GLOBE NORTHWEST COMMUNITY BRIEFING
Acton letter campaign
ACTON
In an effort to restore federal and state funding to the Assabet River Rail Trail, Roland Bartl, chairman of the Assabet River Rail Trail Steering Committee is urging residents to take action with a letter-writing campaign before Tuesday. The nearly 12-mile trail is complete in Marlborough and Hudson, but only partially done in Stow, Maynard, and Acton, where it ends near the South Acton commuter rail train station. A preliminary vote of the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization, which distributes some state and federal transportation funds through its Transportation Planning and Programming Committee, did not list the trail for future funding or as an upcoming project. Information on the letter-writing campaign is available at town.acton.ma.us, under the News and Announcements: Restore Funding for the Assabet River Rail Trail.
- Julia Quinn-Szcesuil
ARLINGTON
CULTURAL GRANTS AVAILABLE - Arlington residents looking to embark on projects in the arts this year may be eligible for a grant from the Arlington Cultural Council. The council has announced it will award grants to individuals, community groups, and nonprofit organizations who are working on Arlington-based endeavors in the arts. A total of $12,000 will be given, and the deadline to apply is Oct. 15. Applications are available at Town Hall, the Arlington Center for the Arts, and online at arlingtonma.gov. Applicants are also encouraged to attend a general information session Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Robbins Library. - Sarah Metcalf
AYER
TWO NEW DOCTORS AT MEDICAL CENTER - Two new medical staff members of the Nashoba Valley Medical Center are Dr. Michael Elman, an orthopedic surgeon, and Dr. Roshney Jacob, an internist with a specialty in endocrinology. Elman is concentrating on sports medicine and has completed a fellowship in that discipline from Boston University. Jacob completed a fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at George Washington University in Washington. - Davis Bushnell
BEDFORD
PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES - At a meeting earlier this month, the Board of Selectmen heard presentations on two issues related to public safety: a proposed improvement to School Way and an upgrade to the town's bike path. The possibility of more stop signs and a redesign were discussed for the intersection of School Way and Mudge Way, where traffic by foot, car, and bike often converge during rush hour and school arrival times. The Board of Selectmen then turned its attention to suggestions for how to best extend the existing bike path along Railroad Avenue and improve its surface. No decisions were made, pending more information about costs and options.
- Nancy Shohet West
BELMONT
LIGHTS OUT - In an effort to conserve energy and reduce expenses, the town will shut off the lights at the walking and running track at Harris Field starting Oct. 1. The lights are usually on in the early evening so residents can use the track. Jeffrey Conti, the assistant town administrator, said the lights will be on only if there is a school-related event. It costs $3,200 a year to keep the lights on in the evening. The town is three months into its fiscal year so the savings this year will be $2,400, town officials said.
- Jennifer Fenn Lefferts
BILLERICA
HIGH SCHOOL COURSES ONLINE - Each semester during the current school year, 25 high school students will have the option of enrolling in an online course for credit at the Virtual High School, govhs.org. Qualifying students will work independently and check in with a coordinator each week. The application and additional information can be found at www.billerica.mec.edu. - Joyce Pellino Crane
BOXBOROUGH
CONDO TO BE SOLD BY LOTTERY - Boxborough recently purchased an affordable housing unit at 112 Summer Road, and the recently vacated two-bedroom condominium will be sold for $140,000 through a lottery. The town is accepting applications until Nov. 25, and the lottery will be held on Dec. 17. There will be an informational meeting at the Town Hall Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m., and an open house is scheduled for Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to noon. Eligibility requirements include an age of 55 or over, an income limit of $52,950 for a two-person household or $46,300 for a one-person household, and an asset limit of $375,000. Any other residences must be sold. Information packets and applications are available at Town Hall, Sargent Memorial Library, or at town.boxborough.ma.us. - Julia Quinn-Szcesuil
BURLINGTON
KINDERGARTEN TEACHER HONORED - Jill Generazzo, a teacher at the KinderCare Learning Center of Burlington, was one of five educators nationwide to receive an Early Childhood Educator Award from Knowledge Universe, a national provider of early childhood education and care. Generazzo, who was unaware that she was nominated for the award, was surprised with a $10,000 cash prize in front of students, parents, and colleagues recently. Generazzo has been at KinderCare Learning Center, where she teaches kindergarten, since 2003. She was nominated and evaluated by her colleagues for demonstrating exceptional skills in teaching techniques, student interaction, family communication, classroom design, and health and safety practices.
- Jennifer Fenn Lefferts
CARLISLE
HIGHLAND BUILDING'S FATE UNCERTAIN - At a meeting earlier this month, the Highland Building Study Group presented its recommendations to the Board of Selectmen for the future of the 100-year-old Highland Building, part of the Carlisle Public School campus that once housed classrooms and now stands empty due to infrastructural problems. According to the group, the building would cost approximately $409,000 to renovate for use versus $133,000 to demolish. Although the renovation would not make it usable as a school building because of Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, it could be used by a private enterprise. Selectmen hope to put the decision to a vote at Town Meeting next spring. The study group's report can be viewed at www.carlislema.gov. - Nancy Shohet West
CONCORD
GRANTS AVAILABLE - The Concord Cultural Council will distribute up to $4,300 in grants this year. The group received funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is now accepting applications. The deadline is Oct. 15. The Concord council offers partial funding to eligible applicants who also have other financial resources, who live or work in Concord and who offer programs and presentations that benefit a wide range of audiences in the community. Applications are available at the Town House, the Concord Public Library and the Fowler branch of the library in West Concord, and online at massculturalcouncil.org. - Jennifer Fenn Lefferts
HARVARD
SUPERINTENDENT'S CONTRACT EXTENDED -The School Committee voted last Monday to extend School Superintendent Thomas Jefferson's contract for one year, to June 30, 2011. Jefferson, who was hired in July 2005, is working under a six-year contract, the financial terms of which have not been revealed. His fiscal 2008 compensation was $136,581. - Davis Bushnell
AFFORDABLE HOUSING FORUM - The League of Women Voters of Lexington will host a panel discussion featuring representatives of the three organizations dedicated to affordable housing in Lexington. The Oct. 3 event is slated to begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Community Meeting Room on the lower level of Cary Memorial Library and is the first in a series of 2008-2009 First Friday Forums hosted by the League to promote awareness and understanding of public policy issues. For more information, contact the League at 781-861-0123. All League forums are open to the public at no charge. - Brenda J. Buote
LITTLETON
WARRANT FINALIZED - Voters will consider 11 articles at a Special Town Meeting on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Littleton Middle School. The Special Town Meeting was originally called to seek voter approval for construction funds on a new police station. When the warrant closed, nine articles had been inserted by the Board of Selectmen and two more by petition of registered voters. The Board of Selectmen will finalize the warrant when it meets tomorrow. Text of the articles can be viewed on the town's website at littletonma.org. - Nancy Shohet West
MEDFORD
TV STATION EVALUATION - The city will hold a hearing on Wednesday to evaluate TV3, Medford's cable-access station, and determine if it meets the needs of the community, city solicitor Mark E. Rumley announced last week. The hearing will serve as an official forum for considering TV3 and Medford Community NORTH READING
SWISHER SENTENCED - The former president of a North Reading metal finishing company has been sentenced to two years probation, fined $12,500 and ordered to pay $13,120 in restitution after pleading guilty to charges of illegally transferring and disposing of hazardous waste in Wilmington. Stephen M. Swisher, 51, allegedly dumped a dozen 55-gallon drums of industrial oil- and lead-contaminated waste water in wooded residential areas around town in May 2006, according to the state attorney general's office. - Richard Thompson
READING
RENOVATIONS ON DISPLAY - Austin Preparatory School is planning an open house for parents and alumni on Oct. 4 to show off renovations to its former monastery wing. The $3 million project received a lift from the Stoneham Savings Bank when school officials announced last week that it has pledged $25,000 to help pay for the work. The renovations include a new library, fine arts space, and several new classrooms at the school, providing space for painting and photography activities, as well as individual and group rehearsal space for vocal and instrumental music. Tours of the school are scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. - Richard Thompson
SHIRLEY
MORE SEATS ON BUSES - Elementary school children who live north of the railroad won't have to cross the tracks on their own to get to school after all. The School Department found enough empty spots on buses to drive them. As of tomorrow, 50 to 60 more elementary schoolchildren will be able to get on the school bus, said school business manager Evan Katz. "We did not know how many people were going to sign up and how long the routes are going to take," Katz said. "It turns out there are enough seats." The children's parents will have to pay $158 - a dollar a day for the school year - for the service, Katz said. Shirley eliminated four of its eight school buses this year to cut costs. Middle school students who live on the other side of the railroad tracks, but within 2 miles of the school, will still have to find their own transportation. - Julie Masis
STONEHAM
POLICE BOX BEING REPLACED - The Stoneham High School 1982 Beautification Fund Inc. is accepting donations for its sixth project to give back to the community, says Chris Oneschuk, president of the nonprofit. The group is rebuilding the green police traffic box that stood in the middle of Main Street from the 1940s until sometime in the '70s when it was destroyed in a car accident, says Oneschuk. The new box will replicate the original one that was used by police directing traffic in the middle of the square. The 1982 Beautification Fund Inc. was formed in 2003 and sponsors one project annually. The organization is accepting donations at PO Box 326, Stoneham 02180 or online at shsclassof82.org.
- Bella Travaglini
WILMINGTON
GRANT CAP REDUCED - An unexpectedly large number of applicants for state grant money has more than halved the funding Wilmington can request for planning and implementing its part of Lowell Junction, a proposed traffic interchange along Interstate 93, said Wilmington Planning Director Carole Hamilton. The state capped Lowell Junction grant money last week at $180,000 combined for Wilmington, Andover, and Tewksbury, Hamilton said, a reduction from the $450,000 the towns hoped to apply for. Lowell Junction would open land near I-93 in Wilmington to a mixed-use "village concept," Hamilton said, including an MBTA station. If the towns can prove extraordinary circumstances, according to Hamilton, the state could increase the cap to $300,000. - James O'Brien
WINCHESTER
A GREEN WORKSHOP - A Winchester High School senior, Sari Star, is hosting a workshop on Going Green Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Winchester Public Library, according to Town Clerk Mary Ellen Lannon. The workshop is part of Star's requirement for a Girl Scout Gold Award Project rank, which is the equivalent of the Eagle Scout designation for Boy Scouts of America, said Lannon. For more information on the workshop, contact the town clerk's office at 781-721-7130. - Bella Travaglini
WOBURN
A FULL AGENDA - There are 10 public hearings on Tuesday night's City Council agenda, including a continued hearing on a request from grocery, meat, seafood, and produce wholesaler Dole & Bailey for a special permit to open a retail shop at its 16 Conn St. headquarters and distribution facility. The initial hearing Sept. 2 divided those who think the store would be an asset to the community and those who say the wholesaler has been disruptive to the neighborhood. The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at City Hall. - Eric Moskowitz 