Globe West Community briefing
ASHLAND
“Capitalism Hits the Fan: Richard Wolff on the Economic Meltdown’’ will be shown Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in the community room at Ashland Public Library as part of the Friends of the Ashland Public Library’s Documentary Film and Discussion Series. Wolff, an economics professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, analyzes the root causes of today’s crisis, showing the historical and systemic failures that led to the meltdown, and argues that government bailouts, stimulus packages, and calls for increased regulation will not solve the most crucial problem. The screening is free; viewers are invited to stay for a discussion afterward. For more information, visit www.friendsoftheapl.com or www.capitalismhitsthefan.com. - Rachel LebeauxBELLINGHAM
PULASKI WORK GETS FUNDING - The Pulaski Boulevard roadway improvement project has received $13 million in state and federal funding under the 2010-2013 Transportation Improvement Plan, which was published earlier this month. The project involves reconstructing the 2.3-mile section of of Pulaski between Orchard Street and the Franklin town line, widening the roadway and adding signals and sidewalks. It includes a complete reconstruction and realignment of the Crooks Corner intersection of Pulaski, South Main Street, and Wrentham Road. The funding will also pay for work at other intersections, including at Lake Street, and at Center Street, where traffic signals will be added. The town has invested roughly $4 million in the project’s design; the state Highway Department will handle the construction work, which is expected to take approximately two years. For more details, visit www.bellinghamma.org. - Rachel LebeauxFRAMINGHAM
TRANSPORTATION ON AGENDA - Transportation will be the theme of the Framingham Democratic Town Committee’s monthly public meeting tonight. Ed Carr, the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority’s executive director, will give an update on the system and answer questions about its operations. Also participating in the discussion will be Town Meeting member Lloyd Kaye, and John Businger, vice chairman of the North-South Rail Link Citizens Advisory Committee, Democratic State Committee member, and former state representative. The meeting is from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Framingham Green Community Building at 136 Maynard St. - Matt RocheleauFRANKLIN
FUND-RAISER FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION - The Franklin Special Education Parent Advisory Council is holding a fund-raiser Nov. 13 at the Doubletree Hotel at 11 Beaver St. in Milford. “An Evening of Comedy,’’ hosted by NESN personality Paul “Fitzy’’ Fitzgerald, will include appetizers, raffles, a silent auction, and the opportunity for participants to be photographed alongside all three New England Patriots Super Bowl rings. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 and are on sale at www.neautismbenefits.com. For more details, visit www.franklin.ma.us/SEPAC or e-mail Sarah Montani at franklinSEPAC@gmail.com. - Rachel LebeauxHOLLISTON
OPEN STUDIOS NEXT WEEKEND - The Holliston Mill Artists community hosts its annual open studios event Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and next Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Work in various media including oil paints, acrylics, textiles, digital media, and photography, by the mill’s 15 resident artists will be showcased, as well as pieces by select guest artists and Holliston students. Throughout the weekend, live music performances are scheduled, and a mobile tea room will be parked in the mill’s lot. The Wine House will host a wine tasting on Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. The mill building, built in 1825, is at 24 Water St. Visit www.hollistonmill.com. - Megan McKeeHOPKINTON
PROGRESS ON SOLAR PANELS - A project to install electricity-generating solar panels on the rooftops of Hopkinton’s public buildings is progressing, with the entire system set for completion by Dec. 17. Both the high school and middle schools have their panels up and ready for use, while work is scheduled to begin at the police and fire stations on Oct. 30. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is expected to be held early next month. The project was financed with a $1.5 million grant from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust’s Commonwealth Solar program. The panels could save the town up to $25,000 per year in electricity costs, according to facilities director Brian Main. - Megan McKee
MEDFIELD
BUDGET CUTS ON WARRANT - Voters will decide tomorrow whether to implement approximately $285,000 in cuts to balance the town budget for this fiscal year. The school system would take the largest trim, $120,000. Susan Cotter, chairwoman of the School Committee, said that if approved by voters, the cuts would mean the loss of a half-time custodial position and a half-time physical education/health instructor position, and “cutting down on utilities.’’ The municipal operating budget would be cut by $53,441, which Town Administrator Michael Sullivan said would be absorbed by leaving one staff vacancy unfilled, and filling two other positions at lower salaries. At the Police Department, Sullivan said, $15,000 in cuts would be absorbed by lower Quinn Bill payments to newly hired officers under the statewide education-incentive program. Remaining cuts represent a mix of insurance, debt-exclusion, and four-figure reductions to departments. Voters will also decide tomorrow on a proposal to institute a local restaurant meals tax. Special Town Meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Medfield High School gymnasium. The warrant has been posted on www.town.medfield.net. - James O’BrienMEDWAY
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION TODAY - The Medway Historical Society will hold a special open house today from 1 to 4 p.m. at 223 Main St. to highlight past “birthday’’ celebrations for the town, which was incorporated on Oct. 25, 1713. The displays are intended to help visitors think about the best ways to celebrate the town’s tricentennial in 2013. For more information, visit www.medwayhistoricalsociety.org. - Rachel LebeauxMILFORD
VIRTUAL EDUCATION CZAR - In preparation for the launch of its Virtual High School initiative in the spring, the school district has hired former webmaster Karen Healey to serve as the program’s coordinator. The Virtual High School system allows students to supplement the district’s offerings with online courses provided by educators around the world, using computers set up at Milford High School. Each “NetCourse’’ will be limited to 25 students and will be facilitated by a Milford teacher, said Superintendent Robert Tremblay. Healey will also facilitate online professional development opportunities for the district’s staff members, and serve as a liaison for online learning for parents, teachers, and students. Tremblay said the district used federal stimulus funds to pay for the new position. - Kathleen MooreSPECIAL TOWN MEETING - Voters attending the Oct. 26 Special Town Meeting will be asked to decide 29 warrant articles, including the expenditure of $799,000 to cover a variety of operating expenses and improvements this fiscal year. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Upper Town Hall. Town Administrator Louis Celozzi said the town’s finances are in good shape, despite the loss of $1.2 million in state aid this year. Among the most-watched proposals, Celozzi said, is Article 24, which seeks $220,000 to cover the cost of consultants to plan, prepare, and design improvements in the Godfrey, O’Brien, and Hospital Brooks Restoration Project. - Kathleen Moore
CASINO ON AGENDA TOMORROW - Representatives from Las Vegas-based Warner Gaming will join David Nunes of Ajax Gaming Ventures LLC before the Board of Selectmen tomorrow evening to present their proposals for a casino complex in Milford. Town Administrator Louis Celozzi said the public hearing will begin sometime after 7:30 p.m. in Room 3 of Town Hall. Celozzi said Nunes first approached the selectmen with the idea about a year ago, but that few details were available at the time. He added that neither Nunes nor his associates with Warner Gaming have named a location for the proposed casino, and the state has yet to decide whether Milford would be granted permission to open a casino. - Kathleen Moore
MILLIS
YOGA CENTER SEEKS DIRECTOR - The Baba Siri Chand Yoga Center is looking for a full-time director, based on the popularity of its daily classes and weekend workshops, and its recent fall festival, which drew practitioners of Kundalini yoga from across New England. “We’re finding that we’ve got enough [activities] that we need help,’’ said Holly Davenport, the center’s administrator. She said that candidates who are trained to teach Kundalini yoga and possess business acumen and the ability to inspire and unite people are encouraged to apply by the Wednesday deadline. Though the Village Street center is affiliated with the Sikh community, living on the site or practicing Sikhism is not a requirement. However, “you should have a feel for a spiritual community life,’’ Davenport said. “You kind of have to work synergistically.’’ For details, visit www.kundaliniyogane.com or call 508-376-4525. - Megan McKeeNATICK
YARD WASTE PICKUPS - Budget cuts have forced the town to scale back its yard-waste collection program this fall. Instead of the three pickups of years past, residents get only one shot at curbside collection. Pickups will be Nov. 16 for households with Tuesday trash collection; Nov. 23 for Wednesday trash-collection households; Nov. 30 for Thursday trash-collection households; and Dec. 7 for Friday trash-collection households. All waste must be in either biodegradable bags or barrels labeled “yard waste.’’ Yard waste can be brought to the recycling center on weekends throughout the year. - Megan McKeeNORFOLK
FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE - The town’s Board of Health and Council on Aging are joining with the Walpole Area Visiting Nurse Association to sponsor a seasonal flu clinic for residents on Oct. 29, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the senior center. Vaccines will be available for adults at highest risk of complications from the flu, including those age 65 and older, and others who have a chronic cardiac or pulmonary disease, required regular medical follow-up or hospitalization in the past year because of chronic metabolic disease, kidney dysfunction or blood disorders, or who have immune system problems. Women in their second or third trimester of pregnancy who have a letter from an obstetrician requesting the flu vaccine are also eligible. Proof of high-risk status will be necessary for all. Call the Council on Aging office at 508-528-4430 to schedule an appointment. - Michele Morgan BoltonPLAINVILLE
TESTING INTERSECTION FOR SAFETY - The state Highway Department has been asked to inspect the intersection of Route 1 and George Street for safety following a series of serious accidents. The state agency will meet with town police and other officials to share ideas on the corner, which is described as having bad visibility for merging traffic on Route 1 combined with a new Dunkin’ Donuts shop. Officials have said options include adding a turning lane, a stop light or a stop light and a blinking light. - Michele Morgan BoltonSHERBORN
SHUTTLE TO RAIL CONSIDERED - A new shuttle service providing connections with a commuter-rail station in Natick will be discussed by the Board of Selectmen next month, after the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority investigates some alternative parking and drop-off arrangements. Selectmen have asked MWRTA representatives to consult with the town’s Disability Committee and Conservation Commission to make sure the plan has adequate provisions for handicapped riders and does not harm conservation land adjacent to the proposed commuter parking lot. They also encouraged representatives to investigate using church parking lots, instead of the one at Ward Park. Selectmen said they would take up the matter as early as Nov. 3, if the new information is available. The original plan, presented at the selectmen’s Oct. 8 meeting, calls for a morning and evening shuttle service between Ward Park and one of the two commuter-rail stations in Natick. Representatives from MWRTA told selectmen that the proposal will be financially viable if at least six residents commit to riding the shuttle, which will cost $1.50 per trip or $11 for a 10-trip pass. - Kathleen MooreSHIRLEY
REGIONALIZING SCHOOLS - School officials in Shirley and Ayer say they hope to submit a plan to the state by Thanksgiving for regionalizing their school districts. It will have to be approved by the state, as well as by voters in both towns, to be implemented. The plan is to close Shirley’s Lura A. White Elementary School, move its students into Shirley’s middle school, and send the town’s middle school and high school students to Ayer, said Superintendent Mac Reid. Regionalizing would save Shirley the millions of dollars it would take to renovate the Lura A. White School and would benefit students by giving middle schoolers a chance to take a foreign language, Reid said. Regionalization would benefit Ayer students by making it possible to offer more extracurricular activities and sports, as well as daily foreign language instruction, said Cheryl Simmons, an Ayer School Committee member. “When you have more kids, you can offer more,’’ Simmons said. - Julie MasisUPTON
LINING UP CULTURAL GRANTS - The town’s Cultural Council will decide this fall which groups receive grants for local artistic or educational projects. Bonnie Adams, the council’s chairwoman, said typically seven to eight proposals receive funding, with award amounts ranging from $250 to $1,000. Last year, the council’s awards included money to the Town Library for baby sign-language classes, the Senior Center for silent movies accompanied by live music, and to Memorial Elementary School for a program run by jump-rope experts. This year, with $4,000 from the Massachusetts Cultural Council to spend, Adams said she has received school and library proposal inquiries, but a final list of applicants was not available early last week. The grant application period closed Thursday. The Cultural Council typically makes its grant decisions by the end of December, although Adams said state budget shortfalls last year and questions about cultural funding held up awards until February. The Upton grants are usually distributed toward the end of the first quarter. - James O’BrienWRENTHAM
NEW FIRST JUSTICE NAMED - Wrentham District Court Judge Emogene Johnson Smith was sworn in last week as the court’s first justice. Originally from Mississippi, Johnson Smith, a nine-year judge, is the first woman and first African-American to be named to the job. She succeeds Judge Warren A. Powers, who recently retired, and will handle the court’s administrative matters as well as cases on the bench. Johnson Smith is a graduate of Atlanta’s Spelman College and Syracuse University School of Law. First justices are appointed to serve five-year terms and are then subject to reappointment. The Wrentham District Court is in the state judicial system’s Norfolk County division, and has Foxborough, Franklin, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, Plainville, Walpole and Wrentham under its jurisdiction. - Michele Morgan BoltonAROUND THE REGION
ARLINGTON
PHASING OUT FIRE BOXES - The town’s Fire Department is phasing out its street-box fire alarms. There are about 400 of the boxes in town, said Fire Chief Robert Jefferson. They use a cable system that dates to the late 1800s, and it has been costing the town about $100,000 a year to maintain, he said. With most emergencies now reported by phone, Jefferson said, his department is upgrading to a wireless system that will have boxes set up in town buildings and schools, as well as private businesses that pay for the service. - Brock Parker 
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