By Caitlin Castello, Town Correspondent

Newton leaders who gathered for Veterans Day at the American Legion Nonantum Post 440 called for greater appreciation, remembrance, and support for the men and women returning from military service.

‘‘We need not only to thank our veterans for their service on occasions like this, but every day by making sure that the services they need are there for them,’’ said state Representative Ruth Balser.

‘‘We’re in terrible times, in our state economy. Our revenues are in free fall. Our mental health services and our housing services are being slashed,’’ Balser said. ‘‘We owe it to the people who risked the ultimate sacrifice and who come back with scars that aren’t always visible, that we will be there for them.’’

The ceremony was attended by state Representatives Peter Koutoujian and Kay Kahn, state Senator Cynthia Stone Creem, Mayor David Cohen, and mayor-elect Setti Warren, along with several aldermen.

Local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts led the ceremony with the Pledge of Allegiance. A color guard made up of police and firefighters stood by throughout the ceremony.

‘‘As we gather from the halls of Chestnut Hill to the shores of Auburndale, let us be always faithful to the memory of those valiant men and women of all the armed forces who proudly stood in harm’s way against the forces of tyranny and oppression,’’ said R. Lisle Baker, president of the Board of Aldermen. ‘‘They gave up their lives ... so we might be free.’’

Baker served in the US Marine Corps, as did Veterans Services agent John MacGillivray.
Warren, who served in Iraq as an intellitence officer with the US Navy Reserve, attended the ceremony but was not a speaker. He said in an interview that he plans to work hard to ensure resources are available to Newton veterans.

Charges will be brought against a 19-year-old driver who crashed into a tree Monday on a Newton road notorious for accidents, officials said Tuesday.

State Police Lt. David Wilson did not immediately know what charges are being brought against Rene Selenas-Lara of Allston whose 1994 Honda Accord went off Nonantum Road and crashed into a tree along the bank of the Charles River shortly before 10 a.m. Monday.

The lone passenger, Cynthia Cruz, 19, of Waltham, was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with minor injuries after the accident. Selenas-Lara was not injured.

The accident's cause remains under investigation, Wilson said.

By Caitlin Castello, Town Correspondent

More than 350 children are expected to participate Wednesday in the Beatrice Family Sports-a-thon, which was organized in honor of beloved Newton coach Jeff Beatrice, who died Oct. 23.

Children will play games of flag football, baseball, and softball starting at 10 a.m. at Albemarle Field, said organizer Katie Slocum of Newton, who knew Beatrice through baseball teams.

"I don’t think tomorrow is going to be a sad day. Most of the people who will be there knew Jeff through sports because he had such a hand in all of this children’s teams,” said Slocum. “He was known so widely as a coach. I think it is going to be a really positive day where the kids can show how much Jeff meant to them.”

While team events are closed, volunteers are welcome, said Slocum. There will be a concession stand open, and anyone can come cheer the players on, she said. To raise money for the family, teams are making donations.

To volunteer, contact Slocum at kathryn@slocum.org. For more information, visit here. http://beatricefamilyfund.com

Caitlin Castello can be reached at caitlincastello@gmail.com

By Calvin Hennick, Globe Correspondent

Setti Warren, Newton’s mayor-elect, has asked all of the city’s department heads to e-mail him resumes by the end of the week and plans to interview all of the department heads soon.

Last week, Warren said he hadn’t made any decisions about which personnel will be kept and which will be fired when he takes office on Jan. 1. Campaign aide Deborah Shah said the interviews and resumes are more than simply people applying to keep their own jobs.

“I would say there are many purposes for these meetings,” Shah said, mentioning that Warren wants to get to know the department heads and develop a better understanding of the departments. Warren "wants to have a sense of their background, as well,” Shah said.

Warren and current Mayor David Cohen met with the department heads on Monday.

“He just wanted to assure them that the process would be fair and equitable,” Shah said.

Warren is spending much of the week meeting with his transition team, community activists, and elected officials who did not support him during the campaign, Shah said. He attended an event for new mayors this morning at the State House and will be attending an “Understanding Our Differences” event tonight with Governor Deval Patrick.

On Wednesday, Warren will observe Veterans Day with an event at the American Legion Post 440 in Nonantum. Warren is a veteran of the Iraq War and a member of the post.

Calvin Hennick can be reached at calvinhennick@yahoo.com.

By Calvin Hennick, Globe Correspondent

Newton Mayor David Cohen says the city’s new $197.5 million high school will be completed on time and under budget, despite a state plumbing board’s assertion that “very poor workmanship” had been completed on the site.

“It is not going to have a significant impact anywhere,” Cohen said. “It is not going to affect the schedule.”

On October 28, the Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters rejected the city’s request for a variance allowing it to use PVC pipe instead of cast iron pipe to direct rainwater to the school’s toilets. The board said the system had a “likelihood of failure.”

Cohen said the city will leave the pipes in place and use them to direct rainwater to the school’s playing fields instead of toilets. That will take the pipes out of the state board’s jurisdiction and will only cost $5,000 to $10,000, Cohen said.

Cohen said that the pipe had been installed properly. When an inspector came to view the project, Cohen said, city officials showed him a piece of piping that had been hit by construction vehicles and was going to be fixed. However, Cohen said, the state board took that piece of faulty pipe to mean that the entire project had been done poorly.

“I do think they should have given us notice and a chance to respond to what this fellow had to say, because I think we could have provided them with some good information,” Cohen said.

“I’m certain that if we had been given a chance to address directly the inspector’s concerns, we would have shown that not only is the work satisfactory, but we’re placing a premium on high-quality work,” Cohen added.

Cohen said workers laid the pipe before the city asked for a variance because two similar variances had been granted to other cities and because the city already had the back-up plan to use the pipes to irrigate the fields in case the variance was turned down.

The city will still end up saving money by using the PVC pipe, Cohen said, because the approximately $100,000 cost difference from the cast iron pipe easily eclipses the cost of repurposing the pipes.

Cohen said high school project, which is set to open next fall, will come in “significantly under budget.” Cohen said he didn’t yet know how far under budget the project will be, but that he will likely have that number in the next few weeks.

Calvin Hennick can be reached at calvinhennick@yahoo.com.

By Cindy Cantrell, Globe Correspondent

Rebecca and Jean-Paul Valette of Chestnut Hill were thrilled to be surrounded by their children and grandchildren when they were honored recently for their humanitarian work with an award from the St. Boniface Haiti Foundation. After all, philanthropy has become a family affair.

Inspired by a sermon given by a Boston College Law School associate professor and foundation board member, the Rev. Francis Herrmann, who told of his service trips to Haiti, the Valettes traveled to the troubled Caribbean island nation with their then 14-year-old granddaughter, Zoe, in 2007. During their weeklong stay, they witnessed the difference that the foundation’s educational, medical, and social programs have made in the impoverished rural area of Fond des Blancs.

‘‘We realized that whatever financial contributions we could make would go very far,’’ said Rebecca Valette, a professor emeritus in Boston College’s Romance languages and literatures department.

This spring, Zoe and her sister, Esme — both of whom have raised money at school for the Haitian people — traveled to Haiti with their father, Pierre Valette, and aunt, Nathalie Valette, to produce a video.

‘‘I’m so proud our charitable values have been transmitted to the next generation,’’ said Rebecca Valette. ‘‘That is the greatest award.’’

For more information about the foundation, go here.

By Caitlin Castello, Town Correspondent

The reconstruction of Commonwealth Avenue has sparked complaints from several Newton residents living near Mt. Alvernia and Manet roads, who say the work is creating hazards for both motorists and pedestrians.

By Debby Belt, Guest columnist

With unemployment hovering at 10%, few families are immune to the challenges in the economy. So, what happens when the reality of the current economic climate hits your home and your spouse is out of work?

Brace yourself for a rocky ride

Looking for work in a difficult economic environment can be taxing on any relationship. Because unemployment levels are high, it might take longer than it otherwise would to find a new opportunity. For high level executives, there is a direct correlation between the seniority of the person looking for a new job and the length of time it takes to find the next position.. The process of finding the next right opportunity can be arduous and will take time.

By Calvin Hennick, Globe Correspondent

As a candidate, Newton’s mayor-elect Setti Warren said he could unify the city by bringing diverse groups of people together. That pledge will be put to the test in January when Warren takes the helm of a city whose voters split nearly down the middle between him and his opponent, state Representative Ruth Balser.

Warren took the first step when he announced his transition team on Friday with Balser standing at his side. Balser, who was the top vote-getter in the preliminary election but lost by two percentage points in the final, said she would support Warren’s efforts through her continued role at the State House.

Noting that she and Warren shared many common views on the challenges facing the city, Balser declared: ‘‘Even though the vote was nearly evenly divided, the city is not.’’

Warren echoed that assessment in an interview the day after the election. "What I intend to do is work very closely in partnership with her," he said. "I’ve already started calling and reaching out to her supporters.”

Steve Klise for The Boston Globe

John Krasinski of "The Office" came by the Globe Friday to participate in a boston.com chat with our readers. But he also took some time to mug with a Boston.com/newton postcard that proclaims his love for his hometown.

Steve Klise for The Boston Globe