More coyote calls

December 28, 2008

The wild turkey population in town is up this year and with the increase has come a jump in coyote sightings. "The coyotes are chasing the turkeys around," Police Chief Otto Rhode Jr. said recently. His department has responded to an increased number of calls about coyotes this year, but many of the calls turn out to be false alarms. The Berlin Memorial School puts out fake coyotes to scare away the geese, Rhode explained. So far this season, roughly five of the calls have turned out to be real coyotes. Even so, Rhode asked residents, especially those with small pets, to be alert. "As the snow gets deeper and there's less and less food, you have to be careful," he said. - Julia Rappaport

HELP WITH ICE DAMAGE - With farms across the region hit hard by the recent ice storms, Governor Deval Patrick has asked the White House to issue a presidential emergency declaration that would provide assistance for them. Among local properties, Bolton Orchards sustained damage to a number of its fruit trees, with several peach trees splitting in two due to ice on the limbs. Farms can access the potential assistance by reporting their losses to the County Farm Service Agency. - Matt Gunderson

CLEANUP IN BEETLE AREAS - The US Department of Agriculture has agreed to clean up debris from ice-damaged trees in the section of town under watch for Asian longhorned beetles. Residents who want brush removed by the department must complete a permission form allowing access to their property. The forms can be found on the town website, Boylston-ma.gov. The invasive beetle, which is a threat to hardwood trees, was discovered earlier this year in several area communities, and a restricted zone set up to block its spread includes a southern portion of Boylston. - Matt Gunderson

SUPERINTENDENT SEMIFINALISTS - The School Committee has announced four semifinalists for the district's superintendent position, which has been held on an interim basis by Eugene Thayer since last year. According to a written statement released last week, the candidates are Wayne Alexander, superintendent of the Hernando County School District in Brooksville, Fla.; David Fleishman, superintendent of the Chappaqua Central School District in Chappaqua, N.Y.; Steven Hiersche, superintendent of Watertown's school district; and Stephen Mills, a deputy superintendent in the Worcester schools. The School Committee will conduct one-hour public interviews with them on Jan. 10, and the field should be narrowed to the finalists no later than Jan. 13, according to the board's chairman, Philip Dinsky. The final candidates are slated to have interviews with district officials and staff members, and participate in a community forum. Framingham officials have said they plan to choose a new superintendent by February. Thayer took over for Christopher Martes, who resigned last year to take the superintendent's job in Foxborough. - Tanya Perez-Brennan

SCROOGE PAYING A CALL - The Arts Alliance is presenting a special holiday production of "A Christmas Carol" as part of their Focus on the Arts! series, which brings family entertainment to town during school vacation week. The curtain will rise at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in Town Hall. Town resident Michelle Holmes will direct this adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic. Tickets are $9; $7 for students or seniors. A $2 discount is available for tickets ordered in advance. For more information, visit upwitharts.org or call 978-562-1646. - Julia Rappaport

FREE PASSES AT LIBRARY - With a week left in the school vacation, families may find it a perfect time to take advantage of the Marlborough Public Library's museum pass program. The library offers 18 discount passes to area museums, from the New England Aquarium and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston to the Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History in Weston and the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence. Passes can be reserved online at www.libraryinsight.com, and librarians advise booking in advance. For more information, contact the library at 508-624-6900. - Julia Rappaport

ONLINE SOURCE FOR STUDENTS - School officials have opened up a free educational resource for students, allowing them to access an online encyclopedia from their homes. Known as Grolier Multi-Media Encyclopedia, the service can be used by students with Internet access at home for research projects and homework. - Matt Gunderson

NO NEW DATE FOR BRUSH CLEARING - Due to the flurry of recent winter storms, a brush-clearing day originally scheduled for Dec. 19 has been indefinitely postponed. The original date was set after an ice storm left yards and streets cluttered with downed branches and debris. The town's Department of Public Works had planned to hold the collection at its garage at 190 Main St. According to an announcement at Town Hall, the new date will be set "whenever the weather is going to cooperate." Residents are asked to monitor the local-access television station and the town website, www.town.northborough.ma.us, for more information. - Julia Rappaport

SNOW HAMPERS CLEANUP - Volunteers worked last weekend to remove tree branches and debris left by the Dec. 11 ice storm, but Selectman Maurice M. DePalo said additional snowfall and cold temperatures last Saturday and Sunday impeded their efforts. "It's just really hard with the snow, and the branches starting to freeze to the ground," DePalo said. While the town was still taking calls for assistance, and volunteers were still calling to offer help, DePalo said all but emergency-circumstance debris removal could be delayed until warmer weather arrives. Approximately 25 volunteers - plus members of the Boy Scouts and the Shrewsbury High School National Honor Society - have signed on to gather fallen branches measuring up to 6 inches in diameter. A first pass at cleanup by town personnel, completed Dec. 18, reached 40 Shrewsbury streets. Residents requiring assistance with debris, or wishing to volunteer, can call 508-841-8374. - James O'Brien

TO THE RESCUE WITH TOYS - Fire Department personnel have delivered three pickup-truck loads of toys to nonprofit organizations that provide Southborough families with gifts for the holidays. Donated by students at the Fay School, the Margaret A. Neary School, the Southborough Girl Scouts, the Thursday Line Dancing Group, and town residents, the toys were to be distributed by Southborough Youth and Family Services, the Salvation Army, and Project Just Because. The toy drive was coordinated by Fire Chief John Mauro Jr. - James O'Brien

QUESTIONING CPA'S FUTURE - Selectmen and other town officials are reexamining whether the Community Preservation Act still makes sense for the town in light of the economic downturn, said Selectman Stephen Dungan. The program, which provides money through a property tax surcharge and matching state grants for affordable housing, open space and historical conservation efforts, has been doling out dramatically less funding in the downturn. Officials in Stow are considering repealing the town's enrollment in the program, but no consensus has been reached, said Dungan. - Matt Gunderson

LAP POOL REOPENS - The Atkinson Lap Pool reopened last week after new, specialized drain covers were installed, as required by a federal law. The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act called for safer covers be installed on the main drains of swimming pools and spas open to the public by Dec. 19. The drain covers for the Atkinson facility were late in arriving, however, after being ordered last month, town officials said. With the new drain covers installed by a scuba diver, the pool reopened for the morning of Christmas Eve, and then after the holiday resumed its scheduled operating hours. The municipal pool's dive well had remained open, because its drain required a more readily available cover, and the work was performed before the deadline. For more information, visit www.pool.sudbury.ma.us. - John M. Guilfoil

DEADLINE FOR AFFORDABLE CONDOS - The deadline for applying to purchase one of 16 affordable condominiums in Wayland is Wednesday. The condos, in the Residences at 89 Oxbow Road complex, are two- or three-bedroom units and have maximum income eligibility requirements that vary depending on the size of the unit and the size of the family purchasing it. For more information, visit www.wayland.ma.us. Applications may be picked up at the town offices or the Wayland Free Public Library. - John M. Guilfoil

AUDITIONS FOR SWEENEY TODD - The Westborough Players' Club is holding auditions for its production of a Stephen Sondheim musical, "Sweeney Todd," Jan. 9 from 7 to 10 p.m. and Jan. 10 from noon to 4 p.m. at its 20 Phillips St. headquarters. Anyone age 16 or older is welcome to audition; organizers request that candidates prepare to sing 16 measures of a Broadway song and bring a copy of the sheet music. Board member Jackie Hughes said she's heard from community theater enthusiasts that performing "Sweeney Todd" is a delight for singers. Brian Kelly was picked to direct the production, to be performed in May at the Sarah Gibbons Middle School. - Megan McKee

PROM DRESS EXTRAVAGANZA - The Hopkinton PTA will host its third annual prom-gown recycling event, "The Perfect Dress," Jan. 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Hopkinton High School. Cochairwoman Sue O'Keefe likened the event, which features hundreds of donated dresses priced from $20 to $40, to the storied bridal dress extravaganza that was held at Filene's Basement in Boston, although she said the scene isn't quite as crazy. The day kicks off with a fashion show at 10 a.m., and its participants are allowed first dibs on the selection of prom dresses. There will be an alterations consultant on hand to advise shoppers about the chances of adjusting a particular dress, and there will be a dressing room with mirrors. Also, jewelry will be sold by local vendors. Admission is $5, and the cost will be credited toward the price of a dress. O'Keefe said that last year she paid $40 for a dress with a $450 price tag still attached. All the money raised benefits Hopkinton's schools. - Megan McKee

REHABBING WATCH FACTORY - The Waltham Historical Society is hoping a local institution can be returned to "its former glory," according to an announcement by the organization. The society is hosting a lecture, "Rehabilitation of the Historic Waltham Watch Factory," on Jan. 13, at 7 p.m., at the RTN Federal Credit Union, 600 Main St. A representative from Boston-based Berkeley Investments will explain how his company plans to rehabilitate the 400,000-square-foot Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival style complex along the Charles River into a mix of office, residential, and retail spaces. - Lisa Kocian

WARMED BY PAJAMA DRIVE - Fourth-grade teacher Sara Drake's students at the Charles E. Roderick School collected 225 pairs of pajamas for children in need, and in the process learned about community outreach. "Instead of asking their parents" for donations, Drake said, "the kids made fliers and brought them around to different businesses in town." Each of her 21 students were allowed to have their families donate one set of pajamas, but most of the collection was the result of the fliers and hand-written letters crafted by the children and sent to business owners. A student-written thank-you note was sent in response to each donation, Drake said. An additional 59 sets of pajamas came from teachers Mandi Kelley and Mark O'Connell's fourth-graders at the school. All of the pajamas will be distributed through the Foxborough office of Birthday Wishes, a nonprofit organization that helps homeless children. - James O'Brien