Globe West Community briefing
ACTON
Town officials are asking residents for help identifying the most important health needs facing the community. The town received a planning grant to gather input about ways to make Acton a healthier community. As a part of that process, a steering committee has developed a survey that is available on the town’s website, www.acton-ma.gov. The survey asks people to rate the importance of topics such as physical wellness, mental health, transportation, nutrition, and public health and education. Residents should complete the survey by March 12. - Jennifer Fenn LeffertsAYER
GRANT FOR ENERGY AUDIT - The state Department of Energy Resources has notified the town that it will receive a $150,000 grant for an energy audit aimed at improving efficiency and reducing utility costs. A contract is expected to be negotiated soon with Milwaukee-based BEDFORD
ROTARY TO SPRUCE UP CEMETERY - The Bedford Rotary Club appeared recently before the Board of Selectmen asking it to approve changes to the entrance to Shawsheen Cemetery, including installation of a sign, reconstruction of a stone wall, and the replacement of overgrown bushes. The Rotary Club has raised over $17,000 for the project. Selectmen voiced general approval for the plan but instructed the Rotary Club to also obtain permission from the town’s Historic Preservation Commission. Rotary Club members say they hope to have the project in time for the town’s Memorial Day ceremonies at the end of May. - Nancy Shohet WestBERLIN
FREE MAGIC SHOW - Residents are invited to attend a free performance by magician and juggler Scott Jameson at 3 p.m. March 14 at Berlin’s 1870 Town Hall. During the show, umbrellas will be plucked from thin air, a drawing will come to life, and basketballs will be spun. For details, visit Jameson’s website, www.scottjameson.com. - Jennifer Fenn LeffertsBOLTON
HEARING TUESDAY ON DAM REPAIRS - Town officials have completed a feasibility study aimed at addressing the deteriorating condition of the dam at Fyfeshire Pond. The state’s Office of Dam Safety mandated the study, which identifies two alternatives for dealing with the dam’s condition: repairing it or removing it. Residents are being asked which solution they want to pursue. The Conservation Commission is hosting a public hearing on the study Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Bolton Town Hall. - Matt GundersonBOXBOROUGH
POLICE CHIEF RETIRES - Police Chief Richard Vance retired last week, ending an 11-year-tenure in Boxborough. The Board of Selectmen recognized Vance during its meeting last week, thanking the chief for his service. His last day was Wednesday. The town is still searching for Vance’s replacement. - Jennifer Fenn LeffertsBOYLSTON
LIBRARY RENOVATION - Library officials have embarked on the first phase of renovations to the Boylston Public Library, with the work including cleaning and repairing the outside stonework and installing a new front entrance. The doorway will provide an appearance “more in keeping with the historic nature’’ of Boylston Center, according to a report posted on the library’s website, www.boylstonlibrary.org. - Matt GundersonCARLISLE
PHILOSOPHY FOR FREE - A three-part lecture and discussion series on the history of Western philosophy begins at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, and continues on March 10 and 17, at Gleason Public Library, 22 Bedford Road. Brandeis University professor Jason Giannetti will lead the sessions on the origins of philosophy in physics, religion, and myth before continuing on to the Athenian world of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; the relationship of philosophy to theology of the medieval period; and the modern trajectory of philosophy, beginning with Descartes, Hume, and Kant. The free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Council on Aging and the Friends of the Gleason Library. For more information, call 978-369-4898 or visit www.gleasonlibrary.org. - Nancy Shohet WestCONCORD
CANDIDATES NIGHT - The League of Women Voters of Concord-Carlisle is holding a public forum for candidates in the March 23 town election from 2 to 4 p.m. next Sunday at the Town House. The positions on the ballot are two seats on the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee, and the town moderator. - Jennifer Fenn LeffertsGROTON
CHURCH FAIR - You can shop for unique gifts and seasonal décor at the Union Congregational Church of Groton’s Spring Artisan/Craft Fair on March 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fair will showcase local artisans and crafters. Offerings will include pottery, wooden rabbits, artwork, home decorations, painted glassware, embroidered clothing and gifts, baby items, pet products, jewelry, herbs, Groton Minutemen lanterns, and much more. Refreshments and lunch will be available, as will goodies to go. All vendor spaces are taken. Admission is free. The fair is at the Union Congregational Church of Groton located at 218 Main St. (Route 119) on the corner of Willowdale Road. - John M. GuilfoilHARVARD
CARLSON ORCHARDS GETS GRANT - Carlson Orchards Inc., one of the oldest enterprises in town, recently received a grant of $15,000 from the state Department of Agricultural Resources to upgrade a refrigeration facility. Founded in 1936, Carlson has 140 acres under cultivation off Oak Hill Road. - Davis Bushnell HUDSON
STIMULUS FUNDS FOR LIBRARY WINDOWS - The town will receive $150,000 in federal stimulus money to fix energy-inefficient windows in the Hudson Public Library. “The main part of the library was built in 1905, and the addition was put on in 1967. Both parts have single-pane windows that are very drafty in the winter, and don’t offer UVB protection so it gets like a sauna in the summer,’’ said Kerin Shea, Hudson’s community development assistant. “Replacing them is a no-brainer.’’ The grant was approved on Feb. 17. The town will still have to draw up detailed plans for approval by the Historic District Commission. Shea said there should not be any interruption in library service. - Sarah ThomasLINCOLN
SELECTMEN OK LAND SALE - The joint effort between conservation groups and the town to save 21 acres of farmland on Old Sudbury Road took another step forward at last week’s Board of Selectmen meeting. The board voted to enter into a purchase agreement with owner Roy MacDowell to acquire the land for $3.1 million. Voters at the March 27 Town Meeting and at the polls the following Tuesday would need to approve a $1 million bond issue for the town to buy the land. The agreement is also contingent on private parties raising the difference between the town’s bond issue and the total price. - Adam J.V. Sell LITTLETON
SELECTMEN SEEK PARKING AID - The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously at its last meeting to help seek $2 million in federal and state funding to allow the MBTA to buy and develop the Nordblom parking lot for riders using the Littleton commuter rail station. The 8.5-acre site could accommodate 200 parking spaces, officials said. - Nancy Shohet West MARLBOROUGH
NOMINATE TOP HUMANITARIAN - The deadline is tomorrow to nominate a deserving individual to be Marlborough’s Humanitarian of the Year. The award, which began as the First Lady’s Humanitarian Award in 1986, is given every year at the Mayor’s Charity Ball, which will be held this year on March 20. The ball raises money for the Mayor’s Charity Fund, which assists residents in need. The award ceremony is always one of the highlights of the ball, said Krista Holmi, executive aide to Mayor Nancy Stevens. “We have gotten about 10 e-mails so far, nominating deserving humanitarians,’’ Holmi said. Nominations may be e-mailed to kholmi@marlborough-ma.gov or dropped off at the mayor’s office in City Hall, 140 Main St. For details on the Mayor’s Charity Ball, visit the city’s website, www.marlborough-ma.gov. - Sarah ThomasMAYNARD
AUDITIONS TOMORROW - Auditions for the Acme Theater production of “Blackpool and Parrish,’’ a fast-paced supernatural comedy by David Belke, will continue tomorrow at 7 p.m. at ArtSpace Maynard, 61 Summer St. Auditions will begin at 7 p.m. Five roles are being cast, and there is plenty of room for crew and usher volunteers as well. Dave Sheppard, who founded the Acme Theater Company in 1992, is directing the play. The award-winning theater company has been a launching pad for many careers in professional theater, including noted New York cabaret artist Julie Reyburn. But Sheppard stresses that hopefuls do not need experience to audition for a role. Acme’s current production, the thriller “Boy Gets Girl,’’ will continue to play weekends through March 13. For more details or to purchase tickets, call 978-823-0003 or visit www.acmetheater.com. - Sarah ThomasNORTHBOROUGH
CELL TOWER ON MAIN STREET - T-Mobile Northeast LLC is scheduled to present its request for a special permit to build a cellular communications tower on Route 20 to the Planning Board on Tuesday night. The cellphone carrier wants to erect a 120-foot, four-carrier wireless telecommunications pole at 265 Main St., on the eastern stretch of Route 20 in town. . Cell towers have been a source of controversy in Northborough in recent months, with Solomon Pond residents adamantly fighting National Grid’s plans to build a 125-foot cell tower on the utility company’s Bear Foot Road property. The same group of residents began a petition last month to create tighter restrictions on the setbacks required for cell towers near schools and residential areas. Tuesday’s public hearing on the T-Mobile tower will begin at 7 p.m. in Town Hall, 63 Main St. - Jennifer RoachPEPPERELL
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION - Kindergarten registration for the 2010-11 school year will take place at Varnum Brook Elementary School, 10 Hollis St., on Tuesday for last names beginning with A-L and Wednesday for last names beginning with M-Z. Registration is 9:30 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 2:30 p.m. each day. Registration will also be available from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday for those who cannot come later in the day. Registration packets should be picked up and all paperwork and documentation completed in advance. Packets may be obtained at the school office between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on school days. Call the school at 978-433-6722 for more information. - John M. GuilfoilWELL ADULT CLINIC - The Nashoba Associated Boards of Health will hold a Well Adult Clinic on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Pepperell Senior Center, 37
SHREWSBURY
DOG LICENSE DEADLINE - Tomorrow is the last day to renew dog licenses before fines are imposed. An additional $10 fee will be applied to all license renewals after tomorrow, Town Clerk Sandra Wright said, while new licenses will not be subject to the penalty. Dog owners are required to license pets older than 6 months, or face a $25 fine. The annual licenses cost $20, or $10 for spayed and neutered dogs, and a current rabies vaccination certificate is required. Residents operating a residential kennel may apply for licenses ranging from $50 to $125, depending on the number of dogs kept. Commercial kennel licenses must be arranged in a separate process. The town clerk’s office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. tomorrow. A license application form is available at www.shrewsbury-ma.gov. - James O’Brien TAX HIKE ON BALLOT TUESDAY - Residents will decide Tuesday whether to raise property taxes to help cover the cost of constructing a new middle school. While a state grant is expected to pay approximately half of the $47 million price tag to replace the Sherwood Middle School, the property tax increase would be instrumental in financing the balance. If the Proposition 2 1/2 override wins approval, the tax increase would take effect in 2014, officials said. The proposal was approved by Special Town Meeting voters on Feb. 9. For Tuesday’s vote, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For precinct poll locations, visit www.shrewsbury-ma.gov. Absentee ballots are due to the town clerk’s office at Town Hall by noon tomorrow. - James O’Brien
SOUTHBOROUGH
UNDERSTANDING AUTISM - Parents and residents of Southborough and Northborough interested in learning more about autism are invited to attend “Understanding Autism and How Research Can Help: An Overview of a Whole-Body Approach to Autism’’ on March 9. The event, hosted by the Northborough Southborough Special Education Parents Advisory Council, will feature a presentation by Dr. Martha Herbert, an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, a member of Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Morphometric Analysis, and director of a research program investigating neurodevelopmental disorders. The presentation begins at 6:45 p.m. in Room B124 at Algonquin Regional High School, 79 Bartlett St., Northborough. To sign up for the event, e-mail WeTranscend@partners.org. For more information, visit www.nspac.org. - Jennifer Roach STOW
OPENINGS ON BOARD OF SELECTMEN - The Board of Selectmen will see some turnover this spring as two incumbents, Kathleen Farrell and Ellen Sturgis, have announced they will not run for reelection. The last day to submit nomination papers for the May 11 town election is March 23. - Matt GundersonSUDBURY
SEEKING GRANT FOR ALS SERVICES - Fire chief Ken McLean is hoping for grant money to help bring advanced life support (ALS) services in-house after the town’s contracted ALS provider ended services. Emerson Hospital provided ALS services to several towns west of Boston, but cut back on the service Feb. 14. McLean applied in December for a grant to hire four new paramedics. McLean also has a proposal in the town’s fiscal 2011 override budget that would hire four new firefighters with ALS training. McLean said he expects to hear in April if his grant application was accepted. - Adam J.V. Sell WAYLAND
NEW AMNESTY CHAPTER - A new chapter of Amnesty International will hold its first meeting March 10 at Wayland Free Public Library. The new chapter, serving Lincoln, Sudbury, Wayland, and Stow, will join local chapters in Lexington and Concord. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and feature Joshua Rubenstein, the regional director of Amnesty International. - Adam J.V. SellWESTBOROUGH
© Copyright 2010 Globe Newspaper Company.
