Superintendent stepping down in Ashland

Superintendent Richard Hoffmann has informed school officials that he will be leaving the district when his contract expires next spring, saying he intends to seek new challenges. In his ninth year as superintendent, Hoffman has overseen the completion of the new high school, and the creation of programs such as full-day kindergarten and in-district services for students with special needs. "Dr. Hoffmann has accomplished a great deal during his tenure in Ashland, and we appreciate all his contributions to our community," School Committee cochairman Marcia Reni said in an announcement on his departure. "We wish him well as he seeks new challenges and opportunities." The committee will meet with administrators, staff, and the community to solicit input as to what qualities people would like to see in a new superintendent, and then take steps to name a search committee, Reni said. - Rachel Lebeaux

FALL FAIR SATURDAY - The annual St. Blaise Catholic Church Fall Fair will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the church hall, 1158 South Main St. The fair will include a "tree of lights" fund-raiser raffle, which will showcase floor-size and tabletop trees donated by local residents and businesses. Anybody interested in donating a tree may contact the rectory at 508-966-1258. The Police Department will also be on hand to provide free fingerprinting for children from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The fair will conclude with a home-cooked dinner at 5 p.m. For more information, contact the rectory. - Rachel Lebeaux

HARLEM WIZARDS COMING TO TOWN - The Harlem Wizards plan to show off their basketball tricks Saturday at the Dover-Sherborn High School gym. Incorporated into their show called "Trick Hoops and Alley Oops," the famed basketball performers will play against a team of Dover parents and Chickering Elementary School staff. Doors open at 12:15 p.m., and children are eligible to enter a raffle for the opportunity to play on the court at halftime with a Wizards player. Tickets to the event, sponsored by the Dover PTO, will be $15. - Anna Fiorentino

BUSINESSES GOING GREEN - The Franklin Area Climate Team's "Energy $ense for Franklin Residents" series, sponsored by the Friends of the Franklin Public Library, continues Thursday at 7 p.m. with "How Businesses Get Help Going Green." The presentation will be given by Jennifer Boudrie, director of the Sustainable Business Leader Program, which offers assistance to small- to medium-size businesses looking to improve their practices in energy and water conservation, pollution prevention, waste reduction, transportation efficiency, and sustainability. Boudrie will provide guidance in assessing a company's sustainability and discuss action plans for improving it. For more information on the program, visit www.sustainablebusinessleader.org. This energy series is free and open to the public. It will be held in the community room on the lower level of the Franklin Public Library at 118 Main St. - Rachel Lebeaux

TOWN SEEKS FEDERAL GRANT - Holliston is gearing up to apply for a federal community development block grant for as much as $800,000 early next year, said former selectwoman Mary Greendale. "It's something that people have talked about for years," said Greendale, who has been spearheading the process using her professional grant-writing experience. Town officials, committees, and boards have been readying information for the application process, which will continue until early February. If the town receives the competitive grant, the money will support a number of programs and infrastructure requirements at two affordable housing projects: the 16-unit condominium rehab of Andrews School and the 30-unit Cutler Heights apartment development behind Town Hall. Cutler Heights would provide social services such as addiction counseling, and would receive a computer lab to help teach job-search and technology skills to residents. - Megan McKee

COMBATING DOMESTIC ABUSE - The Police Department has partnered with Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone to offer increased domestic-abuse awareness and services to residents. Among the initiatives are a Hopkinton police officer assigned to focus on domestic violence issues and train other officers; additional training from the DA's office to help officers identify high-risk domestic violence situations; increased dispatcher training; and community outreach. Last year, domestic abuse victims filed 4,900 restraining orders in Middlesex County, but about half those were not extended, partly due to lack of legal representation. Leone's office has created a program that includes free legal aid to abuse victims, and the Hopkinton partnership is another facet of that program. Police Chief Thomas Irvin said domestic violence accounts for the greatest percentage of assaults in Hopkinton. "We don't have a lot of attacks on the street. If you're going to be physically injured by a person, it's most likely to happen in your own home," he said. "The more we talk about it, the more we get it in the light of day." - Megan McKee

FORUM ON THE ENVIRONMENT - The League of Women Voters of Medfield will host a fall forum Thursday on energy conservation, global warming, and how residents can bring environmentally sensitive strategies in their homes. Participants will learn how to cut home energy use, implement alternative energy such as solar, and interact with local organizations promoting environmentally friendly practices and services. Debbie Wang, president of the Medfield league chapter, said the forum is meant to empower residents to see the worth of small actions, such as using energy-efficient light bulbs and lowering thermostats. "If everyone in the community took baby steps, the community would in effect take a giant step," she said. The free forum is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Medfield High School auditorium; more information is available at 508-359-6965.

- James O'Brien

VETERANS DAY PROGRAM - The town's Council on Aging will hold its annual Veterans Day program and dinner Tuesday at 11 a.m. at VFW Post 1526, 123 Holliston St. All Medway veterans are invited to attend. The cost is $10 for nonveterans. Those who are interested can sign up at the Senior Center office at 76 Oakland St. For more information, call the center at 508-533-3210. - Rachel Lebeaux

VETERANS TRIBUTE AT HIGH SCHOOL - Milford High School administrators will host a breakfast and observance to honor the town's veterans. Residents who have served in the armed forces or are on active duty are invited to attend the breakfast tomorrow, at 8:30 a.m., followed by a ceremony in the high school's auditorium at approximately 9:30. At the ceremony, veterans will discuss their service and the importance of observing Veterans Day. - Anna Fiorentino

FUNDS FOR PROPOSED LIBRARY - The proposed new library is one step closer to reality thanks to Monday's Town Meeting. Voters approved spending $25,000 to fund an environmental study of the new library site at Main and Exchange streets, and review construction costs for increases due to inflation. Town Administrator Charles Aspinwall said residents will have to approve a property-tax increase in May if the town wants to use a state grant that funds approximately 35 percent of the project's cost. The state grant was most recently estimated to be $2.7 million. In order to receive the grant, Millis must line up funding for its portion by December 2009. Town Meeting also approved $30,000 to buy textbooks and lab kits for school science programs, and voted to boost the town's stabilization fund by $100,000.

- Megan McKee

HELP CRUNCH NUMBERS, EXPENSES - The town's Expense Control Task Force, created by the Board of Selectmen, has two openings for individuals who like to crunch numbers and figure out whether it's cheaper to lease or buy, whether jobs should be outsourced, and whether services should be consolidated, regionalized, or reorganized. Applicants can send either a letter of interest or a committee application, available at www.natickma.gov, to the Board of Selectmen, by mail at 13 East Central Street, Natick 01760, or fax to 508-647-6401. - Megan McKee

ASSESSORS BOARD HAS VACANCY - A volunteer with knowledge of the housing industry is sought to fill a vacancy on the three-member Board of Assessors after longtime member Donna Putt stepped down and relocated. Duties include placing values on all real and personal property in the town and administering motor vehicle excise taxes. Town Administrator Jack Hathaway said the ideal candidate will have experience in construction, real estate, or appraisals. Anyone interested should send a letter to the selectmen's office at Town Hall, One Liberty Lane, Norfolk, MA 02056 or e-mail Executive Assistant Marian Harrington at harrington@virtualnorfolk.org. The appointee may choose to run for the position at the town election in May, when the interim term will expire. - Michele Morgan Bolton

SESSION ON PECK ROAD - Selectmen have delayed a decision on whether to discontinue maintenance of Peck Road. They will take up the matter at a 7 p.m. meeting tomorrow at the Senior Center. Residents who want to build on nine lots on the road are wrangling in court with town officials over whether the road is public and must be overseen by the town. A Superior Court judge ruled Peck Road is a public way. The town is appealing. - Michele Morgan Bolton

REPORT FROM DISABILITIES BOARD - Selectmen recently attended their first meeting with the new Disabilities Committee. The committee presented a series of recommendations that included increasing the number of handicapped parking spaces in town from 100 to 200, and continuing to improve the visibility of crosswalks by painting them bright green. In response, the Board of Selectmen scheduled a public hearing Dec. 2 in Town Hall on the proposal to amend the town's traffic rules.

- Anna Fiorentino

REGIONAL APPROACH - The Board of Selectmen has been invited to join a proposed regional economic development council, according to Selectman Michael Goodwin. The concept emerged from a series of informal meetings of selectmen from towns along Route 146, beginning last year. Goodwin said the council could provide leverage in legislative efforts by combining public and private interests into a "giant entity." Goodwin said that initial goals could include better cooperation in the use of municipal services, such as water and sewer, and capturing more business for towns by developing commercial sites along the highway. Goodwin said Upton's membership in the council would be on the Board of Selectmen's agenda early next month. - James O'Brien

CLARIFYING ROLE - Police Chief James E. Anderson is hoping residents will strengthen a town bylaw regarding police details at roadside construction sites. Anderson said a proposed amendment on the warrant for tomorrow night's Special Town Meeting would reaffirm his authority to assign paid officers to work sites and make choices about road closures. New state regulations eliminating required police details at some construction sites and replacing them with civilian flaggers compromise his authority, Anderson said. "The way that transportation bill was written, project managers would have final determination on traffic safety," said Anderson. The Wrentham amendment still requires "regulations or guidelines to the contrary" to be followed, but asserts: "The chief of police possesses the discretion to determine the appropriate level of police service in the town to ensure public safety." Selectman Ed Goddard said that even if the amendment passes, civilian flaggers would not be prohibited in Wrentham. - James O'Brien

Correction: Because of a reporting error, the date of a meeting of the Plainville Board of Selectmen to discuss maintenance of Peck Road was listed incorrectly in yesterday's edition of Globe West. The meeting will be held Nov. 17 in the Senior Center.