

AIDS QUILT DISPLAY - Temple Emunah will be hosting panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt, started as a way of remembering individuals who died from the disease. The display at the temple, at 9 Piper Road, will be open on Dec. 2 from 1 to 8:30 p.m., and Dec. 3-5, from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m, and will include pamphlets, books, magazines, and website resources. No registration is required for the event, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the production of the quilt. For more information, call Temple Emunah at 781-861-0300. - Connie Paige

TAX BURDEN TO BE SHIFTED - The need to shift more of the town's tax levy from commercial to residential properties will mean homeowners' tax bills will be going up even more this year. The state Department of Revenue has notified the Board of Assessors that it cannot accept the arrangement adopted on Nov. 5 by the Board of Selectmen during its annual tax classification hearing. Selectmen will hold another hearing Nov. 26, when they are to shift more of the property tax burden to homeowners and away from businesses to conform with state law. Assessor administrator Priscilla Hogan estimates that the change will bump the average residential tax bill to $3,915 for the current fiscal year, which started in July. The new figure represents a $160 increase over last year's average bill; under the selectmen's first proposal, the increase would have been $46. - Nadia Salomon

FLUORIDE IN THE WATER AGAIN - The town began adding fluoride to the water supply again on Nov. 8, according to local officials. Needham had been unable to get fluoride for several weeks because of a shortage experienced by its supplier, LCI Ltd. Officials had expected not to receive any fluoride until January, said William Wanberg, the town's water treatment manager, but the town was able to acquire 800 gallons on an emergency basis from another company. - Laura M. Colarusso