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Two Pembroke selectmen won’t be seeking re-election

2009-01-31T02:24:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 30, 2009 @ 07:26 AM

PEMBROKE —

Selectman Terry Finnegan said she won’t run for re-election this year.

Finnegan, who has served on the board for six years, said she doesn’t have enough time to devote to the position.

“Whoever is in the position, I think, owes it to the town to be able to have a lot of time to devote,” she said. “I just don’t.”

Selectman Hilary Wilson has also announced that he will not seek re-election. He has served on the board for nine years.

Two town officials have shown interest in seeking the two available three-year terms on the five-member board of selectmen. Lew Stone of the advisory committee has submitted nomination papers. Planning board member Daniel Trabucco has taken out papers.

School committee members Ginny Wandell and Michael Tropeano have obtained nomination papers to seek new three-year terms on the committee.

Former Selectman Paul Dwyer and incumbent John Walsh Jr. have taken out papers for a one-year term as town moderator.

Selectman Arthur Boyle has taken out papers for a three-year term as constable. Were he to become a constable, he could continue to serve as a selectman, Town Clerk Mary Ann Smith said.

Lisa Cullity has taken out papers to run for another three-year term on the board of health. Resident Renee Hogan has taken out papers for a three-year term on the board of assessors.

Elaine Spalding has taken out papers to run for a three-year term on the board of library trustees. Jillian Taylor, who was appointed to the board to fill a vacancy, has obtained papers for a two-year term. A second three-year term is also available.

Also available are a five-year term on the housing authority, a five-year term on the planning board and a three-year term on the public works commission.

Prospective candidates must obtain nomination papers at the clerk’s office by March 12. Papers must be submitted by March 16, signed by at least 50 registered Pembroke voters.

Contact Sydney Schwartz at sschwartz@ledger.com. Gatehouse Media contributed to this story.

Envisioned group would raise money for Pembroke recreation

2009-01-31T02:23:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 30, 2009 @ 07:28 AM

PEMBROKE —

With budget cuts looming, the recreation department is looking at creative ways to bring in money.

Recreation commissioners hope to establish a Friends of the Recreation Center group similar to the Friends of the Pembroke Public Library and the Friends of the Pembroke Council on Aging.

“There’s always a need to be creative and think outside the box,” recreation commission Chairman Gregory Hanley said. “In these tough times, if we can develop a group of ‘friends’ that can help us fund raise, I think it’s a great thing.”

The idea is being spearheaded by Matt Newman, a new recreation commission member who previously served in town government in Weymouth.

Newman presented the idea to selectmen on Monday. He said he is looking for volunteers to help run the group.

“It’s just kind of another outlet in these tough times,” Newman said. “Just trying to create a new idea and help out, in case we need it.”

Hanley said the recreation department is self-funded through a revolving account that uses fees to pay for programs and part-time help. But the money to cover building costs and the salaries of the director and assistant director comes from the town budget.

“We’re looking at a mandatory cut from the advisory committee of 10 percent,” Hanley said. “We’re trying to give that back.”

Newman, who has children 3 and 7 years old, said recreation activities are important to children and adults.

“To me, it’s a vital part of growing up,” he said “I always enjoyed the programs.”

Sydney Schwartz may be reached at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Parents are outraged by theft of $8,000 from Pembroke Boosters

2009-01-30T02:26:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

GateHouse News Service

Posted Jan 29, 2009 @ 02:12 AM

PEMBROKE —

Parents of Pembroke High School athletes say they were outraged to learn that $8,000 was allegedly stolen from the group by its new treasurer, and they are hoping to recover the money.

“I think it’s a shame that this person felt as if she needed to take away from kids,” said ice hockey parent Carol Allen, a former president of Pembroke High School Sports Boosters. “That’s what this money was raised for, to benefit the children of the sports program.”

Police arrested boosters treasurer Marlene D. Medeiros on a felony charge of larceny of over $250, alleging that she stole about $8,000 from the organization.

Medeiros, 41, of 95 Phillips Road, who had served as the treasurer since November, pleaded innocent at her arraignment Wednesday in Plymouth District Court.

She was also arraigned on a fugitive from justice warrant out of Texas, for larceny by credit cards. She was wanted there in a case involving theft of about $57,000, police said.

Prosecutors asked that Medeiros be held without bail, but Judge Thomas Brownell set bail at $5,000.

It was unclear Wednesday night whether Medeiros had been able to raise the bail money. A telephone message left at her home was not returned.

“It’s very upsetting that something like this would happen,” said parent Michelle Memmo, who has served with the boosters as a team representative from the football and lacrosse teams. “It’s something that nobody ever expected.”

Memmo said some money from the boosters was supposed to go toward funding a junior varsity lacrosse team.

“Hopefully we will be able to recoup all our money. We’re going to have to do a little extra fundraising,” she said.

Police say members of the boosters came to them on Monday after noticing a discrepancy in the group’s financial accounts.

Police said it appears that Medeiros took from the high school sports group, beginning in November 2008 by withdrawing cash and writing checks on the group’s bank account and using the money for herself.

The Pembroke High School Sports Boosters group raises money to support high school athletic teams by holding bingo and other activities.

“I kind of hope it isn’t true,” said selectmen Chairwoman Terry Finnegan, who has a son on the football and track teams. “We’ll just have to wait and see how the facts all play out.”

Medeiros will return to court on Feb. 20 for a pretrial hearing.

Sydney Schwartz may be reached at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Second forcible-rape charge against former Marshfield Fair carnival worker is dropped

2009-01-29T02:28:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 28, 2009 @ 06:26 AM

MARSHFIELD —

Prosecutors have dropped a second charge of forcible rape against a former Marshfield Fair carnival worker accused of raping two teenage girls.

The first charge of forcible rape was dropped in August, days after police charged Jeffrey Witham with raping the 13- and 14-year-old girls. Three other charges were also dropped at that time.

Witham, now 19, of Oxford, Maine, still faces two counts of rape of a child and one count of indecent assault and battery on a person under 14. He was released on personal recognizance on Aug. 22.

The girls, both from Marshfield, told police on Aug. 17 that Witham raped and assaulted them at one of their homes. They later changed their stories, prompting prosecutors to drop four of the charges.

The prosecutor for the case, Sharon Thibeault, a special assistant district attorney for Plymouth County, said she decided to drop the second forcible-rape charge after reviewing the case.

Thibeault, who works for the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s office, took over the case from a Plymouth County assistant district attorney last month.

“I was just making sure that the charges fit the facts that now exist,” Thibeault said Tuesday. “It wasn’t because of any new developments.”

In December, Marshfield police filed an application in Plymouth District Court asking the court to charge the teenagers with filing false police reports.

A clerk magistrate will determine whether to charge the girls. A clerk magistrate’s hearing is scheduled for Feb. 25 in juvenile court.

At a probable cause hearing on Wednesday, defense attorney Michael Bergeron asked that Judge Robert Baylor dismiss the case in district court.

Witham has not been indicted in Superior Court. The case cannot be tried in district court because of the nature of the charges, Bergeron said.

Judge Baylor continued the probable cause hearing to Feb. 24.

Sydney Schwartz may be reached at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Police charge treasurer of Pembroke Sports Boosters

2009-01-29T02:27:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 28, 2009 @ 08:30 AM

Last update Jan 28, 2009 @ 08:37 AM

PEMBROKE —

The volunteers told police Monday that they believed someone was stealing from the organization.

Twenty-four hours later, police arrested Marlene D. Medeiros, the treasurer of the boosters since November, charging her with stealing about $8,000. They also say she is wanted in San Antonio, Texas, in a case involving theft of about $57,000.

“They were surprised,” Police Chief Michael Ohrenberger said. “This is a benefit group that raises money for the kids. ...They were quite surprised that money was being taken.”

Medeiros, 41, of 95 Phillips Road, Pembroke, was held on $10,000 bail for arraignment today in Plymouth District Court on a felony charge of larceny of over $250.

Police say Medeiros took about $8,000 from the boosters by withdrawing cash and writing checks on the group’s bank account and using the money for herself.

Medeiros moved to town in July 2008, police said. She worked as an office manager for a security systems company in Norwell. Police say they believe she was fired on Tuesday.

In the Texas case, Medeiros is accused of larceny using credit cards. She is believed to have taken about $57,000 from October 2003 to April 2007, police said.

Police said the Castle Hills Police Department in San Antonio is also investigating other cases involving Medeiros.

The Pembroke High School Sports Boosters group raises money to support high school athletic teams by holding bingo and other activities.

The contributions to the organization are tax-deductible, but the group is not required to file an annual return with the IRS because its income is less than $25,000, according to nonprofit database GuideStar.org.

At a meeting on Nov. 18, the boosters group announced that it would allow individual sports teams to form their own clubs under the Boosters umbrella, according to e-mails sent by the Pembroke School Department. Parents of football players and boys hockey players have scheduled meetings for this week. Several parents declined to answer questions about the club on Tuesday.

Pembroke School Superintendent Frank Hackett did not return phone calls on Tuesday.

Chief Ohrenberger said the charges against Medeiros may change if police receive more information.

Sydney Schwartz may be reached at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Permit application fee jumps from $50 to $2,000 in Marshfield

2009-01-28T02:30:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 27, 2009 @ 05:26 AM

MARSHFIELD —

Selectmen on Monday raised the application fee for earth-removal permits from $50 to $2,000.

The massive hike, the first increase in decades, came nearly 11 months after selectmen issued their first such permit in about 30 years – and a year after town counsel recommended the change.

“Our fee schedule for applications for gravel-removal permits is a little out of date,” Selectmen Chairwoman Katie O’Donnell said Monday.

Selectmen in March 2008 permitted developer Mark Investments to remove 40,000 cubic yards of sand, silt and gravel at the Walgreens site at the intersection of routes 139 and 3A.

During that permitting process, a disagreement arose between Town Counsel Robert Marzelli and the applicant’s attorney over the requirement that the applicant pay the fee for a consultant to review the plans.

Marzelli recommended the fee increase soon after. He said a $2,000 base fee would help pay for the application process, including a consultant’s review.

“I believe the board should revise its current fee schedule, which has not been revisited in decades,” he wrote in a Jan. 8, 2008 memorandum to selectmen.

Town meeting revised the earth-removal bylaw in April 2008. But, during the transition of town administrators that year, the change in the fee was left off the selectmen’s agenda. The change is effective today.

Selectmen have the authority to issue earth-removal permits for removal of more than 100 cubic yards of material. But, aside from Walgreens, they have no recent history of granting them. O’Donnell said she does not believe the board has issued an earth-removal permit since the 1970s.

In the fall of 2007, resident Peter Armstrong applied to remove 200,000 cubic yards of sand and gravel from his property off Grove and Ferry streets.

Neighbors expressed opposition to the project at an October 2007 public hearing. Armstrong later withdrew the application.

Armstrong will likely apply for another earth-removal permit in connection with a new plan to remove gravel from the property and turn the land over to Marshfield Youth Soccer. The project is going before the zoning board of appeals in February.

When the previous owner of Armstrong’s property sought a permit in 1984, selectmen rejected the request.

Excavating contractor Biagini Inc. has had an earth-removal permit since the 1950s. Selectmen renewed the permit Monday. The new fee amount doesn’t apply to renewals.

Sydney Schwartz may be reached at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Pembroke teenager works to help autistic children communicate

2009-01-28T02:29:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 27, 2009 @ 06:20 AM

Last update Jan 27, 2009 @ 06:29 AM

PEMBROKE —

Joe Scoledge hopes to help those who have trouble communicating in emergencies. Scoledge, 17, a senior at Pembroke High School, has created cards with feelings, emotions, places and people for police officers and firefighters to use with autistic children and others who are nonverbal or too upset to speak.

Scoledge presented the “Nonverbal Communication Cards,” his Eagle Scout project, to police and fire officials Monday at a program sponsored by the Pembroke Special Education Parent Advisory Council. They will be placed in the town’s emergency vehicles.

“I made up cards so autistic people can talk to the first responders,” Scoledge said. “It’s kind of hard because they can’t concentrate, get stressed out. ... A lot of the times they’re nonverbal.”

Scoledge, whose father is a firefighter, said he came up with the idea several years ago, after attending a program through the The Autism and Law Enforcement Education Coalition at the fire station with his dad.

The program, sponsored by the Special Education Parent Advisory Council, provided training to first responders so they were able to recognize situations involving children and adults with autism.

The speaker showed attendees a key ring with nonverbal communication cards that first responders used in her town. Pembroke police and fire officials expressed an interest in using those cards, said Eleanor Prosper, a former co-chair and member of the council.

Prosper, who has an autistic son in third grade, said Scoledge approached her about the project after the meeting.

She said there are autistic children who are nonverbal and use pictures to communicate. Some children also get so upset in emergencies that they have a hard time speaking, she said.

Scoledge collected, printed and cut out 66 images, laminated them and attached them to key rings. He created 40 sets of 33 cards with images like “sick,” “eat,” “water,” “parent” and “police person.”

He raised money for the project from local businesses, the police and fire unions and scout leaders. Other scouts helped him with the project.

He also created a binder with forms that parents of autistic children can fill out in case their kids wander off. Parents are encouraged to submit them with photographs. They will be kept at the police station.

Prosper said the book could lead officers to a missing child. If first responders know what children are interested in, she said, it can also help keep them calm in emergencies.

“It was something that I wanted and a lot of my friends with autistic children wanted, just in case,” she added. “We’re so excited that it’s done and that it can be passed off into the community.”

Sydney Schwartz may be reached at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Teen comedian brings act back to Marshfield

2009-01-25T02:33:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 24, 2009 @ 01:00 AM

MARSHFIELD —

Max Clary likes to be on stage, talk to people and make them laugh.

Last summer, the 15-year-old from Newton commuted to Camp Chuckles, a comedy camp at the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield.

IF YOU GO

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Saturday at Venus II in Brant Rock.
Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased at the door. Proceeds will go to the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.boysandgirlsclub
ofmarsh field.com or at the club in Library Plaza
For more information call 781-834-2582.

Now the Newton South High School sophomore is a regular performer at the Comedy Studio in Cambridge.

He is returning to Marshfield to perform with his comedy camp instructors in the Boys & Girls Club’s third annual “Comedy Night.”

“It’s a great program,” Max said. “It turned out at the end to be a great thing.”

The event, at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Venus II in Brant Rock, is a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club. More than 200 people attended last year’s event, which raised $4,500 for the nonprofit club.

Max will appear along with his camp instructors, Chrissie Kelleher and Jimmy Bowes, as well as Ed Kopesky, Johnny Cullen, Dan Boulger and Rich Gustus.

“Max was one of our most promising campers,” said Kelleher, the emcee for the event. “We’re like, ‘This kid is totally ready to do comedy.’ He was like a 15-year-old Billy Crystal.”

Kelleher has opened shows for Kevin Nealon and Loretta LaRoche and appeared on Nickelodeon’s “America’s Funniest Mom” show.

Cullen was a finalist at the Rhode Island Comedy Festival. Kopesky is a Boston comedian who also appears regularly at the Comedy Studio.

Boulger was winner in the 2006 Boston Comedy Festival. Gustus appears on Comedy Central.

Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased at the door. They can be purchased online at www.boysandgirlsclubofmarshfield.com or at the club in Library Plaza.

For more information, contact 781-834-2582.

Reach Sydney Schwartz at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Proposal to revamp Marshfield green goes before planning board

2009-01-25T02:32:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 24, 2009 @ 01:00 AM

MARSHFIELD —

The planning board will decide on Monday whether to approve the development of a new town green and commercial village behind the Roche Bros. store.

IF YOU GO

What: Marshfield Planning Board meeting
Where: Marshfield Town Hall, 870 Moraine St.
When: 7:30 p.m. Monday

The 39,088-square-foot project, to be called Proprietors Marketplace, is expected to include shops, restaurants and amenities. They would be built on a 3.4-acre parcel around what developer William Last has described as a classic New England town green.

Last has proposed five commercial buildings at the corner of Proprietors Drive and Village Green Way. He has said the development would include a tavern, an ice cream shop and a health club.

If the plan is approved, the existing green space in that area will be reconfigured and revamped to better fit the new village. The green would have walkways, lighting, benches, a fountain and a pergola.

Winslow Woods – a four-story assisted-living complex that was approved by the planning board in September – and the Boys & Girls Club of Marshfield’s new quarters will be near the new green, if it is created.

The first phase of the project was approved in 2004, when the Roche Bros. store was built. That approval included the creation of Village Green Way and Proprietors Drive, Town Planner Paul Halkiotis said.

The developer is now seeking town approval of the second phase, which would be built over the next few years. The first two buildings would likely be built this year, the rest by 2011.

The first building, a two-story structure, would include a 5,000-square-foot restaurant and tavern with outdoor seating on the green and a 2,000-square-foot restaurant where people could get ice cream, breakfast and light food.

On the second floor of the building would be a 5,000-square-foot fitness center called Anytime Fitness and a 2,000-square-foot office.

The other buildings would each be one story and 6,200 square feet. The tenants for those have not yet been determined, but they could include a bookstore, a gift shop, a high-end wine store, a lawyer and a physical therapist, Last said.

Sydney Schwartz may be reached at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Company hired to control weed in Hobomock Pond

2009-01-25T02:31:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

GateHouse News Service

Posted Jan 24, 2009 @ 10:58 PM

PEMBROKE —

An aquatic control company plans to treat Hobomock Pond with a chemical herbicide come summer.

The state Department of Conservation and Recreation has awarded Aquatic Control Technology of Sutton a contract to get rid of the Hydrilla verticillata, the invasive aquatic weed in the pond.

The lake management company says it will apply for necessary permits in the next few weeks. The company hopes to begin treating the pond in June, when the weeds are actively growing, with an aquatic herbicide called Sonar.

Gerald Smith, aquatic biologist and president of Aquatic Control Technology, said the herbicide targets the photosynthetic process in the plant and kills it.

He said treatment would involve two or three applications during the summer. It could take 60 days or longer for the weed to fully die.

“What we’re trying to do (is) eradicate the plant, if we can. If we cannot permanently eradicate it, certainly keep its growth to a bare minimal amount to avoid spread,” he said. “The herbicide works quite well, but it works slowly.”

The pond has been closed since December to all recreational activity, including ice skating, hockey, ice fishing, boating and walking to prevent the spread of the weed.

The weed, which is native to Europe and Asia, was discovered in October by a volunteer from the Pembroke Watershed Association. State officials say it has likely been growing there for more than a year.

Hydrilla verticillata can fill a lake from top to bottom and make it difficult or impossible for fish to find open water. The weed can also impede boating, swimming and rowing, and affect property values.

Hydrilla verticillata is thriving in the lakes, rivers and ponds of Florida and the Southeast. Its only other documented presence in Massachusetts is in Long Pond in Barnstable and in a small private pond in Duxbury, Smith said.

“It’s highly invasive and has the potential to really raise havoc with our ponds and lakes,” Smith said. “It’s potential statewide is very much a concern.”

Smith’s company works on and manages about 500 ponds a year. He said the herbicide Sonar has been used to treat Hydrilla and other invasive species in ponds.

His company has treated the two other ponds in Massachusetts with Hydrilla. He has also been involved with about five other ponds around New England that were affected by the weed.

He said residents will be alerted when the pond is being treated and told to avoid swimming, boating, fishing or using of water for irrigation. He said the herbicide poses little risk to fish, wildlife or people.

“Hydrilla is a fairly new problem and not a widespread problem, fortunately,” Smith said. “But there are many other invasive aquatic plants, nuisance aquatic plants, that have spread.”

Sydney Schwartz may be reached at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Pembroke becomes landlord of Union Street shops

2009-01-24T02:35:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 23, 2009 @ 07:18 AM

PEMBROKE —

The town has become the landlord of the shops at 6 Union St. in Bryantville.

Town Administrator Edwin Thorne said the town took ownership of the property, at the intersection of Routes 27 and 36, in September. The former owner, Aspro Realty Trust of Waltham, had unpaid real estate taxes.

The company owes the town $104,000, plus this year’s tax bill of $9,409, not including legal fees and interest owed for those nine years.

Aspro has a year to pay the outstanding taxes. If it doesn’t, the town will remain the owner. The town would likely sell the property, Thorne said.

Thorne said he is now looking to hire a property manager to help collect rent. The property is home to Bryantville Deli and a tanning salon.

The rent collected from the shops is going into the town’s general fund and will go toward the unpaid taxes.

Aspro bought the property for $159,000 in 1997, according to town records. It is valued at $799,700.

“I don’t want to own a deli and a tanning place,” Thorne said. “Just give us the money and you can have it again, but in the mean time, you’re not the owner.”

GateHouse News Service contributed to this story.

Reach Sydney Schwartz at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Marshfield youth sports group excited about possible land gift

2009-01-24T02:34:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 23, 2009 @ 07:12 AM

MARSHFIELD —

The owner of an abandoned gravel operation and wooded area near Grove and Ferry streets in Marshfield wants to give his land to a soccer organization as a site for playing fields.

Marshfield Youth Soccer officials said they hope to build two much-needed soccer fields on 10 of the 16 acres that Peter Armstrong wants to donate. The fields would be used seasonally by about 1,200 players.

The proposal will go before the zoning board of appeals on Feb. 10.

“There’s a shortage of fields,” said Kevin Cantwell, president of Marshfield Youth Soccer. “This is something that just came about. We’ve always been looking to build fields.”

More than a year ago, Armstrong applied to the selectmen for a permit to remove 200,000 cubic yards of sand and gravel from his property. He later withdrew the application.

At a hearing in October of 2007, neighbors expressed concerns about how the gravel removal operation would affect the area, which is near town wells and an aquifer. They talked about traffic, dust, noise and water quality.

At the time, Armstrong planned to build a home on 6 acres of the land. As for the other 10 acres, he said he was considering building a wind turbine, creating a campground and selling the property to the town. He said he was not considering building a subdivision.

Selectmen have the authority to issue earth removal permits. When the previous owner sought a permit in 1984, selectmen rejected the request.

Armstrong said he is not looking to “make a gravel operation out of this,” but he does want to be able excavate before turning the land over to the soccer group. He said he has a construction company and could use the excavated material on his sites or sell it to others.

“I want to do something that works,” he said. “It’s something that’s going to be very minimal impact that will get mixed in with the traffic that’s already on Clay Pit Road.

“It’s definitely a good thing. If all goes the way it’s supposed to with the use of the property and the excavation of the material, they’ll be getting the property for free.”

Cantwell said the playing fields in town are overused. Marshfield Youth Soccer does not own any fields.

The soccer group would apply for grants and conduct fundraisers to build and maintain the fields, Cantwell said.

“It’d be great for soccer,” he said. “...Hopefully we’ll have new fields in 2010.”

Reach Sydney Schwartz at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Marshfield home evactuated because of carbon monoxide

2009-01-22T02:38:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 21, 2009 @ 07:30 AM

MARSHFIELD —

Because of a broken furnace, carbon monoxide accumulated to poisonous levels in a multi-family home Ocean Street on Sunday.

Fire officials said an occupant at 1283 Ocean St. notified the fire department of a carbon monoxide alarm just before 8 p.m. Sunday.

Firefighters checked the building with testing equipment and got a carbon monoxide reading of 50 parts per million on the first floor, 90 parts per million in the cellar and 30 parts per million on the second floor.

Carbon monoxide is an invisible, tasteless and odorless gas. Any reading over 9 parts per million is a concern and readings over 35 parts per million for more than eight hours are dangerous, Fire Chief Kevin Robinson said.

Robinson said firefighters evacuated the building, called the gas company and shut down the boiler.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause dizziness, headaches, fatigue and death.

The 2005 death of a 7-year-old Plymouth girl, Nicole Garofal, led to the state’s passage of Nicole’s Law, which requires carbon monoxide detectors in all homes.

Nicole died of carbon monoxide poisoning after a blizzard plugged a furnace vent pipe at her home.

Landlords are responsible for installing and maintaining carbon monoxide detectors in rental housing.

Robinson said residents should call the fire department if a carbon monoxide alarm goes off.

“This event in a multiple-family dwelling emphasizes the need for all residents to comply with Nicole’s Law and install CO detectors in their homes for the protection of their families,” Robinson said in a press release.

The building at 1283 Ocean St. is owned by William and Joan Doyle.

Reach Sydney Schwartz at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Obama, Rev. King inspire local residents

2009-01-21T02:41:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 20, 2009 @ 03:58 AM

HANOVER —

Kathy Talbot remembers watching the civil rights movement on television as a junior in high school and thinking “this would never change in my lifetime.”

So for Talbot, seeing Barack Obama sworn in today, about 40 years later, as the first black president, “is just beyond belief,” she said.

Talbot, 59, of Whitman is one of more than 30 people who turned out Monday, on the eve of the inauguration, to celebrate the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at St. Andrew’s Church.

The event, a pancake breakfast, presentation and discussion, was sponsored by the Hanover Clergy Association and the Hanover Diversity Committee, which works to celebrate diversity in town and in the world.

Pamela Jolly, a student at Boston University’s School of Theology who has been working on Hurricane Katrina recovery, spoke at the breakfast about her work and the work that still needs to be done.

The Rev. Beth Wheatley-Dyson of St. Andrew’s Church, who helped organize the event, said Obama’s inauguration has a special significance for her because her grandparents worked in the civil rights movement in Mississippi to help the Rev. King’s dream come true.

“To see that actually happen in my lifetime, there are no words to explain it,” she said. “I like to think that Dr. King would be smiling and have his own tears of joy.”

Other attendees said Obama’s inauguration is about hope, acceptance and the tolerance of the next generation. They said it is the realization of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message four generations later.

“I feel like President-elect Obama is hope for all of us because he is so terrific in so many ways,” said Tracey Sprows of Pembroke. “I think finally for us to have an African-American in office is like we’ve finally arrived.”

Cathy Harder-Bernier and Bruce Bernier of Hanover, who participated in a March on Washington in 1992, said they plan to record today’s events in case their children don’t see it in school

“This is hugely important,” Bruce Bernier said. “It’s nice to think think that our kids will grow up without bias,”

June Fontaine of Hanover, a teacher at South Shore Charter Public School who brought her 3-year-old granddaughter to the breakfast, said Obama’s presidency means a lot for her black students.

“I think it really speaks to them to say, you can do anything, pretty much, if you work hard,” she said.

As part of the program, organizers read the poem that Maya Angelou read at Bill Clinton’s inauguration and the prayer that Bishop Gene Robinson wrote for Obama’s ceremony.

Peter Tofuri, of Hanover, who is in an interracial marriage and has biracial children, said he was hoping the inauguration would have been scheduled for Martin Luther King Jr. Day because of the added significance.

“I think a lot of his values mirror what Martin Luther King stood for,” he said. “It’s almost like it’s come full circle as far as the dream being realized.”

Reach Sydney Schwartz at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Storm causes power failures

2009-01-21T02:39:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 20, 2009 @ 04:28 AM

DUXBURY —

An overnight storm caused numerous power failures throughout Duxbury on Monday, fire officials said.

The fire department opened the senior center as a shelter for residents without power at 8 a.m. Monday. The shelter was staffed by members of the Duxbury Community Emergency Response Team.

Deputy Fire Chief William Carrico said four residents went to the shelter before noon because they lost heat, including one who was taken to the shelter by the fire department.

Power was restored to most areas by afternoon, Carrico said.

Reach Sydney Schwartz at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Montessori school wants to build athletic field

2009-01-18T02:43:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 17, 2009 @ 02:00 PM

DUXBURY —

The field, which would be built behind the school’s playground, would be surrounded by trees and include a walking trail.

The plan comes about two years after Duxbury’s Planning Board denied the school’s request to build an activity and sports center on the same land.

The school challenged the decision in land court and won. But school officials are rethinking their original plan.

Neighbors originally complained that the structure would block their views of the ocean. They were also concerned that to get to the building, students would have to cross the campus, sometimes in harsh weather.

School officials say they still hope to create an arts and athletics building but haven’t decided where it would go on the 9-acre campus.

“It was our original plan to put it up there, but that’s certainly being reconsidered,” said Hauke Kite-Powell, president of Bay Farm’s board of trustees.

In 2006, the school also planned to build a new classroom building near the center of campus. It has since built that building on the site of classrooms that were destroyed by fire in November 2007.

Kite-Powell said the fields might be built sometime in 2009. The arts and athletics building, he said, is likely several years away.

Sydney Schwartz may be reached at sschwartz@ledger.com.

59-term moderator could be challenged in Pembroke election

2009-01-17T02:46:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 16, 2009 @ 07:22 AM

PEMBROKE —

For the first time in years, John Walsh Jr. could face an opponent in his run for town moderator.

Walsh plans to run for a 60th consecutive one-year term in the May 2 annual town election. He is circulating nomination papers.

Former Selectman Paul Dwyer also picked up papers for the moderator position. Dwyer did not seek re-election as a selectman last year.

“I just felt it was time for a change in that position,” said Dwyer, who served on various town boards for 16 years. “The way some of the town meetings have been run could be improved upon.”

Walsh is believed to be the longest-serving office holder in the state. He has only been challenged a handful of times.

“I like it or I wouldn’t have done it all these years,” he told The Patriot Ledger two years ago. “I’ve seen the changes through the years. New people come in, others move on. I enjoy the ability to hear the people and see them.”

In other races, Lew Stone and Daniel Trabucco obtained papers to run for the board of selectmen. Two selectman seats are available this year. Selectman Hilary Wilson has announced that he will not seek re-election.

Stone also ran for selectman last year. He is a member of the advisory committee and previously served on the council on aging. Trabucco serves on the planning board.

Ginny Wandell has obtained nomination papers to seek re-election to the school committee. Two seats on the committee are available.

Elaine Spalding has taken out papers to run for a new term on the library board. Jillian Taylor, who was appointed to the board to fill a vacancy, has obtained papers for another seat. A total of three trustee seats are available.

Also available are single seats on the board of assessors, the board of health, the housing authority, the planning board and the public works commission, plus one constable position.

Candidates must pick up nomination papers from the clerk’s office by March 12 and return them with 50 signatures by Friday, March 16.

Reach Sydney Schwartz at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Marshfield school board preparing in case budget needs cutting

2009-01-16T02:48:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 15, 2009 @ 06:34 AM

MARSHFIELD —

Students may face larger class sizes and fees for school buses next school year.

The school committee is looking into possible ways to reduce the budget in the event of a state-aid reduction.

This week, the committee approved a $42.2 million budget request for fiscal 2010, a 4.25 percent increase from this year’s budget figure. The budget increase was attributed to transportation costs and contractual obligations.

But committee members say they will probably have to cut the request from $1.5 million to $2.75 million because of an expected 5 to 10 percent decrease in state aid. They cannot do so until they get more information from the state.

“There were no decisions made because we have no information,” school committee Chairman Marti Morrison said. “We’re ready to start addressing it as soon as we have some clear guidance from the state and from the town.”

In the meantime, committee members are considering different ways of saving money, including imposing transportation user fees, raising athletic fees, and increasing class sizes.

Morrison said people expressed concerns about new and increased user fees, saying they could prevent some students from participating in activities. There are also concerns about how class sizes affect students’ success, she said.

“Marshfield has been quite fortunate in being able to maintain a very decent class size for many years,” she said, “but we are going to be forced to look at that again. We hope that it won’t have to be a major change, because it will definitely impact student achievement, and it will result in staff layoffs.”

A public hearing and vote on the budget were held Tuesday because the town charter requires that presenting the proposed town budget to selectmen by Jan. 26, Superintendent Middleton McGoodwin said.

School officials are hoping for feedback from residents. They ask residents to e-mail them suggestions and feedback at budget@mpsd.org. The budget could be discussed at the Jan. 27 committee meeting.

Reach Sydney Schwartz at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Night falls on Duxbury’s Sun Tavern

2009-01-16T02:47:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

The Patriot Ledger

Posted Jan 15, 2009 @ 05:34 AM

Last update Jan 15, 2009 @ 01:07 PM

DUXBURY —

John and Laurie Cowden had always dreamed of opening a restaurant like the Sun Tavern.

The couple had been in the industry for nearly 30 years, running inns, hotels and golf clubs and other historical properties, and wanted something to call their own.

But a few months after they took over the Congress Street restaurant, in September 2007, things started to go downhill.

Now, only 16 months later, the restaurant has closed. The Cowdens say it’s a victim of the sour economy.

“We’ve told ourselves that we just have to stop the bleeding,” said John Cowden, who lives in Duxbury with his wife and two children. “We’re losing money each week staying open.”

The Cowdens bought the restaurant in 2007 for $1.35 million and put an additional $75,000 into improvements, John Cowden said.

The restaurant had a great fall and 2007 holiday season, he said, but last January they started to experience a decline in sales that hasn’t stopped.

The Cowdens put the restaurant on the market last spring for $1.43 million. They had some interest and one low offer. The asking price has dropped to $1.375 million.

The answering machine at the Sun Tavern says the restaurant will be closed this month, but John Cowden said it is unlikely that it will reopen under their ownership.

About three months ago, John Cowden took a job as innkeeper at the Longfellow Wayside Inn in Sudbury. The Cowdens plan to remain in Duxbury, where their daughter, Teddi, 13, and son, Parker, 12, attend middle school.

The Sun Tavern, built in 1741, lies on 5.3 acres zoned as residential. The building has been a restaurant since the 1930s and the restaurant use has been grandfathered in, but the property could be purchased by residential developers, Cowden said.

Rumors have circled for years about a ghost inhabiting the old farmhouse since the 1700s, but the Cowdens said they haven’t had any strange experiences.

John Cowden said he hopes to sell the restaurant within two months, ideally to another restaurant owner. Otherwise, he said, it will likely be turned over to the bank.

He said he and his wife would be happy to help in a transition.

“We really wanted something that we could call our own and fell in love with the Sun Tavern. It’s right up our alley,” he said.

Reach Sydney Schwartz at sschwartz@ledger.com.

Firefighter, police officer and neighbor save a woman from burning home

2009-01-15T02:50:00Z

By Sydney Schwartz

GATEHOUSE News Service

Posted Jan 14, 2009 @ 01:10 AM

Last update Jan 14, 2009 @ 03:24 AM

PEMBROKE —

A neighbor, a Boston police officer and a Duxbury firefighter who were passing by saved a Pembroke grandmother from her burning house on Tuesday.

Firefighters say the fire erupted in the garage at 35 Valley St. just before 2:45 p.m., and spread to the breezeway and the one-story ranch-style home.

Hans Lueder’s daughter, Heidi, and granddaughter, Amanda, escaped from the home, witnesses said. But his wife, Vida Lueder, remained in the home.

Their neighbor, Jake Licoski, a handyman, had just lit a fire in his own fireplace when he saw a cloud of smoke outside. He ran next door, spoke with Hans Lueder, and went inside to find Vida, holding a snow-covered towel to his face. He left when he realized he was in danger, he said.

“I said, ‘Where are you? Where are you?’ She is like, ‘I’m in here.’” Licoski said. “The smoke, it was thick black smoke, you totally couldn’t breath.”

Outside, he was joined by Boston police officer and former EMT Kevin Jones, who saw the fire while house hunting with his wife and two toddlers, and Duxbury firefighter John Montosi, who had been driving home from the dry cleaner when he spotted smoke. Both had also tried to get in the front door, they said.

Jones’ wife, Gretchen, said they saw two distraught women on the front lawn. One told them that her grandmother was trapped inside her bedroom.

Jones broke a front window with his fist and the three struggled to pull Vida Lueder out. A few minutes later, police and firefighters arrived. Firefighters from Kingston and Duxbury assisted.

Lueder and her husband were taken to South Shore Hospital and later released.

Firefighters say they still do not know the cause of the fire. They say the house is uninhabitable. Captain Donald Musial called it “a total loss.”

The house, which was built in about 1963, is assessed at about $117,000, according to town records.

The Lueders’ daughter, Diane Holbrook, who lives in Hanson, stopped by the house on her way to the hospital to see the damage. She said her sister had told her “there was a small fire in the house.”

She said her parents, sister and niece would likely stay with her.

“When I pulled up, I couldn’t believe it,” she said, eyeing the damage. “It looks like the house was all demolished ... How could it burn so big so fast?”

Licoski and the officers say they were in the right place at the right time. They did not think twice to help.

“Everything happened so fast. I’m obviously happy with the end result,” Montosi said. “That’s the most important thing. Houses can be rebuilt.”

“You always kind of wonder what you would do in that situation,” Licoski said. “I did the right thing.”

Sydney Schwartz can be reached at sschwartz@ledger.com.