Help with Bicentennial planning

The Board of Selectmen recently appointed four residents to the town's Bicentennial Committee, officials said. The committee, which includes the town clerk and town treasurer, is responsible for preparing celebrations for Berlin's 200th anniversary in 2012. The committee is meeting now because officials expect it will take a few years to raise enough money to hold a series of events over the course of the year, officials said. Selectmen are still looking for more residents to sit on the committee, however. For more information, contact the selectmen's office at 978-838-2442.

- John Dyer

TOWN ADMINISTRATOR VACANCY - The town has received about 50 resumes from jobseekers applying for the vacant position of town administrator, as a search process gets underway to replace Jodi Ross. Linda Day, the town secretary, said a screening committee has already met once to begin the search process and begin sifting through the resumes. Day said the aim is to have the new administrator step into the position in December. Ross started her new position, as town administrator for Westford, last month.

- Matt Gunderson

PROGRESS ON SCHOOL WORK - Plans for work on the Tahanto Regional Middle/High School are moving ahead, as school officials search for a project manager this fall. The school has received eight responses to its advertisement for the post and the expectation is to have the position filled by Nov. 1, according to the district's website. At the same time, school officials will soon set up a citizen input process to weigh the school's educational needs as part of the building project. The project has not yet been approved for reimbursement by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. - Matt Gunderson

FLU SHOT CLINICS - The town's Emergency Response Corps will offer a flu clinic on Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Joseph P. Keefe Technical School as part of a drill exercise. The corps is a group of volunteers who assist the town in emergency planning in the event of natural or man-made disasters. Flu shots will be available to Framingham residents ages 2 and up, said Kitty Mahoney, a nurse with the Board of Health. The board will also be giving flu shots, along with pneumonia and tetanus shots if needed, on Nov. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Callahan Senior Center, at 535 Union Ave. There will be two additional flu clinics offered on Nov. 22, at Framingham High School, 115 A St., and the McCarthy School, 8 Flagg Drive, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Both of those flu clinics are for ages 2 and up. Children under 18 should be accompanied by an adult, Mahoney said. The Joseph P. Keefe Technical School is at 750 Winter St. Flu shots are free, but residents over age 65 should bring medical insurance cards. Call the Board of Health at 508-532-5470 for more information. - Tanya Pérez-Brennan

FOOD FROM ANGELS - Grace Baptist Church on River Road has partnered with Angel Food Ministries, a Georgia-based nonprofit organization, to provide food for local residents in need of assistance. Anyone can order a box of food for $30 that would be worth around $80 if purchased in a supermarket, said Jean Coyne, administrative coordinator at the church. The boxes will be available to be picked up within a few weeks. There is no limit to the amount of boxes people can order. Seniors can order food for $25. The deadline is next Sunday. For more information, contact Coyne at 978-562-8550. - John Dyer

FIRE DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE - The Fire Department is having an open house today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The program is aimed at teaching fire safety and rescue procedures to children and adults. Firefighters will demonstrate how to properly use fire extinguishers. There will also be a simulated "smoke house" that shows children how to escape from a fire. Officials will also demonstrate how they rescue victims from a serious auto accident by cutting up a real car with tools such as the Jaws of Life. For more information call 781-259-8114. - John M. Guilfoil

DELAY ON TOWN HOUSE PROPOSAL - Local developer Gary White is halting his application for a 19-unit town house project on Lincoln Street in order to explore a new entryway to the site, said White's lawyer, Arthur Bergeron. White was considering building a driveway into the development via Lincoln Street, but that area sits on a hill and could be dangerous in the winter, said Bergeron. He is now considering building an entrance on Broad Street, said the lawyer. Finalizing a possible purchase of a small amount of land and drafting plans for a new access point would take a few weeks, and White would then resubmit his application to the City Council for a permit to begin construction, Bergeron said. - John Dyer

WARRANT ARTICLES - The issues facing Special Town Meeting on Oct. 27 include requests for $350,000 to pay for a feasibility study of the Maynard High School building project, and $150,000 for Town Hall repairs. There will also be a number of zoning measures, including amendments to the fence, apartment, and home occupation bylaws. The session is to convene at 7 p.m. in the Fowler Middle School auditorium. - Matt Gunderson

SENIOR CENTER ON THE RISE - Construction work on the town's new $5.9 million senior center is running smoothly, said Kelly Burke, the Council on Aging director. The foundation has been laid for the Bearfoot Road center and the walls are now going up, she said. Burke said she expects the senior center to be completed on schedule next fall. Town Meeting and voters approved spending on the new center in April. The town's current senior center on Centre Drive can accommodate around 40 people, while the new center is expected to have room for 200, Burke said.

- John Dyer

TRUST FUND SEEKS TAKERS - The town's Trust Fund Commission is seeking people who could use some financial assistance. The commission manages a budget of around $2 million, said chairman Nicholas McCoy, with two-thirds of the sum covering perpetual maintenance of the town's cemeteries, and the balance set aside to help residents in need of help. Recently, however, the commission has received fewer applications for grants. Residents who need money for home heating oil, medical expenses, or other one-time costs are especially encouraged to apply, said McCoy. For the past few years, the commission has given out $5,000 annually, he said. Commission members would like to give out as much as $15,000 a year in grants as large as $3,000. Interested residents should contact McCoy at 508-460-0218. - John Dyer

TALK OF ATHLETIC FIELDS - The Planning Board has started its examination of new athletic fields on Old Bolton Road, with concerns about noise and proper setbacks among some of the major issues raised by neighbors, said Karen Kelleher, the town's planning coordinator. The board's next hearing on the proposal is slated for 8:45 p.m. Tuesday in the Town Building. Stow voters opted to purchase the 13-acre property last fall for $1.2 million as a site for the sports fields.

- Matt Gunderson

NEW OPEN SPACE PLAN - The town's Open Space and Recreation Plan Update Committee has drafted a four-year plan meant to further Sudbury's goals of preservation and conservation. There will now be a 45-day comment period, during which residents can provide reactions to the committee's proposal. Reference copies of the draft are available at most town offices, as well as online at sudbury.ma.us, with the comment period ending Nov. 21. - John M. Guilfoil

HOW MUCH IS YOUR HOUSE WORTH? - The town has an online tool to help residents obtain assessment information on their properties. The tool, available at www.wayland.ma.us, is an interactive map showing town features that play a role in assessed values, including locations of schools, parks, and conservation space. It also allows zooming in on different parts of town to find more detailed information about neighborhoods. For more information, contact town surveyor Alf Berry at aberry@wayland.ma.us. or 508-358-3655. - John M. Guilfoil

A BOARD FOR BUSINESS - Selectmen are proposing a new committee to oversee the town's relationship with local businesses. As described in an article placed on the warrant for the Oct. 20 Special Town Meeting, the Economic Development Committee would have 10 members, with two local business owners joining various town officials. The committee's members would act as liaisons to Westborough's business community and seek to promote commercial growth in town. The committee would also have $10,000 to spend on promotional materials to attract businesses to town. Because the committee would be a permanent panel, Town Meeting must approve its creation. - John Dyer

DANCING WITH THE PIGS - The Trustees of Reservations is celebrating the opening of its 100th property, Cormier Woods in Uxbridge, with a slew of celebrations across the state, including one Saturday at Powisset Farm in Dover. "Dancing With the Pigs: Powisset Contra Dance" will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. at the farm, 39 Powisset St., and will feature a local band, White Squalls, contra-dance caller Linda Leslie, refreshments, and other activities. For more information call 508-785-0339. - Anna Fiorentino

QUESTIONS ABOUT PIGEONS - A flap over getting rid of pigeons in the town's Department of Public Works yard continued as town health officials and a representative from a pest control firm addressed questions about the safety and cost of the effort. Richard Hatfield, with Waltham Services Inc., said 24 pounds of corn kernels coated with Avitrol were placed three times in the DPW yard and on the facility's roof. The firm hasn't been able to determine how many pigeons are flocking there, said Hatfield, adding that no dead birds have been found. Teamsters Local 25, which represents DPW workers, has filed grievances with the town over the continued presence of pigeons roosting in the yard, citing health concerns. Gerry Godin, a union spokesman, told Driscoll in a memo last week the union feels satisfied that the use of Avitrol, a chemical agent that is used to frighten flocks away by causing birds to emit distress sounds, is not a threat to workers. - Christina Pazzanese