New park on the way in Chelsea

A private developer recently donated a 1-acre piece of land to the city that will be used for park space. The parcel, donated by John M. Corcoran and Co., will be called Creekside Commons Park and will feature outdoor ice skating, a therapeutic garden, and other amenities. The park will be adjacent to Corcoran and Co.'s Parkside Commons, a 238-unit, environmentally friendly and smoke-free rental development. The park's construction, made possible by state funds and private donations, is scheduled to start before the end of the year and completed by June. - Katheleen Conti

GETTING IN ON EVALUATION - Members of the community are invited to attend the first session to evaluate City Manager Jay Ash's job performance at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the City Council conference room in City Hall. The second session is scheduled for Oct. 22. Those who cannot attend may send written comments to the City Council Office, attention City Manager's Evaluation, 500 Broadway, or e-mail them to npantano@chelseama.gov. Comments should focus on these aspects: budgetary/financial administration, personnel administration, supervision/leadership, staff development, public relations/community acceptance, labor relations, policy execution, interaction with council, intergovernmental relations, effectiveness/productivity, and community development. -Katheleen Conti

SETTING PRIORITIES - The city's Community Development office is holding a public meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Keverian room in City Hall to seek citizen input into Everett's application for federal Community Development Block Grant funding next year. Everett annually applies to the state for an allotment that must be spent on programs and initiatives to benefit low and moderate income residents. According to Marzie Galazka, community development director, Everett was awarded $800,000 for this fiscal year, and plans to seek the same amount next year. Tuesday's meeting is an opportunity for residents to offer feedback on how the city would use next year's funding. Past uses of block grant money have included roadway rehabilitation, improvements to parks and playgrounds, and support of social service agencies that serve Everett residents. The city will use the input in preparing its application, scheduled to be filed next January or February. - John Laidler

CULTURE FEST - Mayor Carlo DeMaria is inviting local restaurants and other businesses, as well as community organizations, to participate in the city's first Cultural Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 25 in Everett Square. The event, designed to celebrate the city's cultural diversity, will feature live music on the soundstage in the square. Restaurants will set up tables offering samples of their menu items for sale, while organizations and other businesses will offer information. There will also be games, face painting, and other family activities. The city plans to make the festival an annual event. A full festival schedule will be posted on cityofeverett.com, and on ECTV, Everett's cable access station. Vendors, organizations, and businesses that would like to take part can call the mayor's office at 617-394-2270. -John Laidler

LYNN PARK IMPROVEMENTS - The city hopes to hear a decision in the next few weeks from the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs on its application for a park improvements grant. Everett applied for $500,000 under the agency's Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities program. According to community development director Marzie Galazka, the city would use the funds to upgrade Sacramone Park, located off Santilli Highway and Tileston Street. The work would include replacing the grass field with synthetic turf and building a new concession stand to replace the existing stand, which is in worn condition and too small to meet current needs. If any money is left over, the city would apply it toward planned improvements at Everett Memorial Stadium, which include replacing the grass field with synthetic turf and improving the bleachers and restrooms. The consulting firm Camp Dresser and McKee assisted the city in the grant application. - John Laidler

MARCH AGAINST VIOLENCE - Peace in the City, a youth march against gangs and domestic violence, will step off on Tuesday at 5 p.m. from the Robert L. Ford School on Hollingsworth Street. The Highlands Coalition, a neighborhood group that has organized the march, is looking for middle and high school students to participate. The march will go through the downtown to City Hall, where five students will speak about their concerns and ideas for making the city safer. Lynn has seen a rash of gun violence, much of it related to gang activity, in recent months. In July there was a homicide in the Highlands, one of the city's poorest neighborhoods, when a mother of four was stabbed to death in her apartment. - Kathy McCabe

ADDING BOUTIQUE THEATER - The Planning Board will hold a public hearing Tuesday on a proposed change to the zoning district established for Meadow Walk at Lynnfield, the village-style development that National Development is building on the Sheraton Colonial golf course. The hearing will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Middle School. Town administrator William J. Gustus said the change, which will come before the Oct. 20 Town Meeting, would allow for a proposed boutique theater to be included in the development. The upscale theater would feature eight small movie viewing rooms and a restaurant in a 40,000-square-foot building. - John Laidler

SOCIAL CENTER CLOSES - After serving local residents for more than two decades, the Malden Adult Social Day Care on Commercial Street shut its doors late last month. The day care center offered a wide range of programs for the city's elders, from crafting classes to exercise programs. The city operated the facility in partnership with Hallmark Health. The center had been underutilized in recent years and was running at a deficit, prompting the decision to close it. - Brenda J. Buote

FREE COMMUNITY DINNERS - Starting Tuesday, the city will be sponsoring a free weekly community dinner at the Milano Senior Center for residents of all ages. Meals will be served from 5 to 6 p.m. The center is at 201 West Foster St. Reservations are recommended. To ensure a seat, call 781 662-6886. - Brenda J. Buote

LIBRARY BOOK SALE - The Friends of the Library has scheduled a book sale, the library's leading fund-raiser, from Friday until Oct. 26. The sale will be held during library hours, with prices ranging from $1 for paperbacks and DVDs to $2 for hardcovers. The library holds the sales two or three times a year, according to director Daniel deStefano, "depending on the number of books people donate. Sometimes people are very generous and the room fills up and we need to run a book sale." A typical sale will raise $400 to $600, and a good one will yield twice that, deStefano said. The sales fund newspaper subscriptions and adult and children's programming at the library. - David Rattigan

WONDERLAND BATTLE CONTINUES - Members of the License Commission were before the City Council last week to answer questions regarding the possibility of allowing Wonderland Greyhound Park to enter into a payment plan on about $807,000 in back taxes and utilities. The three-member commission is considering whether to revoke, suspend, or deny the track's parking and liquor licenses, but before doing that they must give track owners the opportunity to enter into a reasonable payment plan, according to a city ordinance. George V. Colella, council president, indicated that he would like the commission to revoke the track's parking and alcohol licenses until the entire bill is paid. Councilor John R. Correggio opposed that idea, saying it would shut down the track and lead to a situation where the city could end up in court and get no money. George Anzuoni, the city's finance director and tax collector, has indicated he would not accept a payment plan and will continue with the foreclosure process. He said track owners made a $175,000 payment on Sept. 18. Track officials proposed a payment plan last month starting with the $175,000, followed by weekly payments of $5,000 plus 17 percent interest. Anzuoni said the track has not made any other payments since the $175,000. The commission continued the hearing to Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Council Chambers in City Hall. - Katheleen Conti

VOTER DEADLINES - Absentee ballot applications for the Nov. 4 election will be available starting Tuesday in the town clerk's office. They will be accepted until noon on Nov. 3. Registered voters who are disabled, or who will be out of town on Election Day, may apply for an absentee ballot. The last day to register to vote in the election is Wednesday. The clerk's office will be open until 8 p.m. to accommodate last-minute registrations. For more information, call the clerk's office at 781-231-4104. -Kathy McCabe

AT YOUR SERVICE - The Department of Public Works is encouraging residents to take advantage of newly added Thursday evening hours at Town Hall to step up their recycling efforts. Town Hall is now open every Thursday until 7 p.m. By visiting the department's office, residents can obtain yard waste permits, which are required to enter the Nahant Street Yard Waste site for disposal of brush, leaves, and other yard waste. Permits needed for the disposal of white goods, televisions, and computer monitors also may be obtained. Yard waste permits are $25 and must be purchased annually. They are valid from April through December, when the yard is open designated days. White goods must be disposed of curbside on regular trash days during the last full work week of each month. Televisions and monitors must be disposed of at the Nahant Street site. Stickers must be purchased for each white good, as well as for each television or monitor. Stickers cost $20 per item. - John Laidler

REGISTRATION DEADLINE - Town Clerk Mary K. Galvin is advising residents that Wednesday is the deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 4 election. The clerk's office will be open extended hours on Wednesday, until 8 p.m. Applications are now available for absentee ballots, which can be picked up until noon on Nov. 3, and cast through election day. - John Laidler

PARKING, DRIVING CONCERNS - About 40 residents neighboring the former Winthrop Hospital attended a Planning Board public hearing last week to provide input on a residential development proposed for the vacant building, said Planning Board chairman Richard Dimes. Developer Winthrop Cove Realty Trust is requesting a special permit to build up to 78 residential units on the site. The majority of residents expressed concerns over parking and traffic impacts, Dimes said. The hearing was continued to Oct. 27, while Planning Board members meet with an independent consultant paid for by the developer. - Katheleen Conti

AIRPORT INPUT - The Winthrop Town Noise, Air Pollution and Airport Hazards Committee is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Senior Center, 35 Harvard St., to set an agenda, with the public's help, for a planned television discussion on the impact that Logan International Airport has on the town. Issues expected to be discussed include the centerfield taxiway and the status of a legal fight against its completion; recent Massachusetts Port Authority rulings regarding height limits around Logan; and environmental issues. The committee will then videotape a discussion of the various issues on Thursday, and that will be aired on Channel 16 at various times and dates. The public is invited to sit in the audience during the taping session. - Katheleen Conti

NURTURE NATURE - Two local events on properties owned by the Trustees of Reservations are being held Saturday to celebrate the Trustees' 100th property opening. A 3-mile Return to an Island hike is scheduled at the Crane Wildlife Refuge from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the Strolling of the Dairy Herd is scheduled from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Appleton Farms on Route 1A. -David Rattigan

GREEK FESTIVAL - The St. Vasilios Greek Orthodox Church is inviting residents to take part in its annual Greek Festival next Friday through Sunday at 5 Paleologos St. The celebration is a major fund-raiser for the church, but also an opportunity for members to share their culture, music, and Greek delicacies with the community at large, according to church president Speros Venios. In addition to Greek foods, the festival will feature live Greek music and dancing on Friday; authentic Greek folk dances Saturday and Sunday; and a Senior Citizens Day on Sunday. Festival hours are 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. -John Laidler

WHARF FORUM - The city will hold a public meeting on Wednesday at the National Park Service's St. Joseph Hall, 160 Derby St., about the proposed $20 million commercial wharf it hopes to build at the Blaney Street Landing. At the meeting, the public will have a chance to comment on the proposal, which calls for docks to accommodate cruise ships, commercial fishermen, and businesses such as whale watch vessels. Last month, the state appropriated $2.3 million toward the project. - Steven Rosenberg