Lab makes pit stop

Boston University's MobileLab, a 40-foot bus that sports state-of-the-art biotech laboratory equipment, will stop at Andover High School this month to give teachers an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the equipment. Ultimately, the district would like to purchase its own lab equipment and incorporate biotechnology into the high school science curriculum. MobileLab's visit, scheduled to take place March 18, 19, and 20, is being funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation. - Brenda J. Buote

BOARD OPPOSES POWER PLANT - Selectmen voted Feb. 25 to take a stand against a power plant proposed for Billerica near the Chelmsford line. A petition is before the state Energy Facilities Siting Board for a 348-megawatt, natural-gas-fired plant on Billerica Avenue to supplement energy at peak usage hours. The proposal has sparked opposition among a growing number of residents concerned about the environmental impact on their health and the safety of storing chemicals near the Concord River, the source of Billerica's drinking water. Proponents say the plant is necessary for the region's growing energy needs. - Joyce Pellino Crane

SEWER LINE PACT SIGNED - The town will pay $180,000 to engineering firm Camp Dresser & McKee to begin work on a multimillion-dollar sewer line extension linking Dracut with Methuen. According to the agreement between the communities, sewage from parts of eastern Dracut will be brought into Methuen to be processed at the Greater Lawrence Sanitary District. According to city officials, the Methuen City Council recently signed a contract that will allow the firm to begin work immediately. The community agreement also states that Dracut will pay Methuen for restoration and maintenance of two pump stations in Methuen, as well as a fee for every cubic foot of water sent through on the way to the processing center. In total, Dracut will pay $1.2 million for the sewer work. - Rocco Colella

YOUTH RISK SURVEY - In keeping with a state mandate that requires schools to conduct periodic health risk studies on student populations, school administrators are scheduled to give the annual youth risk survey on Tuesday, according to the school website. The survey, which is voluntary for students, asks questions on a variety of topics, including vehicle safety, drug use, diet, and physical activity. The survey is given to those in grades 6 and 8-12 in the district. - Matt Gunderson

OVERRIDE MULLED - Faced with making more cuts to the school system this spring, the Groton-Dunstable Regional School Committee debated last Wednesday whether to seek a Proposition 2 1/2 override but reached no consensus. Committee member Charles McKinney was leaning toward supporting an override. "I will not vote for a budget with this level of cuts," he said, referring to a preliminary budget. "If we go for an override, we go for an override." But Paul Funch, another member, doubted whether grass-roots support was there for such a tax hike. "I don't see any override passing this year," he said. - Matt Gunderson

NEW FACULTY MEMBER - John Murray has joined the faculty of Northern Essex Community College in the division of health professions, where he will be the first full-time faculty member assigned to the expanding Sleep Technology Program, the school said last week. Murray, who lives in Kittery, Maine, is a registered respiratory therapist and a registered polysomnographic technologist. He earned an associate of science in respiratory therapy from Newbury College and a bachelor of science in polysomnography from California College of Health Science. He most recently worked at the Maine Sleep Institute at Maine Medical Center, where he was manager of the service. - Russell Contreras

PELOSI VISITING - US Representative Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, and Governor Deval Patrick will be featured speakers at the inaugural ceremony of University of Massachusetts at Lowell chancellor Martin Meehan on April 4, the school said last week. Pelosi will deliver the keynote address to cap off a weeklong celebration honoring Meehan, who took over as chancellor in July. The week of events will include lectures, exhibits, a concert, and an inaugural ball. Proceeds from the event will go to the school's music department and the Martin T. Meehan Educational Excellence Fund. - Russell Contreras

OUTSIDE AUDIT SOUGHT - The School Department is seeking an outside audit of its accounts as police conduct an investigation into the district's spending. Police began investigating the finances of the school system last month, shortly after the district's business administrator, Joe Salvo, resigned unexpectedly on Jan. 16. At the time, Salvo termed his departure "amicable." The 62-year-old former city councilor and School Committee member did not return a call for comment on Friday. According to several city officials, the district plans to hire Melanson Heath & Co., the firm the city hired to audit the Police Department's books amid a federal probe into how grant money was spent. Acting Police Chief Katherine Lavigne said the auditing firm would be better trained at seeing problems than police, who pulled documents from the department last month. "It would be very difficult to determine whether something was purchased legally or what wasn't," she said. "That's not something for us to determine." Meanwhile, she said on Friday that her department's investigation was ongoing, but no one has been charged. - Kytja Weir

TREES TAPPED FOR MAPLE MONTH - A local farm will kick off the state's Maple Month tomorrow with a ceremonial tree tapping. The state Department of Agricultural Resources and Massachusetts Maple Producers' Association chose Turtle Lane Maple Farm to host the annual event, which celebrates March as the height of the state's maple-syrup-making season. Production in Massachusetts usually runs from mid-February to mid-April, depending on temperatures and elevation, as sap begins flowing on days warmer than 40 degrees. The sap is then collected and boiled down to concentrate the sugars and flavors. Typically, it takes some 40 gallons of sap to yield about one gallon of syrup. Paul Boulanger and Kathy Gallagher of Turtle Lane Maple Farm have already started collecting sap and boiling it this season. They said they had produced about five gallons as of last week, but said it is too early to know how good the season would be. The ceremonial tapping runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and features local maple food products from area businesses. For more information, call 978-58-2889 or visit turtlelanemaplefarm.com. - Kytja Weir

CELL TOWER HEARING - The Planning Board has closed a public hearing on a Verizon cell tower planned for Townsend Street, said Susan Snyder, planning administrator. The board now has 90 days to issue a decision on the tower plan, which has proved controversial with neighbors. The tower still needs variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals for the 140-foot tower, said Snyder. - Matt Gunderson

RESIDENT HONORED - Resident Michael Fookson has been named the winner of last month's Advantage Boston Taxi Rewards program for his work at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, which oversees the convention center, introduced the taxi rewards program in November 2006 in an effort to promote cab driver hospitality. Fookson was recognized for providing suberb customer service and received $500 for his work. - Brenda J. Buote

NEW SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT - The School Committee unanimously selected Darrell Lockwood to succeed Superintendent David Hawkins, who is retiring in July. Lockwood has been superintendent of School Administrative Unit 19 in Goffstown, N.H., for the past decade. Prior to that, he was director of professional development for area cooperative services in Hamden, Conn., and an assistant superintendent in East Haven, Conn., and at SAU 16 in Exeter, N.H. School Committee member Diana Keohane said Lockwood accepted a verbal offer when reached by phone after Monday's meeting and agreed to begin salary negotiations this week. Annual compensation will fall between $135,000 and $145,000. Lockwood was chosen over Christine Tyrie, superintendent of SAU 24 in Henniker, N.H. - Joyce Pellino Crane

FREE TV WORKSHOP - Westford Community Access Television is offering a free television production workshop for residents and members of groups and institutions affiliated with the town. The four sessions will cover camera operation, directing, lighting, audio, editing, field production, and other aspects of producing programming for channels 8, 9, and 10. The workshop will be at 487 Groton Road, Unit B, from 7 to 9 p.m. on March 26 and 27 and the same times on April 2 and 3. To register, call 978-692-7152, or e-mail ronald_zimmerman@westfordcat.org. More information is available at westfordcat.org. -Joyce Pellino Crane

ACADEMY LAUDED - Pinkerton Academy was one of 50 schools in the United States to earn top honors on Feb. 25 for its advanced placement program. The school received the Siemens Award for Advanced Placement, a national honor recognizing the high school's commitment to providing students the opportunity to explore advanced placement studies. One high school per state is selected in recognition of its commitment to students and leadership in AP participation and performance. Schools receive a $1,000 grant awarded from the Siemens Foundation to be used to support math and science education. - Meg Villeneuve

SCHOOL BUILDING NEEDS EYED - Selectmen recently formed a committee to examine the building needs of the Hollis/Brookline Cooperative School District. The committee plans to examine whether the current school buildings would meet the town's educational needs if Brookline was no longer sending its students to the co-op, according to Troy Brown, town administrator. This is the third time since last year that selectmen have tried to form a group to examine the issue. The co-op runs the towns' middle and high schools. The committee will have seven members and allow for one nonvoting member from Brookline. The committee will report its findings to selectmen by Oct. 15, he said. - Meg Villeneuve

FIRE STATION SOUGHT - A petitioned warrant article on the ballot asks voters to take money from conservation funds and use them to build a new fire station. Article 17 totals $1.8 million and would be used to replace the existing North fire substation. However, even if the measure is approved by voters, a Superior Court has ruled that funds can be taken out of the Conservation Fund only by order of the Conservation Commission, according to Dave Caron, town manager. Voting will take place on Tuesday. - Meg Villeneuve

BEACH ORDINANCE - During its last meeting in February, the Town Council voted to instruct Town Manager Keith Hickey to write an ordinance that would ban out-of-towners, unless they are accompanied by a town resident, from using the beach at Wasserman Park on Naticook Lake. Hickey said the ordinance would focus on the beach only, not the entire park. The ordinance could be approved as early as April, said Hickey. - Meg Villeneuve

NO HOME FOR SKATE PARK - In 2004, the town purchased the equipment needed to create a skate park. The only problem is, the equipment is still sitting in storage because the town has yet to find a home for the park. Chris Dillon, who was hired last fall as the town's recreation director, said he has been working with the recreation advisory committee to find a location. "My number one goal is to see the park set up," he said. Dillon said the town had planned to build the park within the Field of Dreams, a park on Geremonty Drive, but the land was too wet. - Meg Villeneuve

BOOK SALE TO AID LIBRARIES - The Friends of the Acton Libraries will hold their next book sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the meeting room of the Acton Memorial Library. Sunday is give-away day from 2 to 4 p.m. The sale will feature thousands of used books for children and adults, and there is a limited number of audiovisual items. The Friends of the Acton Libraries support Memorial Library, West Acton Citizens Library, and the elementary, junior high, and high school libraries. - Jennifer Fenn Lefferts

SLOWDOWN SOUGHT - Attention, downtown speeders: You are being watched. The town recently entered into an agreement with the consulting firm Weston & Sampson Engineers Inc. of Peabody to perform a downtown traffic study. Once the ground thaws, workers will install nonpermanent hard-rubber humps and signs and monitor passing car speeds via stationary radar guns. If the installations work on a temporary basis, the town will apply for funds and install permanent speed bumps with crosswalk infrastructure, according to Christopher Ryan, director of the Department of Planning and Development. The study was initiated because of increased complaints from downtown merchants about speeding, Ryan said. The town is paying the firm $9,500 to do the study, with the money available through income generated from a Community Development Block Grant. - Taryn Plumb

LONGTIME RESIDENT HONORED - Marian Thornton has been named this year's honored citizen by the Public Ceremonies and Celebrations Committee. Thornton, who has lived in town for 40 years, has served on a number of boards and committees focusing on environmental and land preservation issues. She began by joining the Concord-Carlisle League of Women Voters. Thornton later founded a recycling and drop-and-swap program, and cofounded the Concord Home Ownership Corporation to acquire homes for resale for low-income families in town. She has also been on the town's Natural Resources Commission and the Concord Land Conservation Trust. An honored citizen is selected each year and is chosen based on exceptional volunteer service to the town. Thornton's name will be added to the plaque in the Town House, and she will be asked to lead the Patriots Day Parade. - Jennifer Fenn Lefferts

SCHOLARSHIP OFFERED - The Littleton Scholarship Trust is accepting scholarship applications from seniors and alumni of Littleton High School, as well as Littleton residents who graduated from Nashoba Valley Technical High School. Last year, the Littleton Scholarship Trust awarded about $100,000 in college scholarships. Applications are available at Littleton High School and the Reuben Hoar Library, as well as through the high school's website, littletonps.org. To be considered, applications must be postmarked by April 15. - Nancy Shohet West