Library gets new leader

A familiar face has taken over the corner office at the Abington Public Library. Longtime children's librarian Deborah Grimmett has been named the library's acting director, replacing Janet Meagher, who retired in July. Grimmett has been with the library since 1986. "As the backup to two directors and longtime manager of children's programming, Grimmett has shown the skill, knowledge, and judgment necessary to lead the library," said Henry DiCarlo, chairman of the Abington Library Trustees. Grimmett's appointment will become permanent, DiCarlo said, when she completes her master's degree in library science at Simmons College. Meagher stepped down after 33 years in the state's library system, including the last five at the helm of the Abington library. - Robert Carroll

STUDENT RESIDENCY ENFORCED - Braintree schools are cracking down on out-of-town students who slip into the system, said Superintendent Peter Kurzberg. He estimated there are fewer than 10 a year in the 5,200-student district, but said school officials need to be constantly vigilant. "In the end, it is not fair to the taxpayers of the community," said Kurzberg. If there is a reason to be suspicious, officials check leases, purchase and sale agreements, or utility bills. They also send a safety officer to homes.

- Matt Carroll

VOTE SET ON ATHLETIC FIELD - Selectmen scheduled a Special Town Meeting for Nov. 17 that will include a proposal to put an artificial-turf athletic field at the middle-high school. The Cohasset Sports Partnership, a nonprofit formed to support athletics in town, is behind the project. The group wants to use town and private money to build the field, estimated to cost between $1 million and $1.5 million. Town Manager William Griffin said the Special Town Meeting also will consider requests to pay for some capital improvements and any collective bargaining agreements reached by the town. Residents have until Sept. 19 to submit warrant articles, which need the signatures of 100 registered voters, he said.

- Johanna Seltz

BUS SERVICE ON TRACK - The town has been awarded a grant to start a bus service for Duxbury residents through Marshfield to the Greenbush commuter rail line. The Metropolitan Planning Organization, a regional group involved in planning public transportation, gave the $186,608 grant to the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority to provide the bus service. Town officials met last week with transit officials to discuss a route and a schedule for the new service. The town also has been planning a local bus route that would bring residents to the Old Colony line train station in Kingston, also to be provided by transit authority. - Robert Knox

A BIG WIN FOR NEW HIGH SCHOOL - There was no doubting how voters at last Monday's Town Meeting felt about funding the construction of a new $63 million Hanover High School. In one of the best-attended town meetings in decades, residents overwhelmingly approved spending $32.7 million to cover the cost of construction. Town Meeting passed two motions regarding the school project by a combined vote total of 2,199 to 5. "We're very pleased the townspeople came out in such support," said Bill Cass of the Hanover High School--YES committee. "We're hopeful we will receive equally affirmative votes on Tuesday." The question now goes to the ballot box. Residents on Tuesday will vote on a request for a debt-exclusion override of Proposition 2 1/2, allowing a temporary increase in property taxes beyond the state cap. If the tax hike is approved, the state will cover the remainder of the project's cost, roughly $30 million, said Cass. - Robert Carroll

LESSONS IN MODERN GRANDPARENTING - The joys and complications of grandparenting are the focus of a six-week class that starts tomorrow at the Hingham Senior Center. Speakers will discuss the legal issues of grandparenting, custody and visitation issues, as well as answer questions. "There is an increasing number of grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren, or actually have formal custody of them, and there are many issues around that," said Barbara Farnsworth, director of the senior center. "Looking at that need, we decided to do the educational series to help grandparents sort out what they need to know, as well as provide support." The group will be led by Kathleen R. Arnold, a grandmother with 30 years of clinical social work experience. Classes will be held Mondays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. To register, call the senior center at 781-741-1458. - Johanna Seltz

WEST NILE WARNING - The state Department of Public Health recently found traces of the West Nile virus in Holbrook. "It means there are mosquitoes in town that are carrying it, so people should be cautious to use proper sprays and try to limit their exposure," said Town Administrator Michael Yunits. The virus was found in a puddle of water near a swampy area that the state tested, but a specific location was not disclosed to the town, Yunits said. State officials advise residents to limit their activity after dusk, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, and remove excess water from trash can lids, tires, wheelbarrows, and wading pools. Officials also encourage residents to wear insect repellent containing DEET.

- Franci Richardson Ellement

JACOBS SCHOOL GETS TOTAL TRANSFORMATION - Students returned to a newly renovated and bigger Jacobs Elementary School this month. "We opened the new school smoothly and it's absolutely gorgeous," said Assistant Superintendent Joy Turpie. "Everybody is very excited." Fifth-graders are back at the school, as is the preschool. The Jacobs also made room for four classes from the South Shore Collaborative's special needs program, which includes several children from Hull. Those classes had been in Norwell, and the move will save Hull money it would have spent on transportation, Turpie said. The elementary school also has a new science program, new reading curriculum for kindergarten and an anti-bullying curriculum. - Johanna Seltz

OFFICE-LIMITS MEASURE DELAYED - The Board of Selectmen has withdrawn a proposal to restrict elected town office holders to one office from a Special Town Meeting scheduled for Oct. 1. The proposal will be delayed until the annual Town Meeting in the spring to give residents more time to consider the issue. A divided board voted two months ago to put the proposal, introduced by Selectman Mark Beaton, before Town Meeting. The proposal was opposed by Selectman Dennis Randall, who also serves on the town's elected Planning Board.

- Robert Knox

FUND-RAISER FOR NEW PLAYGROUND - The group Marshfield Kids At Play plans to host a golf tournament on Oct. 27 at the Marshfield Country Club. Registration is now open for teams and individuals; it costs $150 per golfer and $600 for a four-player team. Proceeds from the event will be used to build a new community playground. Entry forms are available on the town's website, www.townofmarshfield.org. The deadline to register is Oct. 10. For more information, call 781-837-2958. - Emily Sweeney

A VOTE ON RETIREMENT - Milton Special Town Meeting voters will be asked to help Antonio Pickens, the firefighter who was left disabled after being struck by a car while helping a motorist last year. Article 1 is a home-rule petition that would allow Pickens to retire early, on a disability pension that is the equivalent of his firefighter's salary. The petition would still need to be passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor. The Special Town Meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20 at the high school.

- Matt Carroll

NEW PROGRAM AIDS YOUNG STUDENTS - The School Committee tomorrow will hear a presentation on a new program, Response to Intervention, set to be implemented this fall. According to School Superintendent Donald J. Beaudette, the program is designed to identify kindergartners through second-graders who are experiencing math or reading problems and provide them with additional support instead of placing them in special education. The district has hired four tutors for the program. Director of student services James LaBillois, who is overseeing the program, will make the presentation. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the High School Little Theater. - John Laidler

FREEZE-FRAMING PEMBROKE - The public library is offering townspeople a chance to demonstrate their pride in Pembroke and their photographic talents. The library is seeking submissions for an October exhibition of photographs of Pembroke. The exhibition is part of the library's celebration of the 10th anniversary of its building. All photos must be original works. A prize will be awarded for the most popular photo. Submissions will be accepted at the library Sept. 22 through 28.

- John Laidler

TAKING ACTION ONLINE - Town officials recently launched a Citizens Action Center on the town's website. It can be accessed by visiting www.plymouth-ma.gov and clicking on the blue box labeled "Citizens Information and Inquiry," on the upper right-hand corner of the page. From there, residents can report potholes, request sidewalk repairs and get information on the town's recycling program, among other things. The Action Center will allow users - both residents and officials - to track requests and complaints as they are handled. Patrick O'Brien, special assistant to the town manager, said the new service "will really allow residents and staff to have greater interaction and solve problems in an efficient fashion." - Emily Sweeney

A NEW PLAN FOR FINANCE POST - Quincy city councilors are expected to discuss on Sept. 22 a proposal by Mayor Thomas P. Koch to create the position of a municipal finance director to beef up oversight and management of the city's finances. The city auditor has been performing many of those duties, according to the mayor and Councilors Jay Davis of Ward 4 and Brian F. McNamee of Ward 6. However, the auditor reports to the City Council, which creates split loyalties, noted the councilors. The auditor's post is currently unfilled. Under Koch's plan, the auditor would maintain oversight under jurisdiction of the council. - Matt Carroll

CLAMORING TO LEARN ENGLISH - More than 120 people are on a waiting list to learn English through the Randolph Community Partnership. Many have been waiting for more than a year, said Karen McCabe, the organization's educational counselor. The free classes, open to any Massachusetts resident, run from September to June on Tuesday and Thursday nights at Randolph High School. Computer and citizenship classes also are available to the students. The organization, which receives 80 percent of its funding through a grant from the state Department of Education, has eight teachers for 112 students, but would hire more if it had the money. So it is holding a spaghetti dinner fund-raiser on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church at 120 North Main St. The dinner will also introduce the organization's new executive director, Marlene Archer. Archer, who takes over for Gloria Watanabe, was public service coordinator for the Boston Computer Society, where she created several programs serving nonprofit groups and low-income individuals. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children. For tickets or more information, call 781-961-8888. - Wendy Chow

LOW MILEAGE, ONLY DRIVEN TO FIRES - If that oversized SUV still isn't enough vehicle for you, consider how you'd feel behind the wheel of a bright-red firetruck - say, the 1979 Farrar pumper truck up for bid by the Rockland Fire Department. The truck has 22,237 miles on it and has to go because of its age. According to Town Administrator Allan R. Chiocca, "I assume the bid will be probably someplace under $10,000." Deputy Fire Chief William Ferguson suggested the truck might appeal to a hobbyist or a small business looking to run it in parades and at other public events. The truck is available for inspection Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Rockland Fire Department, 360 Union St. To view it, call 781-878-2123. Sealed bids must be received at the Board of Selectmen's office, 242 Union St., Rockland, 02370, by 10 a.m. Oct. 2. And the Fire Department wants the truck removed by Oct. 17.

- Steve Hatch

IT'S A START FOR GANNETT ROAD PATH - The town recently awarded a $45,640 contract to the Horsley Witten Group of Sandwich to design a proposed walking and biking path on town-owned property along Gannett Road. The annual Town Meeting this year approved the expenditure of $550,000 from the town's Community Preservation Fund to pay for design and construction of the project. According to public works director Albert Bangert, Horsley Witten will conduct a land survey of the site over the next two weeks. Then there will be a public meeting on Oct. 16 to gather input from neighbors and other residents on the design of the path. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the GAR Hall, 353 Country Way. The town hopes to begin construction of the path sometime next spring.

- John Laidler

SWAPPING WAR STORIES OVER LUNCH - A military veterans group is inviting all veterans to get together for lunch the third Wednesday of every month. "We want veterans from all walks of life, whether they're affiliated with a group or not," said organizer Joseph McElroy, the commander of the Lieutenant Ralph Talbot Disabled American Veterans Chapter 65. "There are a lot of shut-ins or near shut-ins out there who get depressed and are isolated. The main reason for the luncheons is to see if veterans are interested in getting out of the house and talking with comrades they have something in common with. We're committed to doing this for four months, and we'll see whether folks show up." The first luncheon is this Wednesday at noon at the Hearth 'n Kettle, 151 Main St. Cost is $16. More information is available by calling McElroy at 781-383-0505 or Paul Salvas at 781-337-0533.

- Johanna Seltz

VOTE ON GROOMING BUSINESS DELAYED - A hearing on a building to house a dog grooming and kennel service proposed for Carver Center has been continued to Oct. 7 after Planning Board members raised questions about details of the proposal. Cynthia and Wayne Miller, of 82 Main St., have proposed constructing a 6,000-square-foot office building and dog kennel for 32 dogs on the lot where they live. Though the town center is zoned for general business uses, Planning Board members expressed concerns about the size of the project, the noise potential, the need for buffering the project from neighbors, and the design of the structure. The board suggested the Millers meet with planning director Jack Hunter to discuss these issues before the hearing resumes. - Robert Knox

TURNING WOOD INTO WONDERS - If it's artwork made of wood, chances are you can find it today at the Striar Jewish Community Center's Perkins Gallery. Members of the Massachusetts South Shore Woodturners will gather for "Evolution by Revolution," an exhibit of their work, which ranges from handmade chairs and bowls to restored church steeples. "These people just love creating with wood," said Cindy Kaplan, the gallery's curator. "They have an unbelievable passion for it." She said artists will answer questions and give public demonstration of their skills starting at 3 p.m. The community center is at 445 Central St. - Robert Carroll