Garlic mustard must die!

▼▼LocalNewsScott declares forSchoool Board/4Beacon Hill Roll Call/7THE SUN, LOWELL, MASSACHUSET TSMONDAY, JUNE 13, 2011SEE A PHOTO YOU LIKE?Order reprints online atlowellsunphotos.comPAGE 3Garlicmustardmust die!By Hiroko Satohsato@lowellsun.comThe small weeds withwhite fragile flowers barelycaught Patricia Nelson'sattention when she first spottedthem in her yard twoyears ago.The stalks easily broke,and the roots were shallow.But the next thing she knew,said Nelson, an avid gardenerfrom Groton, the plants hadalready carpeted a chunk ofher yard, leaving no room forother plants to grow.Some quick onlineresearch would reveal it wasgarlic mustard — its scientificname is Alliaria petiolata— a medicinal herb with thepower to take over the forestfloor.Many believe the plantreleases toxins into theground to keep anythinggreen from growing there.Lou Wagner, a regional scientistfor the MassachusettsAudubon Society, says that’snot conclusive.All experts agree, though,that the edible green thatoriginated in Europe isspreading across Massachusettsfast, threatening nativeplants’ survival.Now, the race is on toremove garlic mustard.“Time is the essence,” saidJeanne Nevard, a gardenerand nature enthusiast fromPepperell. “If you don’t catchthem early, they can reallyget a foothold.”According to Wagner, theculinary herb was too rare tofind in the state when theMass Audubon Society conductedan invasive plantstudy in 2002.Ten years later, he sees theplant population “exploding,”blanketing the landscape, particularlyalong highways inEssex and Middlesex counties.In fact, there isn’t a singlecounty without garlic mustard;it was even recently found onthe island of Nantucket,according to Reginald Zimmerman,spokesman for the stateExecutive Office of Energy andEnvironmental Affairs.Zimmerman said the planthas been around in the statefor more than a century. Vehiclesare one culprit for its currentpopulation burst, he said,since the seeds — whichremain viable for severalyears — can adhere to tires.Global climate change isalso believed to be aiding themigration of some invasiveplants into the area, Zimmermansaid.Generally warmer temperaturesmay be helping garlicmustard grow more widelyhere, whereas in the past itcouldn’t establish a foothold,he said.Each garlic mustard plantproduces thousands of seeds,Nelson said, and has become sowidespread that a concernedPlease see MUSTARD/4At Lowell’s Delehanty Skateboard Parkfundraiser, for improvements, yesterday,Carolyn Delehanty (above) stoodbehind the memorial for her son, JohnMichael Delehanty, for whom the skatepark is named, while Matt Goodman(right) of Danville, N.H., gets some air.SUN PHOTOS/BOB WHITAKERGreening, cleaning Lowell preening for eco weekBy Jennifer Myersjmyers@lowellsun.comLOWELL — The city’sfirst Sustainability Weekbegins Monday, June 20. Theweek will be filled with activitiesgeared at promoting asustainable lifestyle and sustainablecity planning inconjunction with the publickick-off of the citywide MasterPlan Update.Events, all free to thepublic, include outdoorgreen films, a backyard beekeepingworkshop, a summitwith the Green RestaurantsProgram, and acitywide bike tour.By Robert Millsrmills@lowellsun.comWILMINGTON — At leasttwo people were hurt, oneseriously, in a six-car pileupon Interstate 93 north lastnight, and in a subsequentcrash a drunken driver strucka Tewksbury Fire Departmenttruck at the scene.State Police were calledGETTING SOME AIRThe week is presented bythe city of Lowell, the GreenBuilding Commission, andNew England Climate Summer,a team of 18- to 25-year-olds who bike acrossthe region working withlocal groups to encouragesustainability.Lowell will be the firststop on the riders’ Junethrough-Augusttrek acrossNew England; they’ll spendfive days here, as they willin every town they visit.The riders will show thebenefits of carbon-freetransport while supporting,highlighting and inspiringdiverse community-basedefforts to build a more sustainablefuture.Sustainability Week isintended to “raise awarenessabout many of Lowell’saccomplishments as a sustainablecity,” said City ManagerBernie Lynch, as wellas serving as “a platform fordiscussion about how to bestincorporate principles andpractices of sustainabilityinto the community’s longtermplans for the future.”“The fact that we’re takingit across the city,” saidStephen Greene, incomingGreen Building Commissionchairman, “will provide achance for many people toSix-car pileup on I-93 in Wilmingtonto the northbound lanes ofthe highway about a milesouth of Dascomb Road at8:46 p.m., and found at leastone person trapped in a car.Troopers called for a Med-Flight helicopter to land onthe highway, but were toldthe helicopter was groundeddue to overcast weather. A 47-year-old Derry, N.H. womanState Police reconstruct the scene of a crash that sentat least one person to the hospital with seriousinjuries on Interstate 93 last night.SUN/ROBERT MILLSand a 53-year-old Lawrenceman were both taken toLawrence General Hospital.As emergency crewsresponded to that crash, statepolice say Cisar Bargas-Lopez, 24, of Chelsea, strucka Tewksbury Fire Departmentsport utility vehicle atthe scene at 9:32 p.m.There were no injuries inthe second crash because thefire department truck wasempty at the time. Bargas-Lopez was arrested at thescene and charged with operatingunder the influence ofliquor, open container ofalcohol in a motor vehicle,unlicensed operation,marked lanes violation, andbreakdown lane violation.The crash forced investigatorsto close all but one lane ofthe highway, causing trafficbackups beyond Route 125.More information was notimmediately available.participate.”“Lowell is a designatedgreen community and anenvironmental leader acrossthe state,” he said.A presentation on thecity’s accomplishments andcurremt efforts to build along-term citywide visionfor sustainable developmentwill be held at the LowellSenior Center on BroadwayStreet at 6 p.m.A detailed schedule ofevents can be found atwww.lowellsustainabilityweek.org.For information,call neighborhood plannerAllegra Williams at 978-446-7200.LynchreleasesrésumésBy Jennifer Myersjmyers@lowellsun.comLOWELL — City ManagerBernie Lynch has releasedthe résumés of 10 residentswho applied to serve on cityboards over the last severalmonths, ending weeks of verbalsparring with several citycouncilors regarding whetherthe résumés of unsuccessfulapplicants should be madepublic.The issue came to light inMarch, following Lynch’sappointment of Kevin Ahernto replace Stephen Geary onthe Zoning Board of Appeals.Ahern, co-founder and ownerof The Beacon Group andHorizon Logistics, is a politicalsupporter and acquaintanceof City Councilor KevinBroderick.The appointmentprompted Councilor RodneyElliott to request the namesand résumés of all the applicants,arguing that Lynch’spredecessor, John Cox, suppliedthat information to thecouncil following a 2005 pushto do so by then-CouncilorEileen Donoghue.Councilors Edward “Bud”Caulfield, Rita Mercier andJoe Mendonca supportedElliott’s request, while theother councilors requested alegal opinion before movingforward.In a June 6 memo toLynch, City Solicitor ChristineO’Connor statedDonoghue did requestrésumés from Cox during aSept. 13, 2005, meeting,which he agreed to provide.No other councilors spoke onthe issue.“This request was neitherpresented as a policy noracted on as a policy,” O’Connorwrote. “In the end, thePlease see RÉSUMÉS/4REMEMBERING LOCAL HISTORY THROUGH THE SUN’S ARCHIVES By Tyler DumontWeek of June 13 to 2050 YEARS AGO (1961)■ Patrolman David W. Scribner is named sergeantof the Acton Police Department.■ Nine locations selected along Route 3between Chelmsford and Burlington for placementof new telephone booths.■ Dunstable tax rate: $130 per thousand.25 YEARS AGO (1986)■ The Westford Regency Inn gets a full permit foroccupancy in their second-floor ballroom.■ Whale watchers report few or no sightings, theworst in its seven-year history out of CapeAnn.■ RCA VHS camcorder from Cuomo’s: $1,199.10 YEARS AGO (2001)■ The FBI says major crime in Lowell was up inthe past year (2000), a 10 percent increase inthe city’s crime rate.■ Billerica’s Vining Elementary School PrincipalMaureen O’Hara fulfills her promise to ride onthe back of a Harley-Davidson motorcycleafter students raise $522 in a Dollars forScholars fundraiser.

4 MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2011 LOCAL NEWSTHE SUNScott declares forSchool CommitteeBy Jennifer Myersjmyers@lowellsun.comLOWELL — Kim Scott,the outspoken and involvedmother of two Lowell publicschool students, is runningfor School Committee.Scott, 39, works as a salesrepresentative for EagleLeasing and holds a bachelor’sdegree in businessadministration with a concentrationin finance.She lives in South Lowellwith her husband, Paul, andher daughters Erin, 7, andMadison, 5, who will beentering the second and firstgrades at the J.G. Pyne ArtsSchool in the fall.Scott says the greateststrength she can bring to thecommittee, in addition to anunderstanding of finance, isthe perspective of an elementary-schoolparent.“I can see up close what ishappening in my daughters’school,” she said. “I’ve beenable to build a relationshipwith staff that is built onmutual respect; that leads totrust. From there, I’ve learnedfrom the staff about theirneeds and concerns, plus theneeds of the school’s students.”Scott is treasurer of thePyne Arts PTO and a memberof the Citywide ParentCouncil. This spring, sheserved on the search committeefor both the Pyne Artsprincipal and the superintendentof schools. She alsoserves on the city’s SolidWaste and Recycling AdvisoryCommittee.Her top goal if elected, shesaid, would be to make surethe district sets realistic —yet ambitious — goals.“For example, if we buy newtechnology-based teaching aidsand nobody is properly trainedto use them, is it an efficientuse of funds?” she said. “Whenwe test children to inform curriculum,that is wonderful. Butif our testing takes teachersaway from teaching, is that thebest use of these professionals?“We can keep throwingmoney at issues,” she added.“Or we can come up withrealistic solutions and spendwisely, while obtaining theresults we seek.”Scott’s other stated prioritiesinclude ensuring uniformadministration of curriculumand parity in enrichment programmingacross the district;establishing a stronger antibullyingcurriculum; upgradingschool websites; andestablishing uniform disciplineand behavior programs.While all six electedSchool Committee slots areup for grabs in November,only longtime member JohnLeahy is not running for reelection,opting instead to tryfor a City Council seat.The seventh committeemember is the mayor of Lowell.In addition to Scott, twoothers have so far pullednomination papers: KristinRoss-Sitcawich, 39, directorof homelessness-preventionprograms at CommunityTeamwork Inc. and mother oftwo Lowell public-school students;and Robert Gignac, 21,a UMass Lowell student whoworks for the city as anaccountant.The election is Nov. 8.Garlic mustard invasion threatens native ecosystemHave you seen thisinvasive species? Garlicmustard growsunchecked everywhere.The following Lowell residentsapplied for and wereinterviewed by City ManagerBernie Lynch forrecent appointments toland-use boards:• Kevin Ahern is cofounderand owner of TheBeacon Group and HorizonLogistics. The BeaconGroup is an engineeringdesign firm specializing inwarehouse and distributioncenters. Horizon Logistics isa third-party logistics anddistribution company.Ahern has also purchasedseveral investment propertiesin the city that heeither rents out or has renovatedand sold.Lynch appointed him tothe Zoning Board ofAppeals.• Marion SaundersDodge is a contracts managerfor Arbor Networks,Inc., who worked previouslyfor FiberTower NetworkServices Corp. as a programmanager. At FiberTower,she oversaw the siting ofcell towers. Dodge has anextensive background in theLynch relents, releases résumés of 10 land-use board candidatesRÉSUMÉS/From Page 3number of instances in whichthe council received résumésfrom all candidates under theCox administration was verylimited.”O’Connor wrote appointmentswere next made inMarch 2006, when the councilreceived the résumés of thoseapplicants chosen, whichwere attached to the appointmentletters. She said it wasunclear if they receivedresumes of the unsuccessfulcandidates.During Lynch’s first roundof appointments in August2006, the council was providedwith the résumés of theselected applicants.At an Aug. 8, 2006 meeting,Elliott asked if Lynchcould compile a list of applicantsand an explanation ofhow board and committeemembers were chosen.At the time, Elliott said hewas not trying to interfereMUSTARD/From Page 3group of residents recently helda garlic mustard-pulling eventin Lincoln.Nelson also rounded up sixvolunteers in Groton on May21, plucking six large lawnleafbags of garlic mustardalong the Nashua River RailTrail and other parts of thetown where the plant wasgrowing rampant.Nevard spotted a strand ofgarlic mustard next to hermailbox recently and alertedthe Pepperell Garden Club.She hopes to organize a pulloutevent in Pepperell soon.Garlic mustard is a coolseason,biennial herb, accordingto the U.S. National ParkWho applied for land-use board positions?wireless industry, goingback to 1999.Lynch made her an associatemember of the ZBA.• Dennis McCarthy isan architect working as thedirector of design for PDAAssociates, Inc.Lynch made him an associatemember of the ZBA.• William Lovely Jr. isa project coordinator for theEnvironmental ProtectionAgency, currently overseeingthe clean-up of the New BedfordHarbor Superfund site.Lynch appointed him to aseat on the ConservationCommission.• John Dristilaris is aformer police officer whocurrently serves as a marketingand leadership consultantfor the HellenicAmerican Academy and asthe Parish Council presidentat the TransfigurationGreek Orthodox Church. Healso teaches criminal justiceat Hesser College inSalem, N.H.• John Espinosa is anattorney in the Childrenand Family Law division ofService’s website. Flowersdevelop in the second year,and the plant reaches up to 31/2 feet in height.Identifying the plant is easy— just crush them and you willsmell garlic, Nelson said.The plant was firstrecorded in the U.S. in 1868on New York’s Long Island.Settlers likely brought themfor food or medicinal purposes,according to theNational Park Service.Garlic mustard greens areedible. Nelson suggested stirfryingor steaming the plant ormaking pasta with it. She recommendedmixing it with othergreens due to its bitter taste.Wagner said invasive plantshave “cascading effects throughthe Committee for PublicCounsel Services, and alsoteaches in the paralegalprogram at North ShoreCommunity College. Hepreviously worked as a legalconsultant for a Danverstax law firm.• Van Pech is a counselorand volunteer coordinatorat the Center for Hopeand Healing, and also servesas a Khmer translator forthe Lowell Election Commission.Pech is running forCity Council this year.• Licia Sky is an artistand small business ownerwho moved to Lowell’sHighlands neighborhoodfrom Brookline last year.She recently completed acertificate program in sustainabledesign and buildingat the YestermorrowSchool of Design in Vermont,and plans to enter theMasters in architecture programat Mass College of Artnext summer.• Sushma Srinivas is agraduate student at UMassLowell studying civil andenvironmental engineering,with Lynch’s authority andthat he “knew some peoplemay not want to have theirnames released.”At a Sept. 26, 2006 meeting,Lynch explained hisprocess was not to requestresidents to apply for any particularboard. He said he wasunder the impression that thecouncil’s policy was for themto be provided with therésumés of those who appliedfor a particular position, butnot others who may havebeen considered.Donoghue said the requestfor résumés was not councilpolicy, but “more of arequest,” and ultimately howto handle the appointmentprocess is in the manager’s,not the council’s, purview.Lynch provided the councilwith the résumés of allapplicants from December2006 through April 2007, butsince that date, only therésumés of selected candidateshave been released.O’Connor noted releasingthe résumés of unsuccessfulcandidates “does raise certainlegal concerns regarding privacyissues and compliancewith Massachusetts publicrecordlaws, as well as possibleviolations of the city’sPlan E form of government.”In a June 10 memo to thecouncil, Lynch wrote, “in lightof the cloud that has been castover one of my more recentappointments, I believe it isnecessary that I provide thecouncil with the résumés ofthe applicants that I interviewedfor the various landuseboards.”He said he notified theapplicants in question of hisdecision, and that other residentshave contacted him,saying if their names andrésumés are to be made public,they no longer wish to beconsidered for a position on acity board.Lynch also expressed concernthat the release of thethe ecosystem,” since they candisplace — and even cause togo extinct — native plants thatanimals rely upon for food.Scientists continue to testpossible biological controlsfor garlic mustard, but haveyet to find one, according toZimmerman.The good news is that garlicmustard is easy to pull out,Nelson said. Keeping itcropped short also helps preventgrowth, she said.Nelson doubted any invasiveplant could be completelyeradicated. Her approach? “It’sbetter to try and at least controlthe population,” she said.For more information, visitthe National Park Service’swebsite at www.nps.gov/plants.and holds a bachelor’sdegree in transportationengineering from VisvesvarayaTechnological Institutein India.• Andrew Szava-Kovats is a project engineerand manager for PennoniAssociates, Inc. ofAndover. He has experiencein civil engineering for residentialand commercialdevelopment projects,including knowledge of sitedesign and permittingprocesses on the federal,state and local level.In his memo to the council,Lynch noted that four ofthe 10 applicants have beenappointed to seats on theZBA and ConservationCommission, and that heplans to appoint another tothe Cultural Council at theJune 28 council meeting.Additionally, he is looking“to place a couple of otherson other boards over thenext couple of months.”—JENNIFER MYERSrésumés of all applicants maylead to council interference inthe appointment authoritygranted to the manager underthe City Charter. The manager’sappointments are ratifiedby the council.“For example, if two peopleare considered and the citymanager appoints one individualbut a majority of thecouncil prefers the other individual,a de facto appointmentcould be made by arejection of the chosen individual,”Lynch wrote.“Moving forward,” hewrote, “I do think that weshould review the manner ofappointments in other citieslike Lowell as well as the legaland practical considerations.Along those lines, there maybe an alternative system thatcan address all interests.”The City Council meetsTuesday at 6:30 p.m. in theCouncil Chamber. Prior to theregular meeting, a hearing onthe budget for fiscal 2012 willbe held at 5 p.m.

THE SUN LOCAL NEWSMONDAY, JUNE 13, 2011 7BEACON HILL ROLL CALLSenate OKs overhaulBy Bob KatzenTHE HOUSE AND SEN-ATE: Beacon Hill Roll Callrecords the votes of local senatorson three roll calls fromthe week of June 6-10. Therewere no roll calls in theHouse.CHANGES TO STATEGOVERNMENT (S 1905):Senate, 38-0, approved andsent to the House a lengthybill designed to make majorchanges in the way state governmentoperates. The measurerequires state governmentto regularly evaluatethe worthiness, successesand failures of all agenciesand programs. It would alsoestablish a special commissionto decide the fate ofexisting state agencies andboards based on their coremissions and performance.Another key provisionwould require the governor tofile a zero-based budget everyfour years, one that startsfrom scratch and is not basedon the prior year’s funding.The measure also requiresunrestricted local aid to bedistributed monthly, ratherthan quarterly, and caps thestate’s debt limit at $17.07billion.Supporters said thiswould modernize and reformthe way state governmentoperates. They argued itwould get rid of the mentalitythat each department’sbudget should almost alwaysbe funded at least at theprior year’s level. They notedthat it would finally improveefficiency, transparency andaccountability by implementingperformance measurementrequirements for allgovernment agencies andprograms.(A “Yes” vote is for thebill.)Yes: Sens. Kenneth Donnelly,Eileen Donoghue,James Eldridge, SusanFargo, Barry Finegold, JenniferFlanagan and BruceTarr.FUND PENSION LIA-BILITY WITH RAINY-DAYFUND (S 1905): Senate, 32-5,approved an amendment thatwould use some of the moneyin the state’s Rainy Day Fundto help reduce the state’sunfunded pension liability.The bill provides that whenannual capital-gains revenueexceeds $1 billion, the excesswould go to the state’s RainyDay Fund. The amendmentprovides that 5 percent of therevenue go to fund the state’spension liability.Amendment supporterssaid when tax revenues arerobust, the state can afford toincrease payments to fundthe multibillion-dollarunfunded pension liability.Opponents noted that oncethe Rainy Day Fund reachesa certain amount, some of itautomatically goes into theTax Reduction Fund andeventually goes back to taxpayersas a tax cut. They saiddiverting some of the RainyDay Fund’s revenue to paydown pension liability woulddelay tax cuts.(A “Yes” vote is for theamendment that woulddivert some of the Rainy DayFund money to pay downpension liability. A “No” voteis against the diversion.)Yes: Sens. Donnelly,Donoghue, Eldridge, Fargo,Finegold, Flanagan.No: Tarr.ZERO-BASED BUD-GETING (S 1905): Senate,38-0, approved an amendmentthat would require thegovernor to file a zero-basedbudget every four years,starting with fiscal 2017. Azero-based budget is one thatdevelops a budget for everystate department and agencyfrom scratch rather thanbeing based on the prioryear’s funding. The budgetwould also be required toinclude a brief description ofthe tasks and goals for eachagency or department.Amendment supporterssaid this would be a majorstep forward by ensuringitems in the budget are evaluatedbased on their importance,performance andmerit rather than on theprior year’s funding.(A “Yes” vote is for theamendment.)Yes: Sens. Donnelly,Donoghue, Eldridge, Fargo,Finegold, Flanagan, Tarr.ALSO UP ON BEACONHILL3 PERCENT PAYHIKES: Gov. Deval Patrickauthorized executive-branchdepartments and agencies togive some 4,000 managers upto a 3 percent raise in fiscal2012. Secretary of Administrationand Finance Jay Gonzalezestimated the hikescould cost the state up to $10million. He said the statedoes not have plans to provideadditional money to fundthe hikes, and departmentsand agencies would have toabsorb the costs within theirexisting budgets.Supporters say thesemanagers have not had araise since 2007 and alsotook unpaid furloughs in fiscal2009 and 2010. Criticssay a salary hike is outrageouswhen unemployment ishigh and important humanservicestate programs andlocal aid have been cut.PROHIBIT TRANS-GENDER DISCRIMINA-TION (H 502): The JudiciaryCommittee heard testimonyon a bill that would prohibitdiscrimination against transgenderpeople by adding gender-identityprotection to thestate’s nondiscriminationand hate-crimes laws.Supporters say Massachusettsshould join 12 otherstates that have laws banningdiscrimination againsttransgender persons in manyareas including employment,housing, credit, publicaccommodations and publiceducation. Opponents say thebill would put women andchildren at risk by allowingdangerous male predators,claiming to be transgender,to use women’s bathrooms.Gov. Patrick in Februaryquietly signed a narrowerexecutive order that prohibitsall state agencies frommaking employment decisionsbased on gender identity.The measure took effectimmediately and wasdesigned to protect transgenderpersons from discriminationwhen applying for astate job.TAPE BOOKING OFSUSPECTS (H 1374): TheJudiciary Committee’s hearingalso included a bill thatwould require the secretaryof Public Safety and Securityto adopt regulations requiringthe video or digitalrecording of the statementsmade by all parties participatingin the booking processof any person arrested by astate police officer.PUNISH SANCTUARYCITIES AND TOWNS (H1563): The Committee onPublic Safety and HomelandSecurity held a hearing onlegislation that would withholdlocal aid from any citiesor towns that do not enforcefederal immigration laws.The withholding would alsoapply to communities thathave established themselvesas “sanctuary cities or towns”that offer protection in avariety of ways to illegalimmigrants.LIVE OPERATOR: TheSenate rejected an amendmentthat would require anytelephone answering systemused by state offices, boardsand agencies to give allcallers the option of speakingwith a live operator.❑HOW LONG WAS LASTWEEK’S SESSION? BeaconHill Roll Call tracks thelength of time that the Houseand Senate were in sessioneach week. During the weekof June 6-10, the House metfor a total of 48 minuteswhile the Senate met for atotal of four hours and 35minutes.Bob Katzen welcomes feedbackat bob@beaconhillrollcall.com.Pepperell man charged with assaultBy Lisa Redmondlredmond@lowellsun.comAYER — A 41-year-oldPepperell man with mentalhealthissues, convicted in2005 of arson, has been placedon pretrial probation forallegedly attacking his elderlyfather with a chainsaw.In Ayer District Court onWednesday, Joseph D.McOsker, of 44 HaskellRoad, was placed on twoyears of pretrial probationon two counts of assault andbattery on a person over 60causing injury, assault witha dangerous weapon, andassault and battery with adangerous weapon.While on probation,McOsker must comply withhis mental-health treatmentplan, take his medicationsand follow probation’s plan.McOsker was arrestedMarch 6 after policeresponded to a call to hisparents’ Haskell Road homethat their son had punchedand kicked his 68-year-oldfather, Robert.Police could see thefather had injuries to his leftear and elbow. The elderMcOsker complained of aknee injury after his sonkicked him with workbootson, police said.According to court documents,the father told policethat he went into the yard toescape, but his son came outof the house waving a chainsawand threw the saw athis father.The son then fled theyard carrying an ax. OfficerRichard Smith caught upwith him on nearbyShawnee Road, and drew hisgun after trying unsuccessfullyto get him to drop theax. McOsker didn’t complyuntil two other officersarrived, police said.In 2005, McOskerpleaded guilty to setting fireto two Sovereign banks inTownsend and Ayer andtorching four cars parkedoutside the Pheasant LaneMall in Nashua.He was sentenced to 2 1/2years in jail, with one yearto be served and the balancesuspended for five yearswhile he is probation. Aspart of his probation, he wasto seek anger-managementtreatment.Highlands Circlegroup to learn ofcrime, arts, historyLOWELL — The HighlandsCircle neighborhoodgroup will meet tonight at7 p.m. in the lower roomof St. Margaret’s Rectory.The group will hear anupdate on crime activityin the neighborhood bythe Lowell Police. Therewill also be presentationsby Emily Wiseheartregarding the upcomingentertainment season atthe Lowell MemorialAuditorium and JaneWard regarding events atthe American Textile HistoryMuseum.—JENNIFER MYERS