Weekly Recap: New Contract For Belson

Here are some of the highlights from Medford Patch's coverage this past week. This is only a small sample—to see all the coverage, click on the News tab on the navigation bar.

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Medford Superintendent's Contract Extended

Medford Public Schools Superintendent Roy Belson will be staying in his position for at least another two years. The longtime school official was officially given a two-year extension of his contract by the Medford School Committee Monday evening. His current contract was set to expire June 30, and he's now under contract through June 30, 2015. 

At 66, Belson said Tuesday night he's thought about stepping aside, but feels the school department has many important projects he'd like to see completed. Some of those include the new science lab project at Medford High School and the implementation of a new teacher evaluation system among others.

Council Wants Medford to Seek Casino 'Surrounding Community' Status

The Medford City Council resolved Tuesday night to take initial steps in address the possible impacts of a casino in a nearby community. While plans for a casino in Everett not far from the Medford border continue to be formulated, Medford councilor Breanna Lungo-Koehn wants to get ahead of the game.

In order for any developer to submit a proposal for a license, they must enter agreements with communities designated as a "surrounding community." Lungo-Koehn said the city must submit its application by May 3.

Filmmaker Seeks to Honor Medford Sound Pioneers

Fundraising efforts are underway to construct a historical marker in Haines Square in Medford to commemorate a world-famous sound reinforcement company that once operated there.

John Kane, a Salem resident and doctoral student at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire, has been working for two years on a documentary and a dissertation on Hanley Sound, founded by Medford brothers Bill and Terry Hanley over 50 years ago.