Not too cool for school

Looking for a way to project information to students in the lobby of the Middle-High School, Principal Sharon Hansen toyed with several ideas. Clearly, a bulletin board wouldn't grab the attention of teenagers raised on computers, and a screen and projector were bulky and so "yesterday." Finally, Hansen settled on a large-screen, wall-mounted television wired to a hidden computer that allows school officials to televise messages, slide shows, and computerized presentations. The content will showcase teacher and student work and artwork, remind students about important events, and convey information about teaching, learning, and life at the school. Jonathan Pierce, president of the Avon Co-operative Bank, was enthusiastic and donated the $1,300 cost of the 42-inch LCD HD television, which was up and running when school opened.

- Joan Wilder

TOWN MEETING PREVIEW A FIRST - Selectmen have decided to hold a town meeting preview Oct. 28 to outline the decisions voters will be asked to make at the Special Town Meeting Nov. 10. While other towns host such preview sessions regularly so their voters can get a glimpse of upcoming town meeting action, this will be Bridgewater's first. The discussion will be held during the selectmen's regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 28. The Nov. 10 warrant has not yet been finalized, but articles will be limited to non-budget items such as suggested zoning adjustments.

- Christine Legere

NEW YEAR FESTIVITIES RETURNING - City Hall is looking ahead to 2009 and the mayor's staff is organizing a return of New Year's Eve festivities downtown after a decade. The citywide celebration was held yearly before a dispute between Boston's First Night International and the Brockton Jaycees, which had sponsored the celebrations, resulted in cancellation in 1997. According to Moises Rodrigues, community services director, the city plans to partner with Bridgewater State College students to devise a name and theme. A new committee will meet at 6 p.m. Oct. 6 at City Hall, and volunteers are welcome.

- Steve Hatch

HISTORIC HOUSE SAVED FROM FIRE - What has been described as the oldest house in town was saved recently when firefighters ran 2,400 feet of hose to fight a blaze at the Puffin/Davenport house, a private home at 3 Farrington Lane. Canton Fire Lieutenant John Hutchinson said a driver on Route 128 spotted the fire, which was burning in a wing of the house when the first Canton fire truck responded at about 8 p.m. Sept. 18. Fire Lieutenant Chris Sanford called for mutual aid, and about 20 firefighters fought the blaze, including some from Norwood, Stoughton, and Milton. There are no hydrants in the area so water lines had to be run from Route 138 to reach the secluded dwelling, Hutchinson said. "It obviously had been burning undetected for some time. It was a good save," said Hutchinson. The Puffin/Davenport house was built around 1711 with the help of Native Americans using cedars taken from nearby Ponkapoag Bog, according to the town's historical records. Although a newer wing of the house received about $100,000 in damage, Hutchinson said, the historic part of the house was not damaged. The cause of the fire is believed to have been a plumber's soldering tool.

- Elaine Cushman Carroll

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT CELEBRATION - Dedham Day, sponsored by the Friends of Recreation and the Friends of Dedham Pool takes place today at John Barnes Memorial Park, beginning at noon. Events for this 19th annual celebration include a barbecue, games, rides, crafts, shows and music, as well as a cow flap contest, in which $10 buys a square that may be fertilized by Juliette the cow and can bring a prize of up to $5,000.

- Michele Morgan Bolton

SENIOR WALK BRINGS CASH REWARD - For the second year in a row, the Friends of the Seniors' Walk at Sachem Rock Farm fund-raiser Sept. 13 netted about $3,000. Part of that amount will be used to help seniors and others with their bills this winter. The remainder will go toward activities offered by the Council on Aging. The walk, which was 2- to 3-miles long, was done at whatever pace the participants set. Sponsors of those walking helped raise the money. The route gave residents an opportunity to see the 32-acre farm property, which is the targeted site for a new senior center. - Christine Legere

LIBRARY LEASE STALEMATE - When the town acquired historic Frothingham Hall last fall, it also acquired a tenant, the Ames Free Library, which now wants the town to waive its lease payments. Shortly before the town acquired the Barrows Street property, the library moved in, using it as a temporary home while its own building is renovated. That project has been delayed, and the library expects to be in Frothingham at least until next June 30. The private library was to pay $2,000 per month in rent but wound up spending $41,000 to repair Frothingham and has not made the payments. Donna Richman, chairwoman of the library directors, has asked the Board of Selectmen to waive lease payments. At Monday's meeting, though, the selectmen learned from Town Counsel Ellen Doucette that the town must get fair market value for use of the hall and put any extension out to bid when the lease expires in January. "They provide an incredible service to the town of Easton as a public-private partnership," Selectwoman Colleen Corona said. "But our hands are tied," she said, because of legal restraints. Library representatives and town counsel are holding discussions aimed at resolving the issue. - Steve Hatch

PRISON TERM FOR 2005 BANK HEIST - Robert Chadronet, the Rhode Island man convicted in July of robbing Foxborough's Bank North in early 2005, was sentenced in Norfolk Superior Court to four years in state prison, said David Traub, spokesman for Norfolk District Attorney William Keating. "We asked for eight to 12," said Traub. According to the testimony of the bank teller he robbed, Chadronet was shaking when he approached her window, spoke briefly, and handed her a note telling her to put $3,000 in an envelope quietly and that he had a weapon under his jacket. When the teller told police that the robber had a teardrop marking under his left eye, he became locally referred to as the teardrop bandit. Chadronet also is under indictment for armed robberies in Sharon, Needham, and Franklin and will be tried separately for those while he serves his sentence, said Traub. In a press release, Keating credits cooperation among local police departments with apprehending Chadronet. - Joan Wilder

PRINCIPAL WORRIES ABOUT SCHOOL - In one of its tightest budget years and after the defeat of a Proposition 2 1/2 override in July, Freetown Elementary School is hurting, according to its Principal Robert Frizelle. Frizelle said at least one classroom is approaching 30 students, and there have been cuts in staff and programs. Frizelle said he expects this will not please the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. (NEASC) "Each year we submit a report to them indicating what has changed," Frizelle said, adding that the association then sends back a letter indicating what improvements are needed to maintain accreditation. Frizelle is worried the NEASC won't grant its stamp of approval when the school comes up for accreditation again in 2010. "Accreditation is a way of validating that the programs that you have meet today's educational standards. It would be extremely embarrassing for us to lose our accreditation," Frizelle said. He said the school is implementing a range of other cost-saving measures and faces concerns about meeting its energy costs as well. He said the financial outlook does not appear to be any more optimistic for next year.

- Elaine Cushman Carroll

OPENING UP CASINO DEBATE - The Regional Task Force on Casino Impacts has set its next meeting for 7 p.m., Oct. 23, in the Great Hall of Halifax's Town Hall on Plymouth Street. The task force, comprising top officials from about 16 towns across southeastern Massachusetts, will include a public forum as part of this upcoming meeting to allow area residents to ask questions, make comments or raise concerns on matters related to the casino proposed for Middleborough. - Christine Legere

DEADLINE FOR DOG LICENSES - Town Clerk Sandra Harris is reminding residents that Tuesday is the deadline to license their dogs for 2008. Licenses can be purchased up at the clerk's office in Town Hall. The cost is $5 for dogs that have been neutered or spayed, and $15 for those that have not. Licenses purchased after Sept. 30 will incur a $25 late fee. For more information, call 781-293-2772, ext. 104.

- John Laidler

CLEAN SWEEP FOR SENIOR PROJECT - Voters approved three warrant articles at a Special Town Meeting Monday that allows for expansion of Little Neck Village, the town's senior-housing development. The votes approved buying 1.3 acres next to the existing property, switched the land ownership from the town to the Marion Affordable Housing Trust, and gave a 99-year lease to EA Fish of Braintree, which will build and manage the complex. The village will expand from 12 units to 48. Construction should begin in spring 2009 and finish in the fall of 2010.

- Paul E. Kandarian

BIKE PATH NEEDS A LITTLE HELP - Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path need volunteers. The recently constructed path connects to the Phoenix Bike Trail from the Fairhaven town line to Mattapoisett Neck Road and provides a path for bicyclists, walkers, and joggers, officials said. An inaugural ride and ribbon-cutting for this phase of the bike path may occur this fall or in the spring. Anyone interested in volunteering may attend the next Friends of the Bike Path meeting Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Mattapoisett Public Library. To join the group, call 508-942-7183 or e-mail bdesousa43@verizon.net - Paul E. Kandarian

VETERANS DAY PLANS SET - The Middleborough Veterans Council will once again host Veterans Day events for the town Nov. 11. The parade will organize in the Town Hall parking lot at 9:30 a.m. and step off at 10 a.m. Anyone in the area with a military vehicle is invited to join the parade. Collectors of military memorabilia, including military weapons, from around the area are also invited to display their collections in the Middleborough Town Hall auditorium on Veterans Day. The exhibit will run from 9 a.m. until noon. Those who wish to exhibit may bring their items in at 8 a.m. that morning. The Veterans Council will have several display cases available for use, and items will be safeguarded by council members at all times. Those wishing to participate should contact Paul Provencher, the veterans services officer, at 508-946-2407. - Christine Legere

TAKE A WALK ON THE WILDER SIDE - The Conservation Commission and Open Space Committee will hold a walk of the Erwin Wilder Management Area on Toad Island Road from 9 a.m. until noon next Sunday. Dick Turner, of the state Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, will guide walkers. Participants should bring bug spray, sun block, water, and snacks. For more information, call the Conservation office at 508-285-0275. - Christine Legere

LAST WEEKS OF MARKET SEASON - The Norwood Farmers Market season will continue every Tuesday afternoon until Oct. 31. Venders sell their wares, rain or shine, from 1 to 6 p.m. in the municipal parking lot off Nahatan Street. The lot can be accessed either from behind the United Church or from Cottage Street, by Babel's Decorating Center.

- Michele Morgan Bolton

UP, UP, AND AWAY ON COMMUNITY PRIDE DAY - Activities are scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. this afternoon in the Borden Colony Gazebo Park to celebrate Raynham's Community Pride Day. The Raynham Fire Department will use its safety trailer to show children the proper way to escape from a burning building. There will be refreshments and a barn babies petting zoo. The Raynham Council on Aging, Historical Society and public library plan to sell small items at nominal prices to help support their organizations. ReMax Landmark Realtors will offer free tethered hot air balloon rides at 3 p.m. There is no charge, but everyone is encouraged to bring a canned good or other nonperishable food item for the Raynham Food Basket.

- Christine Legere

MASTER PLANNERS WANTED - The Rochester Planning Board is getting closer to finalizing the latest revision to the Rochester master plan and is looking for five people to join the Master Plan Committee. Volunteers cannot be sitting elected officials. Anyone interested should send a letter to Randall Kunz, Rochester Town Hall, 1 Constitution Way, Rochester 02770.

- Paul E. Kandarian

ART WITH AN EDGE AT GALLERY - An exhibit on still life paintings and drawings is coming to the Moose Hill Gallery. Artist Michelle DeMarco, who is known for her paintings and fusion drawings, will have her work shown Oct. 2 through Nov. 30. Her work exemplifies a mixture of ecology, theology, and activism. The MassAudubon gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

- Franci Richardson Ellement

DOG ATTACK BRINGS CHARGES - A Brock Street woman faces numerous assault charges after allegedly setting loose her 100-pound dog, a boxer, on the town's animal control officer. The officer, Kristin Bousquet, was not injured in the Sept. 19 incident at the 40 Brock St. home of Nancy Finn, 49. Finn last week pleaded innocent in Stoughton District Court to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon (a dog), disorderly conduct, assault and battery on a public employee, assault to intimidate, threatening to commit a crime, and resisting arrest. According to police, Bousquet went to Finn's house that Friday just before 10 a.m. after neighbors called in complaints of Finn's dog running loose. Bousquet, in her report, said that Finn yelled at her dog "to get her." Stoughton Executive Police Officer Robert Devine said, "The animal got up on the officer but did not bite her." Finn is due back in court Nov. 14 for a pretrial hearing. - Robert Carroll

BYLAWS, SPENDING ISSUES BEFORE VOTERS - Town Meeting will convene at the High School Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. The warrant is available on the town website at walpole-ma.gov under "What's News In Walpole." Among the issues to be voted on are many long sections of the town's zoning bylaws that have been rewritten and need approval. The article asking the town to fund a feasibility study for a new public safety facility is also expected to generate debate. - Joan Wilder

WCTV STUDIO UNDER CONSTRUCTION - Wareham Community Television is getting a new home. The board of directors recently announced that WCTV will be located at Old Town Hall at 505 Main St. Work is now underway to transform the space into a state-of-the-art cable television studio, according to Jay Heard, interim executive director for WCTV. "We are in the process of retrofitting/building out the facility," said Heard in an e-mail. The new media center is slated to open in three to four months. For more information and updates on construction, visit the WCTV website at www.warehamtv.org or call 508-273-2340. - Emily Sweeney

TASK FORCE TO MONITOR POWER PLANT - The Board of Selectmen is proposing to create a regional task force on the proposed Brockton power plant. Selectmen last week invited 20 communities in the vicinity of Brockton to send a representative to an organizational meeting of the task force Oct. 9, at 7 p.m., at the Howard School in West Bridgewater. Brockton Clean Energy is proposing to build a 350-megawatt power plant on Oak Hill Way in Brockton near the West Bridgewater line. According to Selectman Matthew Albanese, the task force would keep local officials informed about the proposed power plant, but it may decide to take a stance. The West Bridgewater Board of Selectmen remains opposed to the plant "based on currently available information," citing concerns about its impact on the health and safety of residents in surrounding communities, Albanese said.

- John Laidler

LIQUOR ARTICLE GAINS SUPPORT - The Finance Commission voted last week to support a special Oct. 21 Town Meeting article proposed by selectmen that would make three beer and wine licenses available for grocery stores. It paves the way for approval of a stalled home-rule petition in Beacon Hill for a similar license for Wegmans at Westwood Station. Residents voted last spring to allow Wegmans to sell beer and wine in their proposed supermarket, but Rick Roche, co-owner of Roche Bros. supermarket, claimed unfair competition. Roche has agreed to drop his opposition if the town opens up more licenses. Selectman Nancy Hyde said the Finance Commission decision was the right one: "We are pleased that this is a first, significant step in the process to bring resolution to the House bill and validate the Town Meeting vote on Wegmans at Westwood Station." Finance officials did not support a separate article, however, submitted by a resident asking the town to create and make available two additional full liquor licenses.

- Michele Morgan Bolton