The number of schools not meeting the state's achievement standards under federal No Child Left Behind regulations is quickly mounting.
Forty-seven schools across MetroWest and the Milford area were designated as at least needing improvement as a result of 2008 test scores, including ones in districts often considered to be of high quality, such as Natick, Westborough and Franklin. Half of all schools statewide received such a label.
State education officials say they are not surprised the number of schools needing improvement is swelling - up by 156 to 828 total this year - because of the ambitious goals set under No Child Left Behind. The law requires all students reach at least proficiency by 2014 on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
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Animal rights group intervening with feral cats
By Joyce Kelly
DAILY NEWS STAFF
FRANKLIN - Franklin's Animal Control will start a trap, neuter/spay, release program for feral cats at Highwood Condominiums today, according to the head of an animal rescue society intervening with the situation.
The trapped kitten and cats will go to the Purr-fect Cat Shelter in Medway for evaluation, said Stacy LeBaron, president of the Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society of Salisbury.
The board of trustees for Highwood I, the section of Highwood where the cats live and roam, had voted to trap and kill the cats, but agreed to halt the plan and discuss an alternative when a resident and LeBaron intervened earlier this month.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
Replies.The town of Franklin is negotiating with Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School on a lease of the historic Red Brick School building to run through next June, and possibly beyond.
Read the full article in the Boston Globe here
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Forget Salem or New Orleans. If you live in MetroWest, you probably don't have to go any further than your local library, town hall, or neighborhood for a good old-fashioned haunting.
Tales of the spirits of innkeepers, Native Americans, accused witches, librarians and servants, even a monster - the Dover Demon - abound right in your backyard.
The area's rich history, particularly its entrenchment in King Philip's War, makes old homes, buildings and entire sections of towns - such as South Natick - ripe for ghostly activity, some say.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
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Animal control officers in the area seem to agree the solution to feral cats - common in most communities - is the trap, neuter/spay and release program advocated by animal rights groups.
Dealing with the situation properly is more important now than ever, as the economic crisis has left many more cats and dogs abandoned and facing a cold winter, say area animal control officers.
An animal rescue organization from Salisbury is trying to save a colony of feral cats living in the woods near Franklin's Highwood Condominiums, the management of which plans to trap and kill them. The Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society, a nonprofit volunteer organization, promotes no-kill programs for feral cats.
Stacy LeBaron, president of the group, has said she believes it's possible to have a successful feral cat colony by using the trap, neuter/spay and release process.
Read the full article in the Milford Daily News here
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