File for permit online in Ashland

The town's Department of Inspection Services is now offering the option of applying for permits online through the town's website, ashlandmass.com. A link on the home page allows visitors to fill out a permit application for building (residential or commercial), electrical, gas fitting or plumbing projects, as well as to learn more about the fees involved. For more details, e-mail inspection@ashlandmass.com or go the Inspection Services Department offices on the second floor of Town Hall; office hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. , and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The department can also be reached at 508-881-0100, ext. 641. - Rachel Lebeaux

BRIDGE REPAIRS ON LAKE STREET - Repairs will be done soon to the bridge on Lake Street just south of Cross Street, which has been restricted to one lane for several months, according to the town's website. The bid for the replacement of the culvert and headwalls was awarded to the Lorusso Corp. of Plainville last month. Lorusso completed another culvert replacement on Lake Street last fall. Work on the Lake Street bridge is expected to start just after Labor Day and should take less than a month.

- Rachel Lebeaux

NEW FOOTBALL COACH - Dover-Sherborn High School recently hired a new head football coach for the fall season. Jim Girard, the Wayland High School football team's defensive coordinator, was hired to replace Dave Bunton. According to Dover-Sherborn athletic director Heath Rollins, Bunton resigned in June, citing personal reasons, after three years as head coach. - Anna Fiorentino

FEAST WHILE YOU CAN - Today marks the final day of the 20th annual Feast of St. Rocco. The gathering, which takes place at St. Mary Parish from noon to 9 p.m., includes music, rides for all ages, and lots of food, including Italian specialties such as manicotti, pizza, and cannoli. The rides will be open today from noon until 4 p.m.; the cost of an all-access wristband is $18. St. Mary's is at the junction of Beaver, Main, Pleasant, and Union streets. - Rachel Lebeaux

EFFECTS OF NEW BUS FEE - Police Chief Thomas Lambert will meet with selectmen tomorrow to discuss the public safety implications of a new busing fee for public school students. School officials decided to implement the $400-per-student fee after a $992,000 Proposition 2 1/2 override was turned down by voters this spring. Children in kindergarten through sixth grade who live more than 2 miles from school will be exempt from the fee, as will some others, such as students who qualify for free or reduced-fee lunches. Town Administrator Paul LeBeau said town officials expect vehicle and pedestrian traffic to the schools to increase because of the fee.

- Calvin Hennick

MOVIE ON THE COMMON - The town's Parks & Recreation Department will show "Happy Feet," a computer-animated comedy about a dancing penguin, in a "drive-in"-style screening on the Town Common at dusk on Saturday. Residents are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the PG-rated flick, and snacks will be on sale. The event is free.

- Calvin Hennick

INSURANCE STUDY COMMITTEE - Selectmen last week asked members of two committees studying whether the town should join the state's Group Insurance Commission to also explore other options. The town obtains coverage directly from Harvard Pilgrim, and some town employees have said a switch to the state group would save the town money. Committees representing selectmen and the town's employees will meet again Wednesday. Selectmen haven't given their committee a deadline to make recommendations. "I think they should take their time and study it carefully," Selectwoman Ann Thompson said.

- Calvin Hennick

PLANS FOR WINTHROP STREET SITE - The Board of Selectmen is soliciting feedback from residents regarding future uses of a 15-acre parcel on Winthrop Street. Town Meeting purchased the property in January for $975,000, using Community Preservation Act funds. Resident Heather Scott has proposed turning the property into a nonprofit organic farm that could offer healthy produce, educational programs, volunteer opportunities, and public events. On the town's website, townofmedway.org, residents can weigh in on proposed uses for the parcel, including farming activities, walking and hiking trails, and community environmental education.

- Rachel Lebeaux

REGISTRATION DEADLINE NEARS - The deadline to register to vote for the state primary election is Aug. 27, at 8 p.m. Residents can register at the town clerk's office at Milford Town Hall, 52 Main St. The election is Sept. 16 and polls are open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Residents of precincts 1 and 3 vote at the Milford Senior Center, at 60 North Bow St.; Precinct 2 residents go to the Italian Veterans Hall, at 4 Hayward Field; and precincts 4, 5, 6, and7 vote at the Portuguese Club, 19 Prospect Heights. For information call the town clerk's office at 508-634-2307.

- Anna Fiorentino

COPING WITH FUEL COSTS - Town officials found out last week that fuel costs will be dramatically higher this year than previously projected. Under the town's new contract with its supplier, gasoline costs will rise from $2.46 per gallon to $3.46 per gallon, diesel fuel will rise from $2.58 per gallon to $3.97 per gallon, and heating fuel will rise from $2.37 per gallon to $3.82 per gallon. Officials had only budgeted for a 10 percent increase, Town Administrator Charles Aspinwall said. The higher prices will cost the town tens of thousands of dollars, Apsinwall said. He said officials will discuss whether cuts will have to be made in other areas, or whether town budgets will be able to absorb the extra costs. - Calvin Hennick

TOWN MEETING TO HOLD REVOTE - Town Meeting members in October will be asked to vote again on articles that were approved at the spring Town Meeting, after it was discovered that the town clerk's office had incorrectly posted the warrant for the session. A Special Town Meeting has been scheduled for Oct. 21, the same night as the fall Town Meeting, to resolve the issue. The results of the fall and spring Town Meetings last year also had to be ratified at later Special Town Meeting sessions because of incorrect postings. - Calvin Hennick

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Town officials seek residents interested in filling one vacancy each on the Board of Assessors and the Housing Authority. Each position will last until the May annual election. Those interested should send a letter to selectmen as soon as possible at One Liberty Lane, Norfolk, MA 02056, or e-mail Marian Harrington, the executive assistant, at harrington@virtualnorfolk.org. Vacancies will be filled on Aug. 21 at a joint meeting with the Planning Board. At the same time, both boards will make an appointment to the Planning Board and Economic Development Committee, but applications are no longer being taken for those posts.

- Michele Morgan Bolton

FIELD OF DREAMS - The town's Park Department seeks residents to help with fund-raising for the second phase of the "Field of Dreams" sports complex off School Street. The project includes a pair of Little League baseball diamonds, a soccer field, a snack and restroom facility, and a maintenance building. The first phase produced two Babe Ruth baseball fields, and large and small soccer fields that officials hope will be ready for use in the spring. Anyone who can help raise money is asked to call 508-695-5451.

- Michele Morgan Bolton

FARM POND FUNDS APPROVED - State legislators have approved a measure that earmarks $150,000 for improvements to Farm Pond, according to state Representative David Linsky, a Natick Democrat. The funds are included in a $1.6 billion environmental bond bill that last week was awaiting the governor's signature. - Anna Fiorentino

NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH PLANNED - The Planning Board will open a public hearing next month on a site-plan review for a new Catholic church on Mendon Street. The church, which will be known as St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish, will combine the congregations from Holy Angels Church in Upton and St. Michael the Archangel Parish in neighboring Mendon. The public hearing will begin at the Planning Board's Sept. 9 meeting. - Calvin Hennick

GRANT FOR SOUTH STREET CLEANUP - The town has been awarded a $250,000 federal Environmental Protection Agency grant to fund the cleanup of a South Street parcel. The approximately 15 acres at 775 South St., called the Marra Property after its former owner, was obtained by the town through a tax lien and is the site of a pesticide spill. The town unsuccessfully applied for the same grant last year. The town has no formal plans for the land, although officials have discussed using it as a site for affordable housing. - Calvin Hennick

HOUSING FOR SENIORS MOVING ALONG - Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly is moving closer to breaking ground for its Morton and Etta Shillman House. Early last month, a dilapidated house and barn was cleared from the project's site, a nearly 9-acre parcel on Edmands Road in the town's Nobscot section, according to the organization, which builds and manages affordable housing projects.

- Tanya Pérez-Brennan

CROW HAD WEST NILE - The state Department of Public Health has announced that a dead crow found in Needham tested positive for West Nile virus. Town officials are advising residents to take precautions against the disease, which is transmitted through mosquito bites, by wearing long-sleeved clothing and long pants while outdoors, and using insect repellent. More information about West Nile virus and reports of virus activity can be found at mass.gov/dph or by calling 866-627-7968. - Laura Colarusso

GROWING NEED AT FOOD PANTRY - The Westborough Food Pantry has seen an unusual amount of activity in recent weeks, said Virginia Lindsay, who helps run the pantry. Normally, the pantry serves about 50 families a week, she said, but recently the number has been closer to 65 families. Lindsay said she believes the tough economy is forcing people to cut back on spending for food. - John Dyer