ARLINGTON
State Representative Will Brownsberger, a Belmont Democrat whose district includes parts of Arlington, will be in town Friday morning to meet with residents and to answer questions on a variety of issues, particularly the current state budget situation. Brownsberger has been active in keeping the public apprised of developments on Beacon Hill, regularly posting budget updates on his website (
www.willbrownsberger.com) and on Twitter as well as answering e-mails and calls from constituents, according to aide Barbara Miranda. The monthly session will run from 10 to 11 a.m. at the senior center on Maple Street. For details, call Brownsberger’s office at 617-722-2800, ext. 7115, or e-mail
rep.williambrownsberger@hou.state.ma.us.
PATRICK DUE IN TOWN, TOO - Governor Deval Patrick will hold a “town hall”-style forum tomorrow evening at Robbins Farm Park, 51 Eastern Ave. Local residents are invited to take part in the 7 p.m. session, and will have a chance to ask questions about important issues. Because the event will be held outside, weather-relatd updates will be posted online at www.devalpatrick.com. For more information, e-mail grassroots.governance@state.ma.us.
BELMONT
TEACHING THE TEACHERS - Belmont Day School has established a learning center designed to bring public and private school educators together to share best practices and enhance collaboration and critical thinking among faculty and students, according to a recent announcement. The school’s Institute for Excellence in Teaching will open with a two-day retreat for educators June 29 and 30 that will include workshops, case studies, and analysis. “Our goal is to open the door for exploration among public and private educators to create an environment where teachers can collectively share stories, reflect on patterns, and identify successful strategies and best practices,’’ said Lenesa Leana, head of school at Belmont Day, an independent elementary and middle school. “We see a tremendous opportunity to unite educators to build on what we all know, and to think outside the box and develop creative approaches to teaching.’’ Plans call for the institute to host seminars and conferences covering different themes each year, starting with collaboration and critical thinking. More details are available on the school’s website,
www.belmontday.org. - Jennifer Fenn Lefferts
Brookline
PARKING SUMMIT - Besides the weather, parking seems to be the preferred gripe in Brookline. Merchants in Coolidge Corner are meeting tomorrow night with every related town board and department to talk about parking and any changes proposed to meter rates, enforcement and permits. “The business community hasn’t been in the loop with important parking decisions,’’ said Harvey Bravman, chairman of the Coolidge Corner Merchants Association. “We’re just trying to find some common ground.’’ Invited to the 7:30 p.m. gathering at the Courtyard by Marriott are members of the town’s Transportation Board, Transportation Division, Planning and Community Development Department, and Parking Committee, as well as several selectmen. - Andreae Downs
WATER, SEWER RATES TO RISE - Water and sewer rates for the year starting July 1 will rise by about $71 for the average Brookline homeowner, or 5.7 percent, according to a memo from Andrew Pappastergion, director of the town’s Water and Sewer Division. Water consumption this year hit a historic low, down 26.5 percent from its all-time high in 1988. “Water consumption is down everywhere,’’ Pappastergion said, noting that Boston’s usage is its lowest since 1900. Conservation methods, like new low-flow fixtures, rainwater barrels, and turning off the tap, may be causing the drop in consumption, he said. But when people consume less water and the department’s costs of operation remain the same or rise, the price of each gallon has to rise, since ratepayers are charged by the gallon. Pappastergion is recommending that a committee be formed to study how the department charges for water. - Andreae Downs
NEW THINGS AT THE CHAMBER - Not only does the Brookline Chamber of Commerce have a new website (www.brooklinechamber.com), but it has a new president as well. Jonathan Stearns took over the reins on Wednesday, succeeding two-year head Roger Lipson, who will become the chairman of the chamber’s board. Lipson said the hiring of Harry Robinson as the chamber’s part-time paid executive director has helped revivify the organization, which is exploring holding a green business expo this fall.
Lexington
CUBIST WANTS TO EXPAND - Another biopharmaceutical company wants to expand its footprint in town.
Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. appeared before selectmen recently to announce plans to add 100,000 square feet to its headquarters on Hayden Avenue. Town Manager Carl Valente said the firm, which owns one building and leases space in another, is aiming to bring a proposal before Town Meeting this fall. Valente said the Planning Board is likely to hold hearings on the proposal before then. Earlier this spring, Patriot Partners launched an effort to convince Town Meeting to increase the size of its development on nearby Spring Street, expected to be for the expansion of its tenant, Shire HGT, another biopharmaceutical firm, but then retracted the proposal until a later date. -Connie Paige
NEEDHAM
STIMULUS FOR WATER PROJECT - The town is slated to receive some federal stimulus money to help replace a 1930s water main running from Grove Street to Marked Tree Road, although local officials have not been given the details, Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick stated in an e-mailed response to an inquiry. The $1.9 million project was previously approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection for funding through a low-interest-rate loan program, she said. “It is not clear to us at this time whether the town will receive an additional benefit by the use of federal stimulus money - such as through an even lower interest rate or a grant,’’ Fitzpatrick said in the e-mail. Massachusetts will get $185 million in federal stimulus money for water and sewer projects, according to an announcement last week the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Newton
NO TERM LIMITS FOR PRESIDENT - The city’s aldermen voted Monday not to enact term limits for their board’s president. Ward 7 Alderman Lisle Baker is in his third term in the position. The board’s Programs & Services Committee had voted, 4-3, in favor of a proposal to limit members to three two-year terms as president. However, the full board voted 16-8 Monday to shoot down the proposal. In other action, aldermen presented four local graduating high school seniors with grants from the board’s scholarship fund. Patrick Tom and William Bishop Humphrey of Newton South High School and Andreas Rottenberg and Anne Kenslea of Newton North each received a $1,000 scholarship. - Calvin Hennick
SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH PANEL - School Committee vice chairwoman Claire Sokoloff and member Reenie Murphy will lead the search for the district’s next superintendent, the school board’s chairman, Marc Laredo, announced last week. As cochairwomen of the 19-member search committee, consisting of school employees, students, and community members, they will oversee the process of winnowing the field of applicants before recommending finalists for consideration by the School Committee. Superintendent Jeffrey Young was hired in April to fill the top job in Cambridge’s school system, and will begin his new position on July 2. The School Committee voted June 10 to hire V. James Marini, a former Newton principal and assistant superintendent, to serve as interim superintendent next school year. - Calvin Hennick
WALTHAM
BIGGER PARTY FOR CITY’S 125TH - The annual Historic Waltham Days celebration has been extended from its usual one week to an entire month to mark the 125th birthday of the city, according Historic Waltham Inc., which organizes the celebration. Throughout next month there will be special events such as trolley tours, concerts, history walks, and an ice cream social, according to group’s announcement. Waltham became a town in 1738 and incorporated as a city in 1884. A detailed program will be on posted online at
www.historicwaltham.org. - Lisa Kocian
WATERTOWN
BUDGET VOTE ON DOCKET - The Town Council is expected to finish up its hearing and vote on the budget for next fiscal year during its Tuesday night meeting. The session will include deliberations on whether to increase water and sewer rates for the year starting July 1. The council began reviewing the the proposed $94.4 million budget on June 9, but postponed a vote until this week in hopes of getting a better handle on what to expect in state aid, said Clyde L. Younger, the Town Council’s president. On average, property taxes are expected to go up by about $110, based on the preliminary budget figures. If proposed water and sewer rates are approved, the fees will increase for most residential users from $5.13 to $5.35 per cubic foot for water, and from $8.43 to $9.00 per cubic foot for sewer use. The hearing begins at 7:15 p.m. in the council chambers at Town Hall. - Christina Pazzanese
TRAFFIC PLANS FOR EAST END - Plans under consideration could dramatically alter traffic as it flows through the town’s East End. At a joint meeting of the Town Council’s Public Works and Economic Development and Planning committees Monday, the Department of Public Works superintendent, Gerald Mee, and a consultant from Traffic Solutions, a Boston-based engineering firm, unveiled a preliminary scheme that would reduce traffic from four lanes to two on Mt. Auburn Street in Coolidge Square and add four new traffic signals to Arlington at Mt. Auburn Street, Arlington at Grove Street, and Dexter Avenue at Mt. Auburn Street. Crosswalks would be shortened, while sidewalks would be widened in some spots and new street lighting would be added. Councilor Susan Falkoff, who chairs the Committee on Public Works, said the next step is for the consultant to incorporate public comments on the plan into a revised scheme. It’s not yet clear how much the project would cost, she said, although the consultant estimated it will take at least $1 million to do just the traffic signals. A congested business district, Coolidge Square has been the site of several serious motor vehicle accidents and fatalities involving pedestrians in recent years. - Christina Pazzanese
WELLESLEY
ELM BANK TO HOST ANTIQUES - For the third year in a row, the Elm Bank Reservation will host Antiques at Elm Bank, featuring 100 antiques dealers from 10 states. Victorian furniture, china, sterling silver, folk art, and estate jewelry from three centuries will be featured in outdoor and indoor venues at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society headquarters on July 25 and 26. Antiques at Elm Bank hours are scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, children under 16 are free. For more information, call 781-862-4039, or visit
www.neantiqueshows.com.
WESTON
OPENING ON APPEALS BOARD - With the upcoming departure of Zoning Board of Appeals chairwoman Wendy Armour, selectmen are looking for a volunteer to serve on the panel. Armour, who has served on the zoning board for 17 years, told officials that she would be stepping down when her latest appointed term ends June 30, said Lisbeth Zeytoonjian, assistant to the town manager. The six-member board considers matters such as applications for variances from local zoning bylaws and appeals of decisions made by the town’s building inspector. Though the town would prefer to have a lawyer in the position, it is not a requirement, said Zeytoonjian. Residents who wish to apply should send a letter of interest, including their qualifications for the post, by July 10 to the Board of Selectmen, PO Box 378, Weston, MA 02493, or e-mail the information to
selectmen@westonmass.org. - Christina Pazzanese
HOPKINTON
FUND FOR HOLOCAUST MUSEUM GUARD - Local eighth-graders left Washington, D.C.’s US Holocaust Memorial Museum about an hour before a guard was fatally shot on June 10, an experience that has moved some of the students to help his family. Authorities have said that the guard, Stephen Tyrone Johns, was killed during an attack on the museum by a white supremacist. Classmates Alex Kraieski and Lindsay Manning, who said they remember how Johns engaged the students in friendly conversation during their visit, have set up a memorial fund for the guard’s wife and young son. To donate, send checks to Memorial Fund for Stephen Tyrone Johns, PO Box 352, Hopkinton, MA, 01748. - Megan McKee
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