By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

Former Wellesley superintendent Bella Wong, who resigned from her Wellesley post in 2012 amid public concern over the running of the school system's business office is being considered for an interim superintendent job at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.

Wong will be interviewed tonight at the high school by School Committee members, along with Edward Malvey, interim superintendent of Monson schools. Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee members also interviewed Herbert Levine, who has recently served as interim superintendent of Peabody public schools.

The current Lincoln-Sudbury superintendent, Scott Carpenter, announced in April that he will resign to take the superintendent job in Monomoy, effective July 1.

The Lincoln-Sudbury interim superintendent would serve over the summer and into the fall. The Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee plans to search for a permanent hire in the fall, when more candidates will be available.

Wong announced her resignation from the Wellesley district in November, citing “ongoing public concern over school operational protocols,’’ after the district came under fire for uncollected lunch fees and a harsh audit of the business office’s practices.

The Wellesley district had $169,000 worth of uncollected school lunch payments from the 2009-2010 school year and before. The debt’s discovery in spring 2011 plunged the district into a year of turmoil in which Wong resigned, business manager Ruth Quinn Berdell was fired, and Berdell filed a lawsuit against Wong and Suzy Littlefield, the School Committee’s chairwoman at the time, accusing them of conspiracy and defamation.

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By John Swinconeck, Town Correspondent

FRAMINGHAM — For many with an incurable sweet tooth, chocolate is a passion that is second only to breathing in terms of importance, and an Achilles' heel for calorie counters. Chocolate Therapy owners David and Pamela Griffin, however, said they are infusing healthful, therapeutic ingredients into the sumptuous sweet at their new Framingham location.

"It's not your average chocolate," Pamela Griffin said. "We wanted something that was good for you, that would taste good, and that you wouldn't feel guilty eating."

The husband and wife team, who live in Framingham, opened the first Chocolate Therapy in Dedham in 2011. The Griffins opened the Framingham shop at 50 Worcester Rd., near Legal Seafood, in December 2012.

Pamela said she was a regional director at Starbucks for 17 years, while her husband has a background in manufacturing engineering.

"He started to say, 'let's do something on our own.' He looked into gyms and a place that sold tools. Then he came home one day and started talking about chocolate," Pamela said.

So David took a course at the Cambridge Culinary Institute and started making his own chocolates, with the goal of creating gourmet chocolates that were better than many currently on the market.

"I wanted to create a good chocolate experience," David said. "The ganache and the shell should melt at the same time. Some of the flavor ought to be released immediately. A lot of chocolate I've tried just didn't get it."

"We've tasted everything, but we wanted a different experience, which is where all the crazy flavors come from," Pamela said.

Take, for example, the Chocolate Therapy truffle called "Refresh," which contains milk chocolate, fresh ginger, and ginseng. Both ginger and ginseng energizes the body, according to the Griffins. For those who like a little extra kick, there's "The Cure," a truffle made with bay leaf, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. According to the Griffins, the bay leaf works as an astringent and digestive aid, among other benefits, and the cayenne is good for blood circulation, headaches, and arthritis.

Dark chocolate with sea salt caramel is the best seller, according to the Griffins.

"We do use a lot of therapeutic ingredients," said Chocolate Therapy chocolatier Richard Gemme, of Millbury. "The dark chocolate, especially, but we do use things like cayenne, Tahitian vanilla. We use cascade hops that are used in beer production that goes really well with the raw honey in one of our truffles. I've never heard of anyone doing that before."

Both honey and hops are a source of antioxidants, according to the Griffins, as well as the dark Belgium chocolate used in many of Chocolate Therapy's creations. And for Gemme, good chocolate "is like magic."

"It brings you back to your childhood–just that first little taste," Gemme said.

Chocolates are made on-site at the Framingham shop are also sold at the Dedham location and at Roche Bros. grocery stores in Wellesley and Sudbury.

The new site has areas for children's parties, corporate team-building events, ladies nights, and other activities where patrons can make their own confectionary creation. The Griffins said they will start holding chocolate-making classes Wednesday nights in June. The shop also sells coffee and iced tea products.

Nelson Bobadilla, who works nearby, said he has already become a regular and comes in regularly for coffee, and the occasional macaroon."All the goodies are delicious," he said "I've been eating everything."

The Griffins' goal is to continue to expand their business, and they hope to open another new shop on the North or South Shore next year.

"The intent is not to stand behind the counter and make money. The intent is to grow," David said. "[Chocolate] is a $7 billion industry. If we can carve out a small piece of that, we'll be very happy."

Contact John Swinconeck at johnswinc@gmail.com.

Photo courtesy of wellesleyweekend.com

Locals celebrate a previous veterans' parade in Wellesley.

By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

Wellesley officials are warning that there will be road closures and cannon firings this weekend as the town holds its annual parade Sunday and celebrates "Wonderful Wellesley Weekend."

The annual veterans' parade will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. beginning at the intersection of Routes 16 and 9, and will end in Wellesley Square. There will be a concert at 6:30 p.m., and fireworks at dusk.

A full day of activities is also listed for Saturday, with events like a pancake breakfast, free eye exams, a town forest walk, art activities, and open houses at law enforcement and fire stations.

A cannon will be fired every hour during the day Saturday on the Town Hall Green, located on Washington Street in Wellesley Square. Officials warn that although the cannons may sound like an explosion, there should be no need for concern.

There will also be major road closures on Sunday due to the town parade. Washington Street from Route 9 in Wellesley Hills square to Oakland Street will be closed starting at 11:45 a.m. Sunday. At 12:30 p.m., Washington Street from Wellesley Hills Square to Central Street will be closed, as will Central Street from Washington Street to Cross Street. The Crest Road bridge will also be closed.

Roads will reopen at about 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

However, at 8 p.m. Sunday, Washington Street will be closed from State Street (Kingsbury Street bridge) to Forest Street (Rockland Street bridge) because of a local firework show. There will be a detour in place. Washington Street should re-open at about 9:30 p.m., officials said.

There will be temporary "No Parking" signs posted for Sunday’s events in and around the Washington Street area. Any cars who park in the closed-off area will be towed.

The Wellesley Police Department will send out reminder alerts on Sunday as roads close and open.

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By By Jennifer Fenn Lefferts, Globe Correspondent

A search committee to find an interim superintendent/principal for the Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School voted Thursday night to recommend three finalists for the position.

Herbert Levine, Edward Malvey and Bella Wong, will now be interviewed by the full School Committee next week. All three have previous experience as superintendents.

Levine was most recently with the Peabody public schools and Malvey is currently superintendent at the Monson Public School District. Wong resigned as Wellesley’s superintendent at the end of last school year after her administration came under fire for uncollected lunch fees and a harsh audit of the business office.

The School Committee will interview Levine at 4 p.m. Monday, May 20; Wong at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 21; and Malvey at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21. The interviews will be held in the Library at Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School.

Scott Carpenter, the school’s current superintendent/principal, is leaving in July to be superintendent of the Monomoy Regional School District. The search for a permanent replacement will begin in the fall when more candidates are expected to be available.

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

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The Wellesley Farmers Market runs every Thursday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Whole Foods parking lot, located at 442 Washington St.

By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

Lovers of fresh produce and local food, rejoice: the Wellesley Farmers Market is opening this month for its second season, and is celebrating tonight with a kick-off event featuring live music and special activities at 5 p.m., according to organizers.

The farmers market, located in the Whole Foods Market parking lot at 442 Washington St., runs every Thursday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 24.

This year, the market will also offer the tech-friendly crowd a new convenience: online ordering. To see - in advance - a sampling of what vendors will offer, and to order online for pick-up or schedule a home delivery for an extra $5 fee, locals can visit yourfarmstand.com, click "What's For Sale?" and select Wellesley from the drop-down menu at the top.

This year's market lineup features local vendors known from last year's season-long market, including Carlson Orchards, Dover Farm, and Golden Rule Honey.

This year, the market will also introduce many other local businesses, including:

• Renegade Garden
• Coutts Specialty Foods
• Nobscot Artisan Cheese
• On the Edge Knife Sharpening
• Swiss Bakers
• Guy's Healthy Home Cooking
• In Good Taste
• Sophia's Greek Pantry

The Wellesley Farmers Market aims to support local food growers and producers; celebrate seasonal, local, sustainably grown foods; serve the community; lead the local food movement; and join Wellesley's sustainability movement, organizers said.

The market is run as a project of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and is organized by local volunteers. The market is funded through grants from Wellesley Plaza, managed by Gravestar, Inc., and helped by the support of Whole Foods, organizers said.

To volunteer to help with the farmers market, email John Spencer at wellesleyfarmersmarket@masshort.org.

For updates, recipes and event schedules, visit the farmers market's website.

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The uncle and sisters of Marathon bombing victims Paul and JP Norden walked the Boston Marathon route, starting at Hopkinton. In center, in a Boston Strong T-Shirt, is uncle Peter Brown. On either side of him is the sisters, Colleen, left, and Caitlin, right. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe staff

By John Swinconeck, Town Correspondent

One month after the Boston Marathon bombings changed their lives forever, family and friends of the Norden brothers gathered this morning in Hopkinton to walk the 26.2-mile route to Boston that so many were unable to finish.

Brothers J.P. Norden, 33, and Paul Norden, 31, who grew up in Stoneham, each lost a leg and suffered burns and other wounds when they had gathered with four others at the finish line April 15 to cheer on friend Mike Jefferson, who was running in the race. The Norden brothers are now receiving treatment at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston. Paul is scheduled to be released later this week.

Speaking in Hopkinton, the brothers' uncle, Peter Brown, recalled watching the marathon on TV, and watched as the two bombs went off. Shortly thereafter, he received a frantic call from his sister. "I couldn't understand her, she was so emotional," he said. "My nephew, Pete, came on, and said 'Paul's in the hospital. We can't find J.P.'"

All six friends who had come to watch Jefferson suffered injuries, including Norden friend Marc Fucarile, who lost a leg and remains hospitalized at Massachusetts General.

As the Norden brothers began their recoveries, family members started looking for ways to help and to raise money.

"We wanted to do some thing to help with the healing, that could pay tribute and raise some funds to help the boys long-term," said Brown. "What I worry about is, six months from now, a year from now, what these guys are going to have to do to get better, and process what they've endured."

In the meantime, Brown said that Wednesday's goal was to walk the marathon route together, as family and friends.

Brown, who planned to walk the route today, called it a "monumental" task, adding he was feeling a little apprehensive about the finish line area, where two bomb blasts killed three and wounded more than 200.

"I'm trying to focus on just finishing this thing," said Caitlin Norden, speaking with her sister, Colleen, near the Hopkinton starting line.

"It's for them, so we'll do whatever we can to help them," Caitlin said, referring to her brothers J.D. and Paul. "They went to watch their friend finish, so we're going to finish it for them."

Caitlin said her brothers were surprised to learn of the walk, but added she was hoping to see them at the finish line on Boylston Street. "We're so tight. We couldn't be closer."

"I feel like, what they've been through, we can handle a few blisters to get through this," said Caitlin. "Just having them in our mind will get us through it."

Caitlin said her family has drawn strength and inspiration by watching the brothers recover. She said she has been to memorials at the finish line, and said she was grateful that her family can still tell the brothers "we love them."

Brown said the brothers have been getting "stronger every day" and have been "incredibly positive."

Clad in a shirt whose back read, "We decide when our Marathon ends," family friend Holly Judd, of Woburn, who was also walking the route, described the family as supportive and "amazing."

Now that the shock of the events is starting to wear off, Judd said it was time for the healing to begin. "That's the next step."

"I just kind of feel that this was taken away from J.P. and Paul, so we're going to finish it for them," Judd said. "They have amazing strength."

Supporters of the Nordens weren't the only ones who decided to make the trek to Boston Wednesday morning. Earlier, a small group, organized by Phil White of Derby, Vt. through Facebook, departed Hopkinton to walk the marathon route.

"I love Boston," White said. "I wanted to do something to honor the victims, and do something to take back the route from the demons of hate and fear."

Elaine Howley of Waltham, who was part of White's group, said that "we need to stand up and stand together, and make a strident noise against those who would have it undone."

Noreen Geraghty of Holyoke said she was hoping to feel a sense of closure after crossing finish line. "First there was a lot of anger, now it's about getting on with everything and healing. And I think today will be a nice part of that."

Contact John Swinconeck at johnswinc@gmail.com. Follow him on twitter @johnswinc.

By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

The MetroWest Regional Collaborative and Metropolitan Area Planning Council will hold their final public meeting on improving Route 9 for four local communities on Monday, May 20 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The meeting in Natick will focus on how to improve the stretch of Route 9 that passes through Wellesley, Framingham, Natick and Southborough, including the potential addition of compact mixed-use developments along the major thoroughfare that are more accommodating to pedestrians and bicyclists.

At the forum on May 20, officials will briefly review prior Route 9 planning meetings, and then will discuss traffic issues relating to "smart growth" areas, design guidelines and recommendations, and implementation strategies and phasing.

The meeting will be held at the Morse Institute Library on East Central Street in Natick, and free parking is available on the street and in the parking lot next to Natick Town Hall. The library is accessible to those with disabilities.

If a resident requires special accommodations to participate at the meeting, contact Bruce Leish at 508-881-2924 or bleish@mapc.org.

For more information on the meeting's agenda and past forums, visit the MAPC's website.

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By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

The Wellesley Theatre Project will host a free "master class" workshop focusing on dance and song for local students led by Broadway actress Jessica Rush on Monday, May 20 at the program's studio at 98 R Central St. in Wellesley, organizers said.

Students in the second through 12th grades are invited to participate in the class, which will feature a dance workshop for 40 kids on choreography from Jersey Boys, the production that Rush currently performs in, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Then, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., 20 students will be able to take part in a musical theatre audition workshop, where they will perform 32 bars of a prepared song.

Rush currently plays Lorraine in Jersey Boys on Broadway in Manhattan. She has also performed in other notable Broadway musicals such as Guys and Dolls and Gypsy.

Students interested in registering for the class can sign up at the program's website.

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By Jaclyn Reiss, Town Correspondent

Massachusetts Bay Community College has established a scholarship in Boston Marathon bombing victim Krystle Campbell's name, college officials announced today.

The Krystle Campbell Scholarship Fund aims to help students in the business field, since Campbell, who graduated from MassBay in 2005, earned an associate degree in business administration, according to the school.

“We lost one of our own on that horrific day, and we wanted to establish a permanent tribute to Krystle at our institution," said said John O’Donnell, the college's president. "The Krystle Campbell Scholarship will forever link her contributions to our community with the hopes and aspirations of future MassBay students. It is a fitting tribute to the Campbell family, who has lost so much.”

To be eligible for the scholarship, candidates must be carrying a full course load; be a Massachusetts resident; and must submit an essay about resiliency, making a difference, generosity of spirit, or overcoming obstacles to achieve a goal.

“The MassBay Foundation is proud to offer this important scholarship in Krystle’s name,” said the foundation's board chairman James McKenzie, whose father John F. McKenzie was MassBay’s founding president. “There is no more significant way we can think of to honor Krystle Campbell and perpetuate her memory than to provide needed funds for future MassBay students in her name.”

For more information or to make a donation, visit the college's website.

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By John Swinconeck, Globe Correspondent

Students, faculty and staff gathered at MassBay Community College in Wellesley on Monday in remembrance of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, including one of their own.

Krystle Campbell, 29, of Arlington, was a member of the class of 2005, and had majored in business, according to college president John O'Donnell.

Campbell's funeral was today in Medford.

A moment of silence was held throughout the region at 2:50 p.m., roughly the time of the explosions at the Marathon that killed three, including Campbell, and injured more than 170.

Speaking at the brief MassBay ceremony in Wellesley, O'Donnell noted how "our country, our city, our values have all been attacked. … All of us have lost so much."

O'Donnell praised Campbell, who grew up in Medford, as a "successful professional" who had succeeded in the restaurant business.

"it is such a tribute to Krystle that she was immediately recognized by the faculty," he said. "For those of us who were not her contemporaries at MassBay, we can know her simply by looking at her picture. Kristle's eyes were bright, engaging, intelligent, caring, and direct."

Humanities Professor Robert Tarutis was one of Campbell's contemporaries, having taught her in a course on western civilization. Tarutis recited a poem, "The History Teacher," in her memory.

Speaking after Monday's ceremony, Tarutis said the fact that he remembered Campbell nearly 10 years later was a testament to her.

"When I saw the picture and the headline with her name on it on the Boston Globe website, I knew right away," he said. "I choked up. I cried. "

Tarutis said he remembered Campbell as a good student who was talkative, personable, and unafraid to make a point. "She had a sense of humor," he said. "That I do remember."

Speaking after the ceremony, O'Donnell said learning of the death of an alumna was a blow to a college community that was already reeling.

"Morale was already low," he said. "We're a college of the race. The race passes us by, and everybody stands and is part of the Marathon. So it hit everybody very hard."

The fact that one of the men allegedly responsible for Campbell's death attended MassBay went unmentioned during the memorial ceremony. Tamerlan Tsarnaev briefly attended MassBay in the spring of 2008 – three years after Campbell graduated.

Tsarnaev, who was enrolled in two evening classes before dropping out after three weeks, was killed after a shootout with police in Watertown Friday morning.

"I really believe colleges exist to move the world forward in thought and action," O'Donnell said. "We're in counterpoint to the evil of the world. And no one is separate from being exposed to that evil. No one. So today what we focused on was Krystle, who embodied the best of MassBay."

MassBay has established a scholarship in Campbell's name in partnership with the MassBay Community College Foundation.