New date for day-care hearing in Acton

NEW CHAIR FOR SELECTMEN - As part of the Board of Selectmen's regular reshuffling of officer positions, its members elected Cornelius Sullivan to serve as its chairman. He is succeeding Carolyn McCreary, who was reelected to a three-year term in this spring's town election. Sullivan, the board's ranking member, having served since 1998, is a partner in a Groton law firm, Sheldon & Sullivan. - Davis Bushnell

WATER-CONSERVATION KITS - The state Department of Environmental Protection has provided the town with a grant to distribute 100 water conservation kits and 50 rain-barrel discount vouchers to residents. The coupons knock $10 off the regular price of $73 for the recycled-plastic barrels, which capture roof runoff that can be used to water lawns and gardens. There is no charge for the water-conservation kits, which include a rain gauge and a garden hose nozzle. Orders for a barrel must be placed by June 2 by calling 877-977-3135 or online at www.nerainbarrel.com; the barrels will be available for pickup on June 9. For additional information, contact the town's Department of Public Works at 781-275-7605. - Nancy Shohet West

UNFILLED SLOTS ON BALLOT - Tomorrow's town election ballot will include three positions without any candidates, according to the Board of Selectmen's secretary, Peggy Sardell. One position is on the School Committee, in an opening created when Judy Booman resigned to run for the Board of Selectmen, and the other two are seats on the Berlin Public Library's board of trustees. Residents interested in filling one of the positions can be elected by write-in votes, said Town Clerk Eloise Salls. If no candidates step forward, the selectmen have the authority jointly with the School Committee and the library trustees to appoint individuals for one-year terms. The polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m. tomorrow at the Municipal Building on Linden Street. - Keith Cheveralls

VOTE FOR TOWN FLAG - Residents can vote online for their favorite design among three finalists being floated for a town flag. One design features an apple tree, while the other two offer alternative views of a landscape scene. The election will continue through May 21, with residents invited to vote via a link at townofbolton.com, or at Town Hall starting on May 18. Also, the schools will hold special voting events for local students. - Matt Gunderson

SCOUTS WILL RETIRE TORN FLAGS - Local Boy Scouts will be conducting their annual flag-retirement ceremony next month. Residents can drop off torn or damaged US flags at the transfer station shed during its regular operating hours, or give them to Cheryl Mahoney in the town administrator's office at Town Hall between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Troop 1's public ceremony, which will observe the formal requirements for disposing of US flags, will be held at 7 p.m. June 4 at Steele Farm.

ASSESSORS TO REMAIN ON BALLOT - Town Meeting last week nixed a proposition to turn the three seats on the Board of Assessors into appointed positions, rather than elected. The Board of Selectmen had proposed the change, saying its members could screen for more qualified candidates. However, residents taking part in Town Meeting decided to keep the responsibility in the hands of voters, citing concerns about the appointment process conflicting with the values of democracy. - Matt Gunderson

SCHOOL PLANS WIN INITIAL OK - Following an intense public outreach and education effort by the School Building Committee and its supporters, Town Meeting last week approved spending $450,000 for a schematic design for a new school for students in kindergarten through second grade. Since the proposal calls for increasing property taxes through a Proposition 2 1/2 override, it also requires approval by voters in Tuesday's election. The Massachusetts School Building Authority has agreed to reimburse the town for 40 percent of the design costs for the school. Residents taking part in Monday's Town Meeting also approved a measure to apply $445,000 in community preservation funds toward initial renovations of the Highland Building, a 100-year-old structure that had been used as a school until the 1970s, but is now vacant. - Nancy Shohet West

NEW WETLANDS PROTECTIONS - Town Meeting voters have approved a measure designed to strengthen protections for local wetlands. The new bylaw establishes a 25-foot "no disturb" zone, protects certified vernal pools, and establishes fines for repeat offenders, said Delia Kaye, the town's natural resources director. Town Meeting also approved an amendment that requires town officials to draft regulations supporting the bylaw and bring them back to Town Meeting for approval. Kaye said the bylaw is still valid without the regulations, as long as it's approved by the state attorney general's office. She said the regulations would likely be taken up by Town Meeting next spring. - Jennifer Fenn Lefferts

SURVEY FOR PARENTS - The Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School Council is preparing to send out a survey asking parents to assess the school's programs. Slated to be distributed on May 29, the surveys would be due back by June 12, officials said. The results of the survey, which will be posted on the middle school's website, will be used to formulate upcoming goals for the school. - Matt Gunderson

CHANGE FOR TARBELL SCHOOL - A study committee has unveiled a final report on the reuse of the Tarbell School, which is being used by the local district for administrative offices. Although the findings of the committee were inconclusive about a specific alternative use for the building, the committee did recommend that the facility be turned over to the town for some other purpose. - Matt Gunderson

SHEDDING DRY TOWN STATUS - The town moved a step closer to shaking off its dry status when Town Meeting voters last weekend approved a proposal to award up to three beer and wine licenses. The measure's next step is a vote by the state Legislature. Voters at both the Town Meeting on May 2 and Tuesday's election approved a home-rule petition to create a waste-water management district serving the center of town. The $2 million plan also must be approved by the Legislature. In other Town Meeting matters, voters approved the town's operating budget of $19.7 million for next fiscal year, down from this year's $19.9 million spending plan. Twenty-five candidates were on the Tuesday ballot. A contested School Committee race was avoided at the last minute when Bart Morrison withdrew because of business obligations. Patricia Wenger and Piali De will now fill the two open seats on the committee. Among those who were unopposed were Selectman Peter Warren, Town Clerk Janet Vellante, and Moderator Robert Eubank. The election drew 948 voters, while 416 took part in Town Meeting. The town has 3,759 registered voters. - Davis Bushnell

MIDDLE SCHOOL VOTE - Voters at town election tomorrow night will determine the future of the John F. Kennedy Middle School, deciding whether to pass a Proposition 2 1/2 override to fund a $391,000 school renovation feasibility study. On Monday, Town Meeting members voted to approve the study, intended to help school officials decide whether the 45-year-old middle school requires renovation or replacement. Stephen Dlott, the district's interim superintendent, said in a school department video tour of the middle school that the facility has cramped classrooms, a deteriorating heating and ventilation system, and various structural problems due to aging. To watch the video, visit www.multimedia.boston.com/m/video/22113121/jfk-middle-school-tour-april-16-2009.htm. Polls are open tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at each of the town's seven voting precincts. To locate polls in any precinct, call the town clerk's office at 978-568-9615. - James O'Brien

SURVEY ON MATH PROGRAM - After a year of using the Everyday Mathematics program for students in kindergarten through Grade 5, the Lincoln School is asking parents to share their thoughts on the curriculum through a survey posted on the district's website, www.lincnet.org. For more information, call the school at 781-259-9408. - John M. Guilfoil

SCHOOL REPAIRS APPROVED - Town Meeting voters last week approved $13.4 million for repairs to the Russell Street School. Approximately 47 percent of the amount is eligible for reimbursement by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Town Meeting also approved purchasing the 53-acre Yapp conservation property for $930,000, with the help of a $500,000 grant from the state Division of Conservation Services. - Nancy Shohet West

GROUP HONORS COMPUTER EXEC - The Employment Options Clubhouse, a local mental-health and low-income services support group, has announced it will honor Emily Greenwood with this year's Voice of Hope Award during its annual fund-raising banquet on Thursday. "Emily runs a networking and technology consulting company and she's done a lot of pro bono work for us," said Diane Brooks Ring, project manager for the Employment Options Clubhouse, citing Greenwood's role at EKG Networking Inc. The award, presented annually by the clubhouse for more than 15 years, recognizes a member of the business community who has served as an advocate for the organization. Also recognized at the banquet will be the 52 clubhouse members who found employment last year. A reception for Greenwood starts at 5 p.m. at Employment Options, at 82 Brigham St., and costs $20. The banquet follows at 6:15 p.m.; admission is $40. Tickets for both cost $50. For tickets, contact Ring at 508-485-5051, ext. 225. - James O'Brien

NEW FACES ON TOWN BOARDS - In the town elec tion Tuesday, without a single contested race, two new faces joined town government. It was a night of light voting - just 262 of 7,170 registered voters went to the polls - but 209 voters affirmed newcomer Brendon R. Chetwynd's candidacy for a seat on the Board of Selectmen. Patricia A. Chambers earned the day's top vote total in her bid for a seat on the Maynard Public Library's board of trustees. Otherwise it was incumbents: Robert G. Nadeau returning to his seat on the Board of Selectmen; William G. Kohlman and Amy Rebecca Gay receiving new terms on the School Committee; and James F. Coleman keeping the gavel as town moderator. Town Clerk Michelle Sokolowski attributed last week's low turnout to a combination of no contests and rainy weather. Last year, 692 voted, Sokolowski said, deciding a single contested School Committee seat. - James O'Brien

PLANT SALE SATURDAY - The Northborough Garden Club will be holding its annual plant sale in the center of town, at Blake Street and Route 20, on Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Available at the sale will be a wide variety of perennials and herbs donated by club members and area families, according to Carolyn Squillante, a Garden Club member. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Garden Club's two $1,000 scholarships for local students and to local beautification projects, she said.

TOWN CONTRACTS ON WEB - Residents can now review the contracts for municipal employees online at www.town.pepperell.ma.us. By following a link on the town's website, residents can trace all details of municipal employee contracts, including their salary increases and benefits. The list includes the contracts of the town administrator, the police chief, and town accountant.

MUSIC TEACHER ON LIST - Music classes might be gone from the town's schools starting in the fall, with the district's only music teacher in jeopardy of being laid off. Eliminating the music teacher's position would save the schools about $60,000, according to the district's interim superintendent, Malcolm Reid. The position is on the list of proposed cuts to be voted on by the School Committee at its meeting Wednesday. The schools need to cut $875,000 from next fiscal year's budget, Reid said. "I'm really hoping that at least for the elementary school we'll have music next year," he said. -Julie Masis

ELECTION RESULTS - Nearly one quarter of Shrewsbury's registered voters turned out at the polls on Tuesday, when three new faces were elected to town office. James F. Kane finished more than 1,500 votes ahead of his nearest rival in a three-person race for the Board of Selectmen, gathering 2,861 ballots. The position of town moderator was without an incumbent for the first time in 35 years, after Kevin T. Byrne decided against running again. For his replacement, voters chose Christopher G. Mehne, who received 3,057 votes, over Thomas A. Fiore, with 1,740. In a third contested race, Steve Levine won a seat on the School Committee, edging Robin L. Snyder in a 2,394 to 2,184 count. The election drew 5,015 of the town's 21,787 registered voters, said Town Clerk Sandra Wright. Last year, with a Proposition 2 1/2 override on the ballot, 42 percent of the town's voters participated, Wright said. - James O'Brien

FOCUS ON ROUTE 9 - The town's Zoning Advisory Committee will host a public workshop Wednesday to gather residents' concerns and visions for the area along Route 9. The workshop, part of the committee's effort to rewrite the town's zoning laws, will address a number of issues, including the role Route 9 should play in the community and whether the limit on building heights along the busy commercial corridor should be increased, according to Town Planner Vera Kolias. The second in a three-part series, the workshop will run from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Town House. The final workshop, to cover "community character," will be held on June 10, Kolias said. - Keith Cheveralls

ENERGY WORKSHOP - The town's Energy Working Group is offering a free home-energy savings seminar on May 20 The 7 p.m. seminar in Town Hall will detail different ways that residents can save 20 percent or more on their energy use, organizers said. More information is available online at www.stow-ma.gov.

GARDEN OPENINGS - The town is seeking community gardeners. Plots are available in the town's community-garden section of Lincoln Meadows, offering both organic and nonorganic sections . Each 30-foot by 30-foot section costs $25 for the season. Half plots are also available for smaller green thumbs. Application forms can be obtained on the Conservation Department's page at www.sudbury.ma.us, or by calling Victoria Parsons at the Conservation Department at 978-443-2209, ext. 1366. - John M. Guilfoil

SESSION ON HOUSING - There will be an informational session May 19 at 7:30 p.m. the Town Building regarding affordable housing in the Wayland Gardens complex at 336 Commonwealth Ave., in the town's Cochituate section. There are three units of affordable housing available, including a two-bedroom unit for about $166,000. There is an income limit of 80 percent of median town income, or $46,300 for one person, $52,950 for two, and $66,150 for a family of four. Applicants should be first-time homeowners. For more information, call Beth Rust, the housing lottery agent for the Planning Department, at 978-639-3388, or visit www.wayland.ma.us.

ZONING FOR ELDER HOUSING - Voters at Saturday's Town Meeting will be asked to decide on a special zoning district proposed for the downtown area that would permit the construction of independent and assisted- living communities for seniors, according to the town's planning director, Jim Robbins. The new zoning would provide seniors with "alternate and diverse housing opportunities," he said. The proposed district would extend for several thousand feet along East Main, West Main, South, Brigham, and Milk streets, starting from the rotary. Although rapid development is unlikely, Robbins said, some developers have expressed interest in pursuing projects if the new zoning is approved. - Keith Cheveralls

TRANSIT SOLUTIONS - "A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil" will be shown Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Ashland Public Library's community room as part of the library's documentary film and discussion series. The film covers four areas of innovation - transportation, recycling, affordable housing and urban parks - and how the mayor, city planners, and designers work together to make public transit an attractive alternative to cars in the city of 1.8 million residents in southern Brazil. The documentary highlights how effectivechanges can be made at minimal or no cost. The free event includes a discussion after the film. Visit www.friendsoftheapl.com. - Rachel Lebeaux