By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

A new community watch group in Dedham will announce its presence with signs on Bussey Street and Liberty Lane.

Dan Giacalone, one of the groups founding members, said he joined the group to promote community and safety in the Liberty Lane and Bussey Street area.

“We just want to protect ourselves in any way we can,” Giacalone said.

The signs, which selectmen approved on April 25, will announce that the community is protected by a neighborhood watch, Giacalone said.

“If anybody is looking to do any house break-ins, they might be thinking twice about doing it in this neighborhood,” Giacalone said.

The group meets once every two months and Dedham Police Chief Michael d’Entremont attends all meetings and provides law enforcement updates about their neighborhood.

D’Entremont also provides similar updates to other neighborhood groups, including the Oakdale Square Alliance, the Mother Brook Community Group, the Manor Neighborhood Association, and Dedham Square Circle.

“These groups are a positive development for the town,” d’Entremont said. “It is important for residents to be engaged in communication and the safety of their neighborhood. Police rely on citizens to be observant and report criminal and suspicious activity.”

While d’Entremont does not have hard numbers for crime reduction in those areas, he did say there has been an increased sense of community in the areas that have neighborhood groups.

He added that the signs will have a positive effect.

“The signs do let people know that others are watching and will call the police,” d’Entremont said.

The police chief also informed the group about House Bill 2190, which would allow Dedham police to pursue criminals 500 yards into Boston and vice versa, according to Giacalone.

The group, being on a border with Boston, is advocating for the bill, Giacalone said.

By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

An assault at Legacy Place last week has led Dedham police to issue a statement aimed at dispelling concerns of gangs of teens instigating fights at the shopping mall.

At about 8:15 p.m. on Friday, April 26, police responded to an assault at Legacy Place in which multiple men were assaulted, one of which was transported to Norwood Hospital with an eye injury.

The incident remains under investigation, according to a statement from Dedham Police Chief Michael d’Entremont.

“The Dedham Police have seen allegations indicating certain teens are always at Legacy Place on the weekends instigating confrontations with other youths,” d’Entremont wrote in the statement released Friday, May 3.

The chief went on to say that police are always present at Legacy Place and incident data related to all shopping centers is reviewed on a quarterly basis.

“The Dedham Police have not observed or experienced any regular occurrences or patterns of youths instigating altercations at Legacy Place,” d’Entremont wrote. “To the contrary, our experience has been that youths are closely monitored when at Legacy Place without parental supervision.”

D’Entremont concluded the statement with a list of basic safety tips.

• Always be aware of your surroundings, especially at night. When parking, walking or returning to your car, remain in well-lit and populated areas.

• Wear sneakers or shoes that allow for added mobility.

• Be watchful and aware. Keep your head up. Make quick eye contact with those around you and be observant of passing vehicles.

• Don’t become distracted by talking on a cell phone or listening to an iPod/similar device.

• Avoid walking alone late at night. Walk with friends and people you know.

• Keep a whistle within reach. If you feel threatened, use the whistle to signal residents that you need assistance.

•Yelling “Fire!” or “Help!” are ways of drawing attention and alerting people that you need help.

• Carry a cell phone.

• Call ahead to your destination to alert them that you’re on your way. Make sure they expect you at a certain time, so that in the event you fail to show up, they’ll know enough to begin looking for you.

• Walk with confidence. Be assertive. Don’t let anyone violate your space. Trust your instincts. Know this: anyone at any time can be a victim of crime. Don’t assume, “IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME.”

• If you think that someone is following you, switch direction or cross the street. Walk toward an open store, restaurant or residence.

• Always call 911 for police, fire or medical emergencies.

Births per 1,000 residents in 2010

By Matt Carroll, Boston Globe | May 2, 2013

Click here to see a larger, interactive version of this chart.
Additional town-by-town snapshots.

By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

The Riverside Trauma Center in Needham will be managing psychological first aid for residents and businesses outside Boston affected by the Boston Marathon Bombings, according to a statement released Wednesday.

The Massachusetts Departments of Mental Health and Public Health requested the center, a service of Riverside Community Care headquartered in Dedham, to take on this responsibility, the statement said.

“We know that the tragic events of this magnitude will have lasting behavioral health effects,” said Department of Mental Health Commissioner Marcia Fowler. “I have every confidence that Riverside has the necessary experience in delivering crisis services to help with this enormous task.”

Riverside provides behavioral healthcare and human series across eastern and central Massachusetts. The trauma center helps people recover from overwhelming stress caused by traumatic events through community outreach, consultation, and counseling.

Riverside Trauma Center teams have already responded to a large number of requests for help from schools, communities, businesses, and families in Boston and throughout the surrounding communities, according to the statement.

This is the trauma center’s third large-scale deployment in the past three years in response to a statewide tragedy, the statement said. The most recent was the tornadoes that demolished homes in the Springfield area in 2011.

The Boston Public Health Commission will continue to manage requests for behavioral health support within the Boston city limits.

“While Boston has begun to heal as a city, we know that for many people there is still a long road to recovery,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission. “There are countless folks in greater Boston that will need a supportive voice and help coping in the days and weeks ahead, and we want to do everything possible to make sure professional help is easy to access.”

Anyone continuing to experience reactions such as anxiety or difficulty sleeping is encouraged to call the Riverside Trauma Center at 855-279-0632.

By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

The following information was taken from the Dedham police log. Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.

Wednesday, April 24
Malicious damage: At 1:50 p.m., police received a report of a vehicle with a cracked windshield on Common Street. The owner of the car said an argument with a coworker took place shortly before the damage.

Malicious damage: At 10:06 p.m., police received a report of malicious damage to a vehicle on Ashcroft Street. Part of the radiator was dangling from the vehicle and the owner heard a scraping sound during the day.

Friday, April 26
Accident: At 3:35 p.m., police responded to an accident on Eastern Avenue involving a red 2008 Honda Accord and a silver 2008 Nissan Altima. One vehicle rear ended the other at the intersection with Providence Highway. One person was transported to Norwood Hospital.

Assault: At 8:17 p.m., police received a report of an assault at Legacy Place. One person was transported to Norwood Hospital with an eye injury. Five or six youth suspects fled toward Providence Highway.

Saturday, April 27
Break-in: At 11:02 a.m., police received a report of a back shed entered on Berkeley Road. Tools were taken.

Arrest: At 4:49 p.m., police responded to a report of a shoplifter at Legacy Place. Police arrested Joyce A. Dooley, 42, of South Boston and charged her with shoplifting of shopping card, third offense. She had taken about $69 worth of merchandise.

Housebreak: At 7:01 p.m., police received a report of a housebreak on Dedham Boulevard. Tools were taken.

Sunday, April 28
Malicious damage: At 7:23 a.m., police received a report of malicious damage to a vehicle on Cleveland Street. The trunk was scratched with a key.

Malicious damage: At 10:24 a.m., police received a report of malicious damage to an East Street property. A vehicle drove over a resident’s lawn.

Monday, April 29
Theft: At 2:50 p.m., police received a report of a stolen BMX bike from Providence Highway.

Arrests: At 5:10 p.m., police received a report of shoplifters at a Providence Highway business. Police arrested Monique A. Dunn, 45, of Revere and Mary McGarty, 50, of Hyde Park and charged them both with shoplifting.

By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

Dedham residents supported their own US Representative – Stephen F. Lynch – in the Democratic primary for US Senate, and Republicans narrowly selected Gabriel E. Gomez.

Edward J. Markey, a Malden Democrat who is the US Congressman from the fifth Massachusetts District, won the state overall. Gomez also won the Republican primary statewide.

Dedham Democrats favored eighth Massachusetts District Congressman Lynch over Markey by a 2,380 to 1,233 margin with three write-in votes. Republicans in Dedham voted 346 for Gomez, 328 for Michael J. Sullivan, and 100 for Daniel B. Winslow, with four write-in votes.

A total of 4,396 ballots were cast, which makes up a voter turnout of 22.1 percent, according to Town Clerk records.

By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

As Dedham’s Senior Center Site Committee selects criteria for a location, one member has already put forward some sites for elimination.

Margot C. Pyle, also a member of the Council on Aging and an advocate for a proposed plan at the Endicott Estate, said at a meeting Monday she did not want to see a senior center built at the Dexter School site or the former Striar property. Both sites had been strongly considered in the past.

“The Striar Property is too far from the center of town as well as being precious open space,” Pyle said Monday, nicknaming the property “Albatross Acres.”

The committee was established by a Town Meeting vote in November to head off a plan to build a senior center at the Endicott Estate and look into other options. Since then, selectmen have been looking into the possibility of acquiring or leasing a large building at 100-150 Rustcraft Road that could include a senior center, town hall, police station, and other town uses.

“The Rustcraft site seems to me to be a possibility. However many older residents of Dedham truly believed the Endicott Estate to be the ideal location,” Pyle said.

In a previous meeting, the site committee had determined that 16,000 square feet would be an ideal size for a center, but Pyle took issue with this figure. That size is just under half the space recommended by the Massachusetts Department of Elder Affairs, she said.

The site at the Endicott Estate became controversial, in part, because it was being privately funded and neighbors worried they would not get a say at Town Meeting whether the project would move forward.

The fundraising foundation established for the Endicott site will be discontinued if that site is not chosen, Pyle said.

The committee made no decisions Monday except to verbally approve a rough timeline for making their recommendation, which is due to Town Meeting by 2014.

At the next meeting, members will identify criteria that will assist them in eliminating and ranking sites.

By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

Plans for a combined municipal facility at 100-150 Rustcraft Rd. will not include the Department of Public Works, as previously hoped, according to Dedham selectmen.

“[The DPW is] too big to put into Rustcraft, since they need such a big yard,” said selectman Carmen Dello Iacono, who has been the chief proponent of the combined facility.

Plans call for the building to contain a senior center, police station, and town hall, along with assorted other town uses.

The building, which contains about 200,000 square feet of space, was by the Davis Cos. in a February auction. Selectmen have been working with that company since then to see whether a lease or sale agreement can be reached.

The town has been exploring sites to place a police station and a senior center, both deemed urgent needs by the town’s administration.

But the plan to include the DPW has been dropped, Dello Iacono said Friday.

Instead, Department of Parks and Recreation garage and storage buildings currently sharing the River Street property with the Department of Public Works may be moved to Rustcraft. That would allow the Department of Public Works to use those vacated buildings, Dello Iacono said.

“That would put the DPW in a position where the would improve the facility they are in and saves money for the town,” Dello Iacono said.

Dello Iacono added there would be soundproofing between the garage facility and the senior center and other components of the combined facility.

At a selectmen meeting Thursday, Dello Iacono and Selectman Michael Butler gave presentations on the ongoing status of the Rustcraft project and the associated town needs reports.

Butler said architects would be looking to incorporate a 16,000-square-foot senior center, a 35,000-square-foot town hall facility, and a 20,000- or 27,000-square-foot police station into the Rustcraft facility.

That is about twice the size of the current town hall, allowing for more meeting space, which is inadequate in the current building, Butler said. The current Town Hall was constructed more than 50 years ago, and the codes for room sizes in public buildings have changed, he added.

An architect’s rendering of the space with two options will be prepared by the end of May, along with recommendations on uses for the current Town Hall and police station building, which would be vacated, he said.

By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

Selectmen on Thursday gave Town Administrator William Keegan an overall rating of 4.47 on a five-point scale in his annual review.

Keegan received a 4.6 for initiatives, 4.7 for human relations, 4.8 for knowledge, 4.48 for leadership, 4.24 for planning, and 4.0 for communication, according to selectmen Chairman Carmen Dello Iacono.

“I appreciate the effort behind everything you put yourself into, and I look forward to working another term on the Board of Selectmen,” said Dello Iacono, who was re-elected to the board this month.

Keegan was praised for his knowledgeable reports, his openness to input, and for his skills at delegating. He was asked to do more following up on requests from meetings and to prepare semiannual reports for strategic planning.

“He has never wavered from doing what he believes is in the best interest of the town of Dedham,” Dello Iacono said.

Keegan said he was helped by good direction from the board and by help from his staff.

“Dedham has come a long way,” Keegan said. “It’s been very rewarding for me personally to provide services to the community.”

Reading Keegan’s report was Dello Iacono’s last act as chairman. He stepped down and was replaced by former vice-chairman and newly reelected Selectman Michael Butler. Selectman James MacDonald was selected as new vice-chairman.

By Dave Eisenstadter, Town Correspondent

Now 12 and 9, Jack and Eric Linari have been entrepreneurs since they were 6 and 3.

The Dedham brothers started Jack and Eric’s Pirate Lemonade Stand, with the help of “first mates” (and parents) Scott and Monica Linari, and each year donate all profits to charity.

They came before selectmen Thursday to obtain a transient vendor’s license, which selectmen granted unanimously.

“This is our sixth one,” Jack said.

This year, profits from the business will go to Dedham’s Toys for Tots collection that will take place in December.

“We want every kid to get toys for Christmas,” Jack said.

Over the life of their business, Jack and Eric’s Pirate Lemonade Stand has raised about $6,000, with $2,100 raised last summer and donated to the Home Base Program, according to Scott Linari. That program, started by the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital, provides clinical care for New England veterans and funds research into treatments for post traumatic stress disorder.

“You’re an inspiration to everyone to do the right thing,” said Selectman Paul Reynolds.

Responding to a question from Reynolds what the best part of the job is, Eric replied meeting the people who frequent their stand.

Jack and Eric will be selling lemonade at the Dedham Farmers Market on Wednesdays during the summer.

“After school gets out,” added their mother.

Jack and Eric also announced that, for the first time, the lemonade will be free of charge, but they'll accept donations for their charity.