Mary Byrne

Toeing the start line of the Mashpee Superswim, Violet Birenbaum clocked she was one of the few teenagers gearing up for the one-mile race.

After five years with Belmont, Fire Chief David DeStefano is leaving the department. His last day will be Sept. 6, according to Select Board Chair Matt Taylor.

Exactly a week after a pedestrian was hit by a car on Concord Avenue, Precinct 2 Town Meeting member Anthony Barnes appealed to the Select Board to explore pedestrian safety improvements for that neighborhood.

The weekly Farmers’ Market will close early Thursday as temperatures are expected to reach 100 degrees. The market will take place from 2 to 4 p.m., instead of 2 to 6:30 p.m., in the Belmont Center parking lot. “I don’t like canceling ahead of time because of weather, because weather changes,” Hal Shubin, chair of the Market Committee, said in an email to The Voice. The reduced hours are not the first of the season, though it is the season’s first planned early closure. According to Shubin, the market closed 30 minutes early two weeks ago when dark storm clouds

“It's an issue with our dehumidifier,” Harrington said. “With these extreme temperatures in the high 90s, we anticipated the system may have to work a little harder but…with the condensation that builds up, it makes the ice unsafe to skate on.”

The municipal skating rink on Concord Avenue will reopen Thursday afternoon after closing due to an issue with the heating, ventilation, and air conditioni

Residents will see a reduction in yard waste pickup over the next several months, a change that reflect services cuts in the current fiscal year budget.

Before the sale this spring, a redevelopment was proposed under Chapter 40B, a state law designed to facilitate construction of affordable housing in communities where less than 10% of its housing stock is affordable. Specifically, Chapter 40B allows developers a streamlined permit process and more flexible zoning rules as long as 25% of the housing built is deemed affordable under state guidelines.

On Friday afternoon, Cal Verde , located at 1010 Pleasant St., celebrated its third anniversary. Customers were treated to pizza, a prize wheel, and an opportunity to speak with staff, business owners, and state and local officials.

A special Town Meeting has been scheduled for the week before Thanksgiving, with roughly a dozen articles already on the warrant.