Norton TV Grant Up for Grabs

Application deadline Dec. 31.

The board of Norton Community Television announced its second community grant cycle, which will close Dec 31, 2012. The community grant comes from an annual 10 percent philanthrophic initiative to provide funding to community organizations and local non-profit groups. Past grant recipients included the Norton Public Schools, with a $62,000 grant which funded the construction of a new press box at the renovated NPS athletic complex. Norton Public Library received a $15,000 grant, which funded media upgrades in the community room and printing workstations. Interested applicants can download the grant application from www.nortontv.org. 

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N.E.E.D. Awards Five Grants for Norton Schools

Over $12,000 distributed to town schools.

Gretchen Stalters, president of the Norton Embracing Educational Development (N.E.E.D.) organization announced that $12,330 in grants has been awarded to five different programs at Norton Public Schools. Those five programs include $60 speakers for Kent Taylor’s high school classroom; $493 in books that promote special needs awareness at J. C. Solmonese Elementary School; $1,625 in iPods, headphones and downloadable audio books to provide a balanced literary program at Solmonese using new technology; $8,052 for two SMART Boards will be used in sixth grade classrooms at Norton Middle School; and $2,100 in responsive classroom training for teachers at Solmonese. Kristin Kefor’s first grade class made Stalters a poster thanking N.E.E.D. for …

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Sixteen Area Programs Receive Norton Cultural Council Grant

Recipients honored Thursday.

On Thursday, 16 grant recipients were honored by the Norton Cultural Council. The Council had about 40 grant applications and distributed approximately $4,700 to area supporters of the arts. The group is funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency that supports the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences. The Massachusetts Cultural Council receives an annual appropriation from the state Legislature and funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, Bank of America and more. “Our goal was to cover as broad a range as possible,” said Norton Cultural Council Chair Naomi Viglas. “We also wanted to keep the money as local as possible.” One such local program is the SMARTS Collaborative Summer Artists program. “Having the …

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Norton High School Named MassBioEd Innovative School of the Year

Receive $5,000 grant toward professional development, equipment.

Norton High School was named this year’s Innovative School of the Year by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd) for inspiring students to explore life sciences careers through progressive biotechnology education and exemplary science career programming.    "I think that kids take it for granted that we live in Massachusetts with so many science opportunities that they have," Benoit said. "You don't need to go away to go to college somewhere else you don't need to get a job somewhere else. It's all here. Our colleges have programs to train them even further, but we found it upon ourselves for it to be very important to bring it to the high school level."  Norton High School has had a five-year partnership with …

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Norton Cable Signs 13k Check for Library

Library first recipient of the NCAC Community Fund Grant.

The Norton Community Access Cable Board of Directors awarded Norton Public Library as the first recipient of the NCAC Community Fund Grant. The NCAC Board of Directors will be presenting head librarian Lee Parker, her staff and the Norton Public Library Board of Directors a grant check for $13,000.00 to improve the technology and to create more resource avenues for the community of Norton. “It was way more than I expected,” Lee said of the grant. “I was so excited.” “I know that Lee has been working very hard and has been very successful in re-establishing the accreditation of the Norton Public Library, and we hope that this grant allows her to continue on that road,” said Victor Rodriguez, NCAC Chairman. Parker said, "The money will be …

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Library Awarded Check from North Easton Savings Bank

Head librarian Lee Parker handed check for $6,995.

Norton Public Library was awarded a check for almost $7,000 yesterday. Bob Berg, treasurer and vice president at North Easton Savings Bank and Pat Polio of the Norton branch presented the check of $6,995 to head librarian Lee Parker. The bank voted on it at their last board meeting. They found out about the need from Berg, who is also treasurer of the Norton Public Library Board of Directors. “We support a lot of community activities,” Berg said. “And the library is the center of town.” This money will go towards a new phone system, something Parker said has been needed for a while. The library currently has analog phones that are at least 20 years old. They have been unable to remove names of employees who have not worked there for years…

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Norton Police Department Awarded Traffic Enforcement Grant

Almost $5k given to provide extra officers to patrol for drunk driving.

Norton Police Department has been awarded funding from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security under the 2012 Traffic Enforcement Grant.   The department was awarded $4,950 after applying to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security for funding. “This will provide extra officers to patrol for drunk drivers and other violations to prevent tragedies from occurring during this holiday season,” said police chief Brian Clark. The first activation, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” begins this week. There are two more activations after this. “Please drive carefully during this holiday season,” Clark said.

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NFD Receives S.A.F.E. Grant

State fire education funding supports fire safety and prevention lessons.

Governor Deval Patrick’s office in conjunction with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security announced that area fire departments, including Norton, have received Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) Program grants for the 2012 fiscal year. Norton Fire Department received $5,265 in state funding support. Since 1995, The Department of Fire Services has awarded cities and towns across the Commonwealth with grants to fund the educational program targeting students in grades K-12 with fire safety and prevention lessons. For 16 years, the S.A.F.E. program has been bringing local firefighters into the classroom teaching students applicable protocol to use in the event of an emergency and warn against the fire hazards posed …

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NPD Receives Pedestrian Safety Grant

5K grant to ensure crosswalk laws obeyed.

The Norton Police Department has been awarded a Pedestrian Safety Grant through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division.   As part of the enforcement activities, a plainclothes officer will be on foot attempting to utilize the crosswalks and radio ahead to an officer in a cruiser of any violations. Crosswalk violations carry a $200 fine.  The total amount of the grant is $5,000. This will cover breakaway crosswalk signs like those on Route 123 in front of Wheaton College and a banner highlighting enforcement activities such as officers working at specific crosswalks ensuring motorists are adhering to the established pedestrian laws.  Along Route 123 are several areas of concern for police, particularly …

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