News aggregator

Divorce can be painful and expensive. A husband-and-wife attorney team from Dedham, William M. and E. Chouteau Levine, has kicked off Levine Dispute Resolution Center in Westwood and Northampton, to offer mediation services to help couples settle their disputes before going to court and racking up massive legal fees, they said. Both are retired from the legal field, he as a family-law attorney in Boston, she as an associate justice of probate and family court.

Parents of children eligible for kindergarten this fall should pick up a registration packet at their neighborhood school Feb. 13 to 17 between 8:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Proof of residency and a copy of the child’s birth certificate is required. At that time, a school secretary will schedule an appointment for registration and a classroom visit on either May 17 or 18. A kindergarten parent information night is scheduled for May 15, from 7 to 8 p.m. at the school district’s five elementary schools. Students must be 5 years old by Sept. 1 to enter kindergarten. - Michele Morgan Bolton

When Greg Vaughan arrived at Hingham High, he was overweight with little interest or experience in sports. By the time he graduated, Vaughan was a Division 3 state champion in the heavyweight division and placed fourth at the New England championships. At Trinity College, he has racked up a sterling 85-16 career mark, including a school-record 52 pins. His success on the mat also led to a dramatic lifestyle change for the 6-foot-3 Vaughan, who weighed 300 pounds his first year in high school.

Have you seen "Paranormal Activity", "Moneyball" or "Dolphin Tale" yet? All three were featured in this week's Top 10 movie rentals at the Westwood Redbox kiosk, located at Roche Bros.

If you're looking to save a few bucks and catch a movie at home this weekend, and aren't sure which movie to rent, maybe our Top 10 list will help. Check out the most popular rentals this week below. 

For more information, be sure to check out www.redbox.com, or check out the Andriod or iPhone app.

Rank Title 1 Moneyball
2 The Ides of March 3 50/50
4 Real Steel 5 Drive -- NEW!!  6 Contagion 7 Paranormal Activity 3 -- NEW!! 8 Abduction  9 Dolphin Tale -- NEW!! 10 Rise of the Planet of the Apes

In this week's roundup of college students from Westwood, 11 were named to the Dean's List at various colleges throughout the nation. 

• Lisa Caldwell was named to the Dean's List at the University of Hartford for Fall 2011.

• Amy Bean was named to Tufts University's Dean's List for the Fall 2011 semester. Bean is a members of the Class of 2013. Dean's List honors at Tufts University require a semester grade point average of 3.4 or greater.

• Anthony Sadler made the Dean's List at DePaul University for the fall quarter of 2011. In order to qualify for the Dean's List at DePaul, students must earn above a 3.0 grade point average on a four point scale.

• Cara Vanin, a member of the class of 2015 at Skidmore College, earned term honors for the fall semester. She is the daughter of Michael and Kristine Vanin of Westwood. Term honors are awarded for a quality point ratio of 3.6 from a possible 4.0, for students who have completed 14 credit hours.

• Peter Geoffry Lawford Juviler is a recipient of the Dean's Award for academic excellence during the 2011 fall term at Colgate University, where Juviler is a member of the Class of 2015. To be eligible for the Dean's Award, a Colgate student must achieve a 3.30 or higher average while enrolled in four courses. Juviler is a graduate of Noble and Greenough School.

Meanwhile, the following students were named to the Dean's List at the University of New Hampshire for the fall semester of the 2011-2012 academic year.

• Jacqueline Cooke earned Highest Honors
• Julia Germano earned High Honors
• Colleen Laughter earned Highest Honors
• Caitlyn Nesbitt earned High Honors
• Cynthia O'Brien earned High Honors
• Evan Rau earned Honors

Students at Downey Elementary School in Westwood were ready to head into the weekend with a lot of pride for the New England Patriots.

During their lunch blocks, second, third, fourth and fifth graders - the majority of them decked out in their best Pats jersey or tee shirt - eagerly answered questions from a Super Bowl Trivia, asked by Downey student Thomas Griffin. 

During the summer months, the grounds of Hale Reservation are flooded with the feet of eager and energetic campers. 

But during the winter, when all is cold and quiet, the real inhabitants of Hale come to light - owls.

In an effort to reveal the abundant owl life at Hale, officials at the reservation hold a program a few times each year titled Owl's Eve, during which they bring interested residents on a night walk through the grounds. 

On a recent January night, Camp Director James Reinhold and Hale Ranger Tom Dietsel took groups of nature lovers on the night hike, and used their owl calling skills to see if they could communicate with the birds. 

Follow the links below for more on today's featured headlines:

• Arlington to Celebrate Town Manager's Retirement
• Woman Reveals Details of Alleged Sex Abuse [VIDEO]
• Improving Wildcats Now One Win From Playoffs [VIDEO]
• School Officials Eye ECEC Move, Await MSBA Response
• PHOTOS: 'Hot Stove' Event Brings an Early Feel of Baseball
• Winchester Firefighter Wins Trip to Super Bowl

As we move further into 2012, we thought we'd try out a new daily feature, highlighting a single photo highlighting various news and events taking place in Westwood. 

Many, though not all, of the photos from the Photo of the Day series will come straight from our Neighborhood Gallery, to which you can upload your own photos of events, celebrations and scenes from inside the Westwood borders. 

Today, we're highlighting a recent photo from last weekend's Hot Stove event, which the Westwood Little League hosted to take residents' minds off the winter months and look ahead to baseball season. In the photo, a group of sports fans show their pride for the New England Patriots as they look forward to Sunday's big game.

Be sure to check back each day, Monday through Friday, for a new photo and if you've got photos you'd like to submit, send them our way and we'll be sure to feature them! 

Also be sure to check out the Westwood Patch Neighborhood Gallery and upload photos at any time! 

Have a photo you'd like to have featured? Send over to mattp@patch.com.

Here is the most recent roundup of scores from Westwood High School's varsity sports teams this winter season, according to comments from the teams' coaches and Boston.com's High School sports updates.

Boys Basketball (10-3)

• Last Game: Away at Millis, Win 73-67 on Jan. 31
• Next Game: Home vs. Ashland on Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m.

"The win against Millis was our 10th of the year which qualifies us for the state tournament," said Head Coach Steve St. Martin.

Girls Basketball (5-8)

• Last Game: Home vs. Millis, Win 51-37 on Jan. 31
• Next Game: Away at Ashland on Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m.

Boys Ice Hockey (6-4-2)

• Last Game: Away at Dover-Sherborn, Tie 4-4 on Jan. 31.
• Next Game: Home vs. Ashland on Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Girls Ice Hockey (9-2-1)

• Last Game: Home vs. Scituate, win 5-4 on Feb. 1
• Next Game: Away at Medfield on Feb. 4 at 8 p.m.

"With a record of nine wins, two losses and one tie, the Westwood High School girls hockey team needs one win, with eight games to go, to make the MIAA state playoffs," said Head Coach Rick Chrusciel. "The team will take on Medfield this Saturday night and Latin Academy on Sunday in search of that win and a playoff berth."

He added, "Recent JV callups includeJackie Ventura, Heather Sullivan and Waverly Jackson, all of whom have seen some playing time with the varsity team, which has had as many as five players out of the lineup in a recent game."

Another round of hawks are about to soar into the world of college sports. 

Ryan Farrell, a Westwood resident and senior at Xaverian Brothers High School, recently signed a National Letters of Intent to play football for the University of New Hampshire Wildcats in the fall, according to a UNH report. 

Farrell played a key roll in the Hawks' football program, though he missed most of his senior year due to an injury. Even as far back as 2010, he helped the team with such successes as a 28-0 win over BC High in early November of that year, as well as a rain-soaked battle against Somerville in October 2010 (the Hawks won 26-0).

As a junior, he recorded 60 tackles that included three for loss, as well as one sack, according to UNH. He was a leader of the defensive secondary for the Hawks, and was a two-year letter winner as a wing on Xaverian's hockey team. 

Farrell's father, Bill Farrell, is a former captain on the UNH football team. 

In a video post, Sean McDonnell, who has coached the wildcats for 13 years,weighed in on what he expects of the incoming players this fall. Another video reveals highlights of Farrell's accomplishments on the Hawks' squad.

But Farrell isn't the only student at Xaverian as of late to sign a Letter of Intent to play football in college.

Most recently he is among three others at the school to do so - John Warner committed to Fordham University, Chris Calvanese committed to Bentley University and Colby Enegren committed to West Point.

In December, senior Tim Duggan signed a letter to play baseball at Fairfield University, while senior Ryan Scheib committed to playing lacrosse at Bryant University. 

Browse through the gallery of images to see what homes are available for open house in and around Dedham. The times and prices are listed below each house.

And be sure to check out recent sales in the area with our Thursday Sold! feature.

For more listings, click here.

Diggers in the Woods 

Jan. 23, 10:33 a.m. - A Whitewood Road resident reported to police that two men were spotted digging in the woods behind her house. Upon investigation, police determined that the men were state employees cleaning up a nearby brook. 

Radar Detector Stolen

Jan. 23, 9:39 p.m. - A Pine Lane resident reported that their Mercedes vehicle was broken into by two white males.

Taken from the car was a radar detector valued at more than $400. Police are investigating and looking for the two males, one of whom is described as being 5 feet 6 inches tall, wearing dark clothing. The other was described as about 5 feet 8 inches, wearing dark clothing and a dark hooded sweatshirt. 

INDIANAPOLIS - Plan on painting yourself blue on Sunday? Did you take a trip to Indianapolis this week and want to unload your pics? Westwood Patch wants your fan Super Bowl XLVI pics.

We are opening our gallery with photos submitted by Westwood Patch readers, as well as photos from Boston, where Patch.com Long Island Senior Regional Editor David Reich-Hale grabbed some photos via his Hipstamatic app on the iPhone to show the passion for the Patriots in Beantown.

Whether you're a Patriots fan or a Giants fan, you'll have plenty to take photos of at your Super Bowl parties before and after the game. If you see a store with fun decorations, supporting either team, send them along too! Share them with the community right here on Westwood Patch!

You have two options, submit directly to our gallery, or email the images to mattp@patch.com.

Mobil Station Update

Work on the scene of a spilled gasoline incident at Westwood Mobil, which took place on Dec. 31, has nearly completed, the Westwood Fire Department said this week.

The incident occurred on New Year's Eve, but was not addressed until Jan. 2, and, due to the nature of the spill, prompted involvement from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

Since then, recovery wells have been installed, the contaminated soil has been removed and an air evcavator was installed into the basement of Coldwell Banker next door to cleanse the air of any fumes. 

"They removed as much soil as they're going to remove," Westwood Dep. Fire Chief Mike Reardon said.  "They excavated what they did. It was certainly helping out next door just getting rid of that 'dirty' dirt."

Mitigation is ongoing, but management at the Mobil station has been cooperating, Reardon said. 

"I think it's getting much better," he said of the scene. 

Mercury Spill on Glacier Drive

Jan. 25, 4:15 p.m. - The Westwood Fire Department, assisted by Haz Mat crews responded to 60 Glacier Dr. in Westwood after receiving a report of a mercury spill. 

The spill occurred after an employee of a business on the road dropped a large thermometer, which contained a small amount of mercury. 

"It couldn't have had two tablespoons, but the long-term effects could have caused some health effects," Reardon said. 

Reardon said employees and crews were able to clean up the spill quickly and that there was "no issue." 

While Westwood Town Meeting in May is still a few months off, officials are well underway at looking over the projected budget for the Fiscal Year 2013. 

In a budget update Monday night, the Westwood Board of Selectmen learned the total budget revenue for Westwood in FY13 is currently estimated to be around $72.6 million. 

"We do have a balanced budget at this point," said Westwood Finance Director Pam Dukeman at Monday's meeting.  

That revenue, Dukeman explained, is estimated at around $72,664,827, an increase of $368,131 - or .5 percent - over FY12.

"Almost 80 percent of that is coming from our tax base, and that's very standard for us," Dukeman said. 

According to Dukeman's report, the projected State Aid for Westwood will be $4,926,653 - an increase of $291,286, or 8.6 percent, over FY12. 

"If that number doesn't hold we won't be able to continue with what we have here," Dukeman said of the current estimated budget. "But I do think it will hold."

Gov. Deval Patrick's proposed budget, which was recently released, calls for an estimated $4,190,166 for Chapter 70 to go to Westwood Public Schools. Chapter 70 comprises state aid to public elementary and secondary schools throughout the Commonwealth.

The total FY13 expenditures are about the same as last year, Dukeman said, coming in at about $72.4 million, only about a .3 percent increase over FY12. That increase included a 3.2 percent increase to the operating budget.

Taxes for the year are projected at $57,823,914, a 3.1 percent increase over FY12, and free cash is estimated to come in at around $1,044,000, or a 6.5 percent increase over the $980,000 available in FY12. 

Officials plan to continue reviewing the budget, as well as determining the allocation of funding for such town reserves as the town's stabilization fund and Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) liability.

Today's Forecast: The National Weather Service is predicting partly sunny skies with a high near 37 degrees today.  

1. Sewer Commission: The Westwood Sewer Commission will meet at 8 a.m. today at the Carby Street Municipal Building. 

2. Today's Winter Sports Games: Westwood High School's basketball teams are hitting the court tonight, as are basketball and swim teams of Xaverian Brothers.

3. Babies & Books: The Westwood Public Library's Babies & Books program will begin at 9:30 a.m. today at the library's Islington Branch.

4. Today, you can celebrate reading with an activity story time at 10 a.m. in the Westwood Pool Lobby.

5. Claim Your Business Listing: Do you have a listing on Westwood Patch? Have you claimed that listing as your own? It's free to do - find out how! 

As we move further into 2012, we thought we'd try out a new daily feature, highlighting a single photo highlighting various news and events taking place in Westwood. 

Many, though not all, of the photos from the Photo of the Day series will come straight from our Neighborhood Gallery, to which you can upload your own photos of events, celebrations and scenes from inside the Westwood borders. 

This week marked the end of January 2012, but it also marked the end of a longstanding career for Westwood's Executive Assistant Ellen Hurley, who retired on Wednesday after 25 years of service. 

Be sure to check back each day, Monday through Friday, for a new photo and if you've got photos you'd like to submit, send them our way and we'll be sure to feature them! 

Also be sure to check out the Westwood Patch Neighborhood Gallery and upload photos at any time!

Westwood schools would get an additional $413,081 in Chapter 70 funds from the state if Governor Deval Patrick’s proposed fiscal 2013 budget is adopted.

The Westwood School District would receive $4,190,166 in state aid for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2012, as compared to the $3,777,085 the district received for the current fiscal year.

That’s an increase of 10.94 percent.

“It’s great news,” said John Antonucci, Westwood School District superintendent. “It’s not totally surprising, although the magnitude is a little beyond what I could have expected.”

Editor's Note: The following was submitted by Diane Parazin, President of the Friends of the Westwood Public Library.

In spite of a storm that dumped several inches of snow in Westwood, the Friends of the Library raised $1,500 dollars at its recent one-day book sale on Saturday, Jan. 21.  

The sale saw more than 1,000 books sold and helped clear the Friends storeroom in anticipation of the move to the new library. 

“The sale was a remarkable success,” said Book Sale Chair Felicity Botwinik. “Thousand of titles found a new home and we were able to pare down our inventory of books to a bare minimum to make our relocation as easy as possible.”

Botwinik explained that the remaining books have been handpicked and are of high quality. They will be offered on the group’s book-nook sales shelves at both the main and branch libraries.

“We have a variety of great vacation reads for those heading out of town during the February break,” said Botwinik. “We also have quite a few popular children’s titles as well as books on art and cookery.”

The January one-day book sale was the Friends’ last before the library closes in April, Botwinik said.  

“We will no longer be accepting book donations," she said. "Please hold onto any books you may have until the fall when we hope to begin stocking up for our first-ever book bonanza in the new library.” 

Books were not the only items sold at the Friends book sale. Raffle tickets were also available for purchase. Hopefuls bid on a basket of mystery books by town resident and best-selling author, Jan Brogan.

The winner of the basket was Al Fusco of Pine Lane.

“Attending the book sale was a fantastic opportunity to not only acquire quality books, but also support our town library in the process,” Fusco said. “The library enriches our town, provides our boys with vast resources for learning, and has created many memorable moments, such as the story-time sessions and elementary school art displays.”

The money earned at the Friends of the Library Book Sale supports important library programs, including book purchases, technology upgrades, authors’ visits, children’s activities and museum passes.