Last week, a half dozen Framingham Patch readers asked when the Framingham Public School 2013-14 school calendar will be finalized. The week before, Patch heard from a handful of parents, too. The calendar is still in draft form and will need a vote by the Framingham School Committee before it is finalized. One of the reasons for the delay in the vote, was some of the items within the calendar needed to be approved (and negotiated with) the Framingham Teachers Association. The Framingham Teachers Association voted on the contract last Tuesday and the Framingham School Committee unanimously …

When people talk about the Middlesex County Sheriff's Office, it's often with a vague idea of what Sheriff Peter Koutoujian and the rest of the department do. But Koutoujian hopes to change that with his new Citizens Academy, which begins April 10. As a Waltham resident, Koutoujian said he saw how well people responded to the town’s Citizen’s Academy and thought that he could bring the same concept to the Sheriff's Office. Koutoujian has been in office for more than two years, but he acknowledged most people don’t know the ins and outs of the sheriff's department and how they differ from …

Neighbors asked why hazardous materials teams were on Circle Drive Monday and Tuesday. Framingham Fire Department was called to investigate a strong odor Monday on Circle Drive. The investigation centered on three homes, including one owned by Selectman Dennis Giombetti. Framingham Fire tests indicated a reading of "volatile organic compound," said Framingham Assistant Fire Chief John Magri. "But we couldn't identify the type or source." Thus Framingham Fire called in a state hazardous materials team. When that agency couldn't identify the type of compound and cause, it called in the …

The last of school - as of now - is Wednesday, June 26. "We are still within the number of allotted snow days. We have two days before we hit the end of June," said Framingham Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott Tuesday night to the Framingham School Committee. "I predict there will be no more snow days," said Scott jokingly. He then added he was certain there would be no more than 2 additional snow days. School was cancelled Tuesday, as Framingham received 8.4 inches of snow. Today is the first day of spring, but weather forecasters are predicting snowflakes Thursday and colder than normal…

With a special state election for senator set to take place in June, we have gathered all the important dates and deadlines leading up to the vote. April 10 at 8 p.m.: Last day and hour to register to vote, and change party enrollment for the Special Primary State Election. April 29 at noon: Last Day and Hour to apply for Absentee Ballots for the Special Primary State Election. April 30: Special Primary State Election from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 5 at 8 p.m.:  Last day and hour to register to vote and change party enrollment for the Special State Election. June 24 at noon: Last day and hour to …

You know the old saying "spring forward, fall back?" Well, it's almost time to spring forward.  A reader inquired on the date Daylight Saving begins this year.  Well, You Ask, Patch Answers. This year, we move the clocks overnight on Sunday, March 10. Don't forget to move your clocks ahead one hour before going to bed Saturday night. (Don't worry, we'll remind you again.) Officially Daylight Saving Time is 2 a.m. on Sunday. Yes, moving the clocks ahead does mean we all lose an hour of sleep, but in return it will be light later in the day. Besides, the lost hour falls on Saturday night, so …

Why are there no sidewalks on much of Route 9 asked a MetroWest Patch reader. Patch asked Massachusetts Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Verseckes. "Sidewalks along state highways are typically provided as a result of a request from the municipality during project design or are constructed by a private developer as a form of impact mitigation.  "Right now, on Route 9, there are sidewalks through sections of Shrewsbury, a small piece of Southborough, and some through Framingham and Natick.   "Sidewalks are typically located in area where pedestrian traffic exists or is expected, …

While speaking from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency bunker in Framingham, Governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency today banning car travel after 4 p.m. According to information from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, a state of emergency can involve different measures and does not always affect travel or private businesses. There may be a request for drivers to stay off the roads and for businesses to change their hours, but the governor may also order roads to be closed to non-emergency traffic. There has not been an ordered ban on travel since the…

The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Watch for Framingham, which in short means stay off the roads. A blizzard watch will go into effect beginning Friday and continuing into Saturday. According to the weather service, this means a potential for considerable falling or blowing snow. This will be accompanied by winds of over 35 miles per hour. Visibility will be below 1/4 mile with whiteout conditions at times. All of this means travel will be very dangerous, leading the weather service to advise people be prepared to alter any travel plans.

A Framingham Patch Facebook reader recently asked when Christmas tree curbside removal is in Framingham. Framingham will do curbside pick-up of Christmas trees the week of Jan. 14. Remove all decorations from the tree, including tinsel. Trees in plastic bags will not be collected. Residents may put out their tree to be pick up on their regularly scheduled trash day. Questions may be directed to the solid waste management department of the Framingham Public Works Division.

Sunset was quite early today. Today is the Winter Solstice, traditionally the day that marks the shortest day of the year. Sure this means we don't get a lot of sunshine today, but on the plus side the Solstice marks the time when the days begin to get longer. However, though today is the Solstice, the actual shortest day of 2012 will be tomorrow. According to timeanddate.com the December solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees. It is normally on Dec. 21, but the actual shortest day can be between Dec. 20 and 23 depending on the year. According to …

Travelers this morning may have noticed a long stream of police cars traveling on Route 495 south around 7. Have no worries, that wasn't for a speed trap or any other sort of crime activity. That was a trip to visit Nathan Norman. Norman is 6-year-old from Rustburg Virginia who has brain cancer. "I remember the doctor saying that there was an abnormality," Dawn Norman told New Milford New Jersey Patch . "The doctor kept telling me over and over that there was an abnormality and then it hit me. He was telling me that my son had cancer." After a surgery, which removed about half of the tumor, …

It seems like every week or so, a new Facebook "algorithm" pops up. What the heck is a Facebook algorithm? It's something created by the social media giant to show you what you "want" to see within your News Feed. But I don't see what I want to see, you say. We know! We hear this all the time, we respond. But we have a solution for you—Interest Lists. Tech savvy informants tell Patch that if you subscribe to an Interest List, you will see every status we post. Sign me up! you say. Terrific, let us explain, we respond. Framingham Patch has created an Interest List here. It's public, free, and …

According to STORMFAX, historically there is a 60 percent chance of one inch of snow on Christmas morning, a 27 percent chance of 5 inches and a 10 percent chance of 10 inches.    OK, but is it going to snow this Christmas? It's hard to tell this early, but Jim Arnold, a weather specialist who works with Shrewsbury's and Worcester's Emergency Communications and Emergency Management Agencices, has some theories. "Over the long term, Central Massachusetts sees a white Christmas between 6 and 7 years out of 10," said Arnold. "From a sensible weather standpoint, I do see signs of a pattern change…

You arrive home at night and there are dozens of them flying around your lights at the front door. They seem to be attacking the Christmas lights you recently hung too. What's with all the moths? These winter moths are in the midst of their annual mating season, albeit a bit late this year. Typically, it's November but the unusual warm temperatures this spring have them abundant in December. An invasive species in New England, these winter moths. The adult winter moths emerge from the ground from now until January.The female moths climb trees and homes and wait for males to mate.The females …

Winter can be tough on the emotions. The cold weather can be difficult to deal with, snow can be a pain (though also fun) but what really seems to get people down is the short days. There is something about the sun going down before most people get out of work that is depressing. So when can we expect longer days? The days will begin to get longer after the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day of the year. According to timeanddate.com, the December solstice occurs when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees is normally on Dec. 21, but the actual shortest day can…

Tuesday is election day and Framingham has 18 polling locations. To find out which one you should be going to on Election Day, see below. The polls are open Tuesday, Nov. 6 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Unsure of which precinct you're in? You can enter your address into the Secretary of State's website to be matched with the appropriate precinct and polling location. 1 Hemenway School 729 Water St. 2 Potter Road School 492 Potter Rd. 3 FPS Administration Building 454 Water St. 4 Brophy School 575 Pleasant St. 5 Walsh Middle School       301 Brook St. 6 Walsh Middle School    301 Brook St. 7 Brophy …

Those 7:30 a.m. commutes are about to get a bit lighter. Officially, Daylight Saving Time 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4. Remember, you’ll “fall back” and set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed Saturday night. Many electronic devices automatically adjust when Daylight Saving Time begins or ends.When you change your clocks in the fall and spring, it’s also a good time to change smoke detector batteries and check to make sure devices are in working order. And, with the heating season upon us, this is also an important time to check the batteries in your carbon monoxide detectors.Arizona, …

A Framingham Patch reader posted on our Facebook page where she could get a Warren for Senate and an Obama for President sign for a friend's yard? Last week, a woman called Framingham Patch asing for Scott Brown signs for her lawn. So if you know who you want to vote for in November, and want to announce it to your neighbors: If you want Republican signs, for example Scott Brown for Senate, please contact elected Republican Committeewoman Janet Leombruno at janetleombruno@me.com or by calling her at 508-989-4938. And the Massachusetts Republican Party has an office on Route 9 at 1671 …

Town Meeting member Kim Poness, of Precinct 18, asked Framingham Patch if precinct-by-precinct vote total were available for Thursday's primary election in Massachusetts. The Framingham Town Clerk's Office released those numbers Friday. Precincts: 1 - 342 voters - 12% of voters 2 - 332 - 13% 3 - 237 - 10% 4 - 293 - 11% 5 - 298 - 12% 6 - 285 - 11% 7 - 260 - 11% 8 - 274 - 12% 9 - 142 - 8% 10 - 101 - 6% 11 - 306 - 11% 12 - 155 - 12% 13 - 200 - 11% 14 - 130 - 9% 15 - 171 - 11% 16 - 60 - 7% 17 - 67 - 6% 18 - 83 - 6% For a precinct-by-precinct breakdown, including how many registered voters took a …