Library fund-raiser in Burlington

HONORING VETERANS - The School Department is inviting the public to its annual Memorial Day observance at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the high school's Frederick F. Foresteire Center for the Performing Arts. This year's event will be hosted by students from the Whittier and Webster schools, who will perform a pageant and patriotic songs under the direction of music teachers Jorunn and Maciej Kaczmarek. The ceremony will include an opening tribute to Everett's veterans by Foresteire, the school superintendent; and a presentation by students to two Everett residents who were prisoners of war: Joseph DiCato and Anthony Badolato. A special presentation of high school diplomas will be made to several local veterans who left high school for military service before they could complete their academic requirements.

MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTES - The city's annual Memorial Day observances, which will include a ceremony and a parade, will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the foyer of City Hall. The Lynn Public School Band and local tenor Brian Landry will perform. Light refreshments will be served. World War II veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor Emery Arsenault, of Lynn, who will be chief marshal at the parade, will be honored at the ceremony. The parade will take place on May 25 at 1:30 p.m. As in past years, it will begin on Market Street and proceed through City Hall Square, then to North Common Street, Park Street, and Boston Street, ending in front of Pine Grove Cemetery. - John Laidler

ONLINE HISTORY LESSONS - Teachers from Everett, Malden, and Medford on Tuesday will demonstrate new online lessons in American history at the Boston Public Library. The lessons were developed as part of "Voices Rising: Assimilation and the American Experience," a project funded by a $1 million grant from the US Department of Education. The Tri-City Technology Educational Collaborative, based in Malden, used the three-year grant to develop a Web-based curriculum for public school districts in each city. The Boston Public Library, Suffolk University, and the National Park Service provided resources for teachers to develop curriculum. The event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Abbey Room at the library.

MUTUAL AID MADE OFFICIAL - The City Council last week approved a request from Police Chief Leo A. Sacco to adopt the state law that allows police departments to provide mutual aid to other communities. Medford police have been providing assistance for years, but no one could find the law on the books. So Sacco asked the council to make it official. He said area police departments now work more closely than ever, on everything from private details to homeland security. Police also provide emergency response. On a recent Saturday, Medford police responded to a call for help from police in Belmont, where a party had gotten out of control. Medford police also have provided help to Boston police for Red Sox and Celtics victory parades, Sacco said. - Kathy McCabe

TOBACCO VIOLATION HEARING - The Board of Aldermen tomorrow will hold a public hearing to decide if Walgreens on Main Street should have its permit to sell tobacco products suspended. A suspension of seven consecutive business days is proposed for the store's alleged violation of selling tobacco products to minors under age 18. The hearing is scheduled for 8 p.m. in the aldermen's chamber at City Hall. - Kathy McCabe

MARIJUANA FINE PASSES - Joining the ranks of dozens of communities across the state that have imposed stiff new fines for smoking marijuana in public, Town Meeting members passed an ordinance May 4 that calls for a $300 fine for lighting up on public property. The vote brings the penalty in line with the fine for public alcohol consumption. Town Meeting members also passed an $83.3 million budget among the 20 warrant articles on the agenda.

ENERGY PROJECTS APPROVED - The City Council last Monday authorized the city to borrow $10,303,616 for a series of energy conservation and alternative energy-related improvements to various school buildings. Councilors also awarded a contract in that amount to Ameresco, Inc., to carry out the work. The largest project will be repairing the roof of the Beachmont School. Councilors also approved a $575,000 bond order to cover engineering services for a sewer and storm water drain system planning project. In other business, the council approved an application by Maria and Jay Epsimos, of Revere, to renew a permit to construct a two-level parking garage for the future development of a 65-unit condominium at 71 North Shore Road. It also approved an application by Jay Epsimos to convert an existing former motel at the site into an adult day care center. - John Laidler

ARSENIC CONTAMINATION FOUND - Somerville city officials recently found traces of arsenic while testing soil to expand the Highland Road Garden by the Community Path. According to a message sent to nearby residents, analysts think the contamination stemmed from weed-killers used when the path was a railroad. The city is working with the state to get the dirt clean, wrote city spokesman Tom Champion in an e-mail. In the meantime, temporary fencing and signs have been put up to keep people out. A new condo development is set to lengthen the Community Path along the disused rail bed. - Danielle Dreilinger

TEACHING JOBS - The Stoneham public school system has posted several openings for the 2009-2010 academic year. The district is seeking high school English, earth science, and biology/health teachers as well as middle school science, math, social studies, health, and English/reading teachers. The district is also advertising several vacancies in the special education department, ranging from speech and language pathologist to school psychologist, and is seeking new directors of elementary education and instructional technology. For a complete list of vacancies and details on how to apply, visit www.stonehamschools.net. - Brenda Buote

TRASH TOTER DELIVERY - Residents late this month will begin receiving the 64-gallon wheeled containers that will be used in the town's new automated trash collection. The town's trash contractor, Allied Waste, will deliver a cart to each household. Starting with their July trash days, residents will be asked to place their trash curbside in the toters. Under the new automated system, a one-person vehicle equipped with a mechanical arm will empty the container. A 64-gallon cart can hold three to five trash bags. (Condominium residences will each receive a 35-gallon toter). Residents will have to purchase a $5 sticker from Allied Waste for each bag that does not fit in their toter. Recyclables will continue to be collected separately every other week. Tewksbury, Billerica, Burlington, and Tyngsborough are all moving to automated trash collection through new contracts they jointly negotiated with Allied Waste. The automated system is designed to save money for the towns by allowing them to gain favorable contract terms and increase recycling rates. - John Laidler

CARNEY TO LEAD BOARD - In its annual post-election reorganization meeting last Monday, the Board of Selectmen chose John F. Carney to serve as its chairman for the coming year. The general manager of the Worcester Regional Transit Authority, Carney is in the fifth year of his second stint on the board. He previously served from 1972 to 1981. This marks his sixth time serving as chairman over the years. "I'm happy to serve in that capacity," he said. "We've got a good board and I'm looking forward to working with the other members in solving the problems that are before us during these difficult fiscal times." Selectmen also chose Albert J. Turco to serve as vice chairman and welcomed Paul R. DiNocco, its newest member. Turco and DiNocco won a five-way race for two seats at the April 28 annual town election.

MULTICULTURAL WORKSHOP - The Winchester Multicultural Network is sponsoring a two-part workshop for town employees this Wednesday and next from 8:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the meeting room at the Winchester Public Library. Titled "Race: The Power of an Illusion," the series will be facilitated by a multicultural consultant and educator who will explore how the concept and perception of race have evolved and the role it has played in possible disparities in social, economic, and political systems. The workshop is funded through a Community Health Network Alliance grant awarded to the Winchester Multicultural Network. To make reservations, e-mail Town Clerk Mary Ellen Lannon at melannon@winchester.us. - Bella Travaglini

CLEARING WAY FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH - The City Council Tuesday will hold a public hearing on a zoning amendment proposed by Alderman Michael Raymond that would allow biomedical research facilities by right in the city's industrial and office park areas. The hearing follows the council's vote on April 28 to create a biomedical oversight committee. City Clerk William Campbell said the two measures are designed to provide clear standards for companies that want to conduct biomedical research in the city. In other business, the council will continue a public hearing into a special permit application by Robert McSheffrey to operate a fast food business and to allow used car sales at 891 Main St. It will continue another hearing into a request by Woburn Properties LLP, which is owned by Cummings Properties, for a special permit to erect a commercial building at 8 Cabot Road. - John Laidler

BRIDGE REOPENS - The Highland Street Bridge, which connects the town to Mill Road in Ipswich, reopened on May 8. The bridge had been closed since the Mother's Day storm in 2006. The cost of repairs was $3.3 million. - David Rattigan

YOUTH EXPLORE THE SEA - Local children will get a taste of the region's maritime past with the help of a grant. The National Park Foundation awarded $15,000 to the Salem Maritime National Historic Site and the Essex National Heritage Area to sponsor children from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem in maritime-related activities this summer. Children will take part in programs at the maritime site; a summer camp aboard The Fame of Salem, a privately owned replica of a 19th-century schooner; and field trips to Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site and other National Parks. The foundation, a charitable organization, awarded 35 grants nationwide through its America's Best Idea program, which supports efforts to connect people, notably underserved populations, with national parks. - John Laidler

ECONOMIC ROUNDTABLE - Democratic state Representative Ted Speliotis will hold an open meeting to discuss the effect of the economic meltdown on Massachusetts towns in his district. The meeting will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. tomorrow in the main meeting room of the Town Library. The event will allow residents to learn about the impact of declining tax revenues on services and revenue sharing and options to soften the blow. A Q&A session will follow opening remarks. Call 978-887-0565.