By Laura Gomez, Globe Correspondent

The weekend service suspension of the Fitchburg commuter rail line scheduled for May 4 has been postponed to begin on Saturday June 1, according to the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company.

Due to MBTA improvement projects on the line, service will not be available between the Fitchburg and South Acton stations on Saturdays and Sundays from June 1 to July 28. On Independence Day weekend (July 4 to July 7), weekend train service will be provided.

On Saturday August 3, weekend service will be suspended for the South Acton, West Concord, Concord, Lincoln, and Kendal Green stations until November 17. Weekend train service will be available on Labor Day weekend (August 31 to September 2).

Substitute buses will not be provided throughout the duration of the project.

Trains will terminate and originate at South Acton during the first phase of the project. During Phase 2, trains will terminate and originate at Brandeis/Roberts.

Phase 1: June 1 - July 28 (Fitchburg to/from South Acton)
Trains will terminate and originate at South Acton. During these weekend outages, the following stations will be closed:

• Fitchburg
• North Leominster
• Shirley
• Ayer
• Littleton/Route 495

Fitchburg line trains (inbound and outbound) between South Acton and North Station will operate on the normal weekend schedule.

Phase 2: August 3 - November 17 Fitchburg to/from Brandeis/Roberts
Trains will terminate and originate at Brandeis/Roberts. The following stations will be closed:

• South Acton
• West Concord
• Concord
• Lincoln
• Kendal Green (Weston)

Fitchburg line trains (inbound and outbound) between Brandeis/Roberts and North Station will operate on the normal weekend schedule.

Weekday service will not be impacted.

For more information, visit MBTA.com.

By Jennifer Fenn Lefferts, Globe Correspondent

Their year-long effort culminates this week with an assembly for their classmates and a public performance Thursday of “The Yellow Dress,’’ a one-woman play that tells the story of a young woman who is involved in a relationship that begins as young love, and ends in tragedy.

The play and the assembly will help the students identify the warning signs of abusive behaviors, understand the unique aspects of teen dating violence, and learn how to help friends and family members and develop school community awareness of the issue, said Lori Hodin,
coordinator of the Safe School Initiative at Lincoln-Sudbury High School, and a psychology teacher there.

“I remember being so upset about the Lauren Astley murder,’’ Hodin said. “That could have easily been one of my students.’’

Thursday evening’s performance of “The Yellow Dress’’ is free and open to the public. It will be held at 7 p.m. in the high school’s Kirshner Auditorium. The event is sponsored by the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund. A performance for students will be held during the school day.

Lauren Astley was 18 when she was killed July 3, 2011 at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, Nathaniel Fujita.

Fujita was convicted in March of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. The two had dated for three years but broke up in the spring of 2011. On July 3, 2011, Fujita lured her to his family’s Wayland home, told her to park out of sight, then beat, strangled, and slashed her to death before dumping her body.

Hodin said the murder prompted her to restart the Lincoln Sudbury Mentors in Violence Prevention Team. MVP, a nationwide initiative based out of Northeastern University’s Institute of Sport and Society, encourages athletes to use their status to promote healthy relationships.

“MVP uses athletes because of their status, and trains them to use their status to prevent abuse against women,’’ Hodin said. “Teen boys do not have many positive male role models showing emotional sensitivity and dealing with sadness in open and caring ways.’’

Hodin said staff members and students received training from Northeastern last year. Over the past year, the LS MVP team focused on responding to recent examples of abusive relationships, including Lauren Astley’s murder. A core group of student athletes prepared an assembly for their peers and planned for the production of “The Yellow Dress.’’

Malcolm Astley, Lauren’s father, has attended some of the planning sessions and commended the school and students for tackling the issue.

“It was deeply heartening to watch the care, concern and determination in the high school student leaders as they worked through the painful and alarming information and issues to develop a strong presentation for their peers that they believed would help reduce men’s violence against women,’’ Astley said.

He said it is exactly the type of programming that is needed in all of the state’s schools.

“From the presentation we hope word will spread as to the needs involved and the solutions at hand,’’ Astley said. “It is powerful to have peer leaders involved since young people will go to each other first about abusive relationships. If student leaders are spreading awareness, are alert together, and linked with trusted adults, we will provide the safety net we need to prevent men’s violence against women among young people, and even the larger culture as they grow into adults.”

“The Yellow Dress’’ is produced and directed by Deana’s Educational Theater, a non-profit organization based in Wakefield.

Following Thursday evening’s performance, Mary Dunne, Lauren Astley’s mother will briefly speak to the audience.

Jennifer Fenn Lefferts can be reached at jflefferts@yahoo.com.

This press release was submitted by Mass Audubon.

Hundreds of outdoors spring-cleaning enthusiasts are expected to participate in Mass Audubon’s annual “Work for Wildlife” Statewide Volunteer Day, taking place Saturday, April 27 at wildlife sanctuaries from the North Shore to the South Coast, Cape Cod to the Berkshires.

People of all ages and backgrounds—including plenty of families—will pitch in at 15 Mass Audubon sanctuaries, where they’ll engage in an array of “sprucing up” projects. The tasks, suitable for all abilities, range from spreading wood chips and restoring trails to clearing invasive plants, hauling brush, and applying mulch and compost to garden areas.

In joining with hundreds of others in the 9 a.m.-to-noon work parties, participants will be connecting with nature, forming communities of like-minded conservation advocates, and having fun while helping our wildlife sanctuaries get ready for the outdoor season.

After, volunteers are invited to bring a picnic lunch and explore the sanctuaries.

At the 2012 “Work for Wildlife” event, more than 700 volunteers at 16 sanctuaries accomplished a great deal—including laying out 160 garden plots, spreading approximately 145 yards of mulch and wood chips, pulling 65 wheel barrels-full of weeds, planting 51 trees and 53 plants, and clearing more than38 truckloads of invasive and non-native plants.

“This event always energizes Mass Audubon staff, members, and the general public about our mission to connect people with nature,” said Statewide Volunteer Program Coordinator Peggy Sagan. “Helping our sanctuaries get ready for another busy season of welcoming visitors requires energy and enthusiasm—and our volunteers have plenty of both!”

For more information and to learn how to get involved, visit www.massaudubon.org/workforwildlife.

By John Swinconeck, Town Correspondent

Museums, theaters, and art schools are bringing more than just culture and entertainment to the communities west of Boston. According to a newly released study, arts and cultural organizations are providing millions of dollars and hundreds of jobs to the region.

The MetroWest Visitors Bureau commissioned the study to quantify the economic impact of 21 arts and cultural organizations that are members of the bureau, according to spokeswoman Julie Dennehy.

According to the study, conducted by Carlisle Consulting of Concord, the 21 organizations have an economic impact ranging between $24 million in 2012 to a projected $29 million in 2016, totaling almost $375 million during the five-year span.

The 21 groups surveyed employed the equivalent of 528 full-time staff members in 2012. That number was expected to increase to 594 in 2016.

"These survey results were not surprising at all; in fact, they simply validated our knowledge of how important the arts and cultural organizations are to our region," said Susan Nicholl, executive director of the bureau.

Nicholl said the findings mean that arts and cultural organizations contribute in a meaningful, quantifiable way to the region's overall economic health.

“The MetroWest is rich in arts and cultural organizations that inspire, involve and connect us,” said Marilyn Martino, executive director of the Sudbury Foundation, which sponsored the economic impact study. “This study demonstrates how these agencies create jobs and contribute to the region’s economy. It’s important that we recognize this, and support this vibrant element of our region.”

According to the bureau, the study indicates that money spent by a creative organization — including operations, attendance from visitors from outside the MetroWest region, employees, endowments, and investments—spreads into the community. That creates a ripple effect that contributes to the region's total economy.

For example, an institution such as a museum draws thousands of different visitors from outside the region every year who often patronize other businesses, such as local restaurants.

Carlisle Consulting also estimated the impact on employment due to the indirect ripple effect on industries such as hotels, restaurants, and livery services, in combination with direct employment by the 21 groups. Carlisle estimated an average equivalent of 793 full-time jobs between 2012 and 2016.

Dennehy said she believed that the economic impact of cultural organizations may be even greater, since there were many organizations that didn't participate in the survey because they didn't fit the study's model.

Nicholl agreed: "This is really just a slice," she said. "We can only imagine what the impact is overall."

Participants in the study included: Amazing Things Arts Center, The Center for Arts in Natick, Commonwealth Ballet, Concord Museum, Danforth Museum of Art, The Discovery Museums, Five Crows, Fountain Street Fine Art, Framingham History Center, Franklin Performing Arts Company, Franklin School for the Performing Arts, Hopkinton Center for the Arts, Mass Audubon, Museum of Russian Icons, Natick Center Associates, Natick Historical Society, New England Wildflower Society, Palettes, Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, and The Wayside Inn.

John Swinconeck can be reached at johnswinc@gmail.com.

By Jonathan Simmons, Guest Columnist

By Jonathan Simmons, Guest Columnist

Photo by Anthony Savvides

By Anthony Savvides, Globe Correspondent

On a cold winter night, a dozen people sit in a softly lit conference room in an office on Shirley Street in Roxbury, black binders open in front of them as some jot down notes.

They have come together for a pilot training program in urban farming, a growing phenomenon that promotes living off of the land -- even if it happens to be in the middle of a major city. Urban farmers plant and cultivate crops within their neighborhoods -- in this case, Dorchester and Roxbury -- to provide and sell fresh produce within the area. This is not just gardening for personal use, but part of a larger national effort to promote healthier eating habits and more sustainable food production, especially in urban areas.

The training program, a collaboration between the Urban Farming Institute of Boston (UFIB) and City Growers, is “teaching the whole aspect of farming -- and there’s a lot to it,” said Bobby Walker, one of the course instructors. Besides the technical aspects, he said, urban farming involves public relations and outreach, or “growing a community.”

The program consists of six weeks of a formal classroom curriculum, running through March 20, followed by an apprenticeship of hands-on field instruction at farms around the city, from April through October. The goal is to enable class members to establish their own farms, using sustainable business models.

Class participants come from various backgrounds: Some are experienced farmers hoping to hone their skills, while others are new to the idea of urban farming.

“I am very interested in and concerned about sustainable, locally grown food,” said participant Vernell Jordan, 61, a Dorchester resident and ‘wearable art’ designer. “The idea of gardening and growing food locally has been an interest of mine for almost 40 years. . . In principle, I look forward to a time when people can produce the food they consume, or at least some of it.”

While Jordan has been involved with other farming projects in the area, including Revision House, Noonday Farms and the Food Project, other members of the course are new to the concept of urban farming, or farming in general. Hamdi Abdullahi is a Somali-born and Boston-raised 23-year-old teacher’s aide at the Hennigan School in Jamaica Plain.

“My parents lived in Somalia, and food there is fresher. So they’re excited about having fresher food in the house,” said Abdullahi. “I didn’t know the distinction between gardening and farming before, but I’m interested in taking what I learn about farming in this course and applying that to gardening for myself and my family.”
The curriculum was designed by Walker, Jordan, Greg Bodine, Nataka Crayton and Sarah Uziel after City Growers’ co-founders Margaret Connors and Glynn Lloyd were approached by UFIB about starting the program last summer. Walker and Bodine are both course instructors employed by City Growers, which aims to increase agriculture within the Boston metropolitan area.

“There’s a range of experience among the participants, in terms of what they each bring -- from farming experience to family experience to business experience,” Connors said of the first group of students.

Lloyd, a Roxbury resident, said the classroom curriculum covers topics from soil health to seed and crop selection. “The core is crop design and layout -- how to keep the product after harvest,” he said. Also covered is “the business stuff -- how to maintain a profitable farm, budgeting, pricing, distribution, packaging.”

The idea, Lloyd said, is that City Growers will acquire more empty lots around the city that can then be used, potentially by some of these students, for sustainable urban farming.

Lloyd, who has been involved with urban farming in Boston for the last 18 years, worked previously with the Food Project in Lincoln, Mass., and established City Growers with Connors about three years ago with a lean group of about six workers, as well as some volunteers. City Growers is currently based out of the City Fresh Foods office, where the classes are held Wednesday evenings.

As the classroom work winds down, each of the 10 students is preparing to work at an establish farm for the duration of a 25-week apprenticeship.

Although the program is just starting, Connors has no doubt that it will continue next year, as interest in urban farming grows.

“It’s just what we imagined -- that the interest would be there -- and that will only continue to grow,” she said. Twenty people applied to join this program and half were chosen. Connors said the information sessions prior to the application process were crowded.
Walker is similarly hopeful.

“They’ll be able to get their products out, from growing it to selling,” he said of the participants. “I think, I hope, that people will come out having learned a lot.”

This article was reported and written under the supervision of Northeastern University journalism instructor Lisa Chedekel, as part of collaboration between The Boston Globe and Northeastern.

Several students from Lincoln and Sudbury won honors in the 2013 Boston Globe Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

This year’s competition marks the 90th anniversary for the national program and the 63d for the local contest. Locally, 7,768 students, in grades 7 through 12, submitted 13,776 images of student art and 1,559 pieces of student writing, both individually and within portfolios.

Panels of three individuals were selected by the advisory board to judge 15 art classifications and 10 writing genres, from painting to drawing and short story to journalism.

Ceremonies were held Sunday at John Hancock Hall in Boston. Below are the local school winners, with the designation GK for Gold Key, SK for Silver Key and HM for honorable mention.

A gallery of some of the arts winners can be found here. Currently, all Silver and Gold Key award-winning entries are on display in the State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, Boston. The exhibit is free, and open to the public Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays noon to 4 p.m.

Ephraim Curtis Middle School Frissora Jake HM
Ephraim Curtis Middle School Guin Rohini GK,HM
Ephraim Curtis Middle School Hauck Emma HM
Ephraim Curtis Middle School Manente Maddison GK,SK,HM
Ephraim Curtis Middle School Orofino Jess HM
Ephraim Curtis Middle School Waddill Brandon GK
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Bassi Margherita 2SK
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Bodley Sarah HM
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Brown Amelia SK
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Bulens Aaron HM
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Camerotto Gabriela SK
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Ciaramella Elena SK
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Lustig Dory GK
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Lynch Haley HM
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Malone Angela HM
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Montie Helen HM
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Quirk Katie HM
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Rutter Dawson SK
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Schaaf Erica Skye HM
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Shealy Sam 2SK,HM
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Troiano Kate HM
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Tyrrell Kerry SK
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Walls Rebecca Lynn HM
Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School Yang Kimberly SK

The Carroll School Buchanan Grant HM
The Carroll School Capone Michaela HM
The Carroll School Greenhalgh Jennifer HM
The Carroll School Sobell Nicholas HM

The following was submitted by Mass Audubon:

LINCOLN, MA—Mass Audubon, a premier voice for conservation in Massachusetts and New England, has elected Jared Chase of Wellesley as Chair of its Board of Directors.

Chase brings 35 years’ experience in global finance and investment management to the position, and that background will help ensure the organization remains strong in its mission to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to connect with nature.

Since joining the board in 1998, Chase has contributed his expertise to multiple committees, and has developed a comprehensive understanding of the renowned conservation nonprofit. Mass Audubon operates 53 wildlife sanctuaries across the state, from Cape Cod to the Berkshires, as well as an overnight camp in Rindge, New Hampshire.

He had served as Vice Chair since 2006 before succeeding Jonathan Panek, whose term as Chair ended in 2012. Chase supports Mass Audubon’s growing involvement in climate change and renewable energy issues, as a natural outgrowth of its ongoing mission to promote birdlife and biodiversity, protect land and wildlife habitats, and support nature-based education.

The new Board Chair, 57, was drawn to the natural world as a youth by his father’s efforts to restore the Farmington River in Connecticut, which eventually achieved federal Wild and Scenic status. Such experiences as a young person can be formative and long lasting, Chase noted.

“So I believe it’s really important to get to kids early and get them invested in the outdoors,” he added.

“I’m proud of Mass Audubon’s long-standing commitment to biodiversity, land protection, and other important goals that enhance our collective quality of life,” Chase said. “I’m also humbled by the organization’s faith in me and excited about its growing role in the conservation future of the Commonwealth.”

Chase also serves on the New England Aquarium Board of Overseers and on the York (ME) Land Trust Board of Directors.

By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent

A Cambridge-based online media startup will compete next month with technology firms from around the country at the annual South by Southwest Interactive Accelerator.

Founded last year by software developer Anna Callahan, ZoomTilt brings together filmmakers and companies with a product to sell. The filmmakers create short, customized, online TV programs that integrate the companies’ products and messages, giving the companies a unique and entertaining marketing vehicle while giving the filmmakers funding and access to wider audiences.

Though the competition at the annual conference in Austin, Texas, will be tough, Callahan was upbeat about ZoomTilt’s chances.

“We feel like we’re pretty unique because we’re definitely the only ones that are producing content,” she said by phone on Tuesday.

Among the other seven finalists in the Entertainment and Gaming Technologies category are a British company that uses three-dimensional printers to create custom toys, a Maryland gaming company that offers a platform for weekly episodic video games, and Plympton, a Lincoln, Mass., company that publishes serialized fiction for tablet readers.

“There’s definitely some different, really interesting people out there doing different things,” Callahan said.

ZoomTilt was also a finalist in the 2012 MassChallenge startup competition, one of 125 selected from 1,237 applications from 35 countries and 36 US states.

The small company has grown quickly in a short time. From just one staff member — Callahan — at this time last year, it has expanded to a staff of four full-time and three part-time employees, with two new hires just last week.

It has just opened a new competition for filmmakers to pitch potential web series to the online printing company Vistaprint.

From here, Callahan hopes, the sky is the limit.

“We’re going after the $240 billion dollar video entertainment market,” she said. “Americans spend more time watching video than they spend doing anything else except sleeping and — perhaps — going to work.”

“We hope to have deals with Netflix and Youtubes and Hulus of the world,” she said. “We’re really strategically using branded entertainment as a place for us to leap into the larger video entertainment world.”

Email Jeremy C. Fox at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow Jeremy C. Fox on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Cambridge on Twitter: @YTCambridge.