Globe West Community briefing
Open house at EcoVillage
September 14, 2008
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BERLIN
The Sawyer Hill EcoVillage is holding an open house today from noon to 5 p.m. The cohousing development at 46 Sawyer Hill Road aims to create a housing community that facilitates close cooperation among neighbors in an environmentally friendly setting. The soon-to-be-completed development of 68 units caused controversy when proposed three years ago, at least in part because it was one of the largest residential projects ever proposed for the town. Homeowners will be present to answer questions from the general public and potential homebuyers. For more information, visit sawyerhill.org or call 508-425-4080.- John Dyer
BOLTON
DISTRICT GOALS - School administrators are continuing to research a number of areas in the Nashoba Regional School District targeted for improvement by a staff survey last year, according to the district website, www.nrsd.net. Some of the areas highlighted by the survey include: creating guidelines for helping at-risk students, developing a systematic approach to foreign language instruction, and exploring fund-raising options for renovating the athletic complex at the high school. - Matt GundersonBOYLSTON
GOUGH ESTATE GRANT - The Hillside Restoration Project, a group working to renovate the historic John B. Gough Estate, has received a $125,000 state grant to begin work on the building's interior. The work marks the fourth phase of the comprehensive renovation project, whose aim is to rehabilitate the home for reuse. Gough, a famous temperance orator in the 1800s, lived in the home, which is listed as one of seven National Historic Landmarks in Central Massachusetts. - Matt GundersonFRAMINGHAM
BANNERS TO BOOST ARTS SCENE - As soon as midweek, residents could see 30 banners around town with the logos of 10 local arts organizations. The banners, which cost nearly $8,000 to design and produce, were underwritten by a Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism grant that was given to the Framingham START Partnership, a coalition of town-affiliated arts groups. The banners are meant to increase the visibility of arts organizations in the area, said Katherine French, START's cochairwoman. Also, a $39,000 sign paid for through some of START's other grant money will be placed on the Massachusetts Turnpike with the names of four organizations: the Danforth Museum of Art, Amazing Things Arts Center, the Framingham History Center (formerly the Framingham Historical Society and Museum), and the New England Wildflower Society's Garden in the Woods. - Tanya Perez BrennanHUDSON
INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT IN HAND - The School Committee has tapped Stephen Dlott to serve as the local district's interim superintendent, School Committee member Christopher Yates announced Tuesday. A former Westborough superintendent, Dlott is filling the opening left by Nina Schlikin, who resigned last month after finishing the first year of her three-year contract. Yates and other officials would not say why Schlikin resigned. Dlott would be paid $140,000 while serving as the district's leader through the rest of this school year, Yates said. Recently, officials announced that the school district would pay Schlikin around $116,000 as part of a separation agreement. At the public announcement of his hiring, Dlott said he looks forward to tackling challenges in Hudson's schools, which include choosing new principals for the middle and high schools, finding a permanent superintendent for next year, and applying for state funds to construct a new middle school. - John Dyer
LINCOLN
CHILD SEAT CHECKPOINT - Three out of four child car seats are installed incorrectly, according to research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. With safety in mind, the town's Police Department is putting together a child passenger safety checkpoint and urging all parents to stop by. Certified car seat experts will be on hand Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 17 Weston Road. According to the federal government, the lives of 8,325 children younger than age 5 have been saved by the proper use of child restraints during the past 30 years. - John M. GuilfoilMARLBOROUGH
TAPPING CELL TOWERS FOR REVENUE - City officials are in the process of sealing deals with three telecommunications providers to erect four signal towers for wireless communications, according to Marlborough's chief procurement officer, Beverly Sleeper. The total rent for the towers on city land would amount to $1.17 million over 10 years, based on the tentative agreements with Omnipoint Communications, a subsidiary of T-Mobile; MetroPCS Massachusetts; and Bell Atlantic Mobile. Sleeper said the city has issued notice of contract awards to the companies, which are now waiting for the City Council to grant them special permits to erect the towers. She said the process should be completed in the next few months.- John Dyer
MAYNARD
HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATION - School officials will seek approximately $350,000 from voters this fall for a feasibility study for a new Maynard High School project, said Superintendent Mark Masterson. Part of the money will go to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, which is overseeing the feasibility research, said Masterson. The other part of the money will hire a project manager for the feasibility study, he said. The study will help officials determine whether they need to renovate the existing school, build a new school, or pursue another option, said Masterson. - Matt GundersonNORTHBOROUGH
LINE FORMS FOR ASSISTANT MANAGER - Town officials have set the pay range for a new assistant town manager at $63,000 to $80,000, according to the town's website. The position opened up when John Coderre was promoted to full-fledged town manager in July. Advertising for the position closed on Tuesday. Coderre said he wouldn't discuss how many candidates had applied for the position, but he said he had received a "healthy" amount of interested jobseekers with good credentials. Northborough's status as a stable community with a good financial base is an attractive asset for candidates, he added.- John Dyer
SOUTHBOROUGH
OPEN TO 40B COMMENTS - The Board of Selectmen is seeking comments on a proposed affordable housing project in town. The comments for Stonebrook Village, a 16-unit complex off Oregon Road, would become part of the town's package of documents for state officials deciding whether the development qualifies for construction under Chapter 40B. The state law allows developers to bypass most local zoning restrictions if a quarter of a project's units are offered as affordable housing, to be sold or rented at below-market rates to income-eligible applicants. Comments should be sent to the selectmen at the Town House, 17 Common St., Southborough 01772.- John Dyer
STOW
REFUGE FOR PEDESTRIANS - Temporary pedestrian islands have been installed on Great Road near the Lower Village section of town, and officials will be gauging public reaction to decide whether to install permanent stopping places there, said Karen Kelleher, Stow's planning coordinator. The retail area along the town's central thoroughfare remains a traffic congested area, and officials are hoping to increase pedestrian safety along the road with the islands.
- Matt Gunderson
SUDBURY
COMMITTEE SEEKING PROPOSALS - The town's Community Preservation Committee is asking residents and interested parties to submit project proposals for funding under the Community Preservation Act. At Town Meeting earlier this year, residents approved using about $10 million from the fund on 10 new projects. The biggest allotment was $7.5 million for the purchase of a conservation restriction on the town's portion of the Nobscot Scout Reservation. In the fiscal year that ended June 30, the CPA surtax raised $1.36 million, and the town anticipates a significant match of the funds from the state next month. Proposals are due Oct. 31. For more information, visit sudbury.ma.us. - John M. GuilfoilWESTBOROUGH
SCHOOLS RECEIVE CREATIVITY GRANT - The Massachusetts Cultural Council recently awarded the Westborough school system a $6,300 grant as part of the council's Creative Schools Program, fine arts coordinator David Jost announced recently. The grant will fund a visiting artist, Ben Mayer, and materials for art programs, including digital photography courses, at the high school and Gibbons Middle School, over the next year. Mayer has produced and directed documentaries for Boston's public television station, WGBH. - John DyerPARKING ON HOLD - Residents who regularly park along Charles Street, Cross Street, Hundreds Road, Isaac Miller Road, Jefferson Road, Mill Road, Sherburne Road, and West Street are expected to be able to resume the practice after tomorrow, when Department of Public Works crews are scheduled to resurface the streets. Town officials said the schedule could be affected by weather conditions, however. For details, visit www.town.westborough.ma.us or call the DPW at 508-366-3070. - John Dyer 
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