Appeal for board member

APPEAL FOR BOARD MEMBER - Town officials are looking for volunteers to fill a vacancy on the Board of Appeals, which handles applications for various building permits and hears appeals to decisions made by the building inspector. The appointment, which will be made by the Board of Selectmen, will be for a three-year term. Residents who wish to be considered for the position must be registered to vote in Needham and submit a letter of interest and resume to the town manager's office no later than June 6.

- Laura Colarusso

ON THE ROAD - The journey after college can be full of figurative blood, sweat, and tears once graduates begin lives and careers on their own. But three recent Bentley College grads are taking on the strains and pains in a literal way this summer. They will bike across the country with three other friends to raise $50,000 for Accion International, a nonprofit organization that sets up microfinance programs for the poor around the world. Loans as small as $50 help people start their own businesses and become self sufficient, organizers say. Calling their venture MicroBikeUSA, the group includes Bentley grads Tyler Heishman, Frederick Piumelli, and Bryan Stinchfield, as well as Fordham University graduate Michael Delorenzo, and Bucknell University graduates Keith Kolakowski and James Watson. They depart June 8 from Darien, Conn., and expect to arrive in San Francisco on Aug. 5, biking an average of 74 miles a day. Along the way they will stop at schools and public forums to educate people about microlending. For more details or to make a donation, visit the team's website, microbikeusa.com. - Stephanie V. Siek

SERIOUS ABOUT ENERGY COSTS - With energy costs consuming a larger portion of the town's budget every year, the Town Council has decided to form an ad hoc committee to tackle the issue. The panel, whose members have yet to be named, will work with the volunteer-staffed Environment and Energy Efficiency Committee to develop an energy-saving blueprint for all municipal buildings and on all major purchasing decisions. Up for discussion will be everything from standardizing the major electrical and fuel systems in town facilities to choosing what kind of light bulbs should be used in the high school gym. The group will also evaluate the immediate and long-range cost savings of contracting town energy purchases to an energy services company or hiring an energy officer. - Christina Pazzanese

DRIVE-THROUGH IS NO GO - The Planning Board unanimously rejected a proposal last week to allow Town Council president Clyde L. Younger to open a drive-through Burger King on Main Street. Danielle Fillis, a senior planner for the town, said the board voted, 4 to 0, against the petition filed by property owner Arsin Kozelian to turn the former Settles Glass site into a fast-food restaurant. The board cited a number of concerns raised by the large turnout of residents at last Monday night's hearing, said Fillis, such as traffic congestion, trash disposal, litter, and public safety worries posed by the restaurant's close proximity to Watertown Middle School. Under town rules, fast-food drive-up windows are prohibited. Kozelian's proposal sought to make them permissible in several business and industrial districts by order of a special permit. The council now has 90 days to vote on the issue. Younger, who was not present at the hearing, has said he would recuse himself from any talks or votes to avoid a conflict of interest. He owns six other Burger King franchises in Massachusetts.

- Christina Pazzanese

SCHOOL IN THE GREEN - Composting toilets, a heating system fueled by waste-wood pellets, and a roof garden are among the construction features at the Cambridge School of Weston that earned it a national award from the American Institute of Architects' Committee on the Environment. The school's Garthwaite Center for Science and Art was named one of the Top Ten Green Projects of the year last week. The 21,000-square-foot building, which opened in September, houses science labs, galleries, offices, and classrooms. The building's eco-friendly toilets and urinals and low-flow faucets mean that it consumes only 10 gallons of water each day, according to an announcement issued by the private school. Its two-story "science atrium" also integrated part of the wetlands on the property into the design.

- Stephanie V. Siek

ANOTHER DAY FOR DALY - Nancy Daly was a shoo-in for chairwoman of the Board of Selectmen, after being nominated by the most-senior selectman (and former chairman) Robert Allen and approved unanimously on May 13. Daly took over in September, when former chairman Gil Hoy stepped down for personal reasons, and immediately faced an override decision and a contentious civil rights complaint. "Nancy had a rough start, and we felt it fair to give her a clean slate," said Selectwoman Betsy DeWitt. "Ambitious people may want the chair, but it's not everyone's goal in life." - Andreae Downs

HEADMASTER HONORED - "Dr. Bob," who has made it his mission to memorize the names of all 1,800 students in the high school he heads, is one of the better known faces in town. He is now also the recipient of one of the rarer leadership awards given out by the Brookline Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization that gives grants to the town's public schools. Headmaster Robert J. Weintraub this month garnered the Robert Sperber Award for Administrative Leadership, created in the name of the system's former superintendent. In the 10 years since the award was created, only three have been singled out for the honor. Sperber said that Weintraub, who has been Brookline High's headmaster for 16 years, has created many programs, most notably an African-American scholars program that has helped minority students gain in language arts and math, and a tutor program for special-needs students. Weintraub said the key to his job is to "keep laughing."

- Andreae Downs

PLANS AFOOT TO HELP PEDESTRIANS - Brookline's traffic mavens have mapped out plans to make some of its streets more pedestrian-friendly. On the schedule this summer are a pedestrian signal near the Lincoln School at Walnut, Kennard and Chestnut streets; pedestrian "refuge" islands on Washington Street at Gardner Road; and a safer crossing on Clark Road at Cotswold, near the Runkle School. Future changes include better pedestrian access to Larz Anderson Park across Goddard Avenue, sorting out bike, car, and pedestrian flows near Olmsted Park at Brookline Avenue and Aspinwall, and crossings to the Kenwood Street Playground. - Andreae Downs

RAIL TRAIL ADVANCES - Now that Town Meeting has signed off on preliminary design concepts for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Concord, town officials are moving forward. Town planner Marcia Rasmussen said paperwork has been submitted to the state Highway Department, which must approve the preliminary plans. Rasmussen said the process could take several months. The planning in Concord has been a bumpy road, as residents have differed over various designs. In April, residents signed off on a preliminary design that included plans to pave the entire section of the trail in Concord and replace the culvert that runs under Powder Mill Road. When completed, the trail will run along abandoned rail beds from Lowell to Framingham.

- Jennifer Fenn Lefferts

FRAMAZING AND FREE - The first Celebrate Framingham Festival will be held downtown next Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The free event was the idea of Leadership MetroWest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building and strengthening civic leadership through networking and community involvement. More than 35 organizations will provide music and artistic performances, sports demonstrations, and international cuisine at the festival, according to organizers. "The event is to help promote all that is wonderful about downtown Framingham," said Helen Lemoine, executive director of Leadership MetroWest. "The hope is that it will be a successful event and become an annual event."

- Tanya Pérez-Brennan

BUYING POWER - Looking to cut surging electricity costs, Town Meeting voters approved spending $5,000 to explore the feasibility of an energy aggregation project. Under the arrangement, the town would bypass electricity retailers and local utility NStar to buy power at wholesale rates for the town, and would provide the electricity to businesses and residents as well. Similar wholesale electricity agreements have been passed by Harvard University and the Hampshire Council of Governments, a regional collaborative of towns in Western Massachusetts.

- Anna Fiorentino

PRESSING ON - State Representative Karyn Polito, who has made tougher sex offender laws the cornerstone of her legislative agenda, said she was disappointed when what she called a "poor substitute" was unveiled last week. "I have been working alongside victims and their families, child advocates, and law enforcement officials for the past few years to see Jessica's Law passed in this state," the Shrewsbury Republican said in an announcement. "When it comes to the safety of our children, there can be no compromise. We will continue fighting for this bill until children get the protection they deserve." Jessica's Law is a Florida statute named for Jessica Lunsford, a 9-year-old Florida girl who was killed in 2005 by a convicted sex offender living near her. The law calls for stricter sentences and tougher monitoring of sex offenders who target children. - Lisa Kocian

GARDEN TOUR - The Southborough Gardeners will hold their popular Kitchen & Garden Tour next Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. in eight locations throughout town. The tour encourages residents to garden and beautify the community. Tickets and a map of the tour can be picked up at the Community House at 28 Main St. on the day of the tour. Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 on the day of the event. For advance purchases, call 508-485-8959. - John Dyer

WEEDING LAKE CHAUNCY - Lake Chauncy will be closed to swimming, boating, and fishing on June 9, when the popular recreation area will be chemically treated to reduce weeds. Drinking, cooking, irrigation, or other uses of the pond water will be banned until June 15. Aquatic Control Technology of Sutton will perform the treatment, which has been approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection and the town's Conservation Committee. For more information, call the local Board of Health at 508-366-3045. - John Dyer

FRIENDS INDEED - Friends of Debra Pearson, a Wrentham mother of two who has terminal cancer, will hold a fund-raiser to benefit her and her family on June 12. The tropical-themed event, "Luau 4 Life," will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. at the American Legion hall on South Street. Tickets for the appetizer buffet are $10 and will be available at the door. For more information, or to make a donation, call Tammy Wilson at 508-384-6673. - Calvin Hennick