Pantry donations sought

The Ashland Food Pantry is looking for a volunteer to help collecting food donations at the town's Post Office at 205 Main St. Volunteers must be able to pick up donations twice a week and deliver them to the community center at 162 West Union St. Anybody who is interested should contact Susan William at 508-881-0140 ext. 18. - Rachel Lebeaux

CENSUS FORMS COMING - Forms for the annual town census are being mailed to Bellingham's 6,200 households this month. The form asks residents to verify or update household details, and provides instructions on how to make any changes, corrections, additions, or deletions. Residents are asked to return their forms immediately either by mail, fax (508-657-2832) or at the town clerk's office in the Municipal Center, Bellingham Public Library's front desk, the Benjamin Franklin Bank branch inside counter, or St. Blaise Church's vestibule. Any resident who does not receive a form or has any questions is asked to contact the clerk's office at 508-657-2830. - Rachel Lebeaux

TOUR OF HISTORIC PREFAB HOMES - Paul Tedesco, president of the Dover Historical Society, and his son, Jim, have mapped out an architectural walking tour of the town's E.F. Hodgson Co. prefabricated homes. The map, available online at their website, hodgsonhouses.com, takes folks past the sites of historic Hodgson homes, Hodgson's gravestone, and the company's old factory. The company, which existed in Dover between 1892 and 1944, once advertised itself as "America's First Prefabricator" in mail-order catalogs shipped around the world. Back then, sales of the sectional, ready-cut homes competed with mail-order home giants including Sears Roebuck and Montgomery Ward. Last March, the Tedescos self-published "Portable and Prefabricated Houses of the Thirties," a history of Hodgson and his company. - Anna Fiorentino

COUTURE RETURNS FOR INTERIM - Robert Couture is settling into his temporary stint as head of the Dover-Sherborn school system, after being hired to serve as the interim superintendent while the regional district finds a replacement for Perry Davis, who retired last month. Couture, Davis's predecessor as the district's superintendent, began his new job last week and is scheduled to work until June 30. Meanwhile, a search committee, drawn from the Dover, Sherborn, and Dover-Sherborn Regional school boards, expects to decide on a permanent superintendent by Feb. 1. Public interviews with three finalists for the job have been scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, according to the superintendent's office. - Anna Fiorentino

BRUSH-BURNING PERMITS - The annual period for open burning of brush will begin Tuesday and extend through May 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone interested in obtaining a permit to burn brush should go to Fire Department headquarters at 600 King St. Even with a permit, residents are instructed to contact the Fire Department before noon on each day they plan to burn brush and provide the permit number. For more information, call the Fire Department at 508-528-2323. - Rachel Lebeaux

WARNING ON SCHOOL BUDGET - Superintendent Bradford Jackson said his initial budget presentation to the School Committee next month likely won't meet guidelines set by the town's Finance Committee. The Finance Committee has told town departments they will have to cut their budgets by 4.5 percent to balance the budget for the 2009 fiscal year, which starts July 1. Jackson said the directive would require a cut of about $460,000 for the schools, while simply maintaining this year's level of services would require an increase of about $1.5 million. "I'm a little pessimistic" about next year's budget," Jackson said. "I'm a little more worried about it this year than I have been in the past." - Calvin Hennick

REVIEWING SEWER, WATER RATES - The town's Department of Public Works board has begun its annual review of sewer and water rates in preparing for setting next year's figures. Hopkinton's treasurer, chief financial officer, and town manager will join DPW officials and their rate consultant in looking over the department's operations as part of the review. Once the review has been completed, the DPW will hold a public meeting before setting the rates for fiscal 2009, which starts July 1. - David Cogger

NECKLACES FOR KATRINA TRIP - Starting today, local Girl Scouts will be selling necklaces to raise funds for their April trip to Mississippi, where they will do volunteer work in areas still struggling to recover from Hurricane Katrina. The $10 necklaces will be on sale at Girlfriends' Boutique at 14 North Meadows Road. Scout leader Luanne Monahan said donations are also welcome and can be sent to Katrina Interest Group, 4 Stuart St., Medfield, MA 02052. - Calvin Hennick

TALK ON LOCAL HEROES - Dr. Charlie Clements, president of the worldwide Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, will speak Sunday at Medfield's First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church. Clements, a physician, human rights activist, and former Air Force pilot, will deliver a sermon entitled "Ordinary Heroes" about the efforts of a Unitarian minister from Wellesley, the Rev. Waitstaff Sharp, and his wife, Martha, in saving Jews from the Nazis in France in World War II. Services begin at 10:30 a.m. at First Parish, at 26 North St., next to Meetinghouse Pond. - Tom Coakley

REGISTRATION FOR PRIMARY - The last day for Medway residents to register to vote or change party enrollment for the Feb. 5 presidential primary is Wednesday, when registration hours will be extended to 8 p.m., according to the town clerk's office. The voting hours on Feb. 5 will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Medway Middle School gymnasium. For more information, visit the clerk's office in Town Hall, 155 Village St., or call 508-533-3204. - Rachel Lebeaux

BOARD OK'S ALERT SYSTEM - Just months after a situation prompted officials to put Milford High School into a lockdown, the School Committee has voted to purchase an automated emergency-notification system. AlertNow, which the district plans to implement as soon as possible, can send automated text or e-mail messages to all parents and educators within seconds in an emergency situation. It will also be used to pass along standard announcements, for instance to a parent whose child doesn't attend school. According to School Committee member Pacifico Decapua Jr., the committee first informally discussed AlertNow during a September meeting. It was made a priority after some school officials and parents complained they weren't informed about the October incident through the Reverse 911 call system, which is supposed to reach every household in town. The high school was locked down for about 45 minutes after two students said they might have seen a gun concealed by a classmate's shirt. Police made no arrests after investigating the report. The cost of AlertNow, $10,710 a year for three years, will be covered through the department's unanticipated retirement fund this year, and would become a separate line item on next year's school budget. - Anna Fiorentino

ICE CREAM AND BOOKS - The Clyde F. Brown Home and School Association will hold an ice cream social and book fair from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Clyde F. Brown Elementary School. The cost is $1. - Calvin Hennick

VOLUNTEER TO TEACH ENGLISH - A Framingham-based group, Literacy Unlimited, is seeking volunteers to work one-on-one teaching literacy skills to adults. The organization will offer training courses from 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Jan. 28, Feb. 4, 11, 25 and March 3 and 10 at the Morse Institute Library, 14 East Central St. Teaching experience is not necessary to be a tutor. For more information, or to register for tutor training, call 508-879-3570, ext. 214. - Erica Noonan

ORGANIZING MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS - An information session about the local medical reserve corps will be held at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Norfolk Public Library. The town is seeking residents to volunteer for the group, which would assist public safety and health officials in the event of a major emergency in town. A medical background is not required for volunteers, organizers have said, with a wide range of roles needing to be filled. Selectman Jim Lehan, chairman of the group's oversight board, said 60 to 70 residents have signed up for the corps, and he would like to see that number grow to at least 100. - Calvin Hennick

NEW GOAL FOR TOWN MEETING - Town Administrator Joseph Fernandes is predicting that a Special Town Meeting session once anticipated for between Thanksgiving and Christmas will likely be held next month. He said the meeting has been delayed while the town waits for the state Department of Revenue to certify the amount of Plainville's unspent cash from last year, which will be used to pay for new accounting software and part of the town's property revaluation. Fernandes said he also hopes to present residents with plans for new town offices and public safety headquarters. With the budget for next year already tight, though, Fernandes said he isn't "picking drapes just yet." - Calvin Hennick

CALL FOR CENSUS FORMS - The town clerk, Kelly McElreath, is urging residents to promptly return their local census forms. The forms, which were mailed last week, provide updated details about each household in town. The completed forms are due at McElreath's office within 10 days after being received by residents. - Calvin Hennick

LOCAL TRUST NOW TAX EXEMPT - Superintendent Jeffrey Marsden said he found out last week that the Wrentham Elementary Schools Trust, the district's fund-raising arm, has received 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Marsden said the designation, which allows a tax deduction on contributions, will help the district attract larger donations. Since the trust was started in the fall of 2006, it has brought in about $6,000 for the town's elementary schools. - Calvin Hennick

SAFE "SHARPS" DISPOSAL - The city sponsors a program to encourage the proper disposal of used syringes and lancets, often called "sharps" by health workers. Residents can drop off their sharps, placed in a plastic bottle or other container for safe handling, at Bouvier's Pharmacy, 515 Lincoln St. The pharmacy will provide a free container in exchange. The program was created to keep such materials out of the regular trash-disposal process, officials said. - Lisa Kocian

WEIGHING TRASH CHANGES - Amid questions about the feasibility and convenience of switching to an automated trash-collection system, the Board of Aldermen postponed further discussion of the city's next rubbish-removal contract to its Jan. 22 meeting. The proposed system would provide each household with a 64-gallon container, which would be picked up by a truck with an automated-arm system that can be operated by the driver. In an unofficial vote at its meeting Monday, 17 aldermen voted against the proposed contract, four voted for it, one abstained, and two were absent. The board sent a request to Mayor David Cohen to address its list of questions and concerns, which include the timing of the trash- and recyclables-collection contracts (currently two years apart), the inconvenience of making an appointment for bulky waste disposal, and the size of the trash barrel. - Rachana Rathi

SUPERINTENDENT APPOINTED - Northborough and Southborough School Committee members have appointed Charles Gobron as superintendent of their local and regional school districts. Gobron had been acting superintendent of the school districts, which includes Algonquin Regional High, since April, following the death of Superintendent Rosemary Joseph. In an announcement on Monday, School Committee members said their unanimous vote reflected their confidence in Gobron, who has worked in Northborough and Southborough schools since 1972, rising from the ranks of elementary and middle school teacher to director of curriculum and instruction. In 2006, Gobron earned a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. - John Dyer

JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL - The Westborough Area Jewish Community Center is sponsoring the Central Massachusetts Jewish Film Festival as part of its "Tapestry of Jewish Life" series. The first night of the festival will be Jan. 26, with an 8 p.m. showing of "Making Trouble," a film about six Jewish female comedians, at St. John's High School on Main Street in Shrewsbury. The event is free for Tapestry of Jewish Life members; otherwise, tickets are $25 for a 7:15 p.m. prescreening gala and the film, or $10 for only the movie. The festival will also screen films at St. John's on Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. and Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. For more information about the film festival, contact the Westborough Area JCC at 508-366-6121 or visit the organization's website, westboroareajcc.org. - John Dyer

LA LECHE DISCUSSION - The La Leche League will present a discussion titled "The Benefits of Human Milk" tomorrow from 9:30 to 11:15 a.m. at the Unitarian Church at 64 West St. The La Leche League is an international, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting breast-feeding as the most healthy and economical source of nutrition for infants. For more information, contact Pam Spurrell at 978-537-8009. - John Dyer