Assistant superintendent selected

The School Committee has unanimously selected Ann Marie Dargon as assistant superintendent of schools, starting July 1. Kay Wood, who has held the position for five years, is retiring. Dargon has been a middle school and elementary school principal for 12 years, and is the principal at Hobomock Elementary School in Pembroke. She received a doctorate in leadership and education from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in 2002, and has taught at Stonehill College and Bridgewater State College. -- Rachel Lebeaux

NEW FACES ON BOARD - Mary Chaves and Jerald Mayhew finished ahead of incumbent Ronald L. Picard in a three-way race for two seats on the Board of Selectmen in Tuesday's crowded town election. The board's chairwoman, Ann Obadashian, defeated four other candidates for town clerk, replacing longtime incumbent Kathleen Harvey, who did not run for reelection to the full-time position. In other contests, Cheryl Gray emerged victorious in the School Committee race, Brian Sutherland retained his Planning Board seat, and Edward Guzowski won an open seat on the town's Housing Authority. Lisa Cavossa and Suzanne Garten were unopposed for two seats as library trustees. - Rachel Lebeaux

PRESERVATION BYLAW LOSES AGAIN - During a brief Town Meeting session Monday, voters turned down a warrant article that sought to create a voluntary land-preservation bylaw. Approximately half of the two-hour meeting was spent discussing the Planning Board proposal, which fell seven votes short of approval, according to Town Clerk Barrie Clought. Different versions of the open space bylaw failed to pass at Special Town Meeting in 2006 and at Town Meeting last spring, when it lost by just two votes.

- Anna Fiorentino

OVERRIDE VOTE JUNE 10 - Voters in a special election on June 10 will weigh in on a $2.8 million property-tax increase that would cover a shortfall in school spending next fiscal year. The requested override of Proposition 2 1/2 would add $244 to the annual tax bill for the town's average single-family home, valued at $411,000, according to Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting. The Town Council voted to put the override question on the ballot at its April 30 meeting. If approved, the funds would prevent the loss of 15 teaching positions in the elementary schools, 12.5 teaching positions in the middle school, and 17 teaching positions at the high school, according to district officials. In addition, a $100 increase in bus fees would be staved off, and late bus service for students would be preserved. This is the second year in a row Franklin residents have been asked to raise taxes; last year, voters approved a $2.7 million increase.

- Rachel Lebeaux

SCHOOL FUNDING FACES VOTE - Town Meeting voters Monday approved a $48.5 million budget for the 2009 fiscal year, which begins July 1, and appropriated an additional $992,000 in funding for schools. The additional money would be spent only if voters approve overriding Proposition 2 1/2's limits on tax increases at a May 20 election. Town Meeting also approved an item that will allow the Finance Committee to stop printing and sending its Town Meeting warrant report to all local households. The report will be available online, and paper copies will be distributed at town buildings. Officials said the move will save the town about $5,000 per year. - Calvin Hennick

RULING BACKS TREATMENT PLANT - An administrative law judge for the state Department of Environmental Protection has ruled in favor of Hopkinton officials on an appeal of a state wetlands permit for a proposed $13 million wastewater-treatment plant on Fruit Street. It is one of a handful of legal challenges of the construction plan that some fear will endanger protected wetlands and the Whitehall Creek. Hopkinton has had trouble staying within the 400,000-gallons-per-day limit set by Westborough's treatment plant, which processes the town's sewage. Hopkinton officials have said the Fruit Street plant would resolve that problem, and allow the town to encourage development in the South Street area. Critics say spending a few million dollars to repair the town's existing sewer system would lessen the flow by 100,000 gallons a day, putting it well within the limit. Opponents of the plant have said they expect to appeal the DEP judge's ruling. - Michele Morgan Bolton

OVERRIDE BEFORE VOTERS - Voters on June 2 will decide whether to pass an $850,000 Proposition 2 1/2 override. Officials have said the proposal would add more than $215 to the average single-family home's property tax bill. The need for extra revenue is being driven by increased pension and health insurance costs, Town Administrator Michael Sullivan said.

- Calvin Hennick

TOWN CHARTER PASSES - Voters approved the town's first governing charter in Monday's town election by a tally of 787 to 221. Under the charter, the Board of Selectmen will become the chief executive officer and chief policy-making agent of the town. The charter also consolidates the responsibilities of the town administrator, which will be Medway's chief administrative officer, responsible for the appointment, removal and supervision of all town employees other than those under the auspices of the school district and public library. The charter also creates director positions in human resources, finance, public services and management information systems. The charter had been approved by Special Town Meeting in November, and recently ratified by Beacon Hill to set the stage for Monday's final vote. The only election race was for a seat on the Board of Assessors, which had no names on the ballot but drew two write-in candidates: Keith Masterson finished ahead of Raphaela Rozanski, 432 to 281.

- Rachel Lebeaux

LIBRARY DIRECTOR FIELD NARROWS - The Milford Public Library Search Committee is closing in on its quest for a new library director. The committee presented three finalists to the library's trustees on Monday, according to the committee's chairman, Victor Valenti, who is also on the library board. The new director will take over for interim director Meredith McCullough. The search began in March after Jennifer Perry, who served for five years, left the position to relocate to Florida. - Anna Fiorentino

NEW FIRETRUCK ON THE WAY - By a margin of just 5 votes, residents last week approved the purchase of a $400,000 firetruck through a debt-exclusion override of Proposition 2 1/2. The vote for the one-time tax increase was 509 to 504. Voters also approved, 543 to 475, raising taxes by $180,000 per year to pay for additional fire and emergency medical staffing. In the only race on the ballot, Planning Board chairwoman Catherine MacInnes defeated Joseph Fawkes, 584 to 424, to win her fourth five-year term.

- Calvin Hennick

HIGHER WATER, SEWER BILL EXPECTED - Selectmen plan a May 19 public hearing to discuss an expected $539,000 increase in next year's water and sewer costs. The use of fees or other reserves that were relied upon in the past to cover such increases is no longer advised, especially after voters approved a $3.9 million override of Proposition 2 1/2 in March. Town officials have suggested establishing reserve accounts to cover up to two months of expenses, emergency purchases of equipment, and capital improvements. The 7 p.m. meeting will in the meeting room at Town Hall, 13 East Central St.

- Michele Morgan Bolton

BUSINESS FINED BY STATE - The state Department of Environmental Protection has fined Call & Wait Auto Service $6,500 for failing to notify the agency about releases of oil and hazardous materials on its Lincoln Road property. Norfolk selectmen have long been critical of the business, which they say has operated as an unlicensed junkyard under the guise of a used-car sales lot. Under an agreement with the town, Call & Wait is scheduled to have the site cleared of junk by June 30. - Calvin Hennick

VOTERS TO RULE ON OVERRIDE - A $650,000 Proposition 2 1/2 override to prevent layoffs of town employees will face voters at Plainville's May 19 Town Meeting and a June 16 election. The override, which officials said would add about $207 to the average single-family home's property tax bill, must clear both hurdles to go into effect. Selectmen set the figure on May 1 after months of discussing the town's budget woes for the fiscal year starting July 1. If the override is turned down, Plainville would lay off at least a dozen workers, Town Administrator Joseph Fernandes said. - Calvin Hennick

LARGER-STORE ZONING REJECTED - Town Meeting voters late last month shot down a Planning Board proposal to increase the maximum size of retail outlets that fall partially within a business district and partially within a residential zoning district from 2,500 to 7,500 square feet. Members of the Historical Commission had voiced opposition to the article, saying it would interfere with historic preservation of certain buildings. Town Planner Gino Carlucci argued in favor of the article on his blog four days before the April 29 vote, saying it would not limit the preservation of old homes in the area. A proposal to increase the allowable size to 15,000 square feet was voted down with significant opposition by Town Meeting voters last spring. - Anna Fiorentino

CHAIRWOMAN UNSEATED - Marsha Paul, the chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, lost her seat Monday to challenger Michael Goodwin in the annual town election. A newcomer to local politics, Goodwin received 423 votes to Paul's 341. Paul was running for her second three-year term on the board. No other races on the ballot were contested. - Calvin Hennick

BOOK SALE - The Friends of the Fiske, a group that raises money for the Fiske Public Library, will hold its annual book sale May 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Members of the group will get a preview on May 16 from 6 to 8 p.m., and memberships will be available at the door. The group is still accepting donations of books and is seeking volunteers to staff the sale. Those interested should call the library at 508-384-5440.

- Calvin Hennick

BIKING TO WALTHAM - The state Department of Conservation and Recreation is planning to begin work on a bike path along a 26-mile stretch of abandoned railroad track between Waltham and Berlin, the agency said recently. The stretch is part of the Mass. Central Rail Trail, a 104-mile bikeway being built across the state that will link other bike paths and state parks and forests when it is completed. The former rail line was heavily damaged by a hurricane in 1938. On May 1, the MBTA's board of directors approved the transfer of land to the state agency with a 99-year lease. - John Dyer

THEY LIVE AMONG US - In response to a growing problem with invasive plant species, town officials have created an online resource offering information, disposal guidelines, and events and workshops on the issue. There are ecological, financial, and cultural reasons for controlling the invasive species, officials said. A link to the information is on the town's website, www.lincolntown.org. - John M. Guilfoil

UPDATE ON RAYTHEON SITE - Raytheon Co. representatives will present an update on the ongoing hazardouse-waste cleanup of its former site at 430 Boston Post Road on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the large hearing room of the Wayland Town Building. The area, formally a research and design facility now being used as an office park, takes up 83 acres, including 32 acres of wetlands and 41 acres of undeveloped grass and woodlands adjacent to the Sudbury River. At the meeting, Raytheon will discuss its proposed ground-water remediation plan and wetland restoration for areas polluted by its former operation. More information is available online at ermne.com; to access the information, type in username: raytheon and password: wayland, all lower case.

- John M. Guilfoil