ABINGTON: Court date for teacher

ABINGTON

COURT DATE FOR TEACHER - Former Abington High School substituteteacher and boys' tennis coach Jon J. O'Keefe, 31, of Waltham, hasbeen summoned for arraignment at Brockton District Court on June 10on three counts of solicitation of sexual conduct for a fee, onecount of child endangerment, and one count of reckless endangermentof a child, according to Plymouth County Assistant District AttorneyThomas Flanagan. Abington police took over the initialinvestigation on May 16 after being told by school administratorsthat several Abington High students had reported inappropriate"friending" on Facebook by O'Connor. - Constance Lindner

A CONTEST TO RESTORE FIREWORKS - A chance at reignitingAbington's July Fourth celebration with fireworks is possiblethrough Liberty Mutual Insurance's Bring Back the 4th online contestthrough June 14. Members of the Abington community missing theirdecades-long tradition of fireworks on Memorial Field can take aquick "Responsible Moments in US History" multiple choice quiz, witheach completed quiz counted as a credit for the town's overallscore. The 10 towns with the greatest participation will each get$10,000 to support their celebrations. Rules permit only one quizper resident. Winners will be announced on June 20. For moreinformation, visit www.BringBackthe4th.com.

- Constance Lindner

BRAINTREE

REDISTRICTING APPROVED - Redistricting was approved by TownCouncil last week, a move that will rename all of the precincts to more closely match district names, and will distribute 2,800 of24,156 registered voters to different sectors of the community.According to a report given by City Clerk Joseph Powers, Braintree's population has grown by six percent since 2000 - thehighest growth since 1980. Nine of the 12 precincts are under orover the population parameters, which required the council to shiftthe precinct lines. The majority of growth happened in precinct 9. The notification for the changes will go out with the annual censusdata, and is not expected to cost the town much additional money.

- Jessica Bartlett

COHASSET

FORUM TO FOCUS ON SCHOOL FINANCES - The financial crunch and itseffect on local schools is the subject of the second CohassetEducation Forum, scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the PaulPratt Memorial Library. The discussion will be led by panelistsBetsy Connolly, a Cohasset resident and long-time administrator in the Hingham public schools, and Paul Schubert, a member of theCohasset School Committee. Topics on the agenda include stateeducation funding constraints, demands for teaching "21st century"skills, teacher training, and state standards and assessments. Thefree forum is sponsored by the Cohasset Democratic Town Committee and is open to the public. - Johanna Seltz

DUXBURY

WORKSHOP FOR JOB HUNTERS - The Council on Aging is hosting afour-week workshop for job seekers 55 and over, beginning Friday.Titled "Wisdom Works," the program was developed by KeystoneAssociates, an employment firm based in Burlington, and will be ledby volunteer human resources professionals. Workshop topics willinclude skills assessment, resume and cover letter development,interviewing, and learning how to research jobs on the Internet.Subsequent workshops take place on June 10, 17 and 24, from 9 to11 a.m. each day. A $5 registration fee will be charged. Toregister or for more information contact Angela Sinnott at thesenior center at 781-934-5774, ext. 115 or by e-mail atangelasinnott@duxburycoa.com. - Robert Knox

HANOVER

RUSSIAN PIANIST TO GIVE TWO CONCERTS - The Hanover CulturalCouncil and the Friends of the John Curtis Free Library will sponsortwo concerts by pianist Inna Muravnik, one on Saturday and one onJune 18, at the library, 534 Hanover St. Admission to the concerts,which begin at 3 p.m., is free. Muravnik will play Chopin in thefirst concert and Profokiev in the second. Muravnik was born inRussia and earned degrees from Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg StateConservatory and the Boston Conservatory. She is currently afaculty member at the Pakachoag Music School in Worcester. -Michele Bolton

HINGHAM

TOWN JOINS PLANNING COUNCIL - Selectmen voted Tuesday to jointhe Metropolitan Area Planning Council Sustainable Communitiesinitiative, a move that qualifies Hingham for grants and advicefrom the organization. According to Barry Keppard, a representativefrom MAPC, the program hopes to help communities develop long-termland-use and housing plans as well as encourage regional visioningacross communities. The program has $5 million to distribute tocommunities, and hopes to bring more South Shore towns on board inthe near future.

- Jessica Bartlett

HOLBROOK

PARADE ROUTE CHANGED -The route for tomorrow's Memorial Day parade has been changed to attract more parade-watchers, accordingto Leonard Curreri, a Vietnam veteran and member of the AmericanLegion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. This year, he said, theparade will begin at Holbrook High School. It will step off at10:30 a.m., proceed down Route 37 past Town Hall, reversedirection, and enter Mary Wales Park where marchers willparticipate in a ceremony. The parade will continue down UnionStreet (Route 139) to the nearby cemetery, where another ceremonywill take place. Curreri said last year's route included the policestation, but this year organizers are trying to concentrate on areasmost popular with the audience, including the stone wall in front ofHolbrook Cooperative Bank, where people like to sit. "It's such animportant holiday," he said. In addition to veterans, numerous youthsports teams and clubs have been invited to march.

- Jennette Barnes

HULL

ART AND FLOWER SHOW - More than 20 artists will team up withthe Hull Garden Club in the annual Arts and Flowers Show on June11 and 12 at the Mary Jeanette Murray Bathhouse across fromNantasket Beach. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., andfeatures floral arrangements, paintings, photographs, pottery,jewelry, and crafts. On Sunday afternoon, the flower arrangementswill be raffled off, with the money raised going to the gardenclub's scholarship fund for Hull High School seniors. Localartists also will display their work weekends throughout the summer at Art on the Avenue gallery, 1037 Nantasket Ave. - JohannaSeltz

KINGSTON

BENEFIT CONCERT TODAY - Classical singer Andrew Garland, aKingston native, will lead a benefit concert this afternoon for thevictims of natural disasters in Haiti and Japan. The concert willtake place at First Parish Church, 222 Main St., beginning at 3 p.m. Among the artists who will take part are Angelica Dombrowski, Diana Cohen, and Lorna Jane Norris, all of Plymouth; and AshleyRossi of Marshfield, Michelle McGrath of Kingston, Randy McGee ofBraintree, and Shaun England of Wareham. Claire Maisto of Hingham,a 13-year-old voice student, will also sing. Pianist HuiMin Wang of Norwell will accompany the performers, and Connected the Band will perform. Tickets are $25 at the door and can be reserved bycalling 781-585-3051. Donations may also be mailed to First ParishChurch, 222 Main St. Kingston, MA 02364. - Robert Knox

MARSHFIELD

LIQUOR, ENTERTAINMENT LICENSES SUSPENDED - AA Buffet's liquorand entertainment licenses have been suspended for 90 days after anemergency hearing May 23. Police Captain Phillip Tavares told theBoard of Selectmen that the restaurant-nightclub has been a hotbedof fights, over-served patrons, arrests, and disturbances. He alsoalleged that owner Wah Lam Ching's nephew lied in early May whenhe told police he needed no details through the end of the summerbecause the restaurant would have no entertainment during that time.Police determined the establishment was hosting entertainment andadvertising it online using its nightclub name, Vivid. According toTavares, Ching did not contest the allegations and agreed to createan approved business plan addressing the problems before thesuspensions are lifted. Tavares said he hoped the suspensions wouldcurb the establishment's "reckless and irresponsible behavior"through the summer. Selectmen also held a liquor license hearing forthe restaurant Ember and issued a warning. The restaurant served abeer to a 20-year-old without identification, discovered during aroutine sting operation.

- Jennette Barnes

MILTON

CELEBRATE BLOOMING DOGWOODS - The Mary M.B. Wakefield CharitableTrust is hosting its second annual "Dogwood Days" Saturday andJune 11 between noon and 3 p.m. to celebrate Polly Wakefield's kousa dogwoods. The grounds will be open for self-guided walksaround the formal gardens, according to organizers. A guided tour ofthe estate at 1465 Brush Hill Road will be offered at 1 p.m. oneach day, rain or shine. - Sarah Favot

NORWELL

TEACHER NOMINATED FOR AWARD - A South Shore Charter Schoolteacher has been nominated as Massachusetts Teacher of the Year.Sarah Roberts is one of four finalists in the state's programhonoring teachers with strong leadership, communication, andcommitment to students. Roberts, who teaches third and fourth grade,helped her students devise a plan to become "The Greenest School inAmerica" last year. If chosen as teacher of the year, Roberts wouldshare her advice and experience with other teachers and communitymembers across the state during the summer and weekends. Finalists receive grants from the Department of Elementary and SecondaryEducation and Hannaford Supermarkets for classroom purposes orprofessional development.

- Johanna Kaiser

PEMBROKE

SUMMER READING PROGRAM - The public library is invitingresidents to participate in its summer reading program, which isbased on a 2011 national summer reading program focused on worldcultures. The Pembroke program will kick off on June 27 and runthrough Aug. 19, featuring special events for adults, teens, andyounger children. Events for younger children will include amulticultural musical show, an interactive African drumming show,and a live animal show featuring critters from around the world.Teen activities will include free Zumba classes. Adult events arestill being organized. The program will also offer children theopportunity to win weekly prizes and be eligible for a grand prizeby reading at least three hours a week. Meanwhile, children's musicentertainer Rick Goldin will perform a free concert at the libraryon June 11 at 2 p.m. For more information on the summer program orGoldin's concert, contact the library at 781-293-6771. - JohnLaidler

PLYMOUTH

TALKS START ON TRANSIT FACILITY - The Greater Attleboro TauntonRegional Transit Authority is collaborating with town officials andthe Plymouth Growth and Development Corp. to create a downtownmultimodal transit and parking facility that will accommodate GATRAbuses. Residents are invited to attend a public meeting June 8 tolearn more about the project and provide input on where the facilityshould be located and what it should include. The plan is to designa transportation hub for buses, pedestrians, and bicyclists thatfits in well downtown, and eight potential sites have beenidentified so far. The meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at thePlymouth Arts Center on 11 North St. For more information, contactChristi Apicella of McMahon Associates at 508-823-2245 orchristine.apicella@mcmtrans.com. - Emily Sweeney

QUINCY

PATRICK TO SIGN HOME RULE PETITION - Governor Patrick willplay his part in the Quincy Center Redevelopment project onWednesday when he signs a home rule petition into law. The petitionenables the city to impose a new tax structure on the developer, andalso specifies rules governing such things as labor and parkingduring the construction. Patrick touted the project as innovativeand applauded the city's initiative, which he said will create jobsthroughout the commonwealth. "This is how we build a future," hesaid. The project has also elicited a lot of response fromsurrounding municipalities. According to Patrick, the Legislaturehopes to use Quincy as a model for the restructuring of other communities. - Jessica Bartlett

RANDOLPH

SCHOOL FOR DEAF CLOSING CAMPUS - A school for deaf children willbe closing its Randolph campus at the end of the school year. Citingdeclining enrollment, The Learning Center for the Deaf at 30 SetonWay will shut its doors in July. Judith Vreeland, executivedirector, said in a statement that students will be transferred toits Framingham location. The Randolph campus was established in1994, partly to meet the void left by the closing of the BostonSchool for the Deaf in Randolph, which is now the site of the BostonHigashi School. At TLC, deaf or hard-of-hearing students are taughtAmerican Sign Language, written English, and spoken language andaudition. Beginning in Grade 3, all students participate in MCAStesting. With "the opening of our Early Childhood Center inFramingham, the time was right to consolidate services on onecampus," said Vreeland. "The doors may be closing, but the fruits ofthe labor of the entire Randolph community will live on." - WendyChow

SCITUATE

PUPPET SHOW AT LIBRARY - Rick Goldin will bring his puppet show"I like to Read" to the Scituate Town Library next Saturday at 2p.m. The program is a collaboration of the South Shore CommunityAction Council, Hingham Public Library, and the Scituate TownLibrary, with a grant from the Massachusetts Department of EarlyEducation and Care. Goldin is presenting his interactive andhumorous children's songs in performances around the South Shore.This event is free and open to the public. - Jessica Bartlett

WEYMOUTH

TOWN DELAYS PROPERTY AUCTION - So many people have takenadvantage of an amnesty program and paid their overdue real estatetax bills that the town has postponed plans to auction property intax title, according to Finance Director William McKinney. Theauction was scheduled for May 24, but "we had a lot of people payup," McKinney said. He said the town collected about $600,000 inback taxes since the amnesty started Jan. 1. Under the program,which expires June 30, the town forgives half the interest owed onproperty so much in arrears that the town has legally attached it.McKinney said he expects to hold an auction in the fall "unlesseverybody starts paying." - Jessica Seltz

AROUND THE REGION

BROCKTON

SEAT BELT LAW - The Brockton police are in the middle of a two-week crackdown on violators of the state's seat belt law, part of astate and national effort to increase its use. The Click It orTicket campaign targets motorists who are pulled over for otherreasons, then checked for seat belt use. However, officers who see achild without a seat belt or child seat could pull a motorist overfor that, said Captain Leon McCabe. Violators face $25 fines. -Steve Hatch

EASTON

FARMERS' MARKET - The Easton Farmers' Market is now openSaturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesdays from 2 to 6 p.m.through Oct. 29. What's for sale so early in the season? "A lot ofour farmers have vegetable seedlings. Some of them have flowersready to go out. And there are early-weather crops like radishes andsalad greens," said Jen Cummings, executive director of the Natural Resources Trust of Easton, which sponsors the market.Participants include Easton's Langwater Farm, Oakdale and SouzaFamily farms of Rehoboth, and Second Nature Farm of Norton. Fairland Farm, which has bogs in Easton, also participates. Themarket is at 261R Main St. For more information, visitwww.nrtofeaston.org or call 508-238-6049. - Steve Hatch

HANSON

OVERRIDES DEFEATED - Voters rejected two proposed tax increasesat the May 21 annual town election. On a vote of 973 to 333, aproposed $584,475 override to help fund the town's fiscal 2012budget was defeated. Also losing, by a vote of 753 to 549 was adebt exclusion to fund roof repairs at the Indian Head School. Theannual town meeting May 3 had appropriated $19.4 million to fundthe fiscal 2012 budget, subject to passage of the override, apermanent increase in a community's property tax cap. With thedefeat of the override, selectmen last Tuesday scheduled a specialTown Meeting for June 13 to consider a new budget.

- John Laidler

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