By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

Subway service between the Orange Line’s four most northern stations will be replaced by buses after 9 p.m. on several nights this month, according to the MBTA.

Shuttles will run between Oak Grove Station and Sullivan Square Station from 9 p.m. until the end of service on Monday, July 1, Tuesday, July 2 and from Sunday, July 7 through Thursday, July 11, officials said.

The buses, which are accessible for people with disabilities, will stop at those two stations as well as at the two stations in between: Malden Center Station and Wellington Station, according to the T’s website.

Assembly Square Station Project, officials said.

Meanwhile, T officials said that "the Orange Line may experience some minor delays in service due to the Oak Grove Platform Rehabilitation Project." That project, scheduled to continue into September, includes complete reconstruction of the Oak Grove Station platforms. The station will remain accessible for people with disabilities throughout the project.

For more information, contact the MBTA Customer Communications Department at 617-222-3200, TTY: 617-222-5146.

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
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(Ruth Rieffanaugh / Unbound Visual Arts)

By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

They often hide, tucked under a windshield wiper blade, cruelly waiting to show themselves as that poor driver approaches. The mere sight of those bright orange envelopes is enough to ruin the day for many.

But an artist from Allston hopes people will be able to find some beauty in Boston parking tickets.

Ruth Rieffanaugh has used parking tickets – some her own and others she found discarded on the street – to create colorful skyline scenes of Boston and Cambridge.

An exhibit of her work, called "Parking Ticket Blues & Other Rediscovered Uses" will debut at the Massachusetts State House on July 10, according to Unbound Visual Arts, Inc., a nonprofit that is sponsoring the exhibit. A public opening reception is scheduled from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

The exhibit, which includes other art she has created using discarded newspapers and other paper materials, will run through July 31, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 34 of the State House.

"After moving to Boston, the artist started receiving several parking tickets and she also found many parking tickets discarded on the streets," said a statement from the sponsoring organization, which Rieffanaugh is a founding member of. "In order to capture her feelings and emotions in her new city, she decided to use the tickets to create things of beauty."

"The parking ticket art as well as her other artwork are about ideas and for Ruth those ideas emerge as enigmatic imagery," the statement added. "Drawn from personal experiences, the work grapples with the very personal yet universally personal – that nameless realm of feelings that blend the passionate and pleasurable, the angst and anguish, the uncertain and unsettled – often evoking a moment in time, a meaningful place, a despairing loss or a sudden discovery."

Rieffanaugh lives in Allston where she also works in her art studio. She also works as the director of the Dorchester Alternative Youth Academy and teaches drawing at Boston Architectural College. She received a masters in art education from Lesley University and a bachelor's in fine arts from the Art Institute of Boston.

"As a group, her paintings reveal uncertainty and barriers for the mind. She challenges the mind to confront those limitations and she presents us with the concepts that 'change is constant' and life 'is what it is.'"

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
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(Ruth Rieffanaugh / Unbound Visual Arts)

(Ruth Rieffanaugh / Unbound Visual Arts)

(Photo courtesy Elevate Communications)

Former Boston Celtics player Walter McCarty, Back Bay resident Mil Ndwandwe, and Celtics Forward Jared Sullinger volunteer at the Victory Programs’ ReVision Family Home.

By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent

A Back Bay resident joined Boston Celtics players past and present to help improve Victory Programs’ ReVision Family Home.

Mil Ndwandwe, of the Back Bay, joined Celtics legend Walter McCarty and Boston Celtics Forward Jared Sullinger, and more than 90 volunteers from Sun Life Financial to paint and build furniture at the women’s shelter in Dorchester.

The volunteers, participating in Sun Life Financial’s annual Community Care Day, painted the halls and common area, replaced TV stands, made minor repairs, built picnic tables and planter benches, and redecorated with new curtains, wallpaper, and framed photos at the shelter that serves homeless women, their young families, and expectant mothers.

The group also planted trees at the ReVision Urban Farm, the program’s community-based urban agriculture project that provides residents of the home access to affordable and nutritious food.

E-mail Kaiser at Johanna.yourtown@gmail.com. For more news about your city, town, neighborhood, or campus, visit boston.com’s Your Town homepage.

(Image courtesy Google Maps)

The location of the park.

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

The third and final community meeting on renovations to the Mary Hannon Playground and Park will be held Monday night at the Project Hope Community Center at 550 Dudley St.

Final designs and proposed improvements for 1.96-acre park at 621 Dudley St. are expected to be presented at the meeting set for July 1 at 6:30 p.m.

Approximately $500,000 worth of improvements and repairs are slated for the park and playground that was last renovated in 1997, according to Boston Parks and Recreation.

In addition to the standard upkeep and necessary repairs rubber safety surfacing, updated equipment, new lighting, and new outdoor furniture is also expected to be added to the site.

Construction is expected to start in April-May of 2014 with work expected to be completed in the fall of 2014, according to Parks.

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Email Patrick D. Rosso, patrick.d.rosso@gmail.com. Follow him @PDRosso, or friend him on Facebook.

(Image courtesy SBLI)

Row 1: Hector Galarza (Roxbury), Tavaj Cope (Mattapan), Jamarri Cope (Mattapan), Alejandro Castillo (Dorchester) Row 2: Aaron Cooley (Roxbury) Khalifa Jobbie (Boston) Alex Carrington (Dorchester) Myles Jones (Mattapan) Nikko Kelly (Dorchester) Row 3: Jerod Mayo, Chad Smith (Captain), Christopher Pinkerton (SBLI President & CEO), Tedy Bruschi, Paul Lynch (SBLI), Ray Ventrone, Julian Edelman, and Stephen Gostkowski.

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

Area youths got the chance to share Gillette Stadium’s football field with some of the best in the National Football League, after taking part in the SBLI Tedy Bruschi Kids Football Clinic.

Over 60 youths including those from Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan participated in the minicamp that included training sessions with former superstar Tedy Bruschi and current Patriots’ stars including Zoltan Mesko, Jerod Mayo, Julian Edelman, and Stephen Gostkowski.

The students, who were selected based on an essay they wrote, also received a personalized locker, an official Bruschi Patriots jersey, and a "proper" announcement as they ran onto the field.

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Email Patrick D. Rosso, patrick.d.rosso@gmail.com. Follow him @PDRosso, or friend him on Facebook.

The Middlesex County Attorney's office and Malden police are again appealing to the public in an attempt to identify two suspects in a shooting outside a Malden skateboard shop in January.

Shawn Clark, 39, of Saugus was gunned down outside his store, Patriot Skateboards at 804 Main St., after two armed men wearing masks confronted him inside the shop about 12:45 p.m on Jan. 29.

Surveillance cameras inside the shop captured images of the suspects, which authorities first released to the public in February.

In an announcement Monday, Middlesex Attorney Marian Ryan and Malden Police Chief Kevin Molis said they were once again appealing to the public in identifying the suspects.

"Authorities have made some progress, but no one has been charged in connection with the incident at this time," the announcement said.

The images, released by the Middlesex County District Attorney' office, show two men wearing black pants, hooded sweatshirts with dark-colored jackets over them and latex gloves enter the store. One of the men points a handgun at someone behind the counter, who is not visible. The images were captured by multiple security cameras inside the shop.

One suspect is described as 6 feet tall, the other 5 foot 10 inches to 6 feet tall, the statement said.

Police are asking that anyone with information call Massachusetts State Police at 781-897-6600 or Malden Police at (781) 397-7171.

By Jarret Bencks, Town Correspondent

Somerville police are trying to locate an elderly Somerville man who went missing Sunday night.

Ralph Hergert, 66, was last seen at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday when he left his home at 9 St. James Ave. to take a walk, police said. He is described as about 5' 9" and 200 lbs with gray hair and blue eyes. He was last wearing a red and blue plaid shirt, grey shorts and sandals. Hergert suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

He often walks on main streets in Somerville, Medford and Cambridge. Police received a report Monday morning that Hergert may have been spotted in Kendall Square Sunday night, Deputy police Chief Paul Upton said.

Police are asking that anyone that may have seen Hergert call Somerville Police at (617) 625-1212.

Jarret Bencks can be reached at bencks.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on twitter @JarretBencks.

By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

Think learning to read is all about printed books? Not anymore.

A Dedham company dedicated to innovative education recently rolled out two free bi-lingual smart device apps aimed at teaching literacy to pre-school students and first and second graders.

FableVision announced the apps on its blog this week. The first, “Water Wonders,” teaches first and second graders about science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics through the story of twin siblings Sydney and Symon.

The authors of the book the app is based upon are twins as well – Dedham residents Peter and Paul Reynolds – who are both CEOs of FableVision.

“Literacy is not just about reading, not just about handing a kid a book; there is a need to do more things – listen, talk, read, and write, or express yourself,” said Paul Reynolds, who is also a Dedham selectman.

FableVision teamed up with Reading is Fundamental and the National Writing Project, both national organizations geared toward reading, writing and literacy.

Originally, the books were produced as ordinary print books and distributed to underserved families, but in 2008, Reading is Fundamental lost federal funding and had to come up with a less expensive alternative to warehousing and distributing books, according to Paul Reynolds.

And so Reading Is Fundamental 2.0 was born, which focused on adapting the physical resources the organization put forward into the digital world, Reynolds said.

FableVision adapted “Water Wonders” as well as “Our Book by Us” about a family creating a book about themselves, which is geared toward preschoolers.

“The great thing about this is that all of these are available for free as long as people have a smart device, which are becoming increasingly ubiquitous,” Paul Reynolds said.

The apps both feature animations and games for children to interact with as they use the apps. Reynolds said the games and animations are designed to entertain, but not to distract.

They also have English and Spanish narrators. Reynolds said he was particularly proud to have Broadway actor Chester Gregory as one of the narrators.

Reynolds said that books still have their place in literacy education, but that digital apps enhance learning opportunities.

“The exciting thing about digital technology is the kids have more opportunities to express themselves and create things,” he said.

He added that the most important tool remains having an engaged adult as part of the process.

The apps are available on Google Play, the Apple App Store, and the Amazon App Store.

Fore more information, visit fablevisionstudios.com.

(Photo by Isabel Leon/City of Boston)

Liberty Mutual Insurance chairman and CEO David Long, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and the Massachusetts Secretary Of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent

Liberty Mutual Insurance celebrated the expansion of its home office amid praise from state and city officials for creating jobs and boosting the local economy.

The Boston-based insurance company began work on its new 22-story building at 157 Berkeley Street in October 2010. The $300 million project expanded its Back Bay home office by 590,000 square feet and created 500 construction jobs.

“Given the pace of our economic recovery, it’s hard even for some of us to imagine how really desperate we were in 2010,” said Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki at a ribbon cutting ceremony in the building Friday morning.

Bialecki praised the company for moving forward with the expansion project during the recession and for committing to create to 600 jobs by 2029. The expansion will also bring $70 million in new real estate tax revenue to the city over the next 20 years

“It really gave us all a tremendous boost that we would find a way out of this. And now with the city has come back in a glorious fashion and it’s great to see Liberty Mutual be a part of it,” he said.

The construction project also created a new café, outdoor seating on Stuart Street, and a landscaped plaza on St. James Street.

“We sort of revitalized our neighborhood a little bit,” Liberty Mutual chairman and CEO David Long said. “Already we’re seeing folks of all ages enjoying that. It looks a whole heck of a lot better than the parking lot that used to be there.”

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said the expansion’s positive impact on area businesses will be “tremendous.”

“They had so much confidence in the city of Boston, they had so much confidence in their own company that they were willing to invest in this beautiful building,” said Menino, who called on officials and community members to continue to collaborate on all projects.

“We’ve got to work together,” he said. “This is a great city and the only way we’re going to continue improve this city is us working together.”

E-mail Kaiser at Johanna.yourtown@gmail.com. For more news about your city, town, neighborhood, or campus, visit boston.com’s Your Town homepage.

By Jarret Bencks, Town Correspondent

A piece of Medford Street in Somerville will be closed off and on over coming days, according to the MBTA.

Blasting and painting the bridge that carries Medford Street over rail tracks near the intersection with McGrath Highway will close the street from July 1 to July 3, July 5, and July 6 to July 10. Widening the bridge is part of the first phase of the Green Line Extension project.

Southbound traffic will be diverted onto McGrath Highway to Cambridge Street in East Cambridge. Northbound, motorists will take a detour onto South Street, Windsor Street, Windsor Place, Webster Avenue, Prospect Street, then Somerville Avenue, which connects to McGrath Highway.

Jarret Bencks can be reached at bencks.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on twitter @JarretBencks.

Photos courtesy of Brendan McMullin

(Above) Family and friends gathered at a sunset memorial in Hawaii following the unexpected death of Liz Tarpey. Parents Chris and Mary Tarpey stand in the center. (Left) (From left) Liz Tarpey, Liz's mother Mary, and aunt Patricia McMullin-Do attend a game at Georgia Tech.

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

For family and friends of Elizabeth “Liz” Tarpey, there aren’t enough positive words to characterize the energetic Braintree High graduate.

Yet speaking about Tarpey has been the challenge this week, after the 23-year-old died in a hiking accident in Hawaii last Saturday.

“Her joy, her good nature, it’s tough to put into a little box,” said uncle and godfather Brendan McMullin, about what he would remember most about her. “Through this last several days we’ve all been together, the whole family, no one can remember any time where Liz was ever even in a sour mood.”

According to the New York Daily News, Tarpey was hiking the Pu’u Manamana hiking trail in Kaawa, known in Yelp reviews as the most dangerous hike on the island of Oahu, when she stepped on a patch of loose soil and fell 300 feet.

Helicopter rescue crews had a difficult time reaching Tarpey, the Daily News reported. She was eventually rescued and taken to the hospital, where she later passed away.

The accident cut short a life just on the brink of blossoming, McMullin said.

A 2007 Braintree High graduate, Tarpey was already a success story leaving high school. The track, cross-country, and tennis athlete also played in the band, and was a member of the National Honors Society and Spanish National Honors Society.

Tarpey went on to Georgia Tech University. After graduating with a degree in Industrial and systems engineering in 2011, she began working as a business analyst at C&S Wholesale Grocers in Keene, N.H. She soon was given the opportunity to work in the company's Hawaii offices.

While in Hawaii, Tarpey also became a charter member of the Prince Kuhio Toastmasters Club, and volunteered in numerous organizations in Hawaii, McMullin said.

“She had such a busy life filled with friends and activities and exploring the island,” McMullin said. “She befriended so many people.”

A lover of the outdoors, McMullin said she went on many hikes, writing about her adventures in a journal she kept.

“Lots of her friends said she was always the very, very careful one. She wasn’t reckless, was always prepared and was physically fit,” McMullin said. “She kept a journal and wrote about her days, the climbs she did, people she met, places she went, and work experiences. Even then, she had a predisposition to only say positive things.”

Tarpey loved to travel, going abroad to Oxford and visiting relatives in Ireland.

In her spare moments, Tarpey was teaching herself ukulele.

“She had a lot of plans moving forward in her life. But boy, oh boy, did she not only work hard, but she took time to smell the flowers,” McMullin said. “She experienced every day of her life, she experienced life.”

McMullin said Tarpey was mother's best friend and the biggest fan of both of her brothers’ – one older and one younger .

“She never forgot any birthdays or important dates. She has lots of cousins who all have awesome memories of her,” McMullin said.

Friends came out in droves for a sunset memorial in Hawaii last Tuesday celebrating Tarpey’s life. Relatives who attended the event said it was unbelievably moving.

"She really was just loved by everybody who met her," McMullin said.

Locally, funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.

Tarpey leaves behind parents Chris and Mary, brothers Noah and Nathan, and many cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends.

Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com

Were these Orange Line passengers tweeting positive thoughts about the MBTA? It could happen.

By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.

By Jarret Bencks, Town Correspondent

The Back in the Day 10k road race will flood western and central Somerville with runners dressed retro Sunday.

The race starts at 10 a.m. near the intersection of Willow Avenue and Cedar Street, according to an announcement from the city.

There are no expected significant traffic impacts, but there may be parking issues on residential streets near the race's starting line and minor traffic problems on the following streets:

•  Cedar Street
•  Warwick Street
•  Clyde Street
•  Broadway in Magoun Square
•  School Street
•  Medford Street from School Street to McGrath Highway
•  Hamlet Street
•  Boston Street
•  Munroe Street
•  Prospect Hill Ave.
•  Columbus Ave.
•  Walnut Street
•  Summit Ave.
•  Vinal Ave
•  Summer Street
•  Craigie Street
•  Elm Street, and 
•  Lexington Ave.

By Jessica Bartlett, Town correspondent

Quincy city councilors this week unanimously approved the $258 million budget for the fiscal year that begins Monday, a 4.4 percent increase from this year.

No cuts were made to the budget, which shows increases in nearly every department.

“To a large degree, it’s a restoration budget,” said Christopher Walker, spokesman for Mayor Thomas Koch. “In areas we had major cuts, we’re getting to where we were, especially in public safety and education. In many of the departments, the increases were confined to contractual increases for employees.”

The budget will enable the city to hire several teachers, policemen, and firefighters. The city will also hire a new energy manager and system technician charged with making buildings more energy efficient.

The budget will rise 49 percent for the Planning Department, which will will hire a research assistant and a planner for economic development. A commitment from the city to paint street lines also contributed to a nearly doubled Traffic Control budget.

The city has also increased the snow-removal budget to $1.5 million from $1.25 million this year.

“The mayor presented a fair, conservative, responsible budget to the council that provides for new investment in our core areas of education, public safety, and infrastructure, and we’re thrilled that it was reviewed and approved without alteration,” Walker said.

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

Owners of Scituate’s wind turbine say that federal charges against employees of its Chinese manufacturer won't significant affect the local turbine.

According to a June 27 release from the US Department of Justice, three employees from China's Sinovel Wind Group Co. Ltd. are being charged with stealing trade secrets from AMSC, a United States-based company formerly known as American Superconductor Inc.

“Today, we announce charges against Sinovel and three individuals for stealing proprietary wind turbine technology from AMSC in order to produce their own turbines powered by stolen intellectual property,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, in a release.

Several turbines in the Boston area were manufactured by Sinovel, including Scituate and Falmouth turbines owned by Palmer Capital President Gordon Deane, and Charlestown’s turbine, owned by the MWRA.

The legal case could have ramifications for the local machines, including software currently being used.

Yet the operation of the local turbines is not at risk, Deane said.

“Under our contracts, yes. If there is any issue [with our technology or software, Sinovel] has to make it right. We’ve also had discussions with AMSC that they would be willing to step in and make it right as well,” Deane said in a phone interview.

Alterations could include replacing any software determined to be stolen. According to a release issued by Palmer Capital, an agreement is already in place with AMSC to replace software should it become necessary.

A timeline for that decision, to be made by the courts, is unclear.

“This is a legal action, and people could settle in three months or three years,” Deane said.

The development is only the latest dispute against Sinovel. According to the release from Palmer Capital, Sinovel has been involved in an ongoing dispute with AMSC since the fall of 2011.

“Scituate Wind, LLC first learned about the dispute only after it became public, which was after the turbine for Scituate was ordered,” the release said. “Scituate Wind was also not aware of any DOJ investigation at the time the turbine was ordered.”

Deane stressed that Scituate was not involved in the lawsuit, and was cooperating with the federal government as well as AMSC as the lawsuit evolved.

“This doesn’t effect operation of Fairhaven wind [or] Scituate wind,” Deane said.

By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

Canton’s 4th of July events will take place at the Irish Cultural Centre on Route 138.

Starting at 5 p.m. next Thursday, there will be free children’s activities, including inflatables and face painting. Canton folk rock group The Wolff Sisters and Classic Trax will perform a concert at 6:30.

As the sky darkens, the fireworks display will begin. The display will be put on by Atlas PyroVision, which won the Gold Jupiter Award for a display during the 2012 International Fireworks Competition in Montreal.

As a security precaution, coolers are prohibited and bags will be subject to inspection. Food and drink will be available for purchase throughout the event.

Packing chairs and blankets is strongly encouraged.

That morning, the 46th annual July 4 Road Race will happen. Check in will be at 8:30 a.m. with the race beginning at 9:30. Advance registration is recommended.

The start and finish will be at Canton Town Club at 300 Baily St. The races include a two-mile Fun Run for children ages 2 to 12 and a five-mile Road Race for ages 13 and up. Registration is $5 for the Fun Run and $10 for the Road Race.

Awards will be given in male and female categories and multiple age groups.

For more information about these events, visit www.cantonrec.com.

By Terri Ogan, Globe Correspondent

For the last three summers, 17-year-old Peabody resident Sam Feinstein has gained inspiration from the imagination and talent of his fellow students at BIMA, Brandeis University's summer arts institute for high school students.

The soon-to-be high school senior sings, composes, plays the bass guitar, piano, and ukulele, among other instruments. About a year ago, Feinstein was struck with the idea of showcasing the work of talented youth all over the state.

Feinstein will finally get his chance by heading the Massachusetts Youth Arts Festival, which will take place on Sunday June 30 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Slosberg Music Center at Brandeis University in Waltham.

All proceeds from the festival will go to Boston's Music and Youth Initiative.

"Right now I'm a bit nervous trying to make sure that everything goes exactly as planned, but I'm very excited," Feinstein said. "It should be an amazing thing."

The event will feature approximately 40 middle school, high school, and college students from the North Shore and beyond, showcasing their talent and skills in a variety of fields.

The auditorium in the Slosberg building will be host to several performances including that of music, dance, film, and poetry readings, among others.

The open space outside the auditorium will have paintings, sculptures and other visual arts on display.

"I think it's rare that a teen can put together something of this size and scope together by himself," said Rachel Happel, director of BIMA and Genesis, two of Brandeis University's summer high school programs. "He's focused just on Massachusetts, but just Massachusetts is pretty big. He really had this vision of artists from all different disciplines coming together to share their work."

Happel added that she thought one of Feinstein's biggest challenges was balancing his busy high school schedule of band practice, choir practice, studying for the SATs and music lessons, while organizing this event.

"At the end of the program [BIMA], all of the artists show their work," Feinstein said. "I thought it was a cool idea so I decided to implement it for the state."

Not only did Feinstein organize the event, but he's also participating in it.

Feinstein is set to perform on stage with his band, The Seabees, in a 45-minute set.

The Seabees is an eight-piece Ska band, which is a genre that fuses jazz, rock and reggae. "It was was very popular in the 90s," Feinstein said.

"It's really his idea and his baby," Happel said. "I'm really proud of him. He's an amazing musician and is a real leader and initiator in the community. I've seen tremendous growth in Sam over the course of the years."

Terri Ogan can be reached at oganglobe@gmail.com, or follow her on Twitter.

The Brookline Community Foundation has announced Brookline Police Officer Casey Hatchett as the winner of its Unsung Hero Award.

Casey Hatchett. Photo courtesy the Brookline Community Foundation

The Foundation is honoring Hatchett for her work as the crime analyst for the police department, as well as her services as the treasurer for the Jennifer A. Lynch Committee Against Domestic Violence and as the co-chair of the Brookline Commission for Women.

Hatchett also coordinates the Brookline Community Emergency Response Team Program, is a Brookline Town Meeting member and is vice president of the Massachusetts Association of Crime Analysts.

“Casey is a unsung heroine in so many ways as she works tirelessly for the town as an officer of the police department as well as in numerous leadership and volunteer positions while also being a great friend to many and mother of four children,” said past Foundation Trustee Hsiu-Lan Chang, in a statement announcing the award.

The Unsung Hero Award celebrates community members who work to make Brookline better without calling attention to himself or herself. Brookline residents are nominated by friends, colleagues or peers for the award and the winner is selected by a committee of Foundation trustees.

Hatchett said in a press release announcing the award that she is honored to be recognized and that she couldn’t do her work without her family, friends and co-workers.

By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

The Dedham Historical Society and Museum and the Fairbanks house will present folk singer Jeff Davis in a summer performance.

Davis’s songs include Revolutionary War hero ballads, Appalachian clogging songs, sailor’s work songs, Afridan-American banjo tunes, Irish fiddle tunes, and cowboy ditties. He plays a myriad of instruments, including the nose flute and a fretless banjo.

The free performance, supported by a grant from the Dedham Cultural Council, is set for 11 a.m. on July 10 at the Dedham Historical Society at 612 High St.

Reservations are required for groups of five or more.

For more information, contact the Dedham Historical Society at 781-326-1385 or society@dedhamhistorical.org or the Fairbanks House at 781-326-1170 or homestead@fairbankshouse.org.

By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

The Dedham Square Improvement Project will be taking a break on Thursday, July 4, and Friday, July 5, but work will be performed early in the week.

Much of the work this construction season has taken place during the night, but project leaders reported that there will be two daytime shifts on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The first two layers of asphalt will be installed on Eastern Avenue from CVS to High Street and the second layer of asphalt will be placed on High Street from Washington Street to Eastern Avenue.

This work will be completed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

During the same hours on Wednesday, the second layer of asphalt will be installed on Washington Street from School Street to Crossfit Craic at 355 Washington Street.

In both cases, half the roadway will be paved at a time to allow alternating traffic to flow on these roadways. No on-street parking will be allowed during work hours within those areas.

All vehicles must be moved from the area by 8 a.m. or be towed. The contractor will place signs in the areas the night prior to the work.

For more information on the project, visit dedhamsquareproject.com.

By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent

Hingham officials voted Thursday night to move forward with the acquisition of the town’s water system from Aquarion Water Co.

The vote goes along with a similar one taken by the town's Water Acquisition Study Committee on Tuesday. The committee has spent over a year analyzing the pros and cons of the town's purchasing and operating the system, and concluded this week that town ownership would save ratepayers money.

“We’ve come out with savings construction in the $1 million to $1.5 million a year range, that through the remaining life of the water treatment lease, would produce savings of $70 [million] to $90 million cumulatively,” said John Asher, a member of the Water Study Committee and former member of the Advisory Board.

Though the derived cost for the system or the process to get that cost have not been disclosed, selectmen agreed with the committee on Thursday, saying they would try to negotiate a purchase price with the private company.

Selectman Chairman Bruce Rabuffo said he has already gone to the company with a number, and is waiting for a counteroffer.

“Discussions have been very businesslike,” Rabuffo said.

While negotiations are ongoing, the town has not ruled out the possibility of litigation. Selectmen haven’t said what might trigger litigation, but have prepared legal strategies if Aquarion won’t cooperate in selling.

Aquarion officials have agreed that the town has a right to purchase the water assets, but have stood by the $184 million price tag for the system announced in 2012.

Recent decisions to move forward with a sale, without a public discussion of price, has been disheartening, said John P. Walsh, vice president of Massachusetts and New Hampshire operations for Aquarion.

“It’s disappointing,” he said. “Like the residents we heard from last night, we’re also frustrated that the committee is not sharing information for us to evaluate. As I mentioned, this is in stark contrast to how we’ve handled this.”

Walsh said the company has provided the town with a wealth of information on the system and the valuation of the company.

Rabuffo disputed that assertion, saying Aquarion was still withholding key pieces of information on what it paid for the system.

Furthermore, Rabuffo said that while information hasn’t been shared publicly, that Walsh and other top Aquarion executives do have the cost model the town is using.
The timeline for next steps is still unclear, but regardless of where the issue ends up, Town Meeting would have to approve any purchase officials intend.

The move would put Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset’s water under Hingham’s control.

According to Hingham Town Administrator Ted Alexiades, all three towns would pay for the purchase and operation of the system through their rates. The operation of the system would most likely be run through an inter-municipal agreement between all the towns, Alexiades said.

“We’ve kept the town managers up to date on our work, and we’ve met with them to talk about how we would structure this from a government standpoint,” Alexiades said. “They have given us strong statements that they are anxious and willing to work with us, and they do…feel it would be financially beneficial to their communities.”

By Terri Ogan, Globe Correspondent

Public officials from several communities north of Boston are set to march in the Second Annual North Shore Pride Parade on Saturday, kicking off from Riley Plaza on 2 Margin Street in Salem .

The parade will start at 12 p.m. and turn right on Norman Street heading down towards New Derby Street. It will then continue onto Derby Street and Hawthorne Boulevard, where it will end at Salem Common for the North Shore Pride Festival from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
 
This is the second year that Salem has hosted the North Shore Pride Parade and Festival, and comes on the heels of the US Supreme Court striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The decision restored the federal rights and benefits for legally married same-sex couples in Massachusetts and any state which has legalized marriage equality.
 
On Tuesday, Mayor Kimberley Driscoll announced that Salem would soon participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index with the goal of achieving a 100 percent score for the inclusivity of the city's laws, policies and practices, according to a statement from the mayor's office. To that end, Driscoll and Salem Police Chief Paul Tucker announced the designation of the first two official LGBT Community Liaisons for the City of Salem.
 
Subsequent to the parade, there will be an afternoon of entertainment on Salem Common following Driscoll’s proclamation of Saturday, as “North Shore Pride Day” in the City of Salem.

At 11:45 a.m. the parade route streets will be closed and will re-open immediately after the parade at approximately 1 p.m.

The Riley Plaza parking lot will be closed to vehicles on Saturday morning beginning at 8 a.m. All vehicles must be removed from the parking lot.

No parking tow zones from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. will be posted on Margin Street between Gedney Street and Norman Street, as well as Washington Square South around the Salem Common.

Traffic delays are expected and motorists should seek alternate routes during this time.

For more information go to http://northshorepride.org/.

Terri Ogan can be reached at oganglobe@gmail.com, or follow her on Twitter.

By Jarret Bencks, Town Correspondent

By Terri Ogan, Globe Correspondent

The 101st Airborne Division Association in Massachusetts, together with local businesses and private donors, is hosting a fishing trip out of Newburyport for area veterans and wounded soldiers of the North Shore.

The trip is being held Tuesday July 9 around 9 a.m. The boat is set to depart from Bridge Lane in Salisbury, and is expected to stay out until 3 p.m. The rain date will be Wednesday July 10 at the same time and location.

This is the second year the 101st Airborne Division Association is hosting the event.

About 35 veterans and soldiers from the area are expected to attend.

In addition, the organization is planning a whale watch out of Gloucester in August for families of those deployed over seas and families of deceased veterans.

The date and time of the Gloucester whale watch has yet to be announced.

Terri Ogan can be reached at oganglobe@gmail.com, or follow her on Twitter.