Amesbury gearing up for relay

Volunteers are being sought for this year's Relay for Life of Amesbury, scheduled for Sept. 13-14 at Landry Stadium. The relay is an annual event in which teams walk around the stadium track to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Volunteers are needed to form teams, serve on the planning committee, and to help at the event. For more information, go to main.acsevents.org/rflmaamesbury or call Donna Eldredge, 978-821-4084 or Penny Zagranis 978-388-9394. Meanwhile, "Love for Mom," one of the teams that participates in the relay, is holding a fund-raiser from 4:30 to 8 p.m. June 9 at Sal's Pizza, on Route 110.

- John Laidler

MAYOR MAKES APPOINTMENTS - Four residents have been tapped by Mayor William Scanlon to serve on city boards. Scanlon recommended that Patrick McGowan serve on the Design Review Board, Tracy Geary on the Parks and Recreation Commission, William Lowd serve as Parks and Recreation Commission representative to the Beverly Golf and Tennis Commission, and Michael Ralbovsky serve as the Parks and Recreation Commission representative to the Open Space and Recreation Committee.

- Steven Rosenberg

SELECTMEN'S DOCKET - The Board of Selectmen will hear a presentation on the town's policy for naming playing fields at its Tuesday meeting. Officials from Beverly Airport, which lies partly in Danvers, also will speak on a sound survey that was recently conducted. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. - Kathy McCabe

LANDSCAPE VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT - The Essex County Greenbelt Association is seeking volunteers to help maintain the landscaping and perennial gardens at the Cox Reservation. The nonprofit land trust is seeking both experienced gardeners and volunteers to help design and maintain the grounds. For information or to volunteer, contact Kate Walton at kwalton@ecga.org or 978-768-7241, ext. 15.

-David Rattigan

FAUCHER LEAVING MIDDLE SCHOOL - Georgetown Middle School assistant principal John Faucher, in the job since 2000, will be leaving at the end of this month. Faucher was recently selected principal of the North Reading Middle School. He started his teaching career in Georgetown in 1976 and then moved to the Pentucket school system in 1979, where he remained for 20 years before assuming his current role. "He is the consummate gentleman and North Reading is truly fortunate to be getting him," said Georgetown Superintendent Carol Jacobs. - David Cogger

HARBOR FORUMS - Mayor Carolyn Kirk will hold five public meetings in the next two weeks to allow residents to discuss the future of Gloucester Harbor. The meetings, which begin at 7 p.m., will be held tomorrow at City Hall; Tuesday at the Harbor Room on East Main Street; Thursday at Lanesville Community Center, 8 Vulcan St.; June 9 at Annisquam Village Hall, 38 Leonard St.; and June 10 at Magnolia Library, 1 Lexington Ave.

- Steven Rosenberg

WORK CONTINUES ON HALL - The Historical Society-sponsored renovations to Washington Hall will continue this year, with work scheduled on the outside and inside of the building. Society president Claire Walsh said, "We ran out of good weather last year," so there is still work to be done on the exterior. The society also received $85,000 in Community Preservation Act funds at Town Meeting, to work on electrical, plumbing, insulation, and other interior improvements. Walsh said she anticipates that it will be a five-year project. -David Rattigan

JOINT SCHOOL PANEL FORMING - Following a vote last month for a $1,889,589 Proposition 2 1/2 override for the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District, selectmen for both towns have agreed to form a joint blue-ribbon commission to study all aspects of school finances, including funding and spending. "We have 12 months to accomplish the task, and that is to better situate ourselves regarding funding for schools," said John Clemenzi, Wenham Board of Selectman chairman. "We've got to solve these problems." -David Rattigan

POWERFUL ARGUMENT - The Board of Selectmen is planning to discuss the purchase of generators for Town Hall and the central fire station at the board's meeting tomorrow. The discussion comes in the wake of a five-hour power outage on May 19. The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

-David Rattigan

SOLAR PUSH - More than 80 Haverhill households currently purchase "clean" electric power, and city officials are hoping to triple that number in order to qualify for a $25,000 solar power system through the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's Renewable Energy Trust. "Switching to clean, renewable electric power is a way for citizens to show their leadership in green technology," Mayor James J. Fiorentini said in a recent statement announcing the city's push for the solar power system, which would be installed on a local school building. "If 134 more households make this change by the end of June, the bonus solar system will be an accomplishment for all of us to be proud of." To learn more, visit newenglandwind.org.

- Erin Ailworth

LATE FEES FOR DOG LICENSES - A $20 late fee for all unlicensed dogs goes into effect today. The regular fee is $10 for neutered dogs, $20 for unneutered. According to Town Clerk Pat True, 423 dog owners had failed to license their pets as of May 16. The late fee goes up to $25 on July 1 and $35 on Aug. 1. Residents can license their dogs by mail provided they include a copy of a current rabies vaccination along with a check made payable to the Town of Merrimac.

- David Cogger

ELECTION RESULTS - Robert N. Atwater won the race to fill the remaining year on a Planning Board seat at the annual town election, defeating Ronald S. Mastrogiacomo by 135 votes to 86. Twelve others were elected or reelected without opposition, including Selectman Bryan Gubbins and former selectman Lee Spence, who won the two available seats on the board. - John Laidler

KIDS RIDE WITH A CAUSE - Local children have a chance to ride their bicycles while helping fight cancer today during a PMC Kids Ride. PMC Kids Rides provide an opportunity for children to contribute to the mission of the Pan-Massachusetts-Challenge, the annual bike ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown that raises money for research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Among the participants will be Kiana Hawley, 7, who took part in the ride the last three years and to date has raised more money - $18,000 - than any other child participating in the PMC Kids Rides program. This year, she plans to ride in honor of her uncle, who has Hodgkin's lymphoma. Sunday's ride starts from the Eveleth School at 10 a.m. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The fund-raising minimum is $25, which includes the registration fee. For more information, go to kids.pmc.org.

- John Laidler

HALFWAY THERE - Work on the Route 1A/Parker River Bridge is nearly 50 percent complete, according to the state Highway Department. The project, expected to cost $14,750,000, consists of demolishing and reconstructing the bridge, as well as reconstructing drainage and performing sidewalk and guardrail improvements. Demolition and reconstruction began in fall 2006. The bridge was closed to traffic Sept. 27, with detours routed along Route 133, Route 1, and Hanover Street. The project is projected to be completed by November 2009. - Taryn Plumb

PULLING PEPPERWEED - The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge will host an information and training session from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday about how to identify and pull perennial pepperweed, an invasive species. The training will be held at refuge headquarters, 6 Plum Island Turnpike. The first hour will be spent indoors learning about pepperweed and control techniques. During the rest of the session, participants are invited to gain experience pulling the weed along the Plum Island Turnpike. Anyone interested in volunteering for this summer's ongoing control project, but cannot make the training session, can contact Sarah Janson at 978-465-5753, ext. 203, or sarah_janson@fws.gov.

- Kay Lazar

COUNCIL TO HEAR REQUESTS - The City Council will meet next at 7:30 p.m.on June 12 at City Hall to consider a request from N.S. Realty Trust to rezone its property at 32-36 Walnut St. from light industrial zoning to central business zoning. Also, the council will vote on a special permit request from Northeast Veterinary Hospital, which wants to relocate from 150 Main St. to 29 Lowell St.

- Steven Rosenberg

BRACKETTS TO BE HONORED - Charlie and Terry Brackett of Brackett's Oceanview Restaurant will be honored next week as the Rockport Small Business Persons of the Year, part of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce's celebration of Small Business Week. The Bracketts will be honored first at a reception at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Emerson Inn by the Sea, and then along with winners from Gloucester, Manchester by the Sea, and Essex at the Chamber's annual Small Business Week luncheon at noon Friday at the Gloucester House. For more information or for reservations, call 978-283-1601 or e-mail info@CapeAnnChamber.com.

-David Rattigan

PETERSON TO CONTINUE LEADERSHIP - In its annual reorganization, the Board of Selectmen chose David Petersen to return as chairman this year. The board also tapped Richard Cummings to serve as vice chairman. Robert L. Snow, who was elected to the board at the annual town election in May, was elected clerk. - John Laidler

WELCOMING CRUISE SHIPS - City and tourism officials have begun reaching out to cruise lines with small- and medium-sized ships in an effort to boost Salem's image as a port destination, and in prep aration for a planned expansion at Blaney Street Dock, according to a newsletter from the Salem Partnership, an organization that seeks to revitalize local economic development. In early July, a cruise ship with the American Canadian Caribbean Line is scheduled to dock at the Blaney facility. It will be the first time since 2004 that a ship with the company will visit Salem, according to the newsletter.

- Erin Ailworth

SELECTMEN MULL OVERRIDES - At its meeting Tuesday, the Board of Selectmen is set to discuss whether and when to schedule a special election on two proposed capital exclusions. The annual Town Meeting last month appropriated $300,000 for a new firetruck and $150,000 for road improvements, subject to passage of capital exclusions at a special election to be held before Sept. 15. Capital exclusions allow communities to exceed their tax caps for a year to fund specific capital projects. Town Meeting further voted to authorize selectmen to proceed with the projects through bonding in the event voters defeat the exclusions at the ballot box.

- John Laidler

STUDENT SHINES AT PIANO COMPETITION - Abby Bowling of Topsfield was a top finisher in a recent international musical competition. Music for Young Children, the Canada-based provider of a piano study method, holds an annual festival in which students who use the program can submit compositions. This year, 12,710 students from five nations took part. Bowling, 18, who studies with Nancy Galarneau in Topsfield, earned second place internationally in her age group. Four of Galarneau's other local students took second or third place regional awards: Caroline McCormick, Gabriel Vega, Holly Brown, and Kaleigh Ross, while six received recognition: Caiden Kumar, Jessica Quirk, Melia Vega, Peter Kitsakos, Ryenne Feeny, and Zoe Ducroux.

- John Laidler

HOLD THAT DOG - Selectmen have fielded several complaints recently about dog control at Mill Pond, with visitors complaining about dogs jumping on people and barking. Selectmen agreed to post more clear and emphatic signs urging owners to keep dogs on leashes or under voice command. They also stressed dogs are not allowed in or around the pond's picnic or swimming areas. - Taryn Plumb

MASCONOMET GRADUATION WEEK - Approximately 315 students will receive their diplomas when Masconomet Regional High School, which includes students from Boxford, Middleton, and Topsfield, holds its graduation ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the field house. The ceremony will be preceded by other activities for seniors during the week, including a cookout tomorrow; a baccalaureate evening on Tuesday; Class Night, when awards and scholarships are announced and the yearbook presented on Wednesday; and the senior banquet on Thursday. Friday night, following graduation, seniors will take part in an all-night party sponsored by the Tri-Town Council on Youth and Family Services in which they will travel by bus to surprise destinations. - John Laidler

McGINNITY TO LEAD REGIONAL BOARD - The Masconomet Regional School Committee, in its recent annual reorganization meeting, elected Betsy L. McGinnity of Middleton to serve as the panel's chairwoman for the coming year. The committee also elected Laura Powers of Topsfield to serve as vice chairwoman.

-John Laidler