Dairy farm's future

Selectmen will hold a hearing at 6:30 tomorrow night to discuss the future of Griffin's Dairy, a 62-acre parcel off Plymouth Street purchased by the town for $750,000 in 1998. The board will hear proposals from three committees, including the Griffin's Dairy Committee, which favors using the land for walking paths and recreation; the Save Griffin's Farm Committee, which wants the land left as open space; and the Abington Middle School site selection committee, which hopes to secure 7 acres for the construction of a new school. The meeting will be held at the Paul K. Smith Music Room at Abington High School. - Robert Carroll

MAYOR'S SALARY SET - The new mayor, Joseph C. Sullivan, will receive a salary of $105,262. Special Town Meeting voters approved the initial salary for the new job at the top level of the executive secretary's pay grade, according to Town Accountant Kevin Flynn. - Matt Carroll

POLICY ON BULLYING APPROVED - The schools have a new eight-step policy for handling bullying, developed by a committee of parents and faculty from all the schools. "We recognized that we didn't have any consistent manner in which we were dealing with incidents of bullying and harassment in the district," said Michael Gill, assistant principal of Cohasset Middle High School and chairman of the committee, before the School Committe approved the policy this month. The process includes investigating an incident, contacting parents of both parties, and developing an action plan. The policy does not provide standard penalties for bullying, since the circumstances differ so much, Gill said. Schools plan to train faculty and students and to hold a forum for parents to discuss bullying, violence prevention, and the new policy, he said. - Johanna Seltz

SCHOOL SPENDING ON AGENDA - Local legislators will attend the School Committee's hearing on next year's school budget, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday in Room 104 at the Alden School. Superintendent of Schools Susan Skeiber will present her recommendation for spending and the board will decide on a budget to be offered to Town Meeting in March. State Senator Robert Hedlund, state Representative Daniel Webster, and Representative Thomas Calter will attend the meeting to discuss coming legislation related to school budgets and finance. The School Committee has scheduled a vote on the superintendent's recommendations for Dec. 12. - Robert Knox

THANKSGIVING HIKE - Are you looking to burn off those Thanksgiving Day calories? The North and South Rivers Watershed Association has scheduled a Thanksgiving Weekend Walk for 1 p.m. today along the Hanover Greenway. The guided, 2-mile walk through woods and over a 40-foot-long footbridge will encompass Clark Bog and pass into the 70-acre King Street parcel, which was acquired by the town this year. Watershed association member and Hanover resident Doug Thompson will lead the walk. "The Hanover Greenway is a hidden gem," said Samantha Woods, director of the association. Hikers may register right up until 1 p.m. The walk will step off at Ellis Field, located at the junction of Circuit and Summer streets. The suggested donation is $5. - Robert Carroll

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION - Santa Claus is coming to town on a fir truck, as usual, for the 25th annual Christmas in the Square celebration. Hingham's own Santa, Bob Beal, has been growing his white beard all year to get ready. He's scheduled to arrive at 6:30 p.m. and stay until 8 on Dec. 7 so he can listen to children's Christmas wishes. Streets will be closed to traffic in the square as choral groups perform and stores stay open and offer special holiday treats. The festivities are to continue the next day, with free horse-drawn hayrides, musical performances, and children's activities. Old Derby Academy at 34 Main St. will house the Festival of Trees, a display of decorated trees and gingerbread houses that will be auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting the Mother's Club Scholarship Fund. A schedule can be viewed at discoverhingham.com. - Johanna Seltz

TECH SCHOOL HONORS BOARD MEMBER - The man who repeatedly has been elected as the Holbrook representative on the Blue Hills Regional Technical School Committee was honored last week with a party and dedication for his 29 years of service, Town Administrator Michael Yunits said. William T. Buckley, who was a principal at Holbrook High School between 1961 and his retirement in 1983, was honored with a party and the dedication of a meeting room - the William T. Buckley District School Committee Board Room. The school, which is in Canton, accepts students from nine communities south of Boston and offers training in 14 technical disciplines, along with an academic education. Buckley graduated from Abington High School in 1940 and is a veteran of the Army Air Corps. He received his bachelor's degree at the College of the Holy Cross and his master's degree in education from Bridgewater State College, Yunits said. - Franci Richardson Ellement

LIGHT PLANT MANAGER HIRED - The town has hired Richard Miller as its new light plant manager. Miller has been the interim manager, filling in for longtime manager John MacLeod, who retired and then briefly returned when his first replacement quit. Miller worked for the light department from 1974 to 1985, starting as an apprentice and becoming a lead lineman, according to Town Manager Philip Lemnios. Miller left for private business and was vice president of Halpin Line Construction, the subcontractor that provides the line crew for Hull Light. Miller, a Hull resident, will be paid $122,500 a year, Lemnios said. - Johanna Seltz

FIRST PRODUCTION ON NEW STAGE - The Silver Lake Regional High School drama program will present its musical production of "The Secret Garden," a play based on the classic children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, at 7 p.m. Thursday at the high school on Pembroke Street in Kingston. Directed by music teacher Kelley DePasqua and English teacher Heather Bates, the production includes a cast of 31 actors and 20 stagehands. The musical, the first production in the auditorium of the new Silver Lake High School, completed last year, also will be performed at 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. next Sunday. Tickets are $6 for students and senior citizens, and $8 for general admission. - Robert Knox

PLANNING BOARD SEAT OPEN - The Planning Board has an open seat. Residents interested in applying to become an associate board member may send a letter of interest, by Dec. 13, to the Marshfield Planning Board, 870 Moraine St., Marshfield 02050. For more information, call 781-834-5554. - Emily Sweeney

ANIMAL SHELTER EYES NEW SITE - Members of the Milton Animal League are considering building a shelter in a new location after their hopes to build on the Governor Stoughton property sustained a setback. League president Nancy Bersani said the organization reluctantly is planning to build on the Department of Public Works property on Randolph Avenue. The state Division of Public Charities took a cool view to the organization building on its first choice, the Governor Stoughton property, according to Selectwoman Marion V. McEttrick, who met with a division official about the proposed building. The selectmen are the overseers of the Governor Stoughton property trust, which was established in the 1700s for the benefit of the poor. - Matt Carroll

TALK ON THE PILGRIMS - After this week's Thanksgiving celebrations, residents have an opportunity to gain some historical insights about the Pilgrims from a local expert. The Council on Aging tomorrow will present a talk by Norwell resident Darlene Beauvais, who formerly served for 10 years as a staff horticulturist at Plimoth Plantation. Beauvais will discuss the Pilgrim's historic adventure in the New World, and the importance of gardens to their survival. The program, free and open to the public, will begin at 1 p.m. in the Senior Center at 293 Pine St. Anyone who has not already signed up and would like to attend is asked to call the center tomorrow morning at 781-549-7878. - John Laidler

NEW LOCATION FOR RECYCLING - The town is planning to relocate its recycling center. The state is requiring the town to remove the five buildings that make up the existing center, at the town landfill off Hobomock Street, to make way for the project to cap the landfill. That project, which consists of placing layers of material on top of the landfill to keep contaminants from migrating off the site, is expected to begin next April, according to health agent Fred Leary. The new center will be located on a 6- to 8-acre site adjacent to the landfill. Work is to begin next week on construction of an approximately 900-square-foot steel building that will serve as the princi pal facility for the new center. The town awarded a $46,000 contract to Probuilt Construction of Marshfield. Leary said the new center, which initially will consist of the steel building and an existing, smaller wood-frame building, is expected to begin operation in January. He said future requests will be put before Town Meeting to fund additional buildings for the center. - John Laidler

RESTORING WETLANDS - The Department of Public Works is looking for volunteers to help plant new shrubs and trees along the Eel River. This work is part of the Eel River headwaters restoration project, and is scheduled to start next year. Those interested in helping may sign up online. For more information, visit the town's website, plymouth-ma.gov, and click on the DPW Environmental Management Division's webpage. - Emily Sweeney

AFFORDABLE RENTS AVAILABLE - For those looking to rent an affordable apartment, Neponset Landing, a new 12-story, 280-unit apartment building at 2 Hancock St., will have 28 units rented at affordable prices to households with incomes at or below 80 percent of the local median income, according to the city. Current residents will get preference for 19 of the 28 units. One-bedroom units will rent for $1,004, two-bedroom units at $1,208. Maximum incomes for households range from $46,300 for one person to $66,150 for four people. A public information workshop will be held at 7 p.m Thursday in the second-floor conference room in City Hall. Completed applications are due by Jan. 1. The apartments will be ready for occupancy in March. - Matt Carroll

COMCAST COMMENTS - With Comcast's license to provide cable television to customers in town set to expire in October, the Board of Selectmen will hold a hearing Monday night to discuss the cable company's performance and customer service. The session is to offer residents a chance to tell town officials what they want from their cable provider and discuss the company's support of local cable-access programming. The hearing is set for 7:30 p.m. in the selectmen's meeting room in Town Hall. - David Connolly

ADMINISTRATOR RETIRING - Town Administrator Bradley A. Plante announced last week that he will retire on Dec. 31, forcing the town to conduct a town administrator search for the second time in less than four months. Plante planned to retire in October after giving notice three months earlier, and in August he left early to use unused sick time he had accrued, worth close to $15,000. Before his official retirement date, however, he returned to Rockland, saying he would continue in the town administrator post. By then, selectmen had started a search that lured more than 40 applications for the post. Last week, Plante said that he will follow through on his retirement. He said he had to leave for personal reasons. - Milton Valencia

ART ASSOCIATION HOLIDAY FAIR - Local artists and craftspeople will display and sell their works in a festive atmosphere Saturday. The Scituate Art Association will present an "Arts Alive Holiday Sale" from noon to 4 p.m. at St. Mary's parish hall at Scituate Harbor. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the nonprofit association, which maintains an art gallery on Main Street, offers classes and exhibits at the historic Ellis House on Country Way, and organizes an annual studio tour. For more information on Saturday's event, visit scituateart.com. - John Laidler

HOLIDAY STROLL - The annual holiday stroll and tree-lighting ceremony will be held next Sunday and will feature a community sing. This year, the event is to start at 3 p.m. with a family movie, "The Santa Clause," in the auditorium of the Marie Chapman Middle School on Commercial Street. Following the movie, at about 4:30 p.m., the holiday stroll will take off from the entrance to the auditorium and wind around the rear of the school to Maple Street, and then Middle Street, ending at Town Hall in front of the tree. Songbooks will be distributed for a community carol sing, followed by a reading of " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas." As participants count down, Mayor David Madden will turn on the lights on the tree. Afterward, refreshments and pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available in the cafeteria of the Abigail Adams Middle School, behind Town Hall. The event is sponsored by the town. - Johanna Seltz