Up to code

The town's three clubs all meet state fire codes, officials said following last week's start of a state law requiring clubs with a capacity of at least 100 to have sprinkler systems installed. Deputy Fire Chief John Weckbacher said the VFW hall had a sprinkler system installed a few months ago. The Abington Polish Club and the Knights of Columbus, he said, both received waivers after convincing town officials that the recent installation of full fire alarm systems in their buildings met safety regulations. "Everything is up to code," said Weckbacher. - Robert Carroll

7 PERCENT SOLUTION - Special Town Meeting voted to ask the Legislature to increase the town's hotel/motel tax to 7 percent from 4 percent. The town collects about $800,000 a year from the tax, said Dan Clifford, chairman of the Board of Assessors, who pushed the article. The proposed raise would add about $645,000, he said. The town asked the Legislature to increase the tax about four years ago, but nothing came of the effort, said Selectman Joseph Powers. Powers thought the climate might more favorable now, as Governor Deval Patrick has fought to give towns more tools to ease fiscal problems. - Matt Carroll

MORE ROOMS FOR RENT - Town Meeting opened the door to more apartments in Cohasset Village by approving a zoning bylaw last week that allows "mixed use" development in the business district. Officials estimated that the bylaw could lead to about 95 apartments among the retail shops. The proposal grew out of a study of ways to ensure the economic vitality of Cohasset Village. But most of the discussion during Town Meeting focused on whether the Zoning Board of Appeals or the Planning Board would issue the permits. Town Meeting voters went with the Planning Board, approving the bylaw by the required two-thirds vote. Voters also approved several budget items, including money for a new police cruiser, repairs to the ambulance, new computers for the library, a new van for special education, and funds for a flood-control master plan. - Johanna Seltz

PASS THE SALT - Potassium iodide tablets are now available from the town Board of Health. Potassium iodide, known as KI, is an iodide salt that helps protect the thyroid gland against damage from radioactive iodine, a substance that could be released during a nuclear power plant emergency. In the event of a significant emergency at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant, health officials advise residents, including children, to take the tablets. The Board of Health, working with the state Department of Public Health on preparedness for nuclear emergencies, recently received the pills from the state. The tablets are available at Town Hall weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Robert Knox

SPECIAL DELIVERY - Permission to head home from Iraq 10 days ahead of his Marine battalion proved perfect for Lance Corporal Chris Sawin. Just four days after touching down at Logan Airport, Sandy Sawin gave birth to the couple's first child, daughter Alexa. "It was great being able to be there for the birth," said Chris Sawin, a 20-year-old Hanover High School graduate stationed in Iraq since May. "Sandy had false labor the day before I got back, so there was a time when I thought I was going to miss it." Sawin is scheduled to return to Iraq next month for a second tour of duty; this time for seven months. "Leaving this time is even harder," he said. "Yeah, it's definitely going to be harder." - Robert Carroll

RECREATION COMMISSIONER NEEDED - Selectmen are looking for someone to fill an opening on the Recreation Commission. Kristen Parnell, who also serves on the School Committee, resigned from the five-member commission this month. Those interested in the slot should submit résumés to Town Hall by the end of the month. Selectmen plan to interview candidates in December to fill the remainder of Parnell's term, which expires next spring. In her resignation letter, Parnell said she was unable to commit the time. She was recently named director of athletics at Emerson College, the first woman to hold the position. She had been associate director and also coached the Emerson women's soccer team. - Johanna Seltz

BOOST FOR FRESHMEN - Two well-known alumni of the Holbrook Junior/Senior High Schools have each donated $500 for a new program designed to help struggling students graduate on time, said principal Edward Dunn. Andrew H. Card Jr., former chief of staff for President Bush, and Dr. Richard Pitts, now practicing emergency medicine in California, made the donations to buy supplies and books for the school's Transition Program, Dunn said. The program, started this year, is geared toward helping the 12 students who failed three or more classes in eighth grade last year to achieve credit as high school freshmen, Dunn said. These students are considered freshmen, but to earn high school credit, they need a B average. "We're trying to fill in the gaps, to catch them up," Dunn said. "We're trying to compress two years into one for them." - Franci Richardson Ellement

OLD FLAME RETURNS - Residents can walk off their turkey dinners by trekking to the Thanksgiving bonfire at 7 tonight at the Hull Redevelopment Authority property on Nantasket Avenue. "People come down, socialize with their neighbors, and feel the warmth of the fire and the warmth of the community," said Town Manager Philip Lemnios. "It is the return of a tradition." Hull regularly ignited Thanksgiving bonfires until about 1990. The tradition was briefly revived, but stopped again about seven years ago, according to acting fire chief Robert Hollingshead, who remembers going to the bonfires as child. "We've made arrangements with companies to donate clean pallets for us to burn," he said. "This won't be a general clean-out-your-backyard, toss-on-debris kind of thing." - Johanna Seltz

HOLIDAY KICK OFF - The Luminary Display, the town's annual holiday celebration, will take place on Dec. 15 with the lighting of the town Christmas tree and caroling scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on the Town Green. Road closings will begin at 5 p.m. Participating Kingston Center churches and the Fire Department's Surprise Hose House will hold open houses until 8:30 p.m. Volunteers can drop off baked goods at the Pembroke Street Fire Station on that day. Residents willing to help with the setup and cleanup are asked to contact Fire Captain David Currier at 781-585-0532. - Robert Knox

STOCKING THE PANTRY - The holiday season is always a busy time at the Marshfield Food Pantry. But in fact, the place is bustling all year round, because the need never lets up. "The food flies out of the food pantry," according to director Veronica Lahage. The pantry operates out of the Congregational Church at 1981 Ocean St. and is staffed by 50 volunteers. Lahage says they provide food to approximately 160 Marshfield families every month. Donations of cereal, canned goods, coffee, and other foods are always welcome. Contributions can be dropped off at the food pantry between 10 a.m. and noon on Tuesdays and Fridays, and on Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. - Emily Sweeney

FIREFIGHTER'S BILLS RISE - Medical bills for firefighter Antonio Pickens, who was critically injured when he was hit by a car while helping at the scene of an accident during the summer, are just shy of $1 million, said Selectwoman Marion V. McEttrick. The unofficial total is $995,000, although that is expected to be negotiated downwards, she said. A consultant hired by the town is examining cost issues and will deliver a report soon, she said. The town is exploring options for paying the ongoing bills, which could be $750,000 a year, including asking voters for an override, rather than paying out of the regular budget. Pickens's condition has been improving, McEttrick said. - Matt Carroll

LAND FOR WATER - The Planning Board last week voted to recommend to the Board of Selectmen that the town accept the donation of a small parcel of undeveloped land at the corner of Grove Street and Lantern Lane to help the town protect its water supply and preserve open space. The 10,200-square-foot parcel is located within an aquifer that feeds the town's water supply. The private owner has offered to donate the land, which is across Grove Street from other property she owns, according to Town Planner Todd Thomas. In a letter to selectmen, the Planning Board said the land is relatively wet, with little if any development potential, and it generates about $650 a year in property taxes. - John Laidler

DREDGING FOR FUNDS - The US Army Corps of Engineers has informed the town that its proposed Furnace Pond dredging project appears to be eligible for funding from the federal agency. In a Nov. 7 letter, the corps responded that the project "appears to be eligible for consideration under the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program," whose primary goal is to restore habitat for fish and wildlife. It said the project is not eligible for funding under another program, which focuses on flood damage. Town Administrator Edwin Thorne said the first step is to do a feasibility study, which would develop a scope and schedule for the project and determine if it warrants federal participation. Thorne said the town is awaiting word from the corps on the next step in securing funds for the study. A consultant for the town recently estimated it would cost $20 million to dredge the 100-acre pond, which is clogged with sediment and plants. - John Laidler

LAST CALL FOR RECORDS - If you graduated from the Plymouth Public Schools in 2001 and were enrolled in special-education classes, you can get a copy of your original school records. But you have to act fast, because special-education records are destroyed seven years after students leave the school system. Until Dec. 16, Plymouth school administrators will be offering any students who left the school district during the 2000-2001 school year a copy of their complete special-education record. To arrange to receive your records, contact Pupil Personnel Services at 508-830-4343 before Dec. 16. - Emily Sweeney

CITY OF MANY TONGUES - Want to work with people from other countries and cultures? Would you like to help people with limited English connect with their community? Quincy Public Library is looking for volunteers for the new English Talk Time program, which will meet for 10 weeks on Saturdays mornings from Jan. 19 to March 22. The program is not an English class - it is an opportunity for adults learning English to practice what they know, according to the library. For more information call, 617-376-3295 or e-mail quenglishtalk@ocln.org. - Matt Carroll

HIGH SCHOOL ON PROBATION - The high school needs to invest in updated textbooks for students, improvements to its athletic facilities, and added resources for the school library, according to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation report. Following an extensive site review last year, the association placed the accreditation of the school on probation and made 55 recommendations for improvement. If the school does not make significant progress toward the detailed improvements, the school could lose accreditation as soon as next year, according to school officials. The full text of the accreditation report is available on the school district's website at www.randolph.k12.ma.us. - David Connolly

AMBULANCE SERVICE - Selectmen are looking for residents to sit on an advisory board that would study privatization of ambulance service in Rockland as a way to cut costs. Service is now run out of the Fire Department. The move is opposed by firefighters and the fire chief, who say town government has a responsibility to provide ambulances for public safety. Selectmen have proposed the committee to see how other departments offer service. Applicants must be registered voters, and should submit applications to the Board of Selectmen office in Town Hall by Nov. 30. - Milton J. Valencia

REMINDERS FOR PARKING RULES - The town has hired a company to erect signs advising motorists of the parking rules in the North Scituate business area. The rules, including two-hour parking limits, have not changed, but the town decided to post the signs to ensure users of the new Greenbush commuter rail line observe the rules and don't take up spaces intended for North Scituate business customers, according to Mike Breen, the town's highway supervisor. The signs will be posted along Gannett Road and Country Way and at a private parking lot adjacent to Gannett Road that is used by the town. The MBTA has two parking lots - one at the station and one nearby. Atlantic Sign, of Taunton, is undertaking the project, which will include the painting of directional signs in the lot off Gannett Road. The project, whose costs are still being finalized, is being funded by the MBTA, but is being overseen by town officials. - John Laidler

FRY, FRY AGAIN - The Department of Public Works has a public service announcement: "Don't be a turkey, recycle that cooking oil." The DPW made its appeal last week on the town website, and included guidelines for recycling. Residents should place used cooking oil in plastic, metal, or glass containers with secure lids. Oil should not be mixed with other fluids. The labeled containers can be left at the recycle center - but not in a mixed recycling container - or brought to the DPW during business hours if you want the container back. "Oil does not belong in the trash or the sewer system," the DPW cautioned. "It creates problems. Besides, for every gallon of oil that is recycled, the US saves nearly the same amount of imported petroleum." - Johanna Seltz