Housing authority makes strides

Things are looking up for the Chelsea Housing Authority, thanks to a 12 percent increase in the nonutility budget from the state, says Housing Authority executive director Michael McLaughlin. After years of cuts, McLaughlin said he is trying to build the authority's budget, particularly the maintenance and inspections funding. Along with the increased state funds, McLaughlin said, the Housing Authority is seeking new grants, and recently received a Family Self-Sufficiency grant from a US Department of Housing and Urban Development program that helps families living in public housing with job training. McLaughlin said many Chelsea public housing residents have never balanced a checkbook, and this grant will help them learn fiscal skills. The authority also received a Reading is Fundamental grant to provide free books for children and adults. Other pending grants could provide more job training and computer classes. - Katheleen Conti

SUPPORTING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT - Parents and other members of the community are invited to participate in a discussion about the skills and aptitudes Chelsea students need for success. At 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Chelsea High School auditorium, 299 Everett Ave., Harvard economist Richard J. Murnane is scheduled to make a presentation highlighting, among other things, the difference in lifetime earnings between high school and college graduates. Chelsea Superintendent Thomas Kingston said the district is pushing an effort to boost student aspirations, and will use Murnane's presentation to review existing curriculums to ensure that students get the skills they need to succeed in global commerce. Community leaders and business people are encouraged to attend and think of ways they can support Chelsea students, be it through internships, mentorships, scholarships, or other methods. Refreshments will be served at 6 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. - Katheleen Conti

PARKING STICKER DEADLINE - Residents have until Feb. 29 to pick up their free resident parking stickers at City Hall. After that, there is a $10 fee. To get a free sticker, residents must return last year's yellow sticker (or fragments of same) to the parking clerk's office in the first floor of City Hall. They must also produce a copy of their car registration that shows the vehicle is principally garaged in Everett. If the vehicle is a lease, the resident must produce a driver's license showing Everett as their address. The parking clerk's office is open Mondays from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. - Kay Lazar

GRANTS TO HELP LOW-INCOME FAMILIES - Lynn Housing and Neighborhood Development has received two federal grants totaling $107,426 from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to continue staffing its Family Self-Sufficiency Program. Low-income residents who receive housing subsidies or live in public housing are eligible for the program, which aims to help them become economically independent. Currently, 44 families are enrolled, learning to save money to buy a house, a car, or enroll in an educational program. Staff members help each family map out a five-year economic plan. "It is always nice to be able to work closely with families," Charles Gaeta, executive director of Lynn agency, said in a prepared statement. - Kathy McCabe

DOWNTOWN FORUM - Residents and local business owners will have a chance to learn about and discuss ways to improve Malden Square during a Feb. 25 meeting. Topics will include construction projects, parking issues, streetscape improvements, and efforts to recruit new businesses to the area. The meeting will be held at the Malden Government Center, 200 Pleasant St., from 6 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Mayor Richard C. Howard's office at 781-397-7000 or the Malden Redevelopment Authority at 781-324-5720. - Erin Ailworth

FLU SHOTS URGED - With widespread flu outbreaks reported in 11 states, including Massachusetts, federal health officials say it's not too late in the season to get a flu shot. Hallmark Health is reporting plenty of vaccines still available at its medical facilities in Melrose and Medford. For more information, call the Melrose-Wakefield Hospital 24/7 number at 800-540-9191. Information also is available from the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Vaccine Clinic in Medford at 781-306-6265. - Kay Lazar

STABILIZATION FUND BOOST - The City Council recently approved transferring 15 percent of free cash funds to the stabilization account. The transfer of $268,260 brings the stabilization fund balance to just over $1.5 million, said City Councilor Anthony Zambuto. The stabilization fund was formed after the midyear state aid cuts five years ago that forced several communities to lay off personnel. Zambuto said a city ordinance that calls for transferring 15 percent of any free cash surplus builds up the stabilization fund, which serves as a cushion in case of future budget shortfalls. - Katheleen Conti

TATTOO SHOP REQUEST - The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday will hold a public hearing on a request for a special permit to allow a tattoo and body piercing shop to open on Route 1 north. Applicant Nathan Lin proposes to open the shop at 184 Broadway, at Godfried's Plaza. The hearing will be held as part of the board's meeting at 7:30 p.m in the auditorium at Town Hall. - Kathy McCabe

MR. SAUGUS HIGH CROWNED - Craig Zecchino is Mr. Saugus High 2008. Zecchino beat out six other teens who competed in the 15th annual competition, a spoof on the Miss America Pageant. Other contestants were Greg Bluestein, Matt Bono, Brian Cipoletta, Andrew Gilfillan, Andrew Lichwala, and Kyle Raiche. Contestants were sponsored by a school club, team, or their class. They competed in talent, casual wear, formal wear, and swimsuit competition. A panel of judges also asked them a question. In the talent competition, Zecchino danced to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean, "wearing black tails and hat. He donned a white tuxedo, with a black shirt, to accept his paper crown covered in velvet and a white-and-red sash proclaiming him the winner. - Kathy McCabe

STARTING OVER ON SEARCH COMMITTEE - The Board of Selectmen is again seeking residents to serve on a search committee to aid in choosing a successor to retiring Town Administrator Thomas P. Butler. On Jan. 28, selectmen ratified board chairman James E. Good's appointment of seven people to the committee. But at a special meeting Monday, selectmen voted to rescind the appointments, and invite people who would like to serve on the committee to send them a letter of interest or a resume by Friday. Good said that two selectmen, John B. Encarnacao and Phyllis J. Hull, had raised objections about the process of forming the search committee, arguing that members should have been named by the board and not by the chairman. Good said he asked the board to rescind his original appointments in light of those concerns, with the hope of removing any contentiousness from the process. At Monday's meeting, the board agreed that each of the six selectmen will appoint one of the committee members. The final one or three search committee members - the board has not decided if it will be a seven-member or a nine-member panel - will be selected by the full board with recommendations from Butler. The Board of Selectmen, which usually has seven members, is down to six because Stephen P. Maio resigned recently to apply for the town administrator's position. - John Laidler

EMERGENCY WORKERS SOUGHT - The Winthrop Medical and Citizens Reserve Corps is still looking for volunteers willing to assist in the event of a townwide health emergency. Currently, there are about 100 members, but more are needed to ensure availability during an emergency, said Town Councilor Linda Calla, a member of the Public Health Safety Committee. Anyone with experience in a public health, mental health, or allied health profession is encouraged to apply. Anyone interested in volunteering must agree to a criminal record check before they can start training. For more information, contact the Board of Health at 617-846-1740. - Katheleen Conti

AROUND THE REGION

SPECIAL-EDUCATION INFORMATION - Parents of special needs students are invited to a workshop Wednesday on the rights they and their children enjoy under the law. The School Department's Special Services Department is presenting the forum. The event is organized by the Lynnfield Parent Advisory Council, a group that works to maximize educational and developmental opportunities for Lynnfield students with special needs. The event will be held at 7:15 p.m. in the high school media center. For more information, call 781-581-5140. - John Laidler

MARINE LECTURES OVERFLOWING - Attendance at the Marine Science Center for Northeastern University's public lecture series has grown to the point that the university may look for a larger hall to present future talks. Tracy Hajduk, outreach program coordinator, said the past two months' lectures have drawn overflow crowds to the 50-seat room used for lectures at the center's headquarters at 430 Nahant Road. The next scheduled lecture is Tuesday and features the center's newest faculty member, assistant professor Matthew Bracken, who will talk on the consequences of biodiversity loss for marine ecosystems. The lecture is open to the public, wheelchair accessible, and free. For more information, e-mail t.hajduk@neu.edu or go to www.marinescience.neu.edu/outreach. - David Rattigan

FIREFIGHTER IS NATIONAL CHAMP - Peabody firefighter Nick Mir was honored last week at a ceremony at a Peabody High School basketball game for finishing first in several National Firefighter Combat Challenge competitions. At the contests, firefighters are tested in firefighting capability, such as carrying fire hoses and equipment up several flights of stairs. Mir, a 1981 Peabody High graduate, is the current state champion in the 45- to 49-year-old category. "Winning the championship in this competition is like winning an Olympic medal for endurance, strength, and mental fortitude, We are extremely proud of firefighter Mir and of all firefighters who are dedicated to achieving their personal best," said Mayor Michael Bonfanti. - Steven Rosenberg

HARBOR HEARING - A public hearing on Salem's 2008 Harbor Plan is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in Room 313 at the City Hall Annex, 120 Washington St. The report, which is almost 200 pages long, is an update to a plan prepared in 2000, and details what the city would like to see in future developments on the waterfront. - Erin Ailworth