Some paper cuts really sting

March 23, 2008

Library circulation has more than doubled since town librarian Chuck Flaherty was hired in 1993, he told selectmen this month. During the same period, four full-time staffers have been cut, leaving 41 full-timers. The number of items circulated per employee annually has risen from 13,000 in 1993 to almost 32,000 today. If a property-tax increase isn't approved in May, the library budget would be cut about $47,000 next fiscal year. "Our options include cutting hours of service or materials," Flaherty told selectmen. "None of these options are popular with our trustees."

You may have already heard the weird noises out by Lost Pond or near the neighbors' soggy backyard. No, they're not emanating from banshees or squeaky sump pumps; it's those early spring amphibians calling. Christine Dean, Brookline's environmental educator, is ready to teach you how to recognize their vernal voices. Her presentation is at 7 p.m. at the Putterham Golf Course on April 11 and is followed by a search of Dane Park for frogs and salamanders. To register, call 617-730-2076.

For three years, Andrea Cilley administered the Brookline Commission for the Arts while retaining a passion for recycling and the environment. Following her unexpected death last year, the commission has created a $1,000 grant in her name. The grant, for a Brookline artist whose work was inspired by nature or environmentalism, was won by Katrina Majkut of Beacon Street for a landscape installation, "Art on the Wind," of 600 multicolored pinwheels to be made by Brookline residents of all ages using recycled materials. The work will be put up on a hillside at Larz Anderson Park for several weeks this summer to illustrate the power and possibilities of wind.

Got a news item for Brookline? E-mail Andreae Downs at andreaedowns@yahoo.com.

While the Middlesex Superior Court and Middlesex district attorney's office continue to pack up for their move to Woburn, Cambridge officials are hoping the moves aren't permanent. The City Council passed a resolution early this month urging the court to eventually return to the city, and opposing the sale of the building at 40 Thorndike St. to a private developer. The resolution also stated a desire for the city and its residents to be involved in the planning for any future use of the land. The court and DA's office expect to have vacated the building by the end of the month, and the building will then undergo major renovations and repairs.

A Pennsylvania-based real estate investment firm is suing the city in federal court for failing to take responsibility for ground contamination on a North Cambridge property. Preferred Real Estate Investment Inc. purchased the site of a former Wyeth research laboratory in late 2005 and decided to try to sell it in October 2006. Court documents show the company urged the city to sign an agreement under which the city would investigate and clean up any contamination caused by a trash incinerator previously located on the site. Preferred Real Estate contends that the city's refusal to do so hindered the closing of a sale scheduled for December 2007, and the company was likely to suffer damages as a result. The plaintiff is seeking $75 million in compensation. Both sides declined to comment on the ongoing case.

Got a news item from Cambridge? E-mail Victoria Cheng at vcheng@globe.com.

A community meeting has been scheduled for March 31 as the city seeks residents' input on plans for the future of the East Somerville Community School. The school was closed after a December fire badly damaged its southeast wing. Plans are underway to demolish the wing this spring, and the mayor's office has been negotiating with Liberty Mutual on the insurance claim. Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has said he prefers to rebuild the entire school, but no decisions have been made. He is awaiting a consultant's report, his spokesman said last week. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Capuano Early Childhood Center, 150 Glen St. Spanish and Portuguese interpreters will be available. For more information, contact Carlene Campbell at 617-625-6600, ext. 3303.

Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz has proposed that the city adopt a plastic bag-recycling program that would require stores of 5,000 square feet or larger to provide plastic bag recycling on the premises. Gewirtz said she doesn't use a reusable grocery bag, but thinks she should. She modeled her proposal on legislation passed in New York City in January. Last year, San Francisco banned use of plastic bags by large grocery stores. Gewirtz's proposal will be considered in the aldermen's Legislative Matters Committee.

The city is accepting applications for the 2008 Mayor's Summer Jobs Program, a public-private partnership that places teenagers in paid jobs in city government and local businesses. Applications are available at Somerville High School, the city's Personnel Department, the Somerville Youth Department, the Somerville Recreation Department, and branches of the Somerville Public Library. Teenagers must live in Somerville and be age 16 to 20. The deadline is May 2, and applicants will be interviewed the week of May 12. Teens will work about 30 hours a week, from July 7 to Aug. 22. For more information, call 617-625-6600, ext. 3314, or visit somervillema.gov to download an application.

Got a news item from Somerville? E-mail Kristen Green at kristen.green@comcast.net.