Fuel help available

The city's Community Development Office is offering an Emergency Fuel Assistance Program that provides up to $500 for households. According to the city, income limits apply and will be adjusted for the number of people in the household. The city has committed $15,000 in subsidies and the program will operate until April 30. Residents can obtain an application at the Community Development Office at City Hall, or call the office at 978-605-2382 or 978-605-2383. - Steven Rosenberg

LIBRARY TRUSTEE APPOINTED - The Board of Selectmen and the Board of Library Trustees last Monday appointed Heather Reid to fill a vacant trustee seat. A Boxford resident since April, Reid has been employed in libraries and related companies for more than 20 years, she said in a letter to the town expressing her interest. Included were a variety of positions at the Harvard University Library, and her current position as director of data systems at the Copyright Clearance Center in Danvers. Reid fills the board position vacated by the recent resignation of Christine MacNeill. The appointment is through the annual town election in May, when voters will elect someone to fill out the remaining two years of MacNeill's term. - John Laidler

TROOP SUPPORTERS TO RALLY - Operation Troop Support will observe its fifth anniversary with its annual meeting from noon to 3 p.m. on March 15 at Holten-Richmond Middle School. Residents Dick and Christine Moody started the group as a card-writing campaign during the first week of the Iraq war. It has since grown into a large collection drive for American troops, and also runs monthly support group meetings for families with loved ones serving abroad. Clothing, books, food, and money have been donated by residents and businesses. A special campaign last summer raised money to pay for knee surgery on a military dog stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford. Volunteers, including senior citizens and scout troops, have collected donations. "It's amazing how things have taken off," said Dick Moody, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force. For information, visit operationtroopsupport.org. - Kathy McCabe

SEA WALL COMING DOWN - At the request of residents concerned about the loss of the town's granite sea wall, the Board of Selectmen last Monday reviewed plans for the Route 133 reconstruction project. The designs eliminate the granite blocks and instead use new granite slabs as a facade on a concrete sea wall, according to Town Administrator Brendhan Zubricki. While the residents had cited concern for the historic significance of the sea wall, Zubricki said, cultural resource experts from the Massachusetts Highway Department determined it was not eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the standard used by the department for preservation. Town officials hope the project will begin in fall 2008. - David Rattigan

FULLER SCHOOL TO CLOSE - The city will operate with one less school next year. At last week's meeting, the School Committee voted to close the Fuller School at the end of this school year. The school this year was home to the city's fifth-graders, but starting in the fall, they will attend one of the city's five remaining elementary schools. Fuller had operated as a K-5 school before this year. - Steven Rosenberg

TOWN MEETING WARRANT OPENS - The Board of Selectmen recently opened the warrant for the May 5 Town Meeting. Citizen petition warrant articles are due no later than March 24 at the town clerk's office at Town Hall. For a petition article to be included on the warrant, it must be accompanied by the signatures of at least 10 registered voters. - David Rattigan

WATER RATE DEBATE - The Board of Selectmen has scheduled the continuation of a public hearing for a water rate increase for its meeting tomorrow. The board is considering raising the water rate from $4.99 to $5.79 per 100 cubic inches. Also tomorrow, the board will meet with Donald Berman, the town's new manager for public access cable television programming. The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall. - David Rattigan

MORE REC DEPARTMENT FUN - The Recreation Department is introducing a new event on March 15, a mother/son kickball tournament. The tournament, which the department hopes to make an annual event, is open to boys in the second through fourth grades and their mothers. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the high school gym. Pizza will be served in the cafeteria. The cost is $15 per person, which includes the meal, T-shirts, and souvenirs for the children. To register or for more information, e-mail lynnfieldrecreation@comcast.net or call 781-334-5814. The department will hold its third annual father/daughter dance on March 28, and has organized an adult softball tournament the past two summers. - John Laidler

BECKMAN TO RUN AGAIN - Susan M. Beckmann has decided to seek reelection to her seat on the Manchester Essex Regional School Committee. Beckmann, who is completing her second term, has returned her nomination papers for the May 20 annual town election. No one else has yet taken out papers for the three-year position, the only Manchester seat on the committee that will be filled this spring. "We are in the middle of our school building project, we have a brand new superintendent on board, and I want to be there when the building opens. . . . to make sure all the hard work, everything we've done the last six years, gets carried through to its conclusion," said Beckmann, a self-employed business consultant. "We are now at the point when we can start thinking more strategically about education and curriculum. I would just love to be part of that." - John Laidler

VIEW FROM THE TOP - The Board of Selectmen recently awarded a $13,300 contract to Chas. H. Sells Inc. of Charlton to take aerial photos of the town for planning and other purposes. The board also awarded a $16,587 contract to ABC Wood Floors Inc. of Wakefield to repair and refinish the floors in Abbot Hall. In other business, the board approved the request of Amanda Velluto, on behalf of the Junior Aid Society, to hold a walk/run on May 18, with all the proceeds going to local charities. The event will begin and end at Devereux Beach. The nonprofit supports women's and children's charities on the North Shore. - John Laidler

MAKING WAY FOR VERIZON - The Board of Selectmen last Tuesday took the first step for Verizon to seek a cable TV license from the town. According to Town Administrator Ira Singer, the board voted to seek a waiver from state requirements that it advertise nationally for a request for proposals from prospective cable firms. If granted, the waiver would allow Middleton to move forward with the Verizon licensing process. Middleton is already served by Comcast, and Singer said the town does not expect to begin negotiations with Verizon until it renews Comcast's license, which expires in August. At Tuesday's meeting, selectmen approved the text of a proposal to Comcast detailing what the town would like to see in a new 10-year license agreement. Comcast will have about a month to respond before negotiations begin. - John Laidler

BEACH STATION IMPROVEMENTS - The Nahant Preservation Trust reported recently to the Board of Selectmen on progress at the Nahant Life Saving Station. Representatives of the trust told the board that workers were completing renovations to the garage, and two new public restrooms and an outdoor shower were nearly complete and would be available to the public this summer. The trust holds the lease to manage the building. - David Rattigan

MAYORAL APPOINTMENTS - Mayor Michael Bonfanti has appointed four residents to city boards. Loretta Tenaglia is now a member of the Peabody Housing Authority; Gordon Borek is on the School Building Committee; Peter Arvanites is a member of the Planning Board; and Christopher Frederick is a member of the Peabody Cultural Council. - Steven Rosenberg

NEW SUPERINTENDENT CHOSEN - By a 5-0 vote at its Monday meeting, the Rockport School Committee selected Susan King of the Montvale, N.J., public schools as the new school superintendent. King was chosen from among three finalists. If negotiations are successful, she will replace Rosemary DiTullio, who is retiring at the end of June. - David Rattigan

MONITORING SCHOOL FINANCES - At a School Committee meeting last week, Mayor Kim Driscoll, who serves as board chairwoman, presented a suggested list of new protocols and procedures aimed at providing more oversight of the district's finances in the wake of a multimillion-dollar midyear budget deficit caused by questionable bookkeeping. The shortfall resulted in layoffs of about 24 nonteaching employees. Among the suggestions: changing the School Department's invoice policy to require that all invoices are paid within 45 days; written approval from the city finance director for all budget transfers and journal entries; and implementing a "whistle-blower policy that encourages and requires School Department employees to report questionable activities." The board is expected to discuss the proposed policy changes at a later date. - Erin Ailworth

DEMOCRATS GET TOGETHER - The Democratic Town Committee will elect its officers at its annual reorganization meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the public library. Also at the meeting, which is open to all Democrats in town, the group will discuss plans for 2008. "We are looking this year to speakers and a lot of social events," said committee chairwoman Margaret Somer, who is seeking reelection to her leadership post. She said there will also be plenty of campaigning, including possible trips to New Hampshire, Maine, and other states to support whichever candidate the party nominates for president. For information, call Somer at 781-592-6751. - John Laidler

DOW STEPPING DOWN - After two terms on the Elementary School Committee, Karen Dow has decided not to run for reelection this year. "Six years is the right amount of time," Dow said. "I really enjoyed it and the administration and the staff are great. I served with a lot of good School Committee members, but it's time for someone else to get the experience." The associate director of MIT's Bates Linear Accelerator Center in Middleton, Dow served three terms as a library trustee. She said she expects to continue in town service "in one way or another." Jeff Evaul, the other committee member whose term expires this year, is seeking reelection. - John Laidler

TOSSING AROUND PAY AS YOU THROW - At the Tuesday Board of Selectmen's meeting, 7 p.m. at the Buker School, the Recycling Committee will make a presentation on the pay-as-you-throw trash plan proposed as one article on the Town Meeting warrant. Articles for Town Meeting are due March 7 at the town clerk's office and must include at least 10 signatures of registered voters to be included on the warrant. Town Meeting is scheduled for May 3. - David Rattigan