By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent

Mystic Valley Regional Charter School has hired a new executive director, the school announced.

Martin Trice, formerly head of school at the South Shore Christian Academy in Weymouth, replaces Joseph McCleary, who effectively retired at the beginning of this school year.

Trice, who has 25 years of teaching experience, has worked at the elementary, secondary, and higher education levels.

His career began in 1982 at Rockland High School as an AP psychology teacher, and continued in 1987 at Lexington Christian Academy, where he moved into administration, eventually serving at Dean of Students.

In 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union, Trice served as consultant to he Ministry of Education in the Republic of Armenia.

The consultancy work was followed by a five-year stint as a vice president and faculty member at Eastern Nazarene College.

“Mr. Trice brings more than 25 years of education experience at all levels to Mystic Valley including international experience and we believe this experience will provide the school with the ability to reach an even higher level of excellence in the coming years,” stated Neil Kinnon, chairman of the Board of Trustees, in a statement.
 
In a welcoming message delivered to the Mystic Valley faculty and staff, Trice said “I am thrilled to be joining the Mystic Valley school community.  This school has accomplished much in a short period of time.  I come with a deep sense of responsibility to carry on the traditions that have made Mystic Valley one of our state’s and even nation’s finest schools."

The following was submitted by the Middlesex Fells Dog Owner Group:

Dog Play, a video and discussion, will be held Tuesday, June 12 from 7-9 p.m. at the Middlesex Fells Reservation's Botume House, 4 Woodland Road, Stoneham.

Watch and discuss videos of dogs with Liz Shaw, CPDT-KA, owner of Magical Mutt. Liz will help us better understand canine social behavior and learn to distinguish between healthy play among dogs and interactions between dogs who may not be having such a good time.

Please make other arrangements for your canine companions!

For more information, go to www.fellsdog.org.

By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent

New foreclosures in Medford jumped in April, pushing the total for the year higher than it was at the same time in 2011, new housing data has shown.

Banks started foreclosure proceedings against 10 Medford homeowners, up from five in the same period last year, according to the Warren Group, which tracks real estate activity throughout the state.

To see town-by-town breakdowns of the statistics, click here.

The increase puts the January to April total for 2012 at 25 homes under foreclosure, five more than in the same time in 2011.

Deeds of foreclosed homes slid comparatively in April from five last year to one last month, but for the year, the city's housing market is still seeing more foreclosure activity.

Deeds of foreclosed homes, the mark of a completed foreclosure process, are up to 16 so far, from 12 at this time last year, according to the statistics.

The bump in foreclosure rates is in line with a state trend, according to the Warren Group, which said that April foreclosures -- 1,750 in Massachusetts -- was the highest monthly total since September 2010.

"Foreclosure activity was so low last year that we're inevitably seeing a rise in foreclosures across the state," said Cory S. Hopkins, editorial director of The Warren Group, in a statement. "It's necessary for a wave of foreclosures to work through the system this year, but it shouldn't cause panic. In order to return to a healthier market, the backlog of distressed properties needs to be cleared from banks' books."

Allison Goldsberry/Medford School Department

The winning design and construction team, seated at their dining room set, after receiving a $1,000 award for their recycled furniture creations.

By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent

Medford carpentry students took home top honors for their creative, recycled furniture creations, winning $1,000 in prize money from a charity that donates the resulting housewares to worthy causes.

The competition was sponsored by the Furniture Trust, a Massachusetts non-profit that recycles unwanted office furniture. This is the second straight year that the carpentry students won. The winning designs turned damaged particle-board furniture into a dining room set and a baker's rack -- all refinished and constructed by the students, under the supervision of carpentry teacher Joe Grinley.

High School students involved were  Brendan Baker, Christopher Contardo, Colin Dobson, Jerell Fick-Souza, Michael Kelley, Jordan Machado, and Joseph Marckini and HVAC student Jacquelyn Smock.

Medford photographer George McLean was the lone local naturalist to find this year's nest of the popular Cambridge Red-tailed Hawk mates, Ruby and Buzz. On Saturday, he snapped a photo of a milestone, as Dawn, the firstborn, became the first chick to leave the nest (above):

"What a feeling, watching this Red-tail Hawk growing from a fluff ball into beautiful flying proof of how wonderful nature can be and what great parents Buzz and Ruby have been over the years.

"I took 200 photos this time to get this one picture, to get a 'fledge' flight is every photographers dream."

George first found this year's nest on Fawcett Street in Cambridge in early April after Buzz and Ruby abandoned their previous nesting spot at 185 Alewife Brook Parkway.

Both parents incubated the eggs for four to five weeks, and fed the three chicks - Dawn, Orion, and Sleepy - from the time they hatched until the babies leave the nest, usually at six to seven weeks old. The young will fly competently at nine weeks but continue under the watchful eye of their parents, learning  hunting skills and survival against potential enemies.

By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent

Visiting hours begin Friday at Dello Russo Funeral Home for the family and friends of Denise A. Sacco, who died peacefully Wednesday, the funeral service said.

Mrs. Sacco, the wife of Medford Police Chief Leo A. Sacco Jr., was 59.

The daughter of Joseph and Madeleine (Boisvert) Horrigan of Medford, Mrs. Sacco lived in Medford her entire life and was devoted to her family, according to an obituary published by the funeral home.

She loved to be a stay-at-home mom who raised her two sons. She enjoyed the company of family and friends and especially loved being with her grandchildren, the obituary said.

Visiting hours begin at 4 p.m. Friday at Dello Russo's in Medford, 306 Main St., and again Saturday at 10:30 a.m., according to the funeral home.

An 11:30 a.m. Saturday, a funeral Mass will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Church, at 441 Fellsway West in Medford.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent in Denise's name to St. Francis of Assisi Parish.

Photo courtesy of Springstep.

The following was submitted by Springstep:

In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, the Medford Farmers market will feature bread, eggs, flowers, and other products, beginning June 7.

By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent

The Medford Farmers Market has received a $2,700 grant to help low-income residents on food assistance programs stretch their benefits while offering access to healthy local food options.

The Medford Health Matters grant will allow shoppers who receive EBT or SNAP benefits to turn in up to $10 worth of benefits for $20 worth of produce.

The matching "market bucks" are given out by a farmers market manager, and will be a feature at the market throughout the 2012 season.

The first farmers market will open June 7 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at a new location in the parking lot next to City Hall. In its sixth season, the market will run every Thursday until Oct. 11.

By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent

Medford home sales went on a tear last month, with seven more buyers closing on single-family properties in the city than in April of last year.

But condominiums sales took a hit, with five fewer units sold than in April 2011, for 12 sold overall, according to the Warren Group, which tracks real estate data throughout the state.

In all, 26 single-family homes in Medford were sold last month, up from 19 in April 2011. Prices for those homes also spiked $14,500, to a median of $354,500.

Although sales of condominiums fell, prices still increased $4,500 to $287,500.

For town-by-town single-family stats, click here; for condos, click here.

Statewide, April was the strongest month for home prices since October, a sign of a rebounding market, Timothy M. Warren, CEO of the Warren Group, said in a statement.

"Low mortgage rates and an improving job market in the Bay State are encouraging buyers to enter the market," said Timothy M. Warren Jr., CEO of The Warren Group, in a statement. "It looks like the months ahead will continue to be positive as the strong spring and summer market heats up. Typically, June is the biggest month of the year for real estate closings."