In Abington, Remembering those who serve

Joe Colantoni wants Abington servicemen and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to be remembered. Colantoni, the town's director of veterans services, is seeking the names and addresses of locals expected to be serving overseas during the upcoming holidays. He said the town will be sending holiday packages. "Town employees want to make sure these men and women are not forgotten while they fight this global war on terrorism," he said. Names can be submitted to Nancy Hurst at 781-982-2100 or to Colantoni at 781-982-0056. E-mails can be sent to Liz Shea at lshea@abingtonmass.com. - Robert Carroll

FLATLEY HONORED - The Archdiocese of Boston's Pastoral Center has a new plaque honoring Thomas Flatley, the businessman and philanthropist who sold the church its new administrative headquarters, a modern office building on Brooks Drive near South Shore Plaza. Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley celebrated a Mass with Flatley's family on the day of the unveiling. Flatley died last spring. He sold the church the building for less than $100. - Matt Carroll

RAIL CATCHING ON - Ridership on the Greenbush commuter rail line is up to 190 at the latest count, according to Tom Gruber, the town's Greenbush liaison. Gruber conducts his informal survey by driving through the 410-car parking lot at mid-morning and counting the parked cars and bikes. "I assign one rider per bike and car and total them up," he said, adding that he didn't factor in carpoolers and those who are dropped off at the station. He said he also didn't know how many riders had switched from the commuter boat to Greenbush. "I think it's really good because in its environmental impact report, the MBTA projected a ridership of 210 from Cohasset in the year 2010," he said. About 75 people took the train from Cohasset on its first day, just a little more than a year ago, he said. - Johanna Seltz

MORE SENIORS WORK OFF TAXES - Town officials have agreed to expand the senior volunteer program to increase the number of residents aged 65 and over who can work at town departments in order to reduce their annual property tax payment. The work-off program enables seniors to work approximately 93 hours a year in order to receive an abatement of $750 from their tax bills. Town selectmen agreed to a recommendation by Council on Aging director Joanne Moore to increase the number of senior volunteers from 10 to 15. Moore said that she has a waiting list of seniors eager to participate in the program.

- Robert Knox

TOP EMPLOYEE AWARD - Selectmen are looking for nominees for the Donna Mayberry Greenberg Employee Recognition Awards, which honor town workers who go beyond the call of duty. One award is given each year for customer service, and another for making a suggestion that saves the town money or improves its efficiency. Department heads are not eligible. "While all employees are expected to provide town services with competence, efficiency, and good will, the work of some far exceeds these standards," said John Riley, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. "Citizens can help identify these exemplary employees by completing and returning a nomination form to the town clerk or selectmen's office." Nomination forms, which are due tomorrow, are available at Town Hall or the Hingham Public Library, as well as on the town's website, www.hingham-ma.gov. A screening committee composed of a town official, a past award recipient, and a citizen representative reviews the nominations. Selectmen will announce the winners on Dec. 2. - Johanna Seltz

AUSTIN TAKES SCHOOL SEAT - A former selectman from Holbrook won a seat on the Blue Hills Regional Vocational School District Committee in the Tuesday election. Robert S. Austin, a real estate agent, ran unopposed for the four-year Holbrook seat on the committee. The committee governs policy for the Blue Hills Regional Technical School in Canton, which serves Avon, Braintree, Canton, Dedham, Holbrook, Milton, Norwood, Randolph, and Westwood. Austin has served as the chairman of the Board of Selectmen, but did not seek reelection last year when his term was up.

- Franci Richardson Ellement

HEAD OF DPW HIRED - The town has hired Hingham's former head of public works for the same job in Hull. Joseph A. Stigliani abruptly resigned from the Hingham job last month after 10 years as DPW superintendent, which has an annual salary of$100,000. He had been assistant superintendent for five years. Stigliani will start the $80,000 Hull job in mid-November, according to Town Manager Philip Lemnios. "We hired him because we thought he'd be an excellent public works director," Lemnios said. "He's got many years experience managing a DPW and is familiar with the town of Hull, having done a number of joint projects with the town." For example, Lemnios said, the towns of Hull, Hingham, and Cohasset worked together to replace the Straits Pond Bridge. Hingham selectmen have refused to comment on Stigliani's resignation. "He described what the circumstances were and we are comfortable with him being a good choice," said Lemnios, who also declined to elaborate. - Johanna Seltz

WIND TOWER GAINS SUPPORT - Selectmen have voted unanimously to go forward with the town's first wind power generator, after a presentation last month by the state's Renewable Energy Trust and expressions of support by the town's Green Energy Committee and Representative Tom Calter, a Kingston Democrat. The vote of support was needed to persuade the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, the state agency for renewable energy, to release funds to complete engineering studies for the wind tower's proposed site at the Kingston sewer treatment plant. A feasibility study had concluded in June that the site had enough wind and the project was economically feasible. Renewable Energy Trust offered the town a development support grant of up to $150,000 to back engineering costs. - Robert Knox

STOCKING THE PANTRY - The assessor's office is hosting a food drive for the Marshfield Food Pantry. Residents are invited to bring nonperishable food items and grocery store gift certificates to Town Hall and leave them in the wicker basket on the front counter of the office, which is located on the first floor. This is the third year that a food drive has been held for the local pantry, according to Assessor Elizabeth A. Bates. "In these tough times, people sometimes forget about pantries, and pantries need the help more and more," said Bates. The office staff will be available to pick up donated items. For more information, call 781-834-5585. - Emily Sweeney

CABLE DEAL STRUCK - Milton has a new 10-year cable contract with Comcast. The new deal gives the community 4.35 percent of the company's gross revenue, which will be used to support local cable access programming. Town Administrator Kevin J. Mearn estimated that amounts to about $2.40 a month on the basic subscriber bill. - Matt Carroll

LIBRARY RAFFLE - Residents have a chance to win prizes while supporting the public library. The library is conducting a raffle to support its anticipated building project. More than $3,500 in prizes has been donated by local businesses and organizations. Each day in January, two prizes or more will be drawn. Tickets are on sale through Dec. 31 at the library and the Recreation Department office at Town Hall. The library is looking at two potential building options: One is to expand and renovate its current South Street building. The other is to relocate to an expanded Town Hall. The town is currently studying the feasibility of a Town Hall expansion. - John Laidler

TRYING TO WIN FOOTBALL LIGHTS - Pembroke Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading is seeking the help of townspeople in its bid to win a free lighting system for the high school football field, where the youth program plays many of its games. NorthEast Eagle Electrical Distributors, in conjunction with WEEI radio, is holding its second annual New Friday Night Lights contest. The contest is open to all cities and towns in New England, and the winner gets a free lighting system installed for their youth football league field. Pembroke was selected as one of 12 contestants. Each contestant earns one entry in the sweepstakes for every 100 online votes it receives by next Sunday on the contest website. Local residents can vote for the Pembroke field by going to www.newfridaynightlights.com. Pembroke school officials have given their support to the effort, according to Pembroke Pop Warner president Robert Colangeli.

- John Laidler

COUNTY FARM TO STAY - It's official: The Plymouth County Farm is going to be preserved as conservation land. On Oct. 17, the county commissioners signed a conservation restriction to protect the 90-acre parcel on Obery Street. The working farm, which features a greenhouse and petting zoo, is operated by the sheriff's department and staffed by correction officers and inmates. Officials held a ceremony on Oct. 24 to mark the signing of the preservation plan. "Residents can expect to see our beef herd on the way to the Cape for a long time to come," said Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph D. McDonald Jr. "Our petting zoo and greenhouse business will continue to thrive year round." McDonald said he plans to establish a citizens advisory board for the Plymouth County Farm. Those interested in applying should call 508-830-6264.

- Emily Sweeney

BRAGGING RIGHTS ON CHOWDER - The New England Food Festival is set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 22 on Plymouth's waterfront. The cost to enter the food pavilion and sample chowders, soups, and desserts is $10 per person, with children 5 and under free. Twenty area restaurants will compete in each category. Participants - last year, there were about 2,000 - will vote for their favorite entries for chowder, soup, and dessert, as will a panel of celebrity judges. The panel will include "TV Diner" host and KISS 108 radio personality Billy Costa, and Channel 7 news anchors Randy Price and Frances Rivera. www.usathanksgiving.com. - Christine Legere

NEW ORCHESTRA DEBUTS - Quincy now has its own professional chamber orchestra. The Quincy Bay Chamber Orchestra was founded by Delvyn Chase, a music professor at Eastern Nazarene College. The first performance will be at Eastern Nazarene at 4 p.m. on Saturday in the Cove Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $10, with students of all ages admitted free. The chamber orchestra is smaller than the Boston Pops or the Quincy Symphony Orchestra, which allows the audience a more intimate performance, said Chase in a news release. - Matt Carroll

WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES - Ever wonder about the local education fund you're asked to donate to when paying your real estate taxes? According to Sheila Campbell, chairwoman of Randolph's Local Education Fund Committee, the money collected from taxpayers is distributed as grants for school enrichment programs. Teachers can apply for grants to pay for programs not covered by the regular school budget. This school year, programs financed by the fund include Museum of Science presentations at the Kennedy School; an author visit to the Lyons School; a visit from a naturalist from the South Shore Natural Science Center to the middle school; and buying a digital camera to help the high school reestablish a school newspaper. "In an average year the committee has been awarding approximately $5,000," Campbell said. "This year, we are happy to announce that we were able to award over $7,000. However, by awarding this amount we have depleted much of our reserve and are hoping that when the public sees how the funds are used, they will respond by donating to the fund when they pay their taxes." The committee was established in 1993 and is eligible to receive donations from foundations and the private sector.

- Wendy Chow

HOT OFF THE GRILL - Competitive barbecuers Gary and Michelle Taft, who compete as Lunchmeat, placed fifth in the prestigious Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg, Va. They were among 66 teams from the United States and 18 teams from around the world. Lunchmeat, which placed second in beef brisket, has won numerous regional competitions and is a member of the New England Barbecue Society.

- Steve Hatch

MOVE IT BACK MOVEMENT - The Nov. 24 Special Town Meeting will consider a citizens' petition that would restore the previous "Take It or Leave It" location at the transfer station. Until recently, the area, where residents can drop off and pick up items for free, was located in and around a steel building at the center of the site. Some weeks ago, the town moved it to a spot at the edge of the transfer station, closer to the gate attendant's location. Charles Moncy, one of the 130 residents who signed the petition, said the new area is small, remote, and exposed to the elements, making it unsuitable. Highway Division and Transfer Station supervisor Mike Breen said the town moved the area in order to better monitor it. He said many people were bringing unusable bulky trash such as three-legged chairs to the previous area to avoid paying disposal fees. He said it was costing the town about $30,000 a year to dispose of those items. But Moncy called that expense, which he noted is less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the town's budget, "a small cost to pay for a service that so many people enjoy." - John Laidler

A LASTING LEGACY - Mary Corbett worked and volunteered at South Shore Hospital for more than 60 years, and continued supporting it even after her death. The hospital announced last month that Corbett donated $1 million of her estate, pushing the hospital's capital fund-raising campaign over its $22 million goal. "Mary's incredible gift is inspiring," said hospital president Richard Aubut. "She has demonstrated what a difference one person can make. Her gift will advance urgent medical needs in cardiovascular care, maternal/newborn programs, and trauma services. This important act of compassion will support our caregivers and patients for years to come." Corbett started working at the hospital in 1944 as an accountant and eventually became chief financial officer. When she retired in the early 1980s, she began volunteering and put in more than 3,000 hours. She died in September 2007.

- Johanna Seltz

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH - The School Committee has begun searching for a new superintendent with the assistance of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents. The search comes following the announcement by Superintendent Basan Nembirkow that he would retire after the current school year, though his contract runs through 2010. The committee has yet to set a salary. Nembirkow, who assumed his post in 2004, was paid $189,000 last year. The committee also plans to forgo hiring a consultant and instead put together its own subcommittee, including residents, to review applicants.

- Steve Hatch