Rating an A plus

Standard & Poor's has upgraded Chelsea's credit rating to "A+," a reflection of the city's investment quality even during difficult economic times. The highest rating is AAA. In a recent report, Standard & Poor's lauded the city's management, expecting financial performance to remain sound despite potential revenue declines. In a prepared statement, City Manager Jay Ash said the recognition of fiscal stability by Standard & Poor's was rewarding. The report praised the city's "below-average debt burden." Higher ratings allow the city better interest rates when borrowing. Standard & Poor's concerns for the city were the below-average income levels of its residents and the high reliance on state aid. However, the report praised Chelsea for its plan to offset potential state aid cuts by reducing expenditures in the current fiscal year by $1.25 million. - Katheleen Conti

TAX RATE UP, BILLS DOWN - The city has set a residential tax rate of $11.18 per $1,000 valuation and a commercial tax rate of $28.98 per $1,000 for fiscal 2009. The rates were recently approved by the state Department of Revenue. The rates were set after the City Council decided to maintain the existing policy of having separate tax rates for residents and businesses. By law, municipalities must decide annually whether to have a split tax rate and if so, how much of the tax burden to shift on to businesses. With the support of Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr., the council opted for the maximum shift allowable. Under that shift, which remains unchanged from fiscal 2008, businesses would pay 75 percent more than if there were a single rate. The council also maintained the city's residential exemption, which provides a partial tax break to owner-occupied homes. With the exemption factored in, the owner of an average single-family home valued at $294,800 would pay $2,557 in fiscal 2009, $174 less than the $2,731 the owner of an average home valued at $340,400 paid in fiscal 2008. Without the exemption, the average tax bill in fiscal 2009 would be $3,296, a $227 decrease from the $3,523 in fiscal 2008. - John Laidler

MORE FIREFIGHTER HONORS - At a recent ceremony in City Hall, Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. presented city citations to the 22 firefighters honored this month by the state, and to the city's three fire stations for their collaborative efforts in responding to the Dec. 5, 2007, gasoline tanker truck fire. The Everett Fire Department was presented with a special Excellence in Leadership Award for their response to the fire at Sweetser Circle during the state's annual Firefighter of the Year awards ceremony at Faneuil Hall. The Everett accident occurred when a "fully loaded gasoline tanker overturned, struck a guardrail, and spilled 9,000 gallons of gasoline down a steep embankment," according to an account the state provided with the award. It said the resulting explosion caused a "river of fire to flow into three very heavily congested residential areas" and that the first responding firefighters found "three fully involved, occupied multifamily dwellings and 50 cars and the tanker on fire." Everett firefighters, the state account said, "responded to this dangerous and chaotic scene and effected a well coordinated, aggressive attack on the exposure fires and were able to safely evacuate all involved." - John Laidler

LATHAM NAMED SUPERINTENDENT - Catherine C. Latham is the new leader of the Lynn public schools. The School Committee voted 5-2 last week to appoint Latham, currently a deputy superintendent in Lynn, to the top post. She will succeed Nicholas P. Kostan, who retires as superintendent on Jan. 9 after seven years in the job. Latham was selected from a field of six candidates, which also included three other Lynn educators: Jaye Warry, a deputy superintendent; Warren White, principal of Classical High School; and Claire Crane, principal of The Ford School. Crane received two votes for the job. Latham must still negotiate a contract with the School Committee. "I am grateful for the support of the committee," Latham said in an interview the day after the vote. "I am excited to continue the good work that is going on in our schools." Latham, a Lynn native educated in the public schools, is a former head of the math department at English High School. She holds a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts, and received a bachelor's and master's in mathematics at Salem State College. She has been a deputy superintendent since 2006, concentrating on curriculum development. - Kathy McCabe

$2.5 MILLION STATE GRANT - Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray presented a $2.5 million state grant last week to the city to help create housing, commercial, and residential development on the Lynn waterfront. The funding, made available under the state's Growth District Initiative, will be used to move power lines from the waterfront, clean up an old dump, and create a 57-acre public park. The total cost of the waterfront development project is estimated at $7 million. Relocating power lines owned by National Grid across the Lynnway to land owned by General Electric. Co. is key to the project. "Without this funding, we could not have proceeded with our efforts to relocate the power lines," Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr. said in a prepared statement. - Kathy McCabe

INDOOR FUN - The Recreation Department has organized a Lynnfield day at the Strike One Sports Complex in Danvers on Jan. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon for local children up to 5 years old and their parents. The complex is a 40,000-square-foot, tri-level indoor sports facility, according to its website. The Lynnfield children will be participating in a program in which children can run freely and/or play with such equipment as sports balls, crawl tunnels, and bounce houses. There will be a special visit from Winnie the Pooh. Tickets for the event cost $9 per child. To register or for more information, call 781-334-9488 or e-mail lynnfieldrecreation@comcast.net. - John Laidler

ANDERSON FILLS SEAT - The City Council on Dec. 16 voted to appoint Paul Anderson as councilor at large. Anderson, a retired firefighter and former School Committee member, fills the seat vacated by Michael Sheehan, who recently resigned from the council. Anderson, who ran a write-in campaign last year, captured the highest number of votes among the defeated candidates for at-large councilor in the last election. It is expected that Anderson will be sworn into office before the council's first meeting of the new year. He will serve until January 2010. - Brenda J. Buote

RAISE FOR TEACHERS - The Melrose Education Association, the union that represents the city's public school teachers, has agreed to a new contract guaranteeing 2 percent salary increases in each of the next three years. The pact also gives teachers more time to complete student assessments and offers higher reimbursements for continuing education at accredited colleges and universities. In addition, the contract encourages the district to hire substitutes to stand in for absent teachers, instead of relying on other teachers to oversee classroom lessons during their free periods. - Brenda J. Buote

PARADE PREVAILS - Despite heavy snowfall that lasted until the start of the parade, most of the participants and spectators turned out for Nahant's 13th annual Santa Parade on Dec. 20. "Considering the weather, it went very well," said Roz Puleo, committee cochair. "Some of the antique motorcycles and other antique vehicles couldn't show, but we had fun, anyway." First-time participant Legal Seafoods send a chowder van to the start of the parade, and passed out free hot chowder to participants and anyone else nearby. Puleo estimated the crowd at about 700, compared with 1,000 in average years, and the parade netted about $4,000 for local charities and scholarships. - David Rattigan

CLARIFYING DPW AUDIT - The state auditor who examined the Department of Public Works recently appeared before the City Council and praised the city for taking corrective steps to implement a control and accountability system, councilors said. State Auditor Joseph DeNucci's office released a 25-page report in November stating that during calendar years 2005 and 2006, the DPW lacked oversight over equipment inventory, fee collection, and gasoline distribution. Among other things, the report pointed out that the DPW's gas-pumping system lacked proper regulation. City Councilor Anthony Zambuto asked that the lead auditor appear before the council to clarify the findings. Zambuto said he was pleased with the presentation because it, "cleared up all these ambiguities and innuendoes that people were running amuck down there, which is not true." Councilor Daniel Rizzo was also glad for the presentation. "All the public hears is that there is unending corruption down there and that's just not the case." Councilor George Rotondo, who spearheaded the efforts to audit the DPW, said he was happy the state auditor was able to point out deficiencies in accountability within the department. He added the audit findings, which are posted on the city's website, should not be taken lightly. The city has already taken steps to implement a bar-coding system to keep track of purchases and to replace the outdated gasoline control system. - Katheleen Conti

CULTURAL COUNCIL MEMBERS SOUGHT - Wednesday is the deadline to submit applications from town residents who want to volunteer to serve on the Cultural Council. Each term would be for three years. The council awards state grant money to fund Saugus residents, organizations, schools, or community groups for arts and cultural activities. State law allows a community to appoint five to 22 residents to serve on a local board. The goal is to get a cross-section of a community, including business owners, parents, and teachers, to make the local grant decisions. The Saugus council now has six members. Anyone interested should send a letter of interest and resume to the Board of Selectmen, Saugus Town Hall, 298 Central St. - Kathy McCabe

HOUSING DIRECTOR RETIRING - After 18 years at the Wakefield Housing Authority, and six years as its director, Rita McNamara is retiring at the end of this month. "It's time," McNamara, 61, said of her decision. "My husband retired two years ago from the post office. Now it's my turn to retire." McNamara began working for the authority in 1990 as an administrative assistant. She was later promoted to housing manager, then assistant director, before assuming her current post in 2002. The Housing Authority manages just over 200 public housing units and 331 federal housing vouchers. "I'm going to miss the place," McNamara said. "I really love it. . . . But I'm looking forward to it," referring to her impending retirement. "We're going to go to Florida for a few months. We've got some plans. We'll be traveling. It will be fun - a new doorway will be opened up." - John Laidler

YOUNG BANKERS EXCEL - Student banking officers at Wakefield High School recently competed at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's Reserve Cup 2008 economic literacy competition. The students are officers of the Savings Bank's First Educational Savings Branch, a student-run banking facility at the high school. The Reserve Cup is an annual event at which four-member student teams from selected New England high schools compete to see which can correctly answer the most questions on the economy, personal finance, and consumer affairs, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's website. The Wakefield team finished fourth this year out of five teams. Team members were Kaela Petralia, Caitlin Courtney, Nick Blauvelt, and Glen Maganzini. Mike Fiore also participated as an alternate. Students from several Wakefield High School classes attended the event to cheer on the team. The event was hosted by Billy Costa of New England Cable News and aired later on NECN. - John Laidler

NO TIME TO WASTE - The town's application deadline for private snowplow operators came just in time for the back-to-back snowstorms that began on Dec. 19 and continued through last Sunday. Department of Public Works director David Hickey Jr. said the town received nine applications by the Dec. 19 deadline, of which five were selected and immediately sent to work the same day and throughout the weekend. Having the five private contractors helps the department, which has a smaller staff due to layoffs, meet the requirement for the town's 13 plow routes, one of which needs two vehicles. Hickey estimated that last weekend's storms were expensive for the department because of overtime costs. He also estimated that operators used 300 tons of salt at $60 a ton. - Katheleen Conti

NEW CAB RULES - Under new rules that go into effect Jan. 1, drivers for taxi companies licensed in town must pass criminal background checks. The companies also must show the vehicles passed inspection and are insured. The fare structure will be $4 for up to 1 mile and 25 cents for each additional quarter-mile. Waiting time is $20 per hour or $5 per 15 minutes. .The rates apply for up to two passengers. After that, a 50-cent charge per person will apply, unless the passenger is under 18. Senior citizens will receive a 20 percent discount. The town has no taxis licensed to operate in town. But after a couple of inquiries were made, the Board of Selectmen opted to update regulations this month. - Kathy McCabe

WEIGH IN ON CHARTER SCHOOL - The state is accepting written comments on the proposed Gloucester Community Arts Charter School. The proposed K-8, 240-student school would integrate arts into its curriculum as a unifying theme. The state will decide in February if the school will be approved. Comments may be submitted through Jan. 5 to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Charter School Office, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Comments can also be sent by e-mail to charterschools@doe.mass.edu. - Steven Rosenberg

LESSONS ON ENVIRONMENT - Northern Essex Community College is taking steps at its Lawrence and Haverhill campuses to reduce its carbon footprint, as recommended by the NECC Environmental Impact and Sustainability Committee. All new appliances, computers, and monitors purchased by the college will be Energy Star-rated; construction of the new Allied Health and Technology Building in Lawrence will meet federal standards for environmentally friendly building practices; and 2 acres of land between the Technology Center and the Sport and Fitness Center on the Haverhill campus will not be mowed. By allowing the lawn to return to its natural state, the college will not produce 2,050 pounds of carbon dioxide. The efforts expand on changes made at the college to boost recycling and encourage carpooling. - Brenda J. Buote

OCEAN TALK - The Friends of the Ipswich Public Library have scheduled their annual meeting for Jan. 14, followed by a lecture. William Sargent, a consultant for the PBS television series "Nova," will give a presentation on last year's break in the barrier beach in Chatham, which caused a greater sea level rise overnight than most communities face in 50 years. He will also discuss changes on Plum Island and Nantucket that could endanger both the fishing industry and homes on beaches. The lecture is scheduled in the library on North Main Street at 7:30 p.m., the annual meeting at 7 p.m. Reservations are not required, but seating is limited. Call 978-356-6648. - David Rattigan

NO BEACH FIRE - The Recreation, Parks, and Forestry Department said Christmas trees will be collected curbside each day from tomorrow through Jan. 9. Residents also can bring their trees to the transfer station on Woodfin Terrace for chipping during the regular hours the station is open. The town will not be burning trees at Riverhead Beach this year. - John Laidler

ON SOLID GROUND - Standard & Poor's has assigned its AA rating to Newburyport, a stable rating that should help the city secure favorable terms on its general obligation municipal-purpose loan bonds. According to Standard & Poor's, the stable economic outlook reflects the city's strong income levels, extremely strong property tax base, and access to diverse labor markets in southern New Hampshire and the Boston region. The rating also reflects Standard & Poor's expectation that the city will keep revenue and expenditures in balance, and that the city will manage its reserves in accordance with internal target levels. Additional capital needs are limited, the ratings firm noted, which should keep debt ratios low. However, the ratings firm also noted that a constraining factor is the city's pension system, which, as of Jan. 1, 2006, was 45.5 percent funded. - Brenda J. Buote

ROCK IN THE NEW YEAR - Admission buttons are for sale at locations in Rockport and Gloucester for the 12th annual New Year's Rockport Eve Celebration on Wednesday. Buttons cost $15 for adults and $6 for those under 12 (children under 3 are free), and are available in several locations, including the Rockport Chamber of Commerce office at the Whistlestop Mall. The evening includes six hours of family entertainment beginning at 6 p.m., featuring clowns, magicians, music, storytellers, and puppets. A midnight celebration in Dock Square will cap the night. For a schedule and more information, go to www.newyearsrockporteve.com. - David Rattigan

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS - The American History and Music Festival's program scheduled for last Sunday will be held today at 2 p.m. at St. Peter's Episcopal Church. "Cold is the Nightwind: A Victorian Christmas Program," produced by the Institute for Music, History and Cultural Traditions, will feature a concert by Jim and Maggi Dalton. In addition, Historic New England's Julie Arrison and Megan MacGregor will discuss Salem's Christmas customs. - Steven Rosenberg

PRINCIPAL LEAVING - High School principal Larry Murphy recently announced his intention to resign at the end of the school year, June 30. Murphy, hired in 2006, is in the final year of a three-year contract. Murphy said he is leaving in part because he wants to work closer to his home in Winchendon. Murphy also thinks the school has accomplished many of the goals he set when he took the job, including making a smooth transition to its new building, restructuring the school-day schedule, developing a curricular plan for every course, and creating a collaborative decision-making model. Test scores also have improved. The district has hired a consultant and assembled an interview team to begin a search for a successor. - John Laidler