Police accounts

Police Chief Warren Phillips is keeping close tabs on the department's forfeiture account to ensure that he will have the money to keep Avon police well equipped should the state and federal grants the department relies on for buying equipment dry up. Late last month, the Board of Selectmen consolidated a couple of small Police Department expense accounts and other funds forfeited from town drug arrests, and transferred $3,943.50 into the account. "You never know when you're going to have to upgrade equipment - and a vest costs somewhere between $800 to $900," said Phillips. - Joan Wilder

SPLIT DECISION - The establishment of a committee to look at splitting the town's elementary and middle schools from the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District has been put on hold, due to a stalemate. Selectmen chairman Mark Oliari and member Stanley Kravitz, both proponents of splitting the district, were in favor of establishing the study committee, at a recent vote by the board. But selectmen Christopher Flynn and Dennis Gallagher were opposed. Vice chairman Herbert Lemon was not present to break the tie, so the matter was tabled. - Christine Wallgren

DIVERSITY DINNER - Local agencies are hoping to showcase the diversity of Brockton with a "Holidays Around the World" dinner featuring a collection of ethnic foods. The event will include presentations on holiday traditions, including dances and foods of various cultures. Organizers are looking for people to help by bringing an appetizer or dessert that showcases their heritage. The event is sponsored by Fuller Craft Museum and Community Connections of Brockton, and will be held Dec. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Fuller Craft Museum, 455 Oak St. For more information, call 508-583-5631. - Milton Valencia

PLANS FOR OLD RUBBER SITE - The owners of the former Plymouth Rubber Co. site are optimistic that residents will be able to vote at Town Meeting in April on whether to allow a mixed-use development on the 40-acre property. Paul M. Schneiders, attorney for Napleton Co.'s Canton Development Properties LLC, said the developer presented detailed plans to the Planning Board last week that show the project would generate $722,000 in taxes after public service and education impacts are deducted. "The chief issue with the board is density," said Schneiders. He said Napleton wants 650 units of housing and up to 20,000 square feet of commercial space, including an art studio and a farmers market. Schneiders said the plan also includes the preservation of two historic buildings on the site and would provide river access to residents. The company also agreed to lower the height of its buildings to 40 feet, and changed many of the housing units from apartments to condominiums at the board's request. He said he hopes to have agreement on a draft zoning proposal by mid-December. Schneiders said the removal of asbestos from the buildings on the site is underway, and the demolition of the buildings will begin as soon as Dec. 17. - Elaine Cushman Carroll

FORUM ON WATER PROJECT - Residents are invited to a townwide forum on the Cole property and the North Carver municipal water project on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. Last month the town was awarded a $1 million grant from the state Department of Housing and Community Development to support construction of the town's first municipal water system, intended to bring water from the Cole property to the Route 44 corridor in North Carver. Will Sinclair, chairman of the town's Industrial Development Commission, will moderate a panel discussion including selectmen, Planning Board members, and consultants. For more information, contact the town planning department at 508-866-3450. - Robert Knox

HOLIDAY CHEER - The holiday spirit revs up in Dedham Square, starting tomorrow night with the third annual Dedham Square Holiday Stroll from 5 to 9 p.m. A radio disk jockey will play holiday songs in the square, while store owners will keep shops open late and offer special sales. There also will be prizes, and raffles for tickets to Boston Ballet's "Nutcracker" and the IMAX Theater at the New England Aquarium. On Sunday, the annual tree lighting takes place in the square from 2 to 4 p.m. That event will feature a hayride, a trackless train, face-painting, caroling, and of course, Santa Claus. - James Vaznis

ENERGY EFFICIENT - Stonehill College plans to build its new Science Center with energy efficiency in mind, making it the first building on campus with a commitment to being environmentally friendly. The college will follow a National Grid plan that will incorporate energy-saving measures in the design of the $34 million, 89,000-square-foot facility. The features include sensors on lighting and plumbing fixtures, low-flow fume hoods, and energy-efficient air conditioners. Construction on the center started in September, and the college hopes to have it completed by 2009. - Milton Valencia

FEDERAL HELP FOR CHARTER SCHOOL - Foxborough Regional Charter School has been awarded a $3.2 million grant from the US Department of Education's school choice program. Foxborough Regional was one of only 14 schools in the United States to share the $25 million grant pool, and the only one to do so in the Commonwealth. The funds, which will be spread over five years, will be used to strengthen the school's remedial programs and provide intensive tutoring in before- and after-school sessions. The program is expected to begin next month. - Joan Wilder

SECOND CALL FOR ACCOUNTANT - Town officials are continuing their search for a new town accountant as the town copes with the discovery that it overestimated its expected income for the current fiscal year by more than a half-million dollars. Selectmen chairman Lawrence N. Ashley said the town will again advertise for the town accountant position to replace Steve Dooney, who left this year to become town accountant in Middleborough. Ashley said the first round of applicants did not yield a suitable candidate, and a retired accountant who had planned to serve for the interim declined the spot last week. Ashley said the town plans to hire a consulting firm to serve as interim accountant. Meanwhile, department heads have been asked to come up with a list of ways they can tighten their budgets in what Ashley calls a "disconcerting" fiscal situation. - Elaine Cushman Carroll

FORUM ON HOUSING PLAN - The Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing at 8:30 p.m. next Wednesday in Town Hall to discuss the affordable housing project proposed by Halifax Housing for its Thompson Street property. Project plans can be reviewed in the selectmen's office. For more information, call the office at 781-294-1316. - Christine Wallgren

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - An updated list of vacancies on local boards and committees includes a citizen's seat on the Housing Rehabilitation Advisory Board, two openings on the Cable Access Corporation board of directors, three openings on the board of directors for the Mansfield Housing Corporation, three seats on the Mansfield Cultural Council, and two openings on the Industrial and Development Commission. For more information or to volunteer for the positions, contact the selectmen's office at 708-261-7372, or check the town's website at mansfieldma.com. - Christine Wallgren

WARNING ON ALCOHOL SALES - Marion Country Package on Route 6 has been issued a letter of warning by selectmen regarding the sale of alcohol to underage customers. On Nov. 2, Marion Police Officer Scott Smith said he saw a young man, who Smith later determined was 20, leaving the store with beer. Store owner Merritt E. Strawn told selectmen that the youth had purchased liquor on other occasions and had provided what she thought was a valid driver's license showing the youth was over 21, but the ID was apparently fake, police said. The young man didn't have the fake ID Nov. 2, but based on the past practice, the store let him buy beer again, police said. The store has no prior violations, selectmen said. - Paul E. Kandarian

SELECTMEN NAME TEMPORARY ACTING SERGEANT - Selectmen have voted to appoint full-time patrolman Anthony Days as temporary acting sergeant on the Mattapoisett Police Department to fill in for an officer on sick leave. The board also appointed Mark A. Gaspar as a deputy dog officer and deputy shellfish officer operating under the Mattapoisett Natural Resources Department. Gaspar is also a call firefighter on the Mattapoisett Fire Department. - Paul E. Kandarian

A SEAT AT THE TABLE - Selectman Patrick Rogers intends to attend the Dec. 19 meeting of the Regional Task Force on Casino Impacts with the hope of becoming a member of the group. Until now, the 18-town coalition has not allowed Middleborough to join its ranks, saying that the town's interests are contradictory to theirs. The committee was established to address the regional impact of the Wampanoag-run casino approved by Middleborough in July. The panel initially voted not to let Middleborough join the group, and at its October meeting, members tabled Rogers's request for inclusion. "I'm hoping they get the impression I'm there to work, not to play politics," Rogers said. "Obviously they need some help with their charge, which I can do with my environmental background." Rogers works for the state Environmental Protection Agency. - Christine Wallgren

SINGLE TAX RATE STAYS - After a public hearing, selectmen voted to keep a single tax rate, rather than varying the rate between commercial and residential. If approved by the state Department of Revenue, the tax rate for the fiscal year that began July 1 will be $9.98 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, up from $9.72. Currently, only 12 percent of the properties in town are classified as commercial or industrial, while the rest are residential. Most assessors will recommend the town consider a split tax rate only if the commercial and industrial properties constitute at least 25 percent of the town's total. - Christine Wallgren

NO SMOKES IN STING - The 49 retail establishments in town that sell tobacco all followed the correct procedures and did not sell cigarettes to a 16-year-old during a recent sting operation conducted by the Board of Health. Store clerks are supposed to ask youthful-looking buyers for identification and deny sales to those under age. "It's very difficult to conduct these checks without youth buyers," said Sigalle Reiss, director of the Norwood Health Department. "We can make sure the stores have proper signs and training, but not until we test the store employees do we know if they follow the law." Youths trying to buy cigarettes during the sting operation were supervised by trained adults, who stayed out of sight during the attempted purchases. The town received a grant from the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program to conduct the checks. - James Vaznis

ETHICS INSTRUCTION - Members of town boards received some guidance from the State Ethics Commission last week on how to ensure they adhere to state conflict-of-interest laws. David Giannotti, a municipal education specialist for the commission, offered the information in a two-hour seminar at Town Hall on Nov. 27. Town officials had accepted the commission's invitation to conduct the seminar, which the agency offers to interested cities and towns. In other town business, the Board of Selectmen on Nov. 26 granted annual liquor license renewals to the Upland Sportsman's Club, 67 Upland Road; Country Way Liquors, 372 Main St.; and Plympton Convenience and Liquor Store, 286 Main St. The board also approved the annual renewal of the Upland Sportsman's Club's certificates for its target and trap-shooting ranges. - John Laidler

NEW POSTMASTER - Michael A. Proulx is scheduled to become Rochester's new postmaster tomorrow at swearing-in ceremonies at the First Congregational Church. Proulx, who most recently had been postmaster in Mattapoisett, started working in the US Postal Service in 1984 as a letter carrier in New Bedford, working his way through the ranks, postal officials said. The swearing-in ceremony is open to the public. - Paul Kandarian

ICE CREAM AWARD - The popular ice cream spot Crescent Ridge Dairy has been named in National Geographic's "The 10 Best of Everything: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers." Crescent Ridge was ranked by the magazine eighth in the world among other spots as far away as Paris, Florence, and Cuba. The third-place ice cream parlor was also in Massachusetts: Ron's Gourmet Ice Cream in Boston's Hyde Park. Crescent Ridge has dairy bars in Sharon and recently opened one in Holbrook. - Franci Richardson Ellement

MUSICIANS CHOSEN - When it comes to making music, five Stoughton High School students stand out. Seniors Peter Griffin, Nicholas Silveira, and Kendall Bennett were joined by juniors Jack Pombriant and David Morris in being selected to the 2008 Southeast Concert Band, Jazz Band and Orchestra. "For high school students, this is the cream of the crop," said Ron Christianson, the high school's fine arts director. "Music students for this are selected from approximately 50 communities." Silveira (trumpet), Morris (alto sax), and Pombriant (bass) were selected for the jazz band. Griffin (trombone) was chosen for the concert band. Bennett (flute), meanwhile, qualified for the orchestra. All five are scheduled to perform in concert Jan. 12 at 2 p.m. at Barnstable High School. - Robert Carroll

FLU CLINIC WITH A TWIST - About 25 members of Walpole Medical Reserve Corps will run the Health Department's flu clinic on Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. in the high school cafeteria. "We'll be practicing as if we had to dispense in an emergency," said Health Agent Robin Chapell. The corps, which has about 125 volunteer members, has been formed in the last year to be at the ready should any type of emergency arise. The clinic is open to any resident 18 or older, and registered nurses will administer all vaccines. - Joan Wilder

SPLIT TAX RATES APPROVED - The Board of Selectmen recently voted to implement a split tax rate, which would require businesses to pay a higher rate than homeowners, for the fiscal year that began July 1. Under this new system, homeowners will pay $6.71 per $1,000 of assessed value on their home, and commercial property owners will pay $8.70 per $1,000 of assessed value, according to Wareham's director of assessment, Richard Gonsalves. The split rate, which replaces the single rate of $6.81, takes effect in the fiscal year that began July 1. - Emily Sweeney

SCHOOL COMMITTEE TONIGHT - The School Committee will be tackling a light agenda when it meets tonight. The board will discuss the K-12 wellness program, naming the high school baseball field, and a review on PSAT scores, as well as hear an overview of the college admissions process. Tonight's meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in Westwood High School's Little Theatre. - James Vaznis

WHERE THERE'S HEAT - Fire Chief Timothy Travers warns that faulty heating equipment is the second-leading cause of house fires in the country. Heating equipment was involved in an estimated 62,000 reported home fires in 2005, resulting in roughly 700 deaths and 1,500 injuries, according to Travers. Nearly all the fires occurred during the winter months. The chief advises residents to maintain a 3-foot space between heating equipment and items that can burn. Ovens should not be used to heat the home, and portable space heaters should be shut off before going to bed or leaving the room. Chimneys should be inspected annually and cleaned as needed. The Whitman Fire-Rescue Department will send a representative to inspect a residence for fire hazards. To request a home visit, call 781-447-7626. - Christine Wallgren