ARLINGTON
Interim Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Bodie said it’s likely to be a difficult challenge that will take quite some time to find a replacement for outgoing chief financial officer Sue Mazzarella. Bodie said she has begun advertising the position but is already finding there’s a shortage of candidates who are properly certified. Additionally, Bodie said, Mazzarella, who earned $91,000 per year, was paid at the low end of the pay scale for certified CFOs. Though Bodie will conduct the search, which could last well into the fall, the School Committee will advise her on the pay range, she said. Mazzarella told the Globe last month she opted not to accept a new one-year contract offer when her contract expired on June 30. She is staying on under terms of that deal through the summer to finish up budget work and allow Bodie time to find her successor, she said. - Christina Pazzanese
LOCAL WOMAN IS NEW PLANNING DIRECTOR - By month’s end, the town will have a new director of planning and community development. Town Manager Brian Sullivan has announced that Carol Kowalski will succeed the retiring Kevin O’Brien. A longtime Arlington resident, Kowalski will leave her current job as town planner and community services director in Reading. She has also worked for both the town of Concord and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council as a senior planner. Kowalski cofounded the Arlington Land Trust in 1999, served as the town’s conservation commissioner from 1992 to 1999, and sat on the Open Space Committee from 1995 to 1999. Chosen from a pool of 49 candidates, Kowalski was named one of two finalists by a selection panel that included town officials and residents. O’Brien, who worked for Arlington for 24 years, retired on July 8.
BELMONT
SENIOR CENTER NEARING OPENING - The new senior center is on track to open in September. The center was initially scheduled to open in the spring but construction delays postponed it. Senior Center Building Committee chairwoman Karen Pressey said most of the work will be completed this month. She said once inspections take place, the move can officially start. One issue that has plagued the project has been the placement of a large generator on the site. Neighbors complained about its size and noise. Town officials have said that the generator, which was not part of the original plans for the center, must be removed before a final permit is issued. Pressey said last week that the generator will be removed and battery packs will be used for backup lighting.
BROOKLINE
WORK ON THE DEAN ROAD BRIDGE - The MBTA is planning to renovate the Dean Road bridge over the Green Line’s D-Line. Construction will include replacement of the deck and beams, according to MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo, as well as strengthening the granite beneath. Construction could start in the spring. The T is talking with the town’s engineering department about whether the bridge can be closed for a time, Pesaturo said, and will present preliminary plans at the selectmen’s July 28 meeting. In the meantime, the T is holding a community meeting about the bridge this Wednesday, 6 p.m., at Town Hall, 333 Washington St. The timing might be close to ideal, since the nearby Runkle School will be closed for construction in fall 2010 for about two years, according to Peter Rowe, deputy superintendent for administration. - Andreae Downs
CLASSROOM ADDITIONS - It’s summer and Brookline’s school buildings are full of the sounds of power tools. Almost every elementary school in town is being renovated to make room for additional classes, as kindergarten enrollment continues to be well above the expected number. “The pressure is across the board,’’ said Peter Rowe, deputy superintendent for administration. Classrooms used this year for after-school programs or pull-out classes, like music or language, at Lincoln, Pierce, Heath, Driscoll, and Lawrence will be reconverted for use by traditional classes, Rowe said. Already, the schools have enrolled more than 570 students for next year’s kindergarten and more are expected before the end of August.
SUMMER READING PROGRAM - With an eye to keeping young readers interested in books, the Brookline Library, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and the Massachusetts Regional Library Systems are cosponsoring Starship Adventure for children ages 3-12. Starting Wednesday children can register in person or online, keep a reading log, pick up free museum passes, and qualify for prizes. On the space theme, the library is also hosting a series of “cosmic programs,’’ including star-gazing with the Museum of Science, Mad Science, Creature Teachers, and Lego Night. For details, call 617-730-2370. - Andreae Downs
PRETEEN POLICE ACADEMY - The Brookline Police Department has a suggestion for sixth- or seventh-graders who have nothing to do during the last week of summer. They are running a Youth Police Academy Aug. 24-28, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day at the station, 350 Washington St. Participants will get a tour of the lockup and the court next door. They may ride in a police cruiser, talk with officials from the FBI and the State Crime Lab, and learn about police work and laws that apply to them, such as the helmet law, according to Officer Katie McCabe. The class is free, but space is limited. For an application, call 617-730-2609. - Andreae Downs
Framingham
KIDFIT PROGRAM - The Framingham Parks and Recreation Department has received a $15,000 grant from the MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation, an independent charitable organization, to be used for the KidFit program, according to Trish Powell, Framingham’s superintendent of recreation. KidFit, held at the Suburban Athletic Club, teaches children the essentials of a healthy lifestyle while helping them adopt healthy eating and fitness habits. The program is open to children ages 5 through 17. There is a fee of $30 per student. KidFit participants attend the club twice per week for one hour. Interested residents can contact the office to register for the next 13-week session, scheduled to begin July 27. For more information, call 508-879-6544.
HOLLISTON
COMMUNITY GARDENS AVAILABLE - The Holliston Agricultural Commission finished preparing land for new community gardens. Residents without enough room or proper growing conditions now have a chance to cultivate a plot owned by the Pinecrest Golf Club. Participation is limited to 10 gardeners, and the $10 per month fee during the growing season includes water for the gardens. An online application is available at
www.hollistonagcom.org.
LEXINGTON
FOUNDATION SEEKING DIRECTOR - The Lexington Education Foundation, a 20-year-old independent charitable organization with the mission of enhancing educational excellence at the Lexington public schools, is searching for an executive director. The director will help to attract talented and diverse board members with a broad range of skills and ability to give volunteer time and help the organization’s two presidents stay focused on the foundation’s strategic mission. The foundation has funded more than $2.7 million in three grant and fellowship programs since 1991. Those interested should e-mail the foundation at
LEFEDJob@yahoo.com for a complete job description and application.
MILLIS
POLICE UNION DELAYS RAISE - The Millis police union has voted to defer members’ 3 percent raises until July 1, 2010, a move that saved one of the department’s 14 positions. “It was a tough decision for everybody,’’ said union head Dominic Tiberi. “We basically did it to save a guy’s job.’’ Tiberi said the police officer hired most recently had received notification from town officials that his job would be eliminated, though he never had to stop working since the union and the town came to an agreement by June 30, the end of last fiscal year. “Personally, I don’t think we can be lower staffed than we are,’’ Tiberi said. He said the current police contract ends next fiscal year, and negotiations will probably begin in the winter.
NEWTON
NEWTON SOUTH FIELDS MAY BE DELAYED - The synthetic fields that are being built at Newton South High School may not be ready by the start of the school year, according to the mayor’s office. City spokesman Jeremy Solomon said that an appeal by opponent Guive Mirfendereski could delay the project up to six months. In April, the state Department of Environmental Protection visited the site upon Mirfendereski’s request to determine whether construction of the synthetic field violated the Wetlands Protection Act. After the DEP supported plans for construction, Mirfendereski filed an appeal to the decision. According to Solomon, a hearing for this appeal should happen sometime in the next three to six months. While construction has begun on portions of the field, before the hearing, no work can take place on a 40-foot strip of land that approaches the nearby wetlands. This section of land is critical to the project because it includes the track and a patch of what will be the field. “This is a real shame for the Newton South community,’’ said developer Ted Tye, who founded the group NEWTURF in 2004 in response to what he considered “deplorable’’ and “unsafe’’ field conditions at the high school. “We have a real opportunity to do good, and we keep getting blocked by appeals that are just delaying us. I don’t just blame Guive, I blame everyone who is supporting this guy and involved in blocking us from working.’’ Mirfendereski said the delay is the fault of poor design and the inability of both sides to reach an agreement. “I don’t give a hoot about who is upset about delays,’’ he said. “I’m putting the environment in front of a project that failed to take into account the environmental impact its construction would have. . . . The environmental impact was never adequately vetted. They just want fields at any cost.’’
SHERBORN
AUDIO BOOKS FOR IPOD USERS - The Sherborn Library is now offering residents an audiobook service that is iPod-compatible. The program, which began two years ago, allows residents to rent from a selection of 3,000 digital books, ranging from the classics to those that assist in learning a language, available for download to media devices. Only recently though, has the library made 800 of those books available in iPod format. The program was created when NetLibrary, a site that provides access to many library collections including Sherborn’s, and Recorded Books, an audio book publisher, formed a partnership. Instructions for software installation, and creating an account can be accessed at
library.sherbornma.org or by calling NetLibrary support at 800-848-5800. Residents can also pick up directions on how to use the service at the library’s front desk. - Anna Fiorentino
WATERTOWN
MEETING ON NONANTUM ROAD PROJECT - The Department of Conservation and Recreation will hold a public meeting on July 20 to continue talks about planned safety upgrades along Nonantum Road from Watertown to Brighton. Design for the approximately $6.8 million project is now nearing completion, with bids scheduled to go out in mid-August and construction slated to begin in the fall, said Anne Roach, a DCR spokeswoman. The meeting is the first held since the DCR came up with funds to finish the design work last March and the first since Mass. Highway, which will administer federal stimulus money earmarked for the construction, joined with DCR to oversee the project. Nonantum Road has been the site of dozens of accidents since 2004 and four fatalities, including a 26-year-old MIT grad from Waltham who died last December after her SUV went into the Charles River. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Rowing Boathouse on Nonantum Road in Brighton. - Christina Pazzanese
CHECKS FOR GROUPS - The Town Council and a representative from Harvard University will hand out checks totaling $100,000 on Tuesday to 30 local nonprofit and community organizations. Recipients were informed last week. Awards, which range from $500 to $7,000, will be given out to a variety of civic, youth, and other groups from the Watertown Boys and Girls Club and the Watertown Family Network ($7,000 each) to the Watertown Food Pantry ($4,000) and the Friends of Project Literacy ($3,000). The money is given away annually from the Watertown/Harvard and the Watertown/O’Neill Properties Community Enrichment funds as part of an arrangement the town struck with Harvard University during the sale of the Arsenal property in 2001. The council’s vice president, Mark Sideris, said instead of hosting the traditional reception, officials have opted to scale back the event in light of the town’s financial struggles this year. “We didn’t feel it was appropriate,’’ said Sideris. The check presentation begins at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Town Hall.
TREE WARDEN TO WATCH CONTRACTORS - The town’s tree warden says he will be keeping a closer eye on contractors doing road work in town this summer after two recent mishaps damaged trees on Palfrey Street and Common Street. Christopher Hayward said a malfunctioning truck accidentally struck one tree on Palfrey, while road crews on Common Street stacked granite curbing against another, causing superficial damage. Both trees are still standing and have been treated, but “it shouldn’t have happened,’’ he said. The contractor was “remorseful’’ and was surprised to learn that the contract with the town requires that workers try to avoid doing anything that might damage tree roots, branches or trunks while repaving roads or redoing sidewalks, said Hayward. At the urging of a local tree advocacy group, Hayward and Public Works Superintendent Gerald Mee will conduct an informational presentation for the Town Council Tuesday night to explain the situation and to outline the steps the town is taking to minimize future tree damage during road projects.
WELLESLEY
SAUDI WOMEN AT LOCAL FORUM - Thirty female undergraduate students from Saudi Arabia will be at Babson College from July 13 to July 24 as part of the first US-Saudi Women’s Forum on Social Entrepreneurship. Babson will host the forum’s second of three sessions. The Center for Women’s Leadership at Babson and The Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College partnered with Dar Al-Hekma College and the global professional services firm ICF International to organize the forum. The women attend the college in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The program is funded through the Middle East Partnership Initiative, a program within the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the US Department of State. The first session was held in April at Dar Al-Hekma College, said Janelle Shubert director of Babson women’s center. There, 90 students explored what it means to be a social entrepreneur. Of those 90 students, 30 were chosen to make the trip to Babson based on applications.
- Matthew Rocheleau
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