Two named to shellfish board

The Board of Selectmen recently added two members to the Shellfish Advisory Commission. Scott Dunsmore and James Haskell are the appointees to the commission, which makes recommendations for management of the industry. - David Rattigan

TAX RATE UP - The Board of Assessors and the Board of Selectmen have agreed on a single tax classification for both residents and businesses. The rate sent to the state Department of Revenue for approval is $9.98 per $1,000 of assessed value, an increase of 2.5 percent over the current rate of $9.30 per $1,000. The owner of a single-family home valued at $350,000 would pay $3,493 this fiscal year, an increase of $238 over last fiscal year.- David Cogger

INCREASED FOOD DEMAND - There has been an increase in requests for food from the Groveland Council on Aging food pantry, which takes donations during normal business hours at the council's offices at Town Hall, Main Street. "These are tough times," said council director Lynne Stanton, who said the pantry serves about a dozen individuals each month. The pantry has been supported by both individuals and through food drives by groups such as the Boy and Girl Scouts, the Groveland Congregational Church, and Curves, a fitness center. - David Rattigan

FUND-RAISING RAFFLE - Tickets are on sale for the Merrimac Old Home Days annual fund-raiser. Four-hundred $20 tickets are available for the monthly drawing. There will be one $100 prize winner per month, and entrants whose tickets are not drawn will be eligible for the following month's drawing. For further information, or to purchase tickets, contact committee members Ellen Miracle at 978-346-9887, Sara O'Bara at 978-346-9968, or Rebekah Reynolds at 978-346-8216, or e-mail oldhomedays@gmail.com. - David Cogger

SANDBAGS AGAINST THE SEA - Until a long-term solution comes through for Plum Island, officials plan to enlist the help of volunteers to keep the area from being eroded by the sea. The town and the Plum Island Taxpayers Association are now seeking assistance in filling sandbags. Once filled, the bags will be stored and used to fill in gaps on dunes when a dune breach occurs. Officials, ever more so than before, are clamoring for assistance from the state and federal governments. Most recently, Plum Island resident Geri Buzzotta's home was declared unsafe and demolished on the day before Thanksgiving.- Taryn Plumb

HOLIDAY TOUR - Among the holiday events scheduled for downtown on Sunday is the annual open house of Rockport inns. Owners of six historic inns will be opened to the public - the Addison Choate Inn, the Captain's House, the Old Farm Inn, the Seafarer Inn, Seven South Street Inn, and the Yuletide Inn. Maps will be available at various locations around the town, which is also hosting the second day of the Seaside Village Open House Weekend and the seventh annual gallery stroll. The stroll hours are from noon until 4 p.m. Next Saturday, the town has scheduled its 63d annual Christmas pageant. For more information, go to www.rockportusa.com or call 978-546-6575. - David Rattigan

BRIDGE OPEN - The Taylor Bridge on Wethersfield Street reopened Friday. A temporary diversion pipe under the bridge has been removed to allow water to flow through a new permanent channel, and bridge rails have been installed. Approach guardrails will not be installed until the spring, but Jersey barriers have been placed to ensure safety throughout the winter. The bridge had been closed to traffic since the Mother's Day rainstorm in May 2006 after sustaining significant damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the town for 75 percent of the engineering and construction costs. - David Cogger

PRESERVATION FUND DEADLINE - The Community Preservation Committee has set a Jan. 15 deadline for organizations or individuals wishing to submit applications for funds, collected via both a tax surcharge and state matching funds for purposes of open space or historic preservation, recreation, conservation, and affordable housing. The committee makes recommendations to Town Meeting, where residents decide which projects to fund.- David Rattigan

FARM COMMISSION EXPLORED - There may eventually be an agricultural commission in town, but don't expect a right-to-farm bylaw to accompany it. Selectmen have said that they will look into establishing a commission, which would represent the farming community by promoting and supporting agriculture-based economic development and protecting farmlands and farm business. The commissions are created through town meeting and members are appointed by selectmen. Sometimes, they are created specifically to install a right-to-farm bylaw, which stresses that agriculture should be allowed to operate even if it causes discomfort in terms of fumes, noise, dust, or water access, in an attempt to diminish conflict between farm operators and abutters. Although representatives from the Laurel Grange support such a bylaw, selectmen have said that the town's agricultural land is in no danger of losing a right to farm.- Taryn Plumb

HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT - McGregor Memorial EMS, which provides emergency healthcare in Durham, Lee, and Madbury, has been awarded a $21,000 federal Homeland Security Grant. The money will be used to purchase carbon monoxide meters for all four vehicles in its fleet.- Tom Long

PROJECT DELAYED - Designers of the African Burying Ground Memorial on Chestnut Street will have to go back to the drawing board after the remains of five people were found during preliminary work for the construction of the memorial on Chestnut Street. The site has been secured for the winter while alterations are made to the design to avoid disturbing the remains. - Tom Long