Child-care zoning bylaw changed in Acton

CALL FOR TOWN WEBSITE POLICY - The town’s Communications Committee, chaired by Jeff Mayes, has been asked by the Board of Selectmen to prepare a policy proposal for the municipal website, www.ayer.ma.us, that will cover how content, including announcements and messages, will be handled. Mayes, an information technology consultant for Harvard University, redesigned the site last fall and is the town’s volunteer webmaster.

WELCOMING THE TROOPS HOME - A group of 50 men and women who returned from active military deployment over the past six months received a heroes’ welcome at a homecoming ceremony at Hanscom Air Force Base. The participants included Colonel David Orr, commander of the 66th Air Base Wing; members of the New England Patriots cheerleading squad; the Patriot Guard Riders; and Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray. At the ceremony, three local organizations and two individuals were honored as Hanscom Community Heroes in recognition of their support to deployed military personnel and their families. The awards were presented to Operation Troop Support Inc. of Danvers; Helping Our Troops of Stoneham; and Operation American Soldier of Watertown, along with citizens Jean Mallon and Bill Haas.

PRICE HIKE AT TRANSFER STATION - New prices for transfer-station stickers went into effect Wednesday, the first day of the new fiscal year. The new prices are $2.50 per 30-gallon trash bag and $1.25 per 15-gallon trash bag. Residents age 61 and older are eligible to receive 40 transfer-station tickets for free this year.

OPENINGS ON PANEL STUDYING SCHOOLS - The local School Committee is looking to hear from residents who are interested in serving on a committee that will look into restructuring the town’s elementary school system, which serves students in kindergarten through sixth grade. The town is in a regional district with Acton for grades 7 through 12.The ad hoc committee will look at the K-6 structure and consider alternatives, such as forming a regional district. The Board of Selectmen’s chairwoman, Rebecca Neville, said declining enrollment is prompting school officials to consider different options. More information will be posted on the municipal website, www.town.boxborough.ma.us.

CONSERVATION VACANCY - Town officials are seeking a volunteer to fill a vacant seat on the Conservation Commission. They are looking for someone with at least a basic understanding of the issues facing the board, whose duties include overseeing protection of the town’s wetlands. The commission meets on the third Monday each month at 7 p.m. Residents interested in volunteering can send a letter of interest outlining their qualifications and background to the Board of Selectmen at Town Hall.

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS AT FERNS - Following results from water and soil tests that showed no signs of contamination, construction on an addition to Ferns Country Store in the center of town has begun. The construction represents the culmination of months of applications and permitting requests by the general store’s owners, Larry Bearfield and Robin Emerson, who are planning to install additional interior space as well as an employee lavatory that could eventually be converted to customer use, thereby allowing the option of indoor seating. The current construction phase encompasses an outside frame, walls, and roofing. - Nancy Shohet West

5K PAYS OFF FOR EMERSON HOSPITAL - More than 300 people participated in Emerson Hospital’s ninth annual 5K Run-Walk for Cancer. Participants raised more than $8,000 for programs at the hospital’s Bethke Cancer Center. The benefit event was sponsored by the Emerson Hospital Auxiliary.

STARSHIP ADVENTURE - The Dunstable Public Library is encouraging residents to participate in a new statewide summer reading program, known as Starship Adventure. The program’s objective is to encourage families to visit the library and help students maintain their reading skills over the summer months. Students and families are encouraged to attend special events as part of the program.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - The Groton Dunstable Education Foundation is searching for volunteers to serve in variety of capacities for its organization, which doles out grant money annually to local educational causes. Open positions include grant disbursement, marketing, annual giving, and fund-raising. For more information, contact Kerri Figueroa at kfigueroa@gdefinc.org or call 978-449-9690.

HARVESTING WEEDS AT POND - The Bare Hill Pond Management Committee will oversee chestnut-weed harvests from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 18 and Aug. 8. If left unchecked, the weeds can interfere with swimming and boating activities. Volunteers showing up on one of these dates will be given buckets and pointers on eradicating the weeds. - Davis Bushnell

REPAIRS CLOSE BROOKS BUILDING - The Brooks Building of the Lincoln School will be shut down all month for the removal of asbestos-containing vinyl floor tiles. Flooring in several hallways, offices, and classrooms will be replaced with modern tiles. To ensure safety, no one will be allowed inside the building during the work, slated to be completed on July 31. For more information, call Buckner Creel, the business and finance administrator for the local school district, at 781-259-9401. - John M. Guilfoil

LUCY’S LAND PURCHASE - At its last meeting, the Board of Selectmen accepted an agreement to buy the George and Lucy Yapp Conservation Land, often referred to as Lucy’s Land, for use by the town. Townspeople approved the purchase of the land at May’s Special Town Meeting. The purchase price of $930,000 was offset by a grant of $500,000 from the state’s Division of Conservation Services.

ELECTRIC BILL OVERCHARGE FOUND - Customers of Marlborough-based Colonial Power Group, which brokers the sale of electric power to city customers by aggregating residential and business users into block buying groups for lower rates, identified a price error in bills for the last two months. Group auditors on June 24 discovered residential customers had been charged 12.29 cents per kilowatt-hour for May and last month, approximately 2.6 cents over the accurate price. Business customers were similarly overcharged, by approximately 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. The error was the result of late reporting of a price change to power distributor National Grid by power supplier ConEdison Solutions, said Brian Murphy, president of Colonial Power Group. Sam Morgan, spokesman for ConEdison Solutions, acknowledged the mistake, and said the approximately 13,200 affected customers would receive credit for the overcharge on this month’s bill. Murphy estimated the size of the overcharge to be about $219,000 for all of the customers incorrectly billed. “ConEdison worked rapidly, considering they’re such a big company, to craft a solution,’’ said Murphy. For more information, contact Murphy at 508-485-5858.

MONEY FOR FIRE STATION OK’D - Voters on Tuesday approved raising taxes through a Proposition 2 1/2 override to fund $1 million toward the design and construction of a new fire station. The vote in the special town election was 600 to 240 in favor of the expenditure, which is expected to be augmented by $6 million in federal stimulus money. The fire station proposed for Rockland Avenue is meant to replace the department’s Summer Street headquarters, a building dating to the 1950s that fire officials say is cramped and shows signs of age. “It was outgrown a while ago,’’ said Fire Department Captain Patrick Sullivan. “There’s very little room to store apparatus and equipment.’’ Now, the department awaits word on the federal funding, which Sullivan said could come by the end of the year. “Obviously, everybody here is happy’’ about the vote, Sullivan said. “This puts us in a good light, if, in fact, we get the federal money.’’ - James O’Brien

GRAND MARSHAL NOMINEES - The local Rotary Club is seeking nominees to serve as grand marshal for its annual Applefest. Each year, the club honors a local resident or member of the business community who has contributed to the town through volunteer efforts, involvement in the community, or participation in local government, according to Michelle Gillespie, a Rotary Club member. The three-day Applefest, to be held on Sept. 25-27, celebrates the town’s community and agricultural history, Gillespie explained, and includes a parade, a street fair, concerts, and a barbecue. The grand marshal will be featured during the event’s parade, she said. Nominations must be submitted by July 24 and should include a short letter outlining the candidate’s contributions to the town. They may be e-mailed to applefestgrandmarshal@gmail.com. - Keith Cheveralls

WIDE SUPPORT FOR TAX HIKE - A proposal to raise property taxes by $647,000 through a Proposition 2 1/2 override was passed by a large margin Monday, with 2,222 residents voting in favor and 868 opposed. Without the additional funds, officials said, the town’s public library, senior center, and community center would have been closed. The tax increase was specifically tied to the operating budgets of the buildings and their programs. - Matt Gunderson

SOME DOGS UNLICENSED - Nearly a quarter of all dogs in town could be unlicensed. The town sent reminders last week to 248 dog owners who had not provided proof that their pet has an updated rabies vaccine, said Town Clerk Amy McDougall. The notification was possible because the dog licensing information has been entered into a computer database, McDougall said. According to McDougall, 750 dogs have already been registered. As for the remaining pets on last year’s list, she said, some could have died during the year or moved away. With about 7,726 people residing in Shirley, according to the latest census, there is approximately one dog for every eight residents. - Julie Masis

GOVERNOR COMING TO TOWN - Governor Deval Patrick is scheduled to hold a town-hall style meeting Wednesday at the Dean Park bandstand. As part of a summertime program of 15 such meetings in communities throughout the state, Patrick will field questions from local residents. Previous meetings have drawn between 80 and 200 people, according to the governor’s office. Patrick appeared in Lynn on Monday, and is scheduled to stop next in Sharon on July 14. The Shrewsbury event Wednesday is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. In the case of inclement weather, the event will relocate to Shrewsbury High School at 64 Holden St. - James O’Brien

FACULTY DEPARTURES - Two veteran faculty members, Carol Chan and Brad George, are departing from the Hale Middle School this summer, according to the school’s website. After 15 years at Hale, Chan will be joining the math department at the Nashoba Regional High School. George is retiring after teaching at the school for 30 years. -Matt Gunderson

COMBATING INVASIVE PLANTS - Various invasive plants are becoming a problem in town, with the fast-growing plants beginning to overrun native species and landscaping. The town’s Conservation Commission is forming a group of volunteers to combat the invasive plants, with help needed to remove plants, survey the town for the troublesome vegetation, and educate residents about the plants, which are often imported as exotic landscaping elements and then spread into other areas. For further information or to help out, call Rebecca Chizzo at 978-505-1301. - John Guilfoil

SUMMER LIBRARY PROGRAMS - With school out, the Wayland Public Library is hosting a variety of fun and educational programs for children, organizers say. Participants can register at www.waylandlibrary.org for the library’s summer reading clubs, which are tailored to specific age groups. There will also be several reading events, including “Stories from Outer Space’’ on Thursday at 11 a.m., and “Beacon Street Girls Party,’’ a family concert, July 16 at 11 a.m. For more information, visit www.waylandlibrary.org.

WATER WISE WORKSHOPS - The Organization for the Assabet River will host the first of six Water Wise workshops Wednesday at Lake Chauncy. The workshops are designed to teach children about the uses of water and the effect that humans have on watersheds, according to Sarah Edwards, the environmental organization’s education coordinator. A new workshop will be held each week, with the sessions held on Wednesdays in Westborough. This week’s program will focus on the water cycle and how it affects the watershed, Edwards said. The free workshops are aimed at children ages 6 to 12. To register for the program, e-mail sedwards@assabetriver.org.

LOOKING AT BENTON LIBRARY’S FUTURE - A committee studying the reuse of the Benton branch of the Belmont Public Library met with the Board of Selectmen last week to discuss options for the building. The branch was shut down early this year to save money. Since then, residents and town officials have looked into ways to reuse the space. Assistant Town Administrator Jeffrey Conti said the committee is interested in leasing the building for three to five years with the hope of eventually using it as a library again.

CASE ESTATES MEETING - The Board of Selectmen will hold another public meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday at Town Hall to discuss the town’s planned acquisition of the Case Estates property. Last month, the board held two meetings to solicit feedback and to inform residents about the ongoing talks with Harvard University over how the school will remove contaminated soil from the 62-acre property. Harvard’s consultants, Haley & Aldrich, have posted a collection of the latest documents about the project for public review at the town library and in the Board of Health office at Town Hall. Officials say many residents have expressed concern over the long-term exposure to arsenic-tainted dust and soil related to the property’s agricultural uses, and whether the material would be spread across a wider area during the proposed clean-up effort. - Christina Pazzanese