Kara Minar, Chairman of Harvard's Planning Board, at this week's Finance Committee meeting, requested  $50,000 to begin work on the town's Master Plan.

Barring any snags in the paperwork, Dr. Joseph Connelly will be the interim superintendent of schools for Harvard for the 2011-12 school year.

The School Committee announced yesterday that three candidates have accepted nominations as finalists for the position of Interim Superintendent of Schools.

At its final meeting before its report goes to the printer, the Finance Committee voted last week not to recommend an article submitted by the BOS-appointed Municipal Buildings Committee (MBC) and gave their support instead to a citizens petition drafted by two selectmen and signed by 22 residents.

The three candidates (incumbents Ron Ricci and Marie Sobalvarro, and challenger Stu Sklar) for Board of Selectmen will participate in a debate on Monday evening, March 21, at 7 p.m. at Volunteers Hall.

If candidates nominated by Town Caucus on Saturday, Feb. 12, sign the caucus nomination by 5 p.m. Tuesday, there will be four contested races in this year's town election.

According to a report posted on the Lynnfield Patch, an online community news source, the Lynnfield School Committee approved Dr. Thomas Jefferson as Lynnfield's next superintendent by a 4-1 vote at their Jan. 13 meeting. Jefferson was one of two finalists selected by the town's 11-member search committee.