Grant application in works in Avon

The Board of Selectmen is holding a public hearing at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday to discuss the Community Development Block Grant application it is proposing to get funding from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, said Town Administrator Michael McCue. The town is considering requesting funding to establish a housing rehabilitation program and provide financial resources for local social services. Officials have been working on the application, which must be completed by mid-February, with Community Opportunities Group, Inc., a Boston consulting firm. - Joan Wilder

COAT DRIVE UNDERWAY - The Burlington Coat Factory, in the Campus Plaza on Route 18, is one of the sponsors and collection sites for the "Warm Coats, Warm Hearts" coat drive, organized yearly by the national nonprofit called One Warm Coat. The store is looking for donations of warm coats through Friday. Those wishing to donate coats for men, women, and children may leave them in the drop-off box near the store. Coats should be in good condition with no rips or stains, and donors can get a receipt for the donation for tax purposes. Coats will be distributed, free of charge, in local communities.

- Christine Legere

BUILDING BLOCKS - Two of the city's development agencies, the 21st Century Corp. and the associated Building a Better Brockton Corp., are expanding, advertising with the Massachusetts Municipal Association to hire a community planner and a housing specialist. According to Donald Walsh, 21st Century's new president and CEO, the jobs will each pay between $50,000 and $100,000. Those hired will be involved with redevelopment and housing grants. Walsh has already added an office manager. Previously the agency was staffed by Mary Waldron, executive director, and a clerk. - Steve Hatch

NONRESIDENT STUDENT STUDY - The subcommittee that was formed to deal with the issue of nonresident students attending Canton public schools expects to have specific recommendations on a new policy for the School Committee to consider in March. The group has held open forums, researched the policies of other communities, and consulted with the Massachusetts Department of Education as it tries to come up with a "simple" but "strict enough" policy that will clarify who is eligible to attend public schools, according to Liz Salisbury, the School Committee representative to the group. Salisbury said the group also will make recommendations on how to deal with cases where discretionary decisions may be called for. "In this economy we have people moving in with others," she said, adding that there are many variations to the traditional nuclear family. She said that after determining the residency and registration requirements, the group is expecting to take up how suspected abuses will be investigated and enforced. The committee is set to meet Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. and Jan. 27 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Both meetings will be at the Galvin Middle School. The town's residency policy can be viewed at cantonma.org/enrollment/index.htm. - Elaine Cushman Carroll

SIGNAGE, CASINO FORUMS - Carver will host two forums on public issues this week. A panel including town and regional planning officials will discuss signage rules at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Town Hall. The regional task force on casinos will hold a community forum Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Carver High School auditorium. The meeting will enable local residents to meet the task force, which consists of representatives of area towns concerned by the prospect of a large destination casino in Middleborough; hear the latest news on casino developments; and ask questions of task force members. For information on both events, contact the Planning Department at 508-866-3450. - Robert Knox

SEWER SERVICE BIDS - Sealed bids for furnishing 2009 sewer on-call services for the town will be received at the office of the Town Administrator, 26 Bryant St., until 10 a.m. on Feb. 3, when the proposals will be publicly opened and read. Work will be awarded in anywhere from one to five contracts, ranging from the emergency cleaning of sewers to cleaning and inspection, wet-weather cleaning and inspection, repair of manholes, and chemical root treatment. Specifications and bid forms can be picked up at the Engineering Department office located at the Department of Public Works facility, 55 River St. between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. at a cost of $25 each. A PDF version of the specifications is also available at www.dedham-ma.gov. For more information, a pre-bid conference is scheduled in the Lower Conference Room at Town Hall on Jan. 22 at 10 a.m.

- Michele Morgan Bolton

PLANNING FOR CUTS - The various department managers in town have been asked to hand in two budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, by the end of this month. One will be based on receiving the same allotment as this year, and the second will be based on getting 3 percent less than that level-funded amount. Each department manager will outline what the impacts of those lesser amounts would have on operations. Town Administrator George Samia said the town doesn't yet know what state aid figures will be for next year, "but it doesn't look good." He noted communities will have a little better idea of what they can expect from the state for next year by the end of this month. - Christine Legere

PRESERVATION ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS - The Easton Historical Commission has made its annual Preservation Achievement Awards, singling out John Grant for the William Chaffin Award, for preservation of Easton's history, and Mitch Finn and Aaron Wluka for the Clement Briggs Award, for preservation of Easton's historical landscape or architectural integrity. Photography awards went to Jarad Aker and Maxx Fioriti, under 12, historic beauty; Eric Benson, Sandra Camello, Susan Masse, Rikke Taylor, and Matthew Cioffi, adult, historic beauty; Mae Perron, Kayley Donze, Lindsey McCarthy, and Elizabeth Hurley, under 12, natural beauty; Kristen Vogler, Karen Roche, Emily Cioffi, Kathy Meier, Matt Southworth, and Monica Broughton, adult, natural beauty; Kayley Donze and Jarrod Fulginiti, under 12, people; Dottie Fulginiti, Sophie Landry, Stuart Taylor, and Karen Roche, adult, people. Linda Tracey-Clifton received the Bank of Easton Professional Award for a photo of the Josiah Keith House. The awards were sponsored by the Bank of Easton. - Steve Hatch

LAND GIVEN TO TOWN - The Board of Selectmen has accepted a gift of a 1.3-acre parcel of land on the Neponset Reservoir on Ridge Road from the estate of Frank Bonacorso, said Sandra Herrmann in the selectmen's office. No plans have yet been considered for how the town will use the land, which provides public access to the water. The reservoir is used for recreation, including non-motorized boating.

- Joan Wilder

DEVELOPER ASKED FOR DETAILS - The Zoning Board of Appeals will continue its discussion of a large affordable-housing project proposed for 62 acres off Franklin Street at a public hearing set for 7 p.m. Feb. 2 in the Great Hall of Town Hall. Although no new plans have been submitted since the hearing last month, Beard-Lincoln LLC has been instructed by the Zoning Board of Appeals to submit more detailed plans for Blackledge Farm at least a week prior to the Feb. 2 discussion. The proposal calls for 104 condominium units, arranged in either duplexes or single-family homes. Of those, 25 percent will be priced as affordable. Although the zoning board has already held two hearing sessions on the project, members have been frustrated by the lack of specifics provided by Beard-Lincoln so far. - Christine Legere

AWARDING CPA FUNDS - The Community Preservation Committee will attempt to finalize a process for residents and groups to apply for appropriations from the town's new Community Preservation Fund when it meets Jan. 21. The fund is generated from revenues the town receives from the Community Preservation Act, which it adopted in May. The state law allows cities and towns to adopt a property tax surcharge to support open space, historical preservation, affordable housing, and recreation initiatives, with the state providing matching dollars. The committee is responsible for making recommendations to Town Meeting on which projects to fund. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the selectmen's room at Town Hall. - John Laidler

INAUGURATION FESTIVITIES - Assawompset Elementary School celebrates its fifth presidential inaugural observance Jan. 20, a program that began in 1989 when President George H.W. Bush was sworn into office. The school's full day of celebration includes an Inaugural Day parade by kindergartners, and a mock swearing-in ceremony and play about US presidents by second- and third-grade students. The school's parent-teacher organization has scheduled an Inaugural Ball for parents and students that night, officials said. - Paul E. Kandarian

RASH OF ROBBERIES - Local police have placed a posting on the town's website asking residents to help solve several recent house breaks. Suspects, police say, are breaking into homes during the day, through unlocked doors and windows. Thieves are also entering through sliders off porches and decks. Stolen items include flat-screen televisions, computers, Christmas gifts, and jewelry. Police urge residents to double-check doors and windows prior to going out. Alarm systems should also be activated. Residents are also urged to contact the police if they spot suspicious activity, such as vehicles or people who look as though they don't belong in the neighborhood. Anyone with information should contact the Police Department at 508-261-7300. - Christine Legere

DUNKIN' DONUTS DELAY - The Planning Board has voted that a major change was made in an application to build a Dunkin' Donuts on Route 6, which will force the developer to start over with the application process. Jose Sardinha had originally proposed two buildings for the site, one of which would have been a bank, but withdrew that portion of the proposal.

- Paul E. Kandarian

JOIN THE CHORUS - The Sippican Choral Society is looking for new members for its spring concert. Rehearsals for the spring show, called "Days of Blue and Gray," start tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in the Mattapoisett Congregational Church's Reynaud Hall, 27 Church St. Rehearsals are held Mondays at the church from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The spring concert is scheduled for May 8 and 9 at St. Gabriel's Church in Marion, and will showcase music of the Civil War era. For more information, e-mail osuch1@aol.com.

- Paul E. Kandarian

FREE TAX HELP - A tax preparer, trained by the AARP, is taking appointments beginning on Feb. 2 to provide help with income tax preparation for seniors. The volunteer will prepare simple tax returns only, and the service is free of charge to Middleborough residents. Appointments will be scheduled on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, with morning and early-afternoon times available. No walk-ins will be accepted. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the Council on Aging at 508-946-2490. - Christine Legere

POLICE HIRING APPROVED - Selectmen have agreed to fill a vacant position on the town's police force following a resignation even though the budget season promises to be bleak. Concern has been expressed by at least one official that a hiring shouldn't come before further discussions about where the town stands financially. The 59-member Police Department is not up to capacity, others pointed out, because of sick or military leaves. In addition, two jobs were cut in recent years. A majority of selectmen approved the hiring, however, citing public safety, the time it takes to get a new employee up to speed, and the fact that expensive overtime is being relied upon to get the job done. - Michele Morgan Bolton

DELINQUENT TAXPAYERS TARGETED - Officials agree it is time to get tough on residents whose taxes are overdue. The decision comes as the amount of delinquent property taxes rose to about $100,000 for 2008, and the town is probably facing significant cuts in state aid, according to Jacki Norrie, Finance Committee chairwoman. Norrie said selectmen and three of five Finance Committee members present at a meeting last week agreed that the tougher approach on delinquent taxes was needed in order to offset cuts in state aid projected at least 7.5 percent. "We need to find revenue wherever we can," Norrie said. She said selectmen are considering posting lists of those who owe back taxes in town, publishing the names, and then seizing property that is in arrears within the next three or four months. Norrie said the town is concerned that the state's Chapter 70 funding, which is traditionally used for schools, also will be cut. The move comes as the town begins deliberations on its roughly $7 million budget for fiscal year 2010. "What we are considering is to ask the town for level funding, which means less than level services," she said.

- Elaine Cushman Carroll

TEACHER SAVES STUDENT - Julia O'Brien, a fifth-grade teacher at the Heights Elementary School in Sharon, has been commended for saving a choking student. O'Brien, who was supervising two classes near dismissal time late in November, was approached by a relatively calm student who mouthed the words to her: "I cannot breathe." O'Brien, 38, who has been a teacher in Sharon for eight years, noticed the boy was a little frightened and she decided to perform the Heimlich maneuver. She dislodged a piece of candy and restored the boy's ability to breathe. "I couldn't believe it worked," said O'Brien. "It was very frightening and very much a relief when he was OK. It was kind of one of those 'You just do it.' " After being checked by the nurse and his mother, the boy was determined to be fine, said assistant principal John Chellel. Chellel and Superintendent Barbara Dunham each placed a letter of commendation in O'Brien's personnel file. "We felt she had a very timely and professional response and she used prudent judgment," Chellel said.

- Franci Richardson Ellement

ASSISTANT TOWN CLERK RESIGNS - The game of musical chairs continues at Town Hall, where assistant town clerk Bonnie Poore last week tendered her resignation. Poore's decision comes a week after her boss, Marie Chiofolo, stepped down after 18 months as town clerk, saying she felt frustrated by what she felt was Town Hall's lack of respect for residents and town employees. Marie Crimmins, former Foxborough town clerk, was appointed by selectmen as acting town clerk. As for replacing Poore, who cited family reasons for resigning, town officials planned to meet soon to discuss strategy. Poore's resignation "came as kind of a surprise," said Selectman Steve Anastos. "We found 2008 certainly was the year of change." - Robert Carroll

RECYCLING CHRISTMAS TREES - The Health Department is encouraging residents to put their Christmas trees out on their regular garbage day for pickup and recycling, said Mary Feldman in the health office. This is the last week for pickup. The trees will be put through a chipper and brought to the town compost site for subsequent use as mulch by residents and the town. People can also drop off trees at the Department of Public Works yard, 1385 Washington St.; the Center Pool parking lot; the Lincoln Road landfill; and the parking lot at Bird Park. - Joan Wilder

GET INVOLVED - The Onset Bay Association will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday. The president of the association, Mary Lou Payton, is asking people to attend and "bring a new friend who would like to join the OBA." The nonprofit civic organization promotes tourism in Onset, plants flowers in the village, and sponsors community events such as the annual blues festival, the summer concert series at the Band Shell, and Onset Village Family Day. The OBA's annual meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at Salerno's function hall, 196 Onset Ave. - Emily Sweeney

ZONING CHANGES TOP WARRANT - Two zoning proposals are among the measures that will come before a Special Town Meeting that convenes at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Middle/Senior High School. One would rezone 46 acres on Manley Street to industrial. Several family trusts that collectively own the land are seeking the changes to allow for a liquor distributorship to be located on the site. The other would extend an existing industrial zone to include the adjacent site of the First Church of West Bridgewater, at 29 Howard St. The church is seeking the change to allow for cell antennae to be placed in its bell tower. The meeting also will consider a bylaw regulating trench digging, and a proposed $45,000 appropriation to design a new water-storage tank on Walnut Street and a water main replacement on Manley Street. Also on tap is a proposal allowing about $230,000 remaining from a bonding authorization for a septic replacement project at the Howard Wastewater Facility to be used for upgrading the septic system at the Rose L. MacDonald School.

- John Laidler

STAY INFORMED - Two new e-mail lists are available to provide weekly notification of any changes made to the Westwood website in the previous week, as well as offering listings of all events posted for the following week. For weekly changes, residents can subscribe at lists.town.westwood.ma.us/mailman/listinfo/webweekly. To receive weekly events listings, go to lists.town.westwood.ma.us/mailman/listinfo/webpostings. - Michele Morgan Bolton

PRESCHOOL INFORMATION NIGHT - The Whitman-Hanson Regional School District has set its preschool information meeting for 7 p.m. on Feb. 4 in the district's Small Lecture Hall. That night, administrators will provide information and registration packets to parents of children who will be registered for preschool this fall at either the Maquan Elementary School in Hanson or the Conley Elementary School in Whitman. To qualify for preschool, children must turn 3 years old on or before Aug. 31. Parents will select a date to register their child and schedule an appointment for screening during the Feb. 4 session. There will be additional registration packets for those who can't attend the meeting. Contact the Maquan School at 781-618-7060, ext. 2351, or the Conley School at 781-618-7050, ext. 1351. - Christine Legere