Nashoba Publishing/John Love

AYER -- When it came time to pick this year's Fourth of July parade grand marshal the committee started thinking of all the prominent people in town.   Full Story

GROTON -- When the Prescott Elementary School closed its doors for perhaps the final time at the conclusion of the 2008 academic year, the event also marked closure to a chapter in the town's history encompassing the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the sexual revolution, and a war on terror.   Full Story

Nashoba Publishing/John Love

HARVARD -- Roland Martineau stood at the front of the meeting room looking down as retired Navy Reserve Cmdr.   Full Story

PEPPERELL -- One hundred and seventy one former eighth graders and their home room teachers filled Nissitissit Middle School's stage Tuesday night for a commencement ceremony attended by a full house of parents, relatives and friends.   Full Story

Shirley eighth-graders Venessa Hehir, Marissa Murphy and Kristina Popelka find it difficult to say goodbye following graduation ceremonies at Shirley Middle School.   Full Story

Nashoba Publishing/Sandra Lord

TOWNSEND -- Watch out, North Middlesex Regional High School here they come! All 209 members of the class of 2008 and over 450 family and friends gathered in the auditorium of Hawthorne Brook Middle School to celebrate the students' passage from eighth grade into high school.   Full Story

LEOMINSTER -- The Hillside Construction Babe Ruth team has put together an outstanding season in Division 1 play with just a single loss.   Full Story

The school budget has been cut by $649,234. Because of this, the schools have lost half of their buses (four), technology expenses, a special education teaching assistant, much of their facilities maintenance, an administrative assistant, the school psychologist, the middle school librarian, a grade eight teacher, a grade seven teacher, and an   Full Story

DEVENS -- Eighteen Army Reserve soldiers, experienced drill instructors from Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 304th Regiment, are spending their Independence Day deploying from Devens to Fort Knox, Ky.   Full Story

MILFORD -- Massachusetts Department of Corrections officers were among the Massachusetts state and county corrections officers honored at the 2008 Correction Officer of the Year 11th annual awards ceremony held June 23 at the Statehouse.   Full Story

Friday, July 4 Brookline fireworks: dusk, Max Cohen Memorial Grove, Lake Potanipo, Brookline, N.H.; Free admission to grove but donation accepted.   Full Story